You awake to the sunlight filtering through the window of your bedroom, it was the crack of dawn but already you could hear the sounds of the birds singing their morning melodies and the general hustle and bustle of all the people in the town square going about their shopping.

Wait. You mean all the ponies. Still hard to kick that inflection even after almost being here for a little over a year now. The way you ended up here was a mystery in and of itself. One minute you are walking home from the gym in the middle of the afternoon, and you suppose you tripped over your own feet because the next minute you found yourself face down in the middle of a fountain. Mass hysteria from you and the townponies alike, ponies calling for you to be turned to stone, and the appearance of what you could only assume was horse Jesus at the time. Luckily the panic passed as soon as it arrived, you actually got on quite well with them all once they deduced that you weren’t going to eat or maim anybody. Pony, fuck. Or is it buck? Wait, they say both don’t they?

Saving yourself from a headache first thing in the morning you untangle yourself from your sheets and stumble across the hall to your bathroom for your morning shower. The hot water beating upon your backside allowed your mind to catch up with your moving body, and a tremble of excitement could not be contained as you thought of what lay outside your humble home. Your life had become something of a dream you never wanted to wake from, only a year’s worth of memories greatly overshadowed the many more behind it that weren’t made here. Celestia put you in the hands--hooves--of her student Twilight with a very fancy sounding assignment that you quickly dumbed down to “babysit the weird monkey,” but you weren’t about to complain if it meant you get to keep your free house in exchange for bi-weekly meetings with Twilight even if it was a bit small. Twilight, her other friends, and just about everyone in Ponyville were leagues above the demeanor of people back home. They were immediately so honest, generous, and just downright friendly that it was honestly jarring when you first arrived here.

But as you sit down to your breakfast you just smile at the thought of it now. You suppose it didn’t seem like a dream, it just seemed too good to be true you suppose. Every day you wake you kind of depend on the sensations of this new world to make sure it really seemed real before starting your day. The sights, the feelings--

“Nonny! I hope you're ready for your super awesome amazing fantastic day working with me today~!”

The sounds. Namely those of the exuberant party pony that was about to--

*crash* *BOOM* *fweeeee*

Enter your house in a loud, confetti filled fashion.

Seeing as you didn’t have magical powers to do intricate magic shit and no wings to help the pegasi, you kind of just anointed yourself with the title of The Hyooman Who Does Odd Jobs and you helped from the ground. You picked up a lot of your handyman skills when you got your house actually due to how run down it became with nopony having lived there in ages, no wonder you got it for free. Pinkie was the biggest influence in getting you to branch out and help anypony you could, due to her connections and supernatural sense of trouble. It also meant that a lot of your time was spent around the pink fireball.

Today though you were just helping her and the Cakes down at Sugarcube Corner with some major waste disposal and cleaning, getting hit with 12 fully catered wedding orders in a row tends to create a mess. Pinkie bounces over to you as you take your last bites of breakfast, baby blue eyes crackling with the energy of a brand new day to tackle.

“Come on come on come on! The sooner we clean up the sooner we get to throw a We Cleaned Up the Mess Super Duper Fast Party!” Pinkie says with her signature toothy grin.

You chuckle to yourself, it never ceases to amaze you how Pinkie has more enthusiasm about you being here than you yourself could manage. Putting the dishes in the sink for later, you stretch one last time before hitting the road with your perky pink pal. You always felt you were a mellow guy at your core, going with the flow and only feeling strongly about the few passions you have in your life. But Pinkie just did something to you that got you all fired up inside, the most mundane tasks turned to adventures to be had or games to be played. She just has that ability to magnify the already positive outlook you have towards this new life of yours. You couldn’t really describe why though. You've probably just gone insane at some point due to all of the Pinkie-wave radiation assaulting your brain. Hey, that could be real for all you knew with all the wacky things about her.

The moment you shut your door you felt yourself being spun around, and Pinkie clamped her hooves on the sides of your face.

