Pinkie sat at the table at the cafe, high strung, devouring her waffles. Her nerves were uneasy from last night. In her attempt to gain Pokey’s trust she had ended up in his arms kissing him like some hormonal teenager after the prom.

She didn’t know what came over her, she was upset by Pokey’s story, but when he said the words “I like you” she seemed to loose control. It wasn’t a confession of love, or a flirtatious gesture. The two of them weren't even in a romantic place, they were sitting in bowling alley for crying out loud.

He liked her, liked her. Using the word like meant friend zone. Pinkie and her friend Rarity used the word like to let down clingy, obsessive guys easily. Pokey said he liked her, and she went overboard did something stupid and kissed him.

She needed to go to Pokey, set the record straight, secure things are okay between the two of them, and put it behind her.

Pinkie placed her fork down on her empty plate, and reached for her orange juice to wash down the last of her breakfast.

“Hey, uh Pinkie?”

Pokey’s sudden voice behind her made orange juice shoot out her nose.

“Oh my,” Pokey exclaimed. “I’m really sorry I startled you.”

Pinkie frantically grabbed a couple of napkins and started wiping down her face.

“Wow,” Pokey said grabbing the glass half full juice Pinkie had place dangerously close to the edge of the table. “I think that makes me the first pony in history to ever catch Pinkie Pie off guard.”

Pinkie let out a weak chuckle as she continued to cough

“Is it alright if I sit here?” Pokey asked as he gestured to the empty seat in front of her.

Pinkie nodded approval as she was still clearing her throat and coughing.

Pokey sat down uneasily and tried to look nonchalant as he rapped his hoofs on the table glancing around.

Pinkie was still settling herself, though she was intentionally stalling, taking her time cleaning up.

The waitress came up to Pokey and asked him if he wanted anything.

“Um, I’ll have what she’s having.” Pokey said quickly.

“So...” Pokey said finally making eye contact with Pinkie. “Uh, hi.”

“Hi,” Pinkie said blinking a couple of times at Pokey.

Pinkie looked at him, and found herself really looking at him for the first time. Pokey looked a little silly with his forced grin, it was kind of cute too. His eyes were a bright yellow, like two great golden sunrises. The curly white hair on his mane and tail kinda looked like frosting on a cake. Pinkie wondered what Pokey would say if she told him that. Did his hair taste anything like frosting? Wait! What was she thinking! She needed to stop staring at him and set things straight.

“About last night,” the two of them immediately said at the same time.

Pokey cleared his throat.

“You go first,” He said.

“No, its quite alright,” Pinkie replied. “You go first, I’m, uh really interested in the, uh stuff you, err need to say.”

Smooth words Pinkie, she mentally thought to herself.

“Okay,” Pokey said biting his lip and giving a bit of a cough. “So I understand that yesterday was kind of a strange day, and both of us were uh... overstimulated? With the day?”

Pokey’s pitch went up as he tried to find his words.

“Yeah,” Pinkie said uncertain. “We both had a lot of party yesterday.”

“Yeah a bit too much partying in fact,” Pokey said looking like he was choosing his words carefully. “So at the end of the day we both were most likely just tired, and kinda in a weak state of mind.”

“Right,” Pinkie said feeling Pokey was going down a right path.

“So how about we just put that evening behind us, so we can be friends and just have fun at parties and stuff.”

“That sounds good,” Pinkie said with a smile. “I completely agree!”

“Good,” Pokey responded.

The two of them sat again in an awkward moment of silence.

“By the way,” Pokey started.

“Yes?” Pinkie asked feeling her heart give a slight jump.

“What were you eating?” Pokey asked looking down at her empty plate. “I realized I just ordered without bothering to look at what you had.”

“Oh,” Pinkie said a bit off guard. She thought Pokey was going to ask her something about last night. Her face then lit up with a smile when she saw Pokey’s expression as he looked at Pinkie's plate. “I had two jumbo waffles with strawberries.”

“Waffles,” Pokey said to himself. “I was kind of craving waffles when I was walking here.”

