Pinkie Pie hummed to herself happily as she bounced down the corridor towards the shop area of Sugarcube Corner where she worked at. She was already looking forward to spending another day selling sweet delicious treats to the residents of Ponyville to make their day sweeter.
'He. Sweeter.' She laughed in her head at her own joke. She also couldn't wait to try out some ideas for new recipes she had thought up. Maybe she could even ask the help of the twins of her employers to help her with the experiments. Those two were gonna take over the shop one day when their parents retired after all and as they got older Pinkie managed to plant the seed of love for baking in them, much to their parents' appreciation.
Not that she needed an excuse to spend time with the twins anyway. She absolutely loved it when all three them played and worked together and trying new recipes with them could prove not only fun but also educational. With her mind set, she made her way towards the room the Cake Twins shared and opened in with the same bright, cheery smile she started her day with.
"Good morning, you silly filly billies!" She greeted as she stuck her head in the door, only to be met with one of the twins' stuffed toys being hurled into her face. Pinkie shook her head and looked to see the pegasus colt and the unicorn filly once again fighting with each other over one of their toys.
"That's mine!" The colt, Pound Cake yelled at his sister furiously. "It you want to chew on something find your old sucker, you old sucker!" His sister, Pumpkin Cake picked up a building block with her magic and threw it at her brother who caught it effortlessly.
"You know I outgrew chewing on my toys when I was two, you dummy!" The pegasus shouted back. "And you haven't been playing with that for days! Why can't I have it?!"
"It doesn't matter! It's mine and you can't play with it!" He then threw the building block back at Pumpkin, but the unicorn dodged and the block ended up hitting Pinkie in the face. The two foals immediately stopped fighting and gasped in shock about what happened.
"Now, look what you've done!" Pumpkin yelled in panic before she ran to check on the earth pony. "Aunty Pinkie, are you okay?!"
Many ponies probably would have let anger get the better of them after what just happened. Pinkie had even seen their parents snapping at them for much less. But she wasn't like that. The fact that Pumpkin referred to her as Aunty and reminded her of the close bond she shared with the family without actually being related to them was all she needed to calm down.
"Of course I am, Pumpkin-Wumpkin!" She reassured the small filly, but she wasn't fooling them. She was still rubbing her muzzle to ease the small pain she still had from the block hitting her and they were mature enough to make the connection.
"Sorry for Pound being a big doofus and hurting you, Aunty." Pumpkin apologised while glaring at her brother who returned the gesture.
"Hey, you threw the block first! I was aiming at you and your ugly, stupid head! Not hers!" The pegasus snapped before realising how his words could me misinterpreted. "I mean... Not that you have an ugly, stupid head, Aunty Pinkie." He smiled nervously. Pinkie wasn't offended in the slightest. If anything, she just giggled at the twins' antics.
"Hey, I already told you, I'm okay!" Pinkie told them as she knelt down to their level and wrapped his forelegs around their necks. "But you know how much I hate it when you two fight. What do you say we head down to the bakery and try making some new, yummy treats I came up with together?" That did the trick. The twins immediately forgot what they were fighting over and jumped up together with a cheer. They loved spending time with Pinkie just as much as she did with her.
Satisfied that she managed to make the twins stop fighting, Pinkie bounced out of their room and made her way down towards the bakery. The twins followed close behind, imitating her way of movement, much to the pink mare's delight and the amusement of their parents once they saw them passing by.
"Well, look at that, Cup!" Their father said with a chuckle. "I thought we were raising ponies, not bunnies!" Their father's words immediately made the twins stop in embarrassment and they looked back at their parents with sheepish smiles and blushed faces. Cup Cake chuckled herself before jabbing her husband in the side.
"Come now, Carrot! They were having so much fun! Leave them be!" She chided him playfully before turning to Pinkie. "Thank you so much for getting them to calm down, Pinkie. We were going crazy because of their fighting." Pinkie just smiled.