“Alright Nonners, you know your mission today right?” She asks, her confection-scented breath sweetening the air you breathe that formed a lump in your esophagus.

“I-I suppose we're just doing some cleanup aren’t we?” You say through squished cheeks.

“We’re not just cleaning up!” She exclaims, “We’re on a mission to destroy the stains and dirties that threaten the very well being of Sugarcube Corner Nonny! This is life or death we’re talking here!” She shakes your head to accentuate her point.

Not wanting to die of a brain hemorrhage, you hook your hands under Pinkie’s hoof pits and hold her away from you before she can do any permanent damage. Wait, what was holding her up so she could reach your face in the first place? Best to not try and sit on that question too long or that would end up leading to the hemorrhage.

She boops your nose with her hoof, “I’m super cereal right now Anon, are you ready to tackle those stains?” She sure sounded super cereal, but her big ol' smile she still had didn’t seem to match.

“I sure am Pinks.” You begin to crack a smile in return, you just couldn't help it.

“To scrub away the aftermath of all those eggies who gave their yolks to become yummy cake?” She raises her voice at you.

“You betcha Pinkie!” You raise your voice back, your smile widens as you respond to the playfulness she exudes.

“I said are you ready to defeat the horrible Mess Menace and preserve the future of tasty treats, cakes, and other assorted confections!?”

“Yeah! Let’s do it!” You exclaim triumphantly, and suddenly you feel a weight on your shoulders.

“THEN LET’S GET MOVING SOLDIER!” She yells from her perch on your back, pointing a hoof towards your destination. As you let your now empty hands fall to your sides you remind yourself to not think anything of it.

You happily stroll through Ponyville, an extra pep in your step thanks to your pink compatriot.

“You got any new tunes for me today Nonny?” Pinkie asks, snaking her head over one of your shoulders.

Despite all the odd jobs you can do in one day, you still had a lot of free time to kill by yourself, so you decided to get back into music as something to kill the time. You mostly stuck to the stringed instruments back home, and to your surprise they had them here as well, you just figured that was something on the list of things you don’t ask about considering nopony has fingers. But hey, you got yourself a six string guitar at home to crank out tunes all the while so that’s another thing you can’t complain about.

“Hmm, how about I save it for the We Cleaned Up the Mess Super Duper Fast Party? Can’t have a party without music you know.”

“Hmm indeed, you make a good point Nonny! That just means we have to get it done super duper extra big scooper fast! Onward mighty steed!”

You pick up the pace and soon end up at Sugarcube Corner, and while the outside may look pristine the moment you step into the lobby you are dumbstruck with the mess. Frosting splattered on every inch of tile, counter, and even the ceiling. The smell of batter seems to permeate the air around you, and the smell was taking a turn for the worse. Egg shells litter the floor like land mines, and you swear you can hear animal noises further back into the store.

“Aww poo, Fluttershy said she got all the raccoons out! Well Nonny, hope you’re ready!”

You were slightly less sure of yourself being ready.

It took several hours, an explosion of a pocket of batter that had formed an egg sack of sorts, a broom fight with a raccoon and a subsequent stern talking to from Fluttershy, and a couple hundred rags later, the Sugarcube Corner was not only ready to get back to business, but it basically sparkled from how clean it was.

The two of you, however, were not. Covered from head to foot/hoof in grime and muck, you agreed to meet up later after another shower. But before you left the Cakes pulled you aside for your payment.

“You and Pinkie did an amazing job helping clean up dear!” beamed Mrs. Cake.

“You betcha, it hasn’t been this spotless since the day it was built I’d say!” Mr. Cake said happily.

You had to give most of the credit to Pinkie, what with her ability to wind up in the most uncanny places you often found her in cupboards, vents, and she’d periodically fall from the ceiling when you least expected it.

However you yourself almost rocketed into the ceiling when the Cakes plopped the sack of bits in your hand. It was at least 100 bits! Even with the confusing economic system of Equestria 100 bits was something that would last you a month!

