> Once Upon a Pinkie...
>  by Teyeson Bee
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Aaaaaand we are closed!" Pinkie Pie announced as she locked the front door to Sugarcube Corner. It was quite a busy business day for them, but now it was over, and Pinkie could start helping with the cleanup. Her bosses, the Cakes, had already started. Carrot Cake was wiping down the counters and tables while his wife, Cup Cake, was busy washing the dishes. As Pinkie looked around to see what she could do, she noticed that there were crumbs all over the floor. With a leap in her step and humming a catchy tune, Pinkie went to the closet to retrieve the broom and dustpan. Within minutes, Pinkie was sweeping the floor as she hummed away, even swaying a little to the music. Suddenly, the doors connected to the kitchen burst open and the two children of the Cakes came running out, one chasing the other, and laughing.

"I'm gonna get you Pound!" 

"Nuh-uh! You're too slow Pumpkin!"

It seemed like only yesterday when the Cakes came home with their newly born twins, a pegasus named Pound Cake, and a unicorn named Pumpkin Cake. Now they were both five, but they were still as rowdy as when they were babies. The two galloped around the tables as Pinkie tried to sweep around them, only to fail as the two scampered through the piles, spreading the crumbs and dust further. Pinkie sighed of playful exhaustion as she swept up the piles.

"Kids!" Mr. Cake shouted from the kitchen. "How many times must I tell you? No roughhousing while we're cleaning!"

"Sorry daddy," said Pumpkin as she and her brother stopped in their tracks.

"If you're going to play, take it upstairs kids," Mrs. Cake sweetly called.

"C'mon Pumpkin!" Pound said excitedly to his sister. "I'll race you upstairs!" Pumpkin nodded as the two started running toward the stairs. 

As Pinkie watched as the two made their way to their room, she heard Pumpkin shout, "Hey! No fair flying Pound!" Pinkie just chuckled as she got back to sweeping. After everything was swept and even mopped, Pinkie tossed the supplies back into the closet and gave a great sigh of relief. She looked over at the clock on the wall. 9:15 pm. There must have been a lot to do, cause Pinkie started around 7:45. Pinkie walked into the kitchen, where Mr and Mrs. Cake were just finishing putting the clean dishes away.

"Everything's clean as a whistle!" Pinkie said with a salute. "Of course, I always thought whistles weren't that clean to begin with. I mean, ponies blow into them all the time. How can they be so clean if they got pony spit on them all the-"

"Thank you Pinkie," Mr. Cake interrupted, chuckling at Pinkie's usual display of silliness. 

"Well I don't know 'bout you Honeybun," Mrs. Cake said as she put the last pan away, "but I am plum-tuckered out!"

"Same here," Mr. Cake replied. "I think it's time for all of us to get some good shu-" Mr. Cake was suddenly interrupted by a thudding sound from upstairs, along with some faint playful screaming and laughing.

"Are those kids still up?" Mrs. Cake asked as she looked up at the ceiling. "It's well past their bedtimes!"

"If you want," Pinkie said, "I can take care of them."

"You sure?" Mr. Cake asked.

"Of course!" Pinkie responded with a smile. "I've been able to get them to go to bed before, so this'll be no problem. You guys get some rest, and I'll see to it the twins are tucked in and sleeping before you know it!"

"Well thank you Pinkie," Mrs. Cake sweetly said. With that, the two Cakes wished Pinkie a goodnight and trotted upstairs to their room. Pinkie shut off all the lights in the kitchen and counter area before making her way up towards the twins' room. As she got closer, she could definitely hear the two doing something. Almost sounded like they were throwing something. As Pinkie opened the door, her hunch turned out to be right as she was greeting with a stuffed ladybug to the face. She pulled it off to see Pound and Pumpkin at each end of the room, wearing their pajamas with plastic buckets on their heads, hiding behind their own pile of toys.

"Oops! Sorry Aunt Pinkie!" Pound said. "My hand slipped."

"Alright you two," Pinkie chuckled. "I've been sent by your parents to tell you it's past your bedtime."

"But we're not tired," Pumpkin whined.

"Then why are you in your jammies?" Pinkie asked.

"These aren't jammies," Pound responded. "They're armor! We're in the middle of a battle here!"

"Well then call a truce," Pinkie said as she pulled the buckets off their heads. "It's time to sleep. You don't want to be dead tired tomorrow do you?" The twins groaned as they headed for their beds obediently. Pinkie smiled and headed for the door.

Before she could turn off the lights though, Pound intervened. "We still aren't tired Aunt Pinkie. What are we supposed to do?" Pinkie thought for a second, and then a classic idea came to mind. Something that she was able to do when the twins were just toddlers.

"How 'bout I tell you guys a story?" The twins' ears perked up and their faces curled into an excited smile as they sat up. If there was anything Pinkie was famous for with the Cake kids, it was telling stories. Well, that and playing a mean game of "Where's Pinkie Pie," but that's a different story. Pinkie headed over to the small bookshelf in the corner of the room and looked through it. Just the basic stuff; picture books, puzzle books, nursery rhymes, the usual. As Pinkie looked through, she them came up with another idea. She quickly turned around to face the anxious twins.

"Alright guys. I'm gonna tell you a special kind of story. You may have heard the plot before, but I'm gonna put a little twist in it." The twins looked at each other with anticipating eyes. "You guys ready?"

"Ready!" the twins said together as they got comfortable. Pinkie grabbed the rocking chair by the door and positioned it so that it was between the twins and sat down. And with that, the story began.

"Once Upon a Time..."

> Applejack and the Beanstalk
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	...In a faraway village, there lived a simple earth pony farmer by the name of Applejack. Though she didn't have much, she still remained positive in what she DID have. Unfortunately, that positive attitude was starting to shrink as food and money began to run alarmingly low. Applejack's only means of making money was selling apples, but even that business had started to slow. The only other means of money resided in Applejack's athletic but lazy roommate, Rainbow Dash, who was staying with AJ after a certain calamity involving her house. Apparently, Rainbow wasn't thinking and made her last house out of straw. Then there was something about a wolf with a big mouth, some huffing and puffing, and well, the rest is history.

"Rainbow!" Applejack said to her one day after catching her laying under a tree while she was supposed to be doing her chores. "Now is not the time to lay around! It's high time that we thought of somethin' to do 'bout our money problem! Unless you wanna starve this winter!"

Rainbow yawned as she looked up at the stern earth pony. "Have you considered putting on a show?" she asked unenthusiastically. "I mean, after the fiasco with the candlestick, you would have ponies lining up to see that again!"

"Oh hardy har har!" Applejack laughed sarcastically. It seemed that nopony could accidentally set their tail on fire from jumping over a candlestick nowadays without having somepony else remind them of it. Applejack STILL had pains just thinking about it. So much for "Applejack be nimble, Applejack be quick."

"Well alright," Rainbow said as she sat up. "How about we try selling some things? That could earn us a good bit of bits!"

Applejack scratched her chin thoughtfully. "An interesting idea. It could help us a lot. Ok then, you can sell your collection of Daring Do books and-"

"WHAT?" Rainbow shouted, jumping up. "No way Applejack! They're collectables! Do you know what I had to do to get the final book? It was a present from Humpty Dumpty!"

"Was this before or after you accidentally knocked him off the wall?" Applejack asked with a raised eyebrow.

"THAT WAS NEVER PROVEN!" Rainbow protested. "Besides, if we should sell anything, it should be that old cow of yours." Milky White, the cow, had been with Applejack for years. Though the cow hadn't given any milk in a mighty long time, Applejack still cared deeply for her, seeing how Milky White was her mother's. Just the mention of the idea made Applejack gasp in horror.

"SELL Milky White?" Applejack asked in shock as she hugged her cow's neck. "Why she's practically family! Ah couldn't do a thing like that!"

"Why not?" Rainbow asked. "She hasn't given any milk in years, and we NEED that money! You want to eat don't you? Either you sell the cow, or I'll eat it myself!"

"We don' even eat meat!" Applejack retorted.

"Well with how hungry I am, THERE'S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING!" Rainbow scolded. "C'mon Applejack! We could just give the cow to the next village over. There's a farmer over there that collects cows. I bet he would give you a good price! Please?"

Rainbow dropped to her knees and started to beg. Applejack looked from the pleading pegasus to her beloved cow as she thought. On one hoof, they really DID need the money. On the other hoof, Milky White was the last reminder of her mother. On the other hoof, winter was around the corner, and they needed food. Applejack felt as if she was stuck between a rock and...well...Rainbow Dash as she contemplated her decision. She glanced over at Milky White again, who just gave a low "moo." Rainbow was right in saying that the farmer at the other village did collect cows, and AJ happened to know that he cared for each cow accordingly. Maybe that would be the best choice.

So, with a deep sigh, AJ finally nodded. "Ok Rainbow. I'll sell her."

"Great!" Rainbow said with a smile. She then flew into the house and came out a few seconds later with a long leash. Quickly, she fastened it to Milky and handed the other end to Applejack. "No time to waste! You might wanna head out now. The sooner we get that money, the sooner we can eat!"

Applejack looked from the leash to Milky White, her lip trembling a bit. "Uh...Rainbow? C-could you take her instead? I...I don't think I could <sniff> take letting her go."

"Oh alright," Rainbow sighed as she rolled her eyes. "I'll be back soon." And with that, Rainbow Dash headed off to the next village with Milky White trailing close behind her. 

The road to the next village was a pretty straight one, but Rainbow still had to cross through a section of the woods that split the two villages. She didn't have to cross through the dark parts of the forest thankfully, but it still put Rainbow on edge. The forest was said to hold dangerous creatures and if you didn't pay attention to your surroundings, you could easily get lost. As she arrived at the forest though, Rainbow ventured forward, not focusing on the scary-looking trees or the eerie silence. Milky stopped as she gave a cautious "moo," before moving onward as Rainbow pulled her leash. As she hit the halfway point of the forest, Rainbow's hopes of not getting scared were shot by the tapping on the back of her shoulder. Following a loud yelp and jumping five feet in the air, Rainbow turned around to find the culprit. As soon as she saw who it was, Rainbow just rolled her eyes and sighed. The creature standing behind her was NOT a monster, but a tall, familiar creature with the head of a pony and the body of a whole bunch of things.

"Why hello there dear Rainbow Dash!" he said with a sly grin.

"Discord," Rainbow sighed. Discord was known throughout the land as a magical, but sneaky troublemaker, who just loved pulling pranks on others. His pranks were harmless, but they just annoyed the hay out of everypony. "Don't do that," Rainbow continued, "You almost gave me a heart attack."

"My apologies," Discord said as he bowed respectfully, "but I couldn't help but notice that you were walking through the woods with that wonderful-looking cow. Where are you going with her?"

"To the next village," Rainbow responded. "I'm selling her to get some money for me and Applejack."

"Well, if you don't mind," Discord responded as he surveyed the cow, "I could take her off your hooves."

Rainbow eyed him curiously. She didn't know what somepony like Discord would want with a cow. But then again, if she didn't have to go through the hassle of getting through the forest, she could've been willing to take it. "Yeah? What's the catch?"

"No catch at all," Discord replied seemingly innocent. "I just thought that we could trade. You give me the cow, and I can give you..." He then snapped his fingers, and in a small flash of light, something small popped into his hand, "...these." He outstretched his open hand toward Rainbow, who looked forward to see what it was. In his hand, slightly shimmering in the faint sunlight, were five little beans. Rainbow was NOT amused.

"Beans?" Rainbow asked, unimpressed. "Thanks, but no thanks Discord. I don't think five beans are gonna keep two ponies satisfied for long." As she took the cow and started to trot away, in another flash of light, Discord appeared in front of her again.

"Oh no Rainbow Dash!" he said with a smile. "These aren't just any ordinary beans. They're MAGIC beans!"

Rainbow raised an unconvinced eyebrow. "Magic? What do you think this is? A fairy tale?"

"Why don't you ask the pony reading this story?" Discord murmured.

"What?"

"Nevermind. My point is that these beans ARE magical. I made them myself. You, like any other pony, should know of the power that I hold." Rainbow eyed the beans for a second. She was aware of the power Discord had, but that didn't mean that he didn't like to trick others. 

"And how, exactly, do these things work anyway?"

Discord smiled even more. "Simple. All you have to do is plant them, and within seconds, you won't have to worry about running out of food ever again. You have my word!" Rainbow started to think. It could well be just another prank, but what if they really were magic? Discord may have been a pain, but he never caused any pony harm before. And if she and Applejack wouldn't have to worry about food anymore, that would help a lot. She then looked from Milky White to Discord, still holding the beans in front of her. Was it a risk that was willing to be taken?

"Oh alright Discord," Rainbow finally said. "You got yourself a deal."

"Oh wonderful!" Discord cheered. He then handed the beans to her, who in turn, handed the leash to Discord.

"You will take care of her right?" Rainbow asked as she turned to leave. "AJ would kill me if she found out something terrible happened to her."

