//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: The Awkward Explanation of Cupcakes // by SirShadestrider //------------------------------// The awkward explanation of cupcakes While Rainbow Dash was recuperating in Sugarcube corner, Pinkie Pie had decided to go out into town to see her friends. "I wonder who I should visit first?" Pinkie asked herself. "Maybe I should go see Rarity." While Pinkie bounced down the street, she was rather oblivious to the reactions of the various ponies. Ponies who saw her coming screamed and ran inside their homes, eager to lock their doors, bolt their windows, shut their shutters, and replace their "Welcome" mats with "Stay away" mats. All of this went completely unnoticed by Ponyville's resident super party pony. When she got to Carousel Boutique, Pinkie noticed that the blinds were closed. "Huh, I wonder what that's about?" Pinkie wondered aloud. Pinkie knocked, and just as Pinkie had come to expect, Rarity answered. For some reason, Rarity looked like she had been crying. "Hello, and welcome to Caro-" Rarity began without any of her usual excitement, but paused when she saw the pink mare on the other side of the door. Rarity's face turned even whiter than normal, which was pretty impressive for a pony of her color. "Hi, Rarity!" Pinkie chirped joyfully to her friend. Rarity screamed loudly and slammed the door, and Pinkie heard the unmistakable click of at least a dozen different locks being locked. "Maybe she forgot about an order she had to fill." Pinkie Pie shrugged. "Maybe I should go and hang out with Twilight." Pinkie mused. So Pinkie Pie, currently somehow unaware of the screams of terror caused by Ponyville's horrified inhabitants, bounced her way to Twilight's library. When Pinkie finally arrived at her destination, she promptly knocked on the door, and as usual, she was greeted by her good friend Twilight Sparkle. Twilight's bloodshot eyes suddenly went wide, as her mouth tried to form coherent words. "Hiya, Twilight! Wanna have a party?" Pinkie asked. Twilight just stood there, shaking and whimpering pitifully. Pinkie did not seem to pick up on this social cue, as she decided to smile even wider, and lean in even closer to her purple unicorn friend. Pinkie's face was now practically right up against Twilight's tear stained one. Twilight took a deep breath, as Pinkie waited to hear her friend's response. It was not the response Pinkie Pie had hoped for, as her friend screamed at the top of her lungs "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Pinkie covered her ears with her front hooves, but that only did so much against Twilight's verbal assault. "PINKIE-RAINBOW-CUPCAKES-CANNIBALISM-MURDER-HORROR-NOOOOO!!" Twilight yelled in rapid fire, before slamming and locking the door, and putting up a force-field. Pinkie just stared at the now force-field protected door in shock. "Was it something I said?" Pinkie asked innocently. "Maybe Fluttershy is acting a little more normal today." Pinkie said to her self hopefully. It wasn't long before Pinkie Pie had reached Fluttershy's cottage " I wonder what good ol' Fluttershy is up to? Whatever it is, I"ll bet it's fun!" Pinkie cheered. Once Pinkie Pie knocked, and Fluttershy opened the door however, Fluttershy simply went pale and fainted. "Fluttershy, are you okay?" Pinkie asked the yellow pegasus, but obviously got no response. Pinkie just decided to pick Fluttershy up, and carry her inside, and plop her on the sofa. Covering Fluttershy with a blanket, Pinkie could hardly fathom why everypony was acting so strangely today. "Maybe I should give Applejack a try." thought Pinkie, and so, once again, Pinkie was off. It took some galloping, but Pinkie eventually made it to Applejack's farm. Pinkie knocked on the door, but received no answer. Pinkie Pie decided to try the barn. Pinkie pushed the barn door open, only to find not only Applejack, Big Mac, Applebloom, and Granny Smith, but also Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Spike, and an unconscious Fluttershy in the barn as well. At the sight of the dreaded pink party pony, everyone (sans Fluttershy) screamed and huddled together for protection from what they thought was their approaching doom. Pinkie Pie had had enough! "What is WRONG WITH EVERYPONY?!" Pinkie yelled. "Wrong with us?!" Applejack exclaimed shakily, "It was you who ate Rainbow!" Pinkie stared at Applejack dumbfounded. "Ate her?!" Pinkie asked shocked, "What are talking about? I didn't eat her, she's fine!" "B-b-but the basement...and the cupcakes, and the b-b-b-blood..." Twilight Sparkle stammered. Pinkie thought for a minute. What did Twilight mean, what was she going on about? Then it dawned on her. Sweet Celestia! No wonder they were all scared of her! They only saw and heard everything out of context. It all made perfect sense now! "Oooooohhhh." Pinkie said. "Allow me to tell you what actually happened..." About an hour later Pinkie Pie had explained everything to her assembled friends. They all believed her thanks to Applejack being the element of honesty, and therefore, being the perfect lie detector. "I...I can't believe that we all jumped to a conclusion like that! I'm so sorry that we didn't give you a chance to explain." Twilight Sparkle said. "I agree with Twilight, it was most unbecoming of us. I'm sorry Pinkie" Rarity said. "I'll say, mighty sorry Pinkie!" Applejack agreed. Fluttershy, having woken up just before Pinkie Pie began her explanation, apologized as well "I feel awful, just awful!" Fluttershy whimpered. "Can you ever forgive us?" Fluttershy asked. Pinkie sighed "Of course I can silly! I just can't believe it took me that long to put two and two and two and two together!" "Friends?" Twilight smiled at Pinkie along with everypony else present, "Friends!" Pinkie giggled and somehow stretched her limbs around the assembled ponies in a strange, yet sweet physics-defying hug. Rainbow Dash burst through the barn doors suddenly. "Everypony, it's not what you think! I-" but Rainbow stopped when she saw the odd group hug, and let out a sigh of relief. "Looks like I don't have much to explain after all." Rainbow decided to join in the hug as well. "You do all realize that we have a whole town full of ponies we need to talk to so we can set the record straight right?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Yeah let's go and do that." Pinkie said happily "Together." Everypony else nodded in agreement, "Together!" they all cheered. And so, everypony in Ponyville learned a valuable lesson that day: always hear a friend out, and never assume the worst.