Pinkie downed her drink in one gulp. She found it replaced before she could muster the strength to groggily ask for another. She made to drink this one, but stopped as she caught her reflection in it's contents. Her tearful, crestfallen face. She set it back down, letting her tears fall into it.
"I'm washed up," she finally said to herself. "I'm nothing now. That other pony.....she'll make this town smile wider than I ever did." She took a idle sip. "So what will I do now? Will I find another town? What about their Pinkie? Will I have to take her parties from her? I just don't know what to do." She took another swing of her drink and sighed. "I get another here, tender?"
"Uh, Pinkie," Mr. Cake said with concern, "I think you've had enough lemonade." She gave him a nasty look and brought her hoof down on the counter hard.
"I'll tell you when I've had enough! Another!" she snapped before putting her head down in despair. Mr. Cake groaned, but left to fetch a fresh pitcher anyway. At that moment, the doors to Sugarcube Corner opened, revealing a familiar yellow pegasus who looked more troubled than usual.
"Pinkie!" she exclaimed, rushing over to her defeated friend. "I think I know where she's going next! C'mon, we can catch her!" She tugged Pinkie's arm, but found she didn't budge from her seat. Pinkie just turned her head wistfully without lifting it from the counter to stare at Fluttershy.
"Forget it, Flutters. I'm done chasin' her. That mare wants my job so bad, she can have it." A few tears slipped from her face as Mr. cake came back with another cup of lemonade. She took it, but didn't drink it just yet. "Ponyville deserves better."
"But-But, what about you?" Fluttershy pleaded. "Ponyville never wanted or needed better, it just needed you." She sat down beside her friend, putting one wing on her back gently. "I know you think that she does better than you, what with her gold and weird monsters and such, but none of that means she knows Ponyville, or any pony like you do. We all know you care, Pinkie. And nopony, not even her, can outdo that by just giving them things."
Pinkie looked at her, eyes still glistening. She then wiped her eyes clear and sniffled, giving Fluttershy the smallest hints of a smile. "You really think so?" she said quietly. Fluttershy just pulled her into a gentle embrace.
"I know so." she said sincerely. She stepped back to see her friend finally smiling again. It wasn't the face-breaking grin that she would expect, but a small, hopeful one that was at least progress. Pinkie moved to finish her drink, but stopped. She peered into it, then set it down on the counter and pushed it away. She got up from her seat and looked to Pinkie with her mane still covering part of her face, but not hiding her newfound determination.
"Where to next?" she asked.
-------------------------------------------
Twilight Sparkle sighed as she closed the last of her suitcases. The month away from Ponyville and her friends had been a tiring one. Celestia had wanted her help in pacifying a visiting tribe of zebras that were unusually irritable.. She still hadn't figured out if they were like this all the time, or if they felt their mission required an attitude Rainbow Dash would find unnecessary.
But that was all past her now. The zebras, off-putting as they were, had come to reasonable terms and would fulfill their end of the deal. And that meant she could go home and put the stress behind her. It was the afternoon, and the sky was turning steadily darker. She would most likely be home by nightfall. As she carried her luggage to the front door, she spied a rose next to a blue bow tie on her bed stand. She smiled. Okay, so maybe this whole thing hasn't been that stressful, she thought.
Her reminiscing was halted by the sound of heavy footfalls coming from a distance. She darted to the window to see the oddest creature she had ever seen lumbering through Canterlot. Comprised of legs and a platform, Twilight could see there were two ponies riding on it. She took a step on the windowsill, then pushed off through it. She fell a few feet before flapping her wings, slowing and eventually stopping her descent. A few flaps and she made her way haphazardly to the top of the creature. Grabbing the rim of its platform "head" she tried to hoist herself up, but found her hoof grabbed and pulled up. She recognized the riders immediately.
"Fluttershy!? Pinkie?! What are you doing here? What is this thing!?" she asked.
"No time to explain, Twilight." Pinkie answered, in a more dour way than she expected. "Has any weird pony given you things, complimented you or tried to make you have fun?"
"No! I haven't! What's this all about?!" she yelled. Pinkie just turned to Fluttershy, her smile getting a little wider.
"We got to Twilight first, Fluttershy! We beat her! Now all we have to do is wait until she comes for Twilight and we can jump her!" she said excitedly.
"Oh, um, you mean confront her. Right, Pinkie?" Fluttershy mumbled.
Pinkie leered at her for a split second. "Yeah. Sure." she grumbled, dialing back her enthusiasm.
Just then, the sound of flapping wings got the three ponies' attention. They turned to see a blond pegasus with gray fur flying towards them. She wore a red cap and a singular saddle bag and her eyes seemed to be off focus. She plopped herself down inelegantly on the creature and smiled at the group.
