Different Events

Twilight stared at the projection of Rainbow’s cutie mark on the wall in front of her. Still no change. She shined the flashlight back towards the alarm clock; around 5:45 AM. What in Equestria am I doing? Twilight asked herself. I can’t help Rarity, it’s been four days and only Applejack has her cutie mark, and now I’m going to lose another day if I don’t get any sleep!

Twilight huffed. She needed to do something. Pulling out her saddlebags, she filled them with essentials, money, and the slide she had just inspected. She then proceeded to write out a sealed letter to Spike informing him of her plans, with a separate sticky-note for the Apples of where to bring it the next day. After she ran through a quick mental checklist to make sure she was ready, she headed downstairs, left the note on the table, and departed for the train station.

As she walked through the moonlit town, she thought about how she could help Pinkie. How in Equestria am I gonna cheer her up? The only pony I know who’d be best at doing that would be Pinkie herself! She tapped the tip of her right wing against her chin. Unless...

The ground was dry and rocky, covered in layers of mineral dust, and the area was surrounded with sparsely vegetated mountains. In a large flat area enclosed by a ring of trees, sat a fenced-in section containing a two-story cottage, with a silo and windpump on either side of it. Twilight zipped between the trees along the perimeter, using the trunks as “cover” while she spied on the area. A small spot of dull pink was moving on the far side of the space. Getting a bit closer, Twilight pulled out a pair of binoculars and peeked out from behind her tree.

The pony was a pink filly, with a semi-long, straight mane and tail, and no cutie mark. She was currently taking rocks from a clearing and rolling them over to a pile of other rocks with her muzzle.

Twilight waited for her to walk a good distance away from the pile, after which she zoomed out from her spot behind the tree. A minute later, the filly returned with another rock, and was about to put it on the pile before being cut short.

“SURPRISE!” Twilight exclaimed, jumped out from behind the pile of rocks.

Pinkie yelped and stumbled backward off her hooves.

Twilight, who was wearing a party hat, blew a noise-maker, and tossed some confetti into the air. “Congratulations! You just won the title of ‘Pony of the Day’!" she exclaimed, sticking a party hat on the filly.

“Huh? Who are you?!” Pinkie questioned.

“I’m your cheer-er-upper!” Twilight beamed.

“My what?”

“Your cheer-er-upper! Studies show that the more positive and lighthearted the work environment, the more productive ponies are! So, because of that…” Twilight jumped up on the pile of rocks and took a deep a breath. “My name is Twi-i-light,” Twilight pointed to herself in a grandiose fashion, “I am here to say: I’m gonna make you smile,” Twilight grinned wide, then stood on her hind legs, raising her forehooves into a Y shape, “and I will brighten up your daAAYYYY-!” Twilight suddenly felt the rock pile collapsing beneath her. She flailed her forelegs as she lost her balance and fell over onto the ground face-first. She propped herself up and spit out a rock that her mouth had landed on. She looked over to Pinkie with a sheepish smile. “...You get the idea.”

Pinkie cringed slightly.

Twilight stood back up and held out her hoof. “My name’s Twilight Star!”

“I’m Pinkamena Pi-IIIEEEEEEE!” the filly shrieked, getting shocked by a joy buzzer at the end of Twilight’s hoof.

She pulled her hoof back as Pinkie momentarily stood dazed.

“Whu-?”

“Joy buzzer! Makes any hoofshake just a little more ‘shocking’!” Twilight cheerfully declared, holding up her hoof again for Pinkie to see.

Pinkie simply shook off the lingering sensation. “A-anyways, like I said: My name is Pinkamena Pie; though my sisters just call me ‘Pinkie’ because it’s quicker.”

Twilight slipped off the joy buzzer and held out her hoof again, Pinkie successfully shaking it this time.

“What brings you here?” the filly asked.

