//------------------------------// // Chapter Two: RSVP // Story: APP: The Fall of a Pink Pony // by Underwood //------------------------------// Pinkie was up before the birds, high on the success of last night and eager to prove herself again. Yesterday's planning was good, but not perfect. For a start, the singing telegram took way too long and jeopardised the whole operation. Faster, non-musical, costumeless invites would speed the whole thing up, even allowing the party to start earlier! She was a genius. This would be the best after-birthday party ever! At least, that's what she thought. Pinkie started her deliveries by visiting Twilight's library and expectantly knocked on the door. It was early, but Twilight was the type to be up at this hour, provided she hadn't been up all night at a party. She waited a moment before a rather dishevelled Twilight wearily opened her front door. “Oh, hi Pinkie-” “It's soon!” She bounced up and down gleefully, unable to contain her excitement about seeing the imminent joy on her friend's face. “Pardon me?” Twilight was a little startled, to say the least. “You said we should have another party soon, and- it's soon!” She grinned, leaning her head towards the open door, offering the wicker basket of invitations that she had crafted into a jaunty hat. “Here's your invitation!” Lifting the card out of its envelope with her magic, Twilight read the note aloud. “You're invited to Gummy's After-Birthday Party, this afternoon at three o'clock.” “All our bestest friends are invited and there's going to be dancing and games and cake and ice-cream and punch!” Pinkie was so lost in her own party-fever that she didn't notice Twilight's expression slowly dropping. “This afternoon? … As in 'this afternoon' this afternoon?” “Yes indeedy!” It was a strange question to ask... when else would this afternoon be but this afternoon? It didn't phase her for one moment, though. Twilight would never turn down an opportunity to have fun with her friends! “Oh, gosh... I wish I could make it, but I've- gotten a bit behind in my studies.” She looked back over her shoulder for a moment, “I've really got to hit the books.” Pinkie Pie peered past Twilight and saw a surprisingly mountainous stack of tomes piled up behind her. Strange... Twilight wasn't the kind of pony to let things get out of hoof like that... but her studies were important—she is a student of Princess Celestia, after all. “I understand, your studies come first.” She forced a smile, naturally disappointed, but knew Twilight would never decline one of her parties unless she absolutely had to. “But don't worry, we'll be sure to save you some cake!” “Please do!” Twilight smiled after Pinkie as she made her way to the next recipient, one Applejack of Sweet Apple Acres. A seasoned practitioner of harmless pranks, Pinkie Pie decided to hide in a stack of hay bales to surprise her friend, knowing she would be returning from her morning apple-bucking session soon. Hearing the gentle creak of wooden carts and the crunch of displaced grit grow closer, Pinkie popped out just as the orange earth pony approached the large red-and-white barn doors. “Huh? Oh hi, Pinkie Pie.” That wasn't quite the reaction she had been hoping for. AJ was a much harder mark than Fluttershy or Spike... Mental note: prank Fluttershy or Spike soon. “What brings you around these parts?” Pinkie introduced her party and offered the invitation once more, still full of energy in anticipation for this afternoon. “This afternoon? As in... 'this afternoon' this afternoon?” Applejack asked, a look of apprehension crossing her face. “That's funny... That's just what Twilight said... And the answer is: 'yes!' It's this afternoon.” “Uhh... Well Ah- Ah- Ah don't think I can make it, 'cus uhh- Ah have to, uh- uh- You know, Ah- uh- Pick apples! Yep! Apples! 'Cus that's what we do! With the- apples... we, uh- pick'em.” Applejack—bearer of the Element of Honesty—was a notoriously bad liar, and this was no exception. The sweat on her brow, the exaggerated and awkward smile, the shifting eyes... A lesser pony would have called her out on it. A lesser pony would have asked why she was lying; but there had to be a good reason for it, right? She was the Element of Honesty! Maybe... maybe she wasn't lying? Maybe she was just... thirsty? Tired from a long morning of apple-bucking? There was no real reason to suspect her—a close and dear friend—of lying... So... She deserved the benefit of the doubt. “Okie-dokie-lokie!” she smiled in reply, not wanting her friend to feel bad. “A party is still a party, even if there are only three guests.” And with that she left for her next prospective invite: Rarity, back in town at the Carousel Boutique. The first sight she saw as she rounded the corner was a floating—and frankly quite pungent—Spike being batted away by a rightfully disgusted Rarity. Pinkie's approach was seemingly unnoticed, though the fashionista didn't take long to notice her and her newest accessory. “Ooo, love the new hat. Very modern. What's the occasion?” A compliment? This was a good start. There's no way Rarity would be too busy to come the party – she loves social events. Pinkie couldn't contain her smile at the thought of the party still happening, despite the two drop-outs. “Gummy's After-Birthday Party is this afternoon! I'm delivering the invitations,” she enthused, though her thoughts of this afternoon's party blinded her to the darkening expression on her friends' face. “The party is this afternoon? As in... 