> Pinkie Promise > by Shaud > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Part One > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Omigoshomigoshomigosh!" Pinkie Pie bounced up and down around her kitchen as she clutched something close to her. She ignored the frosting and crumbs smeared on it, even as the mess transferred to her shirt. Pinkie stopped spinning and held what appeared to be a large envelope in front of her. The golden stripe of gold at the top had alerted her to the special paper in the trash, and she had plucked it out without even thinking about it. When she opened it, though, she was surprised as to why it had been thrown away. "We invite you to attend our campus opening..." The fancy script was hand written, obviously a personal invitation. And it was to her sister's dream college, no less! At first Pinkie frowned, confused as to why her sister had thrown it out. Had it been an accident? But Maud wouldn't accidentally throw out something that special. Which had led to Pinkie wondering if that meant Maud didn't want to go. But it had been Maud's dream for years. The college was known for its great archaeology and science programs, so it was little wonder why Maud wanted to go. So, naturally, Pinkie didn't understand why Maud had thrown it away. Even Maud, her showing-emotion-challenged sister, would have shown some kind of excitement at the offer. But instead the papers had been thrown away, and she hadn't said a word about it. Pinkie rolled her eyes with a smile. Maybe her sister was embarrassed? Maybe she didn't want to make a big deal out of it? This is enough to qualify for a party! Pinkie grinned to herself. A "Maud's so smart we need to celebrate" party! Maybe then she'll want to go! "Pinkie." Her sister's calm voice down the hall made her jump, and Pinkie quickly shoved the papers up her shirt. She turned to her sister with a grin as the papers poked at her sides. "Ooooh, heya Maud! What's up? Anything new going on?" She wiggled her eyebrows for effect. There was also the possibility Maud was waiting to tell her... Like a surprise! Maud's eyes flickered to her sister's shirt, and then to her grin. As always she looked like she wanted to say something, but instead shook her head. She had developed a kind of intuition when it came to Pinkie on when asking a question would bring up more questions, not answer them. "About to go to work. Stay out of trouble." "Ay-ay, cap'n!" Pinkie giggled as Maud turned to leave. Once the older girl was gone, Pinkie turned her attention back to the papers in her shirt. Instead of taking them out (as a non-Pinkie person would do) she pulled open her collar and stared down at the papers. She won't suspect a thing. ********************************* The next day Pinkie told her friends the great news. They had all gathered inside Sugar Cube Corner. She grinned and gestured wildly as she told it, but her friends didn't look nearly as thrilled. Fluttershy looked about to cry, and Sunset looked scared. Her other friends' emotions were all over the place, and she felt a stab of fear herself at the thought of upsetting them. "Wait, Pinkie," Rarity cut in, "If she started in the fall... You'd have to miss your senior year at Canterlot..." "You'd have to move?!" Rainbow slammed down her smoothie, her eyes wide. "Pinks, have you really thought this through?" Pinkie hesitated for a split second, but smiled at her friends. She had expected-hoped-for similar reactions. Ones telling her not to go. It felt good, to know her friends wanted her to stay, and she certainly didn't want to move, but she had already made up her mind. "I know. I'm not just doing this all willy-nilly you know!" Some of her friends rolled their eyes, but she moved on. "I know I'd have to miss next year, and that'll be tough, but Maud would get to go to her dream school!" "Can't she go next year?" Sunset's voice was uncertain, "I mean, you can finish here, and then you guys could move. If you have to move at all." Pinkie gave her friend a smaller smile than her usual one. "The invitation was for this year, scholarship and all. I don't want her to have to take the risk of losing that." She turned to the others, "And besides! It would be fun to keep in touch, like pen pals! I can throw Skype parties!" "Now wait just a minute," Applejack cut in, "Ya don't know fer sure that you're leaving yet. Maybe Maud doesn't want to go any more?" "That's just silly! We just talked about it the other day! She wouldn't