At Froggy Bottom Bog, a group of frogs bounced around, looking for something to eat. Among them, was a pink pony dressed in a frog suit. Carrying a butterfly net and a basket, she hunted her prey, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
"Come on, little froggies. Let's go back to Ponyville with Aunty Pinkie Pie." She spotted a nearby frog that was napping and jumped towards it. "Gotcha!" She sprung towards the frog, but it rolled over and hopped away, causing Pinkie to catch a faceful of mud.
"Patootie," she spat, accidentally inhaling the mud instead. She looked around and noticed a different frog staring at her, so she decided to catch that one instead. She tried walking over to the frog, but every time she got close, it hopped away.
"Come here, you," she said, bouncing closer to the frog. "You want to play a game, don't you? I'm game." She squinted at the frog for a moment until she pointed at something behind him. "Hey look, what's that?"
"Ribbit?" The frog turned around to look.
"Gotcha!" Pinkie shouted, moving as fast as she could. She dashed forward, but she tripped on something sticking out of the ground. "Ahhhhhhhhhh!" She plunged face-first into the mud, encasing her face. Standing up, she wiped off her face. She looked around to see what she tripped on and found some sort of blue box. "Hmm? What's this?" She picked up the box and looked it over, but it didn’t seem that special. "Just a box? That sounds boring. I wonder what's inside?" Pinkie grabbed the lid and pushed it open.
"Ribbit,” said a voice from inside.
The box opened up, revealing a green frog, a top hat, and a miniature cane inside. This frog seemed different than the other frogs, being much skinnier and with bigger eyes. The frog stared at Pinkie Pie.
"What are you doing in there Mister Froggy? Did you get lost?" she asked.
"Ribbit." The frog looked at Pinkie for several seconds, before jumping onto its hind legs and started dancing, cane in hand and tophat on his head. "Hello ma baby. Hello ma honey. Hello ma ragtime gal."
"Oooooooooo, I didn't know you could sing and dance."
"Send me a kiss by wire, baby my heart's on fire," continued the frog.
"Ooooo, this is my jam!" Putting the box back on the ground, Pinkie pulled out a hat and a cane from nowhere and started singing and dancing along with the frog.
"If you refuse me, honey you'll lose me, then you'll be left alone; oh baby telephone and tell me I'm your own." Finished with his song, the frog sat back down on its hind legs.
"That was amazing! I never knew any animals that could sing or dance before." Pinkie held her chin with a hoof. "Oh I know! I'll show you to my friends. They'll get a laugh out of you. We'll have so much fun together." Pinkie gently picked up the Frog and placed it back inside the box. "This is going to be a super duper fun surprise for them. Let's go Mister Froggy."
*****
Rainbow Dash was snoring on a cloud after a long day of training for the Wonderbolts when a voice interrupted her nap.
"Rainbow! Rainbow Dash!" said a voice from below.
Ugh. No one could mistake that high pitched overly excited voice. Rainbow Dash yawned and rolled over. "What is it Pinkie?" she asked, rubbing the grit from her eyes.
"I found something super incredible and fun. Come look!" Pinkie was holding a box and jumping up and down.
"Aww, I was having such a nice dream too." Rainbow spread her wings and jumped off her cloud, floating to the ground. "What’d ya wanna show me?"
Pinkie opened the box and pointed inside. "Taadah! It’s a frog!”
"Huh?" Rainbow looked at what Pinkie was pointing at. "Is this some kind of joke?"
"No, just watch! It sings and dances!" Pinkie Pie set the box on the ground and poked the frog. The frog just sat there, staring at Pinkie.
"Well?" Rainbow Dash said.
"Give it time... " Seconds turned into minutes as they waited.
"Pinkie, sometimes I don’t understand you at all."
"Nonono, I'm serious. It sings and dances," Pinkie said. The frog continued to stare at Pinkie until finally...
"Ribbit."
"Wow Pinkie. That's so amazing. I never knew frogs could do that," Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes. "Have you been hitting the sugar packets again?"
"Of course not. Besides, you can never eat enough sugar." Pinkie picked the frog and tried wiggling its legs. "Come on froggie. Dance for mommy. Please?"
Rainbow Dash facehoofed. "Are you ok Pinkie?"