"No problem, Mrs. Cake! We were just on our way to the bakery. I thought baking some new recipes I came up with would be fun for them and useful for the shop too." The two parents smiled back at Pinkie gratefully.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea, dear! Thank you so much!" The mare replied. "We cannot begin to express how grateful we are for everything you do for us! Not only are you a wonderful foalsitter to Pound and Pumpkin but your cheerfulness and creativity have attracted us so many customers. I think it's safe to say that you have made Sugarcube Corner into what it is today!" Pinkie appreciated the praises but she was starting to become embarrassed.
"Come now, Mrs. Cake! It really is nothing." She said modestly.
"It most certainly is not! You should be proud of yourself!" Pinkie knew the older mare meant well, but the truth was, pride wasn't really her thing. She didn't want to feel proud for anything she did because she did it happily and helping others and making them laugh was the biggest reward she could get.
"You're welcome, Mrs. Cake." She replied before turning back to the foals. "Come on, you two! Baking time!" The twins cheered again. Either they completely forgot that their parents were still there or they just no longer cared if they saw them because they resumed bouncing behind Pinkie without a care in the world.
A few hours later, Pinkie was already serving customers in the bakery. She mostly served them the usual treats the shop had to offer and occasionally added a few of her self made experimental treats. From everypony she offered them to, she received nothing but praise.
"Pinkie, these new treats you made are wonderful!" One of the customers said after tasting it for almost a minute. "I especially love the frosting! How did you make them?!" Pinkie just waved at the compliments with a playful eyeroll.
"Well, I can't take all the credit. My little assistants in the kitchen did plenty of work too." She then leaned up right next to the customer's ear. "In fact, the frosting was one of their ideas!"
"Well, then, please tell them they have done a wonderful job! They have bright futures as bakers!" The customer replied with a giggle before he left. Pinkie just giggled back and waved him goodbye. She was quite happy to gain his approval for one of the twins. She was always happy at the successes of other ponies and would never envy them for it. Especially not a foal.
Pinkie then collected the plates and returned to the kitchen where the Cakes were busy baking more of their orders and the twins were doing the dishes. She joined the two foals next to the sink and placed the plates she brought back into it before beginning to wash them herself.
"Oh, Pinkie. There's no need for you to do that. Pound and Pumpkin will be taking care of it." Mrs. Cake said, but Pinkie just waved dismissively.
"It's OK, Mrs. C. I don't mind. I always enjoy helping out around the kitchen anyway I can. I'm not a lazy Robbie Rotten who just lays around doing nothing but eating cake." She replied before returning to the dishes. Mrs. Cake wasn't sure if she understood that but decided to let it go. It was better not to question things when it came to Pinkie Pie.
Pinkie and the twins have been washing the dishes for several minutes. Pinkie didn't mind the extra work, even humming another happy tune as she worked, but the twins were much less enthusiastic about the task. They wore heavy frowns as they finished with one and picked up another until eventually, Pound got tired of it.
"This stinks!" He complained as he dunked the dish he was holding back into the sink. "I think we've washed enough of these things. What do you say we call it a day?" He asked Pinkie and his sister. Pumpin looked very tempted to accept the offer, but Pinkie just looked at him with an uncharacteristic frown.
"Now, Pound! You know you cannot just go and skip your chores. I love having fun with you as much as you do, but that's no excuse for slacking off." The twins groaned in disappointment. This wasn't what they were used to from Pinkie Pie. But Pound wasn't ready to give up just yet.
"Come on, Aunty Pinkie! Give us a break! I have a secret supply of sweets in a hidden place beneath my bed. If you let us off, you can have it!" Pinkie just smiled down at Pound before petting him on the head and going back to the dishes, ignoring Pound's request who knew this meant he was beaten. "Then at least let me off?" He tried desperately, earning a glare from his sister, but the pink mare once again ignored his pleading. In a last ditch effort, pound leaned up to Pinkie's ear. "I even have a sampler platter up there." That actually tempted Pinkie. The sampler platter was her favorite treat, but she had to resist. She couldn't allow the craving of sweets to get in the way of her duty to the Cakes. It required iron will, but she eventually managed to defeat the temptation and continue to do the dishes, much to Pound's frustration, who eventually had no choice but to get back to work.