just change her mind like that." Pinkie crossed her arms, and her friends shared conflicted looks. "But we'd miss you." Fluttershy whispered, and Pinkie's heart stuttered at the sight of her friend's watery eyes. "Pinkie..." Sunset said slowly, "Have you considered Maud wants you to finish here?" "Well, that's been the plan." Pinkie admitted. She watched as Rainbow wrapped an arm around Fluttershy, and her mind began to wander. Ever since she had moved in with Maud, Maud had promised that they would stay in one place so she could grow up in peace. "But that was before!" "But what if she still wants to wait, for your sake? You can't just make her go to school!" Rainbow laughed at her own joke, but the others ignored her. Something about that stuck with Pinkie, though. For your sake. Maud had already done so much for her sake. If that was true, then Pinkie wanted Maud to go even more than before. It was bad enough that Maud had to save her from their parents. It wasn't like Pinkie could just expect her to drop everything for her, of course, but she didn't want Maud to think she could never do anything for herself. It had been the two of them for so long, but between being the younger sister and the more out going one, everything seemed to be about Pinkie. As Pinkie considered this, a feeling of guilt rose in her stomach. She knew she hadn't done anything dramatic like ruin Maud's life, but there were plenty of times when she wondered if maybe Maud would have been better off had she never offered her help. "Do you understand, Pinkie?" Pinkie snapped out of her thoughts and looked up as Rarity finished. She hadn't heard a word her friend had said, and sighed. "I'll... Think about it." She grinned her biggest grin, though it almost pained her to do so, "But, let's just say we do have a party-!" Her friends groaned. > Part Two > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Over the course of the next week, the party was planned with more detail. A surprise party, with only their closest friends invited. That had been Sunset's idea, and while it was obviously meant to subdue the party, Pinkie understood why she suggested it. Pinkie didn't want to leave. She dreaded it with all of her heart. Her friends, the Cakes, her school... She didn't want to go. But at the same time, Maud mattered more. Maud had always mattered more. When they were little Maud had been the best big sister Pinkie ever had, though of course she wouldn't say that to Limestone. Maud was kind and quiet, and while being quiet ran in the family... kindness did not. Their parents were forceful in their beliefs, and people like Maud and Pinkie just didn't belong. Pinkie even had regrets about leaving Marble behind, despite how it was what she wanted. As they grew, Pinkie and Maud continued to be close in ways that people never imagined siblings could be. Closer, even, than Pinkie and Marble, despite being twins. Pinkie relied on Maud, as little sisters do, but Maud also relied on Pinkie. Pinkie's kindness and happiness shone through their dismal hometown, and she was the light of Maud's life. On the other side, Pinkie adored Maud. She was a genius, and she knew her rocks. She could talk about rocks for hours, something Pinkie never got bored of. Maud was also stubborn, something Pinkie admired. Even the kindest question or harshest demand could be turned down by Maud, and Pinkie thought it was amazing. They were a force that their small hometown couldn't reckon with... Though that didn't stop their parents from trying. Maud was grounded a majority of the time. Their parents didn't approve of her love of knowledge, or her want to be more than a farmer. Her quiet defiance was enough to invoke their father's rage at the drop of a hat, and while the others in the household flinched away Maud stood firm. She would stand silent as he yelled, screamed, insulted, and she wouldn't move a muscle. She would nod, say "Yes, Father." and move on. She was Pinkie's hero. Years later, as she planned a party celebrating Maud's genius achievements, Pinkie couldn't help but laugh to herself. One of the things that had alienated her sister at home... They were going to celebrate. Pinkie stared out the window to the classroom in a strange moment of calm. She sighed to herself as her conflicting feelings bubbled up within her again. Her pride and happiness at her sister's achievements battled with her own fears of leaving her friends behind. But Maud deserved better than community