「PPBA」: Pinkie's Destiny /// Chapter II: A Rock's Hard Place

Previously, on Pinkie Pie's Bizarre Adventure:
https://pastebin.com/T7VaXbk6

>As soon as you get back to the rock farm, you clear everything up and begin to set up the beds for everyone
>Which is in the barn, with a few patches of hay here and there
>You've set up four beds so far, and you need to make one more for yourself (despite your mother protesting that you should sleep in the house with them)
>Might as well get to know your new acquaintances a bit better, right?
>Now, there's a large pile of hay next to you, so you decide to take part of it to make your bed extra comfy
>Rocks and hay are the comfiest you can get in Western Equestria
>"Mmmph..."
>As soon as you go to move it, you hear a groan come from within the haystack
>You freeze, contemplating on if it was a hallucination or not
>Deciding to throw any sense of privacy out the window, you summon 「Party Party Party」 and reach inside to pull out the mysterious pony
>What came out next, you didn't expect in a million years
>Waking up in a panic and looking around like a bomb had set off, the pony shouts louder than a Sonic Rainboom
>"The Still-Great and Powerful Trixie wants to know who dares interrupt her slumber! She had a great dream about bringing Twilight Sparkle to her knees!"

------

>There are a lot of things that can be used to describe the situation you're in currently
>Among these are the words "whimsical", "surprising", and "Nani"
>You're not an easy pony to spook easily, but when it comes to an arrival of an old "friend"?
>It's bound to turn your head in one way or another, isn't it?
>And from the look on the pony's face, you've no doubts she shares the same sentiment
"...Trixie?"
>"Oh. It's one of that fool Twilight's friends."

"Yep! In the flesh! What're you doing sleepin' in my bed? Are you trying to tell me something?"
>"I... S-Shut up! The Sleepy and Incredibly Tired Trixie had been mining rocks the whole day, and she has rightfully earned this stack of hay!"
>Murmuring, Trixie turns over back into the hay, drifting off into a nap as she mutters something about peanuts and crackers
>Of course, as she IS in your "bed", you're not going to let her have the whole thing to herrself
>Your Paradox standing menacingly, the room's atmosphere begins to tense, sweat beginning to drip down Trixie's face as she wakes up suddenly
>Stuttering, Trixie looks you dead in the eye, not knowing why she's shaking so much despite being covered in hay
"Deserved it?"
>In the most manly voice you can muster, you pose dramatically, almost putting showponies like Discord to shame
>You can't sense it, but you can almost FEEL Discord yelling at you for comparing yourself to him
>Aztec chanting fills the room as you show the showpony just how unbreakable your resolve is
"I was stranded in the desert with no one but Applejack to help me! You break into our barn and sleep in our hay without permission, and you dare deny Cloudy's daughter rest when she needs it?"
>"You don't understand, you peasant—!"
"SILENCE!"
>The Paradox rears its fist back, getting ready to attack at any given moment
"If you can't learn to show respect when it's demanded, I'll give it to you!"
>The Paradox then throws its fist outward, just barely touching her nose...
>...Before it boops her, taking the haystack and spreading it on the ground before she can question what just transpired
>"What... the...? But you were about to hit me—she means, you were about to hit Trixie! E-Even she was afraid!"
"Mom would kill me if I didn't show hospitality to a guest! I was just messing with you, you know? Come on, lay down, you and I have a lot to talk about!"

