Both of the Four of Us Ch. 1

Both of the Four of Us
Chapter One: Diplomacy

Ding! The cheery chime echoed through Sugarcube Corner, causing Pinkie Pie's ears to perk up with interest. Abandoning the tedious--albeit fulfilling--task of cupcake decoration that the Cakes had left her with, the party mare bounced into the bakery's lobby. She peered cautiously through the heart-shaped opening in the front door, more out of habit than an actual regard for her own safety, only to see a pair of intense blue eyes staring back at her. She opened the door casually.

"Oh, look! It's Black Snooty!" she cried, her intentions devoid of malice despite the potentially insulting nickname. The alicorn straightened her neck, towering over Pinkie with a glare that would intimidate a less unflappable pony, evidently unamused. Oblivious, Pinkie Pie continued: "Or was it Queen Meanie? I can't believe I didn't give you any more nicknames on Nightmare Night! I'm sorry about that, but I was really distracted by the candy and I was supposed to be entertaining the schoolfoals so I did but then they got all scared so I was like--"

"Pinkamena Diane Pie," intoned Princess Luna, putting a forehoof to the baker's muzzle. "We are afraid that we are not here for a simple chat."

Already, curious ponies had begun to gather around Sugarcube Corner, murmuring to each other about possible reasons for the princess's presence. Lyra Heartstrings suggested the possibility of another parasprite infestation; Raindrops shuddered in response and began listing positive reasons for Luna's visit, more to herself than the other ponies as she tried to calm her nerves; Derpy shouted a nigh-incoherent string of words, only to be shushed by the crowd. Luna was torn between feeling self-conscious and enjoying the attention, but tried to keep her focus on the pink pony. They had only met once before, but Luna knew already that she couldn't turn her back on Pinkie Pie without risk of some nonsensical result.

Pinkie ducked to Luna's side and waved at the crowd before turning her attention back to the matter at hoof. "Ooh, really? How complicated is this chat gonna get? Oh! Should I get dessert?"

"Wait--that's not what we--dessert?" Luna squinted her eyes, trying to follow Pinkie Pie's train of thought. "What purpose could that possibly serve?"

The earth pony giggled, her curly bangs bouncing as she replied, "Well, it's delicious, silly! How could it get more purpose-y than that?!"

Before Luna could protest, she had been pushed into the interior of the bakery, and Pinkie Pie had kicked a hindhoof back to close the door behind them. The murmuring from outside was silenced immediately, though Luna could see through the window that the crowd was still gathered, waiting anxiously for somepony to return from within. "Listen to us, Pinkamena," she reasoned, trying to regain control of the conversation. Pointing a hoof at the spirit of laughter, she said, "We have chosen you to accompany us on a very important journey. You must escort us to the city-state of Marem."

Pinkie pushed her guest into a chair and flitted around Sugarcube Corner's front room, grabbing the ingredients necessary to brew a cup of hot cocoa. "Huh. I've never heard of anyplace called Marem," she remarked, tossing a bag of sugar across the room into a bowl on the kitchen counter. Luna stared at the expertly-thrown sugar, gaping; she knew Pinkamena Diane Pie was a master baker, but she hadn't had any idea that she was a master pitcher as well.

"Oh! Was that a pun?"

Luna stopped, her narrowed gaze snapping to the pink party pony. Something tugged at her heart like a subtle warning notice. She frowned, her voice rising in volume. "Was what a pun?"

Oblivious to the rising tension, Pinkie giggled, "Calling me a pitcher! Because pitchers are used in baking, right?"

"We..." The alicorn's horn glowed as she used her telekinesis to drag Pinkie Pie forcefully across the room and into the chair opposite her. "We did not say that. How did thou...?"

Pinkie scrambled for the oven the moment Luna's magic released her; the princess regained her hold of the earth pony immediately and secured her in place. Pinkie Pie crossed her legs, glaring at Luna with mock-bitterness. "Well, how am I supposed to make you dessert if you don't let me go anywhere?" she whined.

"Tell us," snapped Luna, translucent mane beginning to whip back and forth with intensity. The microscopic stars within surged with light. The alicorn pushed her chair away, standing up to her full height. "How did thou understand what we were thinking?!"

Even Pinkie seemed to understand the gravity of having a temperamental goddess angry with her now, and relaxed a bit, succumbing to the power of Luna's magic holding her in place. "I just guessed!" she insisted, a hint of worry passing into her sapphire eyes. "I'm good at guessing things! My body tells me things, like when something's about to fall or when Gummy's in the tub or when... well, when somepony makes a good pun! You can ask Twilight!"

"Thy body tells thee..." Her captive's description caught her off-guard. Luna released Pinkie, sitting back down as she began pondering the pony's statement, examining it from every angle. No matter what she tried, only one explanation for this phenomenon stood out to her. The princess raised a forehoof to her forehead, biting her upper lip in an uncharacteristic show of worry. "We... we did not know you were so powerful."

