A Bedtime Story with Pinkie Pie
Pre-story Author's Note: It'll be pretty clear once you get reading that fully italic sentences are ponies talking during the story telling, but I feel I should explain that emboldened italic sentences are spoken by more than one, in chorus.
A Bedtime Story with Pinkie Pie
In the quaint little town of Ponyville, evening was approaching. There was nothing special about this specific night, not in comparison to many of the events that occurred here and around the nation of Equestria. No, this was a plain old afternoon proceeding into a plain old evening. The citizens were mostly headed to their respective homes, be they empty or filled with family, eagerly awaiting the return of their loved ones. There were, however, some ponies, in a small, tight knit group, who were not done with the day.
Twilight Sparkle, accompanied by four of her five closest friends, was making her way to Sugar Cube Corner. There they would meet with Pinkie Pie, shortly thereafter climbing a nearby grassy hill to watch the sun set and gaze at the stars. It had taken some work, but Miss Sparkle had managed to convince the others that it would be a nice thing to do.
They were all chatting away, be it in excitement about the evening to come or just general conversation. Eventually though, they all quietened down upon reaching the door to SCC. The reason they were meeting Pinkie Pie last was because she had spent the day babysitting the Cake twins. At this point in time, Pinkie just needed to put them to bed, which is why the others had gone quiet.
Twilight knocked softly, careful not to awaken any possibly sleeping foals.
“Comiiiiiing!” Came Pinkie’s voice, loud and clear.
Within seconds, the door was replaced by a beaming Pinkie Pie. Her two charges sat on her back, trying to beam just as much, but a combination of physical impossibility and drowsiness reduced them to tired looking smiles.
“Oooooo, hey girls! You’re just in time for the bedtime story!”
“Yay,” replied Rainbow Dash half heartedly.
Rarity frowned at Rainbow then smiled gently back at Pinkie.
“Don’t mind her,” she said. “She just wishes she was playing her new video game.”
Twilight returned to the topic at hand, “We can wait outside if you’d like?”
“Why would you do that?” asked Pinkie, genuinely confused. “Don’t you want to hear it too?”
The five mares on the outside looked to one another.
Fluttershy answered for all of them, “We’d love to.”
Rainbow began to mutter, “Ugh, bedtime stories are for babies. The sunset was bad eno-”
“Quiet now, sugarcube,” Applejack interrupted.
“But AJ-”
Applejack placed a hoof on Dash’s lips.
“Ain’t you even the slightest bit curious to hear what Pinkie Pie’s bedtime stories are like?”
Realisation lit up in the pegasus’ eyes, and Applejack took her hoof away.
All this time, Pinkie had been clearing up all the foals’ toys with a little help from her friends. Afterwards, she led them all upstairs to the cots. Once the children were tucked in nicely, and the new arrivals were sat around the room, Pinkie’s face softened. When she next spoke, her friends couldn’t believe their ears. Out of nowhere, she’d… calmed. Not calm by the standards of a pink party pony, nor even ‘normal’ by common ponies’ standards; properly calm in its truest definition. It was almost as if she was another pony entirely.
“There is world, beyond this one and any known world in this universe… Another reality-”
Another reality where there is everything. If you can imagine it, it’s there, somewhere. There are ponies, zebras, gryphons, and everything else we know to be real, but there are also creatures we believe to be just myth, fiction, and even those that we have never known about. Everypony is there, in all different kinds of forms, and at different ages.
Amongst all the living things, big and small, there is a human stallion.
What’s a human?
It’s a mythical biped similar to monkeys. Less hair and believed to be on par with our own intelligence, but sadly bereft of magic.
Thanks, Twilight. I’m sure the babies understood that.
Some scientists believe that foals are subconsciously-
Darlings, just let her tell her story.
Sorry.
His name is Tobias. He attends a University, studying Art. Where exactly, nopony knows. This world is everywhere at once, yet nowhere at all.
Lately, Tobias had been struggling. Between lectures, he had spotted a mare, or rather a woman, in the crowds of students and not-students. She looked like the sort of girl who'd be an actress in a really popular pirate movie or three. And she'd be kind of posh, but still strong, and not afraid to whack a guy with an oar. A girl who could play that, only a little more butch, and maybe more Canadian than British.
What-
Canadians are from Canada, and Brits from Britain. You know, like how maple syrup comes from White Tail Woods, and how tea comes from those little islands? The ones the pirates would raid?
But-
Sugarcube, she might not sound like she normally does, but this is still Pinkie Pie talking here.
So this man, Tobias, became obsessed with seeing her again. Sometimes, he would skip lectures to roam and search. He tried to find her on the internet.
What’s the internet?
Shhh
Did that filly just shush m-
Shhh
It got so bad that he would always be distracted when hanging out with his friends. It was getting to the point where those friends were either going to stop inviting him out or perform an intervention. But, one day, she reappeared.
He was on a train, riding it into a nearby city, and there she was, placing her bags overhead and sitting down to read a book. Tobias just couldn’t believe his eyes. There were so close to one another. Immediately, he moved from his original seat and sat across from her. The woman peeped a look over her novel and smiled.
