> Cotton Candy > by Oberits64 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Cotton Candy > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Goodbye! Thanks for coming!" I say, and close the door of Sugarcube Corner. I look about the store and see the aftermath of the latest party I threw. Several tables are tipped over. Cupcakes are strewn on the floor and stuck to the walls. The record player is repeating, "...best friends..." over and over. I reflect, with a little guilt, that I probably caused a good deal of the mess. Hey, things get outta hand sometimes. "That was some party, huh, gummy?" I say to my pet alligator. But where is he? I pop over to the punch bowl and peer in. Not there. I check over the counter. Noperoo. "Gummy?" I call. I zip upstairs and open the door to my room. Fortunately, my room was spared of the party; its pink walls remain cupcake-free. For now. Gummy is on the bed. I watch him for a moment, looking at his toothless mouth open and close as he snores. I wonder what it would be like if he had teeth. I guess I'd call him Toothy! I giggle, but not loudly enough to wake him up. I get into bed next to him and tuck the covers over us. He snuggles close to me. "Sweet dreams," I whisper, and soon enough, I fall asleep too. Reality begins to fade into a dream as everything around me disappears. Dreaming is an important thing for me. They always are so much fun, and even nightmares are an adventure for me when I conquer my fears. In this dream, there's nothing but the ground, a hillscape of pink grass. The sky is just a black void. I look in front of me and discover the biggest clump of cotton candy I've ever seen! I dig into it and begin shoving hooffuls of it into my mouth. It's delicious! I eat faster. I feel a set of jaws clamp down on my tail. But when I turn around, there's nothing there. My eyes snap open. Gummy is hanging by his mouth on my tail. "Gummy!" I scold with a joking tone. "That was a good dream." Gummy just stares. I hop off my bed and raise the curtains. The sun is there to greet me, just like every other day. I go downstairs and help myself to a bowl of cereal. While I'm eating, I notice the state of the room. The tables are fixed. The walls are clean. There's a note on the table that reads: Pinkie, We cleaned up after the party. Please be a bit more careful next time, though. We've gone to the store and will be back at noon. Mr. and Mrs. Cake P.S. Remember your picnic with Twilight and the girls at 9 o'clock. "Ohmigosh!" I yell. The clock reads 9:04. "I'm late! I'll be back later, Gummy!" I gallop out the door. As I run down the street, I notice some ponies casting glances at me. Some are whispering to others or even giggling. When I look at them, they turn away. What? Was there something in my teeth? I skid to a halt at Twilight's house and knock on the door. I hope they didn't leave for the picnic without me! When no one answers, I knock again. "Please please please be home..." The door opens, a tired-looking Spike peering out. He rubs his eyes, muttering something about ice cream. "Is Twilight here?" I ask. "Pinkie? That you? Sorry, I was up late from the party, I can't see too well. Uh, no, Twilight isn't here. At the park, I think" "Okay, see ya!" I turn around and walk towards the park. Spike blinks and flinches. "Pinkie! Your ma-" I can't hear what he says because I'm not looking at him. The ponies around town keep looking at me funny. One filly even giggles. I guess it's a good thing, since I'm the Element of Laughter, after all. The park is up ahead, I think. My tummy growls. I wish I have cotton candy, like in my dream. That stuff was good. I see my friends over the horizon. "Hey everyone! Wait 'til I tell you about my dream I had!" They look happy to see me... Until I get close. They gasp in unison. Rarity, who was sipping tea on the picnic blanket, takes one look at me and faints. Twilight's eyes go wide. Even Rainbow Dash is surprised! Applejack is trying to suppress a chuckle. "What? What's wrong?" I ask. Fluttershy, who's hiding behind a tree, speaks first. "Umm... Well... It's about your hair," she mumbles "It's got bite marks in it!" Rainbow says bluntly. "Like... Something ate it!" When I look at them with a doubtful expression, Twilight gives me a mirror. "See for yourself," she says. "My mane is a mess" would win and Understatement of The Year award. It's chewed to ribbons. Pretty pink ribbons. I burst out laughing. By this time, Rarity has awoken. "What's so funny, darling? It's a catastrophe!" "That's what's funny! I had a dream about eating cotton candy!" I pause to laugh again. "I must've eaten my hair in my sleep!" Dashie starts to laugh, too. Then A.J. Then the whole gang's laughing with me, even Fluttershy. It goes like this for a full minute, then we stop, out of breath. "I'll set up an appointment to fix your mane straightaway," Rarity says. "It's the least I can do." "No need," I say. "Watch this." I close my eyes for a moment, then concentrate with all my might on my mane. I hear a poof, then see the familiar curls of my hair in the mirror. "Pinkie!" Twilight says. "How did you - never mind. I'll never know how you do half the stuff you do." End. > Alternate Ending...? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gummy sits on the bed, doing... nothing. As usual. Just waiting for Pinkie Pie to get back. He wonders when she'll find out about her mane. He would've told her, but it's much funnier to have everyone in Ponyville see it, too. He hears the front door open. "Gummy! I'm home!" It's Pinkie Pie. She zooms up the stairs, picks him up, and begins to tell him all about her day. Her hair is normal. "First, I'd gone to eat a bowl of cereal downstairs - oh wait, you were there, too. Well, after I left, I ran over to Twilight's to see if she'd left yet, but she had. So after that..." Gummy tunes her out. He wishes that her chatterbox had an off switch sometimes. Yap yap yap, all day long. He glances at the trash bin. Pinkie's pink locks of hair are inside it. He hated how her hair tasted. So he'd spit it out in there. Too bad she woke up right as he was starting on her tail. It would've been even funnier to see her completely hairless. "...and so I grew it right back! Funny story, huh?" Pinkie finishes her little tale. "Well, I'm gonna bake some cupcakes for tonight's party!" She sets Gummy down and runs downstairs. Gummy grins... And reveals a set of baby alligator teeth. End (for real this time).