"I'll treat her like my own sister!" Discord replied as he turned to Milky. "I hope you like Twister! Ta-ta Rainbow Dash! Pleasure doing business with you!" And with a snap of the fingers and a blinding light, Discord was gone. Rainbow eyed the beans as she tucked them away in her saddlebag. As she headed back home, she was only hoping that Applejack was going to take it well that their cow was traded for five, possibly magic, beans.




"YOU DID WHAT!?!" She didn't take it well. "You sold my most precious cow for...BEANS? ARE YOU INSANE?!"

"But AJ," Rainbow said calmly as Applejack's face glowed with rage, "they're magic beans!"

"Oh MAGIC beans! That makes it ALL better!" AJ said with heavy sarcasm. "I guess that makes THAT a magic door. And THAT a magic window, and THIS is a MAGIC ANGRY FARMER! I can't BELIEVE how you've been conned so easily!"

"You never know AJ!" Rainbow retorted. "They COULD be magic. You know about Discord's power. He said all we had to do was plant them, and we'd never run out of food again! Look, I didn't fully believe it either, but maybe there's a chance-"

"Nope! NOPE!" Applejack snapped as she snatched the beans from Rainbow. "I'm not listenin' anymore! Ah trusted you with the job that YOU suggested, and what do you do? Fall fer another one of Discord's pranks! Ya know where these things belong?" And in one swift motion, the beans were flying out the window, thrown by the angry earth pony. Rainbow rushed to the window and peered out, only to see nothing but the dirt below. She closed the shutters and turned back to Applejack with an angry expression on her face. "Don't give me that look!" Applejack replied. "This is all YOUR fault!

"I was just trying to help Applejack!" Rainbow scolded, "and now we have no beans!"

"Oh boohoo!" Applejack scoffed. "Get it through to yer head Rainbow Dash! They weren't magic. You were just conned by Discord. Unless something happens in the next five seconds that proves me wrong, I don't wanna hear abou-" 

Applejack was suddenly interrupted by the ground. It had begun to violently shake. The two ponies' expressions quickly changed from angry to horrified. As the ground rumbled and rattled, the two hugged each other tight as they braced for whatever was coming. Suddenly, the rumbling was followed by a loud CRASH! Rainbow quickly ducked out of sight, expecting something to fall, but to her and AJ's surprise, nothing came. After the crash, the rumbling stopped, and besides a few cupboards flung out and shattered plates, the two ponies were fine.

"What. In the name. Of Ol' King Cole. Was THAT?" Rainbow asked as she slowly got up from the ground.

"Ah don' know," AJ said, looking around the room. "Felt like an earthquake, but what was that crashing noise?" Applejack went over to the window to see how much damage was done outside. She opened the shutters, expecting to see the sunny field, but instead, was faced with something that dropped her jaw. Something big, green, and leafy. To get a better view, AJ ran outside as fast as she could. "Uh...Rainbow?" she called with a quivering voice. "D-did we always have a giant vine growing next to the house?"

"What?" Rainbow asked as she walked towards the door. "No. Why would you even ask thaaaaAAAAAAAH!" As soon as Rainbow stepped outside, she knew why. Her jaw dropped right away as she and AJ stared at the giant green vine that had sprung up from the dirt and had literally stretched to the sky. The vine was so long, it went right through the clouds above. Rainbow and AJ just stood there, taking it all in that there was a giant vine next to their house. The two didn't say a word. Finally, after what seemed like five minutes, Rainbow was the one to break the silence as she turned to Applejack with a big smile on her face.

"A GIANT BEANSTALK!" she shouted, pointing at Applejack and starting to gloat dance. "I TOLD you they were magic! I was right! Oh yeah! I was right! Who was right? Me! I was right! Woo!"

"Alright alright!" Applejack sighed as she rolled her eyes. "They were magic. But what are we supposed to do with this thing?"

"Well, Discord said that we would never run out of food again," Rainbow said as she walked up next to it. As she stared closely, she noticed that there were green beans growing on the beanstalk. She ripped a pod off the plant and showed it to Applejack.

"Well ah hope you don' mind livin' off of green beans," Applejack sighed. 

"I'll get a bucket," Rainbow said bluntly as she started back in the cottage. Applejack, however, continued to eye the stalk. As she surveyed the size, she started thinking. How far did the thing go? What if it led to something? Suddenly, curiosity quickly took over, and Applejack trotted over with a smile.

When Rainbow had come back out with a bucket, the first thing she noticed was Applejack. She wasn't on the ground anymore, but climbing up the beanstalk. "What in the hay are you doing?" she asked as she dropped the bucket.

"What's it look like ah'm doin'?" Applejack answered as she grabbed a vine and pulled up further. "Ah'm climbing this thing. It's here, so might as well see where it goes." 

"It goes to the clouds!" Rainbow called, "Earth ponies can't walk on clouds!"

"Then how 'bout y'all come with me? I mean, you were the one who got the means of having this thing."

"I don't know..."

"What's the matter Rainbow? Chicken?"

"Hey!" By this point, Rainbow had flown up to Applejack's level, who was about two stories up. "I'm no chicken. I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"If you say so RD!" Applejack said. "Let's go!" 

It didn't take too much longer for Applejack to make it up the beanstalk. She was a very athletic pony, so climbing was no problem for her. It took about 20 minutes to reach the top. When they had gotten above the clouds, Rainbow scooped Applejack up and carried her on her back. Applejack looked down as she saw that their house looked like nothing more than a speck. As the two looked around at the endless sea of blue sky and puffy white clouds, they took in the beautiful scenery. Rainbow had been in the clouds before, being a pegasus and all, but this was a new experience for Applejack. All she could see was blue and white and a sidewalk that led to a building. Wait. Applejack rubbed her eyes to see if she was dreaming, but there it was. A sidewalk, in the sky, that led to a giant house, in the sky. "Rainbow! Look!"

Rainbow turned and her jaw dropped again at the sight. The building must've been the size of five barns, with red siding, a red and white striped roof, and a brick chimney with smoke coming out. The two could barely believe their eyes. "Now who in the right mind would own a house up here?" AJ thought aloud. She looked at Rainbow for an answer, but soon noticed that she wasn't paying attention. Her eyes were drawn to the house, she took in a deep breath of air as her mouth started to water. "What's wrong?"

"This isn't a normal house!" Rainbow said. "It's a giant BAKERY! And where there's a giant bakery..."

"...there's giant baked goods!" Applejack finished as she caught on. She was just as hungry as Rainbow, and the smell coming from the chimney was so tempting. It smelled like chocolate that was baking in the oven. Applejack jumped off Rainbow's back and landed on the sidewalk as the two sped towards the doors of the giant bakery. When they got to the entrance, they noticed that the door was slightly opened. Some more good luck. The two hungry ponies stepped inside and got a good look at the interior. The walls were a bright pink with yellow floors, and the whole place smelled of a combination of peppermint and chocolate. But that wasn't what caught their attention the most. Right in front of them was a giant table, and on that table was a spread of giant goodies! Cakes, cookies, cupcakes, muffins, and a whole bunch more, just waiting for the picking. Applejack and Rainbow looked at each other with big smiles as they knew they were both thinking the same thing. 

In one swift movement, Rainbow and Applejack practically soared up the table and onto the surface. They eyed the giant treats with hungry eyes as their mouths were almost flooding at that point. "Applejack," Rainbow said with a quivering voice, almost as if she was on the verge of crying, "if this is a dream, do NOT wake me up!" And with that, Rainbow dived right into the cherry pie next to her as if it were a swimming pool. She came back up covered with red juice, but she didn't mind. She began to greedily eat the crust around her as she sighed on how good it was. Applejack just watched her as she shook her head and smiled, but then a thought came to her.

"I wonder," she said as she scratched her hat. "What pony in the right mind would bake GIANT pies? Then again, what pony COULD bake giant pies?"

"Who cares?" Rainbow said as she stepped out of the pie and shook the juice off. "All that matters is that our hunger problems are over."

Suddenly, the whole room shook as a low BOOM was heard. Applejack and Rainbow's ears perked up as their smiles quickly faded and their eyes went wide.

"Please tell me that was your stomach," Rainbow said quietly.

"I'm not THAT hungry Rainbow," Applejack replied. Just then, another boom and shake occurred. They continued to sound as they got louder and louder, almost as if something was getting closer and closer. The two ponies quickly jumped off the table and ran for cover. The two ducked behind the door hinge just as a giant figure came marching into the room. The two, once very hungry, but now terribly frightened, ponies' eyes grew to the size of plates as they stared at the figure that had entered the room. It was...a pony. A GIANT PONY! Bigger than 100 ponies. It's coat was a shining pink, it's mane was curly and out of control, it's eyes were huge, and its giant cutie mark was three giant balloons. The two watched as the giant stomped into the room from a back room, possibly the kitchen, with another pie in its mouth. It seemed to have been humming a tune as it pranced. The giant set the pie down on the table and was about to go back in, until she stopped. The giant was indeed a she. She stopped and looked around curiously, as if she knew she had two intruders. She then took a deep sniff through her nose and in a booming high-pitched voice, she shouted,

"FEE FI FINKLE FONY! I smell the blood of an English pony! <sniff sniff> Ooo! And apple spice too!"

As the giant began to look around the room, Rainbow turned to Applejack. "Does THAT answer your question?" she whispered.

"Very much so," Applejack quietly replied. "We gotta get outta here, or else that thing's gonna have us for dinner!"

"Agreed," Rainbow nodded. 

Just then, they heard the giant say, "Must've been smelling things again. Oh Pinkie, you and your snout. Well, back to work. Lots to do!" And with that, she trotted back into the kitchen.

"Now's our chance!" Applejack whispered. She and Rainbow quickly made their way to the door. As soon as they made it outside, they were about to head for the stalk, when they heard the giant from inside.

"Silly me. I always forget to water my flowers."

"HIDE!" Rainbow snapped as the two ducked behind one of the flower pots just as the giant trotted outside. She was carrying a giant watering can that looked like it could flood the entire town. The giant began to tip the can as giant drops of water came raining down. As she did this, Applejack signaled Rainbow, motioning her to move as the giant was distracted. Rainbow nodded as the two began to sneak out from behind and book it as the giant's back was turned. Suddenly, just as they were about out of the line of sight, the giant stopped as she lifted her head slowly, only to be followed by a loud AHH-CHOOO!

"Gesundheit," Rainbow called out.

"Thanks little voice," the giant happily replied. "Wait a minute!" She turned around to see the two tiny ponies standing on her sidewalk.

"Of all the times ya picked to be polite, you choose NOW?" Applejack scolded. But there was no time for arguing, for the giant had stopped what she was doing and was headed right towards them. Screaming for their lives, AJ and Rainbow ran towards the stalk as fast as they could, with the giant following closely behind.

"Stop! Come back here!" the giant called. When they reached the beanstalk, Rainbow just grabbed AJ and started to fly all the way back down. The giant had arrived at the stalk and had started to climb down, all the while yelling, "Wait a minute! Come back!" Within minutes, the two ponies had made their way back onto solid ground. Applejack didn't waste any time in grabbing the axe leaning on the side of the house and started to hack at the stalk. Rainbow flew to the barn and grabbed the chainsaw and started from the opposite side. The two looked up to see the giant's hooves poking out of the clouds. Bullets of sweat were beating off of them as they hacked and sawed their way through the stalk. Little by little, the stalk was cut away some more, until finally, it was enough.

"TIMBER!" Applejack shouted as the beanstalk began to lean. The threads keeping the stalk connected broke as it leaned and with one final swing of the axe, the stalk fell to the ground, with the giant clinging for dear life on it. The two watched as the giant fell. Down and down and down, until it landed with an earth trembling CRASH! When the smoke cleared, Applejack and Rainbow looked out to see the stalk completely taken down, and a giant pony implant sunk into the ground. The two stood there for a second before they broke out in cheers and hooting and hollering.

"That. Was. AWESOME!" Rainbow cheered. "Talk about an adventure!"

"Ya got that right!" Applejack replied. "Ah don' thing Ah'll ever experience something like THAT again!"

"We just climbed a giant beanstalk!" Rainbow laughed. "I dived into a giant pie! And we just KILLED a pony-eating GIANT!"

"Really? Where is it?"

"It's right over there...you didn't say that did you?" Applejack shook her head, her expression changed to that of horror. The two looked down as they noticed that a giant shadow was casting over them. Slowly, the two turned around to see, to their horror, a dirt-covered giant pink pony, looking down on them with a smile. All composure was lost as the two screamed and hugged each other tight, cowering beneath the giant.

"We're so sorry we intruded!" Applejack cried. "We won' do it again!"

"I didn't even want to come!" Rainbow quivered. "She MADE me!" Applejack quickly shot her a look that said, "Thanks a lot," before going back to cowering. "Please don't eat us!"

"Eat you?" the giant said. "I'm not going to eat you!"

"Please! I don't taste like apples! Don' let mah name fool-" Applejack stopped as she looked at the giant with confusion. "Wait what?"

"I don't eat ponies silly-billy!" the giant giggled. "Just sweets!"

