//------------------------------// // #50 - Way of the Party Pony // Story: Techorse Short Stories // by Spirals95 //------------------------------// Way of the Party Pony Techorse Series: #50 By Spirals95 Six long weeks of studying, muzzle shoved in the books. Six long weeks of eating instant food out of styrofoam cups. But it would all be worth it to Twilight Sparkle if the long-range transport spell she had been working on would finally meet Princess Celestia's expectations. She was approaching a very important exam in her magic studies under the alicorn royal, and needed to display a startling act of magic with the condition that it had to be a practical application, reasonably safe, and be a helpful act to another pony. Her choice was to teleport a case of 50 vanilla cake mixes made by Sugarcube Corner to Cloudsdale for sale. Normally deliveries of food and specialty items took a long time to reach the floating, migrating city, as the amount of weight pegasus ponies could carry limited what could be brought up to the clouds at once. Twilight's refinement of her long-range transport spell would allow her to send the huge crate of mixes to a drop zone in one go, and through her studies she had determined it would use less of her mental and physical energy than teleporting living beings due to the simplicity of the box. In short, she had never considered teleporting cargo before, and moving a large amount of it might be just the thing to help her pass the exam. “Looks like we're all ready to go,” cheered Pinkie Pie, pushing the big wooden box into position, “just gotta shove the goodies into place!” A large red X spray painted on a patch of concrete at the edge of Ponyville was soon covered up by the box, six feet long, three feet wide, and two feet deep. “Looks good,” said Techorse, standing to the side, “Twilight, could you check the radio please to see if Rainbow Dash has connected to us yet?” Techorse had provided an advanced two way radio set for the occasion, a gray box with a red button and a speaker grid on the top. The other radio set was in Cloudsdale, where Rainbow Dash had it set up to communicate with the team quickly. “Are you guys ready yet?” she asked, her voice coming in through Twilight's radio, “I've got like, a dozen ponies nagging me about when they're getting their cake powder here.” Twilight pushed the button with her front hoof, “Just a second Rainbow Dash. We've got everything in position, and I'm going to cast the spell soon. Give me thirty seconds.” Rainbow Dash looked around back in Cloudsdale, and saw how many excited pegasus ponies were watching their own red-colored X painted into a landing pad built into Cloudsdale's surface. Twilight had memorized the location the night before, and all fifty mixes had been paid for ahead of time by the Cloudsdale residents, much to the delight of the Cake family. From Ponyville's perspective, Cloudsdale was far in the distance, many kilometers away, and Twilight squinted her purple eyes to view it, crouching down a bit on her legs. “We're all set, Twilight!” said Techorse, “Stand in the white circle.” “Ok Twilight,” said the unicorn to herself as she trotted into the designated white ring and stared at the boxes, “this is it!” Pinkie Pie moved away from the crates, watching in glee as Twilight's horn began to accumulate pink and fuchsia particles of energy. Her friend was beginning to sweat from the strain of charging up such a spell, and Pinkie couldn't help but bounce in place from the excitement. Not only had Twilight helped the Cakes spread their goods to Cloudsdale, she was also given the chance to help out with such a big exam! The party pony loved nothing more than being involved, and she looked at the boxes with hope that Twilight would succeed. But as if fate had ordained it, a rogue hoofball had been smacked a little bit too hard by some colts and fillies playing a game in a nearby field, and the projectile arced up high into the air, over the friends. Twilight closed her eyes, her horn putting out a large white and pink flare of energy as she was seconds away from taking the shot. Techorse put on a pair of dark goggles, just in case the flash from the spell might try to blind him, and Pinkie Pie responded by putting on a pair of goofy sunglasses with the lenses in the shape of stars. “Three...” counted Twilight in her head. “Two...” “One...” Down came the hoofball in a shallow trajectory from the right, smashing Twilight in the flank. She opened her eyes and gasped as she lost control of the spell, the thick sports ball knocking her rear legs to the side and turning her head. The spell discharged to the right, away from the crate, and straight into Pinkie Pie, who squealed loudly before disappearing in a massive flash of energy that blinded Twilight, shattered the lenses on Techorse's goggles, and popped the hoofball instantly. “Nooooooo!” cried Twilight, realizing what she had done, galloping up to the smoldering crater in the ground where Pinkie Pie just stood, “Pinkie! Oh, what have I done?” “Twilight, calm down!” said Techorse, throwing away his destroyed goggles, “Pinkie Pie's just been teleported instead of the crate, right?” Twilight dove for the radio and hit the button, “Rainbow Dash, can you hear me?” “Yeah,” she said, “Are you done yet?” “There's been a bit of a mistake, I missed my target and hit Pinkie Pie instead,” explained Twilight, still sweating from her spell and from the shock of hitting Pinkie Pie, “Is she there?” Confirming her worst fears, Rainbow Dash took a moment to look around and answered, “No... maybe there's just some kinda wait time for the spell to work or something.” Twilight's legs shook as she stood up, her ears fell back and she almost screamed in an anxiety fueled panic. Techorse moved up to her and gave her a hug, “Twilight, calm down! Pinkie Pie's going to be fine.” “I can't believe I did that,” she answered, nearly sobbing, “oh, I've failed the exam and lost Pinkie Pie! Princess Celestia's going to flip!” “Is Twilight having an issue?” snickered Rainbow Dash from over the radio, “Twilight, you mess up all the time, Pinkie Pie's probably somewhere nearby here. We're going to go look for her, ok?” “Maybe there's still time to teleport the crate!” reasoned Twilight in her head, hoping to still pass the crucial test in her career, “I'll try again.” “No, Twilight, we have to find Pinkie first,” answered Techorse, refusing to stop hugging her tightly, “there's got to be a way we can talk Princess Celestia into letting you have another try at the spell.” Twilight finally gave up, and stopped shaking, closing her eyes and finally returning her coltfriend's hug, “You're right, Tech. I just hope she's all right.” Pinkie Pie scratched behind her ear with her front hoof, and stood up groggily. She seemed to be on a sandy, sunny beach covered in some places with thick green seaweed and shells from various kinds of sea creatures. “Oh wowie, that was really something!” she exclaimed, looking around, “Twilight accidentally sent me to the beach! Whoops!” The pink pony shook her body, sending a few pieces of green seaweed stuck in her mane and