Disclaimer: I do not own Hasbro, My Little Pony or any characters, places, or events in the extended cannon, although it would be awesome if I did.
Chapter Six
Pinkie Party
Stuff happens when you are a kid; it scars you inside for life.
-Corey Haim
Twilight
Twilight smacked a hoof over her mouth, but it was too late. The damage had been done. Change slowly slid to the floor, accompanied by a loud thumping sound as Rarity sprinted up the stairs. Twilight quickly lashed out one of her back hooves, kicking the door shut.
“Twilight, darling?” Rarity called through the door. “Are you okay?” The door started to be pushed inwards as Rarity attempted to enter the room.
“Fine,” Twilight said, pushing the door closed again. “Everything’s fine.”
“If everything’s fine, then let me in,” Rarity said.
“Uh, no,” the lavender unicorn said. “Sorry. Change doesn’t want you in, remember?”
“Twilight,” Rarity said sternly, “Open the door.”
Twilight looked back at a destroyed Change before sighing. He couldn’t handle going through that again. “Rarity, I can’t.”
“What did you scream at, then?” the seamstress asked through the door.
“I, uh,” Twilight said, pausing in thought. “I. . . saw his. . . uh, sheath! Yeah, I saw his sheath and overreacted. Everything is fine.”
“Twilight,” Rarity said, obviously disbelieving.
There was a clicking sound as Twilight locked the door with magic, simultaneously turning on the water. “Sorry, Rarity. I need to get Change clean. I’ll talk to you later.”
The door rattled as Rarity tried to open it. “Twilight Sparkle, open this door now!”
Twilight ignored her and sat down next to the colt, who was attempting to wiggle back into the cover. “Hey,” she said quietly, pulling it off of him. He didn’t look up. “Change, look at me.” She pushed on his chin with her hoof until she could stare into his brilliant blue eyes. “You surprised me. Yes, I screamed, no, I shouldn’t have, and yes, you’re still getting a bath. Okay?”
“Twilight Sparkle!” Rarity yelled over the rattling door and rushing water.
He sat for a moment, unmoving, before reaching forward and writing on a piece of paper.
They always scream. I don’t like screaming.
“I’m sorry, Change,” Twilight said quietly. At this point, Rarity had given up on opening the door, lending a silent air to the room broken only by the magically silenced bath. “I was scared. I’ll admit that. We don’t see scars in Ponyville, especially not like. . . that.” She sighed. “Yes, it’s scary, okay? It makes me uncomfortable.” Change whimpered silently, reaching to grab the cover. Twilight pulled it out of his reach with magic. “Uh uh, mister. I wasn’t finished. It makes me uncomfortable, but it’s also kinda sexy.”
A very red and very confused Change looked at her in disbelief, seeing the smirk on her face. She spoke up louder this time, “You weren’t expecting that, were you? Most wouldn’t agree with me on the sexy part, but it means you’re strong. I mean, look at you! Nurse Redheart kicked me out of the hospital twice when I went in with a stubbed hoof, and there you are, covered in wounds that make my worst days look like a walk in the park.” The stallion shrunk into himself at her words. “There. Right there. That’s what makes these scars endearing. Normally, ponies with scars are the tough type, but you seem so. . . fragile. Like you have to be protected. Then you take that cover off and prove that even though you’re like you are, you can still be strong when you need to be.
“You went through something I can’t even imagine,” she continued. “I couldn’t even imagine getting one of those scars, but there you are. You’re fragile and injured, but not broken. You lived. That’s what makes you strong, Change. You didn’t avoid fate, you didn’t get lucky, you got dealt a bad hand, and you lived through it. You don’t let your scars define you.”
He scribbled out a note and hoofed it to her.
I do. I cover them. I avoid letting ponies see them. I don’t wash when others can see me. Everything I do is to avoid being seen without my cover. That’s what makes me weak. I’m afraid.
“Change, do you know what bravery is?” Twilight asked. He cocked an eyebrow in confusion. “Bravery and courage are not feeling fear, right?” Change nodded his head.
“Wrong.” Change tilted his head. “Bravery isn’t not feeling fear. Stupidity is not feeling fear. Confidence is not feeling fear. Bravery is being afraid—no, horse apple dropping terrified—and going ahead anyway. That’s what you do. You were willing to go back to the library, even though my brother terrifies you. That is bravery.”