"Wait a minute! Time-out!" said Rainbow as she let got of Applejack. "If you weren't going to eat us, then why were you chasing us?"

"I wanted to invite you to my party!" the giant smiled. AJ and Rainbow's mouths opened in disbelief. "I never get any visitors at my bakery. I guess that's what I get for putting it in the sky. I love interacting with others, so when I saw you guys, I just had to invite you in."

"So...you weren't going to eat us, but invite us to a party..." Rainbow said. The giant nodded as the two ponies looked at each other with embarrassed smiles. Had they had THEIR facts wrong. Here they thought that giants were ruthless and liked to gobble ponies up, but here was a giant that just wanted a friend. And here they tried to kill her. Maybe they shouldn't have jumped to conclusions and not judged a book by its giant cover.

"Well ah feel right embarrassed and ashamed of myself," Applejack said to the giant with a smile. "I'm sorry we tried to...you know...kill you like that."

"Oh that's ok!" the giant replied. "I get that a lot! So, do you guys still want to come to my party?"

"You bet we do!" Rainbow shouted as she flew up to the giant's eye view extended her hoof. "And by the way, the name's Rainbow Dash."

"And ah'm Applejack!" AJ said as she tipped her hat.

The giant smiled and shook Rainbow's hoof, very lightly, "I'm Pinkie Pie!"

And with that, their friendship was born. With the help of a little elbow grease, and a lot of duct tape, the three friends repaired the beanstalk and they made their way back up to the bakery. The party was a blast as the two, once living through poverty, had more than enough to eat. Applejack and Rainbow learned an important lesson that day; Never judge a book by its cover. The cover may seem giant and scary, but the pages might just be kind and helping. You never know. From that day on, AJ and Rainbow were able to visit Pinkie anytime they wanted. Happiness had returned to their lives again and everypony lived happily ever after!

THE END!





"That was so cool Pinkie!" Pound said as he sat at the foot of his bed. "Tell us another one!

"I don't know..." Pinkie thought. "You two should really get to bed."

"Please Pinkie?" Pumpkin pleaded with her big eyes. "We'll go straight to bed after! Pinkie Promise!" 

How could Pinkie resist those big pleading eyes? "Oh alright!" she said, "but just one more for tonight!" Pound and Pumpkin smiled as they got comfortable as Pinkie started the next story.

"Once Upon a Time..."
> Fluttering Snow and the Seven Ponies
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	...In a kingdom far far away, there stood a mighty, alabaster castle. And in this castle lived a queen by the name of Rarity. She had a coat as white as freshly fallen snow, a mane as luscious as the waves of the sea, and a crown with more gems on it than anypony could count, and it was shiny too. The queen was seen as the fairest unicorn queen in all the land, but there was one little problem; she had a very stuck-up attitude. She would treat others as if they were below her hooves, trampling over them, metaphorically speaking, as she passed them. She also tended to be quite jealous. When she saw something that she didn't have, she did anything in her power to make it hers. In short, she was a real meanie! Despite all of this, she only looked at herself as beautiful.

Everyday was the same with Queen Rarity. The first thing she would do after she woke up was...well, shower and dress and brush her teeth and comb her mane. But after all that, she would go to her mirror, and talk to it. For you see, the mirror was a magical talking mirror that showed a pair of emerald green eyes and a purple, dragon-like face. So everyday, she would go to her mirror and say, "Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" And every time, the mirror would reply,

"Only you, my dear Queen Rarity!"

This made Rarity happy, although it seemed that the mirror just liked to kiss-up. In any case, Rarity was known as the fairest of them all for a long time. But everything changed when the Queen heard an answer that she didn't want to hear.

One day, the Queen went to the mirror as always, and started her words. "Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the-" She stopped, however, when she saw that the face in the mirror was still sleeping. Rarity rolled her eyes and shouted, "WAKE UP!" The mirror jolted awake, shaking the entire stand as it did.

"Sorry your majesty," the mirror said as it gave a mighty yawn. "Had a wild night last night. Man that was some party."

"How do you even party?" Rarity asked. "You're a MIRROR! You don't even move!"

"I don't ask you how you spend YOUR Friday nights!" the mirror replied. Rarity just huffed and shook her head, wiping the conversation away.

"Never mind. Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

"That's easy," the mirror started to say, "Only-" The mirror suddenly stopped as its ear perked up and its spikes on its head started to shake, as if disturbed by something. This was the way of saying that the mirror was getting new information. Rarity frowned a bit as she watched the mirror's face drop. When the shaking of the spikes subsided, the mirror turned back to Rarity with a nervous expression.

"Well?" Rarity asked impatiently. "What's going on?"

"Um..." the mirror stuttered uncomfortably, "well...if I tell you, you have to promise not to get mad."

Rarity's brow narrowed as she stared at the mirror. "Why?"

"Just promise me!" the mirror begged.

Rarity straightened up and lifted the mood of her face so she looked like her normal prissy self. "I promise."

"OK well..." the mirror stammered, trying to think of the best way to say it, "you see...I just learned that...umm...how do I put this..."

"OH JUST SPIT IT OUT!" Rarity shouted.

The shout startled the mirror so much, it forgot to be nervous and just came out with it. 

"There's somepony else who's fairer than you!"

Queen Rarity's expression changed in an instant. What was once a prissy face of self confidence, was replaced with a slowly scrunching face of anger that was trying to contain itself. The mirror watched nervously as the Queen tried to hold in the anger from the latest news. After a few minutes, Rarity had sucked in her anger and smiled at the mirror. Although the mirror could tell that the smile was incredibly fake and almost menacing. Then, through a gritted smile, the Queen slowly asked, "Who. Is. It?"

"Uh..." the mirror winced as he spoke, "Fluttering Snow."

That was enough. All composure was lost as Rarity started to grunt, grumble, and growl, trying her hardest to contain her newly found rage. She started to pace back and forth and tugged at her mane furiously as she contemplated what she just heard. For you see, Fluttering Snow was a common peasant that lived at the corner of the village. She wasn't that well-known, but she was one of the kindest souls in the entire kingdom. She always put others before herself, tried to comfort anypony who needed it, and was extremely kind to all of nature. Next to that, ponies would be lying if they said that she wasn't beautiful. She had a soft yellow coat, flowing pink mane, innocent eyes, and a voice that could melt steel. That being said, Rarity still couldn't understand how Snow could be more beautiful than her.

"How is SHE fairer than me?" she asked the mirror angrily. "She's a peasant! She's not even that popular! I'm the QUEEN for Celestia's sake!"

"Those are very good points your majesty," the mirror replied, "but you see, Fluttering Snow has not only outer beauty, but inner beauty as well. She's...well...more kind than you." Rarity shot him a dirty look. "No offense."

"So just because she has a better attitude than me, that gives her bonus points?" Rarity asked furiously.

"Pretty much," the mirror said.

Rarity growled again as she turned away from the mirror and started to think. Though he didn't know what she was thinking about, the mirror was sure that it wasn't anything good. He knew the Queen far too well, and when she didn't have something, she got it by any means necessary. After a minute or so, Rarity turned back around with a mischievous smile on her face. "If she's out of the picture, then the title will belong to me again, correct?" she asked the mirror.

"Well, yes," the mirror replied cautiously, "but what are you going to do?"

"You'll know soon enough," Rarity chuckled deviously. "You're dismissed mirror." With that, the face in the mirror bowed its head and vanished, turning the image back to a regular reflection. Rarity didn't waste any time in what she was planning to do. Closing her eyes in concentration, her horn began to glow a white aura and she started to speak aloud. "Huntspony! I'm in need of your assistance! Report to me at once!" She opened her eyes as the horn's glow vanished. The spell that she used was a communication spell, which allowed her to speak to anypony she focused on within a mile radius. The Huntspony, who she had summoned, was her own hunter and gatherer. He was a strong-looking earth pony with a red coat, strong legs, and an apple half as a cutie mark. Though he didn't talk much, he was very good at what he did, which mostly involved hunting for food and gathering supplies.

Within a few minutes, the doors to the chamber room opened, and in trotted the Huntspony, with his leather bag strapped around his midsection, a hunting cap with a red feather in it, and a small dagger sheathed around his left leg. 

"Ah Huntspony darling," The Queen greeted. "I have a little job for you to do for me. Are you familiar with Fluttering Snow?"

"Eeyup," the Huntspony answered plainly.

"Well, I want you to find her."

"Eeyup."

"And take. Her. Out."

"Eeyu-huh?" The Huntspony's plain expression changed to worry. "You mean...KILL her?

"GAH! You can't say 'kill' darling," Rarity scolded. "This is a children's story!"

"Sorry," the Huntspony said. "You mean...'take her out' take her out?

"Yes. I want you to find her, take her out, and bring me proof that you did so. Then I'll be the fairest in the land!"

The Huntspony looked worried. He had never killed...oops, I mean, took anypony out before. He was just a simple Huntspony. "Uh...your majesty, I'm not sure if I could do this. I mean, my name may be the Huntspony, but I don't actually 'hunt ponies'," Rarity suddenly shot him a dirty look that made his spine crawl. "But...I'm sure I can figure something out."

"Good," Rarity smiled deviously as she headed toward her throne. "Now go! And don't dare fail me." The Huntspony nodded and trotted out of the chamber.





Huntspony didn't waste any time in heading over to the town to ask where Snow was. It took a while, but he finally heard somepony say that she was in the flower fields outside of town. Huntspony trotted quickly to the outskirts where the fields sat. As he neared the fields, he heard a soft, sweet tune. Somepony was singing, and he had an idea who. He headed towards the sound, and sure enough, there was Fluttering Snow, picking flowers and singing a lovely tune. She was so sweet and innocent. She couldn't even hurt a fly. But the Huntspony had a job to do, and like it or not, he was going to do it. Slowly he trotted up towards the singing yellow pegasus slowly as he pulled out his knife with his mouth. Just a quick job. All he had to do was plunge the knife into her back, and it would all be over. Simple as that. The Huntspony's heart was going at a mile a minute as he inched closer to Fluttering Snow. He was so close, he could reach out and touch her.

Though she was picking flowers and singing, it didn't alter Snow's perception, and she suddenly stopped as she saw a shadow forming from behind. Knowing that somepony was behind her, she casually turned around to see the red Huntspony, knife in mouth, staring right at her. Although, the thought that he was there to murder her had not gone through her mind at that moment, so she smiled sweetly and said, "Good morning Huntspony. Beautiful day isn't it?" The Huntspony stopped. Her voice really was as sweet and soft as silk. He tried to not focus on her big, innocent eyes as he tried to remember mission, and what the Queen would do if he failed.

"Uh..." he stammered through the knife as he tried not to look her in the eye, "it...is a beautiful day...indeed Miss Snow...I...I..." It was too much for him. The young pegasus's beauty and innocence blocked out the Queen's threats. He just couldn't bring himself to hurt a soul such as hers. The Huntspony sighed in defeat as the knife dropped from his mouth. "I can't do it. Please forgive me Miss Snow."

"I don't understand," Snow responded. "What's wrong?"

"I was sent here by Queen Rarity," the Huntspony explained. "She had sent me here to...take you out."

Snow stared at him, confused. "Take me out where?"

"No no miss," Huntspony said. "She wanted me to...you know..." He traced his hoof against his neck to signify what he meant, but Snow still looked confused. Huntspony grunted. "To kill you!"

Snow gasped in horror. "You can't say 'kill!' This is a-"

"Children's story, I know," Huntspony sighed. "Look, the Queen wants you out of the way so that she can be the fairest of them all! You have to get away from here!"

"Where am I supposed to go?" Snow asked.

Huntspony thought for a second, and then an idea came to mind. "I know! A while back, while I was walking through the woods, I saw a small cottage in a clearing. You could go there." He then pointed out towards the forest beside them. "All you have to do is take that path and you should reach the cottage."

"Oh thank you kind Huntspony," Snow said, "but what's going to happen to you?"

"Well, unless I bring proof that I took you out back to the Queen, I'm probably a goner," Huntspony answered as his expression dropped. Snow noticed this and felt she needed to do something to help, so she reached behind her and tore off an extension of her long, pink tail and handed it to the Huntspony.

"Give THIS to her," she said smiling. "Hopefully it will help."

"Oh thank you Miss Snow!" Huntspony said. "I don't know how to thank you enou...you wear tail extensions?" Snow blushed as she smiled embarrassingly. There went her big secret. The Huntspony smiled, not caring about the extensions. "Well, thank you anyways. Ya'll be careful now, ya hear?" 

"Thank you too kind Huntspony," Snow smiled softly as the Huntspony turned and headed back to town. Fluttering Snow didn't waste any time in running into the woods. She had never really been through the woods before, due to it looking so intimidating, but she had to get away from the Queen's wrath. So, without even thinking, Snow took to the path the Huntspony pointed out and headed into the woods. The journey down the path was definitely a tense one, as most light seemed to had been blocked out by the many trees, leaving only small streams of light shining through the leaves. As she traveled, Snow heard rustling sounds on each of her sides, as well as the hooting of the occasional owl. Snow tried not to think about the sounds as she continued to gallop down the path. The Huntspony said to just keep straight, so that's what she did. It seemed that the sounds were getting louder and louder as she galloped, only increasing her nervousness. All that fear disappeared though as Snow spotted an opening coming up in front of her. 

