//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: Making a List // Story: The Party Girl // by Godslittleprincess //------------------------------// “You’re joking,” Flash said to Pinkie Pie the next morning. Upon Pinkie’s request, Flash had gone up to the Pies’ cabin early again and met with Pinkie in her party cave. “Hey, I know the poofy hair and the high, squeaky voice can make it hard to tell sometimes, but I’m being totally serious right now,” Pinkie replied. “But how are we going to send a toy to every kid in town?” Flash asked. “First of all, I don’t even know how many kids are in town. Second of all, I don’t know where they all live.” “Why don’t we just start with the ones you do know and work from there?” Pinkie suggested. “Well, I did run into and meet a few kids while I was out looking for a job during my first three days here,” Flash admitted, “but I don’t know where they live. I mean, I know how to find where they live. I just don’t know how to write it down in such a way that Mr. Light will be able to.” “So, you don’t know how to use an address?” Pinkie asked for clarification. “Well, Ms. Cadance and Twilight taught me what an address is and how to write one, but no, I’ve never actually had to use one before.” “Well, do you know how to find someone’s address?” “It’s the number on someone’s mailbox or door and the name of the street the front of the house is facing, right?’ “Right. So, all you have to do is go to each of those places where you know a kid lives, find the address, write it down, and bring it back here, easy.” Flash wanted to point out to her that he could barely read and write, but he stopped himself. Every bit of sense he had in him told him that Pinkie Pie’s idea was crazy. More importantly, it also sounded like a huge undertaking and a long commitment, and taking part in either of those things would be incredibly foolish of him, especially since he needed to focus on getting himself and his brother off the island so they can find their crewmates. However, Flash couldn’t help but want to be part of Pinkie’s crazy quest to bring joy to Griepsburg. Mr. Light seemed so happy when he came home yesterday; it was the happiest that Flash had ever seen him, or anyone for that matter, since he and Base have been on the island. Judging by Mr. Light’s account of the delivery, those boys who received those gifts were pretty happy too. God knows how badly that dreary, little town needed some joy and color, and Pinkie clearly needed help to make her idea happen. “I, I’ll see what I can do,” Flash agreed reluctantly. Pinkie Pie cheered before hugging him gratefully. That night, Flash waited for everyone in the house to fall asleep before creeping down the attic. Oh boy, was he going to be exhausted after work today! However, Flash chose not to think too much about that and focused on finding a piece of paper and a pencil. Logically, they would be where Cadance kept what few school supplies she had, but Flash didn’t know where that is or would be. So, Flash resorted to searching every nook and cranny, starting at the living room. He was in the middle of searching the dining room when... “What are you doing here?” a feminine voice said to him accusingly. Flash flinched in surprise before slowly turning around. Twilight was standing right behind him wearing a furious scowl and holding a rather thick book in her hands as if she was about to hit someone with it. “What are you doing here?” she repeated. “I’m, uh, looking for paper and a pencil,” Flash answered. “Ha! A likely story,” Twilight retorted. “You’re trying to rob us blind while we’re asleep, aren’t you? Besides, what would you need paper and a pencil for? You can barely write.” Flash blinked at her dumbfoundedly before retorting in offense, “First of all, if I wanted to steal from you and your family, why would I wait this long to do it? Second of all, if I was stealing from you and your family, why would I leave my brother asleep in the attic instead of having him with me?” “I can think of a few reasons.” “Good gosh! What kind of a horrible person do you think I am?” Flash cried before he realized how loud he was being and put his hands over his mouth. His eyes darted from the door of one bedroom to the next, but thankfully, he didn’t seem to have woken anyone. “Look, can you just tell me where you and your family keep your paper and pencils, please?” “Only if you tell me what you’re using them for,” Twilight demanded, still brandishing her book. “Okay, if you have to know, Pinkie needed me to make a list for her.” “A list of what?” “A list of none of your business, okay.” Twilight bit her lip pensively as her mind raced to find a possible answer to Flash’s strange behavior. “That stunt you pulled with my father and that package,” Twilight realized, facepalming herself in annoyance. “You talked Pinkie into doing it again, didn’t you?” “I didn’t talk Pinkie into doing anything,” Flash refuted. “Okay, I’ll admit that first package was my idea, but Pinkie wanted to cheer up more kids, and I just couldn’t refuse her.” “And why not?” “Twilight, you saw how happy delivering those gifts made your father. You also heard about how happy those kids were to receive them. On top of all that, when I told Pinkie about it yesterday, knowing that she made people smile made her really, really happy,” Flash argued. “I know I can barely read and write, but Pinkie needs this list, and for her sake and everyone else’s, I have to try. Now, are you going to tell me where that paper and pencil are, or do I have to keep looking for it myself?” Twilight just stared at Flash disbelievingly. She looked right into his eyes, searching for any hint of duplicity or ill-will. Finding none, she sighed exasperatedly before taking a piece of paper and a pencil out of a cabinet that Flash hadn’t searched through yet. “I’m guessing you’re going to be trying to make a list of names and addresses, correct?” Twilight deduced. “Y-yes,” Flash replied. “Uh, how did you figure everything out? Was I that obvious?” “To your credit, no, you weren’t, but I am smarter than most people,” Twilight deadpanned as she sat down at the dining room table. “I think I can save you some trouble by writing this list down for you, and I can also save you a trip into town because I actually know the addresses of quite a few places here.” “Wait. Are you helping me? Really?” “Yes!” Twilight snapped. “Now, start telling me whose addresses you need, so I can write them down, get some sleep, and never have to think about this again.” “Okay, there’s Apple Bloom who lives at the apple farm, and there’s Filthy Rich’s daughter Diamond Tiara,” Flash began before listing off a few more names. Within an hour, Twilight had finished the list and given it to Flash before turning in for the night. Despite her earlier remark about wanting to forget the night’s events, Twilight found that she couldn’t think of anything else as she once again lay awake staring at the ceiling.