The Pillow Incident

Party Pop raced around her room, various objects flying to and fro as she organized her things with her magic. She was having a sleepover with her friends later, and her room was a disaster! She knew she was supposed to keep it cleaner, but she'd been so focused on her studies in Hebise that she simply hadn't had the time. She paused momentarily to organize her plushies on the bed. Rilakkuma and Piggy were the biggest, so she put them in the back, with Kawaii-Chan, Creepy, and Marshmallow Creme in the front. She smiled, happy that she had found a pleasing arrangement for her little fluffy friends. At that moment, her mom, Pinkie Pie, came in, smiling as she tested her daughter's language studies.

"Yahō, dārin! Kurīningu wa dono yō ni okotte iru no? Anata no yūjin wa sugu ni koko ni narimasu!" Pop bit her lip as she looked around the room, wishing her mom hadn't asked about its progress.

"Kon'nichiwa mama. Watashi wa mada sore ni torikunde imasu." Pinkie smiled as she walked into the room.

"It's ok, Pop. I didn't expect you to be done yet anyway. Would you like some help?" she asked, trying to cheer her up a bit. Pop looked up at her mother, then back to her things as she continued to sort them, tackling her sewing things next.

"No, I'm fine mom. Thanks anyway." she said, already back in the zone as she neatly organized her supplies. Pinkie giggled as she watched her, then walked out of the room.

"You always were like your mom, Pop... I wonder what Rarity would have to say about that." She mused as she walked downstairs to her wife, Rarity, and her friend and housemate, Spike. Meanwhile, Pops' friends were making preparations of their own.

Silver Spoon walked around her room, her maid, Dusk Song, in tow. Silver never packed for anything without her, as she wasn't too terribly good at it, and Dusk always remembered the things that Silver would forget to pack. As Silver walked around the room, grabbing her special travel-size beauty products and brushes, along with her nicest pj's, Dusk would discretely grab the things she knew her mistress would need, such as her toothbrush and toothpaste. At last, silver turned around to her maid with a smile.

"Well, that should be everything. Take that down to the footman to take to Pop's house, ok?" she asked. Even though she was often snappish and bitter to the other staff, and ponies outside the home, she quite enjoyed the company of her personal maid, and was almost always kind to her. Dusk smiled upon her tiny charge, admiring how adorable she was, as always.

"Of course, young mistress. I'll send it down at once." she replied as she walked out of the room. Silver smiled to herself, glad that she would finally get to spend some time with her secret friend. Not to far away from her house, however, another little filly was getting ready to go to the party too.

"Thith ith going to be tho much fun! I haven't gone to Pop'th houthe for a theepover in tho long!" Peppermint Twist exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement as she and her mom packed. Her mom, fortunately, had gotten used to Twist's lisp, and could understand her better than most other ponies could.

"I hope you'll have fun, dear. Is it just you and Pop?" she asked. Twist thought for a moment.

"No, Pop thaid that there would be other fillieth there, but the didn't thay who they were." she said. Her mom smiled as she put a bag of Twist's homemade candies in her saddlebag with a little nuzzle.

"Well, I'm sure the other girls will love your special candies, just like everypony else does!" she said. Twist giggled as she headed for the door.

"I hope tho. Pop thaid if her mom liketh them, the might even thell them at thugar cube corner!" she said, before shutting the door behind her. Her mom smiled as she headed back to the kitchen.

"My little girl's growing up so fast."

Babs Seed sat in her seat on the train, looking out the window to the countryside. The train had left behind the densely populated areas of its rout a little while ago, and was getting closer and closer to her destination of Ponyville. She looked down to her suitcase, filled with her essential items for travel. She was often on the road, so she had managed to hone her items down to just one suitcase. She sighed, looking down to her cutie mark, a pair of scissors with an apple-shaped handle. Everyone assume that her talent was just cutting hair and, truth be told, she wasn't half bad at it. However, her cutie mark also held a dark secret, one that nopony could ever suspect. She looked down to her hoodie's sleeves, and bit her lip as she thought upon the many gashes they always hid. She hoped Pop wouldn't question why she would never take it off, not even to sleep.

Pop sighed in relief, looking around her finally clean room. It had taken her ages, but it was finally cleaned up to a suitable level. She walked downstairs, where her parents were getting dinner ready. Her dad was outside, using his fire breath to roast her special salmon fillet, while her moms were in the kitchen, working together on the vegetables and roast chicken. She smiled, and walked outside, putting on her special flame-retardant coat that her mom, Rarity, had made for her. She pulled up her hood and ran up to the scaly figure in front of her that she knew as her father.

"Daddy!" she cried out, giggling as she jumped onto him and gave him a big hug. Spike laughed gently and hugged his favorite little girl.

"Hey, Pop! What are you up to, sweetie?" he asked, playing with her mane as he gave her a little nuzzle. she booped his nose with a smile.

"I just finished cleaning up my room for the party tonight, so I came down here to see what you were doing!" she said. He smiled, and put her down gently.

"Well, I just finished your main course. Do any of your friends have special dietary requirements too, sweetie? I could make some tofu for them or something." he asked, wanting to make sure nopony got left out, like his daughter sometimes did at others' homes.

"Well, Twist has braces, so noting that's too sticky. Other than that, it should be fine." she said. Spike saluted in an mock militaristic fashion, causing his daughter to giggle.

"As you wish, princess." he said, before giving his little filly a hug and letting her back inside. He watched her go back inside, then hugged himself with a small smile.

"That's daddy's little girl..."