//------------------------------// // Immolation // Story: The Pinkest Party // by Waxworks //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash received a letter. It was from Pinkie Pie, inviting her to come have tea at her place. It was short, with only the words “TEA”, “SUGARCUBE CORNER”, and “NOW” written on it in red crayon. The mail wasn’t supposed to come until tomorrow. It had already arrived today and this wasn’t in it then, so who had put it there and why? It being the afternoon, Rainbow Dash dismissed it as a joke and tossed the letter into a pile on her table. The pile was mostly fan letters and other things she couldn’t be bothered to respond to. She never wanted to throw them out, so she kept them all piled up in the mistaken assumption seeing it would eventually give her the impetus to actually respond. She never did. She returned to her room and sat down on the bed, looking up at the ceiling where a huge poster of herself was stuck. It had her as the focus, with the other wonderbolts in the background flying past, and her name in huge letters along the bottom. She had bigger, more important things to be doing these days, and she had less and less time to devote to going along with Pinkie’s ridiculous pranks. Maybe she could do with some fun, though? It might be entertaining to show up and see what Pinkie was going to do with this one. After that fiasco at her party the other day, she could show the mare a little bit of attention. Having made her decision, Rainbow Dash jumped off her bed, wandered along the cloud floor and out the door. At Sugarcube Corner, Rainbow pokes her head in the door and looks around. Mr. and Mrs. Cake were at the counter and in the kitchen, respectively. There were a few ponies buying things, and a few others at some tables nearby. It all appeared too good to be safe, so Rainbow carefully crept inside, keeping an eye out for anything hidden or set to spring. As she was crawling along the floor, Mr. Cake saw her and waved. “Hello, Rainbow Dash! You here to visit Pinkie Pie?” She looked up at him in alarm, then swept her head left and right, looking for the trap. When nothing sprang out, she stood up and approached him. “Yeah, she invited me for tea, I think? The letter was a bit confusing.” “Oh, that’s Pinkie, you know? She’s been having a tough time lately, and it’s great that you guys are all coming to visit. She needs it.” “Oh, are the others here?” “Oh, no,” Mrs. Cake said, “They came earlier in the week. I suspect they’ve gone home by now, but they all stopped by, don’tcha know?” “Oh, well. Then I guess it’s safe?” “Safe?” “I was expecting a prank.” “Oh, no, dear. Not at all. Pinkie’s just not been herself. You’ll be fine. Go ahead on up. She’s in her room.” “Thanks, guys.” Having heard that her other friends came by and hadn’t yet complained about any pranks, Rainbow felt emboldened. She hurried upstairs, not worried about anything. At Pinkie’s door, she felt a little more apprehensive. She could smell a little bit of smoke or incense, and there was no light coming from under Pinkie’s door. She raised a hoof to knock, but it swung open of its own volition, revealing a pitch-black room with a single lit candle on a table. Close to it, there was a teapot and a single cup, set neatly on a single doily. Rainbow recoiled. “Uh… Pinkie Pie?” Pinkie’s voice floated out of the darkness. “R a i n b o w D a s h,” it said. “So good of you to come and join me on time for my little mare to mare party. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting you to arrive so soon. Didn’t you have something else you were planning? Somepony else you were visiting? Somewhere else you were going?” “Nnnnno? I put aside this time just for you, Pinkie.” Pinkie’s upside-down head appeared in the soft candle light. Rainbow had stepped inside the room and the door shut behind her. She felt something wet grab her leg and she jumped. It was only Gummy, latching onto her hoof. She shook him off. He tumbled away and blinked. “Oh, Rainbow.” Pinkie’s head lolled back and forth, her flat mane swinging gently. There was a thump, then her head righted itself. Rainbow could hear the tap of her hooves, but Pinkie’s head stayed exactly where it was. “You think a simple tea party is so much more important than a full-on party with others? I must say, I don’t understand your reasoning.” “I… thought I was rude last time, and figured you deserved me showing up today.” Pinkie blinked, and Fluttershy’s mane suddenly appeared in the light. Her mane was covering her face, drooping long and thick over her. “Now? You think I deserve it now? Why not then?” “Fluttershy’s here?” The sound of moving hooves could be heard, and Rarity’s rich, blue mane appeared in the candlelight. It wasn’t as smooth or clean as it usually was. Pinkie reached out to brush it, her own head staying perfectly still while she did. “Answer the question, Rainbow. Why now?” “Rarity?” Rainbow’s voice was getting a little strained. She sounded on the verge of panic. “Why are you all in on this? This isn’t funny!” Applejack’s hat dropped onto the table from the darkness. Pinkie Picked it up and placed it on somepony outside the light. Rainbow could suddenly smell something like rotten apples. She swallowed. “Rainbow, tell me why you treat me so poorly? Am I just a joke to you?” Pinkie asked. “Pinkie, this isn’t funny! Stop it! I’m scared!” Rainbow turned around and tried the door handle, but it wouldn’t budge. She felt something slick and wet on her leg again and kicked wildly. Gummy blinked at her from the table among her friend’s heads. She screamed and pushed at it with her hoof. Something slipped off her and disappeared in the dark. Pinkie glared at her from the candlelight. Twilight’s head swooped down from above and into the light. She was hanging upside down from something, and her eyes and mouth were sewn shut. Twilight shook wildly, and her other friends all lifted their heads. Each one had their eyes and mouth sewn shut. They all shook, the sound of rattling wood filling the air. Rainbow Dash screamed. Below Pinkie’s room, in the front of Sugarcube corner. Mr. and Mrs. Cake smiled at each other. Mrs. Cake came up and pecked him on the cheek, staring up at the ceiling. “Respect is important, isn’t it, dear? Especially for Pinkie.” He nodded. “Always respect Pinkie.” “Always,” they said together. The End.