Once the dishes were done, the twins were finally given the rest of the day off and Pinkie went back to serving customers. One of them ordered a very specific treat. One half of a heart shaped chocolate cake. But the oddest thing about it was, Pinkie disntincly remembered that she already served one of these to him. Oh, well. Maybe he just liked it so much he wanted another one.
"Here, you go sir!" Pinkie smiled at the customer, a rather hoofsome light gray Earth Pony stallion with well combed black mane as she placed his order in front of him. "Enjoy it!" Pinkie saw that the stallion was all by himself, which was strange as this treat was usually ordered by couples but who was she to question a paying customer? She was about to head back to the kitchen, when the stallion called out to her.
"Actually, I was wondering if you would like to..." He reached under the table and picked up another plate with the previously delivered chocolate half heart on it and placed it next to the other one, much to Pinkie's confusion.
"Why do you still have that one? You didn't like it? But then why did you order another one?" She asked, but the stallion just chuckled.
"No, it's not that. I was wondering if you would like to enjoy this treat with me." He told her, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. The light bulb in Pinkie's mind slowly clicked. She wasn't gonna lie, the stallion in front of her was rather attractive and she wouldn't mind getting closer to him on a more personal level.
But she wasn't like that. Being raised in such a conservative family meant that Pinkie was very virtuous mare. And even if she wasn't, her shift at Sugarcube Corner still wasn't over and that meant she wouldn't allow herself such distractions. No matter how pleasant they could have been.
"I'm sorry, sir, but I don't have time today. I still have several customers to serve and once I'm done I'll have a birthday party to set up for a lovely little colt." The stallion's smug expression quickly faded away and he leaned back in his seat in embarrassment.
"Hey, it's OK. I didn't mean to... I mean I understand..." Pinkie took pity on the poor stallion's stammering and decided to fix the problem. She looked around and saw a green unicorn mare sitting by herself, consuming an ice cream cone with a sad face. Pinkie had seen this enough to know that this usually meant the mare was lonely and this gave her the perfect idea. She snatched up one of the chocolate cakes from the table and bounced off unit the direction of the mare.
"Hello!" She greeted the green unicorn who looked up at her questioningly. "That stallion over there is sending you this and was wondering if you'd help him make it whole, if you get my meaning." She told her as she nudged her in the side. The mare looked hesitant. She just got over the end of her previous relationship and she wasn't sure if she was ready for a new one. But sharing a piece of cake with him surely couldn't do any harm. Before Pinkie returned to the kitchen, she looked back at the couple sharing the delicious treats and looking rather enamored with each other while doing so. A development the pink mare was more than happy with.
The rest of Pinkie's shift was uneventful. A few more customers she served a hundred times in the past and a few more treats she made a thousand times before and before she knew it, her workday was over. But that didn't mean she would now rest. Like she told that stallion earlier, she had a birthday party to set up. As she was gathering the supplies for said party, Mrs. Cake came up to her.
"Ah, Pinkie? Are you off to throw another party?" She wondered. Pinkie nodded.
"Yupperoni! You know how much I love to throw parties! Especially when somepony has a special day like this colt's birthday! But you know, I like to think that every single day is a special day worth celebrating!" She beamed.
"Wow! They must be paying you pretty well if you're willing to do it right after the end of your shift." Pinkie just tilted her head in confusion.
"Paying? Oh, no, Mrs. C! I would never be able to take money for making ponies happy! The money I make at Sugarcube Corner is more than enough for me." She told the older mare without the slightest hint of greed. If there was one thing she was greedy for, it was pony smiles. It brought a smile to Mrs. Cake's face.
"Pinkie, you are such a pure hearted bundle of joy! I couldn't think of anypony who could be a better role model for the twins!" Pinkie gave a touched smile of her own in response before pulling her into a warm hug.
"Thanks, Mrs. C! I couldn't have possibly asked for two more wonderful little ponies to see grow up and teach!" The two mares kept up the embrace for a few more seconds before Pinkie finally broke it. "I have to go now! The birthday colt and his friends are waiting!" She was about to bounce off with the cart full of supplies behind her, but Mrs. Cake stopped her.
