'Rigging Up the Lights!

by xStellar_Bubbles

Rating: everyone
Tags: Pinkie Pie, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Comedy
Length: 1451

You think that ropes are bad, Rainbow Dash? Try hanging Hearth's Warming lights.

It's that time of year again. Hearth's Warming is on its way in Equestria, and ponies are getting festive just like every other year. But, when Pinkie Pie asks Rainbow Dash to hang up the lights on Sugarcube Corner, she'll face a challenge tougher than opening peanut butter jars and having a lasso contest with Applejack.

EDIT: What?? My story is on the popular list at 8:12 PM on December 24th, 2014???? :pinkiegasp: It's a Christmas miracle! :rainbowkiss:

12/25/14: Still going strong...
Late evening of 12/25/14: Aaaaaannd... it's gone.

Cover art by Aurora-Borealis

[img]https://i.imgur.com/GizVyc0.png[/img]
:yay:

Published 2014-12-24 22:00:05 UTC
Last updated 2014-12-24 22:00:05 UTC

"One light goes out, they all go out!"

Author's Note

Happy holidays, everypony! :pinkiehappy::heart:

"One light goes out, they all go out!"

Alright, a few more clouds then I'm done! Rainbow Dash thought as she soared through the blue skies. Along with the other pegasi all over Equestria, they had to change and take care of the weather. After all, today is the day when winter officially starts. Rainbow Dash landed on one cloud and bounced on it, making light snow fall.

"Aaaaand, done!" Rainbow said to herself as she flew above Ponyville and admired her own work. Rainbow Dash slowly floated back on the cloud and sat down. But suddenly, she caught a whiff of a gingerbread scent. Rainbow looked down on the ground and noticed that she was right above Sugarcube Corner. Then, a familiar pink mare came out the door, noticing Rainbow Dash on a cloud and waved along with her smiles.

"Hiya Dashie!" Rainbow waved back.

"Hey Pinkie Pie, whatcha' doing here?"

"Oh, I just came outside so I can see and feel the soft new winter snow!" Pinkie Pie said as she then let out an excited squee.

"Ooh, I can't believe Hearth's Warming is almost here! I mean, it's the day when I get to hang out with my bestest friends and eat candy out of socks! Actually, it's kinda gross since you are eating candy out of socks, but candy is still candy, am I right Rainbow Dash?" Rainbow made a small smile.

"Heh, I guess you're right," Rainbow replied. For a moment, Pinkie made a blank stare to nowhere and put a hoof to her face. Rainbow Dash was rather perplexed by her friend's behavior. But yet again, this is Pinkie Pie right here.

"Something wrong, Pinkie?" Rainbow asked as Pinkie began to walk in tiny circles.

"Dashie! Do you mind if you do me a teeny-weeny favor for me?" Pinkie Pie asked. Rainbow Dash softly landed on the surface and said her response.

"Hm, alright. Whaddya need?"

"Well, I need to bake my super duper sugary and scrumptious holiday gingerbread cupcakes, and I forgot that Hearth's Warming is inching closer and closer, and that means Sugarcube Corner needs to get festive! So, can you hang up these lights for me? They're full of many different colors!"

"Okay, I'll hang up the lights for you, Pinkie. So, where are they?" Pinkie Pie quickly zipped to Sugarcube Corner and came back with a wire of colorful Hearth's Warming lights in her mouth, all containing the colors red, yellow, green and blue.

"Here you go, Dashie!" Pinkie Pie said after she spat out the dark green wire. "I'll be in Sugarcube Corner baking up the super sugary gingerbread cupcakes. Happy light-hanging!"

"Alright, see ya, Pinkie!" Rainbow Dash said as her friend simply trotted back to the sweet shop. Rainbow went right to work by walking to the wire and picked them up with her mouth. She rose above Sugarcube Corner and just threw the lights on the roof. Like I said, piece of cake, Rainbow thought to herself. Just as she was going to take a nap on a cloud, Rainbow Dash heard a clink. She turned around and found out the lights have fallen to the ground. Hm, no matter. I'll just hang them up again.

Rainbow Dash once again flew to the lights, picked them up with her mouth, and threw them on the roof.... But they fell to the ground once again. She made an annoyed grunt, but she was still determined to hang up the lights! No way, I'm not letting little lights get the best of me. Besides, they're just lights for Celestia's sake!