The two of them shared a laugh.

~~~~~

Pokey glanced at Pinkie as they walked down one of the main streets of Ponyville together. The two of them had become closer friends since that breakfast they shared together seven months ago.

Everyone in Ponyville first though they were dating, but as time went on the town realized the two of them were more partners in throwing surprise parties, then partners of love. Pokey was thankful that their kiss was never witnessed by anypony and they were honestly able to put it behind them.

“Have you got them set up?” Pinkie asked him in a hushed whisper.

“You bet,” Pokey said in a enthusiastic tone. “I can set them off at a moments notice.”

“Okay you wait for my signal.”

Pinkie quickly ducked behind a trash can and disappeared completely from view.

Pokey focused his glance to the far fountain in the center of the town square, waiting for Pinkie to give the signal from there.

Pokey saw the target walk up to the fountain with his pegasus fillyfriend next to him.

Sure enough Pinkie Pie’s curly tail appeared from the opposite side of the fountain, it quickly swished back and forth like a flag.

That was the signal.

Pokey quickly lit up his horn to trigger the party cannon he had expertly hidden on the rooftop adjacent to him.

BOOM

Both the two ponies standing next to the fountain jumped at the noise and the sudden appearance of confetti. Both Pokey and Pinkie sprung out in front of them with their top hats and canes in position. They both took a deep breath and broke in to their rehearsed song.

“Happy Birthday our dear friend Caramel we hope your having fun,
today is perfect weather with no clouds and lots of sun,”

Pokey reached over and placed a party hat on Caramel as Pinkie did the same to his fillyfriend Wind Whistler.

“We just want you to know we’re thinking of you, and for celebration's sake,
We wanted to tell you take up our offer for ice cream and some cake!”

Pokey gave another glow of his horn and the second party cannon they had hidden went off and shot out streamers followed by two coupons for free cake and ice cream from Sugar Cube Corner.

“So that's it for this happy song dear Caramel, for now it is the end
Wind Whistler, please join us in saying happy birthday to your coltfriend.”

Both Pinkie and Pokey ended their song in a quick pose, with Pokey holding Pinkie in his forehooves and Pinkie holding a little banner up that read in gold letters, Happy Birthday!

The two ponies clopped their hooves at the performance. Wind Whistler gave a little nicker, and then reached over and placed an affectionate kiss on Caramel’s cheek.

Caramel’s face immediately turned a bright red, and he looked at Whistler.

“You didn’t plan this with them did you?” Caramel ask her.

The pegasus gave a small laugh as she brushed some confetti out of Caramel’s mane.

“Oh, no I’m just as surprised as you, dear. This was all Pinkie and Pokey’s doing. But it did give me a good opportunity to kiss you. To be honest, I was kinda looking for a good moment today to do it.”

Pinkie beamed at Pokey, approving another job well done.

“So you were planning on kissing me today?” Caramel said with a slight grin on his face.

“Yeah, you want to go get some of this cake and ice cream at Sugar Cube Corner?” Wind Whistler asked him looking at the voucher in her hoof.

Pinkie gestured with her head for Pokey to follow her and leave the two lovers to continue their talk.

“Well actually,” Caramel spoke to his fillyfriend as Pokey and Pinkie slipped away. “I’m wondering if just one kiss was the only thing you had in mind today.”

Pinkie and Pokey quickly picked up the cannons from their hiding places and made way their way back to Pinkie’s place.

“So, dinner?” Pokey asked her. He and Pinkie nearly always had victory hay fries after a well done party surprise.

“Not tonight,” Pinkie said. “I got a date.”

“Oh really?” Pokey asked. “Like a date, date?”

“Yeah, Noteworthy asked me out last week.” Pinkie said with a bounce.

“Well, that’s... Great. I hope things go well.” Pokey said.

“Thanks Pokey.” Pinkie said as they approached the front doors of Sugar Cube Corner. “I can take care of the cannons from here. Thanks with all the help today. See you later.”

“Yeah,” Pokey said back to her. “Have a good time tonight.”

As Pokey walked back to his house, a strange feeling overcame him.