college in Canterlot. A fleeting thought passed through her head, one that she barely could even grasp. Maud deserves better than me. Pinkie shook her head and focused back on the teacher. That wasn't true. Maud loved her. They were sisters. Pinkie knew her thoughts were only just that: thoughts. They held no fact, they weren't true, and she shouldn't dwell on it. But... They made her resolve even stronger. Pinkie would do whatever she could to make her sister happy. Even sacrifice her own happiness. ***************************** Maud, for her part, noticed a sharp change almost immediately in Pinkie Pie. It was subtle to most, but Maud knew her sister enough to know when things were wrong. And the last few days showed that something was, in fact, wrong. Pinkie had been jumpier lately, which could mean any number of things. Usually it was mischief, a party of sorts. But this seemed... different. Pinkie would stare off into space for seconds at a time, or would do the same thing several times before she realized what she was doing. It was enough to really bother Maud, who wasn't used to her sister not being open with her right when a problem arose. Maud sighed and leaned back on the couch. Pinkie was due home soon, and she hoped to have a conversation with her younger sister. Though, truth be told, she didn't know what to say. She wanted to talk to Pinkie about keeping things from each other, but she realized how hypocritical it was when she remembered what she had been hiding, as well. She hadn't expected to be accepted to her dream college. At least, not so soon. When she got the letter she had been happy, excited even. Her future passed before her eyes, and she felt a triumphant 'so there!' moment as she remembered her parents' doubt at her ability to move on with her life, and to be successful. Their original doubt and forbidding of further education had led to her want for more, though, so in a way she knew she owed them. But that was all she owed them. What she hadn't expected, though, was to be filled with guilt. If she went, they would have to move. Pinkie had already been in three different homes... Maud thought back to their childhood, and felt a familiar bitter-sweet feeling. It had been hard, growing up on a rock farm in a small town. The only things they did related to farming or mining, and while Maud loved rocks even she knew that was restrictive. When her parents had forbidden her from taking advanced classes, she had known the rock farmer life wasn't for her. And things only got worse from there. While their parents had never been extremely physical in their punishments, Maud was still grounded a majority of the time. It didn't mean much, though. They didn't have any toys, or anywhere to go, so groundings were more a name than anything else. Well, there were lectures. And screaming fights. Those were bad. Maud shuddered at the thought of how loud her father could be when he was angry. Normally a soft spoken man, Igneous could be loud and terrifying when he wanted to. Especially towards his young daughters. Maud had left as soon as possible. Which, actually, was after she got kicked out. It had worked for the better, though, and she had never looked back. She sighed. Maybe she looked back... Once or twice... She had tried, though, to make their lives better. When she got custody of Pinkie she promised that they would stay together, and in one place if at all possible. She realized if she went to that college, they would have to move. And that wouldn't really be a problem, normally. It was only a couple cities away. But Maud realized Pinkie was going to start her senior year in a few months, and she had finally gotten all of her old friends back. She couldn't take her away from that. So she had thrown away the letter. Sure, she could have kept it for reference, but Pinkie would have found it eventually. And that wasn't a conversation she wanted to have, mainly because she didn't know if Pinkie would be excited or terrified of moving. She didn't want to stress her little sister out any more than she had. The front door creaked open, and Maud heard her sister step in. At least, she thought it was Pinkie. The footsteps were soft, unlike her sister's normal loud behavior. "Pinkie? Can you come here?" The footsteps froze for a second before Pinkie bounced into the room. The grin on her face was convincing, but Maud knew a fake Pinkie smile when she saw one. "Hiya Maud!" Pinkie sat on the couch next to her sister and