Snow galloped even faster as hope started to fill her. Sure enough, the trees split off as light shined down on the small clearing. And sitting at the center was a small cottage with a brown door and shudders, a tile roof, and a brick chimney. Snow had never seen a house so adorable. It was almost like a doll house. Snow trotted up to the door and knocked. No answer. She tried again even louder. Still no answer. Now normally, Snow never just barged into a house uninvited, but she was just so curious. She put her hoof on the door and slowly pushed it open. The door made a loud creak as it opened to the small interior that matched the outside. Snow sighed dreamily as she looked around at the cute pieces of furniture. The couch at the corner of the room, a medium-sized table with seven chairs around it, and even a little sink...almost overflowing with dirty dishes. The more she looked around, the more Snow realized how dirty the place was. Apparently, the ponies who lived here didn't take good care of their residence. 

"Hmm..." Snow thought, "Seven chairs...there must be seven ponies living here. Seven tiny ponies. Seven UNTIDY ponies by the looks of it. Tsk tsk. I've never seen such untidiness." Suddenly, an idea came to her head. "I know! I'll clean the house to surprise them! Maybe they'll let me stay!" It was going to be a busy job, but Snow didn't mind. She had much practice with cleaning, and could do it rather fast. There was much work to be done, so Snow hung her cloak on the door and started to clean.

Later that evening, all was peaceful in the woods. Not a sound, except for the crickets, owls...and the traveling singing. Yes, seven tiny ponies were making their way down the path, singing a catchy tune. The ponies were just the size of children, but they all had a tiny beard. They were all carrying a pickaxe on their backs and a saddlebag was strapped to each of their sides. They all traveled in a single-file line as they trotted down the path to their humble cottage, their song echoing through the forest. "Neigh-ho! Neigh-ho! It's home from work we go! Dum dum dee dum doo doo dum dum dum! Neigh-ho! Neigh-ho neigh-ho neigh-"

"Hold it guys!" The lead pony shouted out suddenly. The others came to a screeching halt as they looked forward to see what was going on. The lead pony, who was a pegasus, had an orange coat, and a short purple mane, was looking towards the cottage. A small stream of smoke was coming up out of the chimney and the lights inside were on. "Did somepony forget to turn off the lights before we left?" Everypony turned around and looked at the pony in the back, who was a bit taller than the others, but had a blank expression on his face. He was a unicorn and had an orange coat as well, but a teal mane.

"Don' look at me guys," he said with a slow voice. "I wasn't even the last one out!"

"You're ALWAYS the last one out Snails!" said another unicorn with a white coat and curly dark pink mane.

"Not true Sweetie!" retorted the stubby unicorn with a teal coat and orange mane. "I was the last a few days ago."

"Never mind that," the lead pony said. "All we know is that there's an intruder in our cottage!"

"W-w-w-what if it'th a monthter?" asked a frightened earth pony with big glasses, a cream-colored coat, and a curly red mane.

"Ah don' think there's such a thing as monsters," sighed the earth pony with a light green coat, red mane, and a big pink bow.

"There's always a first time for everything Bloomy!" shuttered the shortest of the bunch. An earth pony with a white and brown spotted coat, a brown mane, and a slight British accent. "What if Twisty IS right, and it's just waiting in there to gobble us up!"

"We are NOT going to let some monster stop us from reclaiming our cottage!" the leader shouted as the others came to attention. "I say we charge in, and give whatever is in there a hay-of-a-fight!" 

"Scoots is right!" the one called Bloomy stated, "We can't be afraid! We gotta take back what's ours! CHAAAARGE!" The seven ponies gave a great shout as they galloped into the cottage. 

It would've been a perfect plan...if they didn't come running out screaming in terror a few seconds later with Scoots shouting, "RUN AWAY!" The seven ponies ran behind a big oak, just in time for Fluttering Snow to come trotting out. Apparently, she was in the middle of cooking some dinner when the owners of the cottage came charging in. As soon as they burst through the door, Snow let out a horrible scream, and that set the ponies off that led them to run away in terror.

"Oh please come out," Snow called to the seven. "I won't hurt you. I was just startled, that's all." The seven poked their heads out from behind the tree in curiosity. Though they didn't get a good view of whoever was in their cottage, they saw who it was now, and at that point, all of their fears went away. As soon as they saw that the monster was just an innocent, beautiful pegasus, the seven came out from behind the tree and trotted over to her. Snow took a look at the seven tiny ponies gathered in front of her. "Goodness me. You all are the size of children, but...you have beards. If you don't mind me asking, what are you?"

"We are dwarf ponies," Scoots proclaimed proudly. "We're a special kind of pony that are raised in the mines and dig for gold. We had just came back from a day's work, and what do we find?"

"A pretty pegasus in our cottage?" asked Snails.

"It was a rhetorical question Snails," Scoots sighed. "But never mind that, we haven't introduced ourselves. My name's Scoots, the leader of the group."

"Ah'm Bloomy," the one in the bow said.

"Sweetie," said the unicorn with the curls. "Pleasure to meet you."

"And I'm Twisty," the one with the glasses said. "It'th thuch a pleathure."

"Pipsy! At your service!" introduced the short one.

"The name's Snipsy," said the stubby unicorn, "and the tall orange blockhead is Snails."

"My head's not a block!" Snails snapped. "It's more of a pear shape."

"He's not the sharpest knife in the place where they keep the knives," Snipsy whispered to Snow, who in turn, giggled.

"Well, my name is Fluttering Snow," Snow introduced with a sweet smile. "It's an honor to-"

"Fluttering Snow?!" the seven suddenly exclaimed with surprise. Snow nodded.

"We've heard 'bout you!" Bloomy said. "Yer one of the nicest ponies in the kingdom! What are ya doin' out here?"

Snow's expression drooped a bit. "I'm running for my life. Queen Rarity wants to get rid of me, so I needed a place to stay for a while. I didn't mean to invite myself into your cottage."

"Are you kidding?" Scoots proclaimed with a smile. "We're honored to have such a wonderful pony in our cottage. And if it's to get you away from that wicked queen, then you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like!" The other six nodded excitedly. Snow smiled and nodded in thanks. Suddenly, a loud bubbling noise broke the silence as the ponies looked around, wondering where the bubbling was coming from. 

A realization came to Snow. "Oh goodness! I've left the stove on! I was actually in the middle of cooking some dinner before you guys came. Come on, there's plenty for everypony!" The seven dwarf ponies took in a deep whiff of the scent coming from the kitchen, and simultaneously let out a hungry sigh.

"SOUP! HOORAY!" In the blink of an eye, the seven were all inside sitting around the table. Snow rolled her eyes happily and trotted into the cottage to serve the food.





Meanwhile, back at the castle, the Huntspony had turned in the tail extension to Queen Rarity, and with luck, she bought it. She really thought that Fluttering Snow was gone. After the Huntspony took his hasty leave, Rarity didn't waste any time in going to the mirror to hear her favorite answer to her favorite question. After the head appeared, Rarity struck a half triumphant half stunning pose as she proudly said, "Mirror mirror on the wall, who NOW is the fairest of them all?"

The mirror just sighed and shook its head. "Look your Majesty, you know you'll always be the fairest in my book, but I have to go with facts. And the fact is that Fluttering Snow is still the fairest one in the kingdom."

"Oh no no no," Rarity chuckled. "Silly mirror. Fluttering Snow is gone! The Huntspony took care of her, and even brought me proof." She held out the tail extension to the mirror. "Behold! Her tail!"

The mirror examined the tail very carefully, before he sighed again. "Uh...Queen Rarity, that's not her tail. That's just an extension. Fluttering Snow's still alive. I believe she's now living in a cottage in the middle of the forest with seven dwarf ponies."

Rarity's smile dropped. It didn't fade into a frown. It dropped like an anvil. Her mood suddenly changed. Her proud expression was turned into a look of absolute fury. Her face became as red as a hot stove and she even started to steam up. When she spoke, her voice had also changed, making it sound more gravely. "What? WHAAAAAAT? A TAIL EXTENSION? THAT LOUSY HUNTSPONY TRICKED ME! I'LL HAVE HIS...Fluttering Snow has tail extensions?" The mirror shrugged, just as lost as she was. "I can't believe that lousy fool! He said he was going to take care of it, but he's been pulled in by her 'sweetness!' Well then, I wasn't planning on getting my own hooves dirty, but if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself!" Rarity started to think again. Think of a way to deal with Snow once and for all. She paced the room back and forth as she thought. Suddenly, a devious smile came to her face as an idea popped into her head. An even better one than before. Rarity's horn began to glow as before as she called out, "Wizard! I need you!"

Within a few minutes, Queen Rarity's Court Wizard entered. She was a unicorn with a purple coat, purple mane with pink highlights, and a group of stars as her cutie mark. Though her name was Twilight, Rarity never called her by name, mostly out of never getting to know it. As soon as she entered the chambers, Queen Rarity was in her face. "Wizard! I need a spell!"

"What kind of spell your highness?" Twilight asked.

"Do you know any...powerful sleeping spells?" Rarity responded.

"Why yes your highness," Twilight replied. "I happen to know a sleeping spell so powerful, it would make it seem like the pony was dead. Only one thing can break the spell, but it is VERY unlikely that they would have one at that time."

"Perfect!" Rarity snickered. Her horn suddenly began to glow again, as a shiny red apple came hovering through the air and landed in Rarity's grasp. "I want you to put that spell into this apple. Call it...an experiment that I'm working on."

"Very well your highness," Twilight said. She took a few steps back as she closed her eyes to focus. Soon, her horn began to glow with a purple aura as she aimed at the apple. And then, in a split second, A beam of light shot out of the horn and hit the apple directly. Though the apple still maintained its red, delicious appearance, inside, the spell had been put in place, and was ready to put anypony to sleep who bit into it. 

"Well done Wizard!" Rarity congratulated. "You may go." Twilight bowed as she left the room. Rarity eyed the apple with a devious smile. "Now, all I have to do is make sure that Snow bites the apple, and all my problems will be over!"

"But how are you gonna do that?" the mirror asked. "She probably knows that you tried to take her out once already."

"Ah simple mirror, "Rarity scoffed. "The best thing about Fluttering Snow is that she's so forgiving. And naive. No mistakes this time. Tomorrow, Fluttering Snow will sing her last song for a very, VERY long time."





Morning had come as the warm sun beams shown through the spaces in the trees and to the middle of the clearing. The cottage stood peacefully in the center, and inside, seven happy dwarf ponies were eating a delicious breakfast prepared by Fluttering Snow. 

Scoots smiled big as she cleaned off her fried oats. "Miss Snow, that was some of the best fried oats I've ever tasted!"

"And not only that, but you are a wonderful housekeeper!" Sweetie chimed in. "I mean, I've never seen this place so clean!"

"And thanks for singing us all to sleep last night," Pipsy said happily. "It was beautiful."

Snow smiled sweetly. "Thank you guys. It was no trouble at all. You all took me in, so it's the least I can do." As Snow got up to clean the dishes, there was a sudden knock at the door.

"Now who could that be?" Bloomy asked. The others shrugged as Snow went to answer. As soon as she opened the door though, her face changed to that of worry. The dwarf ponies noticed this and went to see who was at the door. When they saw who it was, their faces changed to that of pure terror. There was Queen Rarity, standing with a smile (obviously forced), right in front of Snow and the others. An awkward moment of silence passed as the ponies just stared at each other, until Scoots broke the silence.

"What the hay are YOU doing here Queen Rarity?" she asked rudely.

"Yeah! Yer not welcome here!" Bloomy chimed in.

"Please please," Rarity answered calmly, but elegantly. "I'm just here to talk to Snow. To...apologize." It was obvious that she had to swallow her pride to even say "apologize" to Snow, who looked at her with confusion.

"Apologize?" Snow asked.

"Y-yes," Rarity answered, "I-I shouldn't have tried to take you out. I just let my jealousy get the better of me is all. I'm deeply sorry. And to show my apology," Rarity's horn glowed again as she levitated her poisoned apple out of her saddle bag up in front of Snow's face, "I brought you a peace offering." Snow eyed the apple curiously. She knew she should've been acting more suspicious, but she lived by the philosophy that everypony deserved a second chance. Plus the apple DID look tempting. Snow smiled softly and took the apple while the others looked on with worry.

"You thure you wanna eat that? Twisty asked. "You don't know what sthe did to it!"

"It's ok Twisty," Snow said sweetly. "I'm willing to bury the hatchet and give the Queen a second chance. We've all made mistakes." Rarity chuckled deviously as she watched Snow take the bait. Snow turned back to the apple and slowly opened her mouth as she moved the apple closer to her teeth. Rarity and the dwarf ponies watched in anticipation to see what would happen next. As Snow bit down, a loud CRUNCH was heard as she chewed the apple with a sweet expression, obviously liking the taste. "Mmmmm," Snow hummed happily as she swallowed. "It's really good. Nice and juicy. Thank you your Majes-" Suddenly, Snow's expression changed. Her sweet smile quickly faded into a slight frown. She felt her eyes starting to get heavy as they started to close. Her legs then gave out as she dropped to the ground, her eyes finally closing completely. 

