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I Didn't Throw This Party For You! D-dummy! [RiggyRag Reupload]

By LegendOfLink
Created: 2021-05-28 15:44:05
Expiry: Never
anonpinkie pieromancehie

  1. >That music is ridiculously loud.
  2. >Like, intensely, ungodly loud.
  3. >You feel the tag of your canvas jacket itching the back of your neck.
  4. >For early spring, it's pretty chilled out.
  5. >Which is why the party is entirely contained inside Sugarcube Corner.
  6. >You've eaten there before, once or twice. Only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays though.
  7. >Can't be there when Pinkie is working.
  8. >She doesn't like it when you bother her while she is working.
  9. >She doesn't like it when you bother her in general, actually.
  10. >Seems like you're the only one that bothers her so much.
  11. >You've never seen her get upset with anybody else, just you.
  12. >But that changes tonight.
  13. >Supposedly.
  14. >Usually Pinkie's legendary parties are a distant luxury that you hear from your house down the road.
  15. >Earlier today, however, an invitation was slipped under your door.
  16. >You look down at the yellow piece of paper, slightly crumpled from your pocket.
  17. >"You're invited to Pinkie's Danceopalooza of the Week! Come down and shake your tail!" it reads
  18. >Very enthusiastic, and has a kind of warmth that you have never experienced from her.
  19. >She usually looks away from you, or give you a very forced smile.
  20. >Her face always a deep shade of red that warns you of her frustration with you.
  21. >You sigh, letting your heated breath wisp into the biting air.
  22. >You fold the invitation back into your pocket and look up at the door you've been standing by.
  23. >Technically, you could just head home right now.
  24. >You're not the best at parties, you admit. More of a wallflower if anything.
  25. >But you need to take advantage of this opportunity.
  26. >By the end of tonight, the two of you are going to be close friends. You just know it.
  27. >You clench your fist in determination and raise it by your face.
  28. >The joint of your elbow releases, and your knuckles slam into the wooden door of Sugarcube Corner.
  29. >The loud thunk manages to penetrate the music, and you hear a familiar voice.
  30. >"Keep the party going girls, I'll get the door!~" shouts Pinkie.
  31. >You gulp unintentionally.
  32. >You straighten your back and take a deep breath.
  33. >The door opens with a creak, and the little pink pony opening it is looking at your waist, expecting a shorter visitor.
  34. >Pinkie's mane has confetti stuck in it, and the loud music leaks out onto the rather quiet street.
  35. >When she registers she isn't looking at a pony, her eyes dart up to yours with a manic sort of flare.
  36. >You look into her eyes and smile brightly.
  37. >Her face turns a burning red, and her ears flop back as she gazes at you like a scared deer.
  38. "Hey Pinkie! I'm here for-"
  39. >You're interrupted by the door slamming in your face
  40. >Shit.
  41.  
  42. >There's muffled clunks and crashes behind the door before you hear Pinkie again.
  43. >"SORRY. NOPONY HERE." she yells, distorted by the door.
  44. >You scratch the back of your head.
  45. "Um, but I thought that the party-" you begin to say in a half-shout.
  46. >"YOU NEED AN INVITATION TO GET INTO MY PARTIES, SORRY." she yells through the door again.
  47. "I HAVE AN INVITATION" you yell back.
  48. >There's a moment of pause as the music continues to thump in the house.
  49. >The door suddenly opens a crack, and Pinkie sticks her head out.
  50. >Her face is still bright red.
  51. >"You WHAT?"
  52. >You pull the invitation out of your pocket and kneel down to give it to her.
  53. >She snatches it out of your hand with her hooves, allowing the door to swing open more.
  54. >You can see the party in the background. It's totally packed.
  55. >Plenty of stallions and mares you recognize.
  56. >You see Applejack by the punch conversing with Rainbow Dash. Neither of them are paying attention.
  57. >Twilight Sparkle sits by Fluttershy, opposite of Octavia and Bon Bon. They all seem to be having a good time.
  58. >The whole party is filled with familiar faces.
  59. >Pinkie looks down at the invitation and reads it violently, if that's even possible. You've never seen such vigorous and thorough inspection.
  60. >She checks off a list aloud.
  61. >"Yellow paper, the right font, the borders are good," she says as she looks it over.
  62. >Suddenly she pushes her face into the paper and inhales.
  63. >"Smells of vanilla!" she states before licking it. "TASTES LIKE IT TOO. This IS a real invitation."
  64. >You blink a couple times at her surprise.
  65. "Uh, yeah... I was invited right?"
  66. >" Well I didn't- I mean I never-" Pinkie begins to stammer.
  67. >"It was me! You said we could invite whoever we wanted." interjects a lady-like voice from Pinkie's right.
  68. >Pinkie turns to the white unicorn in shock.
  69. >"RARITY!?"
  70. >Rarity chuckles and turns to you.
  71. >"Good Evening Anonymous."
  72. >You wave at Rarity.
  73. "Evening Rarity." you respond.
  74. >Rarity and you are relatively good friends. After all, someone had to make your clothes, and she's great company.
  75. >Pinkie darts between you and Rarity over and over again.
  76. >"You said I could invite anypony I wanted, correct?"
  77. >Pinkie's face is scarlett red, and she stammers almost incoherently.
  78. >"Yeah but- It's like- I mean, you know that- I just-" she rambles
  79. >Rarity rolls her eyes.
  80. >"Honestly Pinkie. I invited Anon because I felt like he needed to get to know... the girls... better."
  81. >You tilt your head in confusion.
  82. >You aleady knew the "girls" very well.
  83. >Rarity winks at you.
  84. >It clicks, finally.
  85. >She's trying to bridge this weird gap between you and Pinkie as well.
  86. >It's weird though, you never mentioned the relationship between Pinkie and you to her before.
  87. >Maybe Pinkie was talking smack behind your back.
  88. >Either way, you appreciate the help for sure.
  89.  
  90. >Pinkie continues to sit with her jaw nearly on the floor.
  91. >Looks around desperately looking for an escape, but to no avail.
  92. >Rarity rolls her eyes again, and motions at you.
  93. >"Come in darling, it's cold outside. Come get some refreshments." she says in a proper tone.
  94. >You look at Pinkie for confirmation.
  95. >Your gaze in her direction makes her jaw snap back up to her skull, and her face scrunches up in a big red mess.
  96. >"Y-yeah. Come in. You WERE invited, I guess..." she says quietly
  97. >You sigh with a smile at her release.
  98. "Thanks Pinkie!" you say happily as you step inside and follow Rarity.
  99. >The door closes behind you.
  100. >You glance back, looking for some place to hang your coat, and you're met by Pinkie's stare again.
  101. >As your eyes lock her face burns again, and she looks away from you quickly before stepping back into the party.
  102. >You sigh again.
  103. >Now THAT's more what you're used to.
  104. >Even with the intrusion, the party is still as lively as ever, and soon the bumping music fills the room.
  105. >Rarity leads you over to Rainbow Dash and Applejack who smile as you approach.
  106. >"Hello girls! Look who just arrived!" Rarity declares.
  107. >"Howdy Anon!" Applejack greets you.
  108. >Applejack and Rainbow Dash chuckles amongst themselves for a moment.
  109. >Rarity looks flustered.
  110. >As the chuckles subside, Applejack addresses Rarity.
  111. >"Ah can't believe you actually did it. Ah thought you were kiddin'."
  112. >Rainbow Dash snorts
  113. >"Yeah Rare, are you really sure about this?" Rainbow asks before looking up at you.
  114. >You look between the ponies in confusion.
  115. "What? Did I miss something?" you ask concerned.
  116. >The two ponies snicker to themselves again.
  117. >"Well I believe it is a perfect plan." Rarity says with her nose up.
  118. "Plan? WHAT PLAN?" You ask again
  119. >Between laughs Rainbow Dash speaks
  120. >"YOU ya goof. She invited you to the party so you could spend time with Pinkie. Bold move coming Anon, really. Takes, uh... what was that word before Applejack?"
  121. >"Grit. True grit." Applejack responds in her heavy accent.
  122. >Rainbow laughs again.
  123. >"Yeahh. Takes GRIT Anon. You're really heading upstream on this one."
  124. "I'm so lost right now." you admit.
  125. >"Ah, Anon. Ya always assume the wrong things." Applejack says, "We don't want to tell you exactly what's goin' on, that's for Pinkie to do, but..."
  126. >She drifts off for a moment, staring into space with a warm smile.
  127. >"Pinkie don't act like this with just anypony. And Ah can tell ya she isn't bein' honest witcha."
  128. >You try to comprehend what she is saying.
  129. >"Rares just wanted to give ya a chance to hear her real opinions of ya."
  130. >Applejack grabs a mug of cider from the table with her mouth and gives it to you.
  131. >"Now don'tcha worry Anon. Just be yaself. We just hope ya presence will be enough."
  132. "Enough... for what?"
  133. >The girls smile in unison.
  134. >"You'll see, Ah'm sure."
  135. >You're still not entirely sure what all this means.
  136. >But, maybe Pinkie thinks more highly of you than you thought.
  137. >You really don't want to jump to conclusions though. You might make a fool of yourself.
  138. >You'll play it safe, but still test the waters tonight.
  139. >You're gonna go through with your initial plan, and you're going to be friends with Pinkie by the end of the night!
  140.  
  141. >You leave the girls and begin to mingle in the crowd a little.
  142. >Nearly every pony knows your name, but then again who wouldn't? You're a giant around these parts, even the tallest stallion is dwarfed by you.
  143. >Which is really handy because it means you can look over the crowd easily.
  144. >You do have to watch your head for hovering pegasai though.
  145. >The party is really rocking, and the corner is packed to the walls.
  146. >The cakes must be out of town this weekend. Pinkie doesn't throw bangers like this unless the babies are out of the house.
  147. >Mares and stallions wander and scoot by, pegasai flutter around, hell there are even a few griffins and yaks that have come to visit.
  148. >You overheard someone say there's a rumor that Discord might stop by if Fluttershy asks nicely.
  149. >Tits this party is gonna be one for the books.
  150. >Which makes you feel a little uneasy.
  151. >It's no secret you're more of an introvert than anything else.
  152. >That doesn't mean you can't converse with ponies, you're just not the most confident in a crowd.
  153. >You sip your cider gingerly and savor its flavor.
  154. >Cider is so delicious. Applejack always offers you a mug when you help her on the farm.
  155. >It's a small comfort you have with you to keep you strong on this quest for Pinkie's approval.
  156. >Speaking of which, you don't see her anywhere in the monstrous crowd.
  157. >Which is odd because she should stick out with her pink curly mane, but that simply is not the case.
  158. >You look around for a little while, desperate to find even a bit of evidence of her location, but there really isn't anything to go on.
  159. >You mostly just end up pony watching.
  160. >With a heavy sigh you look down into your mug.
  161. >You're nervous about how you're going to do this.
  162. >Applejack said she isn't honest about how she feels about you.
  163. >That could mean anything.
  164. >Maybe she really doesn't want to be friends, maybe she does and she just wants you to stop acting a certain way.
  165. >You start to wrack your mind for what it is you could be doing to make her dislike you so much.
  166.  
  167. >The floor under the table is sticky.
  168. >You need to make a mental note of that for when you clean up later.
  169. >Anonymous is looking down at his cider like a dummy.
  170. >He doesn't seem to know where you are, which is a good thing.
  171. >You can see him just fine from here.
  172. >He looks up and appears to be searching
  173. >For you, most likely.
  174. >You let out a blissful sigh without thinking.
  175. >You shake your head, making your pink mane bob around uncontrollably.
  176. >After shaking you look at Anonymous again.
  177. >Your face warms up again.
  178. >You hate it when he does that.
  179. >It makes you feel so funny.
  180. >It really gets under your skin.
  181. >A set of white legs come up to your table.
  182. >You'd recognize them anywhere.
  183. >With a small push you pop your head out from under the table.
  184. "RARITY" you yell-whisper
  185. >Rarity spills punch everywhere before coughing up the sip she just took.
  186. >She gasps for air before speaking again.
  187. >"PINKIE! Don't scare me like that!" she says
  188. >She looks you up and down.
  189. >"Why... why are you under the table?"
  190. >You shake your head.
  191. "No time! Come with me!" you say, sneakily crawling through the crowd towards the kitchen.
  192. >Rarity rolls her eyes and follows you in.
  193. >As the doors close behind the two of you, you stand up straight again.
  194. >"Pinkie why in the world are you sneaking around like-"
  195. "Who cares?! Why did you bring HIM here?" you ask sternly, "This party was going to be my BEST YET! I got fresh cider delivered, made extra cupcakes, I even hung pinatas to be lowered into the crowd when the night gets REALLY wild! Why did you invite him!?"
  196. >Rarity's eyes show her lack of enthusiasm.
  197. >"Honestly Pinkie, you really need to get over this obsession with Anonymous." she says looking out the kitchen window back into the party. "It can't be healthy."
  198. "It's not an OBSESSION. I JUST DON'T LIKE HIM!" you yell back.
  199. >She raises an eyebrow.
  200. >"Oh yes, of course darling. That's why you watch him whenever he goes by Sugarcube Corner., that's why you always need to butt into our conversations when he comes up, because you HATE him." she says sarcastically.
  201. "YES! Well, no... I mean, maybe?" you respond rather weakly.
  202. >"Mhmm. Darling he's a good fellow. He helps out around town, and the girls absolutely adore him. You're the only one that is in denial for some odd reason."
  203. "It's not odd! He's a dummy!" you react immediately
  204. >Her eyes glaze over.
  205. >"Oh really? And what makes him a 'dummy'? Give me one good reason and I'll ask him to leave."
  206. >You smile and open your mouth to respond
  207. >...
  208. >...
  209. "Guhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"
  210. >The sound falls out of your mouth just like your train of thought.
  211. >"That's what I thought. He doesn't do-"
  212. "HIS STUPID SMILE" you blurt
  213. >Rarity's face went from disinterest to complete and total confusion.