“Hello, you,” she said.
This stunned Tobias a bit.
“I- er… do I know you?” asked Tobias.
Now behind her book again, the woman replied, “I don’t think so. You’ve been looking for me though, from what I’ve heard.”
“No I-” Tobias stopped himself; now was not the time to be lying. “Yes… Yes I have.”
The woman giggled.
“What’s so funny?”
“Your honesty. Pay it no mind. So… What’s your name?”
“Tobias.”
“Hmm, I like a man that doesn’t shorten his name.”
“Really?”
“Pffft, nah. Well, sort of. It’s nice to see someone respect the actual name their parents gave them.”
“Oh.”
Tobias didn’t know what else to say.
With mock offense, the woman said, “My name’s Lucy, thanks for asking.”
“Oh, sorry… It’s just… I’m so happy to finally get to talk to you.”
“Don’t worry about it, and really?”
“Y-yeah.”
“Well, I guess I have to go on a date with you now, don’t I?”
Tobias nodded at first, smiling, then he suddenly realised what he heard.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Let’s see. You and I are on the same course, so we’re both off on this assignment. How about we go to one of the generic tourist attractions and follow it up with a meal?”
Hang on-
Sh-
No, I have to know. If she was in the same course, how’d he not find her straight away?
The world is everywhere at once, yet nowhere at all.
… Oh… yeah… that actually… that actually makes sense… Carry on.
Tobias returned to nodding, albeit gormlessly.
“It’s a date. I’m sure our work partners won’t mind us disappearing for one night, right?”
“Huh?”
“You know?” Lucy pointed back to where Tobias had been sat earlier, where a beaming woman was peeping over the seats to watch them chat. “Admittedly, mine is going by car, so I can understand how you forgot about them.”
“Oh… yes… of course…”
Tobias really could not remember being sat with the woman now waving at him. Had he really been that distracted?
“Well, if you don’t mind, I’d like to finish this book.”
Lucy tapped said book’s cover. Tobias, having only now properly read the title, saw that it was Pride and Prejudice.
Oh, I love that book.
You should have said something before, darling. We just HAVE to talk about our favourite parts at our next spa date.
Lucy continued, “I can feel connected to the main female character somehow.”
“Ok then…”
Still at a loss as to how he missed the second woman who’d been sat right next to him, he stood up and wandered back on over to her. As he sat down again, he looked at this new woman. She looked like a real party person, like she’d know everyone at any social event, or at least make it her business to if she didn’t. Someone who’d find the fun in everything, and in the rare case she couldn’t, she’d try her hardest to make it fun. You know what I mean this time?
Yes
She’s Canadian too. Well, Lucy’s like Canadian, but British. Annie’s full blown Canadian, which I guess isn’t too different from British, unless she was French Canadian, which some Brits would say was very different from British Canadian.
Pinkie
Oh, yes. So, even though he really had no recollection of this party person, he already knew her name was Annie.
“Annie?”
“Yes, Toby?”
“How long-”
Annie cut in, “-Have we known each other? Well, I just joined the course a bit late because of only just arriving in town from some other place and then there was this assignment and we were paired up for some reason which was kinda silly seeing as I was behind and you hadn’t been paying much attention lately but the professors know best, right?”
‘Toby’ blinked.
“I’d say roughly about a week.”
With that, Annie turned to smile at the window, watching everywhere and nowhere pass by all at once.
“Huh.”
The rest of the train journey, being eternal yet brief, what with the everywhere and nowhere thing going on outside, went on in silence. Of course, it was silence from Tobias’ point of view. Annie kept commenting on all the sights, saying where she had and hadn’t been.
Once they were off the train, and riding a taxi to their hotel, Tobias decided to pay attention to Annie again.
“What’s our assignment again?”
“Find the hidden art of something most would take for granted. It’s why we’re here instead of back there,” Annie explained, pointing a thumb back over her shoulder.
Following the thumb’s direction, Tobias could see their town out the taxi’s rear window. So close, yet so far.
“Alright, and how do we plan to do that?”
“We just wander the city, taking in the sights like any tourist would, and wait for something to jump out at us. Maybe even literally!”
“Sounds easy enough.”
“AND FUN!”
“I guess…”
Having got what he wanted, Tobias returned to his daydreaming. How would his date go with Lu- Oops, need to pee.
Pinkie Pie got up far too calmly for her, and walked quietly out of the room. Her friends shared looks of disbelief. Not only was her almost complete self control a shock to them, but her story was kind of making sense, ignoring all the ‘everything exists together’, ‘everywhere at once yet nowhere at all’, ‘eternal yet brief’ nonsense.
Rainbow Dash started to speak, “You know…”
“Yes Dash?” said Twilight, urging her friend to say what’s on her mind.
“The twins are already asleep.”
A quick glance towards the cots showed that they were indeed asleep. Applejack was the first to respond.
“So?”
“Well, the sun’ll be setting anytime now. Shouldn’t we be going?”
Fluttershy was surprisingly quick to answer, “I want to know what happens.”
Rarity agreed, “I too would like to know where this is going. The blatant self insert has me… intrigued. She seems to have put herself there for a reason beyond plot development.”
