Chapter 1: Stay Away From Pinkie's Closet
Twilight had never had this much fun at a Pinkie Party.
... Okay, that was an understatement. All of Pinkie's parties were so much fun, but they were always too hectic, with Pinkie constantly insisting that Twilight should've danced the entire time. She never had the heart to say no to Pinkie, so she danced, always ending up panting at the end.
Which is why it was quite shocking and ironic that Pinkie was just talking to everyone and giving them cupcakes. Ironic because the only time that the Cakes and the twins weren't here, Pinkie toned it down. As Twilight tried to wrap her head around that information, Pinkie tapped her on the shoulder, nearly making her yelp in shock.
"Oh, Pinkie, you startled me!" she said.
Pinkie just giggled. "Well of course silly! That's what I was trying to do!"
"Huh?"
"It wouldn't be a good "happy-two-years-and-whatever-months-of-being-here-Twilight!" party without a good scare!" Pinkie then frowned. "But you didn't scream, and that doesn't make a good scare good party scare!"
"Oh, er, sorry?" Twilight said, trying to process the last bit of Pinkie's sentence. "So, um..." There you go again, Twilight, she thought. You're horrible at small talk. Just say something! Anything! "Have you heard what happened in Fillydelphia?" she blurted.
Pinkie frowned even more, confusion now glazed in her eyes. "No. What happened?"
What happened, Twilight... What happened? Think of something to say! But she couldn't. The words didn't flow as easily as writing a letter or book did. Just a few words...
"There's a new book out!" she said triumphantly.
"Oooh, what's it about?" giggled Pinkie.
"Starswirl the Bearded," she said, now happy that her words flowed better.
"Cooool!"
Twilight nodded awkwardly. At that moment, a dusty taste washed through her mouth, to Twilight's surprise and distaste. Maybe she could ask Pinkie for something to drink so she could wash it down? But she didn't want to be a burden. Then again, she'd be even more of a burden if she let the dusty taste bother her too much. She finally decided and said, "Pinkie, may I please have a drink?"
Pinkie nodded. "Sure thing! You know where the kitchen is~"
Twilight trotted towards the kitchen and to the cabinet, where she got a cup and filled it with water. With the cup held in her mouth, she cautiously moved back into the party room. She stopped halfway, as she noticed something that wasn't there before. A closet?
She set her cup down on the floor and studied the door to the closet. Hmm... The door's made with... that's a new piece of wood it's made from. I'll have to read into it later. The door hinges appear sturdy, and the wood seems somewhat hollow.
"HEY!" yelled Pinkie as she appeared behind Twilight, which made her scream and fall over, narrowly avoiding falling on her cup. Pinkie laughed. "Now THAT'S a good scare good party scare!" Her expression turned grim with terrifying speed. "Now stay away from my closet."
With strength only Celestia should have, Pinkie easily threw the grown mare into the party room, leaving the other four speechless, as they had no idea what was going on.
"Everypony get out!" Pinkie yelled, and everyone did so as quick as possible. Once the last pony, Fluttershy, had left, Pinkie slammed the door, and Fluttershy let out a little quiver.
Rarity looked exasperated. "Why I never... What in Celestia's name is wrong with Pinkie?"
Twilight shifted hooves as silently and inconspicuous as can be, but Rainbow Dash easily noticed. The tomboy stuck her face into Twilight's. "Did YOU have something to do with it?!" she snarled.
Twilight started sweating under the stress. "Er, not exactly" she said, and explained what happened up until now. Applejack and Rarity nodded in understanding, Rainbow still snarled, and Fluttershy whimpered some more throughout her story. Once she was finished, Applejack stood up.
"Welp. There's only one thing ta do," she said with a smile. "We go inside Pinkie's closet."
"Are you MAD?" cried out Rainbow. "You saw what Pinkie did when Twilight just TOUCHED it!"
"Actually, I only inspecte-"
She ignored Twilight. "Just think of what she could do if we actually went in there!"
Applejack begrudgingly agreed. "Ah guess you're right... But we can't just let her be consumed by this obsession of her closet, especially since we don't know why she's even obsessed with it in the first place." Twilight and Applejack both smiled and frowned, respectfully, at the same time. Twilight's use of large words was gradually rubbing off on Applejack, and they both knew it. Applejack continued. "Besides, we could just check inside while she's not there."
"No such thing darling. When you've been with Pinkie for an awfully long time, you know that she appears anywhere at any moment." Rarity said, shaking her head. Twilight certainly knew that, and she was sure everyone else knew that as well.
"Um... I just thought of something..." Fluttershy whispered.
"What?" asked Twilight.
"If Pinkie can be here at any moment and any time..."
"Yeah?" Rainbow said.
"What if she's listening in on us right now? Especially since we're right outside her home?"
