Chapters Chapter 1 - The Morning After
Sun filtered through the pink curtains, painting the walls a deeper shade of pink even more than they were already. The floor of the colourful room was littered with various items and leftovers: crumbs of cupcakes, soaked streamers, deflated balloons and several suspicious looking pools of liquid that must have been cider that was spilled during the festivities.
Not a noise was heard in the house, which was strange considering the pony that resided there. Instead the peaceful chirping of numerous species of small birds that had made themselves home in the garden below could be heard. Accompanying the sweet melody of the birds came a strangely familiar voice that seemed to be getting closer, a voice even sweeter than those of the birds that were already very talented at singing.
A knock at the door was heard, breaking the peaceful tune of the birds as they left in a flurry of wings. Pinkie sprang out of bed, with the usual spring in her step, but suddenly realised she was too lethargic to be her bouncy self.
The door flew open and Pinkie greeted her visitor as jauntily as she did every morning.
Still locked in Pinkie’s hug, Fluttershy managed hurriedly get the message through to an excited Pinkie, as if she was letting out an entire conversation in a single sentence.
Ponies passing by had stopped in amazement to gaze upon her. Rainbow Dash, who had been overhearing the conversation while kicking clouds, fell out of the sky and onto her back into the bushes just outside the door. Never before had anypony seen Fluttershy talk so much at once! There was a look of shock upon Pinkie’s face, which soon faded into her usual playful smile.
‘Oh, silly. Why didn’t you tell me sooner then?’ Pinkie replied.
Chapter 2 - A Strange Tail
It had been just over an hour since Fluttershy had left Pinkie all on her lonesome in charge of running Sugarcube Corner for the next couple of days. Pinkie had already become bored, and restlessly began to bounce from one end of the shop to the other in a typical Pinkie fashion.
Nopony was around to hear her, leaving her disheartened. But this disappointment soon vanished as a bouncing mane and two pairs of hooves were seen out the front window of Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie stuck her head out the window and yelled at the top of her lungs to the passing-by pony.
Unbeknownst to Pinkie, a filly from across the other side of the small street watched through latticework windows as Pinkie continued to introduce herself to the cloud of dust.
To her surprise there was nopony there at all, just a small cloud of settling dust resting at the bottom of her hooves. Searching for the runaway pony, Pinkie noticed the little filly on the opposite side of the street and called out to her.
Unlike herself, Pinkie walked sluggishly back into Sugarcube Corner staring at the ground as she went. Her hair seemed to sag more and more with each slow step she took as if the curls seemed to disappear slightly. A hoof was extended to the closed door, but in vain hope she gazed over her flank in hope that the pony had returned to give her some much needed company. But to her dismay the streets were as dead as if a horde of parasprites had chased overypony out of town.
‘Where is everypony?’ She muttered to herself, ‘Running Sugarcube Corner is no fun when there’s nopony to serve, nopony to talk to, nopony to laugh with…’ Tears began to well up that she managed to dull by rubbing her eyes.
Quickly reverting back to her joyful old self, Pinkie was determined to look after the shop, for a promise was a promise! She returned to her spot at the counter and again began to watch the door with excitement.
Seconds passed, all was still quiet.
Minutes passed as she still stared with determination at the inanimate door, flinching with excitement at every noise.
After half an hour of watching and waiting Pinkie rubbed her eyes tiredly with a hoof. How long had she been sitting and watching the same spot now?
* * * *
Pinkie awoke to the noise of shuffling outside the door. Lifting her head up, she swivelled an ear in the direction of the noise and heard the soft sound of hooves against the damp soil of the flowerbeds nearby. Glancing through the window, she caught a quick view of what appeared to be a tail dragging along the ground. What was a pony doing snooping around outside Sugarcube Corner? Either the pony had a ridiculously long tail (which was highly unlikely from any citizens of Ponyville), or this pony was dragging along somepony else. Pinkie let out an exaggerated gasp as she ran to the window and peeked through the curtains to get a better look at the mystery figure. For the sake of Mr and Mrs Cake she had to get to the bottom, no, the top of this mystery!
Chapter 3 - A Wild Pinkie Appears!