"Pinkie, wait!" Pinkie stopped and saw Mrs. Cake pull out a small basket covered with a blanket. "Take these free samples and give them to the party guests! And make sure to give me their feedback!" Pinkie took the basket in her mouth and placed it on the cart.
"Thanks again, Mrs. C! I'm sure they'll love it and be very happy you sent it to them. Have a great day!" And with that, Pinkie hopped out the door, leaving the older mare smiling after her.
The Phantom Stranger still remembered the last thing the wizard told him before he left the rock of eternity. When he saw the look he gave him, he knew that he completely meant what he said about not believing the Stranger would find a pure hearted champion. The last time he met the old unicorn during the sealing of the Sins, he was still full of idealism and faith in the goodness of Ponykind. He had no he could lose it so badly over the centuries, but he was determined to prove him wrong.
But the longer he kept his search going, the he began to lose hope himself. His mastery over space allowed him to see tens of thousandsof ponies for himself within the few hours since he started his search. He believed that surely one of them would be able to match his description of a pure heart. But within every single one of them, he found something that made him vulnerable to the temptation of the Sins.
At first, he looked at strong stallions most commonly associated with the images of mythical heroes. He didn't have much luck there. Most of them were easily tempted by Lust and Greed. The former was the biggest temptation to any adult ponies and the increased strength and newfound powers the champion will be bestowed with also made anypony an easy target for the latter.
Things also didn't go well with the mares. As with the stallions, they easily succumbed to Lust. Mares could also be very envious of each other, mostly about their looks so he tried to look for an attractive mare who had nopony to be jealous of, but unfortunately their good looks also made them vain which served as an excellent feeding ground for Pride.
In desperation, the Stranger even extended his search to foals. He thought perhaps the pure heart of a child would be enough to withstand the temptation of the Sins, but once again, he was disappointed. Given their immaturity, foals were more impulsive than fully grown ponies and succumbed easily to Wrath. They were also more vulnerable to Gluttony and Sloth than adults.
He also took a look at some exceptional individuals. Ponies who could have already been considered champions in their own rights. Godlike beings from among the stars, warriors trained from birth to fight evil, guardians who fought for the safety of not only this world but for several others as well. He had to admit it, they were the closest to what he was searching for, but he also had reservations. These were already powerful and mighty beings or possessed weapons of great power. And the Stranger knew all too well that absolute power corrupts absolutely. No. He had to find an ordinary pony. For only one such pony can truly see the value of the power they were going to receive.
However, every single pony the Stranger examined showed less and less of pureness in their heart. And as more and more hours passed and the number of ponies he looked at started to reach a million, he felt like he was ready to give up. But he couldn't give up. The fate of Ponykind and possibly the whole world depended on his success. But on the other hoof what was this search if he was searching for something that possibly didn't exist?
He shook his head. No. He couldn't allow himself to feel this way. He insisted to the wizard that he was gonna find a pony with a pure heart and he can't start having second thoughts about it. He had to keep looking. But as he did, the lack of results only made his frustration grow. And also his concern. He knew time was on the essence. With each passing moment the Sins corruption spread throughout the land and he didn't know how much time he had left before the process became irreversible.
Not wanting to waste anymore time, the Stranger returned to the task at hoof. He has been at it for so long that he completely lost any sense of his surroundings and now he had no idea where he was. He looked around to find out but the only thing he could make out that he was now in a small town. He only saw a few ponies passing by on the streets but in the distance, he could make out the noises of several ponies and see a well decorated area where a large crowd of ponies was gathering.
Deciding that this was as good a place as any other to continue his search, the Stranger headed towards the celebration and mingled with the crowd. Of course it wasn't like they could see him, but he could see everypony perfectly. More importantly, he could see what was inside of them. And he wasn't pleased with what he saw. Even at a child's birthday party, the celebration of the life of the purest and most innocent creature possible, he still couldn't find anypony pure enough to withstand the Sins. He was about to give up and move on, when he heard a loud voice piercing through the air.
"HELLO, EVERYPONY! LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!"