tail into the sand again. She had left a nice little dent in the beach from teleporting in, the crater beneath her was coated in a thin layer of pinkish glass from the spell's burn. It was likely that Pinkie been knocked unconscious from the impact of dropping into the beach improperly, but it didn't seem to bother her now that she was awake again. She looked at the blue water crested with white peaked waves, and wanted to stay for a swim, but knew Twilight probably felt awful about sending her on the impromptu vacation and changed her mind about sticking around. “A beach day would be super fun, but I'd better get back before they worry about me,” giggled the lone mare, “maybe next time ocean, right now Pinkie Pie's gotta get home!” Kicking her legs, she skipped and hopped her way up out of the beach, into the grassy dunes, and into the plains just outside to head back for the Equestrian mainland. She didn't recognize any of the terrain, it seemed like there were way too many mountains topped with snow. Also, it had been a lot colder at the seashore than she remembered it being in Equestria, and the shells on the beach didn't quite match her memories either. Ignoring these tidbits in favor of having fun, Pinkie Pie sang to herself and took in the surroundings. Eventually, Pinkie Pie reached a small forest, and crossed without too much trouble. The trees seemed a bit odd, all spiky and with needle like leaves that poked out in all directions. The dark forest was a bit cold, but there wasn't much wildlife around, and she exited it to discover a startling sight. She had come into a town where the homes were much different from Ponyville, each was built small, but very tall, with angled roof tiles at each floor of the home to keep rain off. The main roof at the top of each building was yellow colored and very ornamental, using stone and wood painted black and gold rather than the thatch of Ponyville. Cherry Blossom trees, their pink flowers filling every branch, were everywhere in this small town, and the ponies inhabiting it did not seem to be Equestrian. Their head structures seemed a bit smoother and flatter, their necks slightly longer and their tails were often cut quite short, but they were clearly still ponies and had very few differences otherwise. Many of them wore cloth robes with colored insets and fancy patterns, the females had their hair either braided or in a bun, and the stallions frequently had short beards or manes kept back with a band, but not a single mustache adorned their faces. The most odd trend to Pinkie Pie, however, was the fact that the robes they wore, while very pretty and coming in all colors of the rainbow in addition to black and white, concealed every pony's cutie mark from view. No two robes seemed to be alike, which really impressed her, and made her wonder if she was out of place. Of course, Pinkie Pie had no shame in being completely different from the townsponies, and continued her merry bounce through the town, saying hi to every pony. One stallion, a black one with a short white mane cut and a blue robe, nearly ran into Pinkie Pie, and the mare stopped to talk to him. “Hiya! My name is Pinkie Pie! Could you please tell me where I am, I'm a bit lost!” The pony didn't understand her at all, and sort of shuffled around, calling out to one of his friends in a language Pinkie Pie didn't understand either. She froze as the stallion's friend came over, a unicorn pony in a red outfit, as watched with eyes wide as they started talking about her. “Hey, how come you're speaking like that?” she asked, curious, “Can I talk like that, too? It's a really neat language!” “Perhaps with some time, Pinkie Pie!” said another stallion, pushing forward past the two others. He was a tall, overbearing unicorn stallion, with black hair held back with a red band, and a thin layer of stubble across his face kept intentionally thin but noticeable, making his beard short but clean. A gray cloak with a few gold markings in the shape of hunting arrows and thin white lines at the seams concealed his light blue coated body, and his shorter tail was also bound with a red band, making a whip shape. He bowed slightly from just the neck in Pinkie Pie's presence, closing his yellow eyes, although the chivalrous greeting bounced right off of Pinkie Pie's bubbly personality. “Hi, cool you know my name,” answered Pinkie Pie, smiling broadly, “but do you think you could tell me where in Equestria I am?” “Heh,” snickered the tall stallion, “you are not quite in Equestria anymore. Welcome to Umashima!” Pinkie Pie's heart skipped a beat as she heard that name, she'd only heard about it in school ages ago. Umashima was an island nation thousands of kilometers away from the Equestrian mainland. “What?!” she gasped, her hair frizzing, “That's... that's...” Pinkie Pie did a backflip, “That's amazing! Twilight's spell really sent me so far away!” “Oh, so Twilight Sparkle sent her friend Pinkie Pie!” mused her acquaintance, “I see. It must be you are here to teach a friendship lesson to us.” She stopped and sputtered her lips, “Pffft, Friendship lesson? No, silly! Twilight accidentally sent me here by mistake taking a magic test!” “We have heard your stories of honor and bravery in Equestria, how you stopped the demons Nightmare Moon and Discord,” explained the unicorn, “and how now Twilight Sparkle and her friends spread the secrets of true friendship throughout the world. Surely you must be here for a purpose, even if you are here by mistake.” “I can't argue with that logic!” answered Pinkie Pie, closing her eyes and bobbing her head, “So, what's your name, and how come you can talk with me?” “I am Daikyu, but you may call me Longbow” he answered, “I work for the foreign affairs office for the nation, that is why I can speak Equine English. My whole family knows your language.” “It's so cool to meet you, and be here at all!” she responded. Daikyu nodded, “Very good. You will stay with my family then.” Pinkie Pie didn't really have a better answer than agreeing, after all, she was stuck in a foreign land without money or direction. So she followed Longbow back to his home on the other side of the town, a large and tall house with four wide floors on a large, walled in estate with an outside training area and a garden. The door slid open, being made of bamboo, and inside was a rather comfortable floor with an open kitchen, a low marble table with some cushions, and stairs that led to the next floor. Pinkie Pie could already smell a delicious odor of caramelized vegetables and more importantly, easily consumed carbohydrates! “Oooh, do I smell noodles?!” she asked, trotting in behind Longbow. “I am sure you do not know much about our customs, but yes, we often have noodles for meals,” answered the host, “we know much about your legendary appetite Pinkie Pie. I will have my oldest daughter prepare plenty more for you.” “Uh oh,” giggled the mare, “I hope the bottomless pit jokes haven't leaked out of Equestria!” “Amai!” called the stallion for his wife, “We have a guest in our home.” The mare appeared down the stairs of the home shortly, a beautiful and similarly taller pony like her husband, she was a very pale pink in color, with green eyes and a white mane striped with yellow that curled down. Her blue robe, unique in that she had cyan stripes and tassels on the back, also concealed her cutie mark and body like her husband's. Like her husband, she was delighted to see Pinkie Pie. “Welcome to our home,” she said, her eastern accent also very apparent like her husband's. “This is Pinkie Pie, one of the great heroes of Equestria,” stated Longbow, “she will be staying with us for the time being.” “Oh my, a hero from Equestria?” gasped his wife, “She certainly does look like the Pinkie Pie your books talk bout! What brings you to Umashima?” “It's a very long story,” answered Pinkie Pie, “but I'd love to tell!” “We will over dinner then,” said Amai, smiling, “I've made noodles with sugary sauce and fresh vegetables. I hope Equestrians like such things.” “I'll try anything involving tasty food!” she answered. Pinkie Pie was seated on a soft cushion near the low-hanging table, it was weird seeing the marble counter top so far below her when she was used to the table being up to her middle. Longbow made a fresh kettle of tea, and placed it down with a few small cups. Pinkie Pie didn't want to be rude, and had no clue what the Umashima culture was like, so she simply sat around with a happy expression on her face as her generous hosts finished preparing the meal. There was soon a large wooden bowl of hot noodles, darkened with the sweet sauce and piled high with broccoli, fancy mushrooms Pinkie didn't recognize, and slices of carrots. The couple sat opposite of Pinkie Pie at the table, and then Amai bellowed for her children in her foreign tongue. The two unicorn mares came from upstairs, one of them wearing orange robes with white seams, the white bands spiraling into the back of the cloak. She was the elder sister, and had a blue coat like her father's, brown eyes, and a long white mane with pink stripes. The other was a smaller pony Pinkie Pie's size and age, with bright blue eyes, a soft white coat, and a curled mane of pink similar to her mother's. Her cloak was a very subtle pink, with small, mishapen stars of various colors all over the back that resembled sparks. “Foals, we have with us the noble Pinkie Pie from Equestria, one of the Warriors of Harmony who defeated Nightmare moon,” announced Longbow, “She will be staying with us as our guest, I expect you will treat her well.” “Pinkie Pie!?” exclaimed the older sibling as she sat down, “How did you get here?” “Kori, she will explain after she has had supper,” declared Longbow, holding up a hoof, “pardon her, Pinkie Pie. Kori, or Ice Spirit Spirit as you may call her, can wait for your story.” Pinkie Pie was beginning to get a bit confused with how often Longbow interrupted his family. Was he treating them like they were stupid? Back in Equestria, a stallion interrupting his wife and foals would probably be labeled as being mean. But she decided to risk a cultural breach to be able to talk about what had happened. “I can tell now if you guys really want!” she offered, “It's a doozy of a story!” “Please tell us!” asked the youngest, “I'm sure it would be lots of fun, as you are the best party pony in the world!” Pinkie Pie's heart melted at the statement, and she felt a connection with the younger mare, who was her age and her size too. “The best party pony?” she said, her lip quivering, “awww, thank you! You're a really nice pony, um...” “My name is Yuki Yi!” said the energetic daughter, “I apologize for being so direct, father has taught us how to speak your language, and I do not get many chances to use it.” “Don't be sorry, it's a really funny story,” continued Pinkie Pie in her motormouth fashion, “You see, Twilight Sparkle wanted to learn this really cool teleportation spell. I dunno if you guys have anything like that, but she was going to pass this big magic test she had! Anyways, Twilight was going to move this biiiiig box of cake mixes for me, but I accidentally got zapped instead, and well, here I am!” “I do not think it was quite an accident,” interrupted Longbow again, making Pinkie Pie dip her ears back in slight frustration, “you must be here to teach a valuable friendship lesson as Twilight Sparkle usually commands.” “Commands?” laughed Pinkie Pie, “We're not really warriors, Longbow, we're a circle of friends in Ponyville! And we have a ton of fun together when there's not a big meanie to stop!” “Perhaps we should eat the noodles before they get cold,” suggested Amai, noticing her husband glaring at Pinkie, “I do want to get our guest's opinion on them.” Pinkie Pie was passed a piping hot bowl of the food in front of her, and watched as the other family members were served their own in addition to their hot cup of tea. She started to make a move to devour the delicious smelling meal, but she pulled back in a cartoonish manner. Everyone was so formal from Longbow's behavior, that Pinkie was afraid to dig in her usual way. It had to be that they ate slowly and carefully. Or at least, that's what Pinkie Pie believed until she watched the married couple pick up their bowls with their magic and started to shovel their food quickly into their mouths with the utensils provided. Pinkie Pie was actually impressed with how quickly another pony besides her was eating their food! The daughters followed in the rapid consumption, and Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes, giggled, and planted her face into the dish, scarfing down her own meal as well. “Oooh, I could get used to this!” Pinkie Pie finished pulling the last of the noodles into her mouth and slurped them loudly, smacking her lips. She set the bowl down at the table, feeling happy other ponies liked to wolf down their food just like her. “That was really tasty!” she exclaimed, “Thank you!” “I'm so glad you enjoy our cooking,” smiled Amai, “now, if you'd like to spend some time on the estate, please do so. There is a garden full of flowers you might enjoy.” “I'd love that!” answered Pinkie Pie, “Anypony else want to go and hear some more Pinkie Pie tales? You guys really seem to find Twilight and my story really neat!” “Please!” asked Yuki, standing up from the table, “May I, father?” “Certainly,” he said, “please be back inside before sundown though.” Pinkie Pie and Yuki Yi went outdoors into the flower garden, filled with the most beautiful Umashiman flowers. Yellows and pinks dominated the blooms along the garden path, and the serene sound of flowing water and the gentle song of wind chimes left hanging on the tree branches made the garden the most peaceful place Pinkie Pie had ever seen. Yuki Yi walked alongside her Equestrian acquaintance, and was answering as many questions about her life as Pinkie Pie was answering about hers. “So do they have parties here in Umashima?” asked Pinkie Pie, “They're probably super quiet, but I bet you like them just the way they are!” “Well, Pinkie Pie, there's something I wanted to ask now that we're alone,” said Yuki Yi. The pink pony wouldn't stop talking, “I'm sure you'd like me to tell another story! Hey, how about the time the girls and I beat this evil cook, wanna hear?” “Sure, but, this is very important, please,” asked the other mare, her ears falling back. “Sure, go ahead!” she answered, deciding finally to listen. “I made those noodles,” admitted Yuki Yi, “I'm a really good chef. But..” “Oh man those noodles were awesome!” Pinkie Pie interrupted, licking her lips. “Yes, it's just, have you noticed nopony in Umashima shows their cutie mark?” she asked. Pinkie Pie didn't suspect a thing about the statement, and simply agreed with Yuki with no expectation of what she was going to say next. She thought it was just a different custom. “Sure, nothing wrong with it! At least, I don't think there is! Why do you guys do that, anyways?” Yuki Yi sighed and explained the phenomenon, “Nopony in Umashima shows off their cutie marks because often, one's special talent does not involve very much valuable work. One must find more than just a special place, one must also learn a proper use for their special talent that is practical and useful to the community.” Pinkie Pie gasped loudly, ruining the serenity of the garden, “WHAT? That's crazy!!!” “I know, and that is why I need your help,” sobbed Yuki, “you see, Pinkie Pie...” Yuki pulled back her robe magically, revealing her cutie mark on her flank. It was a confetti ball, white in color, being pulled open by a string, with the colored bits inside raining down below. “I too am a party throwing pony!” “EEEE!” cheered Pinkie Pie, jumping around in a circle around Yuki, “You're a party pony too! We gotta throw a big party for your family while I'm here!” “No, no, we can't!” gasped Yuki, grabbing Pinkie Pie's front legs with her light blue colored magic, freezing her in place. “What, why not?!” asked Pinkie Pie. “Because I'm a chef. I make food now to make practical use of my cooking and decorating skills. It is much better and more hard work to prepare food and set tables nicely for an important meal than to make cheap junk food for a party,” she said, “father and mother would not be happy.” Pinkie Pie frowned, and stuttered, “But... but, it's your special talent Yuki!” “I know, and that is why we cannot throw a party for them,” she said, but her frown was quickly replaced with a hint of smile as she continued, “however, my best friend Mori is having her birthday in two days. I have no experience with it, but I want to use my special talent just this once. Can you train me in the way of being a party pony?” The earth pony almost found tears in her eyes, she had always wanted to teach another pony how to throw a perfect party, and answered, “Yuki, I'd love to! We're going to make your friend Mori's birthday the best one EVER! But we're gonna have to keep it a secret from your dad, so we'll start tomorrow. Master Pinkie Pie's gonna make you a party pony!” “Oh, thank you, thank you!” cried Yuki, giving Pinkie Pie a hug, “You really are a true friend.” Pinkie Pie smiled and hugged her back before taking Yuki back inside, their plan made to let Yuki live out her wish of being a true party pony and living up to her cutie mark for just one day. Longbow had prepared a simple soft mat to sleep on, in the same room as his two daughters on the third floor of the house. The girls were excited to have Pinkie sleeping over, and they exchanged stories for a few hours. Eventually the two sisters fell asleep on their sides on their own mats, and Pinkie Pie went over to the window to watch the lights of the foreign city for a while. Once she got tired, she went over to her mat, and span around in a small circle like a pet before curling up like a cat, using her fluffy tail as a pillow to sleep on. She felt very much at home despite how different the land was, and her mind raced with excitement over helping Yuki as she drifted off to sleep. Yuki was having a horrible nightmare about having a heavy stone on her chest. The massive boulder had fallen off a cliff above her as she walked home after quitting work at the local noodle shop, to begin her new career. Rather than squish her flat immediately, the rock left her stuck alone in the canyon with no one around to rescue her, and she struggled and squirmed from the weight on top of her. “Help!” gasped the Umashiman mare, wiggling underneath the massive chunk of granite. Looking up at the cliff above her, she watched her father appear at the edge, staring down at her with contempt in his eyes. “Father, save me!” cried Yuki, the stone mushing her insides. “Perhaps you should have considered staying a cook,” he muttered, turning around and walking away. “No...” whimpered the mare, “NOOOOO!” She awoke with a terrible fright to discover that the “stone” on her was no other than Pinkie Pie standing on top of her, her legs bunched together in a fine point. “Wakey wakey!” she said, “Today begins your training as an official party pony!” “Wh... what?” she said, still sweating from the dream, “how could you be up before us? Are you not tired from being in a different time and place so fast?” “Nope! Always got a little bit of energy in me,” answered Pinkie Pie, giggling as she jumped off her friend, “Now let's get cracking while your family's away!” Yuki and Pinkie waited patiently for the rest of the family to leave for their jobs for the day, and then, the fun began. Yuki's first task was a to bake a batch of cupcakes in under an hour using only ingredients she could find in the house, a difficult task to do considering Yuki didn't even know what a cupcake was. She failed miserably, burning the treats to a blackened crisp in a bun pan she had tried to use a cupcake tray. “Hmmm, I don't think cupcakes are going to quite work out,” mused Pinkie Pie, looking at the charcoal in front of her, “let's try something else!” Pinkie gave Yuki five minutes to decorate the garden using some streamers and other decorations she had her get from a local shop. The first two attempts resulted in Yuki being unable to finish the task, but Pinkie Pie cheered her friend on and kept her going. She shaved down her time each attempt, eventually making the five minute mark and making the garden look spectacular. Training in the art of party planning, Yuki started to succeed in various challenges once she had gotten a hang of the basics. Instead of cupcakes, she made a more traditional ice cream like treat made from vanilla and cream, which Pinkie Pie accepted as her new friends' specialty of dessert once one taste made her tail curl in a spiral. After a hard day of training, Pinkie Pie had managed to tire out the other mare, and they were enjoying cold water and some fresh fruit back inside the house. “I finally got down the gift wrapping technique!” exclaimed Yuki, “Thank you so much for all the training, I'm sure to have a perfect party for Mori now.” “Not yet!” teased Pinkie Pie, taking a long sip from her cup of water before setting it back down, “You've still got your final test to go!” “Oh, and what might that be?” asked Yuki, a bit confused. Pinkie Pie smiled broadly, “Your final test is... you've got to surprise me!” “Surprise you!? But you are the living definition of surprise!” cried Yuki Yi, distraught, “How can I possibly