>Getting to work, 「PPP」 grabs the haystack and gets to work on making two beds out of it, before you hear a rustle or two as you lay one down
>Lying in the middle of the makeshift bed is a pack of peanut crackers, a mango (ew) and a photo of Trixie and a pony with a white coat, a yellow mane, and a cutie mark similar to yours
"Hm? Who's this, Trixie?"
>Looking over (and admittedly still shaking from what just happened), Trixie shrugs, getting off of the haystack and helping out
>Which is weird, because she doesn't look like the kind of person to help out at all
>"She's one of Trixie's acquaintances from before, she supposes. We had worked together before Trixie left for Ponyville, though... we don't talk anymore."
"Yeah? Is she a... GOOD friend of yours?"
>"Get your mind out of the gutter! The Great and Powerful Trixie wouldn't lower herself to handing herself to mares she just met!"
"Sheesh, I was just asking if she was a good friend..."
>"Oh. Not like that? Then... Trixie supposes she was."
>Sighing, Trixie gets the rest of the haystack and levitates it next to yours, using her fancy-schmacy magic of hers
>She seems oddly contemplative, just plopping down on the stack and nuzzling into it as she speaks
>"Trixie's not sure why she should even tell you this. Twilight sent you here to ridicule her. Was chasing her out of Ponyville not enough?"
"Hey, hey, I don't have magic on me! I don't have a good reason to hurt you—the Ursa Major looked like it was hard enough to take..."
>"It was. News travels fast, and since Nightmare Night, Trixie's had to work here at the Rock Farm to make ends meet. She'll be fine, though. She always has been."
"Sheesh... Hey, Trixie, can I say something really quick?"
>"Make it quick. She's not feeling talkative at the moment."
"I'm sorry."

>Looking over from her stack of hay, her purple eyes gaze helplessly as she snuggles into the blanket
>Had it not been for the gravity of this situation, you would have almost seen it as cute
>(She is, though, but you wouldn't say it out loud)
>"No, you're not. Trixie's seen ponies like you before, and they always give pity to her. All she ever wanted was to make ponies happy by being a role model. If she can't do that, then what is she good for?"
"Don't even worry about it! You see, life runs on a set of principles that helped me go through hard times, and they can help you go through hard times too!"
>"And how do they work? Are you going to tell Trixie to make some friends?"
"Nope! I'd be happy to tell you, but I work on the law of 'equivalent exchange'. A cupcake for a cupcake makes the whole world sweeter! If you tell me more about the pony in the photo, I'll lend you a helping hoof, alright? I like Twilight, but sometimes strangers matter more than friends."
>All is silent in the room, before Trixie nods, levitating the photo next to her as she wipes some tears from her eyes
>She's either shaken up by your offer or feels bad over the photo, but either way it makes you feel horrible
>"Equivalent exchange" your right hoof
>"The pony in the photo next to Trixie is named 'Surprise'. She's... a cousin to the famous Wonderbolt, or perhaps not. She never told Trixie the truth, which admittedly made Trixie very frustrated."
"What was she like, Trixie? I'm all ears!"
>Trixie scoffs haughtily, floating the picture next to you so you can see it in its full glory
>"She was nothing like her 'cousin', whether that theory's true or not. The Surprise Trixie knew was kind and always had a pony's back. The Surprise the public knew seemed cool, but the truth was that she was drunk on fame. See, Trixie could never quite tell the difference between Surprise and Wonderbolt Surprise..."
"Why's that?"
>Trixie stops as she notices you eating popcorn out of seemingly nowhere, to which you reply:
"What? It's a really good story! Keep going, this is more thrilling than seeing a new theatre play come out!"

>Sighing, she continues with her spiel, acting as if she's on stage as she dramatically lays out on the haystack
>"But alas, Trixie was a fool; she could never tell between the cutie marks the two had! Was it one balloon? Three? Five, perhaps? Oh, she would never let Trixie look long enough in order to see it and make a decision. Good grief..."
>Looking back up, she begins to get frustrated by your now sipping your special drink for really good movies
"Want some?"
>"No! At least ask Trixie a question while you gorge on confectionaries!"
"...Hm... Do you know anything about Surprise before you met her?"
>"All Trixie knows is that she lived in some sort of cave before she met her. She reminds Trixie of you, actually, just... rather... What's a good word? Earnest, yes. She always had a pony's back. It almost makes Trixie want to reconnect with her again."
"Well, why don't you? Maybe that might help you get your life on track!"
>Sighing, Trixie turns over back onto the haystack, looking into space with a resigned stare
>"We haven't talked in a long time. Since the Summer Sun Celebration. Was it June? Perhaps December of last year? Trixie can't say for sure. It's a topic she didn't think she would be inquired on. Have you gotten all the information you need?"
"Yep! I think the ponies I'm with currently know something about Surprise, so you helped me a lot. Now, uh... you wanted me to help you with getting your life back on track? Tell Pinkie Pie your troubles!"
>Appearing next to Trixie's side (and giving her the biggest shock of her life), you lay next to her, violating her personal space
>Trixie nearly falls off, but for reasons she couldn't explain at that moment, she was caught by seemingly nothing, being placed back onto the haystack
>"What the...? Are you trying to deceive the Great and Powerful Trixie?"
"No, I'm helping you out using a handy-dandy technique I like to call 'empathy'! What's wrong, Trixie?"

