Capes can't cover everything

“PAR-TAY!” Pinkie hollered, firing a pink cannon. Confetti of all sorts of colours blasted out of the cannon and showered the whole house.

“What is going on?” Mr lemonade looked rather confused. The cottage was filled with dozens of ponies, the walls decked with colourful(mostly pink) banners and now, the floor is covered with a layer of rainbow glitter.

“Surprise! It’s your Surprise Super Duper BEST Party you ever had in Ponyville yet Welcome party!” Pinkie laughed as she blew into a red blowout, the shrill and loud sound making Mr Lemonade jump. Mr Lemonade sighed, couldn’t he bring his family out for dinner for a few hours and come home peace and quiet?

“Wait, I thought you said you didn’t have time to throw a party today? You said it this afternoon,” Raspberry panicked. She was not prepared for a surprise party and to socialized. She snatch a glance at her flank, and felt a wave of relief wash over her when she saw not an inch of it was uncovered by her cape.

“Yeah! I thought so but then I realized today was Wednesday, not Tuesday! I always have a time for party on Wednesday!” The cyan eyed earth pony pointed to a small light green alligator, standing next to a tray of punch. “And like I said, Gummy’s serving the punch!”

The Lemonade family did not get Pinkie’s answer, but decided not to question it.They fixed their gaze at the punch server, with question marks in their eyes.Raspberry squirted her eyes at the strange creature.  It had pale violet eyes were half the size of its head and looked as if it was staring into space, expressionless. It was dressed in a mini silver disco top, and a golden sequin hat.

“Odd outfit that thing is wearing” Flin commented, tilling his head as he took a step closer to inspect the reptile.

“Don’t touch it!” shrieked Misty, taking her brother by the hoof and pulling him back. “ The crocodile could bite!”

Raspberry rolled her eyes. Oh Misty, scared of almost any animal, even a grasshopper.

“Oh you mean Gummy?” Pinkie Pie screwed her eyes together in surprise. “ First, he is an alligator, not crocodile. Alligators have a broader snout, whereas crocodiles have a thinner-”

“Same thing!” snapped Misty, eyeing Gummy carefully.

“And Gummy is harmless, I’ll show you! Here Gummy!” Pinkie beckoned her pet over, waving her hoof frantically. The green alligator seemed oblivious to Pinkie’s calls, his eyes wide and distant, not moving from his spot.

Pinkie picked up a popcorn kennel from the snack table. “Here Gummy! I know you want it!”

Gummy continued into do nothing for about half a minute, but after Pinkie’s pleas, the alligator started to sniff the air. Locating the area where the smell is coming from, he stared to idly waddle towards its owner.

Misty left out a shrill and frighten squeal and ducked behind her parents. Flin sniggered.

Gummy eventually reached the poofy maned pony and stopped, its purple irises dilating, like it was back into a world of its own.

“C’mon Gummy!” Pinkie waved the kennel in front of the alligator’s eyes.

Gummy opened up its mouth and snapped it shut. Except it did not eat the popcorn kennel, it bit Pinkie’s hoof.

The lemonade family gasped. But instead of howling in pain, Pinkie burst out laughing. “ Hehehe! That tickles!”

“Heheheh....” Raspberry and her brother faked a laugh to ease the awkwardness.

“See?” Pinkie pointed her hoof at Misty, with the green alligator still hanging on it, causing Misty to take a few steps back. “ He has no teeth! A bite is harmless!”

Mrs Lemonade decided to change the topic back to the party, rather than discussing on the bubblegum pink mare’s toothless alligator. “Pinkie, why didn’t you tell us when and where you were going to hold the party? It would have been better.”

Pinkie chortled. “ But then It wouldn’t be a surprise, silly!” She placed Gummy back onto the punch tray.

Raspberry nodded. Pinkie made a sensible point. Another important question invade her head that brought question marks in her mind. She looked at Pinkie suspiciously. “How did you get in here anyway?”

Pinkie Pie fixed her gaze on Mr lemonade. “ Did you lock the door?”

“Yes, I’m sure I did.”

“Windows?”

“The windows were shut tight.”

“Did you lock your chimney?”

“Chimneys do not have locks.” Mr lemonade pointed out.

“Exactly!”

Raspberry opened her mouth to ask something but thought twice and shut it again. Another answer she should not question.

“Anyway,like I said earlier, let’s party!” Pinkie started to do a short chicken dance and skipped into the sea of ponies in the living room.

“Well, I guess I shall tidy up the house and be a good house host,”said Mrs Lemonade, as she grabbed her duster and trotted into the kitchen, humming a tune.

Raspberry decided to stay and join in on the party. She squeezed her way into the living room, where the large snack table stood. She craved for some chocolate cake. The route from the door to the snack table seemed like a mile. The room was filled with ponies and every step Raspberry took forward caused her to bump into another pony.

“Hey watch it!” A sunset yellow unicorn grumbled as Raspberry’s leg accidentally tripped her. Her half eaten strawberry cupcake fell onto the floor with a splat. “Look what you made me do?” The unicorn pointed to the cupcake, with icing smudging the ground.

“I’m sorry,” Raspberry apologized in a small voice and hurriedly pushed her way past her.

Get to the snack table, take a slice of cake and then hopefully I can lock myself in my room, where it is peace and quiet. She thought to herself as she headed closer to the neatly decorated snack table.

At last, Raspberry had managed to get to the snack table without getting another flea in the ear.She was about dig into the cake when a light turquoise pegasus with a light blue mane approached Raspberry and smiled. “ Hey, you are the new pony in Ponyville, right?”

Raspberry did not reply. She stared at the ground, thinking of something smart and witty to say. “ Yeah.....” Was all she came up with.

The pegasus tried to strike up a conversation. “I’m Aqua. So what do you do?” With the red cape covering Raspberry’s ‘Cutie mark‘, the pegasus had not a single clue on Raspberry’s talents.

Raspberry cringed. Out of all the questions, why this! She lamented in her head. “Nothing much.” She admitted. Aqua looked at Raspberry, confused. “ My mum is going to run a lemonade stall and my dad is going to turn the plot of land behind our house into a Berry farm,” Raspberry quickly added.

“Right, I knew that.” Aqua seemed like the conversation was boring her out of her skull. “So you do Nothing?”

“ I help out at home here and there,” Raspberry started pawing the ground, nervous. No talent, no cutie mark, no interesting hobby she has. She was being such a bore.

“Okay.....”The unicorn’s voice was now a dull drone. Aqua decided to escape out of the chat. “ I better go.” She went off, Raspberry sighing at her failed attempt to make a friend. “Guess I’m not interesting enough.”

Back to the cake then. She looked up at the three layered mouthwatering cake in front of her. It towering above her, probably a head taller than her and was sprinkled with chocolate hearts with vanilla frosting. Raspberry carefully took a slice of the cake and was about to take a bite when she saw two huge eyes staring back at her.

“GAH!” Raspberry jumped back in shock,as Gummy started to lick the vanilla frosting off the cake.

“Don’t!”A frantic voice cried out. Pinkie Pie was at the door of the living room, her eyes glued to the alligator, with cream all over his snout.

Gummy seemed to hear his master’s voice and looked back at the worried looking pony.

“Gummy can’t eat too much vanilla cream! Or he will become hyper!” She shrieked. “ Stop, Gummy!”

Gummy slowly took another big mouthful of cream and as Pinkie Pie rushed to catch her cream frosting loving pet, Gummy did what seemed impossible. Instead of moving at his usual snail like pace, he speed off as fast as light, darting between pony’s legs.

“GET BACK HERE GUMMY!” Pinkie growled and the chase ensued. Pinkie barged through the crowd to find her now zippy alligator, occasionally crashing into something in her way. The shattering sound of glass was heard when Pinkie dashed out of the living room.

Mother’s favourite vase. She won’t be too happy about that.  Raspberry thought as she lifted her cake up and bit into it. Sweet and rich flavours filled her mouth and rocked her tongue. “Mmmm!”

“ Come back! You know vanilla filling makes your poop purple and runny!” Pinkie Pie yelled as she zoomed  through the corridor. Raspberry gagged, instantly losing her appetite.She did not need to know that. She hastily put down her half eaten cake, Enough cake for now.

Raspberry leaned against the wall and observed the surrounding around her. She spotted Misty, with three other ponies, flirting with a persian blue unicorn with a fringe that covers half his eyes. Raspberry felt a growing jealousy engulf her up as she watched Misty, flutter her long lashed and giggled with her new friends as if they knew each other, not just an hour. Even Flin had found a friend, and was deep in discussion about baseball.

Suddenly,  Raspberry felt extremely self conscious. She seemed like the only pony friendless, akwardly standing next to the snack table, while the others laughed and chatted with their friends.

Just like in Manehatten. Deserted and still friendless. She felt a lump of tears form in her throat and she quickly forced them down.The last thing she wanted to do is to break into sobs and attract unwanted attention. Raspberry had never ever felt so alone.

Authors note: Thanks to my friend AthiyahTA for helping check for grammatical errors. Hope this pleases you grammar nazis. :P