//------------------------------// // Ch1: Good News, Bad News // Story: AppleCakes // by Agalakachikaboum //------------------------------// It’s been 4 months since Pinkie has been put into prison. 4 months since she escaped. She sent many letters since then, like some birthday cards or badly written letters. Each of her packages was examined before opening by fear of what could be inside. Ponyville got a new mayor, a younger pony yet experienced. Luckily that pony has already been a sheriff in another town of Equestria. The town’s winged ponies number got up, and they were used to mostly look after the town to see if any new danger would come aboard. Rarity just got out of the hospital, her horrible stitches around her beautiful horn now gone. He was so happy she went at her house to look at her in a mirror during at least 20 minutes before deciding to make herself pretty to show herself to the village. She put in her favourite dress, a beautiful dark blue cotton matching her eyes. She would of liked to wear the assorted hat with it, but she realised that it would only hide her cured beauty. She went outside in the street and started walking fancy with her head up, eyes closed and feet twisting in perfect movements. Her hair bouncing in her movements and swirling in the wind, she was fast discovered by everypony near her. Many who passed near her remarked that the black stripes around her forehead now disappeared. Some told her loudly, to what she always replied “I know, isn’t it marvellous?” and others walked by staring at her, or started following the beauty. Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle were having a little chat when Rarity came near them with her fan group following her. “Look at it,” she exclaimed, “isn’t it beautiful?” Both ponies turned to look at the white beauty standing in front of her. “Wow! It’s awesome!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “You look just like before” added Twilight. “Rarity, you are so pretty like that,” whispered Fluttershy that appeared from behind them. “I see something must have changed on you?” “My horn, darling,” she exclaimed. “My horn is so beautiful now that those horrible black stitches got removed!” she kept exclaiming herself. She was so proud of her beauty, now that it was entirely back. “Now we will be able to forget Pinkie better,” added Fluttershy without thinking. Everybody’s face went sad as soon as she mentioned that name. She woke up and tried to correct her error. “No, um, I mean…” But she didn’t find any way to make everypony happy again. Pinky always used to cheer people up, they all thought. Now that the jolly pink pony was gone, it was hard to live without her burst of joy. There were rarely parties at Ponyville and it transformed into Gloomyville. The only pony who could change that was Rainbow Dash, but she was too traumatized by what her best friend did to her to ever try to do anything Pinkie liked to do. The problem is, she liked to be happy. “Hey,” Rarity spoke up to end the gloomy silence. “Why don’t we go pay a visit to Applejack to eat some apples and show her my horn?” She smiled, and everypony did as so. The small group went to Applejack’s house, trying to forget the memories that they have just summoned. Arrived at the apple garden, it took a while to the group to find Applejack. In that big field, who knew where she was. They looked all over, but none of them went very far, except Rainbow Dash that flew over the clouds to look for her. She came out of her house and surprised them from their back. “Heya! Ae just finished takin’ those apples,” she smiled, pointing at the field. But looking around, only a small circle in the trees showed no red signs. “Oh mabey just a part,” she winced. She looked back at her friends. “So? What’s new?” she asked of her accent. She did see by herself that Rarity kept smiling so happily. She haven’t done that for months, or as she remembered, and she did see that it was good news. “What’s wrong, Rarity?” she smiled. Rarity replied in a grin. “Look at it! Just look at it!!” she looked up. “Yeah, it’s great,” said Applejack while looking in the same direction as the white pony, though not seeing what she was talking about. “Uh… What’s great, again?” she looked back at Rarity’s face who was now gone into an insulted face. “Uhm… Oh, yeah,” tried to correct Applejack as she looked back up, finally noticing the horn. “Your horn, right? The thingies on it ‘er gone?” “Of course they are!” smiled Rarity back as she continued fancying on herself. “Isn’t it marvellous? Those horrible things were ruining all my face, but now, look at it!!” she kept repeating again and again. Applejack sighed. “You ‘er always so busy with all the details,” she moaned. “Look, I didn’t even notice them gone, so it isn’t much if a difference.” “Because you don’t know fashion!” exclaimed the glamour in return. She was used to that kind of comment from Applejack. “I know,” spoke Twilight, trying to calm the atmosphere. “Why don’t we celebrate this with some apples?” she smiled at Applejack. The orange pony smiled back. “I’m on it!” And on those words, she left. They all sat down at a table, waiting for Applejack. But before she had the time to come back, the mail pony came with a letter at Applejack’s house. Seeing there was nobody at the door, she went directly to the table where the group was sitting. “I’m sorry to interrupt you,” the pony spoke. "But we found this in the bottom of our mail stuff, and er, if was addressed to a certain, um, Applejack, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, and Fluttershy,” said the mail pony. He seemed unsure and a bit scared, since his eyes were folded. Twilight Sparkle found it weird, since the letter was addressed to them all. Applejack came back with a plate of goodies. “what’s goin’ on here?” she asked in her campaign accent. She came and let down the plate on the table as Twilight took the letter. “From who is it?” she asked suspiciously. “Pinkamena Diane Pie,” said the deliverer in a shaky voice before leaving in a hurry. They all stared at the letter without moving. The sweet scent of the apple goodies left on the plate came to their noses, but none of them moved. The date was written on the letter. “It was sent one month ago,” whispered Twilight. She slowly opened the thin package to let open a small letter inside. Nothing than a small letter sent a month ago by their best friend. “Hey you all! It’s me! Hee hee! Here where I got to, It’s gotten annoying. I made good Cupcakes, yes, but it started to get boring. The most exciting people went first, and then nobody is left for parties. It’s so annoying!! So I decided I’d come back to pay a visit to my best friends! Hee hee! I know you all must be so happy! Though it is far away from here, so I guess I’ll come back to Ponyville in sort-of… Hm… A month. It will be fun, right? Hee hee! Your absolutely-fun-party-thrower best friend, Pinkamena Diane Pie”