>Laying her head down, the showpony speaks in a low, solemn tone, almost sounding as bleak and hopeless as her situation is
>You lay next to her, attempting to be a good Element of Laughter and help her out
>"Trixie supposes she needs SOME encouragement in the situation she's in. If you had told her that she would be working at a rock farm belonging to a heckler's friend a few months ago, she would have laughed in your face. How did you manage to keep your head up high?"
"Ehehehe... I kind of remembered a phrase that I heard in a song once, in Ponyville. Music's a really fun form of communication to us, you know? It wasn't one that me or my friends sang, it was one that a stallion was singing in the street as I was walkin' down the street."
>"And the phrase was...?"
"Lemme think... Something about hard times. Happiest days of your life going by."
>"But what does that have to do with being happy? You're the happiest pony in Equestria! How could you find comfort out of knowing that joy is going to end soon enough?"
"It's simple, Trixie. Everything has a beginning and an end, so I always take the time to let someone know I appreciate them a lot. You know, someday, you're gonna be sitting as an old mare in a rocking chair, and you'll think to yourself that you should have been happy for everything you were giving. The darkest time is always before the dawn, right?"
>Silence hangs over the room, before the showpony nods, looking up to you with a frown
>"Trixie supposes. She still wants to know how this can help her, though."
>To which you reply with a laugh, almost making Trixie offended by the action
"You have to keep looking on the bright side! I make everyone happy because their joy's more important than mine. If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one, and who knows what'll happen? I'm probably rambling at this point, but I'm hoping you understand me."

>After a while, she rolls off of the haystack, getting to work on eating the pack of peanut butter crackers
>"Trixie does. She supposes she can work on the rock farm a bit longer, but she really wants to go back to doing magic..."
"Then why not use it while mining? Just make it a game, and it'll go by you super quickly!"
>"She's tried that, but pyrotechnics only annoy the miners! Particularly the one that says something about holding a bolder?"
"Oh, Limestone's always like that! Either way, it's always important to stay positive... Um... Trixie? Are you alright?"
>As you were beginning to ramble off into saying inspirational things again, you noticed the magician beginning to cry, which makes you go to her side
>Leaning in close, you speak softly, hoping that she isn't crying because of you
>She looks up in tears, before sputtering out a sentence you didn't expect
>"Can Trixie have a hug? She needs one."
"Of course! Shh, shh, it's okay, you don't need to cry, you don't need to cry..."
>"Y-You were the only one that listened to Trixie's problems! How couldn't she cry from your kindness? It's hard to believe you're friends with Twilight!"
>At the mention of her name, Trixie sobs again, crying into your shoulder
>You're shocked by the display of emotion, but considering her situation, who could blame her?
>「PPP」 grabs the haystack the two of you were laying on and makes the second bed out of it, you still comforting her all the while
>Eventually, you lead her to her bed, putting her cape over her like a blanket and nuzzling her to sleep
>"Thank you... Trixie appreciates it."
"You're welcome, Trixie! Remember that I'm always there if you need to talk to someone okay? You're loved and cherished, and that's all that matters!"
>After a few minutes, she finally drifts off, leading you to walk over and peck her on the cheek to ensure she deserves a good night's rest
>Of course, that means you have to go inside to see how everyone's doing, so you make haste immediately

