Guests- Uninvited and Otherwise
The door burst open. Rarity stood in the center of a circular maelstrom of pink. The maelstrom spoke. “Rarity! You'll never guess what I just found!” Rarity stood fast, doing her best to look completely unphased and unamused.
“A new friend?” she replied to the blur. Amazingly, the blur stopped, turning into a painfully pink pony. The pink pony's eyes widened.
“You must have one too!”
“One what, darling?”
“A populous past pony peering device, silly! Fluttershy already has one, and you two are the first ponies I've met that both guessed what I found!”
“Sorry dear, not following. What can I do for you?”
“Well, I was going to hold a party for my first new friend, but when Fluttershy told me she found a friend, I knew this would have to be an extra special, super big party, because now there are two new friends we get to celebrate. My room's great for parties, but not for an extra super-duper big party like this one! Rarity,” the pony dove at Rarity's hooves, hugged them, and looked up with the eyes of a puppy whose biscuit had just been stolen, “Rarity, can we please have our new pony party here?” Rarity realized that the quivering Pink mass was asking to hold a party in Carousel Boutique.
“I'm afraid not.” The pink one sat on her haunches, produced a handkerchief, and started crying. The crying was so pitiful that Sweetie Belle and the Griffon came to the arch that separated the kitchen from the main hall to see what was wrong. Rarity noticed them peering in. Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes and grabbed two buckets from a corner.
“Raridy! Why'b you haffe do go and mage her gry?” Sweetie Belle's muffled voice wormed its way past the bucket handles in her mouth. She put one bucket on either side of the crying pony, who was, coincidentally, crying buckets.
“Oh don't worry, I simply refused because it would be inhospitable not to invite my new guest.” As soon as Rarity said this, the water hoses of tears stopped and the pink one looked at Rarity, blissfully ignorant.
“Huh?”
“Why,” Rarity held an explanatory hoof to her breast, “I simply can't have any pony being left out of a soiree held at my manor. Especially when that pony isn't a pony at all! Pinkie Pie, I'd like you to meet... um, what did you say your name was again?”
“Griffy!” cried Sweetie Belle.
“That's not it!” the Griffon growled. Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie, the name of the bundled pink energy, began to fluctuate. “Wha- what's wrong?” The griffon took a few steps back, unsure of what to make of Pinkie's current state. Rarity took a few steps toward Pinkie Pie, gesturing at her with a hoof.
“Oh don't worry she's probably going to have an excitement atta-” The sounds of firecrackers and bottle rockets drowned out anything else Rarity was saying. Pinkie Pie jumped and floated in mid air, giving a stream of whoops and hollers that seemed to remind the Griffon of a battle cry. There was also confetti.
“Three new friends IN THE SAME DAY! This hasn't happened since... well this has never happened before! There's so much to do, time is candy, I gotta go!” Pinkie Pie lowered back to earth, zipping out of the door as soon as her hooves were earth-bound again. Her head reappeared back in the doorway as quickly as it had left. Her eyes were wide. “Rar-”
“Yes, of course we can have the party here.” Rarity replied cordially. A tactical genius, able to predict her friend's question, the Griffon observed silently. Pinkie was once again gone; this time she didn't return.
Rarity spun on her hooves to face her sister and the Griffon. “Now then, Sweetie Belle, Griffy, yes I know that's not your name, but it will have to do for now- we have work to do.”
“Not me,” Sweetie Belle chimed, “I have to go to school, bye!” The filly galloped over to a counter near the door, picked up a bundle of books held together with some leather strapping, and dashed out the door. Rarity went to the door and called after her.
“Okay, but no dilly dallying. I need you home as soon as school is over.” Through the doorway the Griffon could hear a distant reply.
“Oh! Can my friends come too?” The Griffon rubbed a temple as the filly's voice cracked into a squeak again.
“Yes, that will be fine.”
“Yay!”
“Well then,” Rarity turned again, marching to the center of the room, “Looks like you get to help me with the shop today,” she started levitating a number of bolts of cloth, stacking them neatly. “As well as my new fashion line. Oh the things I can do with a Griffon model, simply inspiring! Not to mention, you must help me prepare for the party tonight. As... enthusiastic about tonight as Pinkie Pie is, tonight's social function will be held in my shop, and that means it must certainly have a true spirit of haut monde.” A horde of enemy combatants he could deal with, but he felt awkward and out of place with these ponies and their fancy things that served no purpose. The graceful decorating wasn't helping, either. Rarity stooped her head to levitate some clothes and looked back over her shoulder at the Griffon. “Yes, this will do nicely.” The Griffon didn't like the way she was looking at him. Surely she couldn't be serious. Surely she wouldn't be so cruel as to put that on him. The Griffon stared blankly. His left eye began to twitch.