“Thank you for shopping at Carousel Boutique! Hope you like the new apron, Bonbon.” The boutique owner called, waving to the cream colored candy making mare as she trotted off, shopping bag in mouth. Rarity sighed, about to turn back into her shop so she could work on her designs when she saw five ponies trotting towards her. “Oh! Hello girls!” Rarity smiled. Ah, it’s always nice to see Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttersh- her eyes widened as she realized that she counted two pink ponies hopping along beside three of her friends. She stuttered a bit under her breath before falling backwards, onto the ground.
”Rarity fainted!”
“Stop doing that. It’s freaking me out.” Rainbow Dash muttered before she quickly flew over to Rarity. The girls brought Rarity back into the boutique, laying her down on her couch.
“Is she ok?” Fluttershy asked.
“I think so, she just fainted. I think she saw our two Pinkie Pies.” Twilight said, sitting down on the floor beside the couch, the rest of her friends doing the same. The two Pinkie Pies continued to chatter as they waited for the glamorous unicorn to wake up.
“So wait, what are fingers?”
“Well, they’re like teeny tiny legs attached to my arm, which I use to pick things up. It’s a lot easier than hooves. And I also have fingers on my feet, since I stand on two legs normally. But I don’t use them to pick things, they’re short and stubby.”
“Wow, people sound funerific! You should talk to this unicorn I know named Lyra. She-“
“Sh! She’s waking up.” Twilght whispered. The five ponies stood up, looming their heads over Rarity, watching her stir slightly. Her eyes opened gently, looking up at her friends. Rarity had to blink a few times, rubbing her eyes, trying to stop seeing double. But there were still two Pinkie Pies. “Could you all please explain to me why there are two Pinkies here? I thought we resolved this problem years ago.”
Twilight sighed. She explained to Rarity the Pinkie Pie situation and why they came to her. “Really? Oh, well you all are just in time than. I was going to show you all this today anyway, once I was finished. It’s a line of hair accessories I’m planning on starting. And six designs are based on us. I’m going to have them be different colors. I’m calling the line…Simply Fabulous!”
She pulled back the curtain, revealing six jeweled mane clips sitting on a table. The first one was a magenta star-shaped gem, surrounded by five smaller white gems, one gem a bit bigger than the other four. The second had two red rounded -heart shaped gems. The third was a white, almost blue gem with a red, a yellow, and a green ribbon hanging from it. The fourth were three blue gems, of course extra sparkly. The fifth had three light pink gems. And the sixth-
“Here you go Pinkie.”
Both Pinkies stepped forward.
“Oh, sorry. Pinks, you can wear this to help us tell you two apart.” Rarity said, clipping the mane clip into her poofy mane. In her mane were now three oval shaped gems, the middle yellow and the two on the side blue. Pinks giggled, looking up from the corner of her eye at the sparkly clip now in her mane. “It’s so pretty!”
“Rarity, these are all so lovely.”
Rarity smiled at Fluttershy. “Thank you dears. I’m not quite finished though. I need to find another gem for Applejack’s and finish cutting one of the gems small enough for Twilight’s. But when they’re done, I’m going to give them all to you.”
“Rarity, ah’ve got that cake yah asked fo-“
The group turned to Applejack, all of them wide eyed as well as the orange cowpony.
“What in tarnation is goin on in here?”
The two Pinkies gasped and squeaked ”Applejack! Hi before Pinks ran over with a wide grin. “Hi! We ran into each other earlier. I never explained. I’m Pinkie! Actually, I’m being called Pinks so to not confuse everyone. And I also have a pretty pin in my hair to not be confusing too. I missed Twilight so I came through the portal to see her and now everybody’s freaking out about it and Rarity fainted!”
Applejack blinked in confusion at Pinkie, glancing over her shoulder at Twilight. “Twilight, what in tarnation is goin on here?”
Twilight sighed, explaining yet again the situation they were in, in a less complicated way then Pinks just described.
“Ah see…anyways, as ah was sayin. Rarity, ah brought that apple cinnamon cake yah asked for Sweetie Belle’s birthday.”
Rarity smiled. “Why thank you, Applejack. I would bake it myself, but I thought it’d be better to have the best baker in Equestria make it for her. She loves your cake, as do I.”
“Oh shucks, thank you kindly Rare for the compliment.” Applejack said, flipping her ponytail over her blushing cheeks. She trotted back out the door, coming back in with a large box on her back. It smelled heavenly of apples, cinnamon, and deliciousness.
“Ooh, that smells delicious! When is Sweetie Belle’s party?” Pinks asked.
“This Saturday!” Pinkie said, hopping in place due to excitement. “Wanna come? It’s at Sugarcube Corner!”
“I am so there!”
Twilight shook her head. “Pinks, you can’t go. The portal closes on Thursday. You have to get back to your home before then.”
Pinks frowned. “Aww…Oh well. Besides, I’m throwing Sweetie Belle a party too. The Sweetie Belle in my world, I mean.”
Twilight sighed. “Speaking of the portal, I should probably head back to the library. Princess Celestia should’ve written back by-“
The alicorn was interrupted by Spike running in with a letter in hand. “Celes…tia…wrote…back…” he panted, holding the letter out to Twilight from the ground that he fell onto. Twilight took the letter via her magic, opening it and reading it allowed.
”My Dearest Twilight,
Do not worry too much. As long as you keep Pinkie in your sights, she shouldn’t cause too much trouble. But I’m going to need you and both Pinkies to come to the Crystal Empire before the gate closes. We don’t want to worry her friends and family back in her home with her being missing. Although, since she’s here anyway, she deserves to meet her parallel friends and experience the wonderful life of being a pony.
Princess Celestia”
Pinks grinned. “Ooh! Can I meet Sweetie Belle? And Applebloom? And Big Mac? And Flash Sentry? Ooh, and-“
“Pinks, yes, you can meet everypony.” Twilight said, blushing softly at the mention of her ex-boyfriend. “And I’m sure we’re all hungry. So how about we go grab a bite to eat?” she suggested. Everypony seemed up to that.
“Ooh, and I know the best place. Come along girls.” Rarity said, leading the group out of the boutique.