Twilight watched Pinkie bounce around Sugarcube Corner with an eyebrow raised. It was early in the morning, and the earth pony was busy helping open up shop.
“Are you even listening to me, Pinkie?”
She turned her head to Twilight, still bouncing about. “Sure I am!”
“Answer my question, then. How did you do it?” the unicorn asked, walking over to her.
“I dunno, I just needed six hooves and six hooves showed up,” she shrugged, bouncing between the displays.
Twilight moaned with frustration. “There has to be an explanation for this. I've ignored your antics before. I even accepted the Pinkie Sense. But ponies just don't grow extra appendages at will!” she stated, following her around the shop.
Pinkie suddenly stopped bouncing, a huge smile spreading over her face. “Pffffffffft, Rarity with six legs! That must have been hilarious!” she squealed, laughing.
“We didn't think it was very funny. Last I checked, Fluttershy is still refusing to count things,” Twilight grumbled. “And the Princess probably thinks we've lost our minds.”
“Oh, Twilight,” Pinkie said, finally turning to face her friend, “You worry too much.”
“You know what? Fine. I can deal with counting in my head. There's something else bothering me, though,” the unicorn said, eying Pinkie. “And I happen to think it's very serious.”
The earth pony took an uncertain step back, the look on Twilight's face making her a bit nervous. “Wh-what's that?”
“A little birdie told me that you exploded,” she replied, looking quite serious.
Pinkie stared at her for a moment before bursting out with laughter. “You silly filly, ponies can't explode! I don't think birds can talk, either. Besides griffons. Do griffons count as birds?” she asked. Her line of questioning would have continued had Twilight not raised a hoof to get her attention.
“I'm serious, Pinkie! Matilda told me--”
“Twilight, Matilda's a donkey. Wait...is she secretly a pegasus donkey?” Pinkie gasped. “That would be so amazingly incredible! What if she's the only one of her kind?”
“Focus, Pinkie! She said you shot into the air and there were fireworks! I know you always have something party-related with you,” she paused for a moment to mumble, “even if I cannot figure out for the life of me how you carry it,” then cleared her throat and proceeded at regular volume, “but fireworks? Those can be dangerous!”
“I don't carry fireworks,” Pinkie countered, gazing at Twilight oddly. “I don't carry any kaboomy stuff.”
“What about the party cannon?” Twilight pointed out.
“Oh, that just uses a big springy thingy! It doesn't even have a fuse,” Pinkie grinned happily.
The unicorn smacked her own face with a foreleg, sighing heavily. “Right. So, you didn't explode.”
Pinkie nodded rapidly with a big smile.
“And you don't, or didn't, have any sort of fireworks on you at any point?”
“Nope!” she squeaked.
“Then what happened?” Twilight asked, still trying to wrap her mind around the whole affair. “Matilda is a very reasonable donkey, and I tend to believe what she says.”
Pinkie sat down on her hind legs, rubbing her chin in thought. “Let's see. I was trying to get Cranky to be my friend, or at least make him smile. But he wouldn't! He wouldn't even smile at my welcome wagon, and everypony smiles at the wel--”
“I already know that. You told me six times,” Twilight interrupted. “Could we please skip to the part where you did or didn't explode?”
“Okay,” Pinkie tilted her head, “Um, Cranky had just agreed to be my friend, so I was super duper happy and I smiled really big! But then I started to shake and I felt fizzy and--”
“Hold on,” Twilight lifted a hoof. “Fizzy? You felt fizzy?”
“Sure! Like a big happy bottle of Pinkie pop! I just kept feeling fizzier and fizzier and then woosh!” she said, falling onto her back with her forelegs spread wide, “I flew up into the air and then there were these shiny explosions!”
“You did explode!” Twilight pointed at her.
Pinkie lifted her head and shook it. “No I didn't. If I exploded, I don't think we'd be talking about this.”
“Then you were carrying fireworks!” the unicorn stated, although her attempts at logic were beginning to ring hollow, even for her.
“I just told you I don't,” Pinkie countered as she sat up again.
Twilight glared into space. “I'm just going to have to see this to understand it, aren't I? Fine. Pinkie, get fizzy.”
“That sounds funny when you say it,” Pinkie snorted. Twilight, however, was not amused, and just looked at her. For a while they sat in silence, exchanging increasingly awkward looks as the seconds ticked by.
“Well?” Twilight finally asked.
“I don't feel very fizzy right now,” Pinkie shrugged. “Which is probably for the best. I mean, if I felt fizzy in here, I'd crash into the ceiling! That would hurt.”
“Ugh,” the unicorn groaned, looking up. “I guess you're right. Okay, here's what we'll do. After you're done with work, meet me...” she trailed off, trying to decide on a spot, “at the library. There's enough open space around there, I think.”
“Okay!” Pinkie nodded quickly, hopping to her hooves and bouncing about once more.
Twilight returned the nod, though hers was serious. “And before I leave, could I get a box of chocolate chip cookies? Spike ate all of mine,” she added, walking to the counter.
That afternoon found Twilight wandering around under the branches of her library, waiting for Pinkie to appear. She had her saddlebags on and packed with spell books in case anything went awry. While circling the trunk, she saw Fluttershy, who waved and walked over.
“Hello,” she smiled. “Did you go shopping too?” she asked, pointing at her own saddlebags.
“Hello, and no I didn't,” Twilight shook her head. “I just have some books in these in case of an emergency.”
“Emergency books?” Fluttershy blinked, trying to figure out what sort of contingency would require immediate reading.