Nobody said a word as they all awkwardly glanced at each other while Twilight facehoof'd. Of course Pinkie could be able to hear them. How could she have been so stupid as to discuss about it here? Now she'd never find out about Pinkie's closet, and what significance it has on Pinkie's well being. Twilight looked up at the window to Pinkie's room on the second floor, and was relieved to see no one there, when she was in fact suspecting Pinkie to be glaring at the five of them.
She was half right; Pinkie wasn't glaring from her window, but from her door, which was wide open. "Go away guys!" She slammed the door, but reopened it slightly after a few seconds. "But we can meet for cotton candy at that bi-annual festival tomorrow." She slammed the door again.
"Fluttershy was right..." Rarity whispered.
"You heard the mare. We'll talk to her about it at the Starlight Festival tomorrow," Rainbow said, and flew off before anyone could say otherwise.
Everyone left the premises and returned to their homes, hopeful for the coming day.
A/N: Oh my god, is my story really on the popular stories? I'm really happy about that fact, and it's all because of you, re readers! Go on, take a bow guys!
Now back to our regularly scheduled program:
Mornings.
To Twilight, they were the greatest times of day to get started on errands on her to-do list, since most of the other ponies in Ponyville would still be asleep. To Spike, however, they were just excuses to get up for the day and to interrupt his wonderful dreams about Rarity.
This morning was exactly the same. "Spike!"
"Mrr... not now Pinkie!" said the still sleeping Spike.
The speaker rolled her eyes. "Wake up!" She used her magic and lifted Spike from his bed, then dropped him on the cold hardwood floor.
"Hey!" he said, rubbing his back. "Twilight, what the hay was that for?"
"I need your help," she said as she speed-walked towards one of her book shelves. After looking for a minute, she smiled triumphantly as she picked her book. "I need you to go into Ponyville and tell Rainbow, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy to come over."
"Got it," said Spike as he stretched his arms. He stopped midway. "And... Pinkie too?"
Twilight snapped her head towards Spike. "No! It's imperative Pinkie doesn't come with the others!"
Spike nodded hesitantly as he headed for the door. "So... now?"
"Yes, now."
"Uh... okay." he said, leaving the library. The last thing he saw before leaving was the book's title: "Genius' Guide to Finding Your Friend's Secrets"
"What's up with Twilight?" Spike murmured as he strolled down the Ponyville streets, heading to Rarity's boutique first (What, who else would you expect Spike to visit first?). "It's not like her to snoop at somepony's personal secrets..."
"I'm sorry?" said a voice.
Spike looked up, only then realizing his face was downcast. "Oh, um, sorry Derpy, I was just talking to myself."
The mailmare tilted her head down slightly. "Oh, alright then." She gave a smile, which complemented nicely with her disfigured eyes. "So, where are you heading to Spike?"
"To Rarity's," he said, a little bit too dreamy-like. "Then to Rainbow's, then Applejack's, and then Fluttershy's. Twilight told me to invite the four to the library tonight."
Derpy's smile widened, and hope gleamed in her eyes. "Can I come?"
He blinked. Why in Celestia's name would Derpy want to come to the library? She's never really been close friends with Twilight, and the only time she came to the library was to check out a few books... and then never return them. Meh, that's Twilight's problem. "Uh... sorry Derpy, but it's kinda just for the five of them, you know?"
She nodded. "I understand. Well, I gotta get back to doing my job! See you later Spike!" She flew off on her usual mail route as Spike continued walking to Rarity's until he arrived. Right before he could knock on the door, Rarity swung it open.
"Oh heavens Spike! You're just in time! I finished a fabulous dress that would look spectacular on a dragon. You simply must test it out!" she mused.
"I'd love to help you out Rarity," he said, wanting to change the subject as soon as possible. He did not want to spend his day wearing a dress. "but Twilight told me to tell you to meet at the library."
"Right now?"
"Yes."
"Right right now?"
"Yup, right now."
"But I didn't expect it to be so early! And I desperately need some dragon to test my dress!" Rarity pouted.
Spike bit his lips, until he eventually gave a long sigh. "Alright, I'll wear the dress, just go to Twilight's."
She gave a big hug and a big kiss to Spike and his forehead, respectfully. "Oh, thank you Spike! I'll go now! The dress is near the sewing machine on the mannequin, you just cannot miss it!" With that, she trotted to Twilight's library.
Spike entered the room and saw the dress immediately. It was evident that Rarity purposely placed he sewing machine and the dress in a place where it could be seen plain as day. Spike sighed and inspected the dress. It was merely a yellow dress with a red ribbon lace in the middle. It was so simple; So unlike Rarity. Perhaps she made it simple because she thought Spike would prefer simplicity, like Twilight? Whatever the case, he put the dress on, left Carousel Boutique, and headed to Rainbow's cloud house, which was merely a block away.
"Raaaainbow!" Spike yelled, since he couldn't very well fly up to Rainbow's house in the sky and knock on the door, now could he?
He had to yell two or three more times before the door swung open. "Whaaaat?" Rainbow whined groggily, probably due to being woken up at this early in the morning. Once she saw Spike, she snapped awake. "The hay?"