Scratching noises filled the silent room as Change prepared his rebuttal. He scratched out words and underlined others as he went, before being satisfied. He hoofed the response over to Twilight.
I was willing to go to the library because I was more afraid of disappointing you than
himyour brother. I lived my life in constant fear of Celestia finding me and my family, especially when I was in a town. We had protocols set to abandon anyponyone we thought might possibly be compromised, sincesheCelestia could justrip the information out ofextract what she needed from a captive.
Twilight squinted. This part was faintly written and heavily scratched out, as if Change was uncertain writing it then decided that he didn’t want her to read it. After a few moments, she managed to make it out.
Then I met you. You helped me do a task that was extremely difficult out of the kindness of your heart. You came out of nowhere like an angel to save me.
She looked over at a heavily blushing Change, a blush on her own face. He was looking directly at the ground, shuffling his front hooves together while waiting for her to finish reading. The next part was a stronger writing, and there were no words crossed out.
Then I met you, and got caught saying goodbye after Warden got compromised. That is why I am weak, Twilight. I am weak because I was willing to cause the deaths of my entire family to say goodbye to a mare I had met only days ago, and would never see again.
“Change,” she said quietly. He looked up at her, a tear tracking down his face. She stuck out a hoof, wiping the tear off. “We all make mistakes. Some end poorly, while some—like coming back to say goodbye—end well.” She stood up and turned the water off, the tub being full enough for her purposes. She paused for a moment, looking at the door, before saying, “And Rarity? Not a word.”
There was a squeak from the other side of the door before the sounds of retreating hoofsteps could be heard. “You hear me, Rarity?” Twilight yelled. “Not. A. Word!”
Twilight sighed after she didn’t get a response, then stepped into the tub. She turned back to Change. “Well?” she asked. “Are you coming in?”
His face lit up like a Hearth’s Warming tree before he started scratching out a note.
I can wait for you to finish, I’m in no hurry.
“Change,” Twilight deadpanned, “I have to be in the tub to clean you properly. Get in.” A thoroughly reddened colt took halting steps up to the edge of the quite large sunken tub. Twilight rolled her eyes and pinched him in the rump with her magic. He gave off a silent yelp and jumped forward, right into Twilight’s waiting hooves. “Isn’t that better?” she asked through her laughter. His glare only served to extend her laughing fit.
—*~*~*—
Change
After a bit of sulking, he had eventually told Twilight that the cover was magical and didn’t just look and feel like fur, it was fur. After that little tidbit of information, she drug the cover in and washed that too. Now he looked and smelled much better.
Change was still red when they made it downstairs, a fact not lost on Rarity. “Oh, had a little mishap, did we?”
Twilight blushed. “Rarity! I had to be in the tub with him to clean him properly, and it embarrassed him.”
“You thought nothing about getting into a bath with a stallion?” Rarity asked.
“Things like this are only awkward if you make them that way,” Twilight said, frowning at Rarity.
“Oh?” the seamstress said, her grin suddenly threatening to rip the corners of her mouth. “Not even with a stallion as, ahem, ‘sexy’ as Change?”
The duo both went cherry red instantly, Change purely out of embarrassment and Twilight out of a mix of embarrassment and anger. “Rarity!” she shouted. “Not a word!”
Rarity chuckled. “Fine, fine. I won’t tell Shining Armor that you shared a bath with this colt that you find sexy.”
Change’s eyes went wide as he realized just what kind of trouble he would be in if this ever got out. Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Not a word to anypony,” she growled. “Especially not Shining Armor. Change is already terrified of him enough.”
Rarity frowned. “I hadn’t thought about that. Okay, then. You have until Shining Armor heads back to Canterlot before I tell.”
“Rarity,” Twilight warned.
“Do you honestly think I can keep something like this silent forever?” the seamstress asked. “I’ll tell eventually. This way, I’m not letting it slip accidentally later.”
Twilight let out a growl before turning to Change. “Do you know the way to the library from here?” When he nodded, she continued, “Good. Then head there. I’ll be back eventually with Rarity.”
Change nodded again as he left the building quickly. Again, Twilight’s yelling started before he closed the door. “You will not tell a single soul about this or I swear by Celestia—” Change shuddered as the rest of her sentence was cut off. She was quite prone to freaking out.