“Well,” Twilight began, “I’m from the Healthy and Productive Workplaces Committee; here to help establish a happy and fun work environment so that everypony is at peak productivity!” Twilight picked up some rocks in her magic and arranged them into a mid-air smiley face.

“Happy and...fun?” Pinkie questioned.

“Yeah, you know; a few silly games, some super-special exciting food, wild decorations...”

Pinkie raised one eyebrow and cocked her head in confusion.

“Why don’t I just show you?” she said.

“Show -ME?” Pinkie responded, startled as she was suddenly slung onto Twilight’s back.

Twilight bolted towards the farm’s silo. On reaching the door, she kicked it open with her foreleg. “Ta-daaa!”

Pinkie's eyes went wide as she looked around. All around the interior were balloons & streamers of varying colors, random assortments of snack foods, and a small selection of games. “What happened in here?” she asked, climbing off the mare’s back.

“Just a little redecorating!” Twilight stated proudly.

“But...it’s so...crazy!”

“But Pinkie, that’s the point! Fun is all about being crazy!”

“It is?”

Twilight nodded. Scanning the room, her eyes fell upon a poster displaying a cartoon Princess Celestia. “Aha!” She exclaimed, bouncing over to it. “Pinkie, do you think you can pin Celestia’s tail in the right spot?” she asked, removing the appendage from the poster.

“Yeah…?” Pinkie uneasily replied, walking over. She took the tail and pinned it on.

“Now try it–“ Twilight tied a cloth band around Pinkie’s eyes, “–blindfolded!” She stuck the safe end of the pin back in Pinkie’s mouth.

“Buh, how c’n I see where I need teh puh IH!” she yelped as Twilight began spinning her around.

“That’s the fun part; you don’t!”

Twilight let the filly go, and Pinkie began stumbling as she tried to walk forward in a daze. “I geff I’ll – Woah! – tryh,” she said, after which she quickly reached her head forward to stick the pin into the poster.

“OW!”

Pinkie immediately pulled the blindfold off to see the pin stuck right in the middle of Twilight’s cutie mark, and the mare cringing a little. “Oh no, Miss Twilight! I’m so sorry-”

Twilight started giggling. “Oh Pinkie; it’s just a little pin!” She inhaled as she plucked it out with her magic. “It’s mostly muscle tissue below our cutie marks; no harm done. Why don’t you try it again?”

Pinkie silently accepted as she slipped the blindfold back on – after which Twilight silently whined in pain as she rubbed the pricked spot on her flank.

This time, after being spun around and regaining her supposed bearings, Pinkie ended up facing away from Twilight and the poster. Letting her dizziness dissipate for a moment, she confidently reached her head forwards once again.

*POW* The pin made a balloon explode right in front of her face.

"AAAAHHH!" Pinkie yelped, dashing across the silo. She crashed into a lavenderish-gray filly with a gray mane, who was walking in the door.

“GUH!" she grunted, being knocked backwards off her hooves. "Rrgh...Pinkie, what in Equestria are you doing!? You’re supposed to be out gathering rocks!” she yelled.

Pinkie pulled the blindfold off. “S-sorry Limestone. This mare was just trying to help me gather the rocks more efficiently.”

“...What?” Limestone questioned in a deadpan tone. Sat up and looked into the silo; her eyebrows dipped further. “Oh. Well who in Tartarus are you?” she groaned, standing up and trotting over.

“I’m Twilight Star!” the mare replied. “I’m here on behalf of the Healthy and Productive Workplaces Committee to help establish a more positive and lighthearted work environment!”

Limestone stared and then blinked. “...What? Now look Miss Twerplight – or whatever your name is – we’re on a schedule here," she snapped, poking her hoof into Twilight for emphasis; "a schedule we can make without the help of your 'Happy Hopeless Horseplay Committee'! So why don’t you do us all a favor and just beat it?”.

“C’mon, Limestone, she just wants to help,” Pinkie pleaded. “Besides, if it works, wouldn’t we not have to worry about the schedule so much?”