It was so loud that even the Stranger was caught off guard. He turned to see a pink mare with fluffy pink mane and three balloons for a cutie mark appearing on the top of a nearby hill and standing upright to let out the mighty scream he just heard. Everypony turned to her and they immediately brightened up upon seeing her.
"PINKIE PIE!"
The mare bounced down from the hill while pulling the cart of party supplies behind her, remarkably without dropping anything and she wasted no time in setting everything up. In the blink of an eye, the already well decorated area was even more festive than before. The balloons and flags have been tripled, party games like piñatas and donkey drawings to pin the tail on have been set up and in the middle of the party, a giant cake was towering over the celebrating ponies.
"Not too shabby, eh?" Pinkie asked before bouncing off to attend to the party ponies. The swiftness with how she put everything together was enough to impress even an ethereal being like the Phantom Stranger. He felt ready to leave but the appearance of this young mare changed things. He felt something in her. Something special. He didn't know what it was but he knew that it required a further look. It may not be a pure heart he felt, but whatever it was, this mare was definitely special.
The way she moved around the place, serving party guests and entertaining foals showed that she certainly wasn't lazy. When the time came to cut the cake, she gave one slice to every guest before saving the last on to herself. She was about to eat it when she heard crying and turned to see a filly who accidentally dropped her cake on the ground. Pinkie looked back at her piece of cake before smiling at the little foal and going up to her and offering it to her, much to her delight.
"That was so generous of you, Pinkie!" Pinkie turned to see a familiar stallion smiling at her.
"Oh, hey, Cheese Sandwich! What brings you here? Are any of those foals by any chance yours?" She asked teasingly, but the stallion rapidly shook his head.
"No. I'm still waiting for the right mare to give me one." He replied as he looked down shyly and Pinkie could swear that he saw his cheeks blushing. "I actually came to see the world's greatest party planner in action." Pinkie tapped him on the shoulder playfully.
"Flatterer. But there's no need to. You know you've always been the best. I'm very happy have gained your attention. That means I must be doing something right."
"Don't sell yourself short, Pinkie!" Cheese Sandwich replied. "I may be the best but you're doing a good job at catching up with me. You'll overthrow me within the year if you keep it up." He then looked around at the party. "Just look at this! Everypony is having a blast! And those foals..." They looked at the foals playing party games happily. "Pinkie, you are a blessing to everypony you encounter. You are everything I think a mother should be." Now it was Pinkie's turn to blush.
"Come on, Cheesel Weasel! You're embarrassing me!" Cheese wrapped a leg around Pinkie's neck.
"Hey, just stating facts." He then looked down and took a deep breath like he was preparing himself to say something. "I was wondering, once this party is over, maybe the two of us could..." Pinkie however didn't seem to get what he was trying to imply. All she managed to understand was Cheese implying that the party was going to be over and she was having such a good time that she didn't even want to think about it right now.
"OVER?! Cheesy, don't say that! I know it can't last forever but I'm having too much fun to cafe right now!" She cheered before bouncing off to continue partying, much to Cheese's disappointment.
"Wake up, Cheese!" The stallion sighed before walking off dejectedly. "As if you'd ever have a chance with such an amazing mare." The Stranger paid no attention to the stallion as he left the party. His attention was firmly on the mare who had passed two more tests by dismissing the praises and not abandoning her duty as the festival organiser for the company of a stallion.
She has already proven she can resist Lust, Sloth, Gluttony, Envy, Pride and Greed. But he had yet to see her resist the most dangerous one of them all: Wrath. And sadly in this festive environment, he saw no means of testing her on that front.
But fate seemed to be on his side today. A few of the foals finally managed to break open one of the piñatas and were gleefully collecting the candy falling out of it. However, one of the biggest colts at the party decided he wanted it all to himself, so he merely pushed the smaller ones out of the way and took it away from them. This did not go unnoticed Pinkie Pie. Some hidden sense told her that a very mean thing was being committed nearby and she quickly managed to locate it.