He was a happy that Pinkie was going out, at least it meant that people would stop whispering behind their backs that they were a couple. He and Pinkie were never mad to set the record straight when ponies asked them if they were dating. Pokey did find it annoying when ponies, especially his friends, pressured him to try and ask Pinkie out.

Pokey was comfortable with his new friendship with Pinkie. He found they had much in common when it came to spontaneity and just having fun, but that was as far as he went.

Personally, Pokey had pushed any and all romantic thoughts of Pinkie out of his mind over the last few months. During the times he was with Pinkie, planning or performing flash parties (as she called them), he didn’t have any feelings for her other than being friends.

Publicly, Pokey told his friends she was still Pinkie Pie, the filly who annoyed him from school, and was borderline crazy. He still haven't forgotten the time he witnessed Pinkie’s hairs go straight and her personalty do that psycho thing. He wasn’t going to date that, no way.

Strangely on occasion though, before he fell asleep late at night, his thoughts would drift towards her when his mind was in that relaxed the state between dreaming and awake. He would vividly recall that night they were in the bowling alley and the warmth he felt from Pinkie in his arms. His mind would bring up images of the affectionate look Pinkie had on her face before she placed her lips on his. By the time Pokey fell asleep and woke up the next morning, the images and feelings were already reduced to a tiny feeling of deja vu.

Those reasons made Pokey unsure of the odd feelings that came over him when Pinkie mentioned Noteworthy’s name.

Pokey also realized on his walk home, that since he and Pinkie had became better friends, this was the first time that Pokey had really imagined Pinkie dating other colts. He concluded his odd feelings was a logical reaction any friend would feel for another, when they just found out the other was in a new relationship. Noteworthy was a nice stallion and all, but a bit of a jock in Pokey’s opinion.

“Hmm,” Pokey thought to himself as he unlocked his front door. “Maybe I should find a fillyfriend too. It might help me sort things out.”

*****

Pinkie walked with Noteworthy out of the cinema. The two of them had just enjoyed a Buck Norris movie, an idea Noteworthy suggested to celebrate their now three month anniversary of going out.

"Is your eye okay?" Pinkie asked him.

Pinkie had gotten a bit too excited during the show. During one part of the film Pinkie started acting out the fight scene herself and accidentally punched him in the face.

"It feels a little better now," Noteworthy, her blue earth pony coltfriend said removing the slushy cup he was using as a cold pack for his face.

"Oh," Pinkie said trying to hide her smile.

Noteworthy now had a fantastically huge black eye from where Pinkie clocked him

"What?" Noteworthy asked annoyed. "It didn't leave a mark did it?"

Pinkie covered her mussel with both hooves to keep from laughing.

"Oh come on!" Noteworthy said through gritted teeth when he caught his reflection in a store window.

"No," Pinkie said laughing. "You look fine! Ha ha ha, really. Ha ha ha!"

Noteworthy grabbed Pinkie by the hoof and led her away before anypony would notice his eye.

Pinkie could not stop her giggling as Noteworthy steered them further away from the theater.

"Well I'll be," Noteworthy said as he stopped suddenly. "Lily."

Pinkie ceased her laughing at the name of Noteworthy's ex-fillyfriend.

"What about her?" Pinkie asked sternly at Noteworthy.

"She right over there," Noteworthy said pointing a hoof at a table in the fancy outdoor restaurant across the street from the two of them. "And she with-"

"Pokey?" Pinkie said looking over at the table too.

Sitting at the table was Pokey with a pink earth filly with a blond mane in a very fashionable dress. Judging by the vase with a rose in it, and the lit candle standing in the middle of their table, you would have guessed they were more than just friends.

"Let's go say hi." Pinkie said happily as she bounced towards them.

"I don't think that is a good idea, Pinkie." Noteworthy said.

“Oh, nonsense. Pokey and I are friends, in fact we have been so busy the last couple of weeks we haven't seen each other for a while. Come on we can all catch up!”

