Author's Note

Author's Note: It's quite a shame that we didn't get to see an episode featuring Pinkie Pie and the Cutie Mark Crusaders in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. So this is why I wrote this fan episode for those of you who are big fans of these ponies. I felt that a circus episode was the easiest and best bet for a Pinkie/CMC episode, because to my knowledge, Pinkie is the only member of the Mane Six interested in circuses, as much as the Crusaders do themselves. It even took me some research to put in all these circus acts as possible.

This story takes place during Season 6, serving as an alternative episode for The Cart Before the Ponies (one of the official episodes I didn't like), as I originally wrote this story in 2016 but decided not to publish it until what looked like the last minute.

Prologue + Act One

Prologue

One morning in the Ponyville schoolhouse, a group of fillies and colts were at their desks, excited about their class field trip.

"Have you heard? Miss Cheerilee is taking us on a field trip today!" Apple Bloom told Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.

"To where?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"I don't know, but I'll bet it'll be someplace fun!" Apple Bloom said.

"Oh, I can't wait!" Scootaloo added.

Cheerilee, the teacher, stepped in to the front of the classroom. "Good morning, class! I hope you're all excited about tomorrow, because we're going on a field trip to..."

"Canterlot?" Scootaloo asked.

"Appleloosa?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Manehattan?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Fillydelphia!" exclaimed Cheerilee.

Disappointed groans came from the whole class. Cheerilee then announced,

"Now, now, cheer up, everypony. This is supposed to be an exciting field trip because last week, we've been chosen to perform at a circus in Fillydelphia for all the little fillies and colts. And while we're there, we're bringing an assistant with us."

From out of nowhere, Pinkie Pie appeared inside the classroom. "Hey, everypony!" she squealed.

Scootaloo hoofpalmed herself. "Ugh! Not Pinkie!"

"Yeah, why couldn't it be Applejack?" asked Apple Bloom.

"And I want Rarity!" Sweetie Belle added.

The entire class shouted and yelled out all kinds of protests like a mob. Cheerilee tried to calm the students down.

"Class, class, settle down! I've assigned Pinkie Pie to be our assistant for our field trip tomorrow because our circus acts will be fun with her around. You will all each dress up as clown ponies and do your most talented acts."

"Will there be wild animals?" asked Pipsqueak.

Cheerile told him, "Well, actually, they're bred in captivity animals. But yes, we will see animals like elephants and lions and tigers. Oh, my!"

"And there will be balloons!" added Pinkie.

"Now, is anyone here good at juggling?" Cheerilee asked.

Apple Bloom raised her hoof. "I've juggled once!..." then put it back down. "But I'm not really that good."

"Don't worry, Apple Bloom. You don't have to be perfect; just do your best and have fun," Pinkie Pie told her.

"And who would like to volunteer in a tightrope walking act?" asked Cheerilee.

Scootaloo raised her hoof. "I will! I've always wanted to walk on a tightrope!"

"Are you sure, Scootaloo?" Cheerile asked. "'Cause this tightrope will be really high."

Scootaloo was nervous. "How high?"

"Really, really, REALLY high!" Pinkie exclaimed.

Scootaloo hide under her desk and covered her head in fear. Pinkie Pie briefly reacted to Scootaloo's behavior, then smiled and approached Scootaloo as she emerged from under her desk. "It's okay, Scooty. We all get nervous when we're in the middle of a whole crowd. I'll always be there for you guys."

Scootaloo smiled as well. "Thanks, Pinkie," she said, and they hugged together.

Part 1

Several minutes later, the Friendship Express train was rolling through the countryside on its way to the city of Fillydelphia, taking the whole class and Pinkie Pie with it.

"Who's excited for today's field trip?" asked Cheerilee. Pinkie Pie bounced around the train interior with excitement.

"Me! Me! Me! I'm excited!" She popped up behind foal after foal. "Are you excited? 'Cause I'm excited! I've never been so excited to be in a real circus with a whole group of foals!"

"Yeah..." Sweetie Belle said sarcastically.

Cheerilee turned to Pinkie. "Say, Pinkie, you haven't told us what you're gonna do in the circus show. What are you gonna be?"

"That's easy! I'm gonna be..." Pinkie zipped offscreen for a split second and came back with her party cannon. "The pony cannonball!" She fired her cannon. Bits of confetti burst out and flew everywhere. Cheerilee's class was hardly affected by this.

"What about you, Sweetie Belle?" Cheerilee turned to her. "You haven't told us what you'll do in the circus, either."

"I'm... not so sure if I want to," Sweetie Belle said.

Cheerilee sat down with the little filly. "Look, Sweetie Belle, I understand you're nervous as well, but everypony will be performing at least one act in the middle of a whole crowd. And that includes you."

"But I don't know any circus acts that I'm very good at," said Sweetie Belle.

Pinkie Pie approached the filly. "It's okay, Sweetie. Pinkie here has a bunch of ideas for those who need help when they need it! So tell me, what are you good at?"

"I can sing songs..." She let out a really loud note. "Write songs, crochet, and do magic." Then she shook her head. "But no circus acting."

"I got a great idea! You could train animals," Pinkie suggested.

"But animals are scary! I especially don't like lions. I'm afraid they'll bite me," cried Sweetie Belle nervously.

"Don't worry! With me around, I can help you face your fears of those big lions and tigers, like my Granny Pie always did to me," said Pinkie.

"And Sweetie Belle, these animals are very tame. I promise, they won't bite you," Cheerilee added.

Still half nervous, Sweetie Belle nodded, "Okay." Then pretending to be courageous, she said, "I'll do it!"