"Don't ask," he grumbled. "Twilight needs you at the library right now."
"Why so early? Can't it wait?" she grumbled.
"Just go."
"Jeez," she started to fly towards the library. "Who spoiled the milk in your Hay Flakes?" Before Spike could say anything, Rainbow was already gone.
Next is Applejack, then Fluttershy, he thought. After ten minutes, he arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, his feet and claws now sore. From the side of his eyes, he noticed an orange coated mare bucking apples from the trees. That mare was none other than Applejack. Is it Applebuck season already? he thought as he climbed over the fence and advanced towards Applejack.
"Applejack," he said at an average length away from her. He didn't want to be bucked in the teeth, after all!
She stopped from kicking the tree and looked up to Spike. "Oh, mornin' there Spike."
"Morning AJ. Listen, Twilight needs you to go to the library, A.S.A.P."
She froze. "Oh... ah didn't think it'd be so early. Haven't really even had breakfast yet. Ah'm only up 'cause it's Applebuck season." She then smiled. "Oh well. Pinkie's more important than Applebuck season, an' Big Mac can hold the fort till ah come back." She trotted to the library, oblivious to Spike wearing a dress.
Huh... so it /is/ about Pinkie, he thought as he walked to Fluttershy's cottage, which was thankfully close by. He knocked on the door, which was followed by a soft whimper.
"Who is it?"
"It's Spike, Fluttershy."
She opened the door, and let out a little yelp once he saw Spike. "Oh dear... was it Rarity?"
He nodded. "Twilight needs you at the library, stat."
"Oh, okay then..." She galloped towards the library, but stopped when she saw Spike panting. "What's wrong Spike?"
"Nothing, nothing. It was just a long walk..." he panted.
"Do you want a ride back to the library... if that's okay with you?"
Spike perked up. "Oh boy, that's Fluttershy!"
Spike and Fluttershy headed back to the library, with Spike being relieve that the walk and the errand was finally over.
"...and that's why Twilight doesn't like it when I use her cookbooks for promotional reasons," concluded Spike as he and Fluttershy entered the library.
"Oh my, what a story," she said. "Hi Twilight."
"Terrific! Everypony's here! Now, can we get down to business?" chirped Twilight, only giving one glance to Spike in his dress.
After everyone chimed in saying that they were ready, Twilight used her magic and levitated a book near them, so that all their eyes could see it. "This is a-... uh, Spike?"
"Yeah?"
"Would you mind leaving? This is a thing for just us five."
"Oh, don't worry, I won't spill the beans to Pinkie," he said dismissively with a wave of his hand.
Twilight looked befuddled. How in the hay could he have figured out what the five of them were doing? Either one of the four told Spike directly or accidentally told him. She inspected her four friends' faces with a few second glance. Rainbow was bored out of her mind, Rarity was looking regal as ever, Fluttershy was still oh so shy, and Applejack looked as if she was in deep thought. It didn't take a brain surgeon to figure out who to suspect. "Something you care to tell us, Applejack?" she said with a raised eyebrow.
"It's nothin', but... ah might've accidentally said something 'bout Pinkie." She chuckled awkwardly.
Twilight shrugged. "As long as Spike doesn't tell, it's fine AJ. Now then," she lifted the book once again with magic and showed it to her friends. "This here is a book, called "Genius' Guide to Finding Your Friend's Secrets". I've read the book while Spike went to fetch you all, and I can safely say that we can find a way to delve in the deeper innings of Pinkie's mind and psychosis!"
"Gross," said Rainbow.
"You see, it's quite simple. We have to convince her that her closet is no big deal, and once we do, she'll break free from this 'addiction' and let us see what it is!" Twilight said with a smile, but then frowned. "The book was missing a lot of pages on how to do it exactly, but I think we have the general idea." She then snorted. "And what kind of sick fiend would rip pages out of books? That's unethical!"
Applejack put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Twi', we know ya love books, but right now, we got bigger problems than that!"
Twilight nodded. "You're right Applejack. Right now, we need a plan. Here's what we'll do..."
"Uh, one question?" Rainbow asked, raising a hoof.
"Yes Rainbow?" said Twilight.
"Why's Derpy here?" She pointed to the back of the roon
The other five of them turned to see the mailmare, Derpy, sitting on the floor. Once she was noticed, she smiled and waved.
"Oh, her!" Spike said. "See, I ran into her when she was delivering mail to Ponyville, and I told her you five were meeting at the library. She must've thought it'd be fun to come," he shrugged.
Derpy nodded in agreement. "Yup!"
"Oh, um... Alright, you can stay. There's some refreshments I had set out for the others in the kitchen, but you can have some too." She turned back around and continued on with her spiel. "Now here's the plan..."
A/N: I know Derpy wasn't included in the cast list or anything of the sorts, but I didn't want to add her until she was introduced.
A/N x2: Oh, and added Spike, because he deserves a little love, too.