“Y-you can’t be serious, this is way more than I need!” you stammer out to the beaming couple.

“Well 12 wedding orders in a row did turn out to be very lucrative for us, and we thought you deserved way more than what we offered!” Mr. Cake claps you on the thigh with his hoof full of pride.

You felt really good in that moment, your understanding of how kind and generous these ponies are was about to reach a whole new level of--

“We also wanted to ask something else of you, dear.” Mrs. Cake said warmly.

Too warmly.

Oh. Now you get it.

“It’s nothing too hard, it’s just that Pinkie can’t babysit this week because we need her on deck for another big order, super high class dinner party for the big wigs in Manehattan!” Mr. Cake claps your thigh again, his features falling slightly into desperation territory. Wow, they really must not be able to get anyone else. But, if the money keeps rolling in like this, you’d babysit for the rest of your life if you could.

“Of course I’ll do it! Based on what I saw today you guys have your hands full as it is.” You respond.

“Oh thanks a bunch Anon! You don’t know how much of a load off our shoulders this is! How does Saturday sound?”

It took forever to get all the gunk off your person, you had yolks in places… you didn’t think they would end up and didn’t want to mention. Exiting the bathroom you let out a sigh of relief, and as tired as your scrubbing bones were you had to turn them into strumming bones before the little get together. The thought of a nice nap was tantalizing and the relaxation brought on by a nice hot shower made that little devil stronger as she sought to sink her claws into your brain and command you to your bed.

Thoughts of earlier today however sent a pink jolt of energy through your being and vaporized any sleepiness that was beginning to take over. The best part of that whole ordeal was when you two stood outside Sugarcube Corner, covered in confectioner’s gore and bidding your temporary goodbyes.

“Ugh, I never want to look at an egg again.” You sighed.

“Me neither, if I see those gooey insides again I’m gonna go all barfy.” Pinkie agreed.

“Gonna be hard to do that working forever at a bakery.” You looked down with tired eyes and a soft smile.

“Nuh uh! I’ve been cracking eggs for so long I can do it with my eyes closed! Making goodies for the party later is going to be a piece of cake!” Pinkie sets her hooves on her haunches and puffs her chest out for emphasis.

“Heh, sorry for doubting you, Master Chef.”

“You’re darn tootin! This is gonna be extra special because it’s for you and me Nonny!”

It wasn’t the conversation that made that memory good. It was what followed right after. Pinkie’s signature confident smile, it had a softness to it with those baby blue eyes that pierced your heart, and a fiery smile that was determined to make you happy. Come hell or high water Pinkie would always find a way.

Just the thought of that face made you smile, and a warmth to your heart, and… some other feeling? You always felt especially happy and excited around Pinkie despite your mellow personality, and particularly bummed when you parted ways at the end of an eventful day with her.

Before you could spend more time staring off into space like an invalid, a knock at the door took you from your stupor.

“Anon darling! Open up! I hope you do not intend to keep a lady waiting!”

“Yeah come on dude we’re starving and Pinkie said the party was here!”

Rarity? Dash? Wait, when was this party supposed to be at my house? You think to yourself as you open the door to find the respective mares waiting outside.

“Uhh, hello? What’s up?” You say with a raised eyebrow.

Rarity pauses for a moment, then rolls her eyes and smiles upon realizing the situation, “Don’t worry darling, this is not the first time Pinkie has thrown a party at someone else’s house.”

“Yeah dude, she said that the party’s here so you’re just gonna have to roll with it at this point,” Rainbow says as she slithers inside past you. She starts to rummage in your cupboards until she finds a granola bar and digs in.

“You don’t mind it I bum this off you right?” She looks at you already chewing.

“I mean yeah, whatever, so wait how many people are coming?” You get a little nervous because if it turns into one of Pinkie’s bigger parties you’ll be stuck with the cleanup duty alone, including the passed out drunk equines.

