After Cherry Blossom left the library, they soon began to discuss the issue.
"So, Sky didn’t tell her the truth, huh?" Rainbow said.
"Probably he did not want his beloved one to think he sold his soul to the Devil" Rarity suggested. "Literally."
"Probably ya’re right, Rarity" Applejack said. "Ah know Cherry very well tah know she woudn’t never want tah have anythin’ tah do with Sky, if she knew what it cost him tah come here."
"Come on, girls, it's just a lie" Fluttershy defended. "This doesn’t mean..."
"Fluttershy, you have to begin see things more objectively" Twilight said. "You heard what the Lord of Order said. Sky deceived Cherry and Deceit is one of the Elements of Chaos. We must act quickly."
"Right" Rainbow said. "Let’s go change this asshole and send him back to where he came from."
"It’s good you’re all enthusiastic, Rainbow Dash" Twilight said.
"Honestly, Rainbow Dash, you should contain this enthusiasm of yours" Rarity advised. "Remember we are talking about the ex-boyfriend of a good friend of ours."
"Excuse me if I express my joy of helping a friend get rid of a big problem with a little more enthusiasm" Rainbow Dash mocked.
"Girls, let's calm down" Twilight said. "Remember that the work ahead is quite complicated and we have to focus on it."
"No offense, Twi, but Ah think we all agree when Ah say that ya're exaggeratin’ a bit " Applejack said, while the others were waving. "Ah think our missions are easy."
"Oh yeah?" Twilight asked, in her serious tone.
"But of course" Applejack said. "Ah mean, look at mah mission. Ah jest have tah make Sky be honest, right? So Ah just have tah make him tell Cherry who actually brought him tah Equestria. Easy."
"I don’t think it will be that easy" Twilight said. "How do you think you gonna do that, Applejack? Leaning him against a wall and threatening to beat him?"
"Easy, girl" she said. "Ah know what Ah do."
"Just like me" Rainbow Dash said. "He must had left a family and lots of friends behind. If I made him realize what he left behind, perhaps his loyalty for them will come up."
"And with me, just a simple act of chivalry" Rarity said. "Chivalry and generosity always go hand in hand."
"And I know he must have a kinder side under all that evil the Lord of Order says he has now" Fluttershy said.
So Pinkie started jumping and waving, pointing to her mouth still magically sealed.
"Oh, sorry, Pinkie" Twilight apologized. "I forgot completely to stop the spell."
"I really thought things were very quiet here" Rainbow Dash said.
Twilight then undid her spell and Pinkie could speak again.
"Ah, finally!" she exclaimed. "I was seeing that I would have to stay without talking for much longer."
"Wow, and what a tragedy it would be" Applejack joked.
"You bet" Pinkie answered. "I mean, how would somepony live without hearing the sound of her own voice? I don’t know anypony who can live without the sound of her own voice? I guess nopony..."
"Pinkie!" her friends exclaimed.
"Ok, grumblers" she said, adopting a more serious tone (from Pinkie’s perspective, of course). "My plan to make Sky smile again with joy is quite simple."
"Does it have something to do with a party, balloons and sweets?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"No" she replied. "Wait ... yes! How do you know? Are you psychic?
"It was a lucky guess" Rainbow replied sarcastically.
"Well, if you five think that’s the best way to do this, then you can do it" Twilight said. "But, girls, remember, if you need help, you can count with me.”
"Twilight, darling, don’t worry" Rarity said. "We deal with this."
"Yeah, why don’t you concentrate yourself on finding what is that suuuuper secret mission of yours the Lord of Order talked about?" Pinkie asked.
"Yes, I think you're right, Pinkie" Twilight said. "Well, I have only to wish you good luck, girls."
The next day, the five ponies put their plan into practice. Applejack was first. She found Sky wandering around the town. She make a deep breath and went to him. When she came close to him, she greeted:
“Howdy, partner.”
Sky turned to her and said coldly:
"What?"
"Nothin’, Ah jest want’d tah give ya a warm welcome tah Ponyville" Applejack said jovially. "Ah heard ‘bout a new pony in town an’ Ah decid’d tah give ya a warm welcome."
"Well, it’s given and thank you" Sky said. “Now, can I go?”
"Wait" Applejack asked, preventing him from go. "We haven’t even introduc’d ourselves. Mah name is Applejack."
