Pinkie Pie
"That's horrible news!" I say after Spike tells me about Twilight and Rainbow Dash. "I thought we'd gotten rid of those guys back in Season Two!"
"Season what?" Spike asks, confused.
"Nothing. At any rate, we need to warn the others before it's too late. We nee-"
"Spike? Spike, where are you?" Twilight's voice drifts through the open window, and a look of fear crosses the young dragon's face.
"What do I say?" he asks, looking around as if Sugar Cube Corner had an excuse hidden in the walls.
"You were helping me bake a cake." I say, getting out some flour and eggs. "Try to stall until I can get this thing in the oven."
"Okay."
The dragon rushes out the door, and I quickly mix up the cake batter and pour it into a pan. I just barely get the thing into the oven and set a timer when Twilight walks in, Spike following nervously behind.
"So, he was helping you bake?" she asks, gesturing at Spike.
"Yessiree, Twilight. I wanted to try a new recipe, and I needed a few extra hands around the kitchen. Don't worry though; I don't need his help any more. The cake's baking right now, see?"
Twilight looks at the oven, and at the cake inside.
"Okay then." she says, shrugging. "It's just that I hadn't seen him much since this morning, and I wanted to know where he'd gotten off to. Have a nice night, Pinkie Pie."
"You too, Twilight."
She walks out of the door, and I wipe my brow and sigh with relief.
Now I know for sure Twilight's a changeling! Twilight's known me long enough to know how fast I can prepare a cake for baking. She'd know that I hadn't had any help at all. Besides, the real Twilight would know how clumsy Spike can be when he's helping out outside the library.
I started to clean up the kitchen, wiping down the counters and sweeping the floors. When the timer goes off, I take the cake out of the oven and set it down on a rack to cool before I put the frosting on it.
This cake might come in handy...
I get out the frosting and decorate the cake, putting down a base of white frosting and writing the words "Let's get those changelings!" on it.
Now to invite everybody. Everybody except Twilight and Rainbow Dash, that is.
The Next Day
After delivering the invitations to "Help plan Twilight's surprise party," I sit waiting in the kitchen for ten minutes or so before the bell on the front door rings, heralding Applejack's arrival. I walk to the front desk and greet her. She's standing in the doorway, a box of streamers in her arms.
"Oh Applejack. You didn't have to bring those. I have all the party supplies right here." I say, gesturing to a box of assorted streamers, balloons, and other party accessories.
"Well, every little bit helps." Applejack says, putting her box next to mine and admiring the counter full of baked goods I'd prepared the night before.
"Oh hi, Applejack." A voice says. We turn to see Fluttershy standing in the doorway, Angel riding on her shoulder.
Those two have been inseparable ever since the dragons. You can never see one without the other. It's kinda cute how close they've grown.
"Hi, Fluttershy." Applejack says, turning back to look at the counter longingly.
"Sorry, AJ. No treats until Rarity gets here. She's the last one we need."
Applejack looks at me, a question on her face.
"Rainbow Dash isn't invited because the surprise party's also for her a little bit." I explain. "You see, her and Twilight have been working on a project together and the party's to celebrate them getting it done today."
Satisfied with that explanation, Applejack and Fluttershy stand around the front desk and chat with me for a good ten more minutes until Rarity walks in, her hair slightly messed up. I look furtively out of the front windows to ensure Twilight and/or Rainbow Dash aren't out there, and locked the door behind her, pulling down the blinds and closing the curtains on the windows as I did so.
"Sorry I'm late, Pinkie. Twilight wanted to see me." Rarity says, smoothing her hair with her fingers.
A thrill of fear shoots through me as I realize I've just let a changeling into Sugar Cube Corner.
Well, there go all my carefully constructed plans. Guess it's time to improvise.
"No problem at all, Rarity. I even saved a special cupcake for you." I say, thinking quickly.
Sometimes, when I eat a bit too much candy - okay, a lot too much candy - the Cakes have to give me a special medicine to help me sleep. Reaching into a nearby cupboard for the bottle, I pour a pretty decent amount of medicine on the cupcake, bringing it out to Rarity.
Let's just hope changelings can't hold their forms when they're unconscious.
"You're most likely wondering why I've gathered you three here today." I start, watching Rarity closely as she takes a large, rather unladylike bite of the cupcake.
"Well the reason is standing right in front of us." I continue, noticing as Rarity starts swaying, her mouth slightly ajar. "Rarity here's a changeling!" I finish, pointing to the person in question as green flames start to travel up her body and she sinks to the floor. Applejack and Fluttershy both gasp in shock as the flames finish their journey to reveal a humanized changeling lying there on the floor of my shop.