The Stranger saw the look of anger that grew on the mare's face and waited in anticipation to see what was gonna happen. Pinkie marched up to the bully and lightly bumped her flank into him, knocking him on the ground and taking away all the candy he collected. Naturally, the large colt wasn't pleased by this.
"Hey! Why did you do that?!" He demanded.
"Because I'm bigger and stronger than you and that means I can." Pinkie replied as she stuck her tongue out at him.
"But that's not fair! You can't do this!"
"Then why are you doing it to other foals?" Pinkie asked, not sounding angry but genuinely curious. The colt was surprised by the unexpected question and he couldn't find a good answer. He stuttered for a bit in a vain search for one but eventually had to admit defeat and looked down at his hooves in shame.
"I'm... I'm sorry." Pinkie saw that he truly regretted his actions so she knew that he learned his lesson. She decided to divide the candy between all of the foals equally, including the former bully whom she even invited to join the party games. Soon they will all playing and laughing together like they've been friends their entire lives.
The Stranger was impressed. He didn't think he's ever seen a mare who could bring so much joy and peace between others. Or any pony for that matter. He started to raise his hopes that maybe he found the pony he was looking for, but there was still something else he needed to see. Having a pure heart wasn't enough in itself. The individual also had to possess the willingness to be a hero. To put herself at risk for the sake of others.
"HELP!!!"
It seemed the universe once again answered his call. The Stranger turned to see a small unicorn filly tangled in the strings of several balloons and floating towards sky, struggling in vain to escape. Everypony in the crowd gasped. The pegasi were about to act, but Pinkie was faster. She jumped up and pulled down a flag line from above before using it as a slingshot to shoot herself out into the air, grabbing the filly and pulling her back to the ground with her weight before untying her. She even managed to return the balloons to their original spots before calming down the frightened filly, which she did so efficiently, that in a few seconds she was back to partying as if nothing happened.
The Stranger didn't usually showed his emotions, but this time, she actually allowed a slight smile to cross his face. There was no doubt left, he found who he was looking for.
After the party was over, Pinkie stayed behind to help clean up the leftovers. Not that there were many leftovers to clean up. The cake and the candy was completely gone. Only a little punch was left in the bowl, but that was easy to take care of. As for the decorations, Pinkie carefully examined every last bit of it to make sure if they were worth reusing at another party. Thankfully, most of it was still intact so she'd be able to make some use of them.
All in all, this has been a great day for her. She tried some new recipes with the cakes, all of which turned out to be delicious according to the party guests, threw an amazing party where everyone had a blast and made several new friends.
Once she was done with the cleanup, she headed back towards Sugarcube Corner. She had so much fun at the party that she didn't even notice how much time had passed. It was already sunset and all of Ponyville was already basking in the yellow light of the descending sun.
She found it pretty odd how the streets appeared to be completely empty as she passed them. She knew it was getting late but some ponies were usually still out by this time. The other odd thing was she couldn't shake off a feeling that she was being watched. She couldn't imagine who could be watching her when she saw nopony around. It was as weird as it was eerie.
Things were so still silent around her that a bird flying in from above with a series of chirps was enough to make her jump. She turned around to see a bird with blue feathers and Black stripes in it's wing landing on her cart and giving her a curious look.
"Well, hello, Mr. Birdie!" Pinkie greeted, feeling intense relief finding out that she was only watched by a little critter. Of course, who else could be watching her in these empty streets. "Would you like some seeds?" She asked as she pulled some bird seeds out of her mane, but the bird had a different idea. It picked up one of the flag lines from Pinkie's cart and flew away with it towards the forest. Pinkie immediately gave chase.
"Hey, you bring that back! You can't just take my party supplies away! You have to book a party with me at least two months in advance!" She shouted as she ran after the bird, not even noticing when she entered the forest. No trees, bushes or even wildlife could stop Pinkie, though she noticed that just like the town, the forest appeared to be completely empty too.
After a few minutes, the bird flew inside a holey tree. Pinkie was about to follow it but something stopped her. At first, she dismissed it as confidence born of knowing the bird was cornered. But something about this situation just didn't feel right. The whole in the tree was abnormally large. Big enough for a grown pony to pass through it. And she couldn't sense the bird anywhere. Not just because it was pitch black inside the hole, but because she couldn't sense it anywhere inside. She didn't even hear a single chirp. But she did hear something else. Something that almost made her heart stop.