And she handed him a hoof. Sky took a while before saying:
"My name is Sky."
And then he extended his hoof and Applejack shook it with all the zest.
"It's a pleasure tah meet ya, Sky, and be welcome tah Ponyville."
She dropped his hoof and Sky shook it to relieve the pain from the tightness Applejack made and said:
"Thank you."
"Ya gonna love a lot live here" Applejack said. "Everypony here is very friendly and we are all friends with each other."
"It's good to know that" Sky replied, outlining his best feigned smile. "And I'm really glad to know that this village has fantastic ponies, but I really have to go."
He started to walk away, but Applejack stopped him, saying:
"Hey, can we at least try tah be friends. After all, all tha ponies here are friends of each other. Where do ya came from?"
"From a distant place" Sky answered. "Now, if you don’t mind..."
"What place?" Applejack asked. "Ah may know it."
"I doubt that" Sky replied.
Applejack could feel she was getting it, despite Sky always be trying to be evasive. If she was indiscreet... and give a bit of pressure, maybe she’ll made him tell the truth.
Then she looked over Sky’s shoulder and saw two pairs of eyes lurking in a corner. These eyes, seeing Applejack looking to them, hid themselves. Applejack would recognize those eyes in thousands.
"Will ya excuse me fer a bit?" Applejack asked. "Ah have tah go there deal with somethin’. Stay here, Ah'll be back."
"Sure, Ah'll wait here" Sky promised.
Applejack approached the pairs of eyes that are Apple Bloom and Scootaloo’s.
"Can Ah know what ya're doin’?" Applejack asked.
"Oh nuthin" Apple Bloom asked hastily. "We're not doin’ anythin’."
"Why do you think we're doing something?" Scootaloo said. "As if we always do stupid things."
Applejack made a suspicious look and then said:
"Ah'm sure ya three are up to somethin’."
"What do you mean with three?"
"Ya and Sweetie Belle" Applejack answered.
"Applejack, we're not doin’ a thin’" Apple Bloom said.
"Yeah, we are just walking through the town" Scootaloo added.
They heard hooves and Sweetie Belle came closer saying:
"Sorry I'm late, girls. Rarity withheld me, but I'm ready to spy S..."
But she stopped seeing her friends making her signs to shut up and when she saw Applejack said:
“Oh no…”
“Are ya spyin’ Sky?” Applejack asked.
"It’s not what it looks like" Apple Bloom said.
But getting her older sister’s stare, she sighed and said:
"Or maybe not."
"Why are ya guys spying Sky?" Applejack asked. "Actually, how do you know who he is?"
"We were with Cherry when she met him" Scootaloo asked.
"And we may have overheard a conversation between them in which we realize that Sky is her ex-boyfriend" Sweetie Belle said.
Applejack sighed and said:
"Girls, Ah know that your intentions are good, but ya can’t follow ponies around just like that."
"But, Applejack, he must want tah ruin Cherry an’ Big Mac’s relationship!" Apple Bloom protested.
"Doesn’t matter" Applejack said. "Ya shouldn’t follow him. Don’t worry, nothin’ bad will happen."
"But ..." Apple Bloom started.
"Apple Bloom!"
The small earth filly tried to protest, but seeing her older sister looking at her with her angry gaze, she sighed and said:
"Okay, we stop with it."
"Ah want tah hear a Pinkie promisse from ya three" Applejack said, putting a hoof behind the ear in their direction.
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye" the three fillies said while, unwilling, making gestures.
"Very well" Applejack said, starting to walk away. "Stay out of trouble."
When Applejack couldn’t hear them anymore, Scootaloo asked:
"Now what?"
"Well, Applejack made us promise to not follow Sky, but she didn’t say nothing about Big Mac and Cherry" Sweetie Belle said.
"Ah don’t know, girls" Apple Bloom said. "Ah know mah sister very well. She will probably think we will also follow Cherry and Big Mac and she can keep an eye on us to make sure."
"So what do we do now?" Scootaloo asked.
"Well, Ah guess we'll have to opt for another approach" Apple Bloom replied, doing his mischievous smile.
Applejack returned to the edge of Sky.
"Sorry about this, Sky, but I had to go take care..."
But when she reached the place where she had left Sky, she noticed that pegasus was gone.
"But where is he?" Applejack said. "He said he would be waiting fer me..."