“Just the girls darling don’t worry, it won’t be like Pinkie’s Fallapalooza party that nearly burned down Twilight’s house.” Rarity reassures.

Well, that’s a plus. Your humble abode was cozy (which was the polite thing you said to everypony instead of ‘small’) and… plain for lack of a better word, but it’s better than living in the fountain you showed up in you suppose. It still could do without the swarm of ponies partying their hearts out, so you feel a little more relieved.

“Hoowee! Ah’m beat and ready to eat! Where’s Pinkie at?” Applejack asks, walking in with Twilight and Fluttershy.

“Right heeeeere!” Pinkie sing-songs loudly as she bounds over the trio and sticks the landing with a pirouette, picnic basket in hand. “Let’s get the party started!”

“Hold on just a second!” You say before it gets really overwhelming, “I think I have a better place to set all this up.”

Luckily for you this little abode has one perk that makes up for it’s smaller size.

You live on the outskirts of Ponyville, and from the backyard of your house is the border of the Everfree forest. You never were too afraid of those woods, the ponies were only because they couldn’t defy nature by manipulating it to their whims. It was wild, untamed, and in a way it kind of felt like a slice of your old world, and Zecora was nice enough too when she wasn’t trying to cure you of diseases she thought you had, or trying to give you pony ones to see how things turned out. Okay, that was one time, but you weren’t so sure how much of an ‘accident’ that bottle of Poison Joke juice you almost drank trading places with your glass of water was.

But the best part was how the sunset spilled its orange rays over the treeline and let your backyard bask in its warm cover. The tall grass swayed lazily in the breeze, and the mares were already getting set up on their picnic blanket. Rarity had taken it upon herself to lounge in the hammock you had set up, with one leg hanging off the side and a pair of feathery bedazzled shades adorned on her face.

The girls had themselves all seated in a circle on the picnic blanket, and Pinkie had herself halfway inserted into one side of her basket, tossing out plates of Zap Apple jam sandwiches, fruit salad, and even a big bowl of punch from the other side.

Don’t ask how she managed to fit it all in there.

“Alrighty! The We Cleaned Up the Mess Super Duper Extra Large Scooper Fast Party has officially begun! Eat up girls! And Nonny!” Pinkie cheered with a flourish.

“So how did things go today, you two? No offense but the thought of Pinkie cleaning something is kind of surprising to hear for once,” Twilight chuckled to herself as she bit into a sandwich.

“It went AMAZING! Nonny was a cleaning machine! And when that vicious raccoon had me against the wall and threatened to end our quest for cleanliness, Nonners jumped in and saved the day, my hero!” she jumped to your side and wrapped herself around your neck in a massive bear hug, nuzzling your face as she did so.

Rarity hummed to herself from her dozing position in the hammock, unheard by the others.

“Mr. Cooper was not vicious!” Fluttershy said in her own quiet indignant tone, “He’s on a special diet right now and he just couldn’t help himself around all that cake.”

“Pink, air,” you manage to choke out as she still has her death grip on your neck.

“Oopsie! My bad!” Pinkie says bashfully as she tumbles to your side and begins to chow down on her own meal.

Light conversation ensued between the lot of you, well more like the ponies asking you more questions about your old world. Twilight still in disbelief that your old world didn’t have any magic whatsoever (you suppose you could tell her about Satanic rituals but that doesn’t seem appropriate), Rainbow begging you to describe how humans can fly without wings (she didn’t believe that planes was a real answer because you couldn’t really describe how they worked), and Pinkie rattled off about the birthday surprises she has lined up for other Ponyville residents. She also happily mentioned how you planned to watch the Baby Cakes this weekend for them, and unbeknownst to you she had scooted closer to you and was basically side to side with you.

Rarity briefly “adjusted” her shades, again unnoticed by the rest of the party.