Pinkie Pie popped back into shape the moment she was released, returning to her cocoa-preparation as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Casually she added, "Oh, I'm not powerful at all! I just get these weird little feelings sometimes..."

"Indeed?" Pinkie nodded without looking back, and Luna removed her hoof from her forehead. She was looking at the pink mare with intensity again, but this time it was with mere interest rather than anger or fear. "To be entirely honest," the alicorn admitted, "Similar occurrences happen to us, oh... once in a blue moon, I suppose."

"Now I know that was a pun!" giggled Pinkie.

"Yes. Well..." Luna allowed herself to smile, pleased with her findings. "'Twasn't a joke the first time, however. We were referring to players in an ancient Equestrian sport--those who threw the ball were referred to as 'pitchers.'"

"Ooh."

"Yes."

---

They sat in relative silence for a good twenty minutes, which was beyond remarkable considering that Pinkie Pie was present. Eventually the party planner returned to the dining table with two mugs of hot cocoa and a hulking pile of brownies. Pinkie ate a majority of the latter snack, with Luna only sampling the chocolate treats sparingly and with small bites. Once the cups were empty and the plate had been licked clean (by Pinkie, of course), the earth pony hopped to her feet, grinning expectantly at Luna.

Luna blinked at her, finding herself even more concerned with silent Pinkie Pie than with the hyperactive version. "Er... yes?"

"Yes? Yes?" echoed Pinkie, hopping from one side to the other in barely-contained excitement. "Are we gonna leave now?"

"Leave?"

"Well, yeah, duh!" cried the spirit of laughter, sticking her tongue out and crossing her eyes in what was apparently the visual supplement to the word "duh." "To this Marem place, right?"

"Oh. Well..." Luna stood up as well; seeing the practically-vibrating Pinkie Pie was making her anxious. "Yes, that would be ideal, but do you not need to bid farewell to your... employers?" She realized she wasn't entirely sure of the Cakes' relation to Pinkie, despite her careful study of Celestia's files on Ponyville census information. "And what of thy friends, Twilight Sparkle and the others?"

"Oh!" Pinkie stopped, looking as surprised as if this were the first time this had occurred to her. Now that Luna thought about it, perhaps it was; Pinkie Pie did seem like a spontaneous little mare. "So, y'mean, we're going to be gone for awhile?"

Luna sighed, all of her anxieties about bringing the presentimentally-gifted pink pony with her returning to her in a great rush. She closed her eyes, massaging her temples with a forehoof. "Yes, Pinkamena Diane. Marem is a remote city-state, approaching a week's journey away, and we shall be staying there for a fortnight at the least."

Pinkie Pie was silent.

"Two weeks," explained Luna.

"Oh." The pink earth pony frowned, staring at the wall with uncertainty.

"Regardless..." Sensing Pinkie's hesitation, Princess Luna began trying to reel her back in for the catching. "While we cannot be entirely forthright at the moment, we assure you that there will be rewards aplenty for your help in this matter. Moreover, I believe you will learn a great deal about your unique power---that is, your premonitions and mind-reading abilities--and perhaps hone it even more as well."

Pinkie still looked unsure. "Uh... maybe you should just take Twilight? She was really curious about my Pinkie Sense. She'd probably love to learn about it!"

"No," Luna stepped forward, her starry mane and tail enveloping Pinkie and casting a blue lens over her vision. Her voice softened, and she leaned forward until both mares were touching noses. "It must be thou, Pinkamena Diane Pie. Please consider my offer."

Pinkie Pie turned her head downwards, and she seemed poised to reply for a moment before dashing out the front door. Luna heard a collective gasp as she tore through the crowd waiting outside, followed by a barrage of worried questions: "What happened, Pinkie Pie?" "Are you okay?" "The princess didn't bring you bad news, did she?" Luna sighed, wrapping her tail around her forelegs. She shouldn't have been so forthright. Ponies of the present were so much more fragile than those of her time.

Before Princess Luna could make a move, however, the puffy-haired pony was back in the room, a pair of oversized sunglasses poised on her snout, four inexplicable flippers on her hooves, and three balloons tied to her tail. "Let's party," she declared, a mad grin pasted on her face.

Luna smiled despite herself. "We shall be back to retrieve you this night. Be prepared by then," she instructed, brushing past Pinkie Pie on her way out of Sugarcube Corner.

"Aye-aye, Princess!" shrieked the unconventional adventurer as Luna spread her wings. The alicorn flew straight upwards, bursting through cloud after cloud before finally stopping her ascent and glancing around carefully. When Luna had confirmed that nopony else was around, she finally relaxed--and burst into laughter.