Limestone stared daggers into Pinkie for several seconds. “If you’re wrong about this then you’re doing my chores tonight,” she snarled.

“Great!” Twilight exclaimed. She looked around the room, then bounced over to a table with various foods on it. “Who wants snacks?”

The other two walked over, and Twilight hovered a bowl before them in her aura.

“What are these?” Pinkie asked, taking a bite of one.

“Tortilla chips! Southern Equestrian specialty!”

Limestone took her own bite. “What the hay is the point of these? They’re blander than the bread Mom makes!”

“That’s because you’re supposed to dip them in salsa, silly!” She levitated a bowl of the aforementioned accompaniment.

Limestone dunked the chip in the stuff and took a new bite. Immediately her face went red as she opened her mouth. “AhhhHHHHHH! BURNING!”

Unsure of what to do, Pinkie grabbed a bottle of soda and held it out for her.

Limestone snatched the bottle from her sister and chugged a bunch into her mouth, before spraying it out in reflex all over Pinkie. “What the hay did you give me!? It’s all tingly! Where’s the regular water!?” She looked around the room and spotted a bucket of idle water with a rag over the side. “Good enough!” she said, dashing over to it and plunging her head into it.

Twilight grinned at Pinkie sheepishly as she held out a salsa-covered chip. “Want one?“

Pinkie turned her head away slightly. “Maybe not...”

Limestone pulled her head out of the water. “Pinkie...”

The aforementioned filly’s ears fell flat against her head.

“We are going back to work. NOW!”

Pinkie cringed. Her head sunk as she began to slowly follow Limestone towards the silo door. Before exiting, she paused, taking one last look back at Twilight.

The mare was standing with her back to a hay-bale, next to the table of sweets. She scanned her eyes over all the decorations with a saddened look on her face. A balloon fell from the wall behind her and onto the hay-bale. Twilight sighed and began to sit down.

“Twilight wait! You’re about to sit on a–“ Pinkie yelled out, but was too late.

Her rump plopped right down on the poor balloon, immediately popping it.

Twilight screamed in surprise, and jumped straight up. She tried to fly, but due to the coverage provided by her sweater, her wings were unable to open, and she crashed right down on the dessert table, breaking the legs on one side. A small cake that was on the table slid from the center directly onto Twilight’s face, blinding her eyes with frosting. “Ack!” Twilight yelped, now stumbling around the silo.

Pinkie simply watched, eyes wide and slack-jawed.

Twilight rammed her chest into the snack table, sending her head face-down into the bowl of salsa. Immediately, she jerked her head back out. “Hot!” she yelped. The mare bolted straight towards the drinks table, but stepped one hoof into the bucket of water and tripped, slamming right into the Celestia poster on the wall. It fell down on impact, covering her.

Wiping the frosting and salsa from her eyes, Twilight fumbled to try and get the poster off, but only stuck her horn through it instead. Lifting it away from her face, she spotted Pinkie across the room, still staring in shock. She glanced up to the poster and realized her horn had skewered right through the tail, pinning it to Celestia's rump. “Hey Pinkie, look at that; I won!”

Pinkie snickered, the corners of her mouth beginning to twitch.

"Although Princess Celestia might need a bit of reconstructive rump surgery after this!"

Pinkie's mouth stretched into a grin as giggles bubbled up from inside her. She burst out laughing, falling backward as she completely failed to contain herself.

Twilight’s face lit up as she crept toward the filly. “Oh no! Super spicy salsa and freakishly flavorful frosting have turned Twilight Star into a munching mutant monster, and now she's come to steal all your cheerful chips and cake!” She stood up on her hind legs, looming over Pinkie with her forehooves raised.

Pinkie laughed even harder, with strands of her hair beginning to spring up and curl on their own.

Twilight started laughing as well.

Some of the salsa-frosting mix dripped off of Twilight’s mane and straight into Pinkie’s mouth.

