"A wonderful meal as always mom!" Pinkie said finishing her plate of brussel sprouts, lima beans, wheat bread sandwiches, and cupcakes.
"Thank you dear." Her mother said smiling at her pink daughter. "Tell me though, how are things back at home?"
"Things are getting better. Pineapple has been trying to fill an order though..."
"And how is your husband?"
"He's doing alright. He's been trying his hardest at Sugarcube Corner to try to get more business, but he isn't doing very well. He also has a big order to fill for Canterlot in a few days. He was supposed to have an entire week, but he was sick. Mr. and Mrs. Cake don't want to take his order because the people asked specifically for him to bake their goods, and if Mr. and Mrs. Cake do it, then there will be a big difference in quality."
"Oh my," her mother said in surprise. "It seems like this week has been hectic for you dear. I'm glad that you took the time to come and visit us. It was very nice of you."
"Of course mom! You and dad are always busy though, so I didn't want to intrude on any work that you may have to catch up on."
"You came at the perfect time Pinkamena." her dad told her with a gratuitous smile. "Your mother and I just finished rotating the rocks to the East field. I wish you could have joined us."
"Oh yeah..." Pinkie shied away from her father, trying to fake a smile. "Sorry I missed it..."
"Well, don't you worry. The rocks need to be rotated to the West field soon enough."
Pinkie, still trying to fake her grin, turned to her sisters. Inky returned with a falsified smile of her own, while Blinky just rolled her eyes at the mention of working on the rock farm again. As far as Pinkie was concerned, that part of her life was over. And she was sure her sisters felt the same way.
Pinkie Pie pushed her empty plate away from her and stood, stretching as she did so. She looked around the wooden abode, trying to locate her scaly companion. Last she saw he was trying to chew his way through a leg of the table. But now he was nowhere to be found.
"What are you looking for dear?" Her mother called from the table.
"Has anypony seen Gummy?"
"I thought he was under the table." The family simultaneously peeked under the wooden table looking for Pinkie's pet.
The pink pony looked all around the room, but couldn't find the alligator. Just then, she caught sign of the clock on the wall. 7:35 PM. She jumped suddenly, startling her family.
"Oh my gosh! I'm late!" She exclaimed, rushing about the room at an almost unnatural speed. She ended up face to face with her sister Blinky and said, "I was supposed to be home over half an hour ago!" She ran over to Inky and continued. "Pineapple was expecting me to be home already!" She jumped around every inch of the house at the speed of Pinkie, looking in every nook and cranny for Gummy.
"Pinkamena, calm down deary." Her mother said waving her hoof at her frantic daughter. "I'm sure Pineapple will understand you being a bit late. And besides," She reached into Pinkie's pink saddlepack by the door and pulled out a familiar green reptile. "Gummy is right here."
Pinkie blushed a bit and walked over to collect her things. "Oh. Thanks mom." She placed her pack on her back as well as Gummy. "And you're right, Pineapple will understand. I don't know why I got so worked up."
"Of course I'm right." Sue winked and nudged Pinkie with her elbow. "But are you sure you can't stay a little longer?
"Sorry, but no. I really should get going." She looked back at her family while slowly opening the door. As if on cue, the other three stood and joined her by the door.
"We understand. Thank you for coming Pinkame-" Her father stopped himself, clearing his throat. "... I mean, Pinkie." He pulled his daughter into a hug, which the others soon joined in on.
"Thanks dad." Pinkie almost choked up. She had been trying to get her dad to call her 'Pinkie' for so long.
"Bye Pinkie." Blinky said somewhere in between the large group hug. To which Inky echoed "Bye Pinkie."
"Thanks for having me." Pinkie replied pushing herself out of the group hug.
"Come back any time Pinkie dear." Her mother smiled lovingly closing the door behind her daughter. "Be careful on your way back. And tell your husband and children we said hello!"
"I will! Goodnight!" Pinkie said waving.
The door to the house shut and Pinkie looked around. She approached the gate to the farm and sighed. The familiar smells, sounds, and general memories of the farm, and her childhood returned to her as she walked through the desolate wasteland. It seemed like eons since she had been working here. Eons since she didn't know what a smile was.
I've come so far from when I was young... It's hard to believe that I already have a family of my own. I have to keep a home, I have to raise the children to be the best ponies they can be... It really is kind of stressful...
Pinkie sighed and continued on her way back home, eying the East field's overabundance of rocks.
I know! Maybe I can get Twilight and the girls to party tonight! That will relieve some stress... a nice night with my best friends.
A smile spread from ear to ear on Pinkie's face and she began a light trot back to her house.
*****
"There. Now I'll have a great environment for studying" Twilight said, talking to nopony in particular. Laid out on the floor of the library were books ranging from subjects as simple as making flowers bloom, to complicated matters such as phasing through solid objects. The lights were doused all except for one candle on her nightstand helping her read. But just as she sat on her bed and opened the first of many books, her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door.
"That's strange. I'm not expecting anypony..." she said walking over to her front door. She opened the door and found an excited pink pony smiling on her doorstep.
"Pinkie Pie? What are you doing here? It's late." Twilight said as politely as possible.
"Hiya! I just wanted to know if you wanted to come hang over at my house for a little bit?" she said bouncing up and down.
"I... I'd love to Pinkie, but..." Twilight replied hesitantly, glancing over her shoulder at her huge pile of books. "I have an exam tomorrow to study for. It's really important."
"You can bring your books and study over at my place!" Pinkie Pie begged, leaning into the the library with wide eyes that nopony could resist. "Really, it won't be a problem! Pleeeeeeaasssssse Twilight?"
Twilight looked down and smiled in defeat. "Alright, alright Pinkie. I'll come, but I really do have to study."
Her face lit up in joy"Great! Come on, the party's about to start!" Pinkie said grabbing Twilight with her books.