"Hmm, maybe it just doesn't like you."
"Wha? Who doesn't like the totally awesome Rainbow Dash?"
"Beats me. It danced for me but not for you, soooo... " Pinkie said, trailing off.
"Pinkie... " Rainbow Dash trailed off, eyebrow twitching.
Sensing that she might have insulted Rainbow Dash, Pinkie tried to backpedal. "Ok then... Well I'll be off. See you later!" Pinkie tip-hoofed away and soon as she was out of range, she ran away as fast as her hooves could take her.
Sighing, Rainbow Dash shook her head. She flew back to her cloud and tried to go back to sleep. "Oh Pinkie Pie. You're so random."
*****
As soon as Pinkie got away, she reopened the box and looked inside. She stared at the frog, waiting for him to do something. "So what happene-"
The frog hopped to his feet and started dancing some more. "Hello ma baby, hello ma honey, hello ma ragtime gal."
"Oh, now you want to dance. I guess I was right, right? You didn't like Rainbow after all?" she asked.
"Send me a kiss by wire, baby my heart's on fire."
"I'll just take that as a yes." Holding one hoof to her chin, Pinkie started thinking. "Oh I know. I'll show Rarity. She'll believe me."
*****
Pinkie Pie knocked on the door to Carousel Boutique and waited for a response.
"It's open!"
Pinkie nudged the door open, box in hand and hopped inside.
"Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is-" Rarity stopped, noticing Pinkie. "Oh darling, what have you got there?"
"It's the neatest most amazing thing you've ever seen. Just watch!" Pinkie opened the box and showed it to Rarity.
"Hmm?" Rarity leaned in closer to get a better look.
"Ribbit." The frog jumped out of the box and landed on Rarity's face.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," she screamed.
Pinkie was promptly kicked out of Carousel Boutique by Rarity in a huff, followed by the box and the frog. "Guess that didn't work out huh?" Pinkie asked, looking at the frog.
"Ribbit."
*****
Over at Twilight's house, Pinkie explained the situation. Taking pity on her, Twilight strapped the frog into the machine in her basement. If the frog was capable of singing and dancing, the machine would prove it.
"I'll telling the truth Twilight," Pinkie Pie insisted.
"Pinkie, it's just a normal frog."
"No, it's not. I Pinkie Pie Swear,” she said, poking the frog, ”See? Look at it dance." She poked the frog again, trying to make it do something. Anything at all. "Oh I know! I should start singing again. Maybe that will put the frog in the mood." Pinkie pulled out her baton and a top hat and started dancing the can-can.
"Ribbit." The frog croaked, unmoving. Twilight raised an eyebrow, unsure if her friend had gone even crazier than usual.
"Oh come on. We were both dancing earlier earlier." Pinkie grabbed the frog's hind legs and started flapping them around.
"Pinkie... " Pinkie said, concerned.
"Just keep watching Twilight." Pinkie continues flailing the frog around. "Hello ma baby, hello ma honey, hello ma sweet time gal."
"Pinkie, that's quite enough." Twilight put her hoof on Pinkie's shoulder. "Perhaps you should lay off the sweets for a while. I think the sugar is making you a bit loopy."
"I'm not loopy Twilight. It's true!"
"Well, this has been fun and all, but it's time for me to get back to my studies."
"But... " Pinkie said, holding up a hoof.
"Goodbye Pinkie." Twilight goes back upstairs, leaving Pinkie alone.
The second the door closed, the frog leapt out of Pinkie's hooves and started singing and dancing. The machine that it was strapped to starting beeping and papers filled with notes started pouring out of the machine.
"Everyone loves to do the Michigan Rag!"
"Aha! I knew I wasn't crazy! Twilight look! The frog, it's singing!" Pinkie rushed to the door and threw it open. Looking through the house for Twilight, Pinkie lifted her up and carried her back to the basement.
"Wait. What the-"
While Pinkie carried Twilight on her back, she ran over to the machine. “Look, Twilight! I have proof! Right her—” In her haste, Pinkie tripped and landed right on the machine, utterly destroying it and causing it to catch on fire.
“Pinkie!” Twilight rushed over to magically douse the fire. She casted a spell and aimed it towards the flaming debris.