Rainbow picked up the lights with her hooves this time and let them hang over her arms as she flew up to the roof. Alright, I gotta be careful this time, that might be it. Slowly, Rainbow Dash spread the strand of Hearth's Warming lights from the roof to the top of the awning... and they fell to the cobblestone ground once again with a thunk. Time to take some drastic measures...

"Do you guys have duct tape?"

"We sure do," the stallion behind the counter said as he rummaged in the back shelves and pulled out a single roll of tape. "That'll be six bits, ma'am,"

"Kinda overpriced for duct tape, but I'll take it anyway," Rainbow Dash said as she grabbed the six bits with her wing and placed them on the countertop.

"Thank you for shopping at Handymare's Hardware, ma'am. Have a nice day!"

Alright, this has to work for sure, it's duct tape! Rainbow Dash thought as she tore off a piece of tape off the roll, took the strand of lights, and put the tape at the end of the light. The Hearth's Warming lights were lightly dangling at the end of Sugarcube Corner's roof. Yes, it works! I knew it! Rainbow thought as she began to tear off more pieces of tape and stuck them to the lights.

Rainbow Dash flew back to the ground, took a few steps back, and gratefully admired her own work once again. Nothing, not even stupid Hearth's Warming lights, can stop Rainbow Dash! she thought to herself. Rainbow stared and stared at the hung lights... but she realized that she forgot something: power! Oh right... the lights actually need to light up... Rainbow Dash thought to herself as she brought a hoof to her face and barged right into Sugarcube Corner. Rainbow ringed the counter bell and out zipped Pinkie Pie.

"Hey Pinkie? Do you have extension cords? The lights need to be, you know, lit up, and there doesn't seem to be an outlet anywhere on the outside of Sugarcube Corner," Rainbow Dash said.

"Extension cords? Hold on!" Pinkie Pie said as she swiftly ran up the stairs and into the Sugarcube Corner attic. She tripped a few times, but Pinkie recovered quickly from her falls. Then, a few minutes later, Pinkie Pie came down with the cords in her mouth. She placed them on the table and let Rainbow Dash pick them up also with her mouth.

"Thanks, Pinkie!" Rainbow said in her muffled voice as she ran out of Sugarcube Corner.

Time to get this show on the road! Rainbow Dash went right to work once again and plugged the lights to the extension cord and ran the cord all the way to the inside of Sugarcube Corner. She found the nearest outlet and plugged in the plug. Then, Rainbow proceeded and walked outside to find that... all the lights aren't lighting up. Huh? What gives?

Rainbow Dash went back into the shop, unplugged the plug, plugged it in again, went outside, and all the lights are lit up! With a bright smile on her face, Rainbow pranced around in the light snow... But then, one light turned off, then the rest of them did. She fiddled and fiddled with the lights for a few more minutes, then eventually for a few hours. However, the same result occurs. All the lights will turn on, but a few of them will not be blinking and then all of the Hearth's Warming lights will all turn off.

Finally, after about the thirtieth time that Rainbow Dash had to unplug the lights and plug them in again, all the lights remained on and shone their beautiful colors. No... no no no. They are just going to go off again. Why am I even still trying to hang these things up? Rainbow thought to herself as she gave a pout and crossed her hooves for a few seconds... and realized that all the lights were indeed, all on.

"W-Wait.... what? What??" Then, Rainbow Dash completely exploded with pure joy.

"Ohmygosh..... YES! YES YES YES, OH MY CELESTIA, YES!" Rainbow said once more as she took off and soared into the sky like a rocket. Finally! After all this time, I finally hung up Pinkie Pie's lights! This is one of the most happiest moments of my life!

"Dashie!" Pinkie Pie yelled out to her friend as Rainbow Dash immediately plummeted to the ground.

"Pinkie Pie... I finally did it! I finally did it!" Rainbow said to Pinkie. "Hehehe.... yessssss....."

"Super news! Guess what?..... Um, I also got something to tell you as well...."

"Yes, Pinkie? Oh my gosh.... I still can't believe I did it...." Pinkie Pie then raised her hoof that held a huge strand of Hearth's Warming lights.

"Mr and Mrs Cake changed their minds, they want these lights to be hung up.... Hehe.... sorry, Rainbow Dash," Pinkie said as Rainbow's face filled with fiery frustration and dropped to the floor on her knees.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"