"I'm called to do WHAT?!"
Starlight stood frozen, staring at Twilight with her jaw hanging open in shock. Twilight chuckled.
"You're being called here...to Manehattan." She pointed at the map, particularly the part where two cutie marks were circling.
Starlight shook her head. "Yes, I see that...but...but..." she broke off, struggling.
"Is there a problem?" Twilight asked.
"Well, of course! Why else would the map call me!"
Twilight giggled. "No. I meant with where you're going."
"Not really, no."
"Then what's wrong?"
"My traveling companion is what's wrong!!"
"Um, why?"
Starlight gestured wildly with a hoof, sputtering.
"Why...because I...it...she...there's...ugh!" She took a deep breath. "Don't get me wrong, Twilight. I love Pinkie Pie, I do. But...but traveling with her all the way to Manehattan on a friendship quest??? Just the two of us??? I'll...I'll go crazy!!"
Twilight grinned. "Well, I'll admit she's quite alot to deal with, Starlight, but honestly, what other pony would be better company for you on this trip than Pinkie?"
"Oh, gee, I don't know...Discord? A manticore? A dragon? A completely harmless flowerpot that can't talk incessantly?" Starlight said flatly.
Twilight rolled her eyes. "It'll be fine." She said. "Look, the map called both you and Pinkie Pie for a reason."
"Maybe it made a mistake."
"You know very well it doesn't, Starlight."
"How do you know?!"
"Because it doesn't work that way!"
"Well, why not?! Maybe it meant to call Discord or something!"
"It wouldn't do that! And Discord doesn't even have a cutie mark!!"
"Well neither does Spike, and it called him!"
Twilight blinked. "Good point." She sighed. "Starlight, it isn't going to kill you to spend a day or two, or three, with Pinkie Pie."
"I wouldn't bet on that." Starlight said stubbornly.
Twilight rubbed her head alongside her horn. She was starting to develope a headache.
"Look, like I said, you'll be fine." She said. "And you'll get to know Pinkie Pie better!"
"I know Pinkie Pie well enough now!" Starlight insisted. "Twilight, can't you change this?? Send Rainbow Dash with me? Or Applejack? Even Fluttershy! I don't care, I'm not picky! But please....I am begging you...do not make me go with Pinkie Pie!!"
"Did somepony say my name???" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she bounced into the room. "Hey, Twilight! So, Starlight, did ya hear?? We're going on a friendship quest together! Isn't it so cool! Well, isn't it? Huh? Oh, this will be so much fun!!! I can't wait! I packed cupcakes for the trip!"
As Pinkie prattled on, Starlight moved closer to Twilight.
"Please. Do something."
Twilight sighed. "Starlight, the map called you two. You and Pinkie. I can't change that. So go on and get going. And try to enjoy yourself."
Starlight gave her a look of despair, prompting a grin from the purple princess.
"Come on, StarGlim! Let's get going!" Pinkie said excitedly. "I can't wait to get started! And we're going to Manehattan!!! Its so cool there! We are gonna have so much fun, and maybe we can solve the friendship problem fast and then go exploring and do some really cool and fun stuff! Ooh, they have all kinds of good food, too!"
Starlight groaned as she was dragged from the room by the pink pony, who kept on talking a mile a minute.
'And so it begins.' She thought. 'Celestia save me. I'm gonna lose my sanity before we even leave Ponyville!'
Pinkie just chattered on, oblivious to the fact her companion wasn't even listening.
**********************************
Starlight managed distract herself from Pinkie's talking until they were on the train leaving Ponyville. Pinkie finally paused for breath, and Starlight took the opportunity to speak herself.
"Pinkie, do you want to play a game?"
"Ooh, I love games! Guess that Tune?"
"Uh, no. I was thinking-"
"Who can hold their breath the longest??"
"No. I was-"
"How about What Pony Said It??"
"No!"
Starlight's shout got the attention of everypony on the train car. She took a breath.
"No. Actually, I was thinking one of my favourites. Its called How Long Can You Not Talk?"
Pinkie thought. "Hmm...I don't know, but I guess we can find out!" She clamped her mouth shut.
Starlight sighed, glad to be free of the persistant chatter. She looked out the window at the passing scenery, absorbed in thoughts of the friendship problem they were going to solve. Perhaps somepony had gotten mad over mud on their clothes and was now feuding over it with the friend responsible. She shook her head. No. That was just silly. But then again, maybe not...
A humming noise broke her out of her ponderings. Pinkie was staring at her, blue eyes sparkling, humming any and every tune she could think of. And throwing in ocassional whistles. Finally, Starliggt snapped.
"Pinkie, will you stop?!"
Pinkie grinned. "Ha! I win! I win!!" She giggled.
"Wait, what?? No! You weren't being quiet! I said..."
"You said 'how long can you go without talking'...not 'how long can you go with zero noise at all'. And I won!!!"
Starlight silently cursed herself and her unclear rules. Pinkie Pie was now off on another rapid trail of speech, and Starlight could only sigh heavily as she slumped in her seat and tried to follow the numerous rabbit trails without encountering a massive headache. But just as suddenly as she'd started, Pinkie stopped talking and focused intensely on her companion.
"What?" Starlight finally said, uncomfortable.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"I...guess so?"
"I asked Twilight once, but...well, what do you think the meaning of life is?"
Starlight blinked. "Uh...I...don't know?"
"That's what Twilight said!" Pinkie giggled.
"Well, yeah...I don't know of anypony who knows that."
"But life has meaning?"
"Of course it does!"
"Okie dokie lokie! Just asking! Hey, do you suppose maybe somepony stole another pony's fashion line or something and the other pony is mad because they were friends and now they're fighting??"
Starlight was getting dizzy. How in Equestria could Pinkie switch topics so fast?! Redirecting her thoughts to Pinkie's oddly specific question, Starlight shrugged.
"Maybe. I don't know. Why? And how did you even come up with that?!"
"I'm Pinkie Pie, remember? I can come up with lots of stuff! Like, for instance, its snack time! Want a cupcake?"
Starlight blinked rapidly, her brain on the verge of a breakdown as it seemed to writhe in agony inside her skull.
"N...no. Thanks." She managed.
"Ok!"
Pinkie chowed down on her cupcake. Starlight rubbed her head.
"Hey, Starlight, did you know that there are literally thousands of cupcake flavour combinations?! There's stawberry cream, orange spice, chocolate cherry..." Pinkie rattled on at a furious pace.
Starlight let her head fall against the window and groaned. Twilight's words from that morning came to mind.
"Its not going to kill you to spend a day or two, or three, with Pinkie."
She rolled her eyes and shook her head.
'Yeah right!'