“No, wait! The papers!” Pinkie tried to yell out but she was too late, Twilight had already blasted away the evidence, destroying all traces of the machine and the proof of the talking frog.
Looking over, Pinkie saw that the frog was still dancing. Not losing hope, Pinkie grabbed Twilight again and placed her in front of the frog. Pinkie pointed both hooves at the frog and smiled. "See? It's singing and dancing! It's... " she trailed off.
The frog just sat there, top hat lopsided on its head. "Ribbit."
"Pinkie, this is getting ridiculous. But now I've really got to get back to my studies."
"But..." Pinkie said, throwing her forelegs into the air.
Twilight walked back upstairs, annoyed by the interruption from her friend.
Sighing, Pinkie looked back at the frog. "Guess you don't like Twilight either huh? Oh well, let's try another friend."
*****
Pinkie bounced along the path to Sweet Apple Acres, where Applejack was bucking a tree. When Applejack saw Pinkie Pie, she took a deep breath and stopped what she was doing. As she wiped her brow, she asked, "Howdy sugarcube. How can I do ya for?"
"Oh Applejack, I found the most awesomest, coolest, most funnest thing ever. It's a singing and dancing frog." Pinkie said, pointing at the box she was holding.
"Say what now?" Applejack asked, dumbfounded.
"It's a magical frog, just watch." Pinkie set the box on the ground and opened the lid.
"Ribbit."
Applejack stared at the frog. “Ah ain’t got all day. What didja wanna show me, again?”
"Noooo, why does this keep happening? I Pinkie Pie Swear, Applejack, I'm not crazy. It really does dance." Both Pinkie and Applejack stared at the frog, waiting. They kept watching but the frog did nothing. "Please Mister Froggy, dance or sing for us... please?" Pinkie pleaded, giving the frog her best puppy dog look.
"Ribbit."
Applejack looked at her friend with concern. "Are ya sure yall haven't been eating too many sweets, Pinkie?"
"Why does everypony keep saying that? You can never eat enough sweets. Never!"
"Okay then... well I best be getting back to work. Thanks for stopping by Pinkie."
"I... okay then." Pinkie picked the box up and begrudgingly trotted back to Ponyville.
*****
"Geronimo!"
"Wha-" As Pinkie trotted back to Ponyville, an orange pegasus filly in a scooter, followed by a yellow earth pony and a white unicorn in a wagon appeared.
"Look out!" a voice cried out.
Whoomph. The group collided with Pinkie, sending the box flying and leaving all of the ponies in a heap. The box lay on the ground opened, with the frog laying on his back.
"Oww,” said Scootaloo, rubbing her head.
"Oh no, are you okay, Mister Froggy?" Pinkie rushed over to the frog and picked it up. She sighed with relief when she noticed he was unhurt. "Phew."
"What's that?" Scootaloo asked.
"It's the most amazing, spectacular, most awesome thing you'll ever lay your eyes on. Feast your eyes on...the dancing frog!" Pinkie held the frog up for the Cutie Mark Crusaders to see.
"Ribbit."
The three ponies grinned in anticipation. They waited, and waited, and waited, but nothing happened.
"Ribbit."
"That's it?" the trio asked, simultaneously.
“That’s not special at all,” Scootaloo said.
"Maybe he's just a bit shy," Pinkie said. She offered some cake to the frog. "If you dance, I'll give you some cakeeeeeeeeeee." The frog just sat there.
"Ribbit."
"I'm bored,” said Scootaloo.
"Me too,” said Applebloom.
"Me three," said Sweetie Belle.
The trio stared for a few more seconds but nothing happened. “Love to stay and chat, Pinkie, but we’ve got some more crusading to do,” said Scootaloo, jumping on her scooter. The other two crusaders jumped on the wagon and they sped away.
"I... oh nevermind." Pinkie shrugged and placed the frog back in the box. "Maybe I'm special and he only dances for me?" After closing the lid, Pinkie heard music coming from inside the box. "Am I going crazy?"
*****
"I'm not crazy. At least I think I'm not crazy. Do I seem crazy to you?" Pinkie asked the frog. "Hmm, I guess you wouldn't be able to answer me anyway. You do sing and dance right, but only in front of me for some reason. I wonder why? Hmm?" Pinkie leaned closer to the frog, focusing her eyeballs.