"That's the spirit!" Pinkie exclaimed.

The train was now about a few miles away from the city of Fillydelphia. It finally stopped at the station five minutes later. Everypony got out of the train and starting walking towards the city. Everywhere, they could see a bunch of tall buildings, one of them containing a Liberty Bell with a crack on it, symbolizing Equestria's independence. It was a long, long walk to the circus tent.

"Are we there yet, Miss Cheerilee?" Pipsqueak asked.

"We're almost there, Pipsqueak," Cheerilee said. "The circus should be just a couple miles away exactly on this street."

"Since when did you last juggle, Apple Bloom?" asked Scootaloo.

"It was kind of a long time ago," Apple Bloom told her.

"Was it hard?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Yeah, even though I thought I was gonna be good at it," replied Apple Bloom.

"I feel that exact same way myself," said Sweetie Belle. "The way I see it, animal taming isn't as easy as I thought. Those sharp teeth and claws—ooh! They just give me the creeps!"

Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle all suddenly stopped walking for a bit.

"'Ooh! They just give me the creeps!' Scaredy pony! Scaredy pony!" teased Diamond Tiara.

Silver Spoon joined her, now in unison. "Scaredy pony! Scaredy pony! Scaredy pony!"

Scootaloo stepped up to them both. "Hey! Stop teasing her! It's not our faults we're afraid of whatever we're gonna be doin' at the circus!"

"Yeah, right," Diamond scoffed.

"Bump, bump, sugar lump..." But before Diamond and Silver could finish their 'sugar-lump dance'...

"Girls! Stay together as a group, please!" Cheerilee called.

"Oops!" Diamond and Silver Spoon ran back towards the group. The Crusaders followed them.

As everypony finally made it to the circus booth, they could hear circus music playing in the background. There were clown ponies juggling, taming lions and tigers, and riding on unicycles, as well as guests carrying tubs of popcorn, getting ready for the show.

"Here we are, everypony! The Fillydelphia City Circus Show, the one and only circus in the entire city!" announced Cheerilee.

All the students and Pinkie looked around. It was a wonderful sight. All the fillies and colts were smiling and feeling excited. They scrambled everywhere to different locations within the circus booth interior, while Pinkie and Cheerilee just stayed behind.

"Fillies, colts, please, single file!" Cheerilee called. She looked at Pinkie, who just stared back at her. They both shrugged, and walked further inside the circus booth.

All the students in Cheerilee's class were in the gift shop, looking at toy clowns and buying popcorn and cotton candy. Snips and Snails were eating a candy bar and an ice-cream cone, respectively. Diamond and Silver were playing with some of the toys. Sweetie tried on some of the funny glasses and made funny faces through a distorting mirror. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were reading a joke book. They briefly laughed for a moment, when suddenly, Pinkie Pie entered the shop.

"Come on, everypony! Miss Cheerilee wants you all back to the entrance in one minute! Hurry up, let's go!"

"We're coming!" Apple Bloom said, closing the joke book. She and Scootaloo headed towards the door. Sweetie Belle put down the glasses and scurried off, also heading towards the door. All the fillies and colts in the class went after Pinkie.

Back in the entrance, Cheerilee, Pinkie, and the group of students got back in line. Soon, a magician-like pony wearing a top hat approached towards the group.

"Everypony, meet Ringmaster Robin. He's the leader of today's circus show," Cheerilee said.

"Pleasure to meet you all," Robin said, shaking the ponies' hooves, one by one.

"Do you have a special talent, Mr. Ringmaster?" asked Pinkie.

"Why, yes, I do. As the official ringmaster of this circus, my job is to introduce every act in front of a large crowd. Whether if it has to do with clowns, acrobats, big animals, and everything in between, I'm in charge of all the performers here."

"Can you show me how to juggle?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Or me how to walk on a tightrope?" Scootaloo asked.

"I appreciate all your suggestions, but I'm afraid there isn't much time before the next show. I will meet you all later. So until then, farewell!" The ringmaster left.

Cheerilee turned to her students. "Okay, everypony! It's time to get ready for our show!"

"What? But we didn't bring our clown suits!" Sweetie Belle said.

"Yeah, how are we supposed to perform in front of a whole audience if we're not dressed as clown ponies?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Not to worry! They provide clown suits and makeup for everypony over there in the makeup room!" said Pinkie.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's go put on those suits and makeup and have ourselves a circus show!" Cheerilee said, leading everypony into the makeup room.

Inside, they all stood in line, now dressed as clowns, painting their faces for preparation of the circus show. After Cheerilee and Pinkie finished up with their makeups, it was then the students' turn. They formed a straight line in this order: Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Pipsqueak, Shady Daze, Twist, Silver Spoon, Diamond Tiara, Snails, and Snips.
Pinkie started off with those on the left side, while Cheerilee began with those on the right side. They also gave them eye makeup and powdered their faces. Afterwards, everypony
put on their clown suits and wigs, some also wearing hats. Snips looked in a mirror hanging on the wall.

"How do I look, Snails?" Snips asked.

"You look like an ugly monster!" Snails told him.

"Oh yeah? Well, I think you're even uglier than I am!" Snips yelled back.

"Are not!" Snails argued.

"Are too!" Snips argued.

Cheerilee stepped in. "Boys, please!" Then she turned back to the class. "Okay, class, now that we're all ready with our faces painted, who's ready to show their happy smiles to a whole crowd of foals?!"

Pinkie bounced up and down. "Ooh! Me! Me! Me!"

She then suddenly stopped bouncing, and the two of them look forward towards the students, none of them looking quite ready for the show.