Here's My Suggestion

Pinkie Pie was having difficulty. This was not a common thing in the world of Pinkie Pie. She was currently trying to set up a stage in Ponyville's marketplace from which to issue her suggestions. Usually she was able to do anything, but today, something seemed... off. She attempted to prop up a board between two cement blocks. As it fell to the ground for the eleventh time, she screeched in frustration and glanced around desperately. She noticed two stallions chatting together off to the side and rushed over to them.

"Excuse me, gentleponies, but could I have some help with my construction project over there?" Pinkie Pie inquired. The stallions in question either didn't hear her or ignored her. Pinkie assumed it was the latter.

Pinkie's face contorted into an expression of rage. She was tired of being ignored. She stormed towards the two stallions and slammed her hoof down on the table between them.

"I suggest you help me with my construction project," Pinkie Pie whispered in a coarse voice. The stallions startled and stared up at Pinkie Pie.

"Uh, sure lady. Right away," stuttered one of the stallions, before racing over to Pinkie's pile of construction materials and beginning to build. He was closely followed by his companion. After a few minutes, they had several boards balanced between cement blocks. Pinkie Pie stood up on the makeshift stage, a megaphone in her hoof.

"Goooooooooooooood morning ponies of Ponyville! I'm here on this fine morning to make some suggestions to you!" Pinkie shouted through the megaphone. A few heads turned in her direction. Pinkie pulled her Big Great Fabulous Awesome List of Suggestions, or BGFALS, out of her pock-- wait a minute. Pinkie doesn't have pockets. Where did that come from? Well, wherever it came from, Pinkie began reading from it.

"Number one: I suggest that everypony in Ponyville wear mustaches all the time. For your convenience, I will provide mustaches," began Pinkie. More heads turned towards her, most wearing quizzical expressions.

"Number two: I suggest that everypony in Ponyville attend a party every day. For your convenience, I will throw these parties," she continued. As even more heads turned towards her, she was recognized as 'that crazy pony from last night's party.'

"And lastly, for today, number three: I suggest that everypony in Ponville follow my suggestions for a week. For your convenience, I will be in this spot every morning to issue my suggestions. Alrighty then, thanks everypony! Have a good day! I'll be back with the mustaches soon!" Pinkie shouted, then leaped off of the stage. The ponies of Ponyville glanced at each other in confusion, then went back to their regular business.

One of the heads that had turned towards Pinkie was tangerine in colour, had a blonde mane, and was wearing a rather distinctive ten gallon hat. The mare in question sighed and followed Pinkie to Sugarcube Corner, where she was rummaging through a bin of random junk.

"Hey Pinkie, can Ah talk to ya for a minute?" asked Applejack. Pinkie Pie looked up.

"Oh, sure thing, Applejack! I'll be here a while, looking for my mustaches," replied Pinkie.

"Sugarcube, Ah'm not sure that ya really understand about suggestions. Ya see, they ain't somethin' ponies have to listen to, they're just ideas, not necessarily great, but sometimes good. Ya understand? It's not because nopony likes you that we don't always take your suggestions, it's that--"

"Don't always take my suggestions? You NEVER take my suggestions! Ponies take other ponies suggestions, sometimes even when they're bad, but never mine! I need to fix this. I need to be appreciated!" Pinkie found a box of mustaches and pulled it out of the bin. She slapped one on her own face, then threw one at Applejack. Applejack let it fall to the ground.

"No thanks, Pinkie, Ah don't wan' ta wear a mustache. Anyway, like Ah said, it's not--"

"TAKE MY SUGGESTION!" screamed Pinkie. She grabbed the fallen mustache and slapped it on Applejack's face. Applejack tore it off.

Pinkie Pie had had enough. She felt a blind, bitter rage coursing through her veins. She brought her hoof up and smashed it down onto Applejack's back. Applejack crumpled to the ground.

"Now," Pinkie Pie whispered, her apparent calm more terrifying than her former rage, "I suggest that you put on that mustache and help me give these out to other ponies." Applejack scrambled to her feet, her head hanging low. She gingerly placed the mustache on the end of her nose. She followed Pinkie Pie back to the marketplace and began handing out the mustaches to passerby. Nopony noticed the tears of shame and regret welling in the corners of her eyes.

Late that night, after Pinkie's party, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy met in the cellar of Sweet Apple Acres. A hoof-shaped bruise bloomed on Applejack's back where Pinkie Pie had struck her.

"What Ah saw in her eyes girls, it frightened me like nothin' ever has. There was such a deep hatred there. Ah don' know how this happened to our Pinkie, but I have a right awful feelin' that it's our fault," Applejack explained to the others. Rarity sobbed in the corner, lying atop a stack of burlap sacks.

"Th-this is all m-m-m-my fault... all my f-f-fault! I-if I hadn't st-st-stuttered when sh-she asked m-me about taking h-her suggestions, we w-wouldn't be in this s-situation in the first place!" she wailed.

"Oh, no Rarity, this is my fault! I should have listened to her suggestion at the mustache party," consoled Fluttershy.

"Guys, this is Pinkie we're talking about! She never raised a hoof to anyone in her life, at least not on purpose! It was probably an accident, or something," said Rainbow Dash. She was the most relaxed of the group.

"Ah don' know, Rainbow. Whenever somepony refused to wear a mustache, Pinkie would hold her hoof up in the air, jus' like she did before she hit me! Somethin' in her's snapped, and Ah wouldn't want to cross her before we get it fixed," replied Applejack.

"Oh, if only Twilight was here! She'd know what to do!" lamented Fluttershy. Applejack's eyes lit up.

"Twahlight! That's it! She will know what to do! We'll send her a letter in Canterlot," declared Applejack.

"Hold your horses, AJ. We're not a bunch of wusses. We should at least try to stop her ourselves before we go crying to Twilight. She's just Pinkie, after all. It's not like this is the first time she's gone insane," protested Rainbow Dash.

"Well, alright, but let's at least come up with a plan first. Ah want to be very cautious where crazy Pinkie's involved," answered Applejack.

And so they talked until dawn, and a plan was formulated.