  214. >"His... smile?"
  215. "Y-yeah! That stupid smile he makes when he says hi, or-or when he talks to you, an-and when he..."
  216. >You sigh again
  217. "When he laughs at a joke, and if he's drinking something sometimes it'll come out of his nose." you say smiling.
  218. >You blink a few times and shake your head.
  219. "UGHHH SEE? He makes me feel all weird, and I start to act funny, and I DON'T LIKE IT." you shout.
  220. >You put your forehooves over your head and lay your chin on the floor like you're taking cover from a bomb.
  221. >Rarity looks down at you and blinks in disbelief a few times.
  222. >"My... that's quite the reason Pinkie..." she says as she crouches down. "But I don't think you're going about this the right way..."
  223. >You sit up and fling your legs in the air.
  224. "I don't care! I don't want this to get in the way of my awesome parties! I'm gonna have fun tonight no matter what!" you say exaggerating each word with a swing of your leg.
  225. >On the last word your leg plucks a rope hanging over head
  226. "Oopsies, what was-"
  227. >You're interrupted by the rope whizzing out the kitchen window into the party.
  228. >Suddenly you remember what it was attached to.
  229.  
  230. >You look up from your cider again.
  231. >Still no sign of Pinkie.
  232. >She's totally missing.
  233. >You're struck by an idea.
  234. >You look around until you spot a purple alicorn near the middle of the crowd, talking to a few other ponies.
  235. >You squeeze your way through the crowd until you get closer to her.
  236. "Twilight!" you shout
  237. >Twilight turns to you instinctively before smiling
  238. >"Oh, Anon! I didn't expect you to be at Pinkie's party!"
  239. >You shake your head with a chuckle
  240. "I don't think she did either. Speaking of Pinkie, do you know where she is?"
  241. >Twilight shakes her head.
  242. >"Nope, not a clue. Why? You up to something Anon?" she says, raising her eyebrows.
  243. >You scratch the back of your head.
  244. "Ehh, yeah sort of." you respond shyly.
  245. >Twilight laughs
  246. >"Well good luck!"
  247. >You smile down at the purple pony princess.
  248. >Twilight and you have a bit of a history together. After all, for your first month or so here Celestia assigned her to watch over you.
  249. >You didn't have to write letters or anything, she just kind of showed you around.
  250. >Even though you don't have to report to her anymore, you still visit her castle once a week to hang with her.
  251. >Usually when Pinkie is least likely to come by as well, but it's happened before.
  252. "Thanks... but, anyway, how are you?" you ask politely
  253. >"I'm well, thanks! It's nice to get out of the castle and mingle a little, you know? Usually my only company in that big fortress is Spike."
  254. "Spike's a good kid though. Is he at the party too?" you ask earnestly
  255. >Twilight snickers
  256. >"No, no. This is strictly an adult party. He's spending time with Applebloom and her friends tonight."
  257. >You tilt your head.
  258. "Huh, never thought they'd all be friends. Spike seemed a lot more mature."
  259. >Twilight rolls her eyes.
  260. >"I wouldn't say he's THAT mature but-"
  261. >Twilight's words are interrupted as something collides with the top of your head.
  262. >The sound of things breaking fills your ears, and what feels like a bunch of hard pebbles pours over your body.
  263. >You take a step back and slip on one, sending yourself of balance falling backwards.
  264. >You try to adjust, but what ever hit your head is obstructing your vision and it's hard to recover.
  265. >After a few steps back your fall backwards, landing with a crunch on a hard surface which gives under the pressure.
  266. >As you hit the ground with a thunk, you feel liquid on the back of your neck before starting to lose consciousness.
  267. >So much for your initial plans...
  268.  
  269. >That's what you thought the rope was attached to.
  270. >You watch helplessly as the rope flies out the kitchen window and up towards the rafters.
  271. >It was plain dumb bad luck that the piñata it was attached to was over Anonymous' head at the time.
  272. >Rarity watches as the carnage happens.
  273. >The piñata crashes down on Anon, replacing his head with a colorful donkey.
  274. >As candy spills out from around his neck, Anon dizzily steps backwards before falling backwards onto the punch table.
  275. >With his mass coming down full force, the table snaps in half and pours punch all over the floor around him.
  276. >After a moment, he falls limp.
  277. >Rarity puts her hooves over her mouth, and the music suddenly stops as ponies begin to inspect the unconsious Anon.
  278. >Your heart jumps into your throat, and an overwhelming feeling of dread washes over you.
  279. >Rarity turns to look at you again.
  280. >You look at her with panicked eyes.
  281. >Rarity looks back to the crowd just as you do.
  282. >Twilight is removing the piñata from Anon's limp body and checking him out.
  283. >Suddenly you're running.
  284. >You bound through the crowd and come to a screeching halt when you're finally next to him.
  285. >His head is still obscured by the piñata, but his body looks a little bruised up.
  286. >You notice a tear in his jacket on his right arm.
  287. >Your eyes get wide as you notice blood dripping out of it.
  288. >Twilight is nearly knocked into the air as you fly by her to get a better look at the wound.
  289. >It looks like the glass cut him.
  290. >You start to shake and look to Twilight.
  291. "TWILIGHTWENEEDSOMETHINGTOSTOPTHEBLEEDINGSUPERFASTPLEASEHE'SHURTTWIWENEEDSOMEBANDAGES" you say without taking another breath.
  292. >Twilight looks at you with a concerned expression.
  293. >"Pinkie, he'll be fine! It's nothing life threatening!" Twilight says as she turns to the crowd.
  294. >The crowd is on the verge of panic. It seems your outburst really rocked them.
  295. >"It's not life threatening!" Twilight repeats to the mob.
  296. >A massive sigh of relief rushes through the crowd.
  297. >But your heart is still pounding in your throat, and you feel it in your ears.
  298. >"Don't worry everypony, we'll take care of him." Twilight says dismissively
  299. >The girls start to gather around Anon as the crowd begins move away and mingle again.
  300. >"Alright, what's the strategy here?" Rainbow says prodding the donkey piñata still over Anon's head.
  301. >You shoot daggers in her direction and let out a snort.
  302. >Instead of backing off, Rainbow smirks at you.
  303. >"Woah there miss defensive! What's gotten into YOU?" she asks mockingly.
  304. "W-what? Nothing!"
  305. >"Ya sure seem concerned about Anon! Ya came outta that kitchen like a jackrabbit!"
  306. >Your heart beats faster, and you feel flustered.
  307. "W-well, of course I am! He got hurt at my party! I must take responsibility!"
  308. >"So much responsibility that you're holding his hand?" Rainbow jabs
  309. >You look down at your hooves to realize you are, indeed, clasping his hand rather tightly.
  310. >You lift your hooves and let it fall limp to his side.
  311. >"You're right Pinkie! This IS your responsibility!" Rarity says, "And because it is YOUR responsibility, you should be the one to nurse him back to health! Right Twilight?"
  312. >Twilight seems puzzled.
  313. >"That's not necessary... I can just heal him with my ma-" Twilight is interrupted as Rarity prods her in the side.
  314. >"Erm, I mean, oh no! If I use my magic on a human, it might, uh, HURT HIM MORE! OH NOOOO~" she says with great exaggeration.
  315. >If she's exaggerating that much it must be true!
  316. >You look down at Anon again and gulp.
  317. >He's not just a dummy anymore.
  318. >Now he's your patient too.
  319.  
  320. >Your head is throbbing.
  321. >That's the first thing you realize when you finally come to.
  322. >Getting knocked out is a lot like time travel, actually.
  323. >Painful, damaging time travel.
  324. >You don't dream, so you just kind of disappear for some time.
  325. >Not physically, of course, but still.
  326. >You're still lying down, but not in a puddle anymore.
  327. >You're actually surrounded by a soft surface, and you feel a blanket over your body.
  328. >Definitely a bed, but you're still not comfortable.
  329. >Your whole body feels a little stiff.
  330. >You sit up straight, cracking your back.
  331. >As your eyes adjust to the light again, you begin to take inventory of the objects in the room.
  332. >Pink and yellow color palette
  333. >Balloons everywhere
  334. >Stairs look like they're made out candy.
  335. >You're definitely not in a hospital.
  336. >Your eyes focus in on a mirror across the room from you.
  337. >There are bandages on your head and arm, and you look a little bruised up.
  338. >All in all, not the best shape you've been in, but defintely not the worst.
  339. >You'll be alright.
  340. >You hear hoofsteps outside the door.
  341. >The door flings open revealing Pinkie Pie holding a tray of cookies.
  342. >She starts to trot towards you before she realizes you're awake.
  343. >She lets out a small yipe as your eyes lock, and she sends the cookies flying across the room.
  344. >She stands as still as a statue with that same deer-in-headlights expression she wore before.
  345. >You feel obligated to start the conversation.
  346. "Hey Pinkie... were those cookies for me?" you ask politely
  347. >"NO!" she blurts almost reflexively.
  348. >You nod. You didn't expect any different.
  349. "Guess they're for the floor now..."
  350. >She shakes her head.
  351. >"I mean! YES! But, ohh..." she says nervously tapping her hooves against the ground.
  352. >Her face is turning red.
  353. >"I just made them for you because you went and got hurt you dummy!" she yells sternly.
  354. >You tilt your head in confusion. As you do a twinge of pain shoots up your body.
  355. >You reach your hand to the back of your neck as a reflex, wincing in pain.
  356. >When you look up again, Pinkie is much closer with a concerned expression on her face. Her face still red, but less so.
  357. >You flash a toothy smile.
  358. "I'm okay, just a little stiff." you say brightly
  359. >She blinks before her face becomes red yet again. Her expression changing from concerned to upset again.
  360. >Here we go.
  361. >She turns around with a huff and starts to head for the door.
  362. "Why am I here? If I got hurt shouldn't I be in a hospital?" you ask suddenly.
  363. >Pinkie stops walking.
  364. >"N-No, you just HAD to stand under my pinata and now you're hurt. So now it's MY responsibility to... take care of... y-you." she says, fading near the end.
  365. >You toy with the sheets inbetween your fingers.
  366. "And what about the party?"
  367. >"It ended an hour ago." she says defeated before heading out the door again.
  368. >You look at the clock.
  369. >1:45am.
  370. >The party ended at 12:45?
  371. >That's stupid early by Pinkie's standards.
  372. >You clench the blankets again.
  373. >You just wanted to try and be friends with Pinkie, and it seemed like there was a chance here.
  374. >Now you're her burden.
  375. >You try to move out of bed, but you start getting dizzy and need to sit down again.
  376. >You're stuck here for now.
  377. >With a sigh you lay down again and stare at the ceiling.
  378.  
  379. >You don't attempt to sleep quite yet.
  380. >You may be tired, but you're still trying to wrestle with all of this.
  381. >Pinkie needs to watch over you for now, and that makes her upset.
  382. >So your objective should be to make it as easy as possible for her.
  383. >The darkness of the room makes everything feel still.
  384. >The clock to your right ticks quietly as the minutes turn to hours.
  385. >You start to doze off just before the door opens slowly again.
  386. >A streak of yellow light burns over the room, and a curly shadow fills it.
  387. >Pinkie carefully closes the door slowly, being as quiet as possible.
  388. >You play dead instinctively.
  389. >You don't want to upset her anymore than you already have.
  390. >Her hooves trot near your bed before slowing.
  391. >You slow your breathing.
  392. >Something starts to feel warm on your cheek.
  393. >It's Pinkie's breath.
  394. >Just how close is she right now?
  395. >You recieve your answer when she sighs under her breath
  396. >You hear it clear as day, and it is obvious that she is less than a foot away from you.
  397. >Her forelegs rest on the bed near your head, and she continues to breath onto you.
  398. >She's breathing irregularly, but it's still soft and quiet.
  399. >Her hooves leave the bed.
  400. >Suddenly the blankets are pulled further up, covering more of your body.
  401. >You let out a sigh, half because of the blanket and half because you've been breathing weird for awhile now.
  402. >She sighs too.
  403. >There's a long pause.
  404. >A hoof gently caresses your cheek and then pulls away.
  405. >Her hooves trot away from you and around the bed to your left.
  406. >Something squeaks, and the sound of fur rubbing on fabric fills the room for a moment.
  407. >You open an eye in the darkness to see what is going on.
  408. >Your night vision reveals Pinkie laying down on a smaller couch off to the side of her room.
  409. >A twang of pain shoots you in the chest.
  410. >She's sleeping on a couch while you sleep in her bed.
  411. >No wonder she's upset.
  412. >You close your eyes again.
  413. >It's decided. Tomorrow you're going to help as much as you can.
  414. >You smile in the dark at your wonderful plan as you slowly drift back into dream land.
  415.  
  416. >The sound of rain against the window wakes you up with a bit of a jolt [spoiler]http://www.rainymood.com/[/spoiler]
  417. >Cool spring air comes in through the cracks, and you ease yourself back to consciousness.
  418. >Your head thumps a little, but it's no where near as bad as it was earlier that night.
  419. >As you sit up, the pain becomes very minor and quite managable.
  420. >That's a good sign. You're no doctor, but you started to think you were concussed.
  421. >You put your hand on the bandages wrapped around your head.
  422. >There's a low bump in the middle of your scalp.
  423. >It may hurt, but you don't think you need any help getting out of bed.
  424. >You look over at the little red couch that Pinkie is still sleeping on.
  425. >Her mane looks a little deflated, and there are bags under her eyes.
  426. >She looks like she hasn't slept at all, but now she snores loudly from under the covers.
  427. >You look down at your hands and concoct a plan of attack.
  428. >You want to take up as little of Pinkie's time as possible, but you also want to show your gratitude.
  429. >Hmm.
  430. >There is an entire bakery downstairs at your disposal...
  431. >And nothing makes waking up better than breakfast in bed!
  432. >You turn and quickly stand.
  433. >The dizziness hits you all at once, and you wobble for a second before it wears off.
  434. >For a moment there, you forgot how to walk.
  435. >You check Pinkie again.
