//------------------------------//
// The Birthday Gone Bad 
// Story: The Worst Birthday Ever 
// by Outcast4Ever 
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	Pinkie Pie looked out her window. The sun was shining brightly down on Ponyville, her home town. The place she spent every day making her friends happy with the little things she does every day. Sure, she loved to see her friends smile, but today she just felt like staying locked up in her room doing nothing. She really couldn't; she had a party to plan. Yet there was just something behind the nature of the party that made her want to do nothing. Everypony below her window was happy, but she wasn't. For some reason she just couldn't be happy today.
The party that should have been getting set up downstairs by her and the Cakes' had been marked on her party calendar for weeks. She had the perfect decorations and desserts in mind, but she didn't feel like there was any reason for her to execute her plan. It's not like the party was for somepony super duper special, and she just wan't feeling like her normal party-riffic self. Either way, she stood from her place beside the window and picked up Gummy, setting him atop her head and putting on a fake smile as she descended the stairs into the bakery. "Morning Mr. Cake, Mrs. Cake." she called into the kitchen where the two earth ponies could be found baking some delicious treats for today.
"Morning Pinkie." they replied. 
Mrs. Cake came out from the kitchen and moved in front of the counter. "Got a party planned for today?"
Pinkie shook her head. "Not today, Mrs. Cake."
"Why not? Usually you have to try to find an excuse to party. Today's a given."
"I'm just not in the mood for a party today. Plus, it looks like your hooves are full anyway. I'll just head out and leave you to baking. See ya."
Mrs. Cake watched as Pinkie halfheartedly bounced out the door before turning and heading back into the kitchen to check on a batch of cupcakes she had been making for the anticipated party this afternoon. 





Later that afternoon Pinkie could be seen sitting in the park under a tree staring into space. Gummy was clamped onto her tail as she mindlessly flicked it, keeping him entertained to say the least. Ponies all around her waved and called out a greeting, but their words fell onto deaf ears as she sat there in nowhere land. Eventually, the few ponies in the park went into town and left her in silence until a rainbow-maned pegasus landed right beside her with a thud.
The pink mare turned her head to find her friend saying something to her, but until she shook herself out of her trance she couldn't tell exactly what was being said, though she had a fairly good idea. "Hey Rainbow." she said with a sorrow-like undertone to her voice.
"Uh, hey? So, you got a party going on or what? And shouldn't you be over at Sugarcube Corner?"
"I guess. I'd better get going. See ya."
"Yeah, see ya." The cyan mare launched herself into the air, barely missing the branches of the tree above their heads as she took off.
Pinkie Pie watched as she flew off before turning and heading back into town with Gummy still latched onto her tail. As she neared Sugarcube Corner, she noticed a semi-large group of ponies headed towards it. With a disheartened sigh she snuck around to the back and entered the bakery as quietly as possible. As she made her way through the kitchen she heard the bell over the door ring and the multiple sets of hooves as ponies flooded the bakery expecting a party.
"I'm sorry everypony, there's no party today." Mrs. Cake's voice entered the kitchen followed by the slightly disappointed sighs and grumbles from all of Pinkie's friends as they turned and left the bakery. 
Pinkie poked her head out of the kitchen to see her five best friends standing in the main room of the bakery with concern written all over their faces. They turned to look at her and, knowing it was too late to duck back into the kitchen and hide, she stepped out into the main room, coming around and being immediately pulled into a group hug. She looked to Mrs. Cake for a little help, but the older mare just shook her head and grabbed Gummy before heading upstairs to check on the twins. The pink mare groaned silently as she slowly worked herself out the hug, her friends dropping her to the floor as she started to move.
"Pinkie, what's wrong? It's not like you to not throw a party on somepony's birthday." Pinkie glanced up at Twilight with a look that said 'I'd really rather not talk about it', but the unicorn paid it no mind. "We all know something's up, so why don't you want to tell anypony?"
A silent glare was all she received in reply as the pink mare shot daggers at her to try and silence what was soon going to turn into a bombardment of questions. "Um, Twilight, are you sure it's a good idea to question Pinkie right now? I... think she would benefit more from just sitting with us quietly." Fluttershy's voice was quiet, almost silent in fact. Pinkie turned to face the pegasus with a slight smile on her face and she simply smiled back shyly, as was her nature.
The group of six friends simply sat silently in the now empty bakery, the only sounds being that of a few birds singing outside the open kitchen window in the back of the shop. After a few minutes, the silence became unbearable for the party pony of the group and she sighed softly, still loud enough to be heard since the bakery was oddly quiet. Everypony except for Fluttershy, who was sitting directly across from her in the small circle of friends, turned to look at her. "Feeling better Pinks?" Rainbow Dash asked, flicking her mane out of her face with a wing.
"A little, but not really. It just seems like this day isn't worth celebrating anymore. I know everypony expects me to go crazy with my partying today, and hearing them that sad broke my heart, but sometimes I just think that today isn't worth the trouble. It just doesn't seem special enough anymore."
"Whatever do you mean, darling? This day couldn't get more special if it was Princess Celestia's birthday."
"Rarity's right, sugarcube. This day is special because ya make it special each and every year. The Princess's birthday can't be more special no matter how hard she tries ta make it, ya hear?"
Pinkie looked at each of her friends in turn, her smile slowly growing wider as she saw their smiles. They were right. No day could be more special than today because she was the one who made it as special as possible. And somehow, she managed to outdo herself every year. The only days she considered even more special than today were in her bestest friends' birthdays. 
"You're right you guys! I didn't need to get all sad and become a down-in-the-dumps-mopey-pony on my birthday! That's what goodbye parties are for. So, who wants to help me set up a party? All the decoration are upstairs and it shouldn't take too long if we load up my party cannon. What I'll probably need help with is baking yummy-licious treats for everypony as fast as possible."
Everypony looked at the pink mare before bursting out laughing and pulling her into another hug. "I mean it you guys. Let's get this party started!"