Rarity couldn't hold it in anymore. A maniacal laugh started to build up as she looked at Snow's now unconscious body. What started as a chuckle ended up as a full out cackle as the dwarf ponies ran to Snow's side, an expression of horror on each of their faces. The started to shake Snow, but she wouldn't budge an inch.

"What did you do to her?" Sweetie snapped at Rarity.

"I simply put little, innocent Fluttering Snow into a deep deep sleep," Rarity responded, still smiling sinisterly. "It's finally done! Now I'M the fairest of them all!"

"That's what this was about?" Scoots asked disgustedly. "You poisoned Miss Snow just so you could win a popularity contest? She gave you a second chance and it was all an act for your own benefit? You...you...WITCH!" 

Rarity stopped her laughing as she heard the word "witch" reach her ears. Normally she didn't let words get to her, but something about being called a witch hit her in a way that she never felt before. "Now now. Don't you think that's a bit harsh?" she asked.

"I don't think it's harsh enough!" Snipsy snapped. "I'd say she's a MONSTER!" That hurt even more, but the others chimed in with some more.

"You're desthpicable!" Twisty shouted.

"Absolutely horrid!" Pipsy growled.

"This is why NOPONY in the kingdom likes you!" Bloomy said. "You're nothing but a heartless dictator who doesn't care about others feelings!"

"You're mean!" Snails chimed in. Simple, but effective. 

These words sank into Rarity like quicksand. She never heard others talk to her like that, but then again, she never took the time to listen to them. Was it true? Was she despised throughout the entire kingdom? Was she nothing but a heartless dictating monster who took out whoever got in her way? Rarity's cocky smile faded quickly as she looked at the glaring dwarf ponies before her. A sudden pain came to her heart as a realization came to her; she WASN'T liked at all! Her outer beauty was hiding an inner demon all along. She never had any real friends, or even real fans. She just threatened those who would go against her. What was the point of being the fairest of them all if she was all alone.

Just then, Rarity felt something else. Something sliding down her cheek. It was a tear. She was actually, truly disgusted with herself. Fluttering Snow deserved the title Fairest in the Land, because she had kindness in her heart, something that Rarity was missing. She had let her jealousy drive her into doing something inhumane.

"W-w-what have I done?" Rarity mumbled as more tears started to show. The others' expression changed to that of confusion when they saw the Queen crying. "What have I done? I-I feel so horrible! Why couldn't I see it before! Oh Snow! I'm so sorry! I'm so so sorry!"

"Well if you're really sorry," Sweetie said, "then tell us how to wake her up!"

"I-I seriously don't know," Rarity replied. "I was never told. I don't know how to wake her!" Everypony hung their head in defeat as they looked at Snow's sleeping body. There was no known way to wake her up. The dwarf ponies started to cry too as they started to mourn the fate of their old friend.

"Hey! What's wrong with everypony!" 

Everypony jumped at the new high-pitched voice. They all turned to see a smiling pink face standing behind them. The pink stranger looked from Rarity to the dwarf ponies to Snow as she observed the situation. "I was just walking along the path when I saw you guys gathered around this sleeping pegasus. Is something wrong?" she asked happily.

"Something terrible madame!" Pipsy squeaked as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "Miss Fluttering Snow has fallen asleep because of a poisoned apple, and we don't know how to wake her up!"

"Well, can I try?" the stranger asked. The others looked at each other with confusion, wandering if a stranger who they just met would know anything about lifting a spell from a poisoned apple. However, they were willing to try anything, so they nodded and cleared a path for the stranger. The pink earth pony hopped over to the sleeping body as she observed it closely, trying to see what could be done. Suddenly, all the ponies present gasped as they saw the stranger start leaning her head down towards Snow's. From the look of it, it looked like she was getting ready to KISS her! Would that really work? The others watched with anticipation as the stranger's lips drew closer and closer to Snow's. Closer and closer and closer. Their lips were millimeters apart when...

BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!

The sound of an air horn shook the clearing as the stranger held it right next to Snow's ear. Everypony jumped from fright, but not as much as Fluttering Snow. Not only did she wake up almost instantly, but she got so much of a fright, she blasted off ten feet into the air before gently coming down. Everypony rubbed their ears in pain as the stranger quickly said, "Well, there you go! Glad I was able to help! See ya around!" And with that, the stranger was hopping down the trail, singing a happy tune. Nopony knew what to say. How can anypony respond from that? A stranger just...comes out of nowhere and is able to break a powerful sleeping spell with an AIR HORN? They didn't even get the stranger's name.

But it didn't matter, as Fluttering Snow was back to normal! All the dwarf ponies ran to her and gathered for a big group hug as they continued to cry, but with happy tears.

"We're so glad you're alright Miss Snow!" Sweetie sobbed.

"Don't leave uth again!" Twisty cried.

"WE MISSED YOU!" Bloomy and Pipsy said together.

Snow smiled happily as she looked over the sobbing dwarf ponies. Still, something didn't seem right, like there was somepony missing. She then looked up to see Rarity leaving the clearing with her head hanging. Snow broke through the others and trotted up to her. "Your Majesty?" Rarity turned around with a sad look on her face, tears still lingering in her eyes. Snow wrapped an arm around her as she used her other one to wipe the tears away. "You don't have to leave yet."

"But...but why would you say that?" Rarity asked with utter confusion. "I tried to take you out...twice! And I lied to you. And you STILL forgive me?"

"Everypony makes mistakes," Snow responded with a caring smile. "Nopony deserves to be alone. It's natural to let emotions get the better of you, for better or for worse, but that doesn't mean you're a terrible pony. I'm willing to forgive you if YOU can forgive yourself." Rarity looked at the smiling pegasus in front of her, and couldn't help but feel...in awe. Fluttering Snow really WAS the fairest in the land, and Rarity was alright with that. For the first time, she was alright with that title belonging to somepony else, because she deserved it. 

"I think I learned an important lesson today," Rarity said softly.

"That inner beauty is just as, if not more, important than outer beauty and that you shouldn't let jealousy get the better of you because it just leaves to you hurting those around you, not to mention that there's no point in being fairest if you're all alone?" Snails said out of nowhere.

Dead silence filled the air as everypony, jaws literally dropped down to the floor, stared at Snails in utter shock and confusion. "What?" Snails asked as he looked at everypony. "Every now and then I have my moments!"





And that's the story of Fluttering Snow and the Seven Ponies. If you're wondering what happened to everypony, Fluttering Snow continued to live in the cottage, looking after her new friends. Queen Rarity returned to the throne as a newly developed ruler. She started treating others with pure kindness and generosity, and in time, she became much loved throughout the kingdom, proving once again that inner beauty is what counts every time. And as you probably guessed, they all lived happily ever after.

THE END.





As Pinkie ended her story, she looked up to see the Cake twins sleeping like a rock. Pinkie smiled softly as she went over to each of them, kissed them on the foreheads, and headed for the door. As she turned the lights off, she heard a slight grumble from behind. She turned around to see Pumpkin, sitting up, looking at Pinkie.

"Thanks for the stories Aunt Pinkie," she grumbled drowsily. "Do...do you think we can hear some more tomorrow?"

Pinkie smiled even bigger. "You bet kiddo," she said sweetly. "Goodnight." She then quietly closed the door, and headed off to her own room, humming as she trotted.

 
> Intermission
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The next evening went as same as the last. It was closing time, and Pinkie Pie had just finished sweeping, when in came the twins, running, playing, and laughing. As they passed by Pinkie's swept up spots, Pinkie made sure this time to lift the full dustpan so that they don't spread the dirt...again. Their laughter and play was interrupted, however, by their mother, who came out of the kitchen with her dirty apron still on.

"Alright kids," Mrs. Cake announced. "Bedtime! You two march up those stairs, wash yourselves off, brush your teeth, get into your jammies, and go to sleep. I don't want to hear any groaning or complai-" Mrs. Cake stopped, however, when she saw the twins not say a word, but hurry upstairs, and with smiles on their faces too. Mrs. Cake stood there flabbergasted that her kids didn't complain at all. She looked at Pinkie, who just wore a happy grin, trying to maintain her laughter from seeing Mrs. Cake's shocked expression. "Well THAT was easy," Mrs. Cake said in a surprised tone. "Pinkie dearie, would you mind checking on the twins when you're done?"

"Okie dokie loki Mrs. Cake!" Pinkie saluted. After she had finished with her mopping and wiping off of the tables, Pinkie happily trotted up the stairs towards the kids' room. As she approached it, she noticed that it was much more quiet than the previous night. Maybe they were already asleep. Then again, Pound and Pumpkin may have been young, but they always remembered when Pinkie Pie kept a promise to them. She had taught them so well. As Pinkie opened the door, she saw that the twins were not asleep, but in fact were sitting in their beds, under the covers, waiting patiently. When they waited for a story, they really didn't fool around. When Pinkie entered, two big smiles appeared on their faces, and they laid back to get in a comfortable listening position. 

"Alrighty kiddies!" Pinkie announced as she closed the door, "I said I would tell some more stories tonight, and so I shall, but only two, then it's straight to bed. Ok?" The twins nodded excitedly. "You promise?"

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" The two said simultaneously as they acted out the motion with their hooves. Pinkie smiled. 

"That's my Cakes!" she chuckled as she pulled up her rocking chair. "Alright guys! Do I have some stories for you! Comfortable?" The twins rustled a bit under the covers, and nodded, their eyes glued to Pinkie. "Then let the stories begin!"

"Once Upon a Time..." 
> Little Red Riding Bloom
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	...sitting at the edge of a humungous forest, there sat a quaint little cottage. And living in that cottage, was a quirky, earth pony filly by the name of Little Red Riding Bloom, or Lil' Red for short. She was a rambunctious filly with a flaming red mane and a big pink bow. She lived with her sister, Applejack, at the edge of the forest. Her only other form of family was within her grandmother, Granny Smith, who lived on the other side of the forest. Pretty bad setting choice if you ask me. Anyway, Lil' Red was always looking for adventure, and never being able to leave the backyard of the cottage wasn't helping much. She had always hoped that one day, she would get her chance to find that sense of adventure.

One particular day, Lil' Red was playing in the backyard, pretending to be some flying, sword-fighting character who fought pirates and never wanted to grow up, or something like that, when her sister called for her.

"Lil' Red! Ah have a job for you!"

Lil' Red sighed. The jobs that she normally got from her sister included taking out the trash or sweeping the floor. "Kids' stuff," she thought as she trotted into the house. Her sister was in the kitchen, putting several pies into a big, picnic basket. "I have something I need ya to do. I need ya to run these apple pies over to Granny Smith's cottage. She's not feelin' well, and asked if I could make some." Applejack was drowned out, however, as the mention of going to Granny Smith's cottage, across the forest, was enough for Lil' Red to hear to get her excited. She got even more excited when she heard her sister say, "I would make the trip myself, but I've got some errands to run in town, so I'm trustin' you to do this yerself."

That was all she needed to hear. A feeling of adventure started to build within Lil' Red. She had been through the forest before, but only with her sister. The fact that she was about to go through by herself was getting her all excited. "Do ya mean I get to go to Granny's...alone?" she asked with a big smile.

"That's right sis," Applejack replied as she handed the basket to Lil' Red. "I want you to remember; stay on the path, no going off to play your little games, no talking to strangers-"

"Ah know Applejack," Lil' Red sighed. "Ah'm not a baby! Ah've been through the forest before!"

"Alright," Applejack said, "And also keep a close eye out for 'it'."

Lil' Red knew exactly what she was talking about. Within the forest, there were many different creatures, both strange and dangerous. But none of them compared to the strangest and most dangerous as the Big Bad Timberwolf! A creature that resembled a regular wolf, but not only was bigger and meaner, but also was entirely made up of a magical wood, that mended itself when it fell apart. Everypony around the area knew the dangers that awaited anypony who dared try to venture into the Big Bad Timberwolf's territory. Though she never saw it, Lil' Red knew all the stories from the villagers. 

"Aw who's afraid of the Big Bad Timberwolf?" Lil' Red scoffed. "I ain't afraid of no timberwolf!"

"I wouldn' say THAT out loud in the woods," Applejack said. "Ya wouldn't want the Big Bad Timberwolf to hear you! Now go on and git! Ah want ya back before sundown!"

Lil' Red gave a "got it" salute and ventured out the door and down the path that led to the woods, the basket dangling from her mouth. As she entered the woods, Lil' Red made sure not to look anywhere else except the front of the path, as to not lose her way. She heard the wind whistling through the leaves and an occasional owl that sat on a branch as she journeyed on, and she would've been lying if she said that she wasn't the least bit nervous. The forest had a habit of bringing out a little fear in everypony who dared to venture through it. She tried not to focus on the nerve-rattling scenery around her as she started to hum an old tune that her mother sang to her when she was just a baby to stop her from crying. It always made Lil' Red feel better. It made her feel like she wasn't alone.