  436. >She's still fast asleep.
  437. >Out like a light. That party must have taken a lot out of her.
  438. >You look down at what you're wearing.
  439. >You're wearing your t-shirt from the party, and still have your jeans on too.
  440. >But your jacket, socks, and assorted accessories are still MIA.
  441. >No matter, being in bare feet just makes it easier to be stealthy.
  442. >You tip toe to the door and carefully open it before heading downstairs.
  443. >The stairs lead directly to the kitchen where there are all kinds of cooking supplies for you to use.
  444. >You look around until you spot a large white refrigerator.
  445. >As you approach the white behemoth, you notice all the magnets on it.
  446. >There's recipes and reminders, along with a few crayon drawings from Pound and Pumpkin.
  447. >And one from Pinkie, actually.
  448. >You chuckle under your breath and open the fridge.
  449. >Most pony delicacies don't really tickle your fancy, but there is a few breakfast products that you love just as much, if not more, than ponies.
  450. >Omeletes and Pancakes.
  451. >Hell yeahhh.
  452. >You do miss the bacon though...
  453. >You pull out one of the dozen cartons of eggs in the fridge.
  454. >They go through eggs pretty fast at a bakery.
  455. >They won't notice a carton missing that much.
  456. >You grab two of the hanging pans and a few assorted ingredients you need.
  457. >Pancake mix, oil, butter, water, cheese, peppers, onions, and a couple secret spices.
  458. >You're going to make some baller breakfast.
  459. >Quickest way to a pony's friendship is through their stomach.
  460. >You think, maybe.
  461. >A shine in the corner of the room shines in your eye, demanding your attention.
  462. >It's an old-timey record player!
  463. >You think about the music that Pinkie was thumping last night.
  464. >There's no way that music came out of there.
  465. >You inspect the record.
  466. >"Jazz Volume II"
  467. >You smile.
  468. >Breakfast and smooth jazz, sounds like a good morning to you.
  469. >You throw the record on and it begins to play [spoiler]https://nymano.bandcamp.com/track/early-wake-up[/spoiler]
  470. >You take a deep breath and start putting the meal together.
  471. >The minor headache you have soon takes a back seat to the rain, jazz, and onions in the pan.
  472.  
  473. >You're completely drained at this point.
  474. >Your normally curly and volumed mane feels heavier than usual, and your eyes still sting a little from the lack of sleep.
  475. >It wasn't because of the couch, this thing is super duper comfy!
  476. >It was the REASON you were on the couch.
  477. >You were sleeping in the same room as the king butt himself, Anon.
  478. >The same Anon that you couldn't help but check on every hour to make sure he was still breathing.
  479. >Well, half hour.
  480. >You feel your face heat up again.
  481. >Everytime you thing of him, you start to feel all queasy.
  482. >But not like that time you ate five cakes and couldn't move for two days, a different kind of queasy.
  483. >A kind of queasy that makes your legs shake, and your ears twitch.
  484. >Your Pinkie senses are usually so easy to read.
  485. >But in this case, you don't know what to make of it!
  486. >Shakey legs, twitchy ears, you breathe all funny, your heart pumps like CRAZY, and you start smiling all weird.
  487. >It just isn't you! And you have such a hard time talking to Anonymous because of it.
  488. >But he always ends up invading your thoughts.
  489. >His smile, the nice things he does, the compliments he gives...
  490. >He's so... nice! By all means you should like him! In fact, you DO like him!
  491. >You like the things he does, and the way he carries himself, and the way he treats you. You like it all!
  492. >SO WHY DOES HE MAKE YOU FEEL SO MISERABLE?
  493. >He never leaves your mind.
  494. >Even now, trying to get at least one more hour of sleep that you know you're not going to get.
  495. >You sigh.
  496. >Is it...
  497. >Your face starts to heat up again
  498. >The rain pitters against the window in a comforting way.
  499. >Is it that you...
  500. >Your legs close tightly together, and start to come up to your chest.
  501. >Wind howls against the side of Sugarcube Corner.
  502. >You... like him... but...
  503. >You scrunch up into a ball as you pull the blankets over your head, trying to make yourself as small as possible.
  504. >The blankets encapsulate you tightly, as if they will keep all your thoughts contained as well.
  505. >You like him... but...
  506. >...not like everypony else?
  507. >Your heart suddenly thumps at a much faster beat.
  508. >You tighten up more as a thought unfolds more.
  509. >The Pinkie senses were telling you...
  510. >That you, LIKE like him?
  511. >Suddenly your heart thumps a bit slower, and a smile comes across your face.
  512. >You feel queasy.
  513. >But, in a good way, you think.
  514.  
  515. >You sit in the warmth of your discovery for a little while, coming to terms with it in a way.
  516. >That feeling of uneasiness is still going strong, and you know you'll still have a hard time interacting with Anon.
  517. >But there's a sort of sereness to this epiphany, as if you were lost in the forest and finally found the path home again.
  518. >You know it now: You have feelings for Anon. Not just normal feelings either, like extra-gushy lovey-dovey feelings!
  519. >You've never had these kinds of feelings for anypony before, you don't know how to deal with them.
  520. >Suddenly you think back to how you've been treating Anon recently.
  521. >Yelling at him, kicking him out of the shop, etc.
  522. >You did it all in the name of getting over these feelings.
  523. >And now it's going to bite you in the butt.
  524. >Twilight once told you that Anon avoided coming to the castle when you were there.
  525. >Heck, you didn't even invite him to the party, Rarity did!
  526. >Maybe he came for her, and not you. Maybe he trying to talk to you because the girls wanted you to get over this!
  527. >WHAT IF HE HATES YOU?!
  528. >You take a deep breath.
  529. >No... no he doesn't hate you. Anon isn't one to hate, even now.
  530. >But that doesn't mean he feels the same way, and confessing your feelings will not only be difficult, but very risky.
  531. >You can't let him know how you feel, you have to be friends with him first!
  532. >It has to seem like it happened naturally, like it developped through friendship and time together and junk.
  533. >If you tell him you know all about him, and have liked him all this time you at his throat, he'd never believe you...
  534. >You let out a sigh and flop on your back.
  535. >That's what you'll have to do.
  536. >You'll have to become friends with Anon.
  537. >Before he leaves this house, you will be friends with Anon, all while keeping your true feelings hidden for another day.
  538. >Yes! What an excellent plan Pinkie!
  539. >Why thank you Pinkie!
  540. >Anytime Pinkie!
  541. >Your internal dialogue is interrupted by muffled noise coming from downstairs.
  542. >You lift your head out from under the covers.
  543. >Immediately you are hit by a wonderful fragrance.
  544. >Oil, onions and peppers on a pan, even a little vanilla is in the air.
  545. >You open your eyes and find that Anon is not in his bed anymore.
  546. >The door to the downstairs is open too...
  547. >You shake your head, hop off the couch, and make your way to the door.
  548.  
  549. >The smell only gets stronger as you head down the stairs towards the kitchen.
  550. >You can hear the sizzle of butter on a heated pan being muffled by the jazz that's playing softly with the rain.
  551. >The cakes always enjoyed listening to something, 'sophisticated' while they worked.
  552. >You poke your head out from the door frame to get a peek at who is working the kitchen.
  553. >Not much to your surprise, Anon stands by the counter.
  554. >He tends to something in a couple pans, occasionally flipping their contents into the air.
  555. >You smile to yourself as you notice he actually put on one of the very-small-on-him aprons.
  556. >But what captivates you is not his attire, but rather his skills as a chef.
  557. >Ponies similar methods of cooking to humans, and his hands move with great tact.
  558. >It's mesmerizing to say the least.
  559. >He shakes some spices into his hand then sprinkles it over the contents of one of the pans.
  560. >After that he grips the pan's handle and starts sending the food airborne again before grabbing a spatula and flipping the other pan's food.
  561. >You start to unknowingly wander into the kitchen more before you catch his eye.
  562. >He turns and looks at you with a bright smile.
  563. >You feel your face turn red again.
  564. >"Good morning Pinkie! I'm sorry if I woke you up. I wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed!" he says ecstatically.
  565. >Your heart thumps into your throat.
  566. >Before you respond your eyes lock on Anon's head bandages.
  567. "Y-you shouldn't have done that! You're still hurt you dummy!" you blurt.
  568. >He rubs the top of his head.
  569. >"It's alright, I'm well enough to make breakfast!" he says, motioning for you to sit down at the counter.
  570. >You hop up on a stool and watch him work a little more, your eyes still trained on his bandage-wrapped head.
  571. >The counter is already set for you, with a plate and place mat in front of your stool.
  572. >It's a little unorganized, as it was originally meant to go upstairs in a jumble, but you don't mind.
  573. >You smile softly at the thoughtful gesture while Anon's back is turned.
  574. >You're positive he doesn't dislike you, at least.
  575. >Suddenly he turns around and faces you again.
  576. >"Behold, Pinkies and Gentlecolts!" he says proudly before presenting you his dish.
  577. >He slides a cheesy looking omelete onto your plate from the pan, then flips a set of pancakes right next to it.
  578. >"Viola! A western omelete with secret seasoning, and a short stack of buttermilk pancakes with extra vanilla and honey butter!" he says in a goofy voice, "Enjoy, Madam!"
  579. >Your eyes must be as large as dinner plates at this point.
  580. >The omelet looks fliuffier than your tail, and the flapjacks smell sweet and buttery, yet light and moist.
  581. >"What do you think?" he asks with a toothy smile.
  582. "It looks..." you say as your symptoms return, "It looks... great, Anon. Thanks a bunch!"
  583. >It finally comes out the way you wanted it to, more or less.
  584. >Anon raises an eyebrow.
  585. >"R-Really? You think it's good?" he says in a disarmed tone.
  586. >You huff some air out your nose as you start to blush some more.
  587. >The way he's looking at you makes it hard to breathe, and your heart beats against your rib cage rapidly.
  588. >Your emotions are trying to take control, you need to back track.
  589. "Y-yeah, it's pretty great. It's not expert cooking or anything, but for your skills it is pretty... adequate." you prod.
  590. >"Heh." Anon chuckles as he goes back to the pans to make himself a batch, "I guess I'll take adequate for now." he says with a chuckle.
  591. >As he turns away you take a bite of the omelet.
  592. >Your eyes tear up as you chew.
  593. >This is the best omelet you've ever eaten in your life.
  594.  
  595. >You use your fingers to really scrape away some of the grease left in the frying pan before cracking a new egg into it.
  596. >You hear Pinkie chowing down on your food in the background.
  597. >You're glad that she's eating it. After all, she said it was pretty okay. Best compliment you ever recieved from her.
  598. >Of course you'd get it for your breakfast in bed trick, it's an unstoppable force.
  599. >Once you make somebody breakfast, they'll have no choice but to tolerate you!
  600. >You start to wisk the eggs as they cook to make them extra fluffy.
  601. >As you do this you pour a puddle of pancake batter into the other pan simmering.
  602. >The chef always eats second! At least that's what you were taught. You used to work in a couple diners.
  603. >One was in the human world, but you can hardly remember it. Side effect of the dimensional transfer, Twilight said. The second one was here in Ponyville though.
  604. >You used to churn out omelets during the day, but at night you worked hard on perfecting recipes.
  605. >It was a pretty great hobby, and you love cooking at your house all the time. Without technology or magic to keep you occupied, you had to focus on what skills you still had.
  606. >At least Pinkie seems to appreciate your efforts, even if they weren't the best.
  607. >You serve yourself up a healthy plate of pancakes and a western omelet, just like Pinkie's.
  608. >You turn to the counter to find Pinkie's plate already half empty.
  609. >She must be pretty hungry.
  610. >You sit down across from her, making sure to give her room.
  611. >The first bite tastes wonderful, but maybe your tastebuds are just not as refined as Pinkie's.
  612. >She does eat a lot of sweets, maybe that strengthened her pallete or something?
  613. >You don't understand taste very well.
  614. >"So, uh..." Pinkie says, breaking the silence.
  615. >You look up at her, still chewing your food.
  616. >Her face is red, but not as much as you're used to.
  617. >That's a good sign.
  618. >"So... did you sleep well?" she finally asks.
  619. >You smile
  620. "Yeah, I slept fine. Thanks. Sorry about making you sleep on the couch."
  621. >Pinkie gives you a short smile
  622. >"I didn't have much of a choice, dummy. It was either my bed or no bed for you. I just did the responsible thing." she says softly
  623. >You smile at her.
  624. "Well, whatever your reasons be, I'm very impressed by you." you say wholeheartedly.
  625. >Her eyes dart up to your own, and her face starts to become more red.
  626. >"Im...pressed?"
  627. >You might have said that wrong, maybe it sounded too pretentious?
  628. "Yeah, I mean, you helped me out even though I was annoying you so much at the party. I can't thank you enough Pinkie..." you say warmly.
  629. >She blushes so hard she becomes more red than a cherry.
  630. >"I-its fine! It was my party! My responsibility!" she declares
  631. "And you take that responsibility seriously! It feels nice to finally spend some time together where we're not at eachother's throats!"
  632. >You can recall ever being at Pinkie's throats, but this isn't the time for blame shifting.
  633. >Pinkie looks down a little, and you can swear you almost see a smile forming.
  634. >"It certainly isn't as bad as I expected..." she says quietly.
  635. "Mhmm. And you don't have to worry anymore, I'll be gone before noon today!" you say triumphantly.
  636. >At that Pinkie's head shot straight up, looking you directly in the eyes.
  637. >"Wh-What?" she stammers
  638. "I said, don't worry I'll be gone before noon! I know you're not that hot on spending time with me, but this was nice. I don't want to be a burden though."
  639. >"B-but what about your head? Shouldn't you stay...?" she blurts
  640. >You chuckle a little.
  641. >She really takes this responsibility seriously.
  642. "My head is fine, just a bump is all. I don't need to be tended to, and I don't want to bother you anymore than I have to." you say, approaching the sink to start washing your dishes.
  643. >You start to scrub the first pan.