After the conversation had reached a lull and everyone had eaten their fill, Applejack was the first to speak up. “Now this picnic is good an’ all, but Pinkie promised you had a new song to sing at the party and ah’m dying to hear it, so why don’t you get out the old six string already?”

“Wow the news sure does spread fast huh,” you say as you pull your guitar up from your side. Luckily you knew just the song to sing.

“Kinda hard not to hear about it with Pinkie talking it up all the time,” Rainbow remarks.

You could hardly remember the lyrics to most of the tunes from your old home, and that opened the door for you to stretch your ad-libbing muscles and make your own unique spin on things. Plus these ponies have a scary good ability to do the same, even perfectly predicting some of the lyrics before you could say them. Equally spooky is the fact that instrumentals sometimes come out of nowhere when a pony decides to break into song, whole crowds could join in then when it was all over everyone went back to their business like nothing had happened. You mentally added it to the list of things not to question.

You warmed up the strings with some minor tuning and plucking out a light throwaway melody, and with a pause and a lick of your lips you began to play:

What would you do, if I sang out of tune?

Would you stand up, and walk out on me?

Lend me your ears, and I'll sing you a song

I will try not to sing out of key~

After all this time, it’s hard to believe

That you’ve given so much, without a fee

So I will find a way, to be there for you

Just like you have always been there for me~

And as if on cue the girls took their turns adding their own lyrics:

Of course we’ll be there, through thick and thin

You’ve done as much for us, as we’ve done for you

We’ll be there, doesn’t matter where you’ve been

Because that’s what a good friend has to do~

Pinkie in her bravado sat up on her hind legs and sang out her own verse:

And I know my life is that much better

Because you’re a part of it!

And if I didn’t know you all this while

I wouldn’t have as big a smile

And there it was again, that warmness overtaking you like a mug of hot chocolate on a winter morning, and unbeknownst to either of you, you and Pinkie began to gravitate towards one another, and faces almost touching you let out a dual harmony:

I’ll be there for you, when you’re there for me

Whatever it takes to make you happy

With my arms, I’ll hold onto you

You, you, you~

And being your friend is just what I’ll do~

The last few strums had left your fingers and soon after a silence fell upon the group. While you laughed and congratulated each other for a good jam sesh you didn’t realize the pointed stares being made at the two of you were for a different reason. Pinkie blushed a deep pink and nervously laughed as she backed down and shuffled a bit away from you.

Conversation was held again for a while until the last bit of sun was starting to dip below the horizon and the sky was a gradient of the dark blue of night on the east to the hazy orange on the west, most of your friends had bid their farewells to you and had headed home for the night, save for Pinkie and Rarity.

“Today was super duper fun Nonny! I’d say this party was a rousing success!” Pinkie chirped happily with confidence returned as she tossed all the waste in her basket.

“Well, a party’s never a party unless you throw it Pinks, but what’s the deal with it being at my house all of a sudden?”

Your question causes Pinkie to freeze in her tracks for a brief moment before she carries on.

“W-well I do that kind of thing all the time silly billy!” she stammers out to you, “the best kind of party is one that you throw at your own home!” Pinkie seems to have picked up the pace cleaning up, instead of neatly separating the uneaten treats and the garbage she’s just started putting things in her big basket haphazardly.

“Isn’t it your party though, why didn’t we have it at the Corner then?”

Out of the three of you watching this altercation unfold, you are the one who doesn’t realize that this is the moment that Pinkie has been cornered. The other just sits silently, white ears twitching in anticipation about what happens next.

“W-well there’s a… A very good reason indeedy!” Pinkie knowingly says, “nopony would want to have a party in a place they were cleaning all day, you’d just get it dirty again!” Pinkie goes to put a plate of half-eaten cake in the basket, but due to her shaking hoof she fumbles the entry and it splats face down on the blanket. Pinkie tries to salvage it but ends up dropping it again. Your pathetic monkey brain could at least tell that something was wrong at this point.