Little did she know that she WASN'T alone! For as she trotted down the path, she did not notice a pair of big, round, hungry eyes staring at her through some bushes. The creature made a low growl, but was unheard by Lil' Red. 

"What a lovely little filly," the beast growled as she watched Lil' Red trot on. From the sound of the voice, it was clear that the creature was a female. "And...<sniff sniff>...mmmm. Something smells awfully good. It must be coming from that lovely looking basket. Smells like...apple pies." 

As Lil' Red left the area, the creature came out of the bushes. It was quite big, the size of a full-grown stallion and twice as long. Its body was completely composed of twigs and sticks, from its snout to its tail. Its teeth were sharp, its breath was foul, its eyes were glowing. But the weirdest part of all was that the sticks making the creature were all...pink. It was the Big Bad Timberwolf! Or at least...it was thought to be. 

"It's been so long since I've eaten a good apple pie," the Timberwolf said to herself. "I'm sure that little filly won't be missing one or two. Time to execute my never-failing plan A!" And with that, the Big Bad Timberwolf sped off into the forest to set up its trap.



	

It didn't take long for the Timberwolf to set up its special, never-fail trap. It was quite simple; the Timberwolf was dangling by a rope tied around her midsection and the other end wrapping around a branch and stretching down across the path to make a tripwire. When Lil' Red would come down the path, she would trip the rope, making the Timberwolf fall on her unexpectedly, allowing the Timberwolf to make off with the basket. "Absolute genius!" the Timberwolf said it herself as she dangled from a large tree, "That little filly will never suspect a thing." Just then, the sound of clopping hooves was heard getting closer. The Timberwolf assumed the best pouncing position as she watched Lil' Red come trotting around the corner. As she trotted closer to the tripwire, the Timberwolf watched with both hunger and anticipation. She got closer and closer and closer and...completely missed the rope as she continued on her way, not suspecting a thing. The Timberwolf looked from Lil' Red to the rope, all with a puzzled look on her face.

"Y'know, in hindsight, it probably would've been easier just to pounce from the branch," The Timberwolf mumbled. "Looks like I'll have to try something else. Now...how do I get down from here? Duh! You have teeth silly-billy!" The Timberwolf happily reached around to snap the rope with her teeth, forgetting that she was still dangling in the air. The Timberwolf dropped with a THUD as she face-planted into the dirt below.

"Theet coodve gern bertter (Translation: That could've gone better)," the Timberwolf grumbled, her face still in the dirt. She got up and shook the dirt off as she watched Lil' Red continue down the path. "This could be more difficult than I thought," the Timberwolf thought, "Looks like I'll have to go to...plan B!" 

Unfortunately, plan B didn't go quite as well as hoped...and neither did plans C, D, E, or F. It would be too long to explain what specifically went wrong, but it will be said that each plan involved either a self-projectile slingshot, tar on the trail, or a tripwire connected to a cardboard box. It can probably be guessed where all of these things went wrong, but to save on time, we'll just skip ahead to plan G. THAT involved painting a boulder to look like a tunnel, put it in the middle of the path, trick Lil' Red to walking into it, and having a rock fall on her, knocking her out. As the Timberwolf finished painting the tunnel, she soon noticed that Lil' Red was only a few yards behind. The Timberwolf quickly ran into the bushes to watch the trap take place. "A little old school," she thought to herself, "but this plan will work for sure! I saw it in a cartoon once!" She ducked down as Lil' Red came trotting down the path and toward the giant boulder. She watched with anticipation as Lil' Red came closer to the boulder. Closer, and closer, and closer, and watched her trot on through the tunnel...wait what? The Timberwolf watched with a mixture of shock and utter confusion as Lil' Red just TROTTED through the painted tunnel.

After Lil' Red was through, the Timberwolf slowly trotted up to the painting and tapped it lightly. Her hoof didn't go through. She looked around confused, trying to think of what just happened.

".........AGH!" the Timberwolf suddenly grunted with frustration. "I forgot the ending in the cartoon! This gag NEVER works!" She then started to pound her head against the boulder in frustration grunting, "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" Unfortunately for her, the vibration of her head hitting against the boulder released the rock on top and it plummeted toward the Timberwolf, hitting her on the head, and causing a huge lump to appear, as well as a few circling birds.

"Aren't the fireworks lovely tonight?" the Timberwolf mumbled, dazed from the rock. She soon shook herself back into reality before shooing the birds away and pushing the lump back into her pink, sticky (Get it? Sticky. HA!) head. "Alright," she told herself more seriously than before, "I didn't want to have to do this, but she leaves me NO choice! It's time to initiate plane H! 

TALK TO HER!"





As Lil' Red trotted closer to Granny Smith's cottage, appearing more brave than when she began, she suddenly thought to herself, "Why do I have the sudden urge to go 'meep meep' and run away in a puff of dust?" She shrugged off the feeling and continued on her way. Seeing the familiar scenery gave her a sense of relief, as she knew that her granny's cottage was close at hoof. As she passed through a clearing filled with multiple-colored flowers, she was suddenly stopped by the sound of growling coming from behind her. Chills instantly ran up her spine as Lil' Red knew EXACTLY what the sound was. Frozen with fear, all she could do was hope that it was just passing through and didn't actually see her. The growling continued to get closer as Lil' Red stood perfectly still, not making a single sound. As the growling grew closer, she closed her eyes, just hoping that it was all a dream. The growling got closer, and closer, and closer, until finally...it stopped.

Confused by the sudden silence, Lil' Red hesitantly opened one eye to see what had happened. What she saw, however, almost gave her a heart attack. The Big Bad Timberwolf was literally an inch away from her face! As soon as she saw the pink snout of the beast, Lil' Red fell back in fear and tucked into the fetal position, whimpering and mumbling to herself. The Timberwolf looked at her, looking like she was ready to gobble her up, until...

"Hiya!"

Lil' Red opened her eyes with surprise as she looked up at the now smiling Timberwolf above her. "Wait. Hiya? That's it? Yer not gonna just eat me?"

"Eat you?" the Timberwolf asked. "Why would I do that?"

"'Cause yer the Big Bad Timberwolf!" Lil' Red answered as she got up. "Rumor has it that you eat ponies for breakfast."

"Oh is that right?" the Timberwolf asked with agitation. "Oh sure sure! Every timberwolf is bad! Geez! My cousin blows down a few houses and threatens a few ponies, and suddenly, every timberwolf is 'Big' and 'Bad'! The Big Bad Timberwolf is my cousin! I'M the Big PINK Timberwolf!" She held out a claw to shake. "But you can call me Pinkie Wolf!"

Lil' Red took looked hesitantly at the smiling timberwolf before taking her claw and shaking it. "Uh...howdy Pinkie Wolf. Sorry I...uh...though so badly of you."

"Aw it's no big deal," Pinkie Wolf responded. "So, what brings you to this neck of the woods?"

"I'm off to my Granny's house," Lil' Red replied. "My sis made some apple pies for her, so I'm delivering them. All by myself!"

"That is SO sweet of you!" Pinkie Wolf said, "but you know, I bet there is something that your Granny might like even more than just the pies!"

"What?"

"Flowers! And there are a whole bunch of flowers scattered around this area. You can get a great big bouquet together and bring them along! I bet your Granny would be so happy to see them!"

Lil' Red looked around the clearing and DID noticed that there were many different assortments and colors of flowers all around. She knew her Granny Smith loved honey suckles and daffodils. But then she remembered what her sister said. "Ah don't know. My sis told me to stay on the path..."

"Aw don't worry about that," Pinkie Wolf scoffed,."After all, it's not like you're going far into the woods. The flowers are practically right next to you!"

"Good point," Lil' Red replied as she looked around. "And Granny might just like a fresh bouquet. Maybe I will pick some." Lil' Red headed off to the field to pick some flowers, as she looked back and called out, "Thanks Pinkie Wolf!"

"No problem!" Pinkie Wolf happily called back. As soon as Lil' Red had left hearing distance, Pinkie Wolf chuckled mischievously to herself. "That plan worked better than I thought! Now that SHE'S out of the way, it gives me time to go to the cottage, take Granny's place, and get me some pie! Absolutely brilliant! And I don't even need an anvil this time!" And with that, Pinkie Wolf zoomed off down the path towards Granny Smith's cottage.

After Lil' Red had picked enough for a pleasant-looking bouquet, she continued on the path until she finally reached Granny Smith's cottage. As she got closer to it though, she noticed that the door was slightly open. Granny never was one for leaving a draft in, especially when she wasn't feeling well. This sparked Lil' Red's curiosity. Hoping nothing was wrong, she raced to the door and cautiously knocked three times. After a few seconds, a voice called out, "Who is it?" The voice almost sounded like Granny Smith, and yet, there was something different in her voice, like it was...higher.

"It's Lil' Red Riding Bloom, Granny!" Lil' Red called back. "I got some pies for ya."

"Come in dearie," Granny replied happily. Taking that as her cue, Lil' Red pushed the door open and stepped into the cottage. The smell of apple spice and cinnamon filled Lil' Red's nostrils as she waked through the den. At least the smell of the cottage hadn't changed. As she walked passed the kitchen and tiny dining area, she reached the bed area, which was surrounded by old pictures of family and a coo-coo clock hanging above the bed. On the bed lay the covered up body of her Granny, but strangely enough, her face was also covered up, as if she was trying to hide from Lil' Red. As she stepped into the area and closer to the bed, Lil' Red started to get a strange feeling that something wasn't quite right. She approached the side of the bed and lightly tapped on the figure.

"Granny? Are you ok?"

The figure then rolled around to face her, and Lil' Red jumped a bit. Granny's face had changed dramatically. What once was an old, wrinkly green face with a white mane and green eyes, was replaced by a pink face, curly pink mane, and red eyes. When she spoke, her voice was definitely higher than before, and somehow, it sounded all too familiar. "Hello my dear."

"Granny?" Lil' Red questioned as she examined her granny. "You look...different."

"Uh...must be this illness," Granny replied. "Nothing that a few apple pies can't fix."

"Granny," Lil' Red said in amazement. "What big eyes you have!"

"The better to see you with my dear!"

"And...what big ears you have!"

"Why, the better to hear you with!"

"And...what big TEETH you have!"

"The better to eat your pies with!" Granny suddenly lunged upward and reached for the basket Lil' Red was carrying, a hungry look in her eyes and drool dripping from her lips.

"Ok ok wait!" Lil' Red suddenly sighed. Granny stopped in confusion. "I tried to play along, but I've had enough. Yer not Granny Smith."

"W-why what are you talking about?" Granny said as she started to sweat. "Of course I am."

Lil' Red raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Ok, maybe the ditz from the original story was stupid enough to fall for this trick, but I'm not. Yer Pinkie Wolf. Yer not foolin' anypony." Seeing that she really wasn't fooling anypony, Pinkie sighed in defeat and jumped out of the bed. She then walked over to the closet by the wall and opened it, revealing the true Granny Smith, tied up and gagged. Lil' Red quickly rushed over and pulled the gag from her mouth. 

"Dern whippersnapper!" Granny angrily said to Pinkie Wolf. "I'd outta have ya turned to toothpicks fer that!" 

As she untied her granny, Lil' Red turned to Pinkie Wolf with a look that said, "Really? Just...really?" Pinkie Wolf lowered her head in shame.

"I'm sorry," she said sorrowfully. "It's just that I really wanted some apple pies. It's been such a long time, and apple is my favorite kind! Every time somepony brings pies through the woods, they are always to scared for me to get some. They run away. I was sooooo hungry, and I just couldn't stand it anymore. But I really am sorry for all the trouble I caused." She then turned to Granny Smith. "I'm sorry Granny, for tying you up like that." Granny huffed as Pinkie Wolf turned to Lil' Red. "I'm sorry for tricking you like that. And for trying to pounce on you, and for the tar pit, and for the rock trap, and for-"

"Wait what?" Lil' Red asked.

Pinkie Wolf blushed in embarrassment, "Eh...it's a long story. Well, I don't want to be of any trouble anymore. I'll just go now." Pinkie Wolf hung her head as she headed for the door, dragging her tail sorrowfully along the way. As she was about to leave however, she was stopped by Lil' Red tapping on her shoulder. She turned around to see Lil' Red holding a piece of pie out for her. Pinkie Wolf's eyes went wide as she looked up at Lil' Red in confusion.

"Ya know, you could've just asked," Lil' Red said with a smile. "If us Apples know anything, it's that sharing is what brings others together. And ah can tell you really feel sorry for what you did, and ah feel sorry for you. Why don't you stay here and we can all share the pies?"

Pinkie Wolf's expression changed as a big smile curled across her face. "You mean it?"

"Sure!" Lil' Red answered. "That alright Granny?"

"Well," Granny said with a soft smile, "ah suppose this one has learned its lesson. As long as there's no more tying up involved!"