“I’m trying to remember all this for when I get back home. I have an urge to record her words,” Twilight added, concurring in her own way.
Applejack just nodded, seeing no need to add anything else. Rainbow Dash sighed, not realising how fake she sounded.
“Alright… I guess I can wait around for the end.”
Just then, as if on cue, Pinkie re-entered and sat down where she had before. Knowing her, it really was on cue.
“Where was I? Oh, yes, Tobias was daydreaming again in the taxi.”
He worried if he’d mess up the date. He’d probably say something stupid or unintentionally offensive. Unbeknownst to Tobias, Annie was watching his face subconsciously change expressions, and imitating him, causing their taxi driver to chuckle and almost clip a passing car.
Eventually, they reached their hotel, paid the driver and went about getting their key and finding their room.
“I think we should start tomorrow, Toby,” Annie said, already jumping onto her bed and turning on the room’s TV.
Not gonna ask.
“Why do you say that?”
“You’re clearly obsessing over tonight’s date with Lucy, and would be too distracted to spot anything of use to us.”
“Oh… you’re right.”
And so, the two of them just lay on their separate beds and watched TV all day.
Night crept up on them slowly but surely, until there was a knock on the room’s door.
“Well, that’ll be your fair maiden. Don’t forget to have fun!”
Before Tobias could say anything, Annie had managed to pick him up, carry him to the door, open said door and toss him into Lucy’s arms. Only, as the door shut behind him, Tobias found it wasn’t Lucy, but a hotel attendant. The attendant helped tobias onto his feet and handed him a note.
“We got a phone call from a friend of yours. Lucy, I believe.”
“Thanks.”
Tobias took the note and read it as the attendant left.
‘Sorry Tobias, but my work partner is refusing to let me go out with you. She’s insisting you’ll mess with our assignment, steal ideas and such. I would go anyway, but she’s REALLY convincing. Sorry again.’ :(
She actually got someone to add the face to the message?
Dash, can’t you just sit quietly and listen like the rest of us?
Sorry AJ.
“Awwwww, sorry she stood you up, Toby.”
Tobias jumped. Annie had suddenly been right behind him, resting her chin on his shoulder.
“Sorry for making you jump. You know what’ll help you with the emptiness and shock?!”
“W-What?” Tobias’ voice trembled.
“Late night TV, your best friend and CHOCOLATE!”
Once again, before he could react, Annie had picked him up. Next thing he knew, he was flying through the air. Landing on his bed, his ‘best friend’ was instantly beside him, one arm over his shoulder, the other offering a selection of chocolates and a third switching the TV to some form of comedy entertainment.
They didn’t stay up too long though, and the next day they got up and went straight out into the city, getting to work on their assignment. They were only there for three days, but with the world being how it was, it was more like a week to them, maybe even longer. At some point, they decided upon a deceptively plain looking building. I would explain why, but while they were examining it, something happened that made them change their plans. A giant that was strolling by stood on a bus, and then two more in the ensuing shock and horror. Luckily, a nearby pony had had a premonition of the event, and evacuated all the passengers with teleportation magic.
In an effort to make up for the mess, the giant had then proceeded to pile the buses on top of Tobias and Annie’s chosen building. It completely changed the building’s imagery. This led to Annie having an awesome idea and convincing the giant to move things around a bit. From there, the two humans went to work on making their artistic analysis and so on.
She seems to be losing the plot a little bit.
Twi, don’t you start.
Oh, whoops.
Throughout the three days/week/eternity Tobias and Annie worked together, Tobias began to agree with Annie’s presumption of their being best friends. When the time came to make their presentation back at the University, they were most certainly the best of friends.
…
…
Wait, so that’s it?
Kind of anticlimactic.
You said it.
I guess it was alright.
Lame. You should have totally worked more on the giants and the whole idea of the endless possibilities the reality presented.
If we hurry, we can still make it in time for the sunset.
You’re right, let’s go.
You coming Pinkie?
I’ll be right behind you.
Ok, but be quick. See you on the hill.
…
…
It wasn’t until near the end of their presentation, everyone sat around the study hall, sitting on the ground due to a sudden lack of chairs, that Tobias noticed something a little… off. Annie, having sat next to him, was now leaning on him, her arms wrapped around his waist. When he realised this, he was filled with such a comforting warmth, far greater than when Lucy had planned that date. He didn’t move from that spot, not wanting to ruin the moment.
“The End.”
Pinkie Pie, alone with the twins, kissed her little charges’ foreheads one after the other.
“Goodnight Pound. Goodnight Pumpkin.”
Silent as the night, the unnaturally calm party pony trotted to the door, a hoof resting on the light switch. A smile widened softly, transforming into her famous face defying smile.
“Wakey wakey, Toby.”
The light went out.
‘Toby’ awoke with a start. He could vaguely recall the dream which had so abruptly ended. The last thing he could remember was realising Annie was more than a best friend. He could still feel the warmth. It was rare for him not realise he was dreaming within the dream when so much of it made no sense. With the everlasting warmth still with him, ‘Toby’ climbed out of bed and got on with the new day.