“Uh, do you need help Pin--”

“Nope!” Pinkie hurriedly says as she simply scrunches the blanket up into a ball and stuffs it into the basket.

“AnywaythepartywassuperduperfunseeyalaterNonnyyyy!” Pinkie says as she saddles her basket and quickly bounces off.

You stood there alone, utterly confused. That was weird, and you were talking about Pinkie of all people. Ponies. Damn it.

“Awfully bold of her to make such a move, simply adorable though I must admit!” a posh voice exclaims from beside you.

Oh yeah, she’s still here.

“Wait, why are you still here Rarity?”

“Are you serious? Well it’s not surprising that intelligence wouldn’t be in her necessary requirements for a stallion.”

You and Rarity had a special relationship. Simply put, she was a bitch to you, and you her. When she invited you to tea when you first arrived in Ponyville your jaded sarcasm cultivated back home and her surprisingly sharp tongue made for a delightful exchange of banter that most other ponies would consider quite the venomous conversation. In fact Twilight thought you two hated each other at first due to your volatile chemistry and tried to have you two work out your differences with many wacky interactive challenges and games until she realized that’s just how you two interact. Ponies are often so genuinely nice to each other that they’re taken aback by how you two could be at the same lunch date, openly insult each other about something insignificant, and then immediately follow it up with a friendly conversation or gossip right after.

Rarity describes your relationship as “being besties.” She wasn’t too far off.

“What do you mean?” You ask her.

“She was all OVER you darling! It was so sickeningly sweet I’ll need to brush twice tonight! And don’t even get me started on that duet! Almost made me weep, which if I did would have ruined my mascara and you would have had to pay for that!” she says aiming an accusatory flourish of her hoof at you.

Well of course she’s all over you, she likes to give hugs and is practically hugging you all the--

Oh.

Your duet did get on the sappy side. And every time you showed up to the Corner for coffee Pinkie was always extra happy to see you, she even sideswiped Ms Cake one time just to be the one to take your order. You thought it was funny at the time, but you never really were one to read between the lines.

But, maybe you didn’t need to in the first place.

Whenever you were working on a new tune Pinkie was always the first you wanted to let know, and seeing her anywhere was always something that made you happy because she always bolted right to you to strike up a conversation. And on the first day you showed up here when it was declared you weren’t a harbinger of doom Pinkie was the first to drop her apprehension of you and belt out the million billion questions she has for every newcomer here. Probably even more for you since you were so alien to everypony.

And you thought back to that smile of hers again, and it all came together.

Rarity must have noticed this, and daintily exiting the hammock she puts a hoof on your side. “Goodness darling you’re lucky to have a friend like me, otherwise your oblivious derriere wouldn’t have ever realized.”

“That’s rich coming from the mare who thought that she was being subtle when she wore that red number with the ass window at Spike’s birthday a couple months ago.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Rarity says turning her nose up at you, but the slight tinge of pink on her snout betrayed her.

She was quick to parry your jab with her own wit however, “The fact that you are so quick to slander me shows that you clearly have feelings for her too, no?”

Damn, she went straight for the kill with that one, and the fact that you were at a loss for words only affirmed that.

“I… don’t know,” you say with a furrowed brow, “She definitely makes me feel something… something good for sure.”

“Now I hope you don’t mean what I think you do, Pinkie is nicely shaped but--”

“Oh you know what I mean!” You say quickly turning red in the face, “What I’m trying to say is I don’t know how to figure it out for sure.”

“Oh then I’m doubly glad that you’ve got me darling! Mull it over a bit tonight and we’ll talk it out tomorrow. And by that I mean your relationship with her, not just her derriere.”

You squint your eyes at her as she playfully sticks her tongue out at you as she departs knowing she won this round.

Author's Note

Here's the first chapter, hope you all enjoyed! I plan to write my own songs for this fic so they will of course appear very rarely but good-ly (writing music is freakin hard man). Next chapter is written for the most part but because of the aforementioned thing it's gonna take a minute.