Then she realize Sky had lied to him.
"That liar bunch of rotten apples lied to me!" Applejack exclaimed.
Sky was walking around the village, having walked away from Applejack when she was not looking. She had endless questions and was really annoying. It seemed that she already knew the answers before he could even answers them.
Then he stumbled on something.
"What the hell..." he said.
He then looked up and saw that he had stumbled into a white rabbit.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," a voice said.
He turned and saw Fluttershy approaching and picking up the white rabbit and putting it on her back.
"I apologize for Angel" Fluttershy said. "He can be a little ... clumsy."
"So it's good that you have this animal of yours under control" Sky said, standing up and shaking the dust off his coat.
"He regretted it very much" Fluttershy said. "Is that right, Angel?"
But Angel simply turned away.
"Angel" Fluttershy said in a warning tone.
He then slowly turned and waved.
"He apologizes" Fluttershy said, smiling.
"Yeah, sure" Sky said, indifferent.
He was prepared to leave when Fluttershy said:
"My name is Fluttershy. And you? What’s your name?"
Sky rolled his eyes and replied:
"Sky. But does everypony have to ask the same question?"
"Well, sorry if I make you angry by making this question. I hope you can forgive me. And I also hope you can forgive Angel. He didn’t intend to make you fall that way."
Sky was already getting totally bored. Were all ponies boring like that?
"After all, who can get upset with a little thing like this?" Fluttershy continued, approaching Angel’s face to Sky’s. "Don’t you think?"
The orange pegasus had enough of it all. He had to find a way to escape. Then he had a delicious idea and he would use all that mare’s cloying kindness to do that.
"Yes, you're right" he said. "He's really cute."
That made Fluttershy smile. She felt it was getting Sky to be kind.
"Do you have any carrots that I can give him?" Sky asked.
"Of course, yes" Fluttershy replied excitedly, going to her saddlebag.
She then came up with a carrot that gave to Sky. He then turned to Angel and said, waving the carrot:
"So, bunny, do you want this carrot? You want this carrot, don’t ya?"
Seeing Sky beckon him the carrot in front of his eyes, Angel began to drool and waved enthusiastically with his eyes shining.
"Then go get it!" Sky said, throwing the carrot that fell into a dustbin nearby.
Angel then shot out of Fluttershy’s hoof and went straight there.
"Angel, don’t! Wait!"Fluttershy asked.
But it was too late, because Angel tossed to the trash to get the carrot and Fluttershy run to him. When she arrived, she found Angel eating the carrot, covered in trash and exhaling a horrible smell that made Fluttershy cover her nose.
"Oh, Angel, you shouldn’t eat things that are or were in the trash" she said. "It’s disgusting and can make you ill. And look at you. You are durty."
She turned to Sky that drafted an evil smile and then began to move away, giggling.
"That was… cruel" Fluttershy said, very sadly.
Later, Rarity was walking in the market. She had been told that a new pony was in the market, so, knowing they were talking about Sky, she put her best hat and her saddlebag and went to there. However, with so many ponies around, it was being difficult to find Sky.
"Frankly, is it so difficult to find that corrupt pegasus?" she asked as she walked. "I'm losing precious time of inspiration and creation. If it was not for Cherry, I wouldn’t even walk from one side to another and ruin my beautiful hooficure."
But it was then that she finally found Sky.
"There you are," she said, when she saw him. "Let's see if you can be selfish after being stunned with all my charm."
She moved a little, but then stopped. She saw that Sky bumped against an old lady, making her wallet to drop.
"I'm terribly sorry, ma'am" Sky apologized, crouching down and picking up the wallet. "I was so distracted that I didn't see you. This whole crowd also doesn’t help anything."
"Never mind, my boy" she said kindly, taking the wallet. "I also get confused with the market movement."
"Well, bye" Sky said, advancing.
After seeing that scene, Rarity said to herself:
"I think the Lord of Order exaggerated a bit by saying that Sky had been corrupted. He was a great gentlecolt."
But then she saw Sky moving his hoof to one of his wings and withdraw from there a few coins and making a mischief air.
"Wait, did he just..." Rarity began, gaping, recomposing herself after that. "Well, I must admit. He is good in what he does. But stealing is completely rude and not something gentlecolt would do. Let's see if I can handle it."