"Pinkie Pie!" She jumped at the booming voice calling her name from inside the tree. She was startled, but for some reason, she could feel the whoever was the owner of the voice, they meant her no harm. She felt perfectly safe. In fact, she felt safer than she did in a long time. "You are worthy." Pinkie just stared, unsure of what the voice meant, but nevertheless, she felt complimented.
"Uh... Thanks!" She smiled but her face showed confusion. "Worthy of what exactly?" She got no response from the voice. Instead, she saw a white light appearing inside the tree which became more and more bright. The light was accompanied by the sound of crackling electricity and Pinkie's sense of safety quickly evaporated. And yet, she couldn't back away. She felt herself falling in a trance as her hooves carried her inside the tree and the next time she came to her senses, she was no longer standing in a forest. She was in a dark room illuminated by several torches on the wall and wherever she looked, she saw nothing but black stone walls and floor.
"Hmph." Pinkie hummed as she looked around. "No wonder that bird took my flag line. This place needs some serious redecorating." As she looked in front of herself to head deeper into the room, she noticed that she was no longer alone. Standing in front of her was an earth pony stallion dressed like a private detective from those old black and white movies. The two stared into each other's eyes for a few moments before the stallion spoke.
"Welcome, Pinkie Pie, to the Rock of Eternity." He greeted. From the wave his voice echoed around the room, Pinkie could tell that this individual was not an ordinary pony.
"Who... What are you?" She wondered in awe. "And what do you want from me?"
"I have been called many names. But most know me as the Phantom Stranger." The stallion introduced himself. "I have been searching for a pony with a pure heart and the potential to become the campion of ponykind. A great crisis looms over our head, Pinkie Pie and you are only one who can help us stop it." Pinkie tilted her head in confusion.
"Us?" The Stranger nodded.
"Yes. Please follow me. I will introduce you to our host." He then turned around and started leading Pinkie towards the thrones at the end of the room. As they walked, Pinkie observed several statues and murals on the walls. They showed great heroes of pony mythology that she would often tell tales about to little foals during parties or hospital visits. Including the likes of Posey Dawn, the Goddess of the oceans holding her mighty trident and commanding sea life or the Mighty Thorn swinging his even mightier hammer at some weirdly shaped monstrosities and smashing them to pieces. Pinkie gasped silently. Did that means these gods actually existed? And they have passed through here before her? This was so unbelievable. She looked back at the Stranger walking in front of her. She's been so busy observing the statues that she stopped and she had to run and catch up with him.
"So..." Pinkie started in an attempt to break the ice. "You're saying you have been watching me? In secret?"
"Indeed." The Stranger replied. "I have spent my existence observing the supernatural threats that wish to do Ponykind harm. I have helped them defeat all of them. But now, such a great threat has emerged that I needed to call the aid of the most powerful wizard who ever lived in order to help us defeat it."
"Spying on all of Ponykind?" Pinkie asked, feeling a little weirded out. "For how long?"
"Since time immemorial." Came the immediate reply.
"Okay. That's just creepy." Pinkie noted, but if the Stranger was offended by this comment, he didn't show it.
"I have been protecting Ponykind from threats they did not know existed. And it is better this way so my involvement shall only be revealed to those whom it is necessary to."
"Doesn't make it any less creepy." Pinkie replied. The Stranger decided to drop the argument. He lead Pinkie to the seven thrones at the end of the room where he stopped. Pinkie followed his example and looked up to see a bearded unicorn in a cloak sitting on one of them and looking down at her in a measuring way. It made Pinkie feel slightly uncomfortable but she didn't have time to dwell on that as the Wizard spoke.
"Welcome back, my friend!" He greeted the Stranger. "You are back much sooner than I expected. Am I to understand that you have succeeded in your search within a matter of hours?" The Stranger nodded.