"'Party?' wait, Pinkie!" she said struggling to break free of the pink pony's grasp.
*****
"Great! Everypony's here! Now let's party!" Pinkie said turning on some music. Pinkie started dancing wildly around the room. All of her friends were present; Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight. As the music played, softer than usual because of the foals and her tired husband, Fluttershy and Rarity started making small talk.
"That's a lovely coat you have Rarity." The timid pegasus began in her usual innocent and kind voice.
"Why thank you Fluttershy. It really compliments my eyes, don't you think?" Rarity replied stroking her mane glamorously.
"Oh yes. It's very fuzzy. It reminds me of my animal friends." she said with a smile, stroking the brown coat.
"Well of course it does." she said with a sly look.
"What does that mean Rarity?" Fluttershy asked inquisitively.
"It's a fur coat Fluttershy. Don't be naive."
"What?!" she said as she stepped back in horror.
Meanwhile, across the room-
"So RD, hows th' weather treatin' ya?"
"Oh you know," Rainbow said rolling her eyes. "Same old, same old."
"I reckon it must be purtty easy. What, with yew bein' the best flyer in Equestria an' all."
"Yeah, it's... wait, what's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothin'. Ah'm just sayin' it must be easy."
"Are you sayin' that I have an easy job?"
"Well," Applejack replied, trying to calm the hotheaded pegasus down. "Ah mean it can't be as hard as buckin' apple trees all day long. It just don't seem too hard, is all. Ah'm just sayin' you must be purtty happy gettin' all that there down time."
"I do not get that much down time Applejack! It's hard work, so you better appreciate it a little more! If it weren't for me, you couldn't even grow your apples!"
"Now wait just a cotton pickin' second..." Applejack said, raising her voice.
"And besides, why would I want a job like yours? I get to see all of Ponyville at once! I'm not limited to just seein' the same old boring faces all day long."
"You ain't callin' mah family borin'... are yew?" she said squinting at the cyan pony. "Cuz then I'd hafta teach y'all a lesson."
"Hi girls!" Pinkie Pie slid up to her friends smiling brightly. "How's the party? Come on and dance!" She said with enthusiasm, grabbing Applejack by the shoulders and pulling lightly.
"Ah'll be right there Pinkie!" The orange mare replied pulling out of her grasp. "Ah've got a score tuh settle with this arrogant feather brain!"
"Who you callin' feather brained, you home-schooled southern bumpkin?"
"Ah oughta...!"
"HOW COULD YOU RARITY?!!"
"Fluttershy, calm down and let me explai-"
"GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU, YOU MONSTER!" Fluttershy screamed at the white pony while tears fell from her eyes.
"FLUTTERSHY! Would you please keep it down in there?!" Twilight yelled from the other side of the room. She had been quiet the whole time, but was becoming increasingly angered by the continuous yelling from everypony. "I'm trying to read! I have to study!"
"Bu-but Twilight, you don't understand! Rarity-"
"I don't care Fluttershy!" Twilight retaliated. "I didn't want to come here in the first place! Pinkie dragged me into this mess."
"W-wait!" Pinkie Pie said, trying to intervene. "Girls!"
"You don't care about anypony else Twilight, you never listen to me!" Fluttershy yelled. "I don't ever want to see you again! I never should have forgiven you for-"
Twilight slammed the book shut and glared at Fluttershy "Don't you dare bring that up!"
Fluttershy stared into Twilight's eyes with a look that could kill.
"I never should have forgiven you for trying to break up me and Trey!"
"That is IT! I'm outta here! Go weep by your stupid husband, you cryfilly! At least he can actually be something for you."
"Twilight-" Pinkie tried to interject, but to no avail.
"Here's a towel to soak up your fake tears!" Twilight said throwing a washcloth at the yellow pegasus as she slammed the door to Pinkie's home.
Fluttershy had turned pale from crying, insulting herself to make her feel better.
"I-I a-am just a-a cryfilly!!" She said as she scrunched herself into a little ball in the corner.
"No, Fluttershy you'-" Pinkie started, but was soon interrupted by Rarity.
"Fluttershy! Why on earth are you crying? Please compose yourself. I won't have any of your whimpering." Rarity said, not knowing exactly what to make of the situation.
"You did this!" Fluttershy snapped, eyes flooded with tears. "Y-you brought this up! If it weren't for you- no, if it weren't for this party, then... then.... Oh!"
Fluttershy ran out of the house crying in anger, sadness, and embarrassment. Rarity looked to Pinkie, too stunned for words.
"Come down here ya ungrateful filly!" AJ called, breaking the momentary silence.
"Who you callin' ungrateful!? You're just jealous because you don't have wings!" Rainbow Dash answered high above the other ponies.
Applejack's expression turned from anger to pure hatred in less than .10 seconds flat.
"That's it, git yer sorry butt down here bird brain!" Applejack shouted as she jumped into the air.
"Bring it on you southern bumpkin!" Rainbow Dash retorted with gritting teeth.
"Girls, can't we just get along? C'mon, let's dance or something!" Pinkie said, trying to recover what order there was left.
"What's all that racket out there Pinkie?! The kids are trying to sleep!" A male voice shot out.
"Oh my gosh, Pineapple! I'm sorry dear, I was just, I-"
"Didn't you remember us?! Or were you just not thinking again?! Hey, it's us, your family!"
Pinkie panicked at the pandemonium and searched around for a way out of the mess she had caused. Pineapple came out of his room looking angrier than ever. He had just got back after a long week at Canterlot to prepare the desert for a royal feast. On top of that, Pineapple had to take care of the kids all day today for their first day of pre-k.
What do I do? Pinkie thought.
I sure do hope this doesn't get out of hoof!
Boy, was she in for a surprise.