Sky went to a fruit stand, wanting to eat an apple. However, there was only one. When he was going to buy it, Rarity appeared and said:
"Oh, what a pity! There’s only one apple and there’s now someone to buy it. And I was thinking in making baked apple pie for my sister for lunch."
She turned to Sky and asked him:
"Excuse me, can I ask you to lend me this apple? It would be a favor you would do to me."
There was a pause. Rarity really expect that it would result, but she was confident of that.
"But of course" Sky said, outlining a gentle smile.
"Oh, thank you very much" Rarity thanked, returning the smile.
"It was an honor" Sky said, Rarity’s hoof and kissing it.
This made Rarity's cheeks become rosy, because she didn’t expect such a thing.
"Wow, but what a gentlecolt!" She exclaimed.
Sky bowed and then walked away. Rarity saw him depart. She didn’t believe it had been so easy. She knew it would be easy, but she never thought it would be so easy. Then she turned to go pay the apple. After all, she could bake an apple pie for Sweetie Belle. But when she went to pay, she saw that her wallet was empty. But how could four coins disapear when they were there the last time she had checked it? Then she realized everything.
"That idiot stole my money!" Rarity said.
In Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie was preparing Sky’s welcome party with Twilight and Rainbow attending.
"I just hope he likes my super duper welcome/let’s go smile party" Pinkie Pie said, jumping in a pogo stick to put streamers across the ceiling. "I mean, it's not really a super duper welcome party because he arrived yesterday, but I bet it will be the best super duper second day in Ponyville/let’s go smile party ever, don’t you think?
"Well, if you ask my opinion..." Rainbow Dash began.
Anticipating Rainbow Dash wouldn’t say nothing positive about anything to the party, Twilight rushed to grab a cupcake and shove it in Rainbow’s mouth and she didn’t end the sentence, getting to chew the cupcake.
"I'm sure it will be fantastic, Pinkie" Twilight said.
"Fantastic?!" Pinkie asked, starting to fill a balloon with an air pump. "It will be more than fantastic! It will be amazing! It will be extraordinary! Will be... extrafantazing!
She said that last part with such enthusiasm and energy that she pumped air too quickly which eventually overfill the balloon, causing it swell to enormous proportions and explode, creating a blast of air that stood up the mane of the three mares.
"That... was... amazing!" Pinkie said, taking a big leap.
"Yes, if by amazing you mean burst my eardrums" Rainbow Dash said, lowering her mane with her hooves, while Twilight used her magic to straighten hers. "I think I'm still hearing the sound of that explosion."
"Oh, Rainbow, don’t be so grumpy" Pinkie Pie said, shaking her head, what caused her mane to go back to its lush state of always. "You'll spoil the mood of my great party for Sky. A mouth with the corners turned up is what I want to see. "
"Yeah, right" said Rainbow Dash.
"I just hope the others are being able to fulfill their missions" Twilight said, a little worried. "I wanted to know if they managed to instill their elements in Sky."
"Oh, Twilight, don’t worry that egghead of yours with that" said Rainbow Dash, nogging her. "I’m sure they’re getting it."
“Yeah, right..." Twilight said, pushing Rainbow away. "And why are you here, anyway? Shouldn’t you be dealing with your mission?"
"Relax" Rainbow reassured. "I'm going to use Pinkie Pie's party to put my plan into practice. A party is always the perfect excuse to make conversation. It will be a two in one."
"Do you know what's also a two in one?" Pinkie asked, going to the kitchen and returned in a glance with a tray full of what appeared to be simple croquettes. "This!"
"Croquettes?" Rainbow asked, raising the eyebrow. "How can that be a two in one?"
"Oh, I fill them with chocolate for cupcakes" the pink mare replied. "It can feel the fantastic salty taste with the delicious and creamy chocolate, giving to the tongue a fantastic combination of salty and sweet."
Just thinking about what she had just said, Pinkie drooled a lot. Then she wiped her drool and said:
"I call them croquelate. It's like eating a cupcake with a strange form."
"Wait, if you fill them with chocolate, what did you do with the cheese and vegetables that typically fill them?" Twilight asked.
"They are also there" Pinkie said.
That made Twilight and Rainbow Dash exchange glances.
"Wait, are you saying you placed cheese, vegetables and chocolate in the same croquette?" Twilight asked.
"Okie dokie lokie" Pinkie nodded.
"But how did you ...?" Rainbow began.