kicked her feet out. "How are ya? Got any news? Anything to tell me?" Her smile became more and more forced as she spoke, and Maud frowned. Then it clicked. Pinkie knew. Maud studied Pinkie carefully. She only had one chance to explain herself properly, or Pinkie could take it the wrong way or assume things. How did she know, though? Maud hadn't told anyone, and had- She remembered the scene in the kitchen a few days before. Pinkie had been hiding... The letter. Guilt hit Maud like a punch to the gut, and she breathed out through her nose sharply. Pinkie must have thought she hid it from her, or something like that. Which she had, but she hadn't counted on Pinkie finding out. "Pinkie... Let me explain, okay?" "Explain what?" Pinkie shook slightly and Maud's eyes widened in worry. "Explain that my super awesome sister got into her dream school?! That's so cool, Maud! You should have told me to begin with! Aren't you excited?" Pinkie's voice went from excited to dismal quickly, and Maud lowered her head. Pinkie still shook, with excitement or anger Maud was no longer sure. "And, and I mean! This deserves a party!" Pinkie's smile was small, but there was more sincerity in it that time, "You're brilliant, Maud! We should celebrate this not... not..." "Hide it." Maud sighed. "I know it looks bad. But... We're just not ready to move yet, Pinkie. We'd have to find a house, and there's tuition, and you're going to be a senior soon..." "Aw, Maud... We both know it would be easier than that. We've got enough to move, and most of your tuition would be covered. So..." Pinkie's eyes watered as she smiled, and Maud felt confused. "I... Wait, do you want to move?" Maud had thought Pinkie would at least miss her friends. She would miss Canterlot, and her senior year, wouldn't she? Or had she not thought of that? "Well, yeah! It would be fun!" "But what about your friends? Canterlot? The Cakes?" Maud watched as Pinkie's face dropped every time something was mentioned. Finally, Pinkie dropped her smile, and Maud knew something was really, really wrong. "I would miss them." Pinkie admitted. "But... It's your dream college. I don't want you to hold back because of me." Maud didn't have an answer for that. She blames herself? Why would she do that? Of course Maud had an idea why. Pinkie was selfless; all she ever wanted was to see others happy. If she even considered someone was unhappy because of her... Let alone her sister... "You should go. We should go." Pinkie said firmly. "It's what you want." "But what about what you want?" "It's always about me!" Maud jumped back at Pinkie's tone, and watched as her sister reached her breaking point. "It's always been what I wanted, what was best for me. You spent a year trying to get custody of me! You spent all of your savings getting a good house for us! And when I wanted to live by the Cakes, you moved us! For me!" Pinkie had jumped up and began pacing the room, and Maud longed to reach out to her. "You've done all of this for me." Pinkie's tone was harsh and almost disgusted. At Maud or herself? The thought made Maud want to cry. "Why can't we do something for you for once?" It would be a lie if Maud said she didn't want it. Her dream school... Years of work, finally paid off. But there was still something Pinkie missed. "Oh, Pinkie... All of this? Everything I've done for you? This was all for me." She stood, and her eyes watered as she spoke. "Please, don't blame yourself for this..." "Stop lying!" Pinkie begged, "Just... Please, just be... Be happy..." Before Maud could reply, Pinkie had run off. The sound of the front door slamming made Maud grimace and hang her head. How did I mess this up that badly? > Part Three > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cup Cake sat behind the counter of her bakery and stared at her honorary niece. Pinkie had barged into the shop and demanded as much sugar as possible. That itself wasn't abnormal, but her limp hair and damp eyes were certainly a rarity. "Think we should talk to her?" Her husband Carrot Cake stood beside her, a worried look on his face. "Let her eat a bit first." Cup Cake smiled gently, "Then we can talk." Carrot moved to the door as the last non-Pinkie customer left, and flipped their Open sign to Closed. With a sigh he turned to look at Pinkie, who stopped eating and put her head on the table. This was serious. "Hey, Pinks." Carrot grinned, "Something on your mind?" Smooth. "No." "Aw, come on, Pinkie." Cup Cake also approached the