“Pleh!” Pinkie started to spit out the frosting, but ultimately decided to slurp it up and eat it instead. Immediately, she stopped laughing and sat up straight, gasping.

Twilight took a step back. “Oh no, I’m sorry! If you need some water I'll–!” Immediately, Pinkie was in front of her face, licking off all the salsa-frosting with a slobbery tongue, making her wince.

“That’s actually really good!” Pinkie exclaimed. Zipping over to the snack table, she grabbed the salsa, then zipped to the broken dessert table, and poured a bit of the salsa onto some cupcakes that survived. She took a bite. “Beft food ever!” she exclaimed, her mouth full of the stuff.

“PINKIE!” Limestone yelled from the doorway. “I thought we were going back to work!”

“But Limey, you gotta try this!” Pinkie exclaimed, running over to her sister and shoving a salsa-covered cupcake in her mouth. “It’s amazing!”

“Pnhkie...” Limestone started through a full mouth, but paused as her eyes went wide. “What ihn tardarus am I eahding?” she questioned.

Pinkie furrowed her eyebrows. “Something wrong?”

Limestone chewed then swallowed. “It's...weird,” she remarked, grimacing slightly. She took another bite. "Weird but not...bad."

Pinkie’s face lit back up. “See! I knew you’d like it!”

"HEY!" She shoved the tip of her hoof right up to her sister's snout. "I never said that!"

"Well maybe you'll like..." Pinkie zipped over to Twilight, pulled the poster off her, and held it up for Limestone to see. "PIN THE TAIL ON CELESTIA!"

The older filly raised an eyebrow. "So what, I get to stick a pin in the Princess's rump to hold her tail in place?" A devious smirk crept across her face.

"Uh-huh!" Pinkie replied, nodding rapidly, before dashing back over and wrapping a cloth around Limestone's eyes. "But you gotta do it...bliiindfoldeeed!" she announced in a sing-song tone. She then smacked Limestone's rump with her hoof, sending her sister spinning around like a top.

"Pink– ugh..." Limestone groaned, stopping herself as she held a hoof to her mouth momentarily.

"Here's your pin!" Pinkie announced, passing her the tail assembly.

Twilight held up the poster in her magic.

"Okay...steady..." Limestone told herself, taking a wide stance. Suddenly, her whole body sprung into motion as she charged forward. "THIS IS FOR HAVING TO WRITE UP ALL THOSE STUPID ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY REPORTS YOU FAT FLANK!" she screamed.

"YIPE!" Twilight shrieked.

"Did I win!?" Limestone asked, throwing the blindfold off, only to find that she had plowed right *through* the poster, and jammed the pin into Twilight's cutie mark. She snickered a bit at the sight. "Y'know, maybe this whole 'fun and games thing' isn't the biggest waste of time..."

"Glad to hear," Twilight squeaked, pulling the second pin out of her hip today, while a tear escaped her eye. “And you know, there’s still four other ponies on the farm who haven’t had the chance to try this all out...”

Pinkie gasped, and her hair began to raise, creating an effect as though it was inflating with air like a balloon. She grabbed Limestone and began shaking her. “THAT’S IT!” she shrieked in excitement, her mane finally popping into a full curly frizz. She let go, a huge grin on her face.

Limestone shook her head as her jaw dropped. She rubbed her eyes. “U-uhh, Pinkie?” she asked, stuttering. "Did...Did your mane just–"

“Shh, not now!" Pinkie replied, waving her hoof. "I gotta think.” Her eyes carefully scanned the silo.

Twilight put a hoof to Limestone's shoulder. “I wouldn’t stress yourself out trying to understand it.”

Suddenly, Pinkie gained a comically serious expression. “I know just what to do, but this room’s gonna need some cleanup, redecorating, and more of everything if it’s gonna really wow everypony else. It needs to be big; it needs to be crazy; it needs to be..." A smile crept across Pinkie's face. "A party!”

