The Midnight Zone

“Oops, sorry,” said Twilight, looking at the now soggy Rarity.

“oh no, it's quite alright. After all, we are... the best of friends, are we not? And you know what the best of friends do?”

“No?”

“Makeovers!”

Rarity dragged Twilight into her makeover tent. Twilight tumbled inside. “Ugh, Rarity, ow, this really isn't fixing it. I mean, thank you but, ooh, that's too tight.”

“There!” said Rarity, coming out of the tent. “You look beautiful! And it just so happens, that I have a costume that matches yours perfectly! It’ll be all eyes on us at the Grand Galloping Gala!”

“So it’s all about the Gala!?!” asked Twilight angrily. She pushed open the door. “All these favors aren’t increasing your chances you know! You’ll have to wait until tonight. And after I get lunch!”

“Some’ne say lunch?” asked Applejack from across the street.

“Oh come on,” muttered Twilight. “Please tell me this isn’t another favor!”

“‘Course not!”

Twilight walked over to Applejack’s stand. Thankfully it had an awning. “What’s the menu?”

“Well, we have apple pie, apple fritters, apple tarts, apple dumplings, apple crisps, and apple crumblers.”

“I’ll take an apple fritter!” called Spike.

“And I’ll have an apple pie, and an apple crumbler,” said Twilight.

“Alright!” said Applejack. “Ten bits please.”

Twilight handed over the surprisingly few bits, and put them in a bag, before heading home. She caught a quick glance back.

“I’ll have an apple pie, and an apple crisp,” said a pony.

“Twenty-five bits please,” said Applejack.

“So she gave us cheaper prices,” said Twilight dejectedly.

Twilight pushed open the door to her house. “Fluttershy!” gasped Twilight. “Not you too!”

“Oh, well, hello, Twilight.” said Fluttershy. “I hope you don't mind, but we're all doing a little spring cleaning for you.”

Sure enough, bears, bunnies, and everything in between were in Twilight’s house “cleaning.” As she watched, a group of rats took off with one of her books.

“It’s almost fall!”

“Oh well, better late than never!”

“You're not doing this for the ticket, are you?”

“Oh, no, I'm doing this because you're my very best friend. Right, Angel?” Angel shook her head, and crossed her arms.

“Well, this was all very nice of you and Angel, but I'm not accepting any extra favors until I've made my final decision, so I'm going to have to ask you to leave.”

Twilight opened the door, and Pinkie bounced by. “Twilight is my bestest friend, whoopie, whoopie!”

“Uh, Pinkie…”

“She's the cutest, smartest, all around best pony!”

“Pinkie.”

“I bet if I throw a super-duper fun party!”

“Pinkie!”

“She'll give her extra ticket to the Gala to me!”

“PIIINKIIE!!!”

“Yes Twilight?”

“At least the other ponies tried to be subtle about the ticket!!”

“What ticket?” asked a pony next to Pinkie. “What Gala?”

“Oh don’t you know? Twilight has an extra ticket to the–”

Twilight jammed a hoof into Pinkie’s mouth. “Heh, it’s nothing!”

The pony looked at her. “How can there be a ticket if there’s no ticket?”

“Time to leave,” said Twilight, and she snatched on to Spike, before casting a teleportation spell, and arriving back in her house.

“Wow,” said Spike. “If Pinkie told that pony what the ticket was…”

“I wouldn't be able to leave my house!” finished Twilight. “Good thing is, there’s no–”

“SURPRISE!”

Twilight and Spike jumped five feet into the air, before Twilight cast a spell into the darkness. A purple flare shot across the room. Spike flipped on the lights.

Across the room, all of Twilight’s friends were standing there. Rainbow was magically bound to the wall; purple light had wrapped around her, and locked her to the wall.

Twilight broke. “I can't decide! I just can't decide! It's important to all of you and I just can't stand to disappoint any of you, and giving me gifts and doing me favors won't make any difference, because you're all my friends and I wanna make you all happy and I can't, I just can't!”

The room was silent for a few awkward moments. Twilight unbound Rainbow.

Applejack sighed. “ Twilight, sugar, I didn't mean to put so much pressure on you, and if it helps, I don't want the ticket anymore. You can give it to somepony else. I won't feel bad, I promise.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Me too. I feel just awful that I made you feel so awful.”

“Yeah,” said Pinkie. “It’s no fun upsetting your friends.”

“It was unfair of me to try and force you as I did,” Rarity put in.

“Which means, I get the ticket! Yes! I’m actuall– you know what, I’ll just wait for Daring’s show next month.”

Twilight nodded. “You’re great friends. All of you. And I think that these tickets have caused enough trouble. Spike, can you take a note to the Princess?”

Spike nodded.

“Dear Princess Celestia, despite your wonderful offer of the tickets, I have realized that I won’t be able to fully enjoy the Gala without all my best friends with me. Therefore, I will be sending the tickets back.”

“Twilight, you don’t have to do that!” Applejack exclaimed.

“I’ve made up my mind. Spike?”

Spike blew flames until the scroll and tickets were completely incinerated.

“But now you won’t get to go to the Gala either,” said Fluttershy sadly.

“It’s okay! I couldn't have really enjoyed it without you, and all the rest of my friends.”

Spike suddenly coughed.

Applejack sighed. “Spike. Isn't that just like a boy? Can't handle the least bit of sentiment.”

Spike coughed again, and a second scroll appeared. Spike cleared his throat, and opened the scroll. “My faithful student Twilight…” Spike grinned. “...why didn’t you just say so in the first place?” a few golden tickets slipped out of the scroll. “Six tickets!”

“Now we can all go!” said Twilight enthusiastically. Her stomach groaned. “But can we maybe get some lunch first?”

As the ponies left, Spike sighed. “Wish I could go too.” he coughed, then unrolled the scroll and smiled. “And one for you too, Spike. Yes! I mean, aww, I have to go too?”