“No Pinkie, I think-” Noteworthy started to say but it was too late, Pinkie had already bounced off.

"Hi Pokey," Pinkie said smiling at the two of them. "Long time now see. Look at you, having a date with a pretty mare. You even bought her a flower to put in her hair."

"Pinkie," Noteworthy said quietly, approaching the table nervously. "Lily always wears her hair like that."

"Oh, hiya Pinkie." Pokey said cheerfully.

Lily did not look impressed.

"Pinkie," she said curtly. "And Noteworthy."

Noteworthy cleared his throat.

"Hello, Lily," he said quickly. "Okay Pinkie we really shouldn't be bothering the two of them."

“What? It’s just Pokey and your ex.” Pinkie said.

Lily gave her a dagger glare.

"Whoa, Noteworthy." Pokey said looking up at his face. "Where did you get the shiner?"

Lily looked up at Noteworthy's face.

"OH MY!" Lily exclaimed noticing the black eye. "WHAT HAPPENED!?"

"Sheesh, Lily." Noteworthy said embarrassed. "You don't have to be dramatic about it."

"What happened to you?" Lily said pulling Noteworthy closer so she could see his black eye better in the light of the candle. "OH NOTEY! This bruise is fresh!"

"Notey?" Pinkie Pie asked quietly to Pokey.

Pokey hid a nicker.

"Well if you want to know," Noteworthy said with an annoyed tone. "Pinkie gave this to me, in the movie theater."

"We saw the new Buck Norris flick." Pinkie chimed in.

"You saw Firetrotter!?" Pokey said excitedly. "How was it?"

"It was awesome!" Pinkie said bouncing up and down.

"A bit too awesome for Pinkie." Noteworthy told the group. “She couldn't sit still during the movie, and that's how I got this."

"Oh Pokey, you should have seen it." Pinkie went on, not taking notice of Noteworthy's comment. "There was this one scene where he throws the bad guy, who’s a unicorn, in to a wall and his horn gets stuck in it, and he just hangs there. There was also this other scene, when Buck does this big chop-”

Pinkie, who was narrating using large gestures with her forehoves, gave a swing with her right hoof and hit the table hard.

The candle and the vase flew up in the air. Pokey seeing the fire hazard, quickly grabbed the candle in the air with his magic. Sadly the vase fell forward, broke upon impact with the table, and covered Lily with the murky water that was inside of it.

“Ah!” Lily cried out in disgust. “Eck, no no no no!”

The mare stood up appalled at the stain that was now on her dress.

“Ooops,” Pinkie said embarrassed. “Sorry about that.”

“You!” Lily said with her face reddening. “You are a walking catastrophe!”

Lily jabbed a hoof at Pinkie.

“You are a danger to yourself and others,” Lily continued. "You’ve hurt Notey and now you've come to ruin our date."

“Now, Lily, that was an accident.” Pokey said putting the candle down and handing her a napkin.

Lily let out a dramatic gasp.

“You!” Lily said fuming now at Pokey. “You are defending her!?"

“What!?” Pokey responded.

“I should have known better!” Lily was now glaring at the two of them with anger, her whole body now had become the same red as her face. “You told me the two of you were just friends, and when I found out she was dating Noteworthy I believed you. But I see now this is some sort of elaborate joke the two of you have been planning. This is just another one of your party pranks, isn't it Pinkie?.”

“No! Its not!” Both Pokey and Pinkie said.

Lily stood up unconvinced.

“Good night Pokey! I hope you enjoyed your laugh!”

With a whip of her mane, Lily marched out of the cafe.

“Come on, Pinkie.” Noteworthy said dragging her away in the opposite direction. “We have done enough damage for the night.”

Pinkie wanted to argue with him, but she realized that Noteworthy was right, and so she followed quietly. The last thing Pinkie saw before she left was Pokey, sitting very much alone at the table, and blowing out the candle in front of him with a sad sigh.

*****

Pinkie sat in the gazebo of the Ponyville park, feeling the heavy burden that was now on her heart from the recent events of the night.

“Pinkie, I just don’t get you.” Noteworthy said pacing back and forth. “You are an amazingly attractive mare. And you certainly know how to have a good time with large groups. But one on one, how can I put this? ... YOU. ARE. CREEPY!”

Since Noteworthy forcefully dragged her to the gazebo, he had gone off on her. He didn’t seem at all upset that she had ruined Pokey’s date, he was more angry she had ruined Lily’s dress and given him a black eye.