"Really, Rainbow, do you even need to ask that question to Pinkie Pie?" Twilight asked.
"Good point."
At that moment, the door opened Applejack came in.
"Applejack!" Twilight said, approaching her. "How'd it go with Sky?"
"Do ya really wanna know tha truth?" Applejack asked.
Twilight nodded and then Applejack said:
"The truth is... I failed. That dammed pony tricked me. When I was talking to him, I saw that my sister and her friends were spying him. I asked him if he would wait for me, I went to the fillies and when I returned, he was gone. He lied to me. To me!"
"Wow, but what a great frustration" Rainbow said, grabbing one of Pinkie’s croquelates and proving it. "Wow! This is really delicious!"
"I told you" Pinkie Pie said. "Your friend Pinkie wouldn’t deceive you with candies. Of course she would deceive you for candies, but as it’s not the case..."
Then the shop door was open again and Fluttershy came in, somewhat afraid. So Pinkie appeared in front of her, saying:
"Hey, Fluttershy!"
That made her wince and say:
"Oh my! Pinkie, can you not appear to me like that, please?"
"So, Fluttershy, how was with Sky?" Twilight asked.
"I hope you had better luck than me" Applejack said. "That guy doesn’t fulfill a simple promise to wait for somepony else and is always elusive to simple questions."
"Well... he... I mean, he was not that bad... well he did nothing wrong, but..." she said.
Watching her stumble on the words that way, Twilight realized that things had not gone too well with Fluttershy.
"Come on, speak" she told her. "What happened?"
"Well, he..." Fluttershy began, ending the sentence so quietly that no one heard.
"What?" the four mares asked.
"He..." Fluttershy began, ending softly again.
"What?" Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow Dash asked, approaching their necks, while Pinkie Pie drew a horn and put the mouthpiece in her ear.
"He..." Fluttershy said again, ending quietly again.
"Oh, for pony’s sake, spit it out!" Rainbow Dash shouted, raising flight and stopping in the air.
Feeling so much pressure on her, Fluttershy trembled and exploded:
"He made Angel throw himself into a dustbin by throwing him a carrot!"
After doing that, she gasped as her friends looked at her stunned with Rainbow Dash landing.
"He did what?" they asked.
"And I thought he was trying to be affectionate by wanting to give the carrot to Angel" Fluttershy said. "But then..."
"Where’s Angel?" Twilight asked.
"At home, taking a bath" Fluttershy said. "I prepared him a nice and long bubble bath just to get that smell out."
"Well, things went not good to Honesty and Kindness" Twilight said. "But we still have more to work with. Who knows, Rarity can bring good news."
When she said that, the door opened and Rarity entered, using her magic to put her hat and her saddlebag on the brackets in the entry.
"Good afternoon, girls" she greeted.
"Rarity" Twilight said, coming to the edge of her. "I hope you have good news for us. Applejack and Fluttershy didn’t have much luck."
"Well..." Rarity began, trying to find a way to explain what had happened. "He helped an elderly lady catch her wallet when it fell."
That made the others exchanged glances.
"Really?" Applejack asked.
"Yes" replied Rarity. "And he was a great gentlecolt to me and allowed me to buy the last apple."
"But that is fantastic!" Twilight exclaimed. "You mean he showed a gesture of generosity. It's a start."
"Yes, at least somepony who has managed to make some change on that pony" Applejack said.
"Very well, Rarity!" Rainbow Dash welcomed.
"This is one more reason to celebrate!" Pinkie Pie said, jumping.
"Yay" Fluttershy said in the tone of his voice soft.
But Twilight noticed Rarity was not celebrating and realized that she still had not finished.
"Okay, what happened?" she asked.
"Well, actually he was a gentlecolt..." he said. "Unfortunate he just used that to rob me and the lady he helped."
That made the others stop partying.
"You're kidding, right?" Applejack asked.
"I wished I was kidding" Rarity said.
Outside, Sky was walking through the village when he noticed Sugarcube Corner’s building. The Ponyville inhabitants said that this was the best confectionery of all, Sky then decided to check if that was true.
"You know, actual he is good in what he does, if you ask me" Rarity said, referring to how Sky had stolen.
"But that doesn’t matter" Twilight said. "What matters is that things aren’t going well."
"Relax, Twilight" Rainbow said. "Don’t forget Pinkie Pie and I have not tried it yet. It may be that nothing is lost yet."