With the swift clatter of hooves on Sugar Cube Corner’s colourful tiled floor, Pinkie rushed towards a cupboard and withdrew a small strip of fabric. Lifting it up with an extended hoof she began to analyse it carefully. Satisfied with the cloth she grabbed it in two hooves and ran back towards the front window, gazing out at the mysterious figure as she did.
Her mission had begun. Scanning her surroundings, Pinkie noticed a slowly moving tail dragging along the ground in her peripherals; this was her chance to track down and find out who this pony was!
As Pinkie leapt out of the bush to her next hiding place in pursuit of the pony, she stumbled and landed flat on her stomach in the middle of the busy road at the feet of a certain light-yellow pony. She gazed up at the flowing pale pink mane above. A wave of nervousness washed over Pinkie, what if she was being watched!? Pinkie suddenly grabbed Fluttershy and bounced over to hide behind nearby tree. Resuming her mission, Pinkie stretched her head around the side of the tree and began to look back and forth, leaving Fluttershy thoroughly confused.
‘I’ve never seen her around here before, maybe you should just go and introduce yourself.’ Fluttershy responded timidly.
* * * *
‘Hello, anypony in there?’ Pinkie knocked on the door, it must have accidentally locked when the mystery pony closed it. She walked over to the front window and peered in, the mysterious pony was in there. Again she tried to get her attention, this time tapping at the glass with a hoof.
But how am I going to get all the way…’ Pinkie looked up to the balcony above; it seemed an awful long way, ‘…up there? If only I had the wings of a Pegasus!’
Rainbow grabbed Pinkie by the hoof and quickly lifted her off the ground, speeding towards the cupcake-shaped room atop Sugar Cube Corner. The speed was incredible as the wind rushed through Pinkie’s mane; it was almost as exciting as baking cupcakes! All of a sudden Pinkie went through her open window and landed on the bedroom floor. Rainbow Dash flew up and stuck her head through the window.
‘Time to go meet this new pony. I’d better go quietly, I don’t want to scare her…’ Pinkie said softly to herself.
She looked up.
Standing in front of her was the pony she’d been after all morning, a brightly-coloured pink pony with a straight pink mane and a long, flowing pink tail.
The two exchanged glances, the silence was deafening. Pinkie couldn’t hold it in much longer…
‘Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie! What’s your name?’
Not far beyond Ponyville, nestled among the mountains beyond the Everfree Forest, lay a small, quaint village by the name of Ponnsylvania. While Ponyville’s citizens took such luxuries as cupcakes and hairstyles for granted, residents of Ponnsylvania were adverse to any modernisation whatsoever and instead lived simple yet peaceful lives harvesting their rock farms and enjoying the little things in life. Lack of technology meant that citizens relied on antiquated methods of life, living on a simple diet of hay and oats, and strangely it became a cultural tradition not to cut one’s tail when it became too long. This allowed Ponnsylvanians to be identified all across Equestria, as the lengthy tails on both colts and mares were obviously quite noticeable even from a distance.
Lush foliage and jagged mountainsides surrounded the vast rock farms of Ponnsylvania and the Everfree Forest led the only path between the two towns, this meant that residents of Ponnsylvania and Ponyville seldom interacted or even so much as met. However, there was one especially peculiar resident of Ponnsylvania that decided she would leave her family and the comfort of her ancient rock-harvesting lifestyle. This was something that was unheard of in the small secluded community, and often those who deserted the village became shunned, snubbed by the society. One young filly, daughter of the largest rock farmer in all of Equestria (who might I add wears a really cool hat), suddenly had a compelling urge to leave her native home and adventure to a place where Ponnsylvanians dare never venture: a city where the buildings are colourful, the ponies are plenty and cupcakes are eaten by the dozen.
This life intrigued her, so she bid adieu to her loving family and to their surprise she left unnoticed, taking only a small rucksack of rocks and dirt. Her parents were utterly puzzled by this, but they offered it no thought and instead dismissed their child who had suddenly left.
While the parents didn’t seem to fret over the loss of their child, a cousin of the young exiled filly who had also been a very close child friend was heart-broken. Her best friend had left suspiciously without a trace, not even the finest of rocks could counter the frustration she felt knowing that her friend may never return. So the cousin of the young, adventurous filly vowed that one day, no matter what the cost, even if it took all the rocks in Ponnsylvania she would track down her beloved cousin.