“Look at me I have a physical injury from going out with you!” Noteworthy said pointing to his eye. “I thought going to a movie would be good for us. Most ponies take movie watching as a passive activity, you just sit there and enjoy. But look at me, I tried to sit next to you and you made me looked like I've gone five rounds in a boxing match.”

“Hey, I said I was sorry,” Pinkie said now feeling flustered. “What was that whole business between you and Lily, huh? Oh my poor little Notey, you planning on getting back together with her?”

Noteworthy glared back at her.

“She broke up with me, I have no clue what she was doing using her old pet name for me.”

“Well, maybe you should go ask her, cause I’m obviously a bad fillyfriend.” Pinkie said indignantly.

Noteworthy glared at her and gave a huff.

“I’m sorry Pinkie this relationship cannot work.” Noteworthy finally said. “You are crazy! I don’t get you, and Lily was right, you are dangerous.”

Noteworthy pointed at his injured eye again to accent a point.

“Good night Pinkie.” Noteworthy said stepping out of the gazebo.

Pinkie choose to go home by way of the cafe she had last seen Pokey sitting at alone. When she walked passed it, the table she had last seen him at was empty. She deeply wished Pokey was still there, she wanted to apologize, and to make sure he was OK and to... just be with him.

Pinkie felt even more heartbroken as she continued home, filled with more remorse for Pokey’s hurt feelings than anger at Noteworthy for dumping her.

*****

Pokey sat on a bench in the bowling alley. He thought it slightly odd he chose to come here alone on a Friday night of all places. But something about the place made him feel mildly better.

His original plans for the night was to go with Lily to see a concert, but after the break up at the restaurant last Tuesday night, Pokey was not in the mood to go by himself. He sold the tickets to Caramel, who in turn took Whisper Wind.

Pokey felt really bad about the last week. He and Lily were hitting it off really well. Their last date was only their third one. Amazingly Lily was showing signs of actual interest in him as her coltfriend. Their conversation that night was drifting towards the subject when Pinkie showed up.

Pinkie had made a mess of things, Pokey was angry at her for it. At the same time Pokey felt another mix of strange emotions.

It took three days to sort it out, but he came to the conclusion the feeling he felt was a combination of things: jealously that Noteworthy got to see a cool movie with Pinkie (even if he did get a black-eye from it), sadness that Lily left him without letting him explain, and anger at Noteworthy for being disrespectful of Pinkie by dragging her around like she was some young bad filly.

That morning, when Caramel bought the concert tickets from him, he asked Pokey if he was going to talk to Pinkie about. Pokey said no, he wasn’t ready yet. He still couldn’t get over Pinkie’s foolishness that night. Caramel then informed him that Noteworthy had broken up with Pinkie the same night after they left, which made Pokey even more angry at Noteworthy for hurting her.

“If you’re that angry at Noteworthy for treating Pinkie that way, how can you stay mad at her when it sounds like you are on her side?” Caramel asked him

“Because,” Pokey started but couldn’t find a good reason. He eventually settled with, “because you just don’t understand the whole thing, Caramel.”

The situation was just a mess, on one hoof Pinkie was no longer going out with that jerk Noteworthy, but on the other hoof he was still mad that Pinkie had ruined his relationship with Lily.

He laid on the bench milling over his thoughts, when a bright pink mane at the other end of the alley caught his eye, it was Pinkie. She had found him out and was making her way straight towards him.

Pokey’s first thought was to storm out of the alley, but he knew Pinkie would just follow after him. She was stubborn that way, he knew that about her. Pokey then figured to just let Pinkie walk over and try to convince her to leave him alone.

"Pokey?" Pinkie asked him plopping down in front of his bench.

"How did you find me here?" He asked her plainly, looking away from her.

"Well," Pinkie said in a voice that was not a joyful as her typical self. "I just heard the news this morning from Wind Whistler, Lily left you, as in left you left you Tuesday night. I've been trying to find you since, Noteworthy broke up with me as well.”

Pokey shifted his weight on the bench.

“You weren't home when I started looking for you.” Pinkie continued. “I though to myself what are the things you would do when not popping balloons and sharing parties with me? I remembered once you told me you like bowling. So, it was a long shot, I decided to check here."

Pokey gave an impatient snort. Pinkie could be annoying, and completely crazy, but the mare was not stupid he’d give her that.

“I also remembered that one time we were here and-”

Pokey cut her off with and angry growl.

"Pokey?" Pinkie asked in a hurt tone.

Pokey immediately felt guilty for being coarse with her. The sound of the hurt in her voice made something ache in his chest and made him bite his lip. He turned to face her, her head was down.

"You have every right to be angry at me, It was my fault. I'm really sorry." Pinkie said lowering her gaze further.

There was a moment of silence. Pokey took a deep breath.

"I know your sorry," Pokey said. "But I'm still trying to work out my feelings about this. I really don't want talk about it right now, especially to you."

Pinkie gave a wince at his last few words and Pokey felt even more regretful of his anger

"Okay," Pinkie said weakly. "Can I just tell you what's going on with me? You don't have to say anything, I just need somepony to listen, and I'd like it to be you."

Pokey closed his eyes. He wanted to tell her no, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything that might hurt her more. She was only asking for him to listen, that's not hard. Maybe hearing Pinkie's side of things could help him get his feelings back in order.

“Alright,” Pokey said softly.

"Pokey, I know I have a reputation of being fun and easy going. I can also get annoying at times, and have problems knowing when things have gone too far. But I just wanted to tell you the times I have spent with you babysitting the Cake twins, having fun, and throwing parties have been very memorable for me."

Pinkie let out a sigh, her curly bangs covered her face as she continued to look at floor.

"The last few weeks both of us have been a bit too busy with our lives that we haven't gotten to talk or do the fun stuff we normally do. I've realized the reason I've been acting this way is because I have been hiding things from you. I've been hiding them for a long time. I though if I found someone else to distract me, I would be able to ignore them but it didn't work as well as I thought."

Pokey was not sure what he was hearing. He wanted to see Pinkie's face, to get a better understanding what she was feeling, but her gaze was still at the floor and her mane was covering her eyes.

"Pokey," Pinkie's voice sounded slightly weak. "The past year I've gotten to know you has been one of the best. That morning you sat down and had breakfast with me, I couldn't stop staring at you. Your eyes, they looked like the warm sun. Your hair looks like frosting on a cake. You are an amazing pony. You are wonderful and kind with babies, Pumpkin and Pound love it you whenever you babysit with me. You like to throw parties, the kind that I like. When Noteworthy left me he said he just didn't get me, and he’s right, he doesn't. But I think you get me, Pokey. Better than any stallion in Ponyville."

Pinkie reached a hoof out and placed it on Pokey's, her gaze still on the floor.

"They miss you, Pokey, the babies. They were asking about you last night when I was taking care of them. It took two whole bags of flour dumped on my head to get Pumpkin to smile when she realized you were not coming. Gummy misses you too."

"Gummy?" Pokey asked skeptically.

Gummy was Pinkie's toothless pet alligator. Pokey never completely understood him, but he got that Gummy was a nice companion and pet for Pinkie.

"Okay, no he doesn't" Pinkie said still not looking up, though he now wanted her to do so. "Gummy is, well still Gummy. But I miss you most of all."

The words hit him like a dart, Pokey couldn't say anything.

"I miss you Pokey. I miss your magic. I miss your frosting hair. I miss singing and dancing with you. I miss that look of joy you get when you pop a balloon. I miss it all."

"We can still hang out, Pinkie." Pokey said feeling a little touched by her words. "I may be mad now but I'll get over it."