table, a gentle smile on her face. "You can talk to us." "Maud hates me." The Cakes stood in silence for a moment, utterly shocked beyond words. "P-Pinkie, you don't really think that, do you?" Cup Cake asked, concern in her voice. Her heart broke for the girl in front of her. She was sure it was some kind of misunderstanding, though. The bond between Maud and Pinkie was not one to easily break. Cup Cake looked down lovingly at the sad girl. No matter the circumstances, she was glad that Pinkie had been brought into their lives. When they first met her, they had just finished becoming foster parents, and she had been a scared thirteen year old. They got to foster a precious little girl, and she had become part of the family almost instantly. When they thought about it, both Cakes considered her their first child. Eventually that extended to Maud as well, but there was something about the younger sister that just clicked with them. It was a year after the battle started, and a month after Maud turned eighteen, that Pinkie finally got to move in with her sister. She tearfully said goodbye to the Cakes, and promised she would keep in touch. Within a month, however,she and Maud had found a nice house in the area and, with a little help from the Cakes, moved in to it. Maud said she couldn't take Pinkie away from her family, and the Cakes had thanked her tearfully. Despite her sister's obvious want to help her, though, Pinkie often blamed herself for any hardship. She had begun working at the Cakes' cafe to help Maud pay for things, and picked up responsibility anywhere she could. Cup Cake had felt sorry for her, but also admired her work ethic. Pinkie was a hard worker, and was willing to do anything for Maud, and Maud her. It was a good relationship, one many people envied. But as Cup Cake stared down at a dismal Pinkie, she realized even a relationship that good had downfalls. "Now, come on, Maud can't hate you. She loves you so much." "I..." Pinkie's voice broke, "I yelled at her..." "Aw, Pinks." Carrot grinned, "You know Maud wouldn't hate you over something like that!" "Exactly." Cup Cake agreed, "Everyone fights sometimes. It's natural." "But... But she has to hate me." Pinkie sighed, "She's had to waste so much on me... and now she's wasting even more..." "Pinkie Pie." Cup Cake's harsh tone made Pinkie wince. "What on Earth are you talking about?" Pinkie was quiet for a moment before she sat up. She rubbed at her eyes and sniffled. "She... She's done so much for me for so long. And now she could go to her dream school, but she doesn't want to because of me." "Isn't that a good thing, though? You get to stay here. I'm sure she has a plan-" "She's not going because of me, though! It's not fair!" And then Cup Cake understood. "That's not your fault." Cup Cake said sternly. "If Maud wants to put you first, that's her choice. That's a brave choice." "But it's my fault she doesn't get to go!" Pinkie turned to Cup Cake with a soft whine, "I'm just holding her back again..." "Pinkie," Carrot placed a hand on her shoulder, "Maud loves you more than anything else. More than her rocks, or her education, maybe even more than out sweets!" While it didn't get a smile, Pinkie wiped her eyes. "I know..." "So then what's wrong?" Cup Cake frowned. "She would already be there if it wasn't for me. She never would have gotten kicked out if it wasn't for me. She's already done so much for me, but I..." "Pinkie." Carrot tightened his grip on her shoulder, "What happened to you two... That's your parents' fault. Not yours or Maud's. No matter what you did, or what Maud did, they shouldn't have done that." "Maud loves you." Cup Cake added, "She's done all this because she wants to help you." "But," Pinkie swallowed, "But there's so much she can't do because of me. She's done so much for me, and I want her to be happy, too." "Because of your situation." Carrot said softly. "And that isn't something you can control. Sometimes we're put in difficult situations. We can't help it, so all we have to do is get through it." "And she is happy." Cup Cake promised, "She's with you. She probably doesn't want to move either, you know." Pinkie considered that. "I guess... That's possible..." "I think you should talk to Maud." Cup Cake said gently, "See what you two can come up with." "And if you want to come back here, you know the way in." Carrot added. "I... Yeah. Okay. Thanks, guys." Pinkie's smile returned, not as radiant as normal but still there, and she