"Yeah, I bet my party will be so funny it'll make Sky die laughing" Pinkie Pie said. "Of course we don’t want him to die. Although I don’t know if it's possible to die from laughing. Girls, do you think it is possible...?”
"Pinkie, just answer me this" Twilight asked. "Did you send any invitation to Sky to the party or something?"
"Of course not," Pinkie Pie said.
That made the others exchanged glances and then Applejack asked:
"So how do ya know he comes?"
"Hello! With my Pinkie sense."
"Wait, do you have a combo for that?" Said Twilight.
"When my ears flopp, my tail shake in a pendulum movement and my belly rumbles, it’s surly because a moody pony is about to come to a party" Pinkie Pie said, really excited.
She then noticed that the others were staring her.
"What?"
"Are you serious?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Please, your combos so far made sense... in their way. But this is ridiculous!"
"Ridiculous?" Repeated Pinkie, offended. "It's not ridiculous."
"It’s not ridiculous?" Rainbow asked. "I mean, if your Pinkie sense says Something will fall from the sky, so I'll just get an umbrella or something. But this doesn’t make any sense. How do you know that even Sky is that frowning pony? "
Fluttershy looked at the window and then saw, in the distance, Sky approaching the store.
"Ah, girls..." she called.
"I mean, it can be Cranky" said Rainbow.
"Cranky is not a pony, silly" Pinkie said. "He's a donkey."
"You get what I mean."
"Ah, girls, I think you should..." Fluttershy said, seeing Sky was still approaching the Sugarcube Corner.
"Are ya sure that yer stomach are rumblin’ fer havin’ hunger, sugarcube?" Applejack asked. "Ya may be hungry."
"And, darling, I don’t know if you've noticed, but the pendulum movement is one of the common movements of our tails" Rarity said.
"Not if it's all combined in a precise order and timed" Pinkie said.
"Girls, please, can you see..." said Fluttershy.
"Girls, can you stop?" Twilight asked, in order to end the discussion. "I don’t know if you noticed, but Sky is heading this way."
"What?" Rainbow, Rarity and Applejack said while going to the window so fast it made Fluttershy shunt quickly.
"I cannot believe this idiot combo is really right" Rarity said.
"Blessed Celestia, he's right here" Applejack said.
"I told you" Pinkie Pie said. "Okay, girls, you know what we have to do. Hide!"
And then the six mares hid in the store, waiting for Sky to open the door. They waited a bit and then Sky opened the shop door and entered. When he did it, the mares came out of hiding and shouted:
"Surprise!"
That made Sky flinch and ask:
"What the hell ..."
Pinkie appeared before him and said excitedly, putting a party hat on his head:
"Hello, I'm Pinkie Pie, I’m the Ponyville party organizer. When I heard there was a new pony in town, I decided to prepare you a welcome party."
"Well..." Sky said, a little bewildered.
"Of course I would have done the party yesterday, when you came, but I had to do something huge that I couldn’t find time to prepare everything" Pinkie Pie continued. "So what do you think? We have balloons..."
She took a balloon, squeezing it so tightly it explosed, causing Sky’s mane become tousled, making him to fix it.
"We have food..."
She took one of her crocolates and stuffed it into Sky’s mouth, making he spit it.
"We have games..."
She showed him games like “Pin the Tail on the Pony” and lots of board games.
"And we have lots of crazy dances that put you very dizzy and make you end up on the floor. So where do you want to start? You can choose."
"I want to have a bit of ginger cake and go away if you don’t mind" Sky said, coldly, taking the party hat out and throwing it to a corner.
And he started going to the counter, passing by Pinkie. She, without her smile, looked at her friends who encouraged her. She then smiled again and accompanied Sky, hopping and asking:
"Don’t you want before eat a huge slice of chocolate cake with whipped cream on the top while you talk with your new friend Pinkie Pie?"
"No" Sky replied, advancing, always without looking at her.
"What if we sing some songs in my new karaoke machine?"
"No."
"A song?"
"No."
"Half song?" Pinkie asked, pausing with a smile that was already a little stressed. "If you want, it can be a quarter song. It’s you who decide."
Sky, already sick of hearing her, turned to her and said rudely:
"Listen to me, I don’t want to sing, or dance, or play, or even use this ridiculous hats that the only thing they do is humiliate the ponies who use them. I just want a slice of ginger cake and if you don’t get it now, I'll get really angry. Did you heard me?"
The other mares gaped with what Sky had said. It wasn’t exactly the words, but the tone he used. That made Pinkie Pie cringe and almost start crying. She then said sadly:
"Yes, as you wish."
And she began to head to the kitchen to fetch Sky’s request.
"I cannot believe he said something like that to Pinkie Pie" Applejack said.
"But how rude" Rarity said. "He’s really a savage."
"That bully will feel my hoof on his muzzle..." Rainbow Dash said, in the air, preparing her hooves.
"Rainbow, stop" Twilight said, preventing her from moving forward with magic. "Remember we have to change him and the use of brute force will not solve the problem."
"That is what you think" Rainbow said.
"Look, there’s still your attempt" Twilight said. "Maybe you can be succeed in what the others failed to do. Don’t let our failed attempts be in vain. Maybe, who knows, if you make his loyalty for the people he left in his world appear, he may want to come back and give up pursuing Cherry."
Rainbow Dash thought for a moment and then said:
"I just do it for Cherry."
"Good, Rainbow, very well" Applejack said.
After Pinkie Pie delivered to him a plate with a slice of ginger cake at a table, she went to the edge of her friends and then it was time for Rainbow Dash do what she had to do. She approached him and greeted:
"So hello."
"Hello" greeted Sky, selflessly eating his cake.
"My name is Rainbow Dash and I'm the leader of the weather time of Ponyville. So, your name is Sky, isn’t it?"
"Yes."
"Tell me, Sky, how is it moving to Ponyville?" she asked. "I bet you lived in a big city, right?"
"Why do you ask that?" Sky asked, turning to her.
"For nothing" Rainbow Dash answered, making a fake laugh, sitting. "You just look like you don't belong to the rural environment."
"Yes, it can said that this is all a bit new for me" Sky answered.
"What about your family?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Won’t you miss them, being so far away?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that must be so frustrating to drop a life in a big city, with family and friends, and start a new life from scratch. I don’t know if I could do it. Don’t you feel yourself nostalgic for your loved-ones and life you had? I bet they must miss you a lot, at home."
Upon hearing what Rainbow Dash was saying, Sky couldn’t help thinking really in his parents and friends from Red Fountain among other great friends he met throughout his life. He wonder what they should be thinking when they heard what he had done or ever if they knew about it.
"I think you're right..." he said to Rainbow.
She then smiled and looked at her friends who also shared her joy. It seemed they were getting it.
Then a wave of darkness began to darken Sky’s mind and he closed his eyes and shook his head, starting to say in a completely unpleasant way, as he stood:
"Listen here, all of you, I don’t know who you are or why you are following me, but it’s better you stop with it or I'll make you regret it. Did you listen me well?"
"Hey, calm down, we're just trying to be friends, nothing more" Rainbow said, taking off and standing still in the air.
"But I don’t wanna be your friend" Sky said. "So it’s good that you get your sympathy and this… ridiculous party and leave me ALONE!"
And then there was a huge silent. The mares looked each other. They seemed so close to at least get to instill loyalty in Sky, but, after all, they couldn’t be far from the goal, from achieving the five missions of changing Sky.
It was then that the silence was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. The door opened and, ironically, Cherry Blossom entered accompanied by Big Mac.
"Hi, girls" she greeted.
She then stopped, noticing the environment that was there and Sky’s presence.
"Sky?" she asked.
"Bloom" he said, smiling and approaching. "It's so good to see you."
It was then that Big Mac put himself in the path of Sky, looking at him fiercely.
"Hey, what's up, big boy?" Sky asked.
"Relax, Big Mac" Cherry calmed, making Big Mac retreat to her side. "Let him be."
"I see you have a good bodyguard" Sky said, looking at Big McIntosh.
"Big Mac is not my bodyguard" Cherry said. "He's my coltfriend."
"Oh, I see" Sky said, looking back at Big Mac, who continued to look at him sharply. "So it was for him you left me."
“It wasn’t like that, Sky” Cherry Blossom said. "I just fell in love for him when my love for you no longer had the strength to live."
That made Sky be quiet.
"So what is all this?" Cherry asked, looking around.
"Can you believe it?" Sky asked. "These ponies here organized a lousy..."
"Wