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// Lunch and a Pinkie Sale 
// Story: Shopping Spree Day 
// by Lets Do This 
//------------------------------//

At this point it was past noon already, so they went to the Café Hay, had a light lunch, and chatted for a while in the warm sunshine.

As they were talking, Derpy the gray pegasus mailmare came trotting by. She was wearing her usual carryall, but its pockets were nearly empty, apart from her postal hat tucked into the right-flank pocket.

Pinkie waved to her, and she came over to join them.

"Hey, Derpy!" Twilight said. "Aren't you doing your rounds today?"

The mailmare shook her head vigorously. Disconcertingly, her eyes took a moment longer than the rest of her to settle down in their normal cross-eyed gaze.

"Nope! Mail was light today. I got the afternoon off!"

"Hey! You wanna go on a shopping spree with us?" Pinkie asked.

"You bet, Pinkie! Do I need to go buy a ticket?"

Apparently she was under the impression it was a kind of train, like the Friendship Express. It took a few minutes to set her straight, mostly because Pinkie kept jumping in to try to explain it. But in the end Derpy nodded happily and immediately dipped into the left-hand pocket of her carryall for her bit-bag.

After some discussion, they decided the simplest method was that Derpy could contribute whatever she wanted, and they'd allocate her a share of the remaining kitty.

Pinkie found gray paper in her mane and made a slip for Derpy, and Spike handed over his official quill so she could sign in with it. Derpy dropped her slip into the hat. Applejack was about to put it back on her head, but then she stopped and looked round.

"We 'bout done here?" Everyone nodded. "Anybody orderin' dessert? No? All raight, then. Who's up next?"

Pinkie's forehoof shot skyward, and she waved it excitedly. "MEEEEEEE!"

Grinning, Applejack spun the hat. Pinkie reached in, made a big show of feeling around with her tongue sticking out. She pulled out a slip. It was Derpy's.

"Now, Pinkie..." Applejack began, giving her a suspicious look.

"What?"

Twilight smiled. "A.J., you don't really think she marked the slips, do you?"

"Knowin' Pinkie, she probably marked 'em in Braille!" She waved a hoof. "Ah, never mind. It's all good. What'd you get, Pinkie?"

"Quills and Sofas?" Pinkie read in surprise.

Derpy looked round, puzzled by their reaction. "It's a store, right?"

Twilight smiled. It was also where Derpy and her daughter Dinky lived, in an upstairs room they rented from Mr. Davenport. Why wouldn't she pick it as her favorite store? It was her home in Ponyville.

"Mmm...," Fluttershy said uncomfortably, "I think we forgot to explain the rule about stores that sell expensive items!"

Rainbow sniggered. "Unless they've got one heck of sale going on couches!" She fell over laughing.

Applejack frowned at her, but Rarity focused on Derpy.

"All right, Derpy," she said. "That's a store, certainly. But to make this work, we really need a store that sells lots of different items. So you go ahead and pick again!"

Derpy thought hard, her eyes rolling about in different directions.

Pinkie leaned close to her and stage-whispered: "MUFFINS!"

"Mrs. Cake's!" Derpy blurted out.

"Yes!" Pinkie Pie pumped a forehoof. "Nailed it!"

Because Mrs. Cake was Pinkie's employer.

Applejack shook her head. She felt like she'd been expertly flimflammed, but couldn't quite see how. She decided not to pursue it.

"All raight, I guess we'll have dessert at Sugarcube Corner!"


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Mrs. Cake was a little surprised when the eight of them trotted into her store, but she willingly set about serving tea, muffins, cupcakes, and other bakery sweets.

"I should give you the day off more often, Pinkie," she said. "If you're going to bring back business like this!"

"Actually, Mrs. Cake, can I come back to work for a minute?"

Mrs. Cake looked puzzled, but nodded. "Well, of course, my dear!"

Pinkie zipped behind the counter next to the cash register.

"Hi! Welcome to Sugarcube Corner! What can I get for ya?"

She shot around in front of the counter.

"Hello! I wanna buy a party hat!"

She zipped behind the counter.

"Sure! One party hat, comin' up!"

Back in front again.

"And a bunch of balloons!"

Back behind again.

"A bunch of balloons! Yay!"

She was zipping back and forth so fast now, it was like there were two of her, one on either side.

"And a noise maker!"
"One noise maker!" PHWEEEE!
"And a horn!"
"One tooty frooty horn!" HONK!
"A box of chocolate-covered raisins!"
"Chocky-wocky raisins! Sweet!"
"And a party cannon!"
"Silly! You already have one of those!"
"Oh yeah, never mind!"
"Anything else?"
"Nope, that'll do me!"

Pinkie rang up the sale, bagged everything, and pushed it across.

"There ya go! Come back any time!"

She came around front again.

"You bet! Thanks for everything!"

She trotted back to join the others, not even out of breath.

They were all staring at her, slack-jawed.

"What?" she asked, honestly puzzled.

And altogether, it had been exactly one minute.