"Huh. I guess us ponies weren't the only ones who changed." I muse, reaching into my bag of "Party Supplies" and pulling out a length of rope.
"Pinkie, what in the hay is goin' on here?" Applejack asks, looking from me to the changeling and back again.
"Sorry for lying to you before, AJ. I didn't want you to give the game away is all. You know how bad of a liar you can be. Although I'm not really left with much of a choice than to tell you now that one more of us has been replaced."
"One more of us?" Fluttershy asks. "You mean Rarity's not the only one?"
"If I was lying to you before about the reason for this party, why would I tell you the truth about why Twilight and Rainbow Dash weren't invited?" I answer, tying the changeling's wrists together as I do so. "They're not who you think they are."
Fluttershy's eyes grow wide at this and she takes a step back.
"They're changelings too?" She whispers, her voice shaking.
"It's just the three of us now." I reply. "It's a shame. I'd have really liked Rarity's help with this."
"Okay, sugarcube. Back up a spell." Applejack says, walking over to me as I tie the changeling's ankles together. "I still don't know exactly what's goin' on here." I look up at her and sigh softly.
Sometimes your friends just don't get things as fast as you do, Pinkie. Don't be upset.
"Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and now Rarity have all been kidnapped, taken who-knows-where, and replaced with changelings. I don't know why or when this happened, but I know we need to stop it." I say, standing up and admiring my handiwork. The changeling isn't going anywhere any time soon.
"We know Rarity's been replaced, but how do you know that Rainbow Dash and Twilight are fake?" Fluttershy asks.
"Spike was cleaning up yesterday and he saw Twilight turn into a changeling and capture Rainbow Dash. He ran over here as fast as he could because I'm closest, and he told me all about it. Twilight came over to get him, and I realized pretty quick that she was a fake." I explain, starting to warm to my subject now. "I'd invited you guys here to help me think of a way to stop them, but when I heard that Twilight had paid Rarity a visit, I had to act fast."
I looked down at the dozing changeling.
"I think I might've added a bit too much sleepy juice. The changeling's not gonna wake up for at least a few more hours. Mr. And Mrs. Cake are out on a vacation together, so we're alone here. Now help me get this thing into the basement."
Applejack lifts the thing's legs and I lift its upper torso. Together we take it down to the basement and lay it on the floor in a corner, out of the way. We head back upstairs, and I gesture to the pastries on the counter.
"Help yourselves, guys."
They look at me furtively, and I smile.
"Are you guys changelings?"
They shake their heads, and I gesture to the cakes, pies, and cupcakes lining the counter.
"Then you've got nothing to worry about."
After a few minutes of eating, I notice that Applejack and Fluttershy are glancing at each other.
"What's wrong, guys?"
Fluttershy swallows a bite of cupcake and starts.
"Well... Is the changeling going to remember what happened to it?"
I shake my head, biting into a slice of blueberry pie.
"I added enough sleepy juice that it shouldn't. Tomorrow morning I'll let her go; if she asks, we can just tell her that we had a really wild party and she drank a bit too much punch."
This seems to make Applejack and Fluttershy even more nervous.
"Okay guys. There's something you're not telling me." I say, putting down my pie and looking at them.
"It's just..." Applejack says, trailing off as she draws a blank on what to say.
"Well, it's just that we've never really seen this side of you before, Pinkie." Fluttershy says, picking up from where Applejack left off.
"What do you mean by 'this side?'" I say, raising an eyebrow.
"The 'do-whatever-it-takes-to-save-the-day-even-if-it-means-druggin'-your-friends' side of you." Applejack says, regaining her train of thought. "And if that changelin' won't remember that you've drugged it..." Her voice trails off again and she looks at the floor.
I think I know where this is going.
"You don't know whether or not I've done this sort of thing before to one of you guys and you just don't remember that I've done it." I guess. They nod, and I sigh.
"I guess you can't really be sure, because even if I tell you no, there'll always be that little bit of doubt." I continue. "But you'll just have to trust me when I say that I've never ever EVER drugged any of you EVER." I say, jabbing the pointy end of my pie slice at them with every 'ever.'
"Do you Pinkie Pie Promise?" Fluttershy asks.
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." I say, and they both visibly relax.
"Now I think we've been eating for long enough." I get up from the table and bring out my "Let's get those changelings!" cake. "Time for planning and dessert."