“If something happens to catch on fire or something like that,” Twilight explained. The pegasus' face grew terrified, so she hastily added, “Not that I'm expecting anything to catch on fire! It's just that with Pinkie involved, I'd rather be safe than sorry.”
“Wh-why would Pinkie set something on fire?” Fluttershy asked nervously.
“She wouldn't! I mean, normally. But I'm trying to make her feel fizzy and explode, and I don't know what the effects of that will be,” Twilight said, her nervous laughter at the end only exacerbating the ridiculousness of her statement.
“You're trying to make her feel fizzy?” Fluttershy stared at her.
“Yes. Fizzy!” the unicorn nodded, putting on a big smile. When Fluttershy didn't say anything else, that smile quickly departed. “That sounds really odd, doesn't it...”
“Yes, and, um, the exploding part doesn't really help either,” the pegasus said, pawing at the ground.
Twilight tried to be reassuring. “Well, I'm not actually trying to make her explode, I'm really just trying to make her fizzy and see what...why are you looking at me like that?”
“Is this something you should be doing in public?” Fluttershy wondered out loud. “Causing ponies to get fizzy, I mean?”
Twilight's jaw dropped. “Fluttershy! That's not what I'm—I am not trying to—oh, forget it, I can't even explain it without it sounding completely ridiculous. When she gets here, hopefully you'll see it for yourself,” she sighed, admitting defeat.
“Um...okay,” Fluttershy said, deciding to sit under the tree while they waited. Not long after, Pinkie came bouncing down the street with a typically huge smile.
“Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! I'm here and ready to get fizzy!” she proclaimed with a wave. Fluttershy stared at her oddly. “What?”
“She's a bit confused. I'm confused,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “Anyway, let's get started. I'm pretty sure we can trigger the effect by making you very happy,” she said, thinking of a way to accomplish that.
“She seems pretty happy right now,” Fluttershy noted. Pinkie was bouncing in place and humming a little tune.
“I know, but we need her to be really, really happy,” she replied. Something came to her mind just then, and she realized it would probably be perfect. It was something she hadn't said to Pinkie before; she kept forgetting to because of her antics.
“Hey, Pinkie?” she said, walking up to her.
Pinkie continued to bounce happily. “Yep?”
“Thanks for being my friend,” she replied, timing her hug for when the pony had landed. Pinkie didn't really react at first, but then a tremendous grin broke out on her face as she hugged Twilight back.
Then she started to shake.
“Uh, Pinkie? Are you okay?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy stood up behind them, looking slightly worried. The unicorn stepped back as she began to shake harder. Suddenly, with a great cloud of pink smoke, the earth pony shot into the sky, leaving a glittering trail of pink in her wake.
“Woooooooohoo!” she yelled, floating in the air. Behind and around her, flashes of light and sparkles came and went. Some of them were shaped like stars, others were just glowing balls of blue and gold. They certainly sounded like fireworks, but they vanished almost as fast as they appeared. The other ponies outside stopped to watch the show, filling the air with 'oohs' and 'aahs'. After a minute or so of defying gravity, Pinkie returned to the ground, bouncing around with a level of vigor neither Twilight or Fluttershy had ever seen.
“Thanks for being my friend too, Twilight!” Pinkie said as she bounced circles around the unicorn. Suddenly, however, she stopped bouncing, and looked around. “I did it again, didn't I?”
“Uh huh,” her friends nodded together, dumbfounded.
“Aw, I wish I could have seen it,” Pinkie lamented. As she glanced about and saw all the other smiling ponies, she grinned again. “Oh well, at least everypony else did! So, Twilight, how'd I do?”
“Great, Pinkie,” she said happily. “Just great.”
“I'm glad! Do you know how I did it now?” she asked, bouncing in circles.
“I haven't the slightest idea, but it's fine. I don't think those are actually fireworks,” Twilight said. “I was just worried about a fire hazard. All these thatched roofs and everything, can't be too careful!” she added with an awkward smile.
“Good point! I gotta go, I think Rainbow Dash wants me to watch her practice. I'll see you girls later!” Pinkie waved, bouncing off down the street.
As she left, Fluttershy came up beside Twilight. They both watched her go for a moment.
“That was certainly prettier than having six legs,” the pegasus said. “And a lot less scary.”
Twilight nodded her agreement. “Yes, and I think I've learned a valuable lesson. I'd better go write to the Princess.”
“Okay, see you later,” Fluttershy smiled her goodbye and walked off.
The unicorn entered the library. “Spiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike!” she bellowed, not seeing him just off to the side on a ladder until afterward. “Oops, sorry. I thought you were upstairs.”
“It's all right,” he waved at her, hopping down the rungs. “What was all that noise and light just now? Is Trixie back in town?”
“No, it was just...” she hesitated, not willing to go through the 'fizzy' explanation again. “...Pinkie Pie.”
Spike snickered. “That sure explains it.”
“It sure does. Can you send a letter for me?” the unicorn asked.
Instantly, he produced a quill and parchment. “Yep, ready when you are.”
“Actually, I think I'll write this one myself,” she said, using her magic to take them. She walked over to one of the tables, collecting her thoughts. Finally, she decided to just say exactly what she felt, and let the Princess write back if she wanted further clarification. A smirk came to her face; that was probably a certainty, given the words she'd be using.
Her letter was simple:
Dear Princess Celestia,
Today I made my friend Pinkie very fizzy, and she exploded.
And you know what?
I am perfectly okay with that.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle
