Pinks 'n Pedro

Echo and Nocturn, two of Princess Luna’s royal batpony guards, were standing outside her royal quarters keeping watch, when they heard a most peculiar and worrying noise from inside - their regal Princess gagging and gasping for air. Echo instinctively raced in, his partner closely behind him.

“Your Highness, what seems to be the problem?” asked Nocturn.

Luna looked at them with a happy expression. “Problem?” she asked. “Oh, I do profusely apologize for the confusion. This…” She snickered and snorted some more. “I have just witnessed a new programme being shown…” She pointed at the wide television screen at a familiar pink mare with a pineapple.

“Do have a seat,” she offered them, patting the bed.

“But Your Highness,” said Echo, concerned. “What if there is a threat? What shall happen?”

“I doubt that, fellows,” replied Luna. “I imagine everypony is currently occupied watching…”

As Pound and Pumpkin giggled and babbled at the screen, their parents, Carrot Cake and Cup Cake, were looking at it in bewilderment.

“So this really wasn’t an elaborate prank…” said Mrs. Cake.

In awe, Rainbow Dash, watching the show from her cloud house, got up. “I think I gotta go lie down again…”

“You still haven’t recovered from that race with the train?” asked Scootaloo, who had been sitting down and watching with her.

“I recovered from that ages ago, squirt,” responded Rainbow. “This is something else. I think Starlight really futzed up the universe in some way we didn’t notice at first…”

“So… does that mean you liked it?” Pinkie asked Twilight and Spike, who were looking rather shaken.

“Well… I mean we do like it…” answered Spike. “But it’s just… well…”

“Okay, I’m gonna be upfront about this,” announced Twilight. “There is no way this should have worked, Pinkie.”

“Well, it did!” Pinkie shrilled in delight. “I gotta go back to the Tele… Tel…”

“Telecommunications.”

“I knew that,” said Pinkie to Twilight. “I gotta get back and finish another episode. See ya! You’re gonna love seeing the ratings! Flip to page 27 in that newspaper!”

“Me again!” Pinkie introduced herself, gladly strutting into the recording room in her flashy outfit. “Ready for more of my masterpiece, dear friends?” Sure, because all this newfound fame hadn’t gone to her head in the slightest… no siree…

Log Roller took another sip from his Pinks ‘n Pedro mug before putting it back down onto the table. “Why yes, of course, Pinkie. We’ve been expecting you.”

So they, along with the rest of their crew of Rain Whip, Log Roller, and Spectrum Dream, got back into the area where they had now recorded two episodes of their new hit talk show. Rain Whip thought this a good time to bring up something she had noticed with the ratings.

“Now, everypony,” she said. “Our ratings are as good as ever, but there’s something we ought to address.” She showed them some reviews she had cut out from various magazines:

'LOVE LOVE LOVE! This Pinkie Pie has a real talent for making the audience laugh and also keeping them up to date on current affairs. I hope she appears in more corners of TV. But why is the pineapple there… it doesn’t do anything…'

'Pedro doesn’t seem like a necessary part of this show, it’s literally just a pineapple that sits there taking up space… I won’t give this a bad review based on just that though. 5 out of 5.'

'Uneven amount of prickles towards the top on one side, would not eat.'

Pinkie inspected the text. “I get it…” she said. “Maybe we need to get rid of the fruit bowl there? That’ll make Pedro the only piece of fruit in the entire room.”

“Perhaps,” said Spectrum Dream, taking the fruit bowl out of the room. She came back in. “Right then - let’s get this new episode underway.”

Mr. and Mrs. Cake had not expected to hear such a lengthy period of silence from upstairs as they worked. And of course, being concerned for not just their employee, but their friend, they opted to go upstairs and see what was wrong with Pinkie Pie. After all, she would always be there for anyone who needed the support, right?

“Pinkie, darling?” came Mrs. Cake’s soothing voice. “What’s going on in there?” She slowly opened the door to see Pinkie on the bed clutching a pineapple (and somehow not finding it physically painful in the slightest).

“Don’t you worry a thing, little Pedro…” Pinkie managed to get out. “They don’t understand… they can’t hurt you any more…”

“Pinkie.” Mr. Cake had decided to lend his voice. “What on earth do you mean?”

“Pedro! They’re all being so spiteful!” Pinkie burst out. “Pedro isn't boring or pointless… is he?”

The Cakes weren’t sure how to answer that. What could they say, simultaneously being honest and not hurting Pinkie’s feelings?

“Let’s just say…” began Mr. Cake. “That we think your show is something very unique and very special.”

Pinkie’s ears perked up. “Huh? You do?”

“Why, of course,” went on Mrs. Cake. “I never would’ve thought of a concept like that.”

Pinkie couldn’t resist a smile coming on. “Thank you,” she said to them.

The Cakes had had their doubts, but now, they’d just have to get used to Pinks ‘n Pedro being a mainstay on the network, Wouldn’t be too hard, considering the entertainment value.

“I needed that,” Pinkie replied gratefully. “I… think I’m up to it. Churning out more episodes, that is.”

“Um, yes, about that…” said Mr. Cake. “Princess Twilight wishes to see you.”

“Alright, girls,” started Twilight, now that she and her friends were gathered in the castle. “I’m sure you noticed your cutie marks glowing earlier today?”

All the other mares around the table nodded.

“I never tried Shoofly Pie until today at lunchtime. It seemed to happen right as I did. I just assumed that was the reason!” she explained.

Twilight just shook her head. “Anyway, the news is that the Emperor and Empress of Giffonstone have had a falling out and that’s making a severe dent in how the kingdom is run.”

Rainbow groaned. “So? Why can’t they just go to counseling?”

“Rainbow, you know the rules,” Twilight answered. “When the map calls us to go somewhere, we have to do so. All of us.”

Hang on, thought Rainbow. If Pinkie is coming along on this, doesn’t that mean she can’t work on that show?

“And don’t worry about your show, Pinkie,” said Fluttershy. “Maud said she’d cover for you while you’re gone.”

Rainbow sighed in defeat.

“She will?” replied Pinkie. “That’s so sweet of her!”

“No need to pack your things right away, girls,” Twilight told everypony. “The train ought to leave in three days.”