do that?” “You'll think of something, I'm positively absolutely sure!” Longbow and his wife returned home from work, later followed by the older daughter. “Ah, good to see you again,” he said to Pinkie Pie, “I see Yuki is home a bit early from work.” “You could say that,” snickered Pinkie Pie, knowing she'd skipped her shift. “Very good,” continued the head of the household, “now, seeing as Yuki usually cooks all day, I have decided to take us out to dinner.” “Really?” asked Pinkie Pie. He nodded, “I have been thinking on some things lately about Yuki. She does not need to cook tonight.” Yuki felt her heart flutter, and thought, “This might be a chance for me to surprise Pinkie Pie. I can tell father at dinner how I feel. Standing up for myself will surely complete my training!” “Ah, but first, I do wish to practice my skills at the range,” he said, bowing gently, “excuse me for a while. Please get ready for dinner while I practice.” Amai and her daughters ran upstairs laughing to go change for the rare treat, leaving Pinkie by herself to finish her ice water. Once she was done, she decided to go outside and talk to Longbow. He had set up his archery range outside to practice his skills of arcane archery, and Pinkie Pie saw him place down a quiver of long, thin arrows with razor sharp tips. A white target made from cloth hung from a tree in the back of the range, fifty feet away from Longbow. He mounted the quiver on himself, and Pinkie took a seat a few feet behind him, watching his moves. He took a deep breath in, and exhaled slowly, feeling his breath thoroughly before his horn started to glow a light blue color. He pulled an arrow out of his quiver magically, and his horn cast an arc of magical energy in the shape of a bow, drawstring included. Knocking the arrow into the spell, he took aim downrange and turned the projected energy bow sideways before drawing back the virtual weapon. Then, with a release of the taught cord, the arrow flew out of the arcane bow, and struck the target dead center, sending it backwards. The bow vanished, and the energy returned to Longbow's horn. “THAT WAS AMAZING!” cheered Pinkie Pie, before covering her mouth in embarrassment. “Hmmm, you enjoyed that, did you?” chuckled Longbow, “it is not so impressive, the guards of Equestria are as good with a bow as I am.” “That's not true at all,” disagreed Pinkie Pie, bouncing up to him, “that was the best arrow shot ever! It's gotta be your special talent!” “Ah yes, it is true,” answered the stallion with a humble tone of voice and happiness in his eyes, “I have been a perfect shot since I was a colt.” Pinkie Pie smiled, but watched as his face turned from happiness to solemn reflection as he looked at the ground, “But it is no job. Just a very good source of relaxation.” And with those words, Pinkie Pie's smile also disappeared. Daikyu also faced the pain of not being able to use his special talent as his job because it wasn't industrious enough. He was keeping his impressive bow skills hidden from the rest of Umashima. “Poor Longbow,” thought Pinkie Pie, her sadder side poking at her heart for a moment, “he's just like his daughter, he wants to use his super special talent, but he can't.” “Come Pinkie Pie,” he said softly, “let's go get the others and head out. I think you'll enjoy the place we are eating at.” Pinkie Pie nodded and followed him, maintaining something of a smile as she always did. Now she was determined to help the family, and perhaps all of Umashima. “Maybe I really am gonna teach a friendship lesson!” The specialty of the restaurant Longbow brought his family and his honored guest to was a dumpling place with outdoor seating, giving a perfect view of the town. Paper lanterns illuminated the night sky, and waiters brought around carts of trays full of vegetable dumplings for the patrons to eat one pot at a time. Each member of the family was seated around the table, Ice Spirit having a particularly happy expression on her face as this was her favorite place to eat. Soon the lead waiter came by, a yellow-coated mare, who was good friends with Longbow. Earlier he had talked about Pinkie Pie to her, and she was eager to meet the Equestrian hero. “Is this the legendary Pinkie Pie? The mare who could eat a thousand desserts?” “Indeed,” answered Longbow, “we are pleased to have a member of Twilight Sparkle's warriors with us this evening. Please run a bill for us.” “We have never had a guest eat more than four pots of our dumplings,” said the owner, “but for sake of curiosity, I will make your check free if you can eat five, Pinkie Pie!” “Ooh, that's a dare I'd love to take!” she answered, nodding, “Sure! Bring me one of everything, please!” The owner of the restaurant accepted the answer, and went to go have her chefs bring the family a large number of dumpling steaming pots. Pinkie Pie turned to Yuki and giggled, “So many ponies know me for all the snacks I eat. I'm starting to think my belly is really the legend here!” “Please don't explode!” begged Yuki sarcastically, “I'm full after just two helpings.” The meal came out shortly, and sure enough, Pinkie Pie plowed her way through seven entire plates of dumplings before calling it quits, frightening most of the other patrons at the restaurant and making the owner of the shop stand there speechless. Her powers of ingestion had been proven for sure. But what Pinkie Pie did not notice as she reclined back in her chair to let her body work on her dinner, was a pair of red eyes staring at her from a nearby line of trees leading out to the forest. A low growl came from the observer, before a flash of yellow light came from its eyes aimed towards Pinkie Pie. She hadn't noticed at all given the distance, and decided she needed to go wash her hooves from the sauce from the dumplings. “Well, I need to wash up a bit before dessert,” she said, “don't wait up for me, everypony!” As soon as Pinkie Pie stood up, every pony in the restaurant started talking and pointing at her, a loud gasp coming from a nearby stallion. “P.. pinkie, your side!” wailed Amai, pointing at her. “What, what's wrong?” she said quickly, noticing all the horrified looks, “tell me, tell me!” Pinkie Pie span around in a circle trying to see it, until Ice Spirit stepped up to her, and stopped her with a hoof. Holding up a small mirror given to her by her mother, she showed Pinkie Pie what had appeared on her side. Pinkie Pie's withers had been imprinted with an image of a dark eye, two horns emerging from the side, and a pair of iron war clubs crossed beneath them. “What is THAT?!” cried Pinkie Pie. “It's the mark of the Red Oni,” stuttered Longbow, walking up slowly, “we have not seen such an omen in decades.