Bedtime for Ponies

       You stand up in front of the bed, ready for the night, a helium balloon attached at each corner floating high above it. You hope it’ll be to her tastes. You even made sure the covers were a matching shade of pink, just so she would feel more comfortable. You walk to the doorway, and step into the hall, looking for her.

“Pinkie Pie!” you call from the doorway, expecting the little pony at any moment. After a few minutes of waiting with no sign of her, you leave the room to seek out the stubborn filly. You check the kitchen first, being the obvious place for her to hide. You walk to the cupboard and prod all the cakes, expecting a pink pony to leap out at any moment, only for the cakes to remain intact. As you leave the kitchen, you hear a giggle from the bedroom. Returning to it, you find an old timey western fort has been built on the bed using the pillows and blanket, a sound of laughter coming from within.

You clear your throat loudly to get her attention. A small pink head pokes out from under one end of the sheet, smiling at you. “Come on Pinkie, it's time for bed.” You say, only for her to climb back inside her fort and begin jumping around again, the bed creaking and wobbling with each bounce.

        You walk over to it and lift the edge of the sheet up, only to come face to face with Pinkie's party cannon. You duck just in time before a shower of confetti explodes out the end, covering the room, as well as yourself in brightly coloured flakes of paper. You turn to face the bed again, as the little pink pony leaps out from under the sheets into your arms, smiling widely. You can't help but laugh as Pinkie giggles, pulling some confetti out of your hair.

Once she had calmed down, you place her on the ground for a moment while you carefully dismantle the pillow fort and turn it back into a bed. As you lift the party cannon out, you have to wonder how such a small filly moves such a heavy object around, before realising it's Pinkie Pie; she could do anything she wanted. You place the cannon in the corner of the room, much to Pinkie's disappointment. Once done, you pick her back up and carefully place her back down on the bed, pulling the covers over her small pink body, tucking them tightly around her hooves and shoulders, making sure her pillow was soft enough for her. She sighs contentedly and nestles her head down into the pillow. Job well done, you think to yourself, as you tiptoe away from the bed.

As you slowly step out the door, you turn to face the bed to check she was still asleep, only to notice it was empty! You walk back over and look under the covers for her, only to suddenly find Pinkie clinging to the back of your head, pulling on your jumper, giggling to herself. You lift her off your head, amazed at how she got out of bed so quickly, and tuck her back in again. As you do so, she points to the bookcase behind you. Realising she wants a story, you turn to select the best one suited to her tastes. As you browse the shelf, you notice one specific book sat on the shelf, wrapped in colourful paper, a piece of ribbon tied neatly around it in a bow.

Clearly Pinkie's choice, you think to yourself as you remove the present and unwrap it, finding it's a pop up party book. Perfect for the party pony. You turn back to the bed to see an eager filly leaning on her pillow, tugging at the string of the nearby balloon, watching it bob up and down above her. You smile at the cuteness, and let out a small laugh, catching the filly's attention. She sees the book in your hands and smiles widely. Climbing out of the covers, she begins to jump up and down on the bed again.

You sit down next to the pillow and position yourself so she can clearly see the pictures in the book before you open the cover. She stops jumping and walks back to the pillow. Climbing back into bed near the edge, she leans over to get a better view. You smile at how excited she is to hear the story, and once satisfied she is paying attention, you open the book and begin to read aloud. As you turn the first page, a large table covered with presents pops up, causing Pinkie to giggle again as you hold the book closer to her so she can study the pop up picture. You continue reading the book, before turning the next page, letting her pull the cords on the pop up pictures as you go.

As you near the end of the book, the little filly grows more and more excited. You turn the last page, only to have a series of party streamers explode out of the book into the air, showering the room in colourful pieces of paper, raining down on you and the bed. Pinkie falls onto her back, laughing heavily, her hooves kicking under the covers. As annoyed as you are at the mess, you can't stay mad at her when she's enjoying herself so much. You close the book and put it back on the shelf, before straightening the bed covers again and hugging the excitable filly. She lets out a smile as you hug her, and hugs you back with her tiny hooves.

Once satisfied she is ready for bed, you get up and turn the lights off, plugging in her night light, before sitting by her side gently stroking her mane until she falls asleep. After about twenty minutes, she closes her eyes and sighs gently. You take this as a good sign and quietly tip toe away again, hoping she stays in bed this time. As you close the door, you hear Pinkie laughing gently in her sleep, a smile still upon her face.