'this afternoon' this afternoon?” Pinkie's hopes were raised only for the briefest of moments before that dreaded question reared its ugly head once again. Why? Why was this happening? “It's so strange, everypony keeps saying that.” “Oh, uhh... do they?” Rarity shifted awkwardly as she said this. She wasn't giving much away, but a pattern was starting to emerge, as little as Pinkie wanted to believe it. “I know it's short notice, but we had such a great time at his birthday party, I thought we could have even more fun at his after-birthday party!” She tried to mask her disappointment, but it was getting harder with each rejection. “-And I'm sure that we would, but I'm going to have to decline. I have to... wash my hair.” Wash her hair? Wash her hair? Of all the reasons- “Don't be silly, your hair doesn't look dirty.” Pinkie tried to maintain her smile, though this uphill struggle was starting to get to her. “It doesn't?” “Nope!” Without warning, Rarity suddenly did the last thing Pinkie Pie ever expected to see from her; rushing over to a freshly filled garbage can, she dunked her head into it with nary a hesitation. Pinkie stared, dumbfounded. Removing her head from the trash, Rarity was now caked in grime, a yellowed apple core protruding from her locks. “See? … Dirty.” Her revulsion was palpable... Why did she just do that? “I have to go.” Rarity rushed into her house and slammed the door, leaving Pinkie outside, alone. What in Equestria was going on? And why? She pondered these questions as she half-heartedly made her way over to Fluttershy's cottage. Only Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash remained on her invitation list, but they were practically guaranteed to come... Right? Fluttershy is so sweet and accommodating, there's no way she would say no—especially after everypony else turned her down—and Rainbow Dash never says no to fun. Having made her way there on auto-pilot, Pinkie Pie looked up in time to see both Fluttershy and Dashie standing in front of the cottage, just as they saw her. Or did they see her? The two looked at each other and took off into the air. “Hey!” Pinkie called out, a mixture of confusion and forced cheeriness in her voice. The two pegasi froze in place, slowly turning around to meet her approaching gaze. Rainbow Dash spoke up. “Oh, uh- Hi, Pinkie Pie. We were just-” “Just give me a moment, it won't take long.” Pinkie cut her off, desperate to at least get as far as inviting them. The two pegasi glanced at each other again. “I wanted to invite you both to Gummy's after-birthday party this afternoon. There's gonna be dancing and games and cake...” She trailed off, already feeling that dreaded question coming. “This afternoon?” First Rainbow Dash... “As in...” And then Fluttershy. “Yes! As in 'this afternoon' this afternoon!” Pinkie's frustration was getting the better of her, though a spark of hope still remained. Maybe they were actually free 'this afternoon' this afternoon? Great, now she's doing it. Just smile; remember to be a good host, and maybe they'll- “Aw man, we'd love to, but we're... house-sitting this afternoon,” Rainbow explained. Pinkie sighed. What were the chances? “Both of you?” “It's, uh- a big house.” Fluttershy wasn't the type to lie, but could this really all be a coincidence? “Look at the time, we'd really better get going,” Rainbow interjected, looking down at a hastily drawn watch on her foreleg. What, so now she's stealing her gags too? Ugh! Pinkie watched the two pegasi fly away, having given up on trying to get the truth out of them after a few more back-and-forths. An uncharacteristically dour expression across her face, she slowly made her way back into town and home to Sugarcube Corner. “Something strange is definitely going on around here, Gummy.” She sat on the floor of her room, her pet alligator playing with a ball of string in front of her, “Sure, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had to house-sit for that vacationing bear, but what are the chances that all my other friends would have plans this afternoon too?” Pinkie stood up and made her way to a nearby open window. “Rarity has to wash her hair. Applejack has to pick apples. Twilight is behind on her studies and has to hit the books? The more I think about it, the more those are starting to sound like-” She gasped. Could it be true? Was there really no other logical explanation? Could they have all been... “Excuses!”