“ “What's the mark of the Red Oni?!” whimpered the mare, “That sounds spooky!” “We need to leave now, and explain it at once,” answered Longbow, “first, let me settle the bill.” “It's free,” shouted the mare in charge, “just go Daikyu. Leave here!” An old dusty book in the back of the household was brought out by Longbow, his worried family giving him looks of sorrow as Pinkie Pie picked at the logo on her sides in hopes of getting rid of it. He dropped the old tome magically down on the table, sending up dust, which Ice Spirit quickly cleared away with her tail before allowing her father to open it. “This, is a book of the ancient legends of Umashima, given to me by my grandfather,” explained the father slowly. Pinkie Pie began to feel a bit jittery as he opened the tome, and found the page concerning the logo. “Ah, here we are,” muttered the unicorn, “little is known about the Red Oni, whether it is one individual or a member of a kind. Only that it is a large beast, with fangs like daggers, and a massive iron club strapped to its back that could crush the spine of a dragon in one blow.” The pink pony tried to grab her own spine with her hooves, contorting herself weirdly in front of the family. “Keep going!” she begged. “Every so often, a Red Oni will appear and place his mark on a pony. He or she must face it in the Red Valley alone the following day. Should they not appear, the Oni will ravage the town looking for them. Should they do so...” Longbow turned the page, and revealed the image to Pinkie Pie, making her hair stand up on end. In the illustration, the ape like monster was picking up a stylized robed pony, and opening a nearby cauldron of boiling hot water. Amai put a hoof to her mouth, and Pinkie Pie nearly screamed as she saw the picture. To be boiled alive was a horrible prospect for their guest, and they dared not speak it out loud. “Father, weren't you alive the last time the Oni came around?” asked Yuki, desperate, “What did you do then? Surely we do not have to let Pinkie Pie face the beast!” “The last time, we hid his intended victim, but the Oni was enraged and smashed the village. We rebuilt our homes, but the marked pony never forgave himself even though we made it clear it was not his fault, though the image vanished from his withers.” Hearing that the town would be destroyed make Pinkie Pie reconsider her jittery thoughts and panic. Sure, it would be nice to not be thrown into a pot of boiling water. But everyone had been so nice to her, and saw her as such a great hero from Equestria, that to run and hide would be the wrong things to do. “Smash the village?” she said nonchalantly, her hair returning back into place, “I can't let that happen! Not after all the nice things and sweet food you've given me!” “You're not going to go through with it, are you?” begged Yuki, tears welling up in her eyes, “Please don't! I cannot lose my new friend!” Pinkie Pie leaned in and hugged Yuki tightly, “Don't worry, I'll be absolutely one hundred percent unboiled! As soon as the Red Oni shows up, I'll use my Pinkie Sense to jump out of the way and avoid ending up in hot water!” “Your Pinkie Sense?” asked Yuki, confused. “Is my eating the only thing ponies know about me?” giggled Pinkie, letting her go, “I can sorta tell when things are incoming, it lets me get out of the way. I'll know as soon as that meanie monster drops in, and when he does, I'll escape by the time this mark goes away!” “It is very dangerous,” commented Longbow, “but I must respect your decision. We will gather at the Red Valley tomorrow morning and watch.” Yuki's blue eyes stared into Pinkie's, “Thank you.” “This is what friends are for!” she answered, giving her another hug. Pinkie Pie had managed to fall asleep soundly, comfortable in her plan, along with Ice Spirit and the rest of the household. But Yuki Yi had made up her mind to help Pinkie Pie. It had turned out that her friend Mori's party was also to be in the Red Valley as a surprise when she passed through it the next day, and all of the training Yuki had done to prepare would her her stop the monster from getting even close to Pinkie Pie. In the cover of the night the pony slipped out, covered in a black robe. It took her a long time to set up what she did, but she managed to make it home and sleep for a few hours before the sun came up and her mother shook her gently awake. The Red Valley was a deep valley filled with red blossoms, a granite mountain stood at one end, and a deep cliff on the other, creating a bowl filled with flora that was quite pretty to behold. Animals loved to come by and snack on the grass and flowers, but today no wildlife was present, as if they knew about the incident taking place today. The flat area of the valley, connected on both sides by a path carved out of the mountain to permit access, was where Pinkie Pie stood, looking around and trying her best to smile as the wind went through her hair. Behind her, the whole village had gathered up on the shallow cliffs, about thirty feet away and twelve feet up from Pinkie Pie. They had the perfect view of the arena, and many of the wives of the village had their foals with them, wondering if they were going to need to shield their eyes. Longbow's family stood at the front, and the male had equipped his quiver, loaded with arrows. “Why did you bring your quiver?” asked his spouse. “Our guest is very noble to take on the Oni alone, but I will not let it harm her,” he said. “Oh...” trailed his wife, her ears sinking back. Yuki Yi watched a small piece of string in the grass near her carefully, seemingly distracted. The blue chord stuck out from the ground, and she occasionally looked at Pinkie Pie, while also looking back at the scrap of twine. “Yuki, pay attention,” criticized her older sister. “I am, sister,” she answered sternly. Pinkie got impatient and shouted, “Hey! I'm here now! Where are you?” As if answering her request, Pinkie Pie felt something in her body, and she craned her neck up to see a dark shadow coming down fast towards her. Jumping backwards, she avoided the Red Oni's landing as it impacted the floor of the valley hard, sending shockwaves through the dirt and scattering red petals everywhere. It was a large gorilla-like monster, twelve feet tall, with crimson red fur and white eyes with yellow irises. Two small horns stuck out of the sides of its head, and it walked on its massive front arms, its back legs much smaller. On its back was the huge iron club, a cylindrical weapon with rounded bumps on every part of the metal head. It was wearing a tattered brown robe that covered its arms only up to the elbows, clearly it was an extremely intelligent creature. In its muscular, bulky arms the creature carried the large iron pot, which remained closed, but seemed to be leaking water. The monster slammed down the cauldron at its side, and rapidly it rubbed its hands together near the base, starting a fire using its coarse fur, and it shoved a bunch of dead branches from the valleys' trees underneath as fuel. The water inside was beginning to boil, although it had refused to remove the lid yet. It's eyes tracked Pinkie Pie, who clearly had his mark, and the great ape snorted before knuckle walking over to the pony, looking down at her with his eyes. Pinkie could see the intelligence in the ape from the way he looked at her, and she addressed him, “Well hi Mr. Red! Everypony here's telling me you like to smash villages, but I don't believe it for a bit! I think you'd rather have a party!” The Red Oni ignored her and immediately jumped towards Pinkie Pie to scoop her up. She screamed and ran at a cartoonish speed away from the ape, but he took off in pursuit, chasing her in circles on his massive front arms and back legs. Yuki Yi saw the Red Oni approach a large bush in the arena, and pulled the blue string quickly. A basket of fireworks inside the bush went off, terrifying the creature as colored sparks flew into the air. It let out a simian cry, and immediately got its club out, smashing the remainder of the fireworks crate into pieces. The monster continued its pursuit, now brandishing the heavy club, and smashing the ground behind Pinkie Pie, who kept yanking her tail out of the way just in time. Frustrated, Yuki Yi slid down the cliff, her mother and father immediately shouting at her. “Yuki, no!” cried her mom, causing her father to remove an arrow magically. The pony ran after the monster, spotting a yellow string in the grass. As she planned, she ran up to the trigger and pulled it sharply with her magic. Wood beams emerged from the ground, carrying streamers, and creating a perimeter of decorations, including a large banner that read “Happy Birthday Mori!” in the local tongue. This banner caught a hold of the iron club the ape had raised, and it caused him to drop it, forcing it to choose between picking up the weapon again or chasing Pinkie Pie. It decided to quickly grab the weapon, which is what Yuki had hoped for, and she turned around, pulling a green string. Speakers within the nearby trees started blaring loud music, making the beast cover its ears and back up on its small legs. With everything in place, Yuki shouted to Pinkie Pie, “Pinkie! Pull the orange string!” Pinkie Pie spotted the string in the grass, and made a dive for it, catching it in her teeth and yanking it successfully. A hidden platform in the valley flipped over, revealing a stack of paper party favors containing marbles. The marbles spilled out of the presents, and the Oni stepped onto it carelessly, slipping on the marbles and landing on its back on the other side of the platform. It would not get up after the fall, and laid motionless on the ground. Yuki Yi and Pinkie Pie reunited in front of the monster, celebrating their victory. “Wow! You did it!” cheered Pinkie, “I'm not sure how, but you did!” Yuki explained, “Last night I went out and set up Mori's party. It might be a little messier now, but I put the skills you taught me to the test!” “Well you definitely surprised me!” giggled Pinkie Pie, “Congratulations Yuki, your party pony training is finished! You can use your special talent now to make a pony's day special, just like me!” Longbow heard them talking and reflected on Pinkie Pie's words, perhaps letting Yuki be a professional party planner was better than making her be a cook. He looked at the arrows in his quiver, and wished he had been allowed to use his special talent more often. Looking back, he grunted as he saw the Oni slowly and silently stand up, the two celebrating ponies not noticing the monster picking up its club and raising it over its head. “Yuki!!!” screeched her mother. The two ponies turned around and saw the ape just in time to scream. Taking no chance, Daikyu drew his arrow magically, the arcane bow forming instantly from his horn in a bright glow of blue light. Giving a loud shout, the brave father fired his arrow, enveloped in magical energy, which soared out and struck the Red Oni's club, destroying it spectacularly in a large magical blast and sending pieces of iron high into the air. Shocked its weapon was gone, but undeterred, the Oni growled and immediately grabbed Pinkie Pie, knowing taking her prisoner would stop Longbow from shooting. It squeezed the pink pony tight, and slowly stepped backwards, placing her between itself and Longbow. Eventually it reached the pot, and started to make a grab for the lid. “No!” whimpered Yuki Yi, knowing she would see her friend get boiled. With nothing they could do, the village watched in horror, sobbing and moaning as the Red Oni opened the lid. Hot steam flew into Pinkie Pie's face, making her close her eyes until enough had gone away for her to see. The terrified party pony then noticed that in the center of the pot, there was an object underneath the water. With a slow movement, the ape brought the pony trapped in its mighty hand just inches from the scalding sea, before using its other hand to reach into the boiling pot, its heat resistance protecting it. Pinkie Pie watched, still shaking and sweating in fear, as the monster brought the object out of the water. It was an ornamental white porcelain jar, tall yet somewhat wider at the bottom, with a cap on it of the same color. The creature pulled Pinkie Pie away from the cauldron, and gave a grunt quite different from his others. This grunt seemed rather happy, for some reason. After forcing Pinkie Pie to look at the jar for a while, the Red Oni finally moved away from the cauldron, and sat down on the ground, placing Pinkie Pie in front of him. Pinkie Pie could have run away, but she simply sat down on her hind legs, and looked up at the monster. “What is he doing?” asked Longbow, wondering if he should take another shot. The beast took the jar in both hands, and removed the cap, before tilting the bottle, a hot stream of milky white flowed into the cap, which he then set down in front of Pinkie Pie. The pink pony looked at the liquid in the cap, it smelled like a sweet rice pudding, and then, her big blue eyes went back up to the monster. It made a motion with its hands like a bowl up to its lips, encouraging Pinkie Pie to drink. She looked around, shrugged, and picked up the big cap with her front hooves, slurping the liquid. It was a fiery, hot rice wine the Red Oni had spent years preparing. Among its own kind, to get a stranger to try it would be to be accepted by the Oni clan. This secret was never figured out by the ponies, and rejection by the clan had led many Onis to smash the pony villages out of anger. But now, Pinkie Pie was trying some, even though her candy-loving brain begged her to stop drinking the liquid fire! Pinkie Pie finished the bowl, and gasped for air, coughing. It had been nearly as bad as the time Dr. Caltrops had made her try regular wine. But something was clearly different here, and she smacked her lips. “That was rather interesting!” she said, her ears perking up, “It was all sweet, but bitter and kinda fiery tasting! Thank you! I guess all this time, you were just hoping somepony would give you a chance! I'm certainly glad I did!” The ape stood up, and pounded its chest in delight, howling like any ape in joy. His tribe would accept him as a leader now, and his recipe had pleased another being. The mark on Pinkie Pie's sides vanished, and monster closed the bottle, setting it down near the cauldron. The villagers ran down into the valley, praising Pinkie Pie for solving the mystery of the Red Oni tribe. Now they knew how to appease the great demon apes when they arrived, and their villages would no longer be in danger. The excitement quieted down shortly, and soon, a young adult pegasus pony with a light green robe uniquely covered in diamonds of