The Walls Laugh At Me

Pinkie Pie bounded down the town road, merrily thinking of all the ways she'd bring a smile to her current party recipient. Here she was actually going to do something useful! No more agonizing in bed, no more brooding over the past- she wasn't designed to brood! No, what she was good at was making others happy, and that's exactly what she was going to do today.

Pinkie eyed the bag still clenched in her jaw. The idea of Zap Apples being ground down into a powder...it certainly seemed like something new, and Pinkie was all for new things. But somehow it seemed...off. She couldn't quite put her hoof on what seemed wrong with the idea, but it just felt like it wasn't a good plan. But if it was going to hurt her, her Pinkie sense would've already hit the moment she took the bag, so it obviously wasn't going to go terribly. Still...

Before she knew it, Pinkie had arrived at the house who's filly occupant would be receiving a very big surprise today. Cardinal was going to have the very first Pinkie party of her life! It would be energetic, loud, and most importantly, it would be one of the first births in Ponyville for nearly two years! She couldn't mess this up, no matter what. She needed to get the streamers, the cake supplies, the hammerspace, th-

A big pop and sudden pain in her back put Pinkie's thoughts of massive activity on the back burner. In her excitement of preparing the baby shower, she had forgotten that pony bodies had limits, and she was reaching her own. How long had it been since she broke physics, or shattered the fourth wall, or became a pink blur capable of catching up to Rainbow Dash? The fact that she couldn't remember indicated it was probably too long, and that wasn't a good sign... To prepare for the baby shower party, she was going to need to move around a lot and very quickly, but with her current condition, it didn't seem likely to happen.

Pinkie Pie the Ponyville Party Pony wasn't about to give up just to age, however! She forced herself through the pain and moved onward to gather her party supplies. First things first: balloons, the core that glued every party together. Or was it cake? Probably cake, actually. Regardless, it was time to get ready. She bounded off to her main supplier, and mentally gathered her will for what would be an exhausting day, certainly.

The tiny bell above the door wobbled as Pinkie slipped into the party supplies shop. A chubby stallion with a name tag displaying the words "Lots' O Helium" sat behind the counter, idly counting bits while he waited for business to start up. His head perked up at the sound of the bell, and his neutral face grew a warming smile across the muzzle, watered by the prospect of potential money. Pinkie sidled over to the counter, not needing to waste time looking around when she already knew exactly what she'd order.

"Heya, Lots' O!" Pinkie cheered as she laid her hooves upon the counter. "A super duper cutie baby was born recently, so I need only the most spectacularific party supplies for today!" She allowed herself to grin widely, as her back wasn't currently attempting to do its best limbo impression.

"PInkie! My favorite- and most frequent- customer! So you need some things for a baby shower, eh? I'm guessing you already know exactly what you want?" Lots' O quirked his eyebrow, anticipating a slew of requests and demands. Pinkie had never been one to waste time on niceties, and her lists could be almost a mile lon-

"Yep, yep, yep, yep! I have everything I need swimming around in my noggin! Just gotta get it for real now." Pinkie said. She then tossed a piece of parchment out of her mane, containing a list of everything she'd need for the shower. She simultaneously flipped the bag in her mouth up into the pink poofy mass, and caught the list in her teeth, allowing it to unravel until it nearly hit the floor.

She gingerly placed the list on Lots' O's counter, still grinning madly and waiting as Lot's O looked it over to make sure he had everything on the list available. Pinkie bounced back and forth in place while she anxiously awaited his answer. Lot's O looked sure of himself at first, but as he continued looking over the list, his face contorted first into uncertainty, then worry, and finally looking back up with a sad expression.

"Well, PInkie...", Lot's O started, "I don't wanna say this, but I don't believe I can get ya everything you need, at least not by the end of the week." He looked off to the side, somewhat guilty.

Pinkie instantly stopped her vibrating in place, and her mane deflated partially, as she switched from excitement to depressive confusion. "Whaddya mean you won't have it? You always have what I need." The tiniest of tears started to collect in her eyes.

"I did when Ponyville was still bustlin', but I can't get my things nearly as fast now. Before it only took a few days, now it might take two weeks, or more..." Lot's O tried his best to avoid looking directly at Pinkie.

"Two weeks...", Pinkie trailed. She sunk into the floor and almost openly wept, her wet eyes struggling to keep themselves open. She pulled idly at her now nearly completely deflated mane.

That couldn't be right! Everything was going so well. She knew what she needed, Apple Bloom gave her a gift in case she needed a boost, the shower was perfectly planned...and now she wouldn't have anything to give her party the usual Pinkie spice. It hurt to know that she couldn't give the new foal the excitement Ponyville had known Pinkie for in the earlier years. But...

Pinkie shakily stood up and wiped her eyes, trying to regain a less dreary complexion. "It's...it's fine, Lot's O. I'm sure you're having your own problems. I guess I'll have to make do." She offered an empty chuckle to lighten Lot's O's mood.

The stallion in question looked back at her and responded with a guilty smile, trying his best to not put the pink mare down any further. "I know ya will. You can make the craziest parties of the smallest hint of happiness. I'm sure it'll still be a blast."

That was true. Pinkie's job certainly was easier with a big pile of party supplies, but she could make equally good celebrations with much less. It's not like she had never done a big birthday bash or welcome party without her usual kit. And it would probably be refreshing to see what she could come up with on her own, rather than something so generic.

Pinkie Pie stood up completely and felt her face revert into her usual mirthful grin, her mane poofing back into her iconic style. She didn't need all those supplies just to make it a great day. It would already be a great day, just because of her being there and spreading happiness. It was time to show the Ponyville of today who she used to be, and who she'd be from now on.

"Thanks anyway, Lot's O!" Pinkie cheered as she confidently strolled back out of the store, swiping her list and scanning the town around her. She wouldn't let anything stop this from being the biggest baby shower in Ponyville history, be it age, lack of party gadgets, or a monster attack. She'd make sure it was going to leave a great impression on everypony, and get her back into the smiling game.

Ponyville was about to get a bad (or good) case of Pinkie Pie being herself to the max.