The real Pinkie Pie arrived at Ponyville Station just a bit before noon. She would’ve gotten there sooner but she wanted to make sure all her guests were okay, had a good time, and felt safe as they headed back to their respective foal-free activities. Only Gemstone Bangle, Shining Ash, and Box Trot, were able to join her on her quest to make everything right with her family.
“Here comes the train!” called Gemstone playfully. “I always like riding the ‘choo-choo’.”
Ash and Box Trot nodded their heads in agreement while Pinkie felt herself be flipped on her backside as her tail booped her nose yet again.
“That felt a lot better with padding,” the party pony stated bashfully.
“Are you okay?” Gemstone asked. “You’ve been doing that a lot this morning.”
“I’m not sure…,” trailed Pinkie as she considered the question. “My ‘Pinkie Sense’ does all sorts of things to me when I need to know something. However it’s never done this before. So I’m not sure if this is a big deal or a little deal or a so-so deal.”
Shining Ash and Box Trot chuckled as they thought on how ‘foal-like’ Pinkie was naturally. She was always so free and jovial. They also remembered tales of how she was told her wedding receptions were sometimes thought of being birthday parties for five year olds.
“I wish I could feel as free as she does at being little,” Ash remarked to his friend.
“Perhaps it’s her ‘little’ side that makes her such a success at planning parties?” Box Trot replied.
“It’s just sad how her family doesn’t understand her like mine did,” Ash sighed. “Nothing hurts worse than being told horrible things about who you are by friends and family.”
“Well…,” considered Box Trot as he nervously rubbed his hoof upon the ground. “To be fair, I haven’t told any pony outside of our group about our ‘little’ adventures.”
The train finished coming in and its passengers got off.
“Maud?” wondered Pinkie as she noticed her sister getting off the train. “What are you doing on the train!”
“I thought so,” the grey pony stated very matter-of-factly. “I have something important I need to talk to you about.”
Pinkie and her ‘foal friends’ all looked nervous.
“It’s not what you think,” Maud assured. “But we may need to ask Twilight, or Starlight, for help.”
Pinkie’s tail flipped and booped her once more.
“Whatever it is,” said Pinkie. “I think my ‘Pinkie Sense’ is trying to tell me about it.”
***
“So…,” glared twilight towards Starlight. “When were you going to tell me you opened the seal to the mirror pool?”
“Uh…,” the periwinkle Unicorn chuckled nervously. “I meant to tell you but, well, got so caught up with Sunburst and how I felt like we were no longer friends and then the Pony of Shadows came….”
“Actually,” Maud stated. “I think this one has been around for awhile.”
Starlight seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as Twilight turned her attention towards Pinkie, Maud, and their friends.
“How so, Maud?” she asked.
“Well,” the grey pony continued. “She didn’t look at all like the Pinkie I visited before heading home for the night. Her mane was simple, her personality was, well, less ‘Pinkie’, and I noticed her talking to the night manager at the train station and it looked like she was asking for time off.”
“Really?” wondered Pinkie. “How could you tell? How did mom and dad not notice she was working at the train station when I’ve been working for Mr. and Mrs. Cake at Sugar Cube Corner for years!”
Maud pulled Boulder out of her pocket.
“You may wonder how I understand Boulder,” she stated. “But my talent is rocks. Knowing what is coming from the inside even if you can’t tell it from the outside. This also works for ponies. She clearly was telling the manager she needed time off to visit the rock farm. Plus I ‘heard’ him call her ‘Cotton Candy’.”
Every pony was in awe as Pinkie embraced her sister.
“So it’s like you’ve always had this ‘Maud Sense’ that I never knew about?” she asked with enthusiasm. “Maudileena Daisy Pie! You are always surprising me!”
“There is more to every pony just like there is more to every rock,” she said plainly. “But we should probably get to the rock farm and straighten things out with every pony before something bad happens.”
“Something bad?” panicked Pinkie. “Like what?”
“Well,” stated Maud. “She doesn’t know anything about rock farming and I worry your clone could get hurt not knowing how to dig or chisel herself out of trouble if she encountered a problem on the farm. Not to mention how Boulder thinks she doesn’t have your ‘Pinkie Sense’ to warn her of trouble.”
“Oh, no!” gasped Pinkie. “She could get really hurt if she doesn’t know when a rock slide is coming! We need to go now and save her!”
“We’d like to come, too!” insisted Ash. “Just in case any additional moral support is needed.”
Pinkie blushed upon remembering the real reason she was heading to the rock farm.
“Would you?” she asked with pleading eyes.
“You bet!” proclaimed Gemstone. “Friends are always there for each other!”
Twilight smiled as she took in the warmth of Pinkie’s new friends. Well, they were new to her.
“We can use the train ride to get to know each other more,” she stated. “But I think we better get going before we miss the next train out to Rock Farm Country.”
“Agreed,” added Starlight. “I’m sure I can be of help in making this situation better.”
“You know,” Twilight thought as she felt a stroke of genius enter her mind. “I believe you will be the key to making this all work out for the best!”
“Really?” beamed Starlight.
“We’ll talk more on the train,” stated Twilight. “Spike! Can you handle things here while we’re gone!”
“Sure thing, Twilight!” he cheered while running into the throne room where the Friendship Map was kept. “You can count on me!”
Twilight giggled from her Number One Assistant’s eagerness to be sucha help.
“Thanks, Spike,” she said. “We’ll try to be back by the time Luna’s moon is just coming over the horizon.”
“No rush,” assured the purple dragon. “Even if you stayed overnight, you know I got this.”
“Right,” agreed Twilight. “No time to lose! Let’s get going!”