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// Chapter 2 - A Strange Tail 
// Story: A Tail of Two Pinkies 
// by Evil_Enchanter 
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It had been just over an hour since Fluttershy had left Pinkie all on her lonesome in charge of running Sugarcube Corner for the next couple of days. Pinkie had already become bored, and restlessly began to bounce from one end of the shop to the other in a typical Pinkie fashion.
‘Geez, it sure is quiet and boring around here!’ She said loudly to herself, hoping that somepony would hear. Repeating herself, she thought that maybe increasing her volume would encourage customers to enter the shop.
‘I said GEE, IT SURE IS QUIET AND BORING AROUND HERE.’ She stretched out her hooves and let out a yawn whilst looking around the shop for any stray customers.

Nopony was around to hear her, leaving her disheartened. But this disappointment soon vanished as a bouncing mane and two pairs of hooves were seen out the front window of Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie stuck her head out the window and yelled at the top of her lungs to the passing-by pony.
‘DO YOU KNOW IT’S REALLY QUIET IN HERE!?’
The pony appeared shocked, her mane stood on end as she paused in the middle of the street to be frightened by the sudden noise. Pinkie stuck her head back in the window and went to open the door to greet her new friend.
Without looking she threw the door open and began introductions.
‘Hi, my name’s Pinkie Pie and I’m running Sugarcube Corner for the weekend! I’ve got lots of friends in Ponyville but there’s always room for more! Everypony knows me for my parties, I’m the best at parties, someponies call me Pinkie the Party Pony. Well they don’t really, but sometimes I like to call myself that.’
But without noticing, the pony had bolted and left Pinkie standing by herself talking strangely to a cloud of dust kicked up by the frightened pony’s hooves.

Unbeknownst to Pinkie, a filly from across the other side of the small street watched through latticework windows as Pinkie continued to introduce herself to the cloud of dust.
‘You should have been around for my party last night, we had decorations and streamers and fairy-lights and pinwheels and piñatas and pin-cushions and goodies like sugar cubes and sugar canes and sundaes and sun-beams and sarsaparilla. Not to mention the cider!’ Pinkie held a hoof to her mouth, imagining drinking a mug full of cider. Realising she had caught herself daydreaming about cider AGAIN she quickly opened her eyes to take a look at the new pony.

To her surprise there was nopony there at all, just a small cloud of settling dust resting at the bottom of her hooves. Searching for the runaway pony, Pinkie noticed the little filly on the opposite side of the street and called out to her.
'Hey, did you see which way that pony went?'
The obviously nervous filly dropped behind the windowsill and was quick to slam the windows shut. Pinkie sighed and slumped to the ground letting out a feeble sigh as she did.
‘Why is nopony around today? This is my big chance to run Sugarcube Corner and there hasn’t even been a single customer yet. And I don’t even have any company either…’ Pinkie muttered to herself in a strangely melancholic manner.
A twittering bird landed on top of her head and began preening the mass of springy, unstraightenable hair.
‘Well at least I’ve got company now, isn’t that right little birdy. Another friend for me!’ Her mood quickly picked up.
The bird hopped forward to the front of the sprawling curls and glanced down at Pinkie giving her an odd glance. There was a sudden chirp and the bird was gone, Pinkie’s mood slowly began to change back…

Unlike herself, Pinkie walked sluggishly back into Sugarcube Corner staring at the ground as she went. Her hair seemed to sag more and more with each slow step she took as if the curls seemed to disappear slightly. A hoof was extended to the closed door, but in vain hope she gazed over her flank in hope that the pony had returned to give her some much needed company. But to her dismay the streets were as dead as if a horde of parasprites had chased overypony out of town.
Another sigh resounded from Pinkie, louder this time so that maybe somepony would hear her, but still no success. Pushing the door open, Pinkie slumped inside and ambled sadly over to the counter, her hair beginning to droop in front of her eyes.

‘Where is everypony?’ She muttered to herself, ‘Running Sugarcube Corner is no fun when there’s nopony to serve, nopony to talk to, nopony to laugh with…’ Tears began to well up that she managed to dull by rubbing her eyes.
Plonking herself upon the shop counter, she rested her head in her hooves and stared longingly towards the door. Distant noises from ponies in the town centre could be heard; Pinkie was envious.
‘Maybe I should go see Fluttershy, she’d be able to watch the shop with me.’ She pondered upon the thought and trotted towards the door.
‘No, I’ve made a promise to Mr and Mrs Cake to look after Sugarcube Corner, and leaving it unattended would be breaking that promise! And if I broke their promise I would lose their trust…’ Pinkie paused for dramatic effect, she turned around and stared directly at the reader of this sentence, ‘…FOREVER!’

Quickly reverting back to her joyful old self, Pinkie was determined to look after the shop, for a promise was a promise! She returned to her spot at the counter and again began to watch the door with excitement. 

Seconds passed, all was still quiet.

Minutes passed as she still stared with determination at the inanimate door, flinching with excitement at every noise.

After half an hour of watching and waiting Pinkie rubbed her eyes tiredly with a hoof. How long had she been sitting and watching the same spot now?
‘I’m sure a little nap wouldn’t hurt anypony. There’s not going to be any customers at this time of day anyway…’ She lay her head flat upon the counter and almost instantly drifted off to sleep.


* * * *


Pinkie awoke to the noise of shuffling outside the door. Lifting her head up, she swivelled an ear in the direction of the noise and heard the soft sound of hooves against the damp soil of the flowerbeds nearby. Glancing through the window, she caught a quick view of what appeared to be a tail dragging along the ground. What was a pony doing snooping around outside Sugarcube Corner? Either the pony had a ridiculously long tail (which was highly unlikely from any citizens of Ponyville), or this pony was dragging along somepony else. Pinkie let out an exaggerated gasp as she ran to the window and peeked through the curtains to get a better look at the mystery figure. For the sake of Mr and Mrs Cake she had to get to the bottom, no, the top of this mystery!