Twilight Hosts a Party

by Amante

Rolepartying

It had been more than enough time and not more than enough of them had returned. Twilight was looking at eleven pairs. “Okay seriously, where are the others?”

“Well, mah brother an’ Zecora were busy readin’ some really thick book upstairs,” said Applejack.

“Bon Bon and Lyra are over there,” said Noteworthy, pointing to those stated.

“Derpy and Time Turner were looking at a picture book with blue boxes, whatever they may be,” said Rarity.

“And the fourth?” Twilight asked.

The ponies present looked perturbed as nopony seemed to know who the fifteenth pair was. Eventually Twilight sighed and said, “Well, can you just gather everypony here? I have to announce the winner of the scavenger hunt.”

A few more minutes passed before all the ponies were once again gathered. The four pairs, noticeably, still had their muzzles in their chosen books. Twilight grinned on the inside. And a little on the outside too. It was working! But not everypony had yet to see the light.

“Well, first of all, I would like to congratulate Caramel and Wind Whistler on finding all three of their books first!” She pointed to the couple. “Why don’t we give them a round of stomps everypony!”

The library shook ever so slightly.

“That means you guys are currently ahead for the big surprise. Now then, since you all have your books with you, we can begin the next part that I’m sure will get you all appreciating the beauty of books. With your pairs, why don’t you begin discussing the books you found. I’ll be back in a few minutes to see your progress,” she said with a really big smile on her face.

The moment she disappeared into her room, Rainbow looked straight to her partner. “Does she seriously expect us to discuss… THIS?!” She pointed to the book they had found titled, “The Extended Encyclopedia of Endless Enumerations of Ennui.”

Applejack found herself sighing. Even she had to admit that no amount of hard work could ever make reading “IT” worth it. As she looked around, she found that the other pairs had similar sentiments. Rarity and Fluttershy’s expressions veered more and more into incomprehension as they tried to read their books; which looked big enough to be used as blunt instruments. Even the hunt’s winners looked equally lost in their book.

As a matter of fact, the only ones who looked to be enjoying themselves were the ones who were reading books that weren’t on the list. The four distracted pairs.

Pinkie’s head shot up in concern as she watched the ponies not enjoying themselves. This was not how a party was supposed to go. She bounced over to a shelf and looked for a certain book. When she found it, she opened it on a certain page and presented it to her partner, Cheerilee.

The teacher in turn, raised an eyebrow, looked to her, and said, “Ummm… Pinkie, what is this?”

“A book!” she said simply.

Cheerilee rolled her eyes, not entirely sure if Pinkie was serious or sarcastic. “I can see that, but what’s so significant about it.”

Pinkie leaned in and whispered several things into Cheerilee’s ear. Her eyes went from curious to wide eyed as she heard what Pinkie had to say. “You can’t be serious?!”

“Oh yes I am. Come on, it’ll be fun.”

“I don’t know…”

Pinkie’s eyes grew to the size of saucer plates as she looked pleadingly at her partner. “Pleeeeaaaasssseee?”

Cheerilee gave a resigned sigh. “Fine.”

At this, Pinkie jumped onto her hindhooves and began to dramatize. “Neigh, young mare! I forbeed thee from pursuing such a horrid choice!”

The puce pony was perplexed. But then she noticed that the others had taken notice. She took a breath and followed suit. “NOOOOO!!! I do not care what you think! I shall no longer be shackled to what YOOUU think is best for MEEE!!!”

Pinkie let out an exaggerated gasp. “How dare you! You think you can disobey me,” she pointed a hoof at herself, “after all I’ve done for you?! What would you,” she poked Cheerilee on the chest, “be without ME?!”

“Then I will run away!” The teacher stomped the ground and took a pause. Her eyes shifted around their audience and she took a quick glance at the book. “I will go out there and become my own maare!”

“HA!” Pinkie exclaimed, as she held her tummy. “What do you know of the outside world?! Of the horrors that you will end up facing? You would not last a day!”

Cheerilee wore a scowl. “If that is really what you think then I will leave RIGHT NOW… and there is nothing you can do to stop me!” She stomped, angrily, out of view.

The assembled ponies began to snicker, then giggle, then finally laugh. A particular pegasus pony approached them and said, “Hey I know those lines! I didn’t know it was a book.”

“So I take it you’ve seen the theatrical version?” asked Pinkie.

“Yup,” replied Raindrops. “Hey, mind if I borrow this?” She gestured the open book on the floor.

“Go right ahead!”