"No," Pinkie said defiantly. "I don't want to just hangout and be silly with you, Pokey."

Pinkie finally looked up at him, her wet eyes had grown to the size do sand dollars, her lips trembled, and her nose gave a slight twitch that made Pokey feel a strange flutter in his chest.

"I want you. I... I... I love you."

Pinkie closed her eyes and leaned forward to kiss him.

Pokey panicked but his body had frozen to the spot in shock, of all the things Pinkie could say and do to him now, this was the least he was prepared for.

Pinkie's lips got closer and closer. At the last moment Pokey flinched and looked away. Pinkie's lips made contact with his nose.

Pinkie's eyes shot open and Pokey felt another wave of panic. He could see it in Pinkie's expression, she looked rejected and hurt.

Pokey snapped his body back so quickly that he fell off the bench and in to a rack of bowling balls. One ball jostled loose and fell squarely on Pokey's back leg, landing with a unsettling crunch.

Pokey let out a howl of pain, and his vision was immediately blinded blinded by tears.

"No! No! No!" Pokey heard Pinkie say hurt. "I can't do anything right. Lily was right I am a walking catastrophe."

Pokey heard her hoof steps gallop away as a whole crowd of other ponies gathered around him to help.

"We need to call an ambulance, man." A voice next to Pokey said.

"It’s it taken care of, Dude." Said another voice that sounded more grizzled.

"Okay, just be careful with him. He's fragile, man! He's very fragile!"

*****

Pinkie laid in her bed alone in the dark. It had been two nights since the disaster in the bowling alley. She was still deeply upset with it and the whole week.

She had not eaten anything or talked to anyone, with the exception of her friend Twilight Sparkle who visited her earlier in the morning.

Twilight had come to see her after finding out what happened.

"Pinkie are you Okay?" Twilight asked her while Pinkie laid bundled up in her blankets.

"No, just leave me alone." Pinkie said through her mane that hung straight across her face.

"I know you're upset, maybe we could throw Pokey a get well party?" Twilight offered nicely.

"No," Pinkie said burying her face in to her pillow. "Pokey doesn't want to see me. He was avoiding me last night, so I tracked him down, and look what happened."

"Oh, Pinkie, you can't blame yourself for that. It was an accident." Twilight said trying to be comforting.

Twilight did not know of everything that happened last night. She wasn’t aware of how much a screw up Pinkie had made the entire week.

"No, it was," Pinkie said still muffled by her pillow. "Please, Twilight. Leave me alone."

“Okay, Pinkie.” She said softy. “We’re here for you when you need us.”

Pinkie laid in her bed exhausted. She had cried herself to sleep the night before, and her mood did not change when she woke up.

Eventually hunger drove her to pull herself out of bed. Pinkie dragged her hooves across the the floor as she made her way to the kitchen. As she walked past the mirror by the window, she saw her reflection and stopped.

She barely recognized the pony staring back at her. She had the same cutie mark as her, and pink fur, but her mane was straight and it covered half her face. And the pony in the mirror she looked so sad and hurt.

Pinkie took a few steps closer, almost scared at the sight before her.

"So this is what ponies see in me," she said out loud to herself. "Pokey, Noteworthy, and even my friends have seen it too, when I thought they abandoned me."

Pinkie reached a hoof up to the glass.

"Pokey should hate me. I stole his cute-ceañera as a filly. I was mean to him in school. I kicked him out of the welcome party I threw for Twilight. I ruined his date with Lily, and last night I broke his leg."

Pinkie felt a tear roll down her cheek. She felt like breaking down and crying again but she did not have the strength to do it, she had already done so much of it already.

Pinkie leaned her head against the mirror, lost in her own grief.

“I’m such a screw up. I’m terrible pony.” She kept saying over and over to herself.

"Pinkie?" A soft familiar male voice said to her. She felt a hoof gently touch her withers.

She squeezed her already closed eyes tightly, she was imagining it. Her mind had finally gone completely off the deep end and was imagining things that weren't there.