white with a smaller blue diamond inside each one appeared from the path into the valley. Her yellow hair bobbed as she galloped up to the gathering, having heard the commotion from a distance away. She looked at the crowd, and the party decorations bearing her name, and pushed to the front, where she screamed at the sight of the Red Oni. “Mori!” said Yuki, running up to her, “Don't worry Mori! He's harmless.” “Wh... what?” asked the mare, “How can that be?” “Pinkie Pie tamed it,” explained Yuki, “he only wanted her to try something he had made. We know how to get along with their kind now, thanks to her.” “Aw,” said Pinkie Pie, blushing and looking back. “And furthermore, happy birthday!” exclaimed Yuki, hugging her friend. “You set this up for me?” asked Mori, “But your party talent...” “Will no longer be buried,” assured Longbow, “I have learned my lesson, and I believe the village has as well. We will find a way to use our special talents and still do good work. Perhaps we should stop hiding our cutie marks as a people.” “Your robes are all unique, too,” mentioned Pinkie Pie, stepping forward in defense of the tradition, “sure Equestrians like to show off their cutie marks, but each of you has a really neat, unique robe that's just as good! And I noticed that every robe kinda shows off what your special talent is, too! Your robe has arrows, and Yuki's has fireworks!” Longbow looked around at his neighbors, and realized Pinkie Pie had been right. Every pony in the village had crafted their robe to represent their talent in their cutie mark's place. The farmer had a wooden rake pattern sown into his cloak, and his neighbor the carpenter made his look like tree rings using light browns and reds. “All this time, we never really did do away with what makes us unique,” stuttered the stallion, “Yuki... forgive me for making you think otherwise!” Yuki nodded and nearly burst into tears, and ran over to her father, forgiving him with a tight embrace The whole family gathered for the hug, and Pinkie Pie was soon invited in too, participating in something the family had not done in a long time. A loud bang startled everyone, making them turn around. A dent in space and time had appeared, a dark hole in the fabric of reality, which made the Oni growl and step forward, ready to protect its new pony friends. The wormhole quickly opened up, and Princess Luna, Prince Darkmatter, Twilight and Techorse stepped out, having finally located Pinkie Pie. “Oh my goodness, Princess Luna!” gasped Pinkie Pie, bouncing forward. “We've finally found you!” exclaimed the Princess of the Night, “I'm so sorry it took us so long, Pinkie Pie. The night you went missing I told Celestia I would find you by your unique dream pattern all ponies have, but I could not locate yours until last night. You were so far away, we had to use brother's wormhole to travel here.” “Oh wow,” said Twilight, pointing at the obvious giant gorilla, “is that a Red Oni?” The monster blushed and rubbed the back of its head, nodding. “Wait... so that means, I sent Pinkie Pie... to UMASHIMA ISLAND?” shouted Twilight Sparkle, spreading out on all fours with shock in her eyes. “Indeed,” answered Princess Luna, nodding, “When I discovered Pinkie Pie's location, I told sister. She was very impressed with how far Pinkie Pie had been safely teleported. She already has your perfect score waiting for you back at home.” Twilight's eyes twinkled, and she turned to Techorse, kissing him on the forehead, “I did it! I passed!” “Congratulations,” said Darkmatter, “and thank you very much, citizens of Umashima, for caring for Pinkie Pie. We will make sure the Emperor rewards you for your hospitality.” “Pinkie Pie has rewarded us, by teaching us how to be friends with the Onis, and how to appreciate our gifts in life,” answered Longbow to the Prince, getting looks of agreement from the other ponies in his town. “Pinkie Pie, you're the best!” said Twilight, smiling, “Even when I'm not here you're spreading friendship.” “Now let's head home, shall we?” said Darkmatter, preparing another spell. Pinkie Pie looked back at Longbow's family, and Yuki Yi, who said, “Goodbye Pinkie Pie! Thank you for everything!” The pink pony thought for a moment, and turned back to her friends. “Actually, Prince Darkmatter, if it's okie dokie lokie with you, I wanna stay here in Umashima for another week or two!” she requested, “You can come get me here in the valley later! I think Umashima needs another couple weeks of Equestria's party pony!” “Is that ok with your new friends?” asked the Prince, startled. Longbow and Amai looked at each other, and nodded, “Certainly. It would be an honor.” Pinkie Pie and Yuki Yi cheered, and ran up to each other, dancing around like the party ponies they were. Twilight and Techorse, along with the royal alicorns of Equestria left back the way they came, to return in two weeks for Pinkie Pie. For now, they would get the chance to enjoy their party, and Pinkie would continue to share her secrets with her new friends. For once, the village was having fun, and considering how they could use their own talents for a purpose other than their careers. In the middle of the party, Mori pulled aside Pinkie Pie and Yuki. “This has been my best birthday ever,” she said, joyful, “I want to thank Pinkie Pie using my special talent. Follow me.” Pinkie Pie and Yuki agreed, and followed her back into the village, where they went into Mori's family owned store in town. It seemed to be a tailor's shop, with bolts of cloth hanging off of the plain walls, a few mirrors arranged around the room, and a raised platform that Mori had Pinkie Pie stand on. Mori, being a pegasus, stretched her wings out, a flexible ruler between them, and measured Pinkie carefully, before disappearing into the back room. The two friends waited patiently, and soon she came back with a folded white bundle of cloth. With a flick of her wings, Mori sent a gust of air underneath Pinkie Pie, making her jump. The cloth was thrown under and around Pinkie Pie, and when she landed, she was wearing her very own Umashiman robe, white as snow in color, dotted with small embroidered balloons of yellow and light blue, just like her cutie mark. Pinkie Pie looked at the robe and its sleeves in the mirrors nearby, and gasped, “Oh wow! Thank you so much, Mori!” “You are very welcome, Pinkie Pie,” she answered, bowing gracefully, “it is how I can thank you for helping Yuki plan such a nice surprise for me.” “We should get back to it before they notice we've left,” suggested Yuki to her friends. “That's right!” answered Pinkie Pie, already bouncing for the door, the flexible cloth Mori had picked letting her robe flow with her, “follow me!” The other two mares smiled and followed their friend out the door and back towards the valley. Already, they could hear the celebration, it having grown larger while they were in Mori's shop. They knew that some of the other villages must have heard the party and joined in, and were now learning the secrets they had learned from Pinkie Pie, bringing them happiness as well. The Way of the Party Pony had finally brought joy to the island.