One more pony down. Twilight can thank me later, Pinkie thought.

As the ponies shared a laugh, Rainbow had snuck off to a shelf she was very familiar with. Grabbing her treasure, she zoomed back to Applejack and gave her a knowing look. Applejack, meanwhile, returned the look with one of horror. She did not like where Rainbow was going with this.

Rainbow laid the book onto the floor in one particular chapter. Before she began, she psyched herself up and told Applejack, “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this.”

She cleared her throat and thrust a hoof at the farmpony. “You’ll never get away with this Ahuizotl!”

Applejack stared at her with blank look, but then she put on a mad grin. “Oh, but Ah already have Miss Do! And now there ain’t nothin’ ya’ll can do about it!”

Several ponies giggled at Ahuizotl’s… interesting accent. Rainbow herself had to stifle a laugh.

“Are you suuure?” She glanced around the room and grabbed one of Spike’s gems. “I still have it after all.”

Applejack took the chance to read a few more of her lines. “Are ya sure that that’s it? Take a closer look, why don’tcha.”

Rainbow squinted into the gem, then gasped it terror. “No. No! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!” In a manner befitting Rarity, she collapsed on the floor and began convulsing.

The ponies stomped their hooves at the performance. Rarity smiled deviously at Fluttershy as she grabbed a book that she herself enjoyed. Fluttershy, though, could not have looked more terrified.

She dropped to the floor and grabbed her friend’s fetclocks. “WHHAHAHAHAYYY?!” She immediately got the crowd’s attention. “Why won’t you looovveee meeee?”

Fluttershy stood there, stock still. Too many eyes. Too many eyes on her. She couldn’t do this. She could not handle the-

As she looked down, she saw the look Rarity had given her. She had to admit, she did like that part in the book so… “I-I’m sorry. But, it h-has to be this way. There is nothing I can do. Goodbye.” She turned and accidentally faced the audience, and consequently, the eyes.

Poor Fluttershy’s eyes then rolled back in her head as she joined Rarity on the floor. The white unicorn nudged the yellow pegasus, but got no response.

She stood up and faced the crowd. “Oh dear. I suppose the spotlight was a bit too much for her.”

---

“I already have eight ponies reading like crazy, Spike. Can you believe it?!” She said as she trotted in place.

“I’m actually kind of inclined not to. But, great job, Twilight,” said her ‘faithful’ assistant.

“Ha, ha, very funny. I just can’t believe how easy that was. Although, I was a bit surprised to see Lyra reading the ‘Private Primate Pamphlet.’”

“So, what’re they doing now?”

“Oh,” she said with pride. “I got them to discuss all the books they found in the hunt.”

Spike’s happy expression evaporated. “Wait, what exactly were the books you sent them to find?”

“Just the simple stuff, like encyclopedias and biographies of famous writers,” she said offhandedly.

“Twilight, I don’t think that’s-”

The sound of shouting was heard through the door. The pair looked to each other with concern and raced back out to the hall. When they got there, the source of the sound was not what they were expecting.

In the center of the room, Pinkie and Cheerilee were yelling at each other in hilariously over the top tones, complete with over the top movements. When they had finished, the ponies started to laugh. Twilight looked around the room and saw Rainbow grab the fourth Daring Do book. She had a pretty good idea of what was about to happen as she laid the book in front of Applejack.

Of course, she was right. Rainbow Dash started saying Daring’s lines from the book, and apparently expected Applejack to play along as Ahuizotl. To her surprise, the farmpony complied and said his lines with her own… inflection. Even Twilight had to admit, it was pretty funny.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a pink ball of fluff approaching. Pinkie wrapped a hoof around her and said, “So, whaddya think, Twilight?”

She looked at her bouncy friend skeptically. “What do I think? What do you think you’re doing?!” she asked accusingly.

“Huh?” Not the reaction Pinkie had been expecting. “Uhhhh… having fun?”

“Fun,” Twilight deadpanned. “This is what you call fun? Libraries are supposed to be quiet, Pinkie. This is not a theatre. Look what you’ve gone and done.” She pointed to Rarity as she dropped to her knees.

“Now I have to get everypony under control before things start getting-”

*THUD*

The two ponies and one dragon’s attention was caught by a yellow pegasus collapsing on the floor.

Comments

[UnseenShadow1248]

Twilight STPA! Let your friends have fun with the reading.

[ExsentrickBrony18]

As I've said before, its a great story. And I'm thoroughly enjoying it every trot of the way.
I await the next chapter.