"Deal!" Pinkie Wolf said happily. "Boy, and to think that asking you was Plan I. Should've just skipped to that plan!"

The others laughed as the three went into the dining area to share some wonderful apple pies, and with a new friendship born as well.

THE END.



  

"That was great Auntie Pinkie!" Pound proclaimed as Pinkie finished the story. "That one was probably my favorite!"

"Well thanks Pound," Pinkie said happily, "You guys want to hear another one?" The twins cheered as they bounced up and down, clapping for more. Pinkie laughed as she settled them down. "Alright alright! One more, and then it's off to bed." The twins got comfortable again as Pinkie leaned forward and began her story.

"Once Upon a Time..."
> Cinderarity
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	...in a faraway land in a faraway kingdom in a faraway cottage (you get the picture), there lived a simple peasant unicorn by the name of Cinderarity. Though she was only a peasant, Cinderarity had a charm and humbleness to her that made others happy. That, and her generosity left nothing to be desired. She was always willing to give and not expect anything in return. Of course, that wasn't the only thing she was good at. Ever since she was little, she was quite skilled in the art of dressmaking. Her sewing abilities were enough to put a spinning wheel to shame, for she had a magic touch with the skill, both literally and figuratively. She always made her dresses with its own special look to match the pony about to wear it. The colors were always paired well, jewels were placed in the precise manner, and bows and sashes accented them perfectly when needed. With her skills, she could've been seen as one of the best dressmakers in the kingdom, if it weren't for her stepsister.

Cinderarity lived with her stepsister, her only relative (or half relative if you prefer), Suri Polomare. Though Suri was quite beautiful of face, her heart was as black as the night. Throughout her childhood with Cinderarity, she was always jealous of her stepsister's generous ways and the way that everypony complimented her dressmaking more than her own. Over time, Suri grew even more jealous, and even started to steal Cinderarity's ideas and patterns to copy her dresses to sell as her own. That's what she kept to doing. As time went on, Cinderarity's father and Suri's mother, well, left for the big pony corral in the sky, and so the two stepsisters used their parents' life insurance to turn their cottage into a dress shop. Both would make dresses, but it was Suri who took the credit for the ones Cinderarity made. Though she knew about it, this didn't bother Cinderarity too much, for her only goal was to see the customer happy with their purchase. That didn't stop Suri from taking advantage of her generosity. No matter what it was, Suri always had to win.

One particular day, Cinderarity was cleaning up around the shop while Suri was, well, lying around giving orders, when a knock came at the door. "Cindy!" Suri called. "Do be a dear and get the door, m'kay?" Cinderarity sighed of exhaustion as she put down the broom and trotted over to the door. When she opened it, she was greeted by a fancy-looking unicorn stallion with a short, white beard.

"Good afternoon m'lady," he greeted. "I am here to deliver a letter from his imperial majesty, Prince Blueblood." He pulled out the letter from his bag and levitated it over to Cinderarity, who took it.

"Thank you very much!" Cinderarity said with a smile. As soon as the door was shut, Cinderarity felt the letter being snatched from her hoof by Suri, who opened the envelop and started to read. As her eyes darted across the letter, her eyes grew wide and a smile came across her face.

"The Prince!" Suri squealed as she finished. "He's throwing a ball tonight! A BALL! TONIGHT! Prince Blueblood's balls are the most legendary in all the kingdom!" (Goodnight everybody!) 

Cinderarity gasped in astonishment as she read through the letter herself. She had never seen the Prince before, but she had heard that he was the most handsome and elegant stallion in the land. His royal balls WERE quite famous throughout the kingdom, and it was considered an extreme honor to be invited to one. 

"I can't believe I get to attend one of Prince Blueblood's balls!" Cinderarity squealed. 

"Oh, I can see that," Suri huffed sarcastically. "You, asking the Prince to dance? Please, you're just a lowly seamstress, m'kay?"

"Well, so are you," Cinderarity retorted. "And," she levitated the letter up to her and highlighted a specific line with her magic, "it says right here that, and I quote, 'Every eligible mare is to attend'. I'm just as eligible as YOU are, so I can't see a reason why I can't go."

Suri let out a frustrating grunt as she grumbled something under her breath that was definitely NOT for a child's ears. She then sucked up her anger and put on a fake smile. "M'kay Cinderarity. You're right. You definitely are able to go, that is, as long as you can find something suitable to wear..."

"Of course I can!" Cinderarity answered. "I am a seamstress am I not? I shall make something that the Prince won't be able to take his eyes off of!" And with that, Cinderarity trotted happily upstairs to start her dress, leaving a very irritated and jealous Suri to think about her own dress for the ball.

Luckily for Cinderarity, her dressmaking skills included speed as well as style. She was able to find enough fabric, jewels, and sashes to make her dress under two hours. It was a shining, purple gown with white frills, a few pearls around the neck area, and white sashes that ran from the waist to the bottom. It was one of the most beautiful dresses that Cinderarity had ever made. And Prince Blueblood, the most eligible bachelor in the kingdom was going to see her. Cinderarity always dreamed of what would happen. Their eyes would meet, their hearts would melt, their courtship would be unforgettable. He would ask for her hoof in marriage, which, of course, she would answer, "YES!" Then, she would become a princess, leave the old dress shop and Suri behind, to live a life of luxury and love! It made Cinderarity sigh dreamily just thinking about it. This was the night that Cinderarity dreamed of since she was a little girl; to have a true, fairy tale ending! Cinderarity didn't waste any time in putting on her makeup, doing her hair up in a gorgeous-looking bun with a white rose in it, and putting on her dress as the time to go to the ball was nigh. 

When she had finished, she trotted happily down the stairs to the door, humming a love tune. Suri was down waiting for her, and when Cinderarity saw what Suri was wearing, she stopped dead in her tracks and her mouth fell open. Suri was wearing a shining, purple gown with white frills, a few pearls around the neck area, and white sashes that ran from the waist to the bottom...wait! IT WAS THE EXACT SAME DRESS! She even had her HAIR the same way, white rose and all! When she saw Cinderarity's reaction, Suri gave a wicked chuckle. She knew that if there was one thing Cinderarity hated, it was wearing matching outfits. She always liked to be differently dressed from others so that she would stand out. Last time Suri did this, Cinderarity was so shocked and embarrassed, that she refused to show up at her own 12th birthday party. Yes, Suri was able to make Cinderarity skip her own party, due to her wearing the exact same outfit.

Cinderarity stared at Suri, her mouth opening and closing with disbelief. "I know right?" Suri said smugly as she gave a twirl. "It looks good on me doesn't it? Thanks for the idea Cindy! I couldn't figure out what to wear, and you saved me, m'kay? You're the best!"

"Suri!" Cinderarity shrieked. "You KNOW that I don't like matching outfits! And you also know that you won't be the one to change!"

"Oh no!" Suri said mockingly dramatic. "That means you can't go to the ball! If you go, everypony will think that you copied me. Oh well, I guess there's always next year right?" She turned with her muzzle in the air and started out the door to the carriage waiting outside. Before she closed the door, she turned back to see Cinderarity, tears leaking from her eyes and her mouth still open, and said, "You should know by now Cinderarity; I always win. Ta-ta!" And in the sound of a slamming door, she was gone, laughing all the way.

Cinderarity stood there, years of hurt and abuse finally taking its toll. Suri had gone too far this time. She had denied Cinderarity a wonderful night and her fairy tale ending. With the tears working their way up and out of her eyes, Cinderarity turned and burst into the garden in the back, crying all the way. She closed the door behind her and flopped herself onto the bench, tears now streaming down her face like little rivers as she hung her head in sorrow. "I can't win," she said to herself through her tears. "I'll <sniff> never get my fairy tale ending. There's nothing else to believe in. Nothing!"

"Now you can't really think that!"

Cinderarity head jerked up as soon as she heard the mysterious voice. I was like it was coming from all around. It was a high-pitched voice that had an upbeat tone when it spoke. Cinderarity looked around to try and find the source, but there was nopony there. Suddenly, the voice spoke again. "There's always hope silly-billy! If you didn't have hope left, I couldn't be here, and," in a flash of light, and the sound of a POOF, a bright figure stood before a startled Cinderarity, "here I am!" 

The figure wore a bright pink, poofy dress that had tiny heart and balloon patterns on it. It was also apparent that the figure was a she, due to the body. She had a coat that was a darker pink, and a curly mane that was an even darker shade of pink. Her eyes were big and her smile was even bigger as she stared at the startle unicorn. After catching her breath, Cinderarity finally spoke. "W-who are you?"

"I'm your Fairy Godpony silly!" the figure replied. "But you can call me Godpony because...I will make you an offer you can't refuse! HA!"

"I don't get it," Cinderarity replied blankly.

"Nevermind. I'm here because you need help! You want to go to the ball correct?" Cinderarity nodded. "Well, I have the power to make that happen! I just need a few things first!"

Cinderarity's expression lifted as she heard the good news, "What? Whatever it is, I'll get it!"

"Well," the Godpony said, "for starters, I'll need...an apple!"

"I don't know if we have any apples," Cinderarity replied. "We DO have a pumpkin patch. Do you want a pumpkin instead?"

"Oh don't be ridiculous!" the Godpony scoffed. "I really need an apple." Cinderarity thought for a second before remembering that there was still an apple left in the fruit bowl in the kitchen. As quick as a flash, she ran into the cottage and came back out with a plump, red apple. "Great! Now all I need are some mice. You got any around here?"

"What luck!" Cinderarity said happily. "We just caught some mice yesterday!" Cinderarity left for the shed next to the house and returned seconds later with a small cage with three white mice in it.

"Perfect!" the Godpony squealed as she clapped her hooves. She then reached into her hair and pulled out a long pink rod with a shining balloon at the top. It was her magic wand. After tapping a bit on her hoof, glowing dust started to leak from it. "You might want to stand back a bit Cindy!" Cinderarity moved back behind the Godpony as she pointed her wand at the apple and mice. Then, with the wave of the wand, she shouted, "Flippity Floppity Foal!" and shot a beam of magic dust at the objects. As soon as the dust hit them, apple began to change shape. Not only did it grow into the size of a small shed, but it also sprouted a door, wheels, and a sitting perch. The mice began to change as well, also growing in size and sprouting hooves, muzzles, and long furry tails. Cinderarity's jaw dropped and her eyes bulged out as she saw the apple and mice turn into a carriage and horses in mere seconds!

"Amazing!" Cinderarity said with awe. "It's like in a dream! You're amazing Godpony! So, is Flippity Floppity Foal the magic phrase?"

"Nah!" the Godpony replied. "It's just REALLY fun to say! So, are you ready to go to the ball?"

"Well, not quite," Cinderarity answered hesitantly. "You see, my stepsister is wearing the exact same dress that I'm wearing right now, and-"

"Say no more Cindy!" the Godpony said happily as she lifted her wand again. Then, before Cinderarity even knew what was going on, she heard, "Flippity Floppity Foal" once again, and a flash of light appeared. When the light had cleared, Cinderarity didn't really feel any different, that is until she looked down. What was once a purple dress with white sashes and pearls was replaced with a snow white gown with matching gloves and a new hairstyle, which was held up with a crystal tiara. Cinderarity had never seen such a beautiful dress. She couldn't stop looking at herself. She then noticed that her slippers had changed, and were now...glass.

"Glass slippers?" she asked.

"Yep! Thought they really stood out," the Godpony happily responded. "Just don't break them. Not unless you like stepping on broken glass."

"I'll remember that," Cinderarity replied with a chuckle. "Oh thank you so much Godpony! You've helped me so much!"

"It's what I do," the Godpony replied. "Now go and have some fun you little scamp!" Cinderarity smiled as she stepped into her new apple carriage. Before the horses could take off though, the Godpony stopped her. "I almost forgot! You have to be back before the clock strikes twelve tonight. That's when the spell wears off. It's on a timeshare or something. I'm trying to get it worked out."

"Stroke of twelve. Got it!" Cinderarity nodded. The Godpony smiled and whistled to the horses, signaling them to go. As the carriage drove through the gate, Cinderarity looked back to see the Godpony smiling and waving until she disappeared with a poof. Cinderarity sat back as she could feel her heart racing a mile a minute. She was really going! She was going to the ball. To meet the Prince. To get her fairy tale ending!

When the carriage finally arrived at the castle, Cinderarity stepped out and took a good look at the humungous alabaster towers above her. It was bigger than she could ever imagine. Taking a deep breath, she ventured inside, down the decorated hallway, and into the Grand Hall. The Hall was huge, being able to fit, at least, 200 ponies within. The walls were decorated with flags, ribbons, sashes, and other bits of decor. Ponies were lined up all around; unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies, and most of them were female. This didn't surprise Cinderarity, as the invite said that EVERY eligible mare was to attend. There were more eligible mares than she thought. Cinderarity worked her way through the crowd until she saw...him. He was tall, broad, a clean white coat, blonde flowing mane, and eyes that made her melt on sight. It was Prince Blueblood! He was in the middle of greeting all the guests, bowing his head slightly as each one walked by. 

She then saw Suri, shoving her way through the line and walking up to the Prince. Though she couldn't hear, she could tell that Suri was hitting on him, and from the look of it, he wasn't looking that interested. Cinderarity rolled her eyes and looked back, just in time for the Prince's eyes to lock onto her's. Her heart skipped a beat as the two stared at each other for a second. Then, the Prince's mouth curled into a handsome smile, which made Cinderarity blush. Politely pushing Suri out of the way, Blueblood worked his way through the parting ponies until he stopped right in front of Cinderarity. The two stared at each other for another second, until he finally spoke.

"Hello," he said in a sultry voice.

"H-hello," she said back, trying to maintain. Then without saying a word, Blueblood signaled for the orchestra to start as he took Cinderarity by the hooves and led her onto the dance floor. As the music began, the two began to dance. A simple waltz, but all the more effective. Cinderarity felt as if she was walking on clouds, her body feeling light as a feather, and her heart racing all the faster. She quickly glanced over at Suri, who was staring with a combination of shock and jealousy, something that made Cinderarity giggle inside. She looked into the eyes of her dream stallion, and he looked back. As the song played, they didn't look away once. It was the greatest dance that Cinderarity had ever had.

After the song ended, Blueblood led Cinderarity into the gardens, where they sat and looked at the stars. "Oh if this is a dream, I don't want to wake up!" Cinderarity thought as she snuggled up next to Blueblood. It seemed that Cinderarity's dreams were finally coming true. A marriage couldn't be far behind, and then, she would be whisked away to live a life of love and luxury, and then, live happily ever after. Suddenly, he reached around her and plucked a rose from the bush and presented it to her.

"Isn't this such a beautiful rose?" he asked. "It would go great with somepony's outfit."

"Oh Blueblood," Cinderarity sighed, "it is quite beautiful!" She then leaned her head towards him, preparing for him to place the rose into her hair. The only thing was, however...he stuck the rose in his own hair. Cinderarity looked at him with curiosity as he twirled his hair.

"What do you think?" he asked. "It matches my eyes, doesn't it?"

"Uh...yes. Of course," Cinderarity answered, a little taken aback by the mishap. She quickly shook it off as a...playful way of showing off his looks to her, so that she could appreciate him more. Sure...

"Well," Blueblood said as he stroked his hair with his hooves, "tell me about yourself my dear."

Now this was more like it. Getting to know her was a great way of learning. "Well, I come from-"

"Very interesting," Blueblood suddenly interrupted. "Now about me, my family dates back to almost 10 generations of royalty." As he started to carry on, Cinderarity stared at him, shocked at his interruption. Still, she tried to keep a positive thought. "He was just excited to tell me about himself so...I didn't ask anything later. I'm sure he'll listen as soon as he's done."

One hour later...

"...and on mumsy's side, my great uncle was the Great Duke of Trottingham, and on my father's side-" Cinderarity, by this point, had completely drowned out of the conversation, if one could all it that. She hadn't said a peep since he started. To be honest, her patience was wavering. She couldn't stand to hear another thing about how GREAT his family tree was. When he had finally finished, he got up and looked to her, "Shall we go inside for some refreshments my dear?" At least he still had charm.

"That would be delightful," Cinderarity replied as she got up. The two headed back into the castle, when Blueblood stopped them both and looked down. On the grass in front of them, was a large puddle. Cinderarity looked at him with a grin as she thought, "He IS a gentlestallion! He doesn't want me to get my dress wet."

"Somepony could really get wet in that puddle," he said. "Don't worry. One's cloak ought to help in this situation."

"Indeed," she replied softly.





As Cinderarity put the now wet sash she was wearing back on, she glared angrily at Blueblood, who was completely oblivious to her frustration. "So much for gentlestallion," she thought as they went back inside, "Can things get any worse?"

They could.

Within the next two hours, Cinderarity fully realized that her "fairy tale" wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Not only was Blueblood a complete bore, but he was far from princely. In fact, he was nothing more than a royal pain! He made Cinderarity open the doors for him, went to the food table without asking if she wanted anything, and did nothing but talk, and talk, and talk, and talk some more, about himself no less. And the worst part was, Cinderarity couldn't get away from the guy! Apparently, he had taken a liking to her for SOME reason, and wouldn't let her go. She didn't want to be rude, but she was definitely starting to consider it. As she sat in a slump, listening to Blueblood gabble on about some awards he's won, Cinderarity kept praying for midnight to come soon. "Could really use the striking of twelve right now!" she grumbled as Blueblood bragged about his many accomplishments.

Finally, right before Cinderarity was about to claw her own ears off, she heard that magical sound. The ringing of the clock!

"Well, it's been fun!" Cinderarity said with haste as she got up. "We should REALLY do this again sometime. Or not. Who knows? Well, gotta run. PEACE!" And with that, she was off in a flash. Though she thought she was in the clear, she suddenly heard hooves coming from behind.

"WAIT!" Blueblood called out as he followed her. "I don't even know your name fair maiden! How will I find you?"

"Oh don't worry, I'll call you!" Cinderarity called back. She quickly galloped down the stairs of the palace as she noticed that Blueblood was still hot on her trail. She practically lunged into the carriage and shouted, "STEP ON IT!" as the carriage took off in a cloud of dust, leaving the Prince at the bottom of the steps. Cinderarity leaned back in her seat and gave an exhausted sigh of relief. It was finally over! She would never have to see that...ROYAL PAIN ever again! As she arrived back at the cottage, the twelfth chime rang out, and in a puff of magic dust, Cinderarity was sitting in the backyard by an apple and a few mice. She was also back in her old dress, but she didn't mind. She was just glad it was all over.

"Hey there Cindy!"

Cinderarity jumped a bit before looking around to see her Fairy Godpony standing with a smile. "Must you give me a heart attack with each entrance?" she asked as she clutched her heart.

"Sorry," the Godpony said. "So? How was the ball? How was the prince? You have fun?"

"Oh, how do I put this politely?" Cinderarity said. "Um...the Prince was like a combination of a splitting headache and two broken legs with a personality that was like pouring a pitcher of salt onto an open cut. Metaphorically speaking."

"That bad huh?" the Godpony asked.

"Yes," Cinderarity answered, "but, it doesn't matter! The ball is over, and I'll never have to worry about that prince ever-"

"Uhh...Cindy?" the Godpony interrupted, looking at Cinderarity's hooves. "Where's your other slipper?" Cinderarity looked down and gasped as she saw that her right glass slipper was gone, while the left one remained intact.

"YOU LET ME KEEP THE SLIPPERS?" Cinderarity shrieked.

"I thought you would've liked a souvenir to remind you of your first ball," the Godpony answered hesitantly.

Cinderarity started to panic. "Do you realize what this means?!" The Godpony shook her head. "It means that he can use that slipper to TRACK ME DOWN! This is bad! This is VERY bad! Of all the worst things that could happen, this is THE...WORST...POSSIBLE...THING! What am I going to do!?"

Cinderarity worried throughout the entire night as to what the Prince was planning on doing with the slipper. What exactly was going to happen? Could he really use it to find her? These worries kept her awake through the night, and she didn't even get to sleep until the sun almost came up. She had had about an hour of sleep before the sound of knocking came from outside. Cinderarity opened her eyes and jumped out of bed to see what was going on. To her horror, it was the Prince! He was with some royal guards, and his footpony was carrying a pillow with the glass slipper on it. He had found her! Cinderarity started to panic as she thought of what to do. Suddenly, the door to her room opened and she turned around to see a sneering Suri.

"You think I don't know why the Prince is here?" she said menacingly. "YOU were the one the Prince spent all night with last night, m'kay? We grew up together Cinderarity. I know what you look like. I happen to know that he's been using that slipper of yours to find the girl that he spent the night with. He's...fallen in love with her!" Cinderarity shook in fear when she heard that. "He's been going to each maiden and trying to fit the slipper. Whoever fits the slipper will become the Prince's bride!" Cinderarity shook even harder as Suri's face curled into a devious smile. "You're planning on trying on the slipper and going away to live a life of luxury. Not while I have any say in it. You," she twisted the lock on the outside of the door, "are staying in here. Even if I don't fit the slipper, he'll never see you! And he'll never find you, m'kay? Have fun with knowing that you'll NEVER get your Prince Charming!" She then slammed the door, chuckling as she left.

Though it seemed that Suri had done her a favor, it was still a lost cause. Suri would not fit the slipper, and Blueblood would stop at nothing to get his bride. Cinderarity cringed at the thought of marrying that creep. It was best to stay in her room. Suddenly, a horrible thought came to her. What if the Prince saw all the pictures? All the things that had her name on it? He would find out that she was living there, and he wouldn't leave until he's seen her. She had to get rid of her stuff. But how would she get out of the room. Cinderarity thought for a second, and then a simple idea popped into her head. Rolling her eyes on how Suri forgot, she used her magic to unlock the door. She then quickly but quietly trotted into her study to gather up her stuff. As she did, she heard Suri greeting the Prince.

"Welcome your majesty. I'm so glad you found MY slipper, m'kay?"

She didn't have much time. Cinderarity gathered all of her belongings and threw them back into her room. Now for the pictures. She quietly tiptoed out into the living room, just in time to see Suri sit down. Cinderarity quickly ducked behind a pillar as she watched as the footpony take the slipper from the pillow and lower it down toward Suri's hoof. "It won't matter," Cinderarity thought. "It won't fit. Her hooves are too big. It's only a matter of time!" As the slipper grew closer and closer to Suri, Cinderarity winced with anxiety.

Suddenly, she saw a beam of thin dust come flying from behind her and shot towards the slipper. As it hit it, the slipper, unbeknownst to everypony else, grew in size, just as the footpony slipped it onto Suri's hoof, winning a perfect fit. Suri's eyes grew wide and her face curled into a smile as she stared at the slipper. "IT FITS!" she shrieked as she jumped around with excitement. Cinderarity, taken aback by what just happened, looked behind her to see her faithful Fairy Godpony, winking and smiling. Cinderarity smiled back as she turned to see Blueblood approach Suri with a look of certainty on his face.

"You're the one!" he said charmingly. "You're the one I was with!" (Boy, talk about dense.) "We shall be wed at once!" Suri squealed with delight as Blueblood turned to his footpony and started listing commands for the wedding as the two walked out to the carriage. At that point, Cinderarity thought it best to come out, and as she did, Suri turned to her and smirked.

"You're too late Cinderarity!" she said boastfully. "I don't know how, but I fit the slipper! I get to be with the Prince! I get to live in TOTAL LUXURY, m'kay?"

"Yes Suri, you've beaten me," Cinderarity replied with fake sadness. "Oh woe is me! WOE IS ME!"

"Aw don't feel so bad," Suri said with a cocky smile. "Like I said before. I always win! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to be a PRINCESS! Ta-ta Cinderarity! Enjoy your mediocre life!" And with her muzzle in the air and her tail swishing boastfully, Suri strutted out of the cottage and slammed the door. As soon as she was gone, Cinderarity couldn't hold it in anymore. The joy of not having to deal with both Suri AND Prince Pain-in-the-Neck anymore was too much to contain, and she started to jump excitedly and shout, "WOO-HOO!"

"I guess you'll have to live a mediocre life eh Cindy?" the Godpony asked with a smile.

"I suppose so," Cinderarity replied happily, "But you know what? A mediocre life is sound more like a true fairy tale ending to me."

"Glad to see that!" the Godpony replied. She then held out her hoof toward Cinderarity, "Hoofbump?" Cinderarity chuckled and bumped the Godpony's hoof with happiness. 

It didn't take long after the wedding for Suri to realize that she had been bamboozled. Not two seconds after they said their vows, Suri had to listen to more of Blueblood's fascinating stories, as well as open doors for him, listen to his whining, and above all, live a life of Blueblood's luxury, meaning she had to assist in HIS luxury. As for Cinderarity, she was just fine and dandy with HER life. She was able to run her dress shop to full capacity, with the occasional help of her Fairy Godpony. As her popularity grew, Cinderarity later became known as the most famous seamstress in the kingdom. Though it wasn't the life she expected, everything turned out just fine, and it goes to show that a true fairy tale ending is the one you least expect.

And they all lived happily ever after.

THE END.

	 



	

	
> Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	As Pinkie finished the story, she looked up and smiled when she saw the two sleeping like a rock. She went over to them, kissed them on the forehead, and started to leave the room. Before she closed the door though, she was stopped by Pound's drowsy voice.

"Auntie Pinkie? Thanks for the stories!"

"You're welcome kiddo," Pinkie replied softly.

"Goodnight Auntie Pinkie," Pumpkin chimed in with a yawn. "We love you."

Pinkie smiled even more as a tear formed in her eye. "I love you guys too." She then lightly closed the door and left for her room. As she got ready for bed, she thought of how fun it was to read to the kids. She loved those little tykes so much. And who knew that she could make so many stories featuring her friends on the dot. Just another gift from the party master herself. As she drifted off to sleep, her final thought was,

"Well, there are a whole bunch of tales just begging to be Pinkified. I should do this more often."

THE END(?)