This is it. The day I have been preparing for. The most important day of my life in this world!

Looking ahead of me at a door to Pinkie Pie's room, I clutch the present in my arm close to my chest. Taking a deep breath, I push through the door revealing a familiar party I have seen more than a couple times online.

"Devan! You made it! Isnt that great Gummy?" Pinkie exclaims, leaping over to me and pushing the toothless alligator into my face.

I reply by patting the cold-blooded animal on the head and smiling. "Yes! Happy birthday Gummy! I hope everything is going well today!" I say while itching the bottom of his mouth.

Gummy responds by blinking one eye, and then the next. I simply do the same back at him and grin.

"Awwh, how sweet! Oh! What did ya get him!?!" Pinkie with a burst of energy, throwing Gummy away from her.

I watch him fly through the air and thankfully land in a punch bowl safely before replying. "It's a surprise, I know how you are ya dummy." I say before sticking my tongue out.

Pinkie replies with a playful pout before looking around quickly and pecking my cheek gently and then hopping away to join the girls in dancing. I touch my cheek and feel myself smile subconsciously before walking to the present table and dropping it off.

So cute.... But I need to remain vigilant!

The party goes as expected, straight from the show. Seeing the reactions to Pinkie's shenanigans was pretty good on the show, but in person it is amazing. The only difference being that Rainbow gave me suspicious looks every now and then. The party ends as shown, and the other girls quickly but suspiciously agree coming to Gummy's second party as well. Pinkie looks excited like in the show, and seems to get a bright idea. I keep down the information that her breakdown will be over in overthinking everything, and move on to my room at Rarity's place after waving goodbye with a smile.

Now the hard part.. Ignoring her as best as I can.

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Of course, Twilight informed me a few days ago about Pinkie's secret party. I acted as if I had plans when Pinkie came by, watching her give me a confused look but go off with a happy hop as always. It pained me to know that she is legitimately confounded by the situation, but I had to make sure it went as it did on the show. I kept close behind her, masking my presence a bit just to make sure she doesn't notice me. She is Pinkie Pie after all, who knows? After going to each house as expected, she gains a very tired look that's full of distress. I sigh and start to walk away when I hear a voice call from behind me. I turn around to see Pinkie, I can't help but be shocked, since she was around thirty-seven feet away when I just saw her.

"Why are you following me? I thought you had plans to train your magic today?" Pinkie says while tilting her, somewhat straighter, haired head.

Damnit... Well I can still make what happened, happen. This episode wasn't amazingly important.. Was it?

"Yes, well it was cancelled due to Zecora feeling a bit sick. I came back and was looking for you, but saw that you seemed busy and didn't wanna bother you." I reply with a pat on her head, smiling modestly before wiping away her tears and giving her a quick peck on the cheek. "So, what happened? You seem a bit more.... Down than usual."

She sniffles a bit before showing me a small smirk and responding. "Seems like everypony is busy today, even though I planned another party for Gummy. But that's okay! Now that you're here.. You're all I need..."

That's very.... Yandere of her. I suppose stress is still getting to her. But I still want to be there for her, not as if I can leave anyways without making it worse than she show itself.

After capturing Spike like in the show, we walk to Pinkie's room, her being a slight bit happier than before but still very anxious. The interrogation happens, and I feel my heart break when Spike is forced to tell her a lie that crushes her. After a bit of deliberation with herself, Pinkie starts arranging the room into a typical party scene, though with the rocks as expected. Unlike in the show, there is an extra seat right next to Pinkie Pie. I sit in it, and watch as everything goes as it happens in the episode. Delusional and overthought questions are asked, given answers by the funny voices that Pinkie creates for her rocky friends. Sometimes she would look to me for affirmation, and I would just shrug my shoulders or go with it a bit. Eventually the expected happened and a nervous looking Rainbow Dash knocks on Pinkie's door before walking in.

"Hey, sorry that I was in such a ru.. Oh, it's you. Why are you here?" Rainbow says with a groan after looking at me.

Pinkie Pie doesn't ignore the way Rainbow acted and basically teleports in front of her, faster than I can even think of a reply. "He's here supporting ME! Devan is my coltfriend, so get over him being around and deal with it!" Pinkie says in an emotional yet stern tone.

I freeze, Rainbow freezes, Gummy blinks.

I don't think anyone knew yet.. I.... Don't think that's a good thing. Though it's not my fault. Though I should probably salvage this.

Pinkie realizes what she said and covers her mouth quickly, looking back at me. Rainbow's right eye twitches. I take the opportunity and speak up with a quick and subtle wink towards Pinkie. "Now Pinkie, just because I am the only one that decided to come to your second Gummy party, that doesn't mean I am your coltfriend silly. Maybe we should go with Rainbow, alright? She wants to show you something and has time for you now."

Pinkie looks at me with a bit of confusion and then realization. "Fine, sorry for lying about you being my coltfriend. Let's go I guess." replies Pinkie in a somewhat faked tone of sadness and frustration. Rainbow reacts to this with a more confused face than Pinkie gave before leading us out, but not before looking me up and down slowly and giving me a stern gaze.

We arrive at the barn, and Pinkie Pie acts like she did in the show. Frustration and betrayal seep from her emotions before she realizes that everyone was throwing her party. She bounces around with glee and gives me a tight hug before running back to her friends. I can't help but chuckle at her happiness, though I feel something strange. A pit in my stomach, or perhaps a crater. I turn around and discreetly remove myself from the situation and head towards the forest. I find Xirandine standing closeby, watching me walk up to him.

"You mingle well with the ponies. Though I suppose you felt it too? A kind of sickening feeling in your core?" he says with a shake of his head.

"What is it? Feels kind of powerful." I ask, passing him and heading towards where I normally train.

Xirandine follows close behind me while carrying a serious demeanor around him.

That's weird, he's usually not so... Serious. Unless something is horribly wrong. I suppose I should get somewhat serious too.

Reaching for my light jacket, I give a simple command that makes it cover most of my body. We arrive at a clearing, though It doesn't seem like one.

I know there's a clearing here but... Why is it so dark? Or should I say foggy?

I cast a light spell and send it into the darkness, just to see it get snuffed out. Not a moment later, a staff thrusts itself out from the darkness, hurtling towards me. I let it hit me, not scared due to my suit. I get hit of course, and feel almost no pain.

The suit is completely charged... It was so powerful of an attack that it even did some damage to me?

I rub my chest where it hit and wince due to the stinging before raising two giant walls of earth and stone on both sides of the dark cloud, then slam them together quickly. The darkness clears up, but standing on top of my walls is a creature I haven't seen before. It looks almost like a storm cloud, but with a face. He is holding a staff that I've never seen before, though the details aren't noticeable from my distance anyhow.

"What are you, why are you here, and why did you attack me?" I say while lifting myself up to his level.

A raspy, but confident voice rings outwards to me. "I am a nightmare, I am here to take the energy I sensed and you shot light into my darkness."

"Do you have a name? Or should I just call you 'The Evil Storm Cloud'" I state sarcastically.

"I do have a name, multiple actually. But you can call me... Strife." replies Strife, pointing the staff at me before obviously charging an attack.

What a stupid name.

Author's Note

This is a transition chapter, so don't be scared by the low amount of words. I feel as if the title of the chapter wouldn't fit the big scene that will happen next, so don't worry, more soon. This time I mean it!