>Walking inside the home, you hear shouting in the living room, between Cloudy and Blaze
>"You left us! You left us for some GUY! I thought you were a part of our family!"
>"I had chosen to leave as thy cave-dwellers as ye were rudely discriminatory to the Rock Ponies! As soon as Igneous came in and took a liking to I, ye all condemned me!"
>"You started acting weird and we thought you were crazy! I thought you cared for us!"
>"I had! Now is not the time to dwell on the past; if this is about Surprise, then I have no more words to say to thou!"
>"You're the reason she dipped out on us! Agh!"
>"She was a part of my FAMILY! If thou detest that notion, GET OUT!"
>The pyromaniac runs out of the room and out of the house, taking a few minutes to recollect herself
>Thankfully no one else is in the room, just you and Cloudy
>Cloudy's just sitting on the couch, head lying on her hooves as she processes what just happened
>After a while, she notices you're in the doorhead, her head shooting straight up
>"Didst thou hear everything, Pinkie? I'm... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled so loudly. Her and I just had an... argument. Art thou alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just talking to Trixie about 'Surprise'."
>"She knows her? Thou aren't going to ask me to explain what I'm talking about, art thou?"
"Well, I just... You know... wanted to know about her! I mean, she sounds really important! Can I at least know why everyone likes her so much?"
>"She was thy auntie. It's unimaginable, what with age differences, but it's the truth. That's all I'd like to say on this matter, but there's one thing you'd like to know, perhaps?"
"What's that, mom?"
>"She had a Paradox, and she acted just like thou. If I was colorblind and looked upon the both of thou, I wouldn't be able to tell between thee."
"I'm the niece to a Wonderbolt?! Dashie's gonna be so jealous!"

>"Yes, yes, thou is related to her. That reminds me, I do believe the Paradox name was... 「Jailhouse Rock」? And it helps her when flying. I'm not confusing you, am I?"
"Mom, I found out about all this a day ago. What I want to know is just why I only found out about all of this now!"
>"It was always there, Pinkie. Once one notices a detail, this keeps popping up. We call it the Baader-Meinhoof phenomenon, and we notice it all the time. Did thou notice that all of thy family has a Paradox with the word 'Rock' in it?"
>You pause, absorbing the information before nodding
>You feel as if a new pathway has been opened to you
>Since when is your mother so smart? It's totally unreal
>Cloudy seems to notice as well, with her smiling knowingly as she begins to nod off to sleep
>"It's getting late. I know ye want to sleep in the barn, so I cannot stop ye. Just promise me one more thing before we leave tomorrow."
"What's the thing you need from me, mom?"
>"I actually need two things. The first one is for ye to take care of Blaze, because she's as smart as a bag of rocks. Coming from I, that's NOT a compliment. The second one is to stay safe."
"Oh, I can do that no problem! I love you, mom!"
>"I love thou as well, Pinkie. Good night."
>Smiling, you sneak quietly out of the room and look around, before noticing Applejack outside
>She seems to be staring heavily into the distance, a gaze of scrutiny being the primary focus
"Hey, Applejack! What's going on?"
>"What in tarnation—?!"
>Appearing next to her in a flash, it takes you a few seconds to realize that she was just thinking about something, and it wasn't anything important
>You couldn't pass up the opportunity to scare her, though
>The look on her face was PRICELESS

>"Pinkie! Ah swear to all things good, you do that one more time and Ah'll show ya what mah Paradox can do! Am Ah clear?!"
"Aye, aye, AJ! What DOES your Paradox do, anyway?"
>"Ah'm not tellin' ya nothin'. Consider that punishment for spookin' me so badly Applebloom felt it."
"Sheesh, sorry! I was just wondering what you were thinking about!"
>"The argument in the home. Ah heard it from here, and it was pretty heated. Do ya know anythin' about it?"
"Nothing. It was about where they come from."
>"Ah understand. Shoot, is it the afternoon already? Where're we sleepin'?"
"In the barn! Trixie's in there, just a heads up, but she's cool now! She's gone through hard times!"
>"Who's in what cause they went through HOW? She's in there with us? You're jokin'!"
"No, I'm Pinkie Pie!"
>Applejack sighs, looking towards you as the wind makes her mane swish about dramatically
>In the right lighting, it'd also make you feel intimidated, but it's not about that and it's about the now
>She opens her mouth to speak, before shaking her head in disappointment
>"Ah thought she learnt her lesson in Ponyville. Does she have a Paradox? Ah'm not sleepin' with a boaster AND a magic user."
"Nope... I think. I didn't ask her because I was busy seeing if she was okay."
>"Good grief. At the very least, Ah'm sure she's mellowed up a bit now, yeah?"
"Totally! She likes me now! Oh, but I'm not sure if she likes you. She hasn't seen you at all yet."
>"What goes around comes around. Do ya need anythin' before we go pack our things and hit the hay?"
"I wanna know what your Paradox does!"
>"Oh, for Pete's sake—! It makes me strong and look darn cool while doin' so, alright?! Get inside, Ah just wanna go to bed so we can see what other danger we're gonna get into!"
>You laugh, hopping back to the barn so you can hopefully get some shut-eye as well