hugged the Cakes. "I'll talk to her." ****************************** Once again Maud found herself waiting anxiously for Pinkie to return home. She had texted all of Pinkie's friends, but none of them had seen her. Thankfully she got a text from Mrs. Cake that calmed her, if only slightly. She felt terribly guilty as she waited for her sister to walk in. When she finally heard her footsteps walk towards the kitchen she hung her head and sighed. Guilt and shame bubbled within her, but she kept her neutral face. "Sorry I yelled." Maud blinked in confusion and looked at Pinkie. Of course that was what she would worry about. "Don't worry about it." Maud's lips flicked up to the smallest degree; a smile. "Let's just... talk this time, okay?" Pinkie sighed. She really didn't want to bother Maud any more than she already had, but the Cakes' voices reminded her that they had to talk. Pinkie couldn't deny it, and they couldn't go on like that forever. "I... I don't want you to have to hold back because of me." "Pinkie... Let me finish what I was saying earlier." Maud cleared her throat. "I'm not wasting anything on you. You are my sister, I would gladly do anything for you. However, this isn't about that. I'm not doing this because of you, I'm doing it because of us. I told you we would stick together, right?" "Well, yeah... But-" "No, listen. I'm doing this to keep you happy, of course. But that's not the only reason. Seeing you happy makes me happy." She smiled at Pinkie. "I know you know what I mean. You love seeing others happy, too. It's the same for me. You're not holding me back, or making me unhappy." It was mostly true. Sure, there were things Maud couldn't do, due to having Pinkie living with her, but it wasn't something that really upset Maud. "Besides, you've sacrificed, too. It was hard to leave the others, wasn't it? And I know you miss Marble." Pinkie winced at the mention of her twin, and nodded. Things hadn't been easy since she left home. That first year had been extra hard, though. Pinkie made quick friends at Canterlot Middle, heck she made great friends everywhere she went. But no one could say they didn't see the fear and loneliness in her, too. The girl was shaken to her core, and it was up to Maud to keep her from going back. That was a lot of pressure on a seventeen year old, though. Her age was one of the biggest factors against her. Had she been eighteen or older the battle could have gone smoother, but they knew Pinkie didn't have that kind of time. The other sisters weren't like Maud and Pinkie, who were obvious outcasts, but Maud still wanted to help her other sisters, too. Marble mainly, since Limestone seemed to enjoy the farm at least. Maud had become even more silent and withdrawn in the year of the battle. She had to work to keep a steady income, along with classes and training that the courts wouldn't pay for but still required her to do. It had been hard, and many times she was tempted to quit. But she reminded herself that quitting would be giving up on Pinkie. And that was something she could never, ever do. "...S...So you don't hate me?" Pinkie's genuinely confused and hopeful face made Maud cringe. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I shouldn't have taken the letter. And I..." "It's okay." Pinkie was silent for far longer than a Pinkie should ever be silent, and Maud began to worry. "I don't want to hold you back." The words sent a stab of sadness through Maud's heart. "If you want to go, you should. I don't want you to miss out on anything else because of me. Even if that's for your own reasons, too." "Oh, Pinkie..." She got up and sat by her sister, and wrapped her arms around her. "Never, ever, ever. I promise. Pinkie... You're where I want to be." The sappiness had a ghost of a smile on Pinkie's lips. "I've already talked to the dean, I can put it off until next year. Then you'll be graduated and eighteen, and I don't have to move you again." Pinkie's eyes widened. "You... You already..." "I told you I had things covered. We're sticking together for as long as we can, right?" Pinkie's smile was back, and she held out her little finger. "...Pinkie Promise? "Pinkie Promise." They were quiet for a moment. "I... I told my friends. And we got a 'My Sister is Super Smart' party started. I guess we could still have it, if you wanted?" Pinkie's grin and hopeful expression made Maud smile. She wasn't one for parties, but she couldn't say no to that. "Anything for you, Sis." Anything.