The Matchmaker Game

In the morning, a few days before the party, Pinkie Pie started off towards Rarity’s house.  Her plan was simple: she would tell the rest of the Mane Six about the sleepover incident between the lovebirds Rainbow and Twilight.  Then, once they were at the party, she would ask them to help prank the two so that the scene happened all over again.  It was genius!  Her friends would love the easy laugh it would give, and they would think it was funny too!

Pinkie knocked on Rarity’s door.  The fashionista opened the door quickly, and invited her in.

Rarity looked out at Pinkie Pie.  She had black lines drawn under each eye, and was looking around almost nervously.  That could only mean…

“Rarity, I have your weekly gossip.”  Pinkie said those words in such a way that it was only suited to a period, and not a comma like dialogue should have.  Rarity’s smile was almost evil as she sat Pinkie down at a table in her kitchen.

“Go on,” she egged as she poured them freshly made tea.  Little did Ponyville know, Rarity’s seemingly endless knowledge of the latest gossip was supplied by Pinkie Pie herself.  Nopony thought to leash their tongue when this aforementioned pink nightmare came bouncing around, and that fact made her the perfect employee for Rarity.

“Well, a few nights ago, Twilight Rainbow and I had a sleepover at Twilight’s place…..” the pink pony you know by the name of Pinkie Pie retold the events of her sleepover in the juiciest way imaginable, making the small bit of gossip irresistible to the purple maned mare in front of her.

“… they were embarrassed so much!” she finished with a giggle.  She knew she had Rarity twisted around her little finger, so she started spewing her devious plans for their next sleepover party.

“So, I have the PERFECT prank planned for our next sleepover,” she paused, expecting Rarity to prod.

“Oooh, what brilliant prank do you have up your sleeve now?” Rarity made an attempt at luring her on.

“Wellll… nah, I don’t think you’d be up to it.  You’d probably call it uncouth,” she said, and made as if to leave.

“WAIT!  I mean, uh, please darling, I assure you I have had my fair share of pranks.  I beg for you to let me help,” Rarity pleaded.  She was desperate for a bit of dirty fun, and saw this as the perfect chance about to come.  Meanwhile, Pinkie was satisfied that she had led her friend on long enough to make her stick with the prank.

“I suppose… Well, okay.  I was thinking….” She whispered her plans into a waiting ear, provoking an uncharacteristic snort from her.  She laughed along, and then they were both laughing.

“Oh DARLING, what a LOVELY plan that is,” she rubbed her hooves together menacingly and cackled.  “I think we need to tell the others about this.  I’m sure they’d love to help,” she added with a giggle.

Pinkie Pie set out for Applejack’s with Rarity beside her.  The pristine pony had taken awhile to put “fashionable yet devious” black strokes under her eyes.  They made quite an odd looking pair as they paraded towards Sweet Apple Acres.

Applejack paused in the job of painting her family’s once white picket fence.  She heard two familiar voices calling her name, and when she saw who they were, she sighed and raised an eyebrow.  ‘I hope this won’t be the same as the LAST time,’ she thought with an inner shudder.  She would NOT let herself succumb to that….. never mind.  She neighed a greeting to the incoming duo and tipped her hat.  “So what now?” she asked, dreading the answer.  Rarity cast a devious look her way.

“Well, we need your help with a small prank…” she replied with an evil grin.  Despite her past experiences with the two of them, Applejack grinned on the inside.  Ponies didn’t usually let her in on pranks, thinking that she was too honest to pull one off, or that she wouldn’t even want to, but the truth was…

“I’d LOVE to,” she responded heartily.  She loved pulling a fast one on her friends, especially if the pony they were planning to play it on would have to be either Twilight or Rainbow, seeing as they wouldn’t likely prank Fluttershy.

Pinkie Pie grinned inside and out.  Her whole aura was grinning.  She knew EVERYPONY in this town better than the average pony would know.  It was almost like she kept tabs on their personal life; what their hidden desires were, or who they crushed on, or even their hidden indulgences.  She was actually one of the smartest ponies in Ponyville, but the smart she had was more in people.  Body language, she often bragged to herself, is her first language.  She could read every pony like a book.  And EVERYTHING. Everything. Everything.  Was. Planned.  She had gone to Rarity first, because Rarity was the weakest of the six when it came to this kind of stuff.  Applejack was an easy second, seeing as Fluttershy would need all of them to persuade her to help them in something so… unlike her.  She knew Applejack would need the least beguiling, because she knew how much she wanted to be included with her friends.  Now all they needed was Fluttershy.

“Yay, yay, yay!  Oh my gosh AJ, this is gonna be super duper fun!” she squealed to her excited pal.  Rarity added a smile and a giddy giggle, and Applejack joined in with a fit of laughter, even though she knew nothing of the prank yet.

“So.  Y’all gonna tell me what’s it you’re gonna do?” AJ inquired hopefully.  Rarity threw a joyous look at Pinkie.

“Well, a few nights ago…” she retold the story with ease, and once she finished, they had already tired out their laughboxes.

“Gee, that’ll be hilarious!” AJ paused from her giggles to take some white paint from the bucket she was using for the fence.  “It’s not black, but it’ll work,” she said as she rubbed a line under each green eye.

Fluttershy was peacefully grooming Angel when the door gave off a loud ringing.  She jumped, then realized what it was.  “Oh, that must be the new doorbell.  It’s quite loud,” she whispered to herself.  Angel rolled her eyes, angered over being dumped on the floor so rudely.  Fluttershy didn’t notice, as she was already hovering toward the door.  “Hello?” she called quietly.

“Fluttershy!” came a trio of familiar voices outside her oak door.  She smiled, yay!

“Hi hi hi Fluttershy!  We have a business offer for you!” Pinkie said bouncingly.  Fluttershy blinked.

“Why, a-a business offer?” she repeated.  She was confused.  What business would they have to offer?

“Okay.  Now Fluttershy darling, I ask that you listen to our whole story before you decide.  Can you do that for me, honey?” Rarity put on her pleading face, making the easy task almost irresistible to complete.  Fluttershy nodded obediently, and they retold the story.

By the end of her friend’s story, Fluttershy was beet red, tough she still managed to not judge them.  Her friends faced her giddily.  “You can decide now… PLEEEEAAASSEE!  We really need your delicate touch to help us pull through with this.  And, it’s just a little prank!  I bet Twilight and Rainbow will be absolutely laughed out of laugh land!” Pinkie added.  She could see Fluttershy’s face turning for the worse, but then she lightened up a bit.

“Well…”

“Please, Sugar Cube?” Applejack looked at her with her most convincing puppy dog face.  “For me?”  Fluttershy caved.  It was too much!  She did feel a TINY bit of excitement though.  She was gonna be a BAD girl, and finally be rebellious for a change.  Nopony would DARE mess with tough-as-nails-Fluttershy, oh NO!  She smiled deviously, this was gonna be interesting!