  644. >"But... BUT..."
  645. "I'm fine, really! You don't have to look after me anymore." you say as you scrub off more grime
  646. >The first pan is almost done, you should throw the second one in the tub to get it ready.
  647. "After all, it was just a light bonk on the he-"
  648. >As the last word leaves your mouth something hits you from behind.
  649. >You're knocked out instantly.
  650.  
  651. >Anonymous falls to the floor in a heap.
  652. >Your heart still races as the frying pan clanks to the ground next to him.
  653. >That happened a little too fast.
  654. >All you wanted was more time with him, it was going so well up until this point.
  655. >The compliments, the conversations, they all felt like the two of you were getting closer.
  656. >Then he started talking about leaving, and not wanting to be a bother, and how he's healthy enough to go.
  657. >You just started to freak out.
  658. >You just wanted more time, and Anon was already too healthy to stay.
  659. >So you, kind of, sort of, threw a frying pan at the back of his head.
  660. >You rush to his limp body to make sure he's alright.
  661. >He's out like a light, and he's definitely going to feel that when he wakes up, but other than a large bump on the back of his head he seems normal.
  662. >You shake your head in worry as you look at the mess you have made.
  663. >You really need to control yourself better, Pinkie.
  664. >But, the deed is already done.
  665. >And when he wakes up, he will need another day to rest.
  666. >You get under Anon's limp body and start to bring him up the stairs.
  667. >That was a pretty brash move, but it worked out in the end.
  668.  
  669. >The rain is still coming down when you open your eyes again.
  670. >You're a little more than dazed and confused, you're completely lost.
  671. >As your eyes open again, you see the familiar ceiling of Pinkie's bed room again.
  672. >You let your eyes adjust then sit up quickly.
  673. >As you sit upright again, the throbbing in your head becomes very apparent again.
  674. >This time near the back of your head.
  675. >You reach back and feel a new bump below your first one.
  676. >It's starting to come back to you now, somewhat.
  677. >You remember cooking breakfast, and Pinkie eating with you. You remember her compliment, then you told her you wouldn't stay for long...
  678. >And then everything went blank, and Anonymous the time-traveller jumped through time and space once more to end up in Pinkie's bed.
  679. >...
  680. >That thought didn't come together very well. You made it sound like a sci-fi porno.
  681. >But it's the best you can manage in the moment as your head continues to throb.
  682. >You take a quick look at the clock.
  683. >Half past noon, you've been out for at least 3 hours.
  684. >Your bandages have gotten a few more additions too.
  685. >The sound of hooves coming up the stairs grabs your attention.
  686. >Pinkie Pie sheepishly enters the room.
  687. >Her face becomes flushed as you look at her, and she looks away as she approaches you.
  688. >"H-how's the head, Anon?" she asks a little sternly.
  689. >Not as sternly as usual, actually.
  690. >You rub the bump on the back of your head.
  691. "Pinkie, what the heck happened?" you ask, wincing a bit at your headache.
  692. >Pinkie doesn't look up at you as she answers.
  693. >"You knocked one of the hanging frying pans off its hook and it fell on you while you were cleaning..." she says without much finesse
  694. >Hanging frying pan? There was another one?
  695. >You were pretty positive that you had taken both frying pans off the hooks.
  696. >And plus, they weren't even hung that high. How the heck did one knock you out cold?
  697. "I could've sworn I used all the pans though..." you say with a hand to your chin
  698. >"Well you didn't, dummy! Now you have to stay here until you're better again!" Pinkie shouts.
  699. >Something about the way she yells is off, however. You can't describe it very well, it's as if it isn't coming from distaste.
  700. >Of course, that wouldn't make sense with what she is yelling, but whatever.
  701. >You don't want to think about it too much.
  702. >You lean against the head board of the bed.
  703. "I'm sorry Pinkie, I'll get out of your hair as soon as I can!" you say reassuringly.
  704. >As the words leave your mouth, Pinkie puts a hoof on your chest, prodding you in the center.
  705. >"NO! NO! Uh- I'm not letting you hurt yourself again! You're going to stay in this room for the rest of the day. You leave when I say you're ready to! OKIDOKI?" she spouts, her face getting increasingly red with every poke to your chest.
  706. >Her expression is impossible to read. It isn't mad, it's sort of nervous... maybe stressful?
  707. >Whatever it is, she's very passionate about keeping you here.
  708. >You feel some warmth spread across your face.
  709. "Oh... Okay Pinkie! Whatever you say..." you say with your hands in the air.
  710. >An odd, exhausted smile twitches onto Pinkie's face, making her expression even harder to read.
  711. >Her eyes still say she is upset with you, but her mouth wears a cute, wiggly grin.
  712. >"Okidoki!" she says pulling her hoof off your chest.
  713.  
  714. >Pinkie turns and grabs a small tray off the bedstand to your right.
  715. >She carefully places it on the side of the bed, making sure nothing falls off.
  716. >She doesn't say anything at first, and just stares at your hands expectantly.
  717. >It's only after a few moments of silence that she starts to speak again.
  718. >Her face grows redder than before.
  719. >"H-here. I made you something for lunch." she says tapping the tray with a hoof and stepping back.
  720. >You pick up the tray and examine its contents
  721. >A fluffernutter sandwich, a juicebox, and some apple slices
  722. >The lunch of champions.
  723. >You place the tray in your lap and wait for the throbbing in your head to get a little less intense.
  724. >After a few seconds you turn to Pinkie again.
  725. >For no more than a millisecond your eyes meet before she quickly adjusts her gaze to your food.
  726. "Thank you Pinkie. It look delicious." you say lightly, still trying to keep your headache at bay.
  727. >She looks down again with a small, struggling grin.
  728. >"I-it's just a sandwich. It's nothing, really..."
  729. "It's not just a sandwich, it's a fluffernutter! These things are the best!" you say enthusiastically.
  730. >You pick up the sandwich to take a bite
  731. >Out of the corner of your eye, you can see Pinkie slowly lift her head.
  732. >You grin between your head's thumps and take a bite.
  733. >The creaminess of the fluff mixes with the nutty goodness of the peanut butter.
  734. >But a mystery flavor hits you suddenly.
  735. >It mixes perfectly with the whole concoction, and there's more texture in the bite too.
  736. >You swallow with an audible smack of your lips.
  737. "Is there... banana in this..?" you ask quietly.
  738. >Pinkie Pie's dart around the room.
  739. >"Y-yeah... it's my super banana fluffernutter surprise! I make it for the babies sometimes... when Mr. and Mrs. Cake aren't around, anyway..." she says in a reserved tone.
  740. >You lick your lips.
  741. "It's delicious! Even the most simple of sandwiches gets a bit of a twist, huh Pinkie?" you say as you take another bit, "Ish sogh gughd shoo" you say with food still in your mouth.
  742. >Pinkie doesn't respond right away, but you can see her smile growing out of the corner of your eye.
  743. >Nobody can deny a compliment, even when she's so annoyed with you she still cracks a smile.
  744. >That's nice, you might be making real progress today.
  745. >"I-if you like that... maybe we could... I mean if you don't mind..." she starts to say, trailing off near the end.
  746. >You look at her expectantly as you sip from the bendy straw in your juice box.
  747. >She looks away bashfully
  748. >"We could... try some new recipes? T-together? Maybe?" she says stammering.
  749. >Your surprise is made more than obvious as you suck in more juice than you mean too and begin coughing.
  750. >Pinkie leans back as you cough a few times, each one pounding your skull with another pulse of pain.
  751. >You take a few deep breaths.
  752. "Yeah! That sounds great! I'd love to, really!" you respond between coughs.
  753. >Real progress.
  754.  
  755. >As Anon finishes his sentence, your heart feels like it bouncing around your ribs with joy.
  756. >You've never been good at containing your energy, and up to this point you've been doing rather well.
  757. >Ever since you figured out how you honestly felt about Anon, your emotions have been intensified in a very wonderful way.
  758. >Every time he compliments you, every time he shows you attention, you feel instant gratification and glee.
  759. >But it comes at a price, as you are still unsure how he really feels about you too.
  760. >And just trying to be super nice like you've never treated him poorly in the first place would be confusing.
  761. >But every time he gives you that smile you just want to give him a big hug, you love giving hugs.
  762. >And you've never hugged Anon before, and you bet he smells good
  763. >Andheprobablyisreallygoodathuggingtoobecauseofhowlonghisarmsareandstuff
  764. >BUTYOUJUSTCANTBELIEVETHATHEWANTSTODOSTUFFWITHYOUAFTERALLYOUPUTHIMTHROUGH
  765. >ANDYOUHAVEHIMHEREFORTHEWHOLEDAYJUSTTHETWOOFYOUAND-
  766. >...
  767. >It's hard to keep inside, especially when you're making so much progress.
  768. >But you bite your tongue, and try to keep your smile from exploding across your face and ruining the whole operation.
  769. >Anon doesn't mention your intense blushing, and he smiles at you as he takes another bite of his sandwich.
  770. >The more you look him in the eyes, the more passionate you become.
  771. >You close your eyes and turn away from him for a second, facing the rain drenched window.
  772. >"So..." Anon says, chewing a crispy apple slice, "How are we going to do this? Do I need to come down to the kitchen, because I don't know if-"
  773. "No no! You don't have to move an inch, dummy." you say a little playfully before walking to your closet.
  774. >You open the door and pull out an oven and stove combo appliance with wheels.
  775. "My room is a kitchen!" you say proudly as you wheel out the mobile unit.
  776. >The squeaks of the wheels reminds you of the many shindigs you catered with this bad boy.
  777. >You pull it out to the side of your bed and rub it with pride.
  778. "Where else am I supposed to test out my recipes?"
  779. >Anon whistles
  780. >"Color me impressed. You're really equipped." he says earnestly
  781. >You huff air out your nose.
  782. "Of course I'm equipped, butthead. I'm the queen of pastries and treats!" you say with a giggle.
  783. >Anon chortles behind you as you pull out some pots and pans.
  784. >His chuckles make your grin start to grow.
  785. >If you're not careful, he'll throw you into a laughing fit.
  786. >There's no recovery from there.
  787. >The best thing you can do is make some treats. That'll keep your mind off him, for a little while at least.
  788.  
  789. >You scarf down the last of your apple slices as Pinkie prepares her oven-stove-thing for some baking of goodies.
  790. >Her invitation seemingly came out of nowhere, you really didn't expect her to want to spend time together.
  791. >You thought you would be spending the day twiddling your thumbs in bed while Pinkie went off and did other things.
  792. >She's really taking her responsibility seriously, entertaining you and stuff.
  793. >Or maybe... it's for a different reason...
  794. >You begin pondering what her ulterior motives could possibly be.
  795. >Your train of thought doesn't last very long as you turn to look at Pinkie as she cleans the inside of her oven.
  796. >She sticks her butt in the air and wiggles it as she cleans, making her tail sway back and fourth in a springy fashion.
  797. >Your head throbs a little faster, and you giggle at her unintentional cuteness.
  798. >She pops her head out of the oven and turns to the bed again.
  799. >Wait, was she wearing the chef hat before she put her head in?
  800. >You can't remember.
  801. >She starts to assemble some of the ingredients on the side of the bed so you can get a good view of them.
  802. >Even though she doesn't have any fingers, she's quite nimble with her hooves. The bags are opened and eggs cracked in a blink of an eye.
  803. >She doesn't look up at you observing her, she's laser focused on her work.
  804. >After a few moments after she preps many of the ingredients, she finally looks up at you.
  805. >She smiles widely at you for a fraction of a second before it shrinks down again, accompanied by a fair amount of blush.
  806. >You're not entirely sure why she's so red, even when she doesn't seem bothered by you right now.
  807. >She breaks your train of thought when she places a small white hat on your head.
  808. >"You are my sous chef. Monsieur Butthead!" she says with a surprisingly good french accent.
  809. >Or whatever the Equestrian equivalent is, it's odd that Equestrian cultures developed parallel to the human world's.
  810. "Monsieur Butthead eh?" you chuckle, " What does that make you?"
  811. >She smiles proudly, her eyes closed.
  812. >"Why, Head Chef Pinkie of course!" she says with pride.
  813. >As she tilts her nose up, you notice a bit of black soot on her nose.
  814. >You laugh at the self-appointed title.
  815. "Well, Head Chef Pinkie," you say as you reach out with your thumb.
  816. >As you touch her snout, she reflexively leans back with wide eyes, but not out of your reach.
  817. >You smile with a laugh as you continue to reach for her nose.
  818. >She scrunches her face which turns to a bright rose color as your thumb rubs away the black splotch of soot.
  819. "A chef is only as good as their staff, so we're in this together." you say jokingly.
  820. >Pinkie lets out a weird rumbling hum, and she looks like a tingle just went down her spine.
  821. >You lift an eyebrow as she looks you in the eyes again.
  822. >"O-okidokil-loki!" she says with a cute little salute.
  823. >Your pounding headache speeds up a little.
  824.  
  825. >Pinkie places a bowl of eggs in your lap.
  826. >She throws a wisk into it and turns to the oven again.
  827. >And with that your sous chef duties begin! You're going to wisk the fuck out of these eggs.
  828. >You beat the eggs like it's a lonely friday night and they need help getting to sleep.
  829. >The sound of the wisk hitting the sides of the metal bowl mixes with the clinks and clanks of Pinkie's head chef duties.
  830. >You can't see what she's doing, but you know she needs these eggs ASAP.
  831. >The wisking continues until the large bowl of eggs look like a creamy yellow.
  832. >Somehow you never imagined you'd be COOKing a meal in bed, but you aren't complaining. It's oddly satisfying.
  833. "All wisked up PInkie!" you say
  834. >Pinkie doesn't turn around, she doesn't respond at all.
  835. "Uh... Pinkie?" you say again
  836. >She still doesn't turn around. You know for a fact she heard you.
  837. >You roll your eyes with a grin.
  838. "Chef Pinkie?" you ask.
  839. >"Yes, butthead?" she responds, looking over her shoulder slightly.
  840. >You chuckle. As you do she turs away quickly.
  841. "The eggs are done! Ready to go!" you declare
  842. >Pinkie takes a moment to adjust herself before turning to you again.
  843. >Her expression is still hard to read, but she sports a delicate smile that makes you feel content.
  844. >She looks into the bowl as you set it beside yourself on the bed.
  845. >With a small smile and a reassuring nod she deems it acceptable.
  846. >She brings over the bowl she was working on.
  847. >It's filled with flour, baking powder, baking soda, and what appears to be salt. It's hard to tell when it's all in the bowl.
  848. >Pinkie starts using her hooves to pick up your bowl, but it's obvious she's having some trouble.
  849. >That's what happens when you support your body weight on the same limbs you use to lift stuff.
  850. >You shake your head and take the bowl from her, even as her face scrunches.
  851. >You pour the eggs into the bowl slowly, using your wisk to stir it in evenly.
  852. >After the eggs have all been poured, you give Pinkie the empty bowl.
  853. >She takes it from you with a curious expression, placing it in a cabinet included in the mobile kitchen station.
  854. >She comes back to the side of the bed with a handful of seasonings.
  855. >The shakers are all different colors, and you recognize them all.
  856. >She starts to shake some nutmeg into the bowl, but not very efficiently.
  857. >After all, she is holding it in her mouth, and she needs to swing her head around wildly to put it in.
  858. >You grab the cinnamon she put down next to you and shake a bunch into your hand.
  859. >Then you grab pinches of it and scatter it about the mix like it's pixie dust.
  860. >Pinkie stops shaking and stares as you throw in the last of the cinnamon.
  861. >"Gwoahghh" she mumbles with the shaker still in her mouth.
  862. >It's like she saw you perform magic.
  863. >Or, maybe something she hasn't seen/ experienced a million times.
  864. >Like she saw you perform science.
  865. >Yeah.
  866. >Science.
  867.  
  868. >You go back to mixing the concoction with water and milk.
  869. >It starts to become a lot more solid, and soon your spoon is ineffective at mixing it. You're more swirling it around at this point.
  870. >You pretend to be looking at the bowl as you stir so you can observe Pinkie out of the corner of your eye.
  871. >She's been acting very weird today, to say the least, but it only really is apparent when the two of you are interacting directly.
  872. >When you observe passively and discretely, however, she acts comepletely different.
  873. >As your stir the batter some more, she stares at you from the edge of the bed. Only her snout and up is showing, so you can't tell if she's smiling or not.
  874. >What you do see, however, are her large and beautiful baby blue eyes as they stare straight up at you.
  875. >You wonder what she's staring at, but you're starting to wonder why she acts so bashful when you start interacting with her again.
  876. >For a moment, you wonder if you should ask if anything is wrong, but perhaps that would be a little too forward.
  877. >After all, she is still letting you stay in her house and sleep in HER bed.
  878. >You don't want to risk being rude.
  879. >Still, seeing her cute face out of the corner of your eye gives you hope in your slowly blooming friendship.
  880. >She seems especially entranced by your cooking.
  881. >Maybe this sous chef can take the lead a bit more.
  882. "You know..." you say in a leading tone.
  883. >Her eyes dart to yours, thought you don't return the stare.
  884. "We could throw some chocolate chips into this right about now, and really make this cake pop!" you say confidently
  885. >You're pretty sure she's making a cake.
  886. >So far the ingredients suggest a pound cake, but you may have just embarrassed yourself.
  887. >However, her sparkling eyes make you believe differently.
  888. >"That m-might work! But maybe something with more appeal..." she says excitedly
  889. >She turns to the cabinet again and begins to search.
  890. >Suddenly she pops out in a flurry of utencils and spices
  891. >"HERE WE GO!" she spouts with a huge smile.
  892. >It takes you completely by surprise, you've never seen her so happy.
  893. >You've heard that she's generally an energetic and happy pony, but you've never really seen it in person.
  894. >She violently shakes the sprinkles into the cake batter, much faster than she did earlier.
  895. >She throws the shaker over her shoulder and turns to you.
  896. >"STIR!" she says with a goofy grin.
  897. >You don't need to be told twice. You quickly stir the thick batter with the additional sprinkles.
  898. >They disperse into the cream colored batter, making it look like a rainbow.
  899. >Pinkie bobs with happiness at the side of the bed.
  900. >"Now when it bakes, the color will come off the sprinkles and make the cake a rainbow!" she says with excitement.
  901. >You chuckle at her new enthusiasim.
  902. "Haha, you're really excited about cooking this together, huh?" you say offhandedly.
  903. >Her face turns red once more.
  904. >"Y-yeah... I really like baking is all."
  905. >You nod
  906. "Well I'm glad I could help." you say as you start to pour the batter into the cake mold she left by you.
  907. >She huffs out her nose and whispers something you can't really make out.
  908.  
  909. "So am I..." you say under your breath.
  910. >Anonymous doesn't hear you, and he slides the cake mold over to you again.
  911. >You pick it up with a controlled smile and slide it into the oven.
  912. >You close the door and set the timer.
  913. >Adding sprinkles hadn't crossed your mind, it was a good move, you think.
  914. >Anon is a pretty good chef. He wisked the eggs and mixed the batter perfectly. There's no doubt the cake will be light and fluffy, just like you were hoping.
  915. >When that cake comes out... you're going to decorate it with him. Then, you're going to eat it with him.
  916. >After that, you're going to say something along the lines of, "This is cake is pretty okay. And so are you!"
  917. >Then you'll act all cutesy, and he'll think that you warmed up to him after a day of cooking.
  918. >The perfect plan. He'll never suspect foul play!
  919. >"Pinkie..." Anon begins quietly.
  920. >Your heart jumps into your throat. It happens every time he talks to you.
  921. >You look over your shoulder, attempting to stay calm
  922. "Y-yes Butthead?" you ask a little more broken than you intended.
  923. >"Um..." he says quietly, looking at his feet under the covers.
  924. >You turn to face him a little more.
  925. >He doesn't look you in the eyes.
  926. "Anon?" you ask with a stammer.
  927. >"Where did you learn how to bake?" he asks, turning to you.
  928. >You don't know how to respond, honestly.
  929. >Nopony has ever asked you that, except Mrs. Cake, but that was because of the job.
  930. "Erm... well, my mother taught me how to make bread back on the rock farm..." you begin as you tend to making the frosting.
  931. >You sigh as you let some nostalgia seep in.
  932. "She taught me how to make some rather bland dishes, but when I got my cutie mark, I knew I could do a lot more with those skills." you say with your back still turned.
  933. >You hear him chuckle behind you.
  934. "Why do you ask, butthead?" you ask.
  935. >He shifts a little behind you.
  936. >"You're really good at it. I suspected you were self taught, you've got a lot of... flair, you know?" he says happily.
  937. >Your blush comes back in a serious way.
  938. "Th-thanks..." you say quietly.
  939. >A silence falls between you.
  940. >You start to feel the silence on your back.
  941. "W-where'd you learn to bake?" you ask quickly
  942. >He laughs to himself.
  943. >"That diner down the road you don't go to anymore." he responds.
  944. >Your face burns even more red than before.
  945. >You stopped going to the town diner because he was always there working the counter, but you used to go there fairly regularly.
  946. >The more you think about your past habits, the more you feel guilty for how cold you acted.
  947. "I-I've just been too busy to go to the diner lately..." you say dismissively.
  948. >"But not too busy to throw parties once a week!" he retorts.
  949. >Your face glows again, and you send him a glare.
  950. "Of course I threw parties! Without me, ponyville wouldn't have any parties at all!" you shout, slapping his shoulder with your hoof.
  951. >"Oww! I was just joking! Joking!" he says laughing.
  952. >You laugh a little too.
  953.  
  954. >Your heart beats quickly as you continue to converse with Anon.
  955. >"You really take parties seriously, huh?" he says inquisitively
  956. >You nod at him as you lean against the bed.
  957. >You scratch your face shyly as you answer.
  958. "Uh, heh, yeah! Parties are my life! They make everypony happy, and I get to be happy too!" you answer giddily.
  959. >He laughs with you.
  960. >"Well, the one I went to seemed pretty great. Up until I was knocked out, it was pretty fun."
  961. >You look away as he reminds you about the pinata.
  962. "Y-yeah... I, uh, never said sorry about that..." you say tapping your hooves together nervously.
  963. >He gives you a dissmissive wave.
  964. >"Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault."
  965. "Mhmm, you shouldn't have been standing there, dummy..." you say weakly, trailing off near the end..
  966. >Anon rubs his head.
  967. >"I just don't understand how a paper mache pinata knocked me out. They aren't usually very heavy." he says still rubbing his bumps
  968. >You blush once again.
  969. "Well that's because they were..." you begin.
  970. >He looks at you and tilts his head.
  971. "They were heavier duty pinatas than you're used to..." you finally admit.
  972. >"What does that mean?"
  973. "They were made out of wood."
  974. >The two of you sit silently staring at eachother for a few moments.
  975. >"... wood?"
  976. >You nod.
  977. "Wood."
  978. >The silence returns, and Anon stares blankly at you.
  979. >You feel flushed.
  980. >Suddenly he starts to chuckle.
  981. >It starts off tame, but becomes full on hysterical after a few seconds.
  982. >It becomes contagious, and it doesn't take long before you're laughing just as hard.
  983. >You really try to keep it together, but you can't resist a good laugh attack.
  984. >"Well THAT explains it!" he says among laughs and chuckles.
  985. >You feel tears forming at the corners of your eyes, and your stomach feels sore from the giggles.
  986. >As you open your eyes again in the afterglow of your laughing session, you lock eyes with Anon once more.
  987. >The two of you slowly regain control, and the laughs slow down until the two of you are silently staring at eachother again.
  988. >He breaks the stare as he scratches the back of his head again.
  989. >"Why wood? Really, I don't get that."
  990. >You snort in anticipation of your rather ridiculous answer.
  991. "Because paper mache ones are for fillies! If you're going to have an adult party, you need stronger pinatas!"
  992. >"Stronger and heavier!"
  993. >You giggle.
  994. "Yeah, heavier too." you say happily.
  995.  
  996. >You're smiling.
  997. >You tried so hard this whole time not to smile wide, and betray your disguise.
  998. >But after all this, you can't help but be happy with him.
  999. >It would probably be wise to reel it back a bit, but for now you can let your plan take action.
  1000. >With every question the two of you entertain, the closer you feel to him.
  1001. >And the closer you feel, the more confident you feel in your friendship between you and him.
  1002. >You're delighted with the way things have turned out today.
  1003. >The two of you talk for a while about various things.
  1004. >He asks you about your family, then your friends.
  1005. >He asks you about the adventures you've gone on, the ponies you've met, the things you've seen.
  1006. >But he also asks you simple things, like your favorite season, and whether you like coffee or not, even if Twilight said you're not allowed near it.
  1007. >So many questions, all of them asked with the same sincere, caring smile that he had been sporting from the start.
  1008. >In a word, it was wonderful.
  1009. >In many words, it was superdupersupremelyextrafantsitimisticallyamazing!
  1010. >And though your heart beats quicker when you're around him, somehow you don't feel like you did before.
  1011. >You don't feel so much queasy as you do uncomfortably ecstatic to talk to someone like him.
  1012. >It's just...
  1013. >He's this nice to everypony.
  1014. >How can you ever hope to be different in his eyes?
  1015. >And even if you are, how could you tell?
  1016. >You shake your head and decide not to think about it.
  1017. >"I'm sorry, I'm asking so much about you. Is there anything you wanna ask me? I mean, fair's fair right?" Anon says nonchalantly
  1018. >You feel a bit disarmed, honestly.
  1019. >You know a lot about Anon.
  1020. >Like, a lot a lot.
  1021. >Like, more than you SHOULD know as somepony who has been pushing him away for so long.
  1022. >You start talking in the hope the words will form on their own.
  1023. "Guhhhhh...."
  1024. >THINK BRAIN.
  1025. "How... do you like Equestria so far?" you ask
  1026. >Your brain just turned off.
  1027. >What kind of stupid question is that?
  1028. >He's been living here for awhile now, he's quite well adjusted to the town.
  1029. >It sounds so foolish, like a teacher talking to their past student, 'How's high school going?'
  1030. >Oh boy.
  1031. >He ponders your question for a seocnd before answering.
  1032. >" I certainly love being here. It's great having so many good friends, and it's not hard to find work for someone of my species..." he says, his thought left unfinished.
  1033. >You start talking without thinking.
  1034. "But...?"
  1035. >He shakes his head.
  1036. >"I don't know. Sometimes it's lonely, you know?"
  1037. >You tilt your head in confusion.
  1038. >"I'm not from around here, I was raised differently than from around these parts. There are a lot of things about myself that I changed upon waking up here." he clarifies
  1039. >"All for the better, mind you. The human world requires you to be a lot more ruthless than here. It's super easy to make friends here, but..." he says, drifting off near the end.
  1040. >He clutches his fists by his sides.
  1041. >"Sometimes I just feel like the odd one out. LIke I've got good friends, but I know that I'm just not like them."
  1042. >The odd one out.
  1043. >The words echo in your skull.
  1044. >Anon sighs and looks at the rain.
  1045. >"Sorry, kind of vented there."
  1046. >You don't really know how to respond.
  1047. >But what he said, the way he said it, is so familiar to you.
  1048. >So familiar.
  1049.  
  1050. >"T-that's alright." Pinkie says finally.
  1051. >She doesn't ask anything else for awhile, and she stares at the oven.
  1052. >What you just said was kind of heavy, but you felt like you could say it.
  1053. >Which is odd, considering that yesterday she was slamming doors in your face.
  1054. >But for some reason, that makes it easier for you.
  1055. >You've made a lot of close friends around town, but like you told Pinkie you never felt like you on the same level.
  1056. >It's not hard to feel like a freak, even when others say they accept and care about you.
  1057. >Of course it's because of your species, partly. Being different physically sets you at a disadvantage right out of the gate.
  1058. >No, it's the personality gap.
  1059. >You think back to the ponies that you spoke to at the party.
  1060. >They're all just as complex as you, and they all have the capacity to be mean you're sure.
  1061. >But generally they're so happy, and that makes you happy.
  1062. >Ever since you arrived in this place, you've been happier, and healthier, and you discover more about yourself each day.
  1063. >But you still feel like it's all superficial, even if they claim it isn't.
  1064. >Because they like to share their problems with eachother, and use their friendships as ways to help eachother out.
  1065. >And while that sounds good in theory, their problems don't seem to have the same emotional depth as your own.
  1066. >So you keep your mouth shut. You don't feel it necessary to put your insecurities and worries on the backs of your otherwise happy friends.
  1067. >Then there's Pinkie.
  1068. >The way she put you down, avoided you, kicked you out.
  1069. >There was a lot more there, and you knew that she wasn't like the other ponies.
  1070. >She had problems too.
  1071. >Problems she was keeping to herself.
  1072. >That's why you gravitate to her, even after the months upon months of abuse.
  1073. >And that's why you feel trusting with her.
  1074. >And that's why you explain yourself without hesitation.
  1075. >You sigh. PInkie's ears twitch when you do.
  1076. >But she's only been conversing with you for one day.
  1077. >You look at the clock on the night stand.
  1078. >3:45pm
  1079. >It's hard to believe the time went by so fast.
  1080. >The cake shouldn't be ready for another hour.
  1081. >Then after that, who knows what the two of you will be doing.
  1082. >Your head throbs lightly.
  1083. >It's gotten a lot better over the day.
  1084. >But you won't tell Pinkie that...
  1085. >Not yet.
  1086.  
  1087. >The quiet awkward moment that you two were sharing comes to a close as she addresses you once more.
  1088. >"Why do you feel like the odd one out, Anon?" she says with a huff.
  1089. >You look at her again.
  1090. >She looks upset, somehow.
  1091. >Her face is flushed, and she sports a scrunched expression.
  1092. >Like she just drank some orange juice right after brushing her teeth.
  1093. >Not quite as severe, but still.
  1094. >You shake your head as you try to form the answer as best you can.
  1095. "We're just different is all. It can't be helped." you say dismissively.
  1096. >That's a really breif way to sum up those thoughts from before.
  1097. >She scoffs at you, blushing as she looks at the floor.
  1098. >"S-so what? You shouldn't feel odd just because you look different." she says in a grumble, "My friends love you just the same, stupid."
  1099. >Her venom hurts a little more now that you've let your defenses down a little.
  1100. "It's not just because I look different. I don't know..." you trail off.
  1101. >The two of you sit in silence for another few minutes.
  1102. >You're unsure what she's thinking.
  1103. >Maybe she's unsure what you're thinking, maybe she just doesn't care enough to pry.
  1104. >Considering how she treats you, you'd be pretty sure it was the second one.
  1105. >But you just can't imagine that's the case right now.
  1106. "I'm just not like them in the way I AM." you say finally, "I'm not like them as a person... or pony, as it were."
  1107. >Pinkie quickly looks you in the eyes then back to the floor.
  1108. >"What.. what do you mean?" she asks.
  1109. >You scratch the back of your head, getting a little irritated.
  1110. >Not in Pinkie, but in your own inability to answer the question.
  1111. >It's hard to find the right words.
  1112. "I-I don't know how to put it... I just don't think they like who I REALLY am. Who I am when nobody else is around."
  1113. >She doesn't turn her head from looking at the floor, but her eyes dart up to gaze into your own.
  1114. "I'm happy when I'm alone, of course. It doesn't just turn off when I'm not around others. So in a way, I show part of myself to the girls."
  1115. >You grab the blanket tightly.
  1116. "But I feel like it's that part of me they are friends with, this healthy person I strive to be..." you say frustratedly, "But then I feel like there is a part of me they never meet."
  1117. >You can't look Pinkie in the eyes as you become more irritated with your problems.
  1118. "And that part of me is just as complex, you know? I have some passions and interests that are exclusive to that facet of my personality..."
  1119. >You sigh.
  1120. "It feels like one part of me is happy and has tons of friends, while the other part of me is lonely and has noone to talk to."
  1121. >You bring your knees to your chest and wrap your arms around your legs.
  1122. >You rest chin on your knees.
  1123. "But... that's not new to me I suppose." you admit, defeated, "That's how it was before I came here. The only difference is how many more friends I have here than I did there... and how much happier I am here."
  1124. >You grip your legs tightly, to the point of pain.
  1125. "But..." you whisper, "Sometimes I think I'll never find a friend for that part of myself."
  1126. >Your heart beats quick, and your hands feel sweaty.
  1127. >Talking about this makes you feel a lot more stressed than you imagined.
  1128. >You wipe a tear that leaked from your left eye and take a deep breath.
  1129. >From the corner of your eye you see Pinkie isn't staring at you.
  1130. >She seems preoccupied by something else.
  1131. >You feel a little irritated with her lack of caring, but you can't really blame her.
  1132. "Sorry, if you don't understan-"
  1133. >As you say the last word, a wooden spoon clocks you across the jaw.
  1134. >"Don't you DARE say that to me you DUMMY." she says with venom.
  1135. >She looks up at you angrily, and it makes your frustration turn into anger.
  1136. >You remember all the times she pushed you away, and all the times she hurt your feelings.
  1137. >And the way she looks at you now, and the bruise on your face, makes you think that she really doesn't care about any of this.
  1138. "COME ON! I thought I could talk to you about this stuff. I guess I was WRONG." you lash back.
  1139. >Her face becomes even more red.
  1140. >"You CAN, just don't say I don't understand you-you idiot!" she shouts.
  1141. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" you yell back, "I DON'T GET IT!"
  1142. >She makes a loud groan and hits you in the chest with the spoon.
  1143. >"I don't know- I can't explain... I wish I could-" she stutters before making a frustrated noise.
  1144. >You wave your arms as you talk.
  1145. "You don't have to pretend for the sake of your 'responsibility' PInkie. If you don't understand, and you don't care, just let me-"
  1146. >She puts her hooves on your chest and brings her face close.
  1147. >"I DO UNDERSTAND. I SUPER UNDERSTAND COMEPLETELY, AND I DO CARE! LIKE, A LOT! YOU THINK YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO ISN'T ALWAYS TRUE TO THEMSELVES? HUH? DO YOU?! DUMMY!" she yells into your face becoming more hysterical as the words come
  1148.  
  1149. out.
  1150. >Her change in emotions and sudden outburst paralyzes you.
  1151. >You stare up at Pinkie breathing heavily, leaning on your chest with a frustrated and nervous expression.
  1152. "I... I just assumed-"
  1153. >"WELL YOU ASSUMED WRONG." she states loudly.
  1154.  
  1155. >She takes a few minutes to catch her breath, never breaking eye contact.
  1156. >You stare directly back into her crystal blue eyes.
  1157. >What she says is so confusing.
  1158. >If someone told you Pinkie would be saying these things within 24 hours of her practically denying your invitation to her party, you really wouldn't be able to believe them in the least.
  1159. >Hell, if someone told you last week, or last month, that Pinkie said she cared about you, you would laugh at them.
  1160. >But here she is, hooves on your chest, trying to convince you otherwise.
  1161. >It's all so conflicting.
  1162. >Pinkie closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, then steps off of you and hops back down to the floor.
  1163. >She doesn't look at you, she stares at the oven's window.
  1164. >"I know how you feel." she says quietly.
  1165. >You let the words float through the air and soak into the walls like the rain outside soaks into the ground.
  1166. >"I don't like being alone, Anon." she admits in just louder than a whisper, "I don't like being alone... because that's when I don't have my friends to keep me happy. That's when I don't have anypony to perform for."
  1167. >She looks up from the oven window, but still faces away.
  1168. >"When I'm with my friends, I can stay happy. I can make them smile. I-I can have tons of fun and throw the bestest parties! Everything is mega fun, and super exciting... I can breathe..."
  1169. >You stare at her quietly.
  1170. >"But nopony cares about that sad little rockfarm gal." she says delicately, "At least you're physically different."
  1171. >Your heart beats quietly through your veins.
  1172. >The air is filled with a depressed mist that seeps into your bones and coats your soul.
  1173. >It feels heavy in here.
  1174. >Pinkie looks over her shoulder at you, her eyes wet.
  1175. >"So I understand... okay?" she says sternly.
  1176. >You nod back at her.
  1177. >But you still don't understand everything that led up to this.
  1178. >And you never will, unless you talk to her about it.
  1179. >About why she treats you differently.
  1180. >About why she is being nice NOW of all times.
  1181. >...
  1182. >Why she always blushes when you're around her.
  1183. >Why she has a hard time talking to you...
  1184. >...
  1185. >You need to know.
  1186. "Pinkie..."
  1187.  
  1188. >The conversation has really taken a toll on you.
  1189. >You never knew that Anonymous felt the way he did.
  1190. >But more than that, you never knew he felt the same way you did.
  1191. >All those nights you thought you were crying for no reason.
  1192. >It was just you not having somepony to talk to you.
  1193. >Not about parties, or fun, or friendship.
  1194. >About life, and death, and purpose, and meaning...
  1195. >... and feelings, and frustration, and... and...
  1196. >... and love.
  1197. >Was this why it took you so long to realize why you felt the way you did around Anon?
  1198. >Was it that depressed farm gal that was put in charge of those deeper emotions?
  1199. >You never felt this way about anypony before, because you don't let that side of you out with anypony.
  1200. >But Anon wasn't like everypony else.
  1201. >He isn't so perfectly adjusted to everything.
  1202. >He is just as lost as you feel.
  1203. >You feel a weight taken off your heart.
  1204. >Like this isn't just your weight to bear.
  1205. >Anon carries it with you.
  1206. >You can't blow your cover just yet, you can't confess how you feel now without confusing him.
  1207. >But at this point you are certain.
  1208. >You're certain that this isn't just a silly crush that you should get over.
  1209. >This is real.
  1210. >And as your chest thumps to the beat of the world around you, you feel your face blush once more.
  1211. >You haven't been sure about this before, and you've never been sure about anything LIKE this.
  1212. >But now you are positive.
  1213. >And it feels good.
  1214. >You turn to address Anon.
  1215. >His expression takes you by surprise, and your heart feels like it is tying itself in knots.
  1216. >Anon is always happy, or helping somepony, always smiling...
  1217. >But sitting in the bed right now, he doesn't look happy.
  1218. >He looks confused.
  1219. >But more than that, he looks melancholy.
  1220. >"PInkie..." he repeats.
  1221. >You take a deep breath.
  1222. >He looks deep into your eyes, and his stare penetrates your very being.
  1223. >He hasn't said anything yet, but you already feel fear.
  1224.  
  1225. >"Do you really hate me?" he asks deadpan.
  1226.  
  1227. >The oven's alarm goes off.
  1228. >Everything stops.
  1229. >You can see the beads of rain as they hang suspended outside, ready to strike the window.
  1230. >The oven's buzz slows, and fills your ears with a low rumble.
  1231. >Your heart becomes entirely still.
  1232. >You can't breathe.
  1233. >Everything was going so well so far.
  1234. >And now you've been cornered.
  1235.  
  1236. >The oven stops buzzing, and only the sound of the rain remains in the room between you.
  1237. >One might say it was inevitable, but you really did not expect him to be so direct about it all.
  1238. >Your heart throbs against your ribcage like a prisoner yearning to escape from this unpleasant circumstance.
  1239. >But it has no choice, and neither do you. You must face this unexpected challenge on your own.
  1240. >You try to kickstart your brain into action, coming up with something witty and off the cuff.
  1241. >Anon stares at you patiently, his smile reduced to a tired frown.
  1242. >Your mouth hangs on its hinge.
  1243. >Come on brain, make words.
  1244. "Uhhh~" you whimper weakly
  1245. >WORDS, MAKE WORDS. W.O.R.D.S.! WORDS!
  1246. "Whuhh.. Whaaat kind of question is that, d-dummy? Honestly!" you say dissmissively.
  1247. >You turn your head to stare at the floor instead of him, but you can feel his gaze as it drills through your conscience and mines your thoughts.
  1248. >"Pinkie, please." he beckons.
  1249. >You can't keep your eyes from being dragged back to his.
  1250. >"Please just answer the question." he quietly requests.
  1251. >His melancholy tone tears through your heart strings like claws through flesh.
  1252. >You wish an answer was simple.
  1253. >You wish you could say, 'I really really like you! You make me feel really happy, and I want to be with you! I want to talk to you! I want to love you!"
  1254. >But how could you? After all these months of damage? After all these weeks of hate? All these days of exclusion? How could you say such things?
  1255. >It was going along well, but now you have to face the music.
  1256. >"PInkie." he says again.
  1257. >You have to say something.
  1258. >"Do you really hate me?" he asks more slowly.
  1259. >You take a deep breath.
  1260. "N-no! I mean, not as much as- Erm, no what I mean to say is- Um, I didn't think you were, no, no. That's not right... I-I..." you stammer away.
  1261. >Anon's expression is as hard as stone.
  1262. >He doesn't look mad, or happy.
  1263. >It reminds you of a stare that Maudy would give you.
  1264. >But that expression doesn't belong on Anon's face.
  1265. "I-I... I don't think I do!" you finally let out.
  1266. >He turns away from you, looking at his feet.
  1267. >How weak can you get? He asked you if you HATED him, and the best you could do is 'I don't think so'?
  1268. >'I DON'T THINK SO'?!
  1269. "N-no, wh-what I meant to say was-"
  1270. >"Save it." he says sternly.
  1271. >The venom in his words seeps into your bones and sends a bolt of adrenaline through your veins.
  1272. >He's never spoken to you like that before.
  1273. >He's never spoken to anypony like that before.
  1274. >You instinctively reel back.
  1275. >He turns to look at you.