"Ribbit," The frog replied.
"Come on. You can tell me why you won't dance for other ponies. Unless... it's a secret?" Pinkie pleaded with her eyes, waiting for a response from the frog.
"Ribbit."
"Oh ok. If it's a secret then I won't pry. I'm sure you have your reasons." The frog stared at Pinkie... and winked. "Hmm, I tried to show you to all of my friends except for... Fluttershy!" Pinkie realized that if the frog would dance and sing for someone, it would be Fluttershy. "To the Batmobile!" Pinkie declared, before bouncing along to Fluttershy's house.
*****
Pinkie knocked on the door to Fluttershy’s house and waited patiently. Instead of Fluttershy, Angel Bunny opened the door instead.
"Hi there Angel. Is Fluttershy home?" Pinkie asked.
The bunny simply shook his head.
"Do you know when she'll be back?"
Angel shook his head again.
"Do you know where she went?" Pinkie asked.
Angel held up his paw for a second before retreating back inside the house. Reemerging several seconds later with a piece of paper, he wrote something down. Turning the paper around, he showed the paper to Pinkie. The paper read, “Went to Lunch with Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack.”
"Oh...Okie dokie lokey then."
Angel shrugged, and slammed the door in her face.
"Guess I'll just have to wait until later." Pinkie trotted away from the cottage, a little surprised because the note mentioned Fluttershy going to lunch with her other friends. "Why didn't I get invited too?" Crestfallen, Pinkie made her way back home.
*****
"So what did you want to talk about, sugarcube?"
"Girls, I think Pinkie's been eating way too much sugar lately." Twilight said.
"That means Pinkie went nutso,” Rainbow Dash said.
"Shucks, she's just being Pinkie,” Applejack said.
"But she's being extra Pinkie today," Rainbow Dash said.
"No kidding, she interrupted my studying to show me a frog that she claimed could sing and dance."
"You too? She wanted to show me a frog, but it didn't do anything," Rainbow Dash said.
"That disgusting thing? She brought it to Carousel Boutique too," Rarity said. "We need to do something about her. If she keeps eating this much sugar, the poor darling will end up in a coma.”
“Um... she's actually not crazy... " Fluttershy squeaked from the corner.
"That's it. We need to stage an intervention," Twilight said.
"Yea, no more sugar for her."
"I agree. After all, a singing and dancing frog is simply a silly idea," Rarity said.
"Um... actually... she's telling the truth," Fluttershy repeated, this time a little louder.
"What was that, Fluttershy dear?" Rarity asked.
Clearing her throat, she repeated. "I... used to have that same frog. He's kinda shy so he only sings and dance for me."
"What?" The four friends asked, simultaneously.
"I brought that frog to Froggy Bottom Bog for his new home but after the Hydra incident, I wanted to make sure he was safe. So I asked Pinkie to collect all of the frogs for me. I... forgot to mention that one of them likes to sing and dance."
"So you mean... Pinkie was telling the truth?" Twilight asked. "She wasn't all loco in the coco?"
"Aww shucks, now I feel bad for doubting her," Applejack said.
"Still, that's no excuse for bringing a frog into my shop," Rarity said.
"An actual singing and dancing frog? That's so awesome,” Rainbow Dash said.
"I guess we owe her an apology, huh?" Twilight asked.
"That would be... nice," Fluttershy said.
*****
Back at Sugarcube corner, Pinkie sighed and put her head on the counter. Mrs Cake placed a cupcake in front of her and gently poked Pinkie.
"What's wrong dear?"
"Nothing." Pinkie put her hooves over her head.
"Would you like a cupcake to cheer you up?" Mrs. Cake asked, pushing the cupcake closer to Pinkie.
"That's okay. I'm not hungry right now."
"What's the matter dear? Don't you feel like eating?" Mrs. Cake gave the cupcake another nudge.
"Not really," Pinkie replied as she reached out to grab the cupcake. She pulled it closer and began gently pushing the cupcake back and forth between her hooves.
"Did something happen?" Mrs. Cake asked.