“HEY GIRLS!” Pinkie yelled, jumping out from behind a large rock to face two other young ponies. Both were gray, one with a slightly lavender tint to her coat and a purple mane, and the other having a mane of dark cyanish-gray with lighter streaks.

Marble gasped and jumped behind Maud in panic; the latter’s eyes widened by a couple of millimeters.

“Hey Pinkie. You seem to be in a different state of emotion,” Maud remarked.

“Sorry! I’m just super excited!” Pinkie replied.

Marble peaked out from behind Maud with curious eyes.

“Ooooh– I can tell you two really wanna know, but I can’t tell you! You’ll just have to meet me in the silo in five minutes and find ooouuut!” Pinkie stated, ending in a sing-song manner before bouncing away.

As the two watched her leave, Limestone walked up. “It’s completely idiotic, but just trust her,” she assured.

Overlooking them from the top of the quarry, Twilight smiled.

As promised, five minutes later Pinkie and Twilight were waiting inside the silo, watching the entrance from behind a couple of tables. The door creaked open, and all three sisters, along with a brown stallion and gray mare that Twilight recognized as Pinkie’s parents, stepped inside.

“SURPRISE!” Pinkie shouted, jumping out from behind her table, with Twilight blowing a noise-maker as she jumped from behind hers.

The Pie family froze in shock (which for Maud meant her eyes widened slightly).

“You like it? It’s called a ‘party’!”

They continued to stare, looking around the room at all the decorations.

After a few moments though, Pinkie began to look down as her smile faded. “You don’t like it, do you?”

“I...love it!” Marble spoke, softly, with a small but wonder-filled smile across her face.

Pinkie looked back up. The other four looked down at Marble in surprise.

Limestone glanced back at the room. “Pinkie...this looks so...stupid!” she chuckled, trying and failing to hide a big grin across her face.

“I get a sense of lightheartedness from your use of lightweight decorations,” Maud stated, after which she smiled gently.

Igneous and Cloudy smiled as well.

“YOU ALL LOVE IT!” Pinkie exclaimed in delight, running over and hugging each of them. “Oh! But if you love this, you know what you’ll really love!?” Pinkie asked, letting go and dashing over to the snack table. She returned with a tray full of cupcakes. “Fralsta! Equestria’s newest and bestest food, topped on cupcakes!”

Each family member took one and bit into it. Immediately, the eyes of everypony sans Maud went wide in surprise.

Having decided to take the rest of the evening off, the Pie family continued to enjoy all the food and games Pinkie had prepared – especially the fralsta-topped cupcakes.

Cloudy walked up to Pinkie. “This is certainly something, Pinkamena. Perhaps you could do it...more often?”

“You bet!” she winked.

“Y’know Pinkie?” Limestone began, approaching her sister. “I’ve seen some of the foals having parties after school, and it all looked pretty stupid to me. But, there’s something special about this one. It’s like you’ve got a talent for it or something.”

“Thanks Limestone,” Pinkie replied, her eyes watering slightly in joy.

Then, there was a light. All three sisters looked at Pinkie in surprise. Even Igneous, Cloudy, and Twilight turned to face her. Pinkie looked back to realize her flank was glowing. With a flash, the image of three balloons, two blue with a yellow one flying higher in the middle, appeared on her flank.

Pinkie was speechless.

“You got your cutie mark,” Maud stated, still with her usual monotone. “Congratulations.”

Everyone shifted their gaze to Maud.

“I might be one to talk here,” Limestone began, “but don’t you think that came off a little–“

“Aww, thanks Maud!” Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing over to her sister and squeezing her in a hug.

“Pinkie?” Twilight asked.

Pinkie let go and turned around. “Yeah?”

“Have you ever heard of a cute-ceañera?”

“No. Why?”

Twilight smirked. “Well first off, I think this party’s only just getting started!”