It took him only a few minutes and two wrong turns before somepony pointed him to the library. He opened the door, and walked in. He noticed after the first step that the rainbow terror was waiting right inside for him. Right next to the prismatic nightmare was the Captain of the Guard. His second step was going right back outside.
He felt a tug at his tail as somepony grabbed onto it. She got me again! Immediately he freaked out, jumping forward and yanking his tail out of the mouth of whoever had grabbed it. He turned around, backing up slowly, only to see Applejack sitting in the doorway rubbing her jaw. “Ya got a strong jump, ah’ll give you that.”
Change sighed while he walked back inside. A shy yellow pegasus was the next to speak up. “I guess we don’t touch him if he’s not expecting it,” she said. “I mean. . . if that’s okay with you girls.”
Applejack replied, “That’s more’n fine with me, Fluttershy. He’s a mite bit stronger than he looks.”
Rainbow scoffed. “He’s not that strong. I mean, he’s an earth pony, but he can’t compare with AJ or Mac.”
“They work on a farm for a living, silly!” a pink pony exclaimed. “They have to be strong strongy strong-pants, or they can’t do their job!”
“Rainbow, he’s easily strong enough to injure you if you spook ‘im,” Applejack said, “so don’t.”
“Psh, I could take ‘im,” Rainbow boasted. Change wilted at her words.
“Ah’m not saying ya can’t,” the farm mare replied. “Ah’m just sayin not to spook ‘im. Ah don’t want either of ya hurt.”
"I'm glad you think so high of me, AJ," Rainbow grumbled. "I could totally avoid getting hurt by a single colt."
“And ah’m not sayin’. . . ya know what? I give up,” Applejack groaned. “You’ll never leave it well enough alone, will you?”
“No, I won’t,” Rainbow said. “Now I have to get in a tussle with this guy. My pride is on the line.”
Shining Armor took a hissing intake of breath. “I wouldn’t, if I were you.”
“Oh? Why not?” the cocky flier asked.
“What would attacking him do, hit or not?” he asked.
“Hurt him?” she tried.
“Only if you hit. What about if you miss?” he encouraged.
“It would scare him,” Fluttershy spoke up.
“Exactly,” he said.
“Okay, I get that that’s a bad thing, but why?” Rainbow asked.
“One: he’s traumatized, and Twilight will yell at you for making it worse,” Shining Armor listed. “Two: he’s like a colt, and I don’t think that you scare the younglings. Three: he’s like a different pony when he gets scared enough.”
“Explain,” the flier demanded.
“It’s like his fear reaches critical mass and he stops being afraid,” the Guardspony said. “It confused and intimidated me. He stopped being so soft.”
Change was looking at him oddly. I don’t remember that.
“I gotta see this for myself,” Rainbow declared, then withered at the glares the rest of the room threw at her. “Or maybe not.”
Shining Armor got a confused look on his face. He sniffed the air. “Lavender. Something smells like lavender.”
“Maybe it’s something in the library?” Fluttershy suggested. Change shuffled nervously. The Guard had a good nose, and hopefully wouldn't smell the same smell on his sister. That could be awkward.
“No, it’s something recent,” he declared.
“Why does it matter?” Pinkie asked. “Maybe somepony likes lavender-smelly stuff.”
The Captain of the Guard sighed. "You're right. It doesn't matter. I don't even know why I mentioned it."
There was a loud, drawn out sniff as Pinkie shoved her nose into Change's shoulder. She grinned ear to ear as she faced the rest of the group. "Found it! It's Change!"
Rainbow burst out laughing while the rest of the room looked at her like she was crazy. "Pinkie Pie, you are so random!"
Shining Armor grinned despite himself. "You sure know how to lighten a mood, Miss Pie."
"Just Pinkie to my friends, Shiny," the pink pony said. "I'm Miss Pie only to formal formally formal-pants ponies and malevolent world eating entities that are over for tea."
Deciding his sanity was more important than figuring out what she was talking about, Shining Armor turned to a more sane conversational partner. "So, Change, where's Twily and Rarity?"
The mute opened his mouth and pointed at it, causing the Guardspony to facehoof. "Paper and pen, I forgot. Now where would Twily keep paper and a pen?"