  1276. >His eyes peer from below lowered eyebrows, and his mouth remains neutral.
  1277. >The expression freezes your blood and cracks your soul as he looks at you with such cold and raw negativity.
  1278. >"You don't have to pretend anymore. You don't even know if you HATE me or not, even after all this you can't just give it to me straight."
  1279. >He shakes his head, his eyes never losing their gaze on you.
  1280. >"I'm sorry I bothered you so much."
  1281. >You can actually feel it as your heart begins to crush itself, as if the force of your guilt was compacting it into dust.
  1282. >Suddenly Anon stands once more without faulter, getting out on the other side of the bed.
  1283. >You stare up at his back.
  1284. >"I'm going home. I'm well enough to stay in my own bed." he says without turning.
  1285. >He grabs his jacket from the coat hook next to your bed and puts it on.
  1286. >"I'll get out of your hair now." he says with obvious sorrow, his facade of being unaffected crumbling.
  1287. >Your legs feel unstable, and your body starts to shake violently.
  1288. >You chew on your hoof as tears start to form at the corners of your eyes.
  1289. >This can't be how it ends.
  1290. >You can't have blown it.
  1291. >As soon as he walks through your doors, he'll never want to be friends with you.
  1292. >He'll never give you another chance.
  1293. >Your attention turns to the frying pan hanging off the side of the oven.
  1294. >He still hasn't turned around.
  1295. >You grab the frying pan and clutch it close.
  1296. >Maybe you can try again when he wakes up.
  1297. >You know it's risky.
  1298. >You know it's crazy.
  1299. >But you don't care.
  1300. >The tears flow down your cheeks and drip off your chin.
  1301. >The dam has been broken, and you sniff your nose as it leaks down your face.
  1302. >You grit your teeth and ready the pan, as you move around the bed.
  1303. >Suddenly he turns around.
  1304. >His stone expression looks confused.
  1305. >Your heart slams around your body, and you shake uncontrollably.
  1306. >He's seen you.
  1307. >But you can't give up now.
  1308. >THIS IS YOUR ONLY SHOT.
  1309. >YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT WORK.
  1310. >YOU HAVE TO KEEP HIM HERE.
  1311. >IT CAN'T END NOW.
  1312. >NOT LIKE THIS.
  1313.  
  1314. >You're a little scared, if you're honest with yourself.
  1315. >But you're nowhere near as scared as you are sad and confused.
  1316. >As you turned around to find your shoes and head for the door, you see Pinkie brandishing a frying pan with a manic look in those beautiful blue eyes she has.
  1317. >She's shaking violently, and tears stream down her face in rivers that wet the floor.
  1318. >Her hair is deflated, and hangs limp from her head.
  1319. >At first you thought she was angry.
  1320. >But that simply cannot be the case.
  1321. >Before you can wonder her intentions, she lets out a yell and charges you with the pan.
  1322. >She's fast for something of her size, but you're still taller and stronger.
  1323. >She jumps at your head with the pan in tow, and you catch her just beneath her forelegs.
  1324. >She swings the pan wildly as she yells, missing your head by centimeters at best.
  1325. >You lean your head back with each swing, losing your balance and falling backwards onto the bed.
  1326. >Your back hits the bed, and she slams into your chest.
  1327. >The frying pan flies out of her hooves and onto the ground.
  1328. >Pinkie lays on your chest for a moment before sitting up.
  1329. >You still have her in your hands as she begins to kick and punch you in the chest.
  1330. >She may be small, but her hooves still hurt.
  1331. >You don't have time to think about what's going on.
  1332. >Something rises up from the depths of your mind.
  1333. "PINKIE!" you yell at her as she continues to wildly thrash, suspended by your hands under her shoulder.
  1334. >She kicks and flails wildly, trying to hit you.
  1335. "PINKIE! CUT IT OUT! PINKIE!" you scream at her, "PINKIE!"
  1336. >You feel rage as she continues to try and hurt you.
  1337. >As if she hasn't already done enough.
  1338. >Does she really hate you to the point where she hurts you?
  1339. >It's unfathomable how heartless she seems in this moment.
  1340. "PINKIE! PINKIE!" you continue to yell, trying to calm her down.
  1341. >Her futile swings suddenly slow down and subside.
  1342. >You slowly look up at her as you feel something wet drip on your chest.
  1343. >Her eyes are closed, and she sobs loudly in your arms.
  1344. "P-pinkie?" you stutter.
  1345. >She starts to cry viciously, but not out of frustration.
  1346. >These are the tears of someone who is hurt.
  1347. "Oh... Pinkie..." You say quietly.
  1348. >There's a part of you that is still confused, still mad.
  1349. >But that part of you would probably be the same that gets along so well with everybody else.
  1350. >The part that takes control now is that one that doesn't talk to anyone.
  1351. >And it isn't confused or conflicted at all.
  1352. >It feels like this is all so... familiar.
  1353. >You sit up, still holding Pinkie.
  1354. >Your injuries no longer occupy your mind as you draw her close to your heart and tuck her head beneath your chin.
  1355. >She loudly cries into your chest, soaking you shirt with her tears.
  1356. >With every sob her shoulders jump, and you clutch her tightly.
  1357. "Shhhh shh. It's okay Pinkie, it's okay." you say in a motherly coo, "Everything is going to be okay... I've got you..."
  1358. >You don't know what's bothering Pinkie, or why she's in this state.
  1359. >But you do know that you're doing the right thing.
  1360. >And for a moment, the words you speak feel like they're directed to more than just her.
  1361. "Everything is going to be okay."
  1362. >Her sobbing slows, and she breathes carefully in your arms.
  1363. >You don't say anything. You wouldn't know what to say, anyway.
  1364. >The pattering against the window makes the room feel cozier than it did before.
  1365. >You're still recovering from the sudden burst of adrenaline you had experienced before.
  1366. >But now it's turned into a warm sensation that passes through your limbs like honey.
  1367. >She sits in your lap, burying her face in your chest for a long time as you slowly rock back and fourth.
  1368. >You feel her heart beat as it thumps against your own.
  1369. >She puts a hoof on your chest and pushes herself away slightly.
  1370. >You look down at her as she looks up at you.
  1371. >Her mane is still deflated, and her expression is unsure.
  1372. >You smile down at her, not because you feel like you must, but because you feel happy for some reason.
  1373. "I bet you feel a little better, don't you Pinkie?" you say with a smile.
  1374. >You close your eyes and chuckle a little, in the hopes to get her to join you.
  1375. >Suddenly a hoof wraps around the back of your neck.
  1376. >Something warm hits your lips.
  1377. >You open your eyes to see Pinkie's closed as she pushes herself into you.
  1378. >Your brain tries to comprehend the situation on a deeper level, but at the moment all you know is this:
  1379. >Pinkie Pie is kissing you.
  1380.  
  1381. >You don't pull away.
  1382. >Not that you could, anyway. Pinkie has quite the grip.
  1383. >But you feel sort of like a deer in headlights at the moment, freezing up and not knowing how to react.
  1384. >Pinkie pushes her muzzle into you with great force, and her soft, wet lips feel tender upon your own.
  1385. >She kisses hard, but slowly. Her eyes remain shut during the entire thing.
  1386. >You push back a little, if only to stay upright as she thrusts herself into you.
  1387. >She starts off tame, if only for a moment.
  1388. >Soon she starts invading with her tongue, searching for your own.
  1389. >What's a guy to do when someone is kissing them like this?
  1390. >You haven't been kissed in a long time, and certainly not so passionately.
  1391. >And while you may be confused as you how you ended up here, that lonely voice in your head tells you to just relax.
  1392. >You push your tongue into hers.
  1393. >She exhales harshly as you do, and you feel her body twitch.
  1394. >She pulls you in with fierce passion, and her tongue invades your mouth with great lust.
  1395. >It feels... incredible actually.
  1396. >You can't return it in any capacity, she's in complete control.
  1397. >Her lips mash sloppily against yours in the most intense session you have ever experienced .
  1398. >Your blood pumps through your body with incredible heat, and Pinkie continues to hold you close as she tastes you even further.
  1399. >It feels like a full body experience, and even though she is small, she leans into you hard enough to make it difficult to stay upright.
  1400. >She breathes deeply, and gasps any time you push back into her.
  1401. >When you do return any kind of passion, her's is reignited and she comes back full force.
  1402. >After a few minutes of beautiful and intensely lustful kissing, it begins to slow again.
  1403. >Finally it winds down to your lips touching softly.
  1404. >Her eyes finally open and look into yours in the after glow of it all.
  1405. >You know you're wearing a stupid look on your face, a combination of pure joyful happiness, and unparalleled confusion.
  1406. >Her face turns the reddest you've ever seen.
  1407. >From a distance, Applejack might mistaken her for some of her crop.
  1408. >She stares into your eyes with an embarrassed look.
  1409. >She looks at your lips, then your eyes again.
  1410. "What... was that?" you say finally.
  1411. >She makes a weird face, like she's about to cry again.
  1412. >"Y-you really are a d-dummy!" she says
  1413. >She quickly gives you another peck on the lips before jumping out of your lap and off the bed.
  1414. >"I-I'm sorry... I'll just..." she says as she crawls under the couch at the other side of the room.
  1415. >She drags the blanket down off it to obscure your view of her.
  1416. >You can still see her flattened tail poking out from under it though.
  1417. >"I'll just, get out of your hair. I'm sorry." she says, muffled by the blankets.
  1418. >You stare at the ad-hoc blanket fort, still spinning from the kiss.
  1419. >You don't know how to feel.
  1420. >You don't know what to feel.
  1421. >You don't know what in the world just happened.
  1422. >And you certainly don't know what to do next.
  1423. >Yeah, you don't know anything.
  1424. >But you feel like you'll soon change that.
  1425.  
  1426. >Pinkie kissed you.
  1427. >That's a fact now, that DID happen. That was a thing that took place.
  1428. >Just because it is a fact does NOT mean it lines up with what she does.
  1429. >For all you know, she might just find arguing to be a major turn on or some shit.
  1430. >But... no that can't be it.
  1431. >There was the crying first, and the attacking and the screaming.
  1432. >It was all very hectic, and happened very fast.
  1433. >And now Pinkie is embarrassed by it all, which is unheard of.
  1434. >If there's one thing you know about Pinkie, it's that she NEVER gets embarrassed.
  1435. >She has no shame, at least, that's what everypony else has told you.
  1436. >But now she is literally hiding under a couch, hoping you forgive her for something you're not even sure of.
  1437. >What does all this mean? What the hell does she think of you?
  1438. >After all the arguements and exclusions, now she acts like THIS!
  1439. >It's maddening, it's confusing, and it swirls in your brain like a tornado blasting through farmland.
  1440. >An instinct takes hold that tells you the best course of action is to leave, and give her space.
  1441. >That, she needs time to calm down, and you need time to formulate.
  1442. >And all that sounds swell and dandy.
  1443. >But it's not right, and you know that.
  1444. >Leaving her like this is not only cruel, it's unproductive.
  1445. >You're not the sort to leave without making sure everything is okay between the two of you.
  1446. >So you're not going to just leave it like this, you're going to figure all of this out.
  1447. >And as you think of what to ask and how to ask it, a sudden thought emerges from the recesses of your mind.
  1448. >Why do you care so much about her?
  1449. >What drives you to continue this quest for friendship?
  1450. >And why do you, now, feel so at peace with your decision to persevere?
  1451. >That kiss awakened something inside you, something powerful.
  1452. >Something... happy.
  1453. >And now that you have felt it, you wonder whether Pinkie feels the same.
  1454. >Happy, that is.
  1455. >After all, she chose to kiss you, and she seemed to enjoy it in the moment.
  1456. >So is she happy she did it, and if so why?
  1457. >Could it be that...
  1458. >Could she perhaps have...
  1459. >You heart thumps in your ears.
  1460. >You bite your lip as the ideas form.
  1461. >Could she perhaps...
  1462.  
  1463. >Like... you? As in, romantically?
  1464.  
  1465. >You sit with the thought as the rest of your mind falls silent.
  1466. >You need answers, and you're not getting them sitting in this bed.
  1467. >Your feet hit the floor as you stand from Pinkie's bed.
  1468.  
  1469. >You messed up.
  1470. >You messed up so bad.
  1471. >Like, super duper bad.
  1472. >Why did you kiss him? Why couldn't you control yourself just a little longer?
  1473. >Your thoughts drift back to the kiss.
  1474. >You lick your lips as you do, still fresh with his taste.
  1475. >At least you can have that memory with him. At least you had one good kiss before he became to scared and confused to talk to you ever again.
  1476. >You sigh.
  1477. >That kiss was somehow everything you ever needed at this moment, and everything you shouldn't have done.
  1478. >You hope it was worth it, because it's all over now.
  1479. >His feet hit the floor in the direction of your bed, and you feel a tingle roll down your spine.
  1480. >You can't bear to here him walk through the door, but you have no choice. You're not going to intervene again.
  1481. >You place your hooves over your ears so his steps become low thumps that you can only vaguely hear.
  1482. >The thumps leave the direction of the bed and start to walk around it.
  1483. >But they don't go to the door.
  1484. >They grow louder and louder until they are right next to you.
  1485. >Then, a sudden, loud series of thumps all at once.
  1486. >Then there is silence, no other thumps, nothing. The only thing you can hear is your heart beat.
  1487. >You remove your hooves from your ears, making the rain outside clear once more.
  1488. >There's still no sound.
  1489. >You peek through a small crack in the blankets you made this tiny tent out of.
  1490. >You can see Anon's feet with their heels on the floor, and his legs laying down as well.
  1491. >He's directly next to the couch where you're hiding.
  1492. >"So that was different." Anon says suddenly, popping the silence like a bubble of tension.
  1493. >You don't respond. You can't respond. How are you supposed to?
  1494. >Through another crack, you see Anon place his hands on his stomach and twiddle his thumbs as he stares up at the cieling from the hard wood floor.
  1495. >After a few more moments of terrible silence he speaks again.
  1496. >"Come on... talk to me Pinkie, I'm right here." he says softly.
  1497. >You mumble under your breath.
  1498. >"What was that?"
  1499. >You sigh
  1500. "You shouldn't be laying down on hard surfaces if you hurt your head dummy. It's not good for it." you say just loud enough so he can hear it.
  1501. >He chuckles.
  1502. >"What? And what went down on your bed was?" he retorts.
  1503. >You bury your face in your hooves and don't make a sound.
  1504. >You just don't want to exist right now.
  1505. >He sighs.
  1506. >"I think it was actually. I think it really did help." he confesses.
  1507. >You feel your ears perk up as he says it.
  1508. >"At least, I thought it was good. What about you?" he says delicately.
  1509. >A warmth starts to form in your chest, and you can feel it spreading carefully through your body.
  1510. "Mhmm." you mumble back.
  1511. >He hums in agreement.
  1512. >"Are you going to come out of there?" he asks.
  1513. >You sigh.
  1514. "No..." you say slowly in a defeated voice.
  1515. >He laughs.
  1516. >"Well I know you're going to at some point, and I'll be right outside when you do."
  1517. >You shake your head, and feel yourself smirk.
  1518. "What if I stay in here for days? I can do it you know. I'm super resilient." you say in a low voice.
  1519. >"Yes, but the cake has been baking for 20 extra minutes, and at some point it is going to catch fire."
  1520. >Oh yeah.
  1521. >You were baking a cake.
  1522. >A few minutes pass in silence.
  1523. >"Pinkie, I need you to answer something for me." he begins
  1524. >You stare at him through the blankets.
  1525. >"And I need you to tell the truth, okay?"
  1526. >You have nowhere to run, and the worst of it is over.
  1527. >You have nothing to lose at this point.
  1528. "Okay."
  1529. >You can almost feel him smile through the covers.
  1530. >"Do you really hate me?" he asks again with a simple tone.
  1531. >You sigh.
  1532. >Once again you're in a corner, but a very different corner than the one from before.
  1533. >But that warmth from your chest spreads to your tongue, and you speak without thinking.
  1534. "No. I don't hate you Anon."
  1535. >He sighs.
  1536. >"Do you want to be friends Pinkie?"
  1537. >You feel your lip quiver.
  1538. "Y-yes.." you stutter.
  1539. >Suddenly a hand slides under the covers without disrupting the rest of your little bunker.
  1540. >"Pinkie?" he beckons.
  1541. "Mhmm..?" you respond weakly.
  1542. >"Do you want to be something more than friends, Pinkie? Do you want to hug and cuddle and junk?" he asks slowly.
  1543. >Your breathing become erratic.
  1544. >You can't believe what he's asking you.
  1545. >Your lip quivers and tears form at the corners of your eyes again.
  1546. >Anon chuckles quietly.
  1547. >"You don't have to answer with words." he says in a whisper.
  1548. >You feel a smile grow across your face.
  1549. >You place your hoof into his waiting hand.
  1550. "O-okay..." you say between sniffs.
  1551. >He grasps your hoof tightly and fills you with a joy you've never felt before.
  1552. >"Okay." he responds.
  1553. >The two of you sit there for a few minutes, your hoof in his hand, his hand around your hoof, laying on the ground seperated by the blankets.
  1554. >And soon, you're going to come through those blankets.
  1555. >And give him the biggest hug you've ever given anyone.
  1556. >It'll be as tight as it is warm. It'll be the best hug..
  1557. >A couple tears roll down your smiling cheeks.
  1558. >Ever...
  1559.  
  1560. >You hold her hoof as tightly as you can.
  1561. >She doesn't move very much, but you can feel her breath on your wrist.
  1562. >You stare at the ceiling again, just feeling the fur around her hoof.
  1563. >The throbbing in your head has disappeared, and the throbbing of your heart grows louder.
  1564. >It was quite the jump you just made, asking for Pinkie's hoof like that.
  1565. >After all, earlier today you were convinced that she still hated you.
  1566. >But you never thought about how you felt about Pinkie in general.
  1567. >You figured your obsession with being on her good side simply came from the frustration of her not acting like everypony else.
  1568. >As it turns out, you just felt like she was more real than her friends, and that she was a lot more like yourself.
  1569. >And after today's craziness, the cooking, the kiss... you realized a thing or two about that.
  1570. >You can't think of a single pony in this town that ever approached you about anything deeper than friendship.
  1571. >Maybe it was your species, maybe it was the way you were friendly with everyone.
  1572. >Whatever it be, there never was an opportunity to have a deeper connection.
  1573. >And now, as you hold Pinkie's hoof in your hand, you realize you've found someone to give you that missing connection.
  1574. >Someone here you can talk to about deeper things.
  1575. >About life, and death, purpose, and meaning, feelings, and romance, love and fear.
  1576. >All these things and more.
  1577. >And on rainy days like today, you can snuggle under the covers, quietly caring for one another without a word.
  1578. >Just the warmth of your bodies touching.
  1579. >You smile to yourself as you think about what you've gotten yourself into.
  1580. >Yeah.
  1581. >This adventure ended up better than you expected.
  1582. >When you walked in those front doors, with the help of Rarity, you thought getting Pinkie to be your friend would be a long shot.
  1583. >Now, the next time you pass through those doors Pinkie will most likely come with you.
  1584. >Mission successful.
  1585. >Your thoughts are interrupted by a nasty odor that offends your nostrils.
  1586. >You look over at the oven.
  1587. >It's billowing black smoke.
  1588. >You begin to sweat.
  1589. "Um.. Pinkie... about that cake-"
  1590. >At the last word Pinkie explodes through the blankets, jumps over you, and rushes to the oven.
  1591. >She quickly opens and closes the oven to retrieve the baked goods from inside, then turns on the ventilation within the oven to start getting rid of the smoke.
  1592. >You come up from behind her, shrouded a little by the dark smoke that hangs in the room.
  1593. >She quickly darts past you and opens a window to the rain outside.
  1594. >You pick up the charred remains of what was once a finely crafted cake.
  1595. >Pinkie trots up beside you.
  1596. "Well. I'm not sure the sprinkles made much of a difference after all." you say without looking.
  1597. >You turn and face Pinkie again, happily greeted by those springy pink curls that went missing a little while before.
  1598. >Though, you didn't mind it being down either.
  1599. >She looked great either way, you think.
  1600.  
  1601. >Pinkie giggles at your joke, but not like you've seen her do with her friends.
  1602. >It's more reserved than what you've heard in the past.
  1603. >You crouch down to her height with the cake.
  1604. "What do you think, Pink?" you ask.
  1605. >She sniffs the cake and takes a big bite out of the blackened lump.
  1606. >She smiles through the whole thing as she chews and swallows it.
  1607. >Maybe the cake was as bad as you thought.
  1608. >"Wow! That was terrible!" Pinkie says, still smiling.
  1609. >You chuckle.
  1610. "Yeah... yeah I figured that.
  1611. >PInkie takes the cake from you and tosses it in a bin hanging off the side of the oven combo.
  1612. >"So much for that. Now I have a tub of icing and nothing to use it with."
  1613. >You boop Pinkie's nose, making her scrunch.
  1614. "That sounds like the opposite of a problem."
  1615. >She gives you a grin then nips your finger playfully.
  1616. >You laugh as you fan your finger.
  1617. >She giggles with you.
  1618. >The two of you are acting like a couple of children.
  1619. >And you love it.
  1620. >She puts her hooves on the counter with the frosting.
  1621. >"We could make some super-sweet-sugar-frosted-sugar-cookies if you'd like." she offers.
  1622. >You chuckle at the idea of cooking again after such a long day.
  1623. >But then again, you can't think of a better way to start this relationship.
  1624. >You nod.
  1625. "But only if we use the downstairs kitchen. I don't think this oven is good for another run..." you say, looking at the blackened oven.
  1626. >She gives you a big toothy grin and nods.
  1627. >"Okidokiloki!"
  1628. >And with that, the two of you head downstairs for another couple of hours of cooking.
  1629. >You made a lot more than cookies in the end.
  1630. >There were pies and cupcakes, cookies and scones, even some muffins made their way into the mix.
  1631. >All the while you two were chatting and cooking, bumping elbows and blushing.
  1632. >You handled all the handy things like chopping and kneading, but she handled a lot of the baking bits.
  1633. >The conversation remained light, with lots of jokes and puns.
  1634. >Lots of puns, like way too many.
  1635. >But in the end the two of you singlehandedly restocked the entire store, and the night came to a close as you clean the kitchen a final time.
  1636. >As the kitchen sparkled, the two of you stood in the hall before the stairs.
  1637. >The clock says 11:30 pm.
  1638. >You retireved your jacket, and your shoes are on.
  1639. >The door is only a dozen feet away from you.
  1640. >But somehow it seems like it's not far enough away.
  1641. >"You'll come to visit me soon, right?"
  1642. >You turn to the little pink pony at the bottom of the stairs.
  1643. >She looks awfully tired.
  1644. "Of course Pinks. I'll be back tomorrow." you say reassuringly.
  1645. >She smiles.
  1646. >"Okay."
  1647. >You look at the door, then back to Pinkie.
  1648. "Goodnight, PInkie."
  1649. >She nods at you with an exhausted expression.
  1650. >"Goodnight Anon." she says quietly.
  1651. >You nod at her one last time, and she starts to head up the stairs.
  1652. >You slowly approach the door and turn its handle.
  1653. >The rain is still coming down like as heavy as it can.
  1654. >It sure looks menacing out there.
  1655. >"Nonny?" beckons Pinkie from down the hall.
  1656. >Your newly aquired nickname sends shivers down your spine and into your fingers and toes.
  1657. >You turn around and face her.
  1658. "Yes Pinkie?"
  1659. >She plays with the carpet under her hooves, the small light from the kitchen only lighting her a little.
  1660. >"I... don't know if I can get to sleep with all this rain..." she begins.
  1661. >You think you know where this is going.
  1662. >"It makes me nervous, especially if you're going to be out in it, so..."
  1663. >She plays with the carpet some more.
  1664. >"Would you mind stay-"
  1665. >You close the door before she even finishes the sentence.
  1666. "I thought you'd never ask, dummy." you say to her with a grin as you throw off your shoes and leave your jacket by the door.
  1667. >She blushes and returns the smile.
  1668.  
  1669. >The rain only got more ruthless over the course of the day, and the windows rattle whenever thunder bounds through the sky.
  1670. >You lay in Pinkie's bed, under the covers with her at your side.
  1671. >She snuggles up close to your bare chest.
  1672. >She insisted that she got to wear your t-shirt while the two of you slept.
  1673. >It's enormous on her, but somehow it makes her look incredibly adorable.
  1674. >You have one hand on the back of her head, scratching lightly behind her ears.
  1675. >She sighs as you find the sweet spot between her ear and her head.
  1676. >Her breathing becomes slow, and she feels calm.
  1677. >"I really need this sleep." she mumbles.
  1678. >You chuckle in the darkness.
  1679. "Yeah, you looked pretty tired this morning. Must've been a hell of a party." you whisper.
  1680. >She giggles to herself. You feel her laughter against your bare body.
  1681. >"No. I stayed up a little too late last night... looking after you, Nonny."
  1682. >You think about it for a second.
  1683. "I still don't understand why you acted so mean to me for so long." you confess.
  1684. >She sighs.
  1685. >"I was really confused dummy. I wasn't thinking." she responds.
  1686. >You pull her closer, and she does the same to you.
  1687. "You owe me for all the time wasted, you know."
  1688. >She leans up and kisses you on the cheek before resting her head on your shoulder.
  1689. >"I know."
  1690. >You think about the past couple nights.
  1691. >None of this would have happened had you derided to skip out on her party last night.
  1692. >Had you backed away at the first sign of adversity, you would never have found out the truth.
  1693. >You wonder how long it would have been before she confessed her feeling to you had these events not taken place.
  1694. >Would it ever have happened? Or would the two of you forever avoid each other, never getting comfortable enough to realize how much you needed each other?
  1695. >It's a scary thought, but you don't need to worry about it anymore.
  1696. >Now that you think of it, Rarity was the one who got you into the party.
  1697. "I guess I have to thank Rarity later for helping us get together, huh?"
  1698. >Pinkie giggles nervously.
  1699. >"Y-yeahh. But, let's not do that for a little while. I don't think I can handle the amount of jokes that will be made at our expense." she says quietly.
  1700. >You forgot about Rainbow Dash and Applejack.
  1701. >Yeah, you can see how their antics might get under your skin, especially if you do a total 360 on how you feel about a somebody.
  1702. >That definitely would warrant some teasing.
  1703. >"Nonny." Pinkie says without opening her eyes.
  1704. "Yes Pinkie?"
  1705. >"I really really like you a whole lot." she says as she squeezes your torso.
  1706. >You sigh with a smirk
  1707. "I know, Pinkie, I know."
  1708. >She sighs one last time.
  1709. >"Just making sure."
  1710. >And with that she falls asleep on your chest, your heart acting as her lullaby.
  1711. >The rain outside invites you to close your eyes and join her.
  1712. >Your body feels warm and cozy, and Pinkie's hard grip on your torso makes you feel loved and wanted.
  1713. >There will be a lot of adventures in your future. Some good, some bad.
  1714. >But at least you'll always have Pinkie to tell them to, and in many cases get through them with.
  1715. >And she'll be glad to help.
  1716.  
  1717. >But, of course, i-it's not like you like her or anything.
  1718.  
  1719. >No, somehow it feels like it is something much greater than that.
  1720. >Your eyelids start to droop.
  1721. >The rain clicks against the windows.
  1722. >Pinkie breathes slowly on your chest.
  1723. >And you drift into a warm sleep that is only reserved for a lucky few: those who are in love.
  1724.  
  1725. fin.
  1726.  
  1727. (If you really want this to feel emotional, read the last part with these playing at a low volume in the background:
  1728. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj2CD5xgpNY
  1729. http://www.rainymood.com/)

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