She felt a set of forehooves pull her in to an embrace, her face was now touched warm fur of the chest on another pony.

"It's okay," she heard the voice of Pokey whisper from the pony holding her. "I'm alright."

Pinkie took in a gasp, realizing Pokey was actually actually there, actually holding her. The smell of his fur against her nose confirmed it beyond any reason of doubt.

“I have seen you this way before, Pinkie, but its alright. We all have our bad days now and then. Please don’t say anything, just let me talk this time." Pokey said gently.

Pinkie pulled in tighter in to his grip, she wanted to scream out, apologize, and run away, but the longer he held her the less she felt she had the power to do so.

"That morning when we shared breakfast, I couldn't stop staring at you either, Pinkie Pie. The color of your eyes reminded me of a beautiful cloudless sky, and your mane made me think of cotton candy. And that night at the cafe, I was angry, but not as much as I was jealous that I didn't get to see that movie with you, it should have been me with that black eye. I know sounds stupid doesn’t it?"

Pinkie wanted to say something but her body had now completely surrendered to his embrace. All she was only able to listen and give a little whimper between breaths.

"I know what you are thinking, last night you broke my leg."

Pinkie let out a small cry in to his chest, Pokey softly hushed her and gave her a slight rock.

"But you’re wrong, Pinkie Pie. You did nothing of the sort, all you did last night was tell the truth and say you loved me," Pokey said pulling her up to his face. "I was the stupid one, I got nervous, and it was my hesitation, and my ignorance to my own feelings that broke my own leg."

Pinkie's eyes were still closed, but she felt Pokey breath on her nose.

"I love you too Pinkie Pie.” He said placing his forehead on hers. “And I deserve a broken leg if I'm going to try to hide that from myself or you again."

Pinkie finally opened her eyes and saw Pokey's tearful, beautiful, yellow as the rising sun, eyes looking back at her.

"I love you.” He said with a deeper earnest in his voice. “I love you more than balloons, or fancy restaurants, or waffles, or bowling, or every party in Equestria combined. I love you."

"Y-y-you mean it?" Pinkie stuttered, finally feeling her voice returning.

Pokey reached to her side and pulled a red balloon up between them. Pokey then let it go and let it drift straight up towards the ceiling. Something sparkly immediately caught Pinkie’s eye.

Tied to the end of the string was an engagement earring, with the diamond in the shape of Pokey cutie mark, a safety pin.

"Every word of it and more. Please forgive me for hesitating last night. I have no more doubts now" Pokey said kneeling down to the best of his abilities with the new cast on his back leg. "Pinkamina Diane Pie, I want to wake up to your smile for the rest of my life. Please would you be my wife?"

Pinkie felt a joy she had never felt before bubble up from deep inside of her. Her mane and tail sprung up in it curliness as she felt a different wave of tears of joy fall from her eyes.

"Yes!" She said with a gasp and flung her forearms over Pokey nearly tackling him.

"Easy, sweetheart," Pokey said with a slightly pained tone. "I only have three legs to stand on at the moment."

Pinkie let out a laugh, she felt like a dam inside her had burst as she broke in to wave upon wave of laughter. Pokey look like he would have joined in laughing with her too, but he was too busy covering every inch of her neck and face with kisses.

Pinkie finally calmed down when she heard the sounds of hooves clopping the room.

She and Pokey looked up and saw, now crowded around the now open doorway to her room, the Cake family, and all of her friends, clopping their hooves in applause at the scene they were eavesdropping on.

"Well," Rarity said to Applejack. "It sure took them long enough."

"You're tellin' me." Applejack said back to her.

The rest of the ponies nodded in agreement.

Pinkie just held Pokey closer, still in the euphoria that he had not only had forgiven her, but he had just asked to spend the rest of his life to love her.

"We are in for one hell of a party at the wedding." Pokey whispered in to her ear, as he still held her.

Pinkie let out another laugh.

"You have no idea." Pinkie said back to him and then buried her face in to his neck.