>"Ever on 'n on, Ah continue, circlin', with nothin' but my—"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You can't say that now, this is a kid's show... even if your singing voice IS really neat!"
>"What's a what now?"
>You and Applejack are in the barn, getting ready to go to bed while the others sort out their differences in the living room
>If it wasn't clear before, Applejack was singing a song to pass the time
>And Celestia be your witness, she's fucking NICE at doing it, like holy shit she is fabulous
>You're not too shabby at singing yourself, but you'd be lying to yourself if you said her singing was average at best
>But, with the viewers probably being young and innocent, she can't sing about such dark topics
>(Especially considering the source of that song isn't exactly wholesome, either)
>Trixie's still snoring away, muttering something about peanuts and cute pink ponies
>Aww, she's so sweet!
>Applejack, however, isn't taking too kindly to her presence, looking at her uncertainly and whispering to you
>"Ah still don't think she's trustworthy. Ah mean, ya have to remember what she did way back when, right?"
"Oh, please, she's as harmless as a fly! If she's modest enough to swallow her pride and work on the rock farm, chances are she's cool now, right?"
>"Oh, shoot, Pinkie, ya know how Ah feel around two-timers! They could be lyin', and there ain't nothin' Ah hate more than liars!"
"That makes you and Blaze, then! We'll be gone tomorrow, there's no reason to lose your apples over this!"
>"Not funny, Pinkie. Ah take apples very seriously."
>The both of you joke and discuss Trixie's appearance, unintentionally cleaning the barn to a pristine condition due to being so wrapped in your conversation
>Luna would be honoured to sleep in this palace

>"And Ah'm guessing... Surprise might help us get to the bottom of this mystery?"
"Maybe, but I'm not interested in solving anything. I already know who ate the cake... even though they didn't get punished for it. Remind me when we get home; 'Ask the Cakes to make those three work for us!'"
>"Ah'm talking about 「Pride and Joy」. How're we gonna get to the bottom of this?"
"Easily! Now that I've got other people with the same ability that I do, I can't wait to prank others with it! Imagine this as a special attack... 「Bad Apple's Party Palooza」!"
>"Ah'm thinkin' 「Bad APPPle」. Rolls off the tongue better, and Ah think you like jokes like that."
"Hmm... I'll ask the viewers later and see what they think!"
>The both of you are laying on your beds, talking about what silly things come up
>The others are sleeping inside, most presumably to talk and have some good times
>You'd LOVE to catch up with your sisters, but you're busy thinking about what might happen when you get back to Ponyville
>「Pride and Joy」 is basically a nuisance at this point, what with Pony Joe in prison and whatnot
>Trixie's snoring away, but at least she's not crying anymore
>Applejack yawns, looking over you wearily
>"What ARE we gonna do when we get back to Ponyville, anyway? You just gonna go and look for Surprise, or are ya gonna bunker down for a few days or two?"
"I dunno, Applejack. I mean, 「Pride and Joy」 doesn't have anythin' to do with me anymore, so maybe things will be cool now!"
>"Whatever ya say, Pinkie. Ah'll be there every step of the way, so rely on me if ya have any problems, alright?"
"Alright! Good night, Applejack!"
>"G'night. See ya tomorrow..."
>Applejack then falls asleep, you falling asleep along with her
>And you've got to say, you're so tired you can hear your Paradox snoring, too
"Snore..."