"Indeed, my friend." He replied as he raised his Hoof towards Pinkie. "I bring you, the most suitable pony to become your new champion. Her name is Pinkie Pie. And she is pure." The Wizard raised an eyebrow.
"We shall see." He murmured before standing up and walking up to Pinkie. She looked into the mare's eyes and Pinkie felt like he was looking into her soul. He then raised his staff and lifted it near Pinkie's head and she heard a deep, humming sound coming from it. After a few seconds, the Wizard's doubting gaze softened somewhat, but he still looked uncertain about this whole situation.
"She is... purer than most. Dare I say, the purest I felt in a long time. But given the events of the past, I still have my doubts."
"I would be surprised if you weren't." The Stranger said. "But given the dire circumstances we are facing, I would say this is our best option."
"Um... Excuse me?" The two magical stallions turned to see Pinkie looking at them in complete and utter confusion. "Would one of you mind explaining to me what is going on?" They looked back at each other, both feeling a little embarrassed that they forgot to tell her the details, but their time was running out and they needed to act as quickly as possible. Eventually, it was the Stranger who broke the silence.
"Pinkie Pie, Ponykind faces it's greatest threat since ages. It needs a champion. Somepony to save it. And you are the most suitable pony I could find." Pinkie's eyes widened.
"Me But... But I'm an entertainer, not a warrior! I think you've got the wrong pony! Maybe you should try one of the princesses. They are great at handling great threats. Or maybe there's that other mare! You know, the one who flies and shoots lasers out of her eyes! I heard she's pretty tough!"
"I have considered them as well, Pinkie." The Stranger replied. "But the most important thing is not how much magic one possesses or how strong one can punch. The most important thing is in here." He said as he placed a hoof on Pinkie's chest. "Your heart. Like I said, I have been watching you. You have shown signs of a pure heart that can resist the temptation of the Seven Deadly Sins." Pinkie raised an eyebrow.
"The Seven Deadly Sins?"
"Sloth, Gluttony, Lust, Pride, Envy, Greed and Wrath." The Wizard took over. "The embodiments of these Sins have been sealed away a long time ago. But now, they are back and we need a champion of pure heart to defeat them and withstand their corruption at the same time."
"But... But..." Pinkie stuttered, still not sure if she was up to this. "How could I defeat them? I'm just a simple earth pony. How could I fight something so evil and powerful?"
"That's where we come in." The Wizard said. "The other reason we chose you is because the Sins' corruption is not the only one you'll have to resist. But also the corruption of the power that will be bestowed upon you."
"Power? What Power?" Pinkie asked. The Wizard sighed and looked down with sorrow.
"The last time Ponykind needed a champion, I chose... irresponsibly. I sought the strongest pony I could find, but I was wrong. Power without restraint is nothing. And with such great power, only the purest of heart can find restraint. You're the purest heart we can possibly find right now and time is of the essence. We need you, Pinkie. Ponykind needs you."
"And don't I get a say in this?!" Pinkie asked, feeling a little upset that she wasn't asked in advance.
"You do, obviously." The Stranger answered. "But if what I have seen from you today is any indication, you will not turn us down."
"How do you know?"
"Besides your pure heart, you also possess a natural willingness to help others. No matter how big the trouble is. One such pony would take any chance to aid her fellow equines in a time of crisis."
Pinkie looked down in contemplation. It was true that it was in her nature to help others. Making ponies happy was her special talent after all. But the biggest issues she had to deal with until now were stolen party supplies and drunken guests who had to be forced to leave. Not corrupting demons that could destroy the world.
Pinkie hated to admit it, but she was scared. Not just for herself but for the rest of Ponykind if she turned out to be the wrong choice to wield this power after all. If the Sins consumed the world because she was too weak to stop them or because if she did fall to their corruption when she was picked exactly because she was expected not to?
But they were right about one thing. If she was given the chance to help others in anyway, she would never turn it down. And even though she never dreamed about becoming a superhero when she was a foal, she knew that if she ever could, she would be happy about how much more she could help everypony. After all, wasn't helping others in need no matter what was being a hero all about? She turned back to the two stallions, her expression hard with determination as she made up her mind.
"I accept."