"Oh nothing. It's just that my friends think I'm crazy and now they don't want to hang out with me anymore."
"Oh... why do you think that?"
“It’s a long story, I don’t feel like explaining.”
“Just try me dear,” Mrs. Cake said.
"If you insist... ” Pinkie sat up and started talking, “I went to Froggy Bottom Bog and I found this frog that could sing and dance. I tried to show my friends but they all thought I was crazy and ate too much sugar, but I told them that I did NOT eat too much sugar, you can never eat enough sugar... " Finally taking a deep breath, Pinkie continued. "but then I tried to tell my friend Fluttershy, but she wasn't home because she went to Lunch with my other friends, and I wasn't invited and now I feel left out because they all think I'm crazy for finding that frog."
Mrs. Cake did her best to piece together what Pinkie said. "A... singing and dancing frog?"
"Yes, right over there." Pinkie said, pointing at the box besides her.
Mrs. Cake removed the lid and looked inside, only to find a frog staring back at her.
"Ribbit."
"Oh I see. That's... nice dearie... " Mrs. Cake said, unsure of how to react.
"That's okay. If I was someone else, I wouldn't believe me either. Because Pinkie is always random, never making sense, never important enough to pay any attention to." As she said this, Pinkie's fur darkened and her hair started drooping.
Mrs. Cake wasn't sure what to do, so she decided to leave Pinkie alone. "I'll...just leave you alone for now. Take care of yourself, alright?"
"Yes, Mrs. Cake."
Mrs. Cake took one last look before leaving the bakery. "I sure do hope she'll be alright."
Two seconds after Mrs. Cake leaves, the frog jumped back onto its feet and started dancing. "Everybody do the Michigan Rag, Everybody likes the Michigan Rag, Every Mame and Jane and Ruth... "
"See, I'm not crazy. I'm not... " Pinkie looked at the corner behind her, which contained a bucket full of turnips. "Oh well. That's okay. If my friends don't like me anymore, I can always make new friends."
*****
A knock echoed from the front door. Upon hearing this, the frog stopped dancing and shrank back on its hind legs.
"Pinkie. Are you there?" Twilight asked.
"Pinkie's not here at the moment. Please leave a message after the beep. Beep."
"Pinkie, we came to apologize."
"We?"
"Everyone. All your friends. We should have believed you. About the frog I mean."
"Huh?" Pinkie ran to the door, throwing it open and saw all of her friends standing there. "I don't understand?" Pinkie said, raising an eyebrow.
Fluttershy stepped forward and start pawing at the ground.
"I'm sorry Pinkie, I forgot to tell you about Michigan J. Frog."
“Who?” Pinkie asked.
The frog hopped over to Fluttershy and looked up at her. Fluttershy bent over to pick him up and place him on her head.
"His name is Michigan J. Frog. He'll dance for you if you give him permission."
"But... but... I've been trying to get him to dance for other ponies all day,” Pinkie sputtered.
"Did he ever croak?"
"Yes. All day."
"That means 'Would you like to dance?' But you have to speak in frog or he won't understand it,” Fluttershy explained.
"Whaaaa... " Pinkie said as her jaw dropped.
"Sorry Pinkie... I should have warned you... sorry... "
Putting her jaw back in place, Pinkie replied. "That's ok. I should have known that you would have known what to do. By the time I went to your place, you had already left for lunch."
"We're sorry too," Twilight said. "The rest of us to apologize for thinking you were simply being Pinkie when you were telling the truth the whole time."
"I thought you learned your lesson with the parasprites?"
"Apparently not," Twilight said.
"Aww, that's okay now. You're here now and that's all that matters," Pinkie said.
The six ponies embraced in a group hug, causing Pinkie to burst out in a fury of laughs and giggles. Fluttershy whispered something to Michigan J Frog and he nodded his head. Then he jumped on the floor and whistled. The six ponies turned to look at him. Michigan bowed, and pulling the cane out of nowhere, he began to dance the same old familiar dance.
"Hello ma baby, hello ma honey, hello ma sweet time gal." Finished with his dance, he gave the girls another bow, causing them to break out in another fit of laughs and giggles.
Pinkie looked at the frog and smiled. "Thank you for everything."
"Ribbit." Michigan winked.
