//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 (Sweets Can Be Bad For Your Health) // Story: The Most Special Party // by Chaos_Azeroth //------------------------------// After a while, Applejack ran into Twilight Sparkle and Spike. ‘Howdy y’all. Are you out here for the same reason I am?’ Hope filled her, but she felt a twinge of panic. What if they weren’t. They’d surely ask what she meant then. She gulped. ‘You’re out here to be bored?’ Spike threw out there, still laying on Twilight Sparkle’s back. She shot him a look, then turned back to Applejack. She had noticed the gulp, and she started to laugh. ‘It’s okay Applejack. We both got invited too. Seriously, why else would we just be wandering around the Everfree Forest?’ ‘Twilight, something’s botherin’ me about this. T’aint right. It’s not quite lying, but it’s close. But I don’t want to let down Pinkie….’ Applejack sighed. ‘T’AIN’T FAIR!’ Twilight Sparkle gave her friend a soft, understanding look. And Applejack continued. ‘If I know our friends, they told some lie. Because Pinkie is our friend. I know…I know…I just don’t like it.’ Twilight Sparkle understood, but had no idea what to say. There was the fact that Pinkie Pie was her friend, and she wanted it secret. But there was the fact that Applejack was her friend, and she hated to lie. And she understood both ponies. Her heart started to pound. ‘You don’t have to say anything,’ Applejack said, as if she could read her friend’s mind. ‘Just thanks for listenin’. Let’s go.’ Rarity saw Fluttershy scuttling around nervously. ‘Whatever is the matter, Fluttershy?’ Fluttershy jumped and let out a squeek. She turned to see Rarity. ‘Oh my, I didn’t know it was you Rarity.’ She blushed a little, embarrassed her friend had startled her so. ‘It’s just…having to wander around the…’ She gulped. ‘Everfree Forest. And I don’t know where what I’m looking for is.’ Without missing a beat, Rarity said, ‘let me see your slip, darling.’ ‘My…my slip…’ ‘Your slip of paper with the ingredient. Surely that’s what you’re looking for.’ Fluttershy nervously handed Rarity the slip. ‘Oh my! Pinkie really is expecting quite a bit from you isn’t she? I happened to hear Twilight talking about this once. It’s rather far in. Actually, mine is too. Would you like me to help you, darling? After all, it simple wouldn’t do to be too late. We’d barely have any time to have fun.’ ‘Uhm…Rarity? You were…I mean…You’re…’ ‘Of course I was invited, darling. She did say her best friends, after all. I wonder if that means Spike too, or if Twilight had to come up with something. It probably did.’ Which, for a split second, made Rarity jealous. She hadn’t been able to bring anyone, after all. And it was going to be so awkward with Spike to boot. Rarity thought. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Spike, she just simply didn’t have time to even think about whether or not she liked anypony like that. She was going to work on her career first, romance second if ever. Rainbow Dash was waiting at Pinkie Pie’s house for them. She almost wanted to go in without them. ‘It’s not my fault they’re so slow,’ he mind whined at her. ‘Pinkie will be so happy to see you, and you can eat while you wait.’ Her stomach growled, almost as if it agreed with this. She saw some flowers, and looked around guiltily. ‘Nopony will notice. And besides, Pinkie would understand. I’m starving.’ She began to eat the flowers, and waited for the others. She knew it was the right thing to do. Going in, after all, would be about the most disloyal thing a pony could do. Her hunger had been the only problem with her, and she still wouldn’t have given in, in the end. The others came up, first Rairty and Fluttershy. Twilight Sparkle, Spike on her back, and Applejack followed soon after. ‘Oh..I didn’t notice you…’ Fluttershy said when she saw the three coming up close behind. ‘Actually,’ Twilight Sparkle said, ‘we just caught up to you. You were acting like something was trying to eat you!’ ‘Eep!’ ‘Way to go Twilight.’ It was Spike. ‘Scare poor Fluttershy like that.’ Twilight Sparkle gently bumped him off of her back. ‘Oh now Spike, darling,’ Rarity began, ‘that is simply no way to talk to one of your friends. Especially not before one of the best parties ever. We do not need bad feelings lingering around while we are trying to have fun.’ Spike started at Rarity, his heart pounding. ‘Sorry Twilight, I was just joking around.’ ‘Did I hear joke?!?’ Pinkie Pie burst out of her house. ‘Who told a joke? Was it funny? Why aren’t you all laughing?’ Rarity shot Spike a look. ‘It was me,’ he said, a bit ashamed sounding. ‘And it wasn’t very funny.’ ‘Oh that’s okay, Spike. Not every joke can be funny all the time. Or can it? You know what would be great? Cake! Come on you guys. I can’t start the party without you, sillies!’ She bounded inside, and the others followed. It was just like Pinkie Pie to be so excited about her party. Inside Pinkie Pie’s house was oddly undecorated. All of them couldn’t help but notice there was nothing that looked like any sort of party, let alone an extra special one. Rainbow Dash whined, in spite of herself. ‘Pinkie, please tell me this wasn’t a prank. Because it wouldn’t be very funny at all.’ ‘Oh no prank Dashie!’ Pinkie Pie exclaimed, a bit of offence creeping into her voice. ‘It’s just all set up in the basement.’ Twilight Sparkle made a puzzled face. ‘Pinkie, you don’t have a basement.’ ‘Oh yes I do. See, I was thinking. What if I wanted to have a super special party for just us? I mean, if I had it in here somepony might notice. A balloon might get away, or they might stop by, or who knows what else. So I worked really hard, and made a basement.’ She saw the looks on her friends faces. ‘Oh don’t worry, I did a great job! It’s safe as…well as a safe! Nothing bad.’ She moved a rug, and no one saw the door until Pinkie Pie knocked in the typical ‘shave-and-a-haircut’ fashion. She started going down the stairs, and they followed. The door, eerily, closed behind them. The basement was well lit, despite the noticeable lack of windows. It was full of streamers, balloons, and baked goods. On the wall was a banner that proudly proclaimed, ‘Welcome To The All Around Bestest Sleep-Over Ever!!!’. Spike ran over to the sweets, and began to gobble them down. ‘Spike stop that,’ Twilight Sparkle chided. ‘I swear, sweets are going to be the death of you one of these days.’ ‘You probably should listen to Twilight,’ Pinkie Pie added. ‘You don’t want to get a big bellyache.’ Which was weird, and Twilight Sparkle paused for a moment. Something was…wrong with Pinkie Pie saying something like that. But before she could think any more, Pinkie Pie started talking to her. ‘Come on Twilight, time to eat!’ Twilight Sparkle slowly went to eat, unsure what might be wrong. After they all ate, they decided to give Pinkie Pie her gifts. First Twilight went. ‘Wow this is amazing!’ Pinkie Pie flipped through it. ‘There are recipes I’ve never even heard of! Thanks buddy!’ She hugged Twilight Sparkle, and Fluttershy gulped. She was afraid her gift wasn’t good enough. Rarity went next. The dress was pink, with tastefully done streamers. ‘I adore it! I’ll put it on right now.’ Suddenly remembering what Rarity had said before, she added, ’Spike, cover your eyes okay? Rarity said we shouldn’t get dressed in front of a boy.’ Which made Rarity beam with pride. Spike covered his eyes, and Pinkie Pie got dressed. She gave Rarity a big hug and exclaimed, ‘it fits great…Hopefully I don’t eat too much cake!’ Everyone laughed, and Spike uncovered his eyes. Fluttershy was feeling even more afraid. Rainbow Dash proudly presented her gift, and Pinkie Pie squealed. ‘Are you sure Dashie? Are you really sure? These are so cool. Should I wear them? Really?’ ‘That is the point, Pinkie. You’ll be the coolest non-flying pony ever.’ ‘Okay Dashie!’ She put them on, which with the dress was more than a little funny. But that was just pinkie Pie. She hugged Rainbow Dash, and turned to Fluttershy. ‘It’s not that good,’ Fluttershy said, softly even for her. ‘I’m sure it is! Come on! What is it?’ Fluttershy presented the cupcake, which was all the colors of them. Pinkie Pie ate it in one bite. ‘That’s the best cupcake ever Fluttershy, and I know cupcakes!’ Fluttershy blushed, and tried to talk but couldn’t. Pinkie Pie hugged her. ‘I’m so glad we’ll be best friends forever!’ Twilight looked over at Spike, and noticed he was laying on the floor. ‘Spike? Spike!’ She started to feel dizzy, everything was getting fuzzy. As each of the ponies fainted, the last thing they heard was Pinkie Pie. ‘Forever…’