"Princess Twilight?" she asked. Twilight raised her hoof. "I have a delivery for you, Ma'am." With one wing, she reached into her bag filled with letters and took out a shiny object. A golden muffin. "Oho, wait." she chuckled. "That's mine."
Reaching in her bag again, she pulled out another object, this time a pendant of a six-pointed star. She handed it to Twilight, who took it in her magic grip. The pegasus saluted, then jumped off the platform, flying off. Fluttershy looked at Pinkie Pie uneasily, who had a very blank expression on her face.
Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but her delivery suddenly sprang to life and leapt into the air just above their heads. It spun in place, beginning to give off its own bright light that hurts their eyes. In one great big explosion of light, the star stopped, falling down again. The light it produced had left a portal on the creature's head. It was rimmed in a yellow light and was pure white in the middle.
The three ponies looked at the magical construct in disbelief. They looked at each other, as though asking who would risk stepping through it first. Twilight took up her pendant and boldly stepped forth, tentatively putting a hoof through it. Her whole forelimb passed through it without resistance. Looking to her friends once more, she followed with another hoof, her head, and then the rest of her body slid through and disappeared.
Pinkie glared at the entry way, wary of the effect it could have, considering it was made by her yet unknown rival. But she stepped through herself. Perhaps going along with her plan would reveal the fun-stealing fiend. Fluttershy, now alone, trembled a little, but eventually dove through the portal herself.
-------------------------------------------
Pinkie found herself landing in a pile of thick vegetation. A quick scan of her surroundings revealed she was in a dead end of the Canterlot Hedge Maze, with the ground littered in soft leaves. Around her she could hear the grunts of surprise coming from other ponies. Both ponies she knew from Ponyville and ones that she never met. They all seemed to be as confused as she was. Then, a great whistling sound was heard, ending in a series of loud pops. She looked up in time to see the bright lights of fireworks going off in the sky. The ponies around her gazed at the spectacle in awe.
Her own reverence was halted by the arrival of Fluttershy, who landed on her softly.
"Sorry, Pinkie." she said as Pinkie lightly shoved her off. The other ponies had stopped looking at the light show to notice the small signs pinned to the hedges around them, all directing them towards what looked like the direction the fireworks originated. Some were already following them, and Pinkie's next move was clear for her.
"C'mon, Fluttershy," she said in a voice full of resolve. "We've got her now."
The two ponies followed the directions quickly, passing all manner of ponies along the way, until they came to a group of ponies standing in a line. They all seemed excited to enter a grove where the beat of party music could be heard, rising and suddenly falling constantly. They got in line and waited behind two pegasi of similar colors. Fluttershy waited patiently, but Pinkie breathed rather audibly, and tapped her hoof whenever the line stopped for two long. She kept her gaze locked ahead of her in a steely glare, and frightened one of the girls in front of her when she happened to turn around.
Luckily, the line moved quickly, and they could finally see the front of the grove. At it stood three diamond dogs. One looked very familiar, but with it's red vest replaced by a fancy tuxedo he was clearly uncomfortable in. He was checking each pony and sending each inside, at which point the two armored dogs guarding the entrance would stand aside to let them in. Pinkie caught a sight of Twilight's purple tail heading inside. The pegasus twins in front of them came up to have their turn.
"Invite?" the dog growled. One pegasus, with the her hair topped with a bow, pulled out a gold dragonfly. Looking it over, he took a quick look at the checklist in front of him, and checked off her box. He waved her inside. She gleefully started towards the door. Her sister, on the other hand, look a little crestfallen.
"Oh, I...kind of...don't have one." she said meekly. This got a short glare from the dog, whose eyes went to his list again. After a quick look, he waved her in as well.
"Pony on List." he said. Her face lighting back up, she ran after her sibling. Pinkie and Fluttershy came up next. "Invite?"
"Are we on the list?" Pinkie asked in an annoyed fashion. The dog looked over his list again, and responded,
"No."
Pinkie's eyes narrowed.
"And no invite?"
"No.....no." she said quietly.
"Step off line, pony."
Pinkie began to comply, but was stopped by Fluttershy, who tried to reason with him.
"Are you sure we're not on the list?"
"Yes."
"Couldn't you check again, maybe?"
"No!"
"Can we maybe, talk to the hostess? Just pop in and-"
"NO!"
".....not even for a bellyru-"
"OFF LINE, PONY!"
At his interjection, one guard left his post to grab Pinkie and Fluttershy in his strong arms and tossed them both into a nearby hedge.