>Your name is Pinkie Pie, and you're currently asleep (obviously)
>You're comfy
>You're happy
>And most of all, you're safe, warmed by hay, rocks, and calmed by the sounds of Applejack breathing
>Your dreams are subpar, mostly about how you're going to prank Twilight when you get back
>The dream you had about fighting with AJ by your side is pretty good, too
>"Mah heart 'n actions're utterly unclouded. They're all those of 'Honesty'!"
>Celestia, that's just a great quote
>As you then imagine yourself kicking the shit out of 「Pride and Joy」 using nothing but your Paradox and a rock, everything fades to black
>Silence stays perpetual, before light blue covers the skies and clouds are over your head
>A grassy meadow is all you see, save for one pony standing in the middle of it
>You can see a white coat, a yellow mane, and a cutie mark with purple balloons (you can't tell how many)
>You figure it's good of you to say something, so you open your mouth and get to work
"Hey! What're you doing here in my head?"
>"To tell you to tell Trixie I miss her too! I won't tell you how I did it, but I'm gonna be in your dreams a lot more from now on! Why, you ask? To keep that menacing, mystery atmosphere alive!"
>Before you go to ask her another question, she slowly fades away, the whole dream being replaced with a whole crowd of colourful ponies and shops
>It's a simple town, with not-so simple ponies
>There's a group in particular who has grabbed your attention

>Three colts are next to a shop, squatting and in highschool uniforms
>One with a scar on his face speaks to his comrade, his voice gravelly yet childish
>"Did you guys hear that the Wonderbolts are gonna be performing in Baltimare soon? I'm freaking stoked to see Soarin come to our city!"
>"'Our city?' Please, our city will always be Mareioh. We're only here because my nephew wanted us here for some sort of trip. Still can't believe he's my nephew!"
>The purple pony with the pompadour scoffs, looking towards a young-looking, blond pony who's reading a comic
>"Oi, Reverb. You think we have enough money to go check them out?"
>"Of course, Shining Diamond! I saved enough for all of us!"
>"Gureto! I can't wait to see Surprise!"
>"You mean the white pony? She steals the whole show for herself and then some! Kind of reminds me of Heaven's Door, actually..."
>"Please, he's a stick-in-the-mud. He won't ever live down the fact I accidentally caused property damage. It was a mistake!"
>"Surprise is drowsed in mystery. Heaven's Door said that she was rude and drunk on power!"
>"HE of all people say that? Sheesh, that means she's got no dignity. The stories I heard were different. A showpony told me she was an honest, hardworking mare who got where she was today through determination."
>Getting up, the pompadoured pony poses and points towards a nearby desserts shop
>"Enough gossip. The three of us deserve a treat so we can enjoy the last days of Summer!"
>"Yeah!"
>"Right on!"
>The three of them run towards the shop, leaving you by yourself, in an blur of ponies walking by

>Before you get out of the dream world, you hear the same white pony from before, talking to you
>"I'm gonna be in Baltimare next week. If you REALLY wanna meet me, your schedule's gotta be tight! See you there!"
>Waking up in a cold sweat, you see your Paradox sleeping in the walls, snoring in a voice similar to yours
>That is, until it sees you're awake, in which it falls out of the wall and onto the ground
>You're in a bad mood, so you unload all your stress onto it
"That's the last time I'm letting you control my dreams, okay? I just wanna dream about my friends!"
>"Mmm? Pinkie? Ah heard ya yellin'. Is there somethin' you need?"
"No, no, I'm fine. I'm just telling somepony off for doing something they shouldn't."
>"Alright. G'night, Pinkie..."
"Good night!"
>As AJ drifts off to sleep again, you glare at the Paradox, which is attempting to sneak off
>Due to its relatively short range, it fails, looking back upon you sheepishly
"Don't think you're getting away with this! I'm gonna go to sleep, and if you make me dream about some 'Mareioh' town again, I'm not gonna use you for a day! Got it?"
>The Paradox nods, sprinting back to the wall and going back to sleep
>You close your eyes, and begin to dream about Twilight and Applejack
>So, it seems your next destination is in Baltimare, huh?
>Looks to you that you're going to have to ask Applejack if she can spare a few bits for the train ride there...

><=To=Be=Continued====