Spike, heretofore unnoticed by the cyan pony, spoke up, "Anywhere. She keeps everything organized, but only she knows how."
Change felt a poke on his shoulder, and saw a bouncy pink pony holding a pen and some paper in her mouth. Change took them, nodding in thanks.
They stayed at the Boutique to talk about something.
"Do you know what?" Shining Armor asked.
Nope. Not a clue.
Luckily Shining Armor believed him. and moved onto other topics. “So, I’m here for the rest of the week. What do you girls suggest we do?”
“We could have a party!” Pinkie bounced into the middle of the group. “It would be sooooooo cool! I’d have pin the tail on the pony and bobbing for apples and maybe even spin the bottle!”
“Spin the bottle?” Shining Armor asked suspiciously. “Is that something you girls play a lot?”
“Not in the least, darling,” Rarity said, walking through the door.
“Hey Rares,” Rainbow said. “You missed the biggest chewing out of the century. I didn’t even know that Twilight knew about those words!”
Twilight walked into the suddenly-overcrowded library. “And you will keep them to yourself, Rainbow Dash.”
“Geez, she’s bossy today,” the flier mumbled.
“Why were you and Rarity late arriving, Twily?” the Guard Captain asked.
“I had to talk with Rarity about something,” Twilight said simply.
“Care to share?” Pinkie asked.
“No,” the lavender unicorn said. “So, what were you talking about before we got here?”
“Spin the bottle!” Pinkie exclaimed.
Twilight blinked slowly. “Really? Why?”
“Because we need a party,” Pinkie said. “It’s going to be a two parter. It’s half ‘Happy-Vacation-Shining-Armor’ and half ‘I-Finally-Met-Change-so-Now-We-Can-Have-a-Party’ party. Duh!”
“Uh huh,” Twilight deadpanned before saying honestly, “Sounds fun. Why don’t you get it set up in the library? It’ll just be the nine of us.”
Pinkie started counting ponies. “Silly Twilight, there’s only eight ponies here!”
“Spike?” the unicorn suggested.
“Nine ponies here,” Pinkie corrected. “That’s what I said, Twilight. You need your ears checked.”
Twilight turned away from her insane pink friend to see a note.
Spin the bottle?
Pinkie picked it up with a huge grin. “Don’t you worry a thing. Your auntie Pinkie’s going to take care of you.”
Twilight sighed in exasperation. “Is spin the bottle really the best game for this party?”
“Of course!” the pink party pony said. “Spin the bottle is a great game for any party.”
“Okay,” Twilight sighed. “When will you be set up?”
“I already am!” Pinkie exclaimed.
The girls looked around the room. Seeing nothing, Rarity commented, “Uh. . . Pinkie, darling, this room isn’t set up for a party. You’d think there would at least be a bottle if you’re going to insist on playing that uncouth game.”
“It’s upstairs, silly!” Pinkie said. “Do you really think I’d put a party on the ground floor of a public library, especially if we’re going to be playing spin the bottle?”
“How long ago did you set this party up?” Applejack asked.
“As soon as I got here,” the pink pony said. “Then I snuck out a window and came back in from the front door.”
The other ponies looked around at each other and shrugged. Pinkie would be Pinkie. Twilight led the march upstairs, followed by Shining Armor.
“Lavender,” he muttered to himself.
“I’m sorry?” Twilight asked.
“No, nothing,” he said, waving a hoof. “We have a party to go to.” He turned to Pinkie. “Although I assume you won’t be insulted if I opt out of spin the bottle?”
“Why?” the oblivious pony asked. “It’s a bunch of fun!”
“Two reasons,” he said. “One: I’m married. Two: my sister is one of the players.”
Pinkie opened her mouth to retort, then actually thought for a second. “That makes a ton of sense. I can see how you’re related to Twilight; you’re both smart smarty smart-pants.”
“Thank you?” he asked. “I think?”
“You’re welcome!” she said, bouncing back into her position next to a now-nervous Change. What is spin the bottle?
As soon as he walked into the room, he was given the impression of what he always assumed a party would look like. It had balloons and streamers everywhere. Little paper cutout balloons were stuck to the walls in various places, except where they framed a pony silhouette missing its tail pasted onto the wall. There were different colored tails stuck onto the wall next to the silhouette. Pin the tail on the pony, I assume.
A table had a bowl of punch and some cupcakes. And by ‘some cupcakes’, I mean a ridiculous amount of cupcakes. Like, looking at it gave you diabeetus. An empty bottle with hearts and lips coating its surface was sitting on the table. There’s the bottle. Now what does spinning it do?
“We’ll start with pin the tail on the pony!” Pinkie exploded as soon as all the ponies were in the room, startling Fluttershy. The timid pegasus hid behind Rainbow, unnoticed by the party pony as she grabbed Change around his shoulders, slipping a blindfold over his eyes. “We’ll start with the party guests!”
Change couldn’t keep which was was up or down straight as he was spun like a top. After about ten seconds, he was stopped suddenly and Pinkie said, “Forward!”
The mute pony stumbled one way, then the other as he walked towards where he thought the wall was. He had no idea what he was doing, but he assumed that he had to put the tail Pinkie had put in his mouth at some point onto the silhouette’s rump. He tried to figure out where the cutout pony might be, before his decision was made for him. His nose smacked into the wall, and he fell on his own rump, missing the tail from his mouth. He pushed up the blindfold to see how accurate he was.
Good news, he’d hit. Bad news, the pony was now a unicorn with a very fuzzy horn. He blushed when he saw how bad he missed, much to the amusement of the mares around him. “Aw, come on Change,” Twilight said. “It wasn’t that bad for your first try. You should have seen mine.”
“You’re supposed to hit the wall, Twilight,” Pinkie reminded.
“I have since then!” the unicorn said, blushing.
Change’s pride healed a bit when Shining Armor went next. He started out all macho, all “Royal Guards have no problem fighting blindfolded, this won’t be a problem.” His tail was farther away than Change’s. The younger stallion passed the Guard a note.
You’re supposed to hit the pony.
Shining Armor just grumbled something about beginner’s luck. Twilight was happy to see them interacting and not just Change avoiding him. Next, however, she groaned.
“Spin the bottle!” Pinkie exclaimed after all the ponies had placed their tails on the wall. Fluttershy had won, to the surprise of only the stallions.
“Do we have to?” a tiny voice asked.
"Do you have an excuse or a doctor's note?" Pinkie questioned.
"Well, I don't have an excuse like Shining Armor's, but I don't want to kiss anypony," the shy mare said.
What. "That's okay, Fluttershy," Pinkie said. "You can kiss on the cheek, and everypony will kiss you on the cheek."
"That works, I guess," Fluttershy said. Kiss? I didn't sign up for this!
"Hey lookie, we're already is a circle!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Fluttershy, as the winner of our last competition, you pick who spins the bottle first."
Am I the only one that heard that? Fluttershy hummed in thought before pointing at Change.
"Good choice," the party pony said. "Shining Armor, since you aren't playing, you judge. Enforce. Whatever it is Guards do at parties." Why is nopony reacting to the whole "kissing" thing?
"Are there any special rules I need to be aware of?" he sighed, resigned to his fate.
"Ten second rule," Rainbow Dash said. "If they don't kiss for ten seconds, they have to use tongue."
"Ooh, great idea!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Twilight also has a walk in closet that shy ponies can use. With our judge making sure rules are followed, of course." She turned to Change. "Spin it!"
The mute glanced at the Guard, who gave him an encouraging nod. As long as it wasn't Twilight, he would be fine. He reached out with a hoof and smacked the neck of the bottle.
As it spun, he glanced up at the faces of the ponies. Rarity was glancing at Twilight, as if she wanted it to land on her. Fluttershy tensed every time it pointed at her and relaxed when it pointed away. Rainbow seemed like she was having trouble keeping her wings down, though whether it was due to excitement or excitement, Change didn't know. Pinkie was unreadable as ever, seeming to be excited no matter which pony the bottle landed on. Applejack was staring at the bottle with unequaled intensity, letting no hints slip as to what she wanted. Twilight was shifting nervously as the bottle spun, and as it slowed she fidgeted even more.
Eventually the bottle stopped spinning, and fate had made its choice. Change followed the bottle from bottom to neck before letting his vision jump to the pony it was pointing at. Change stared in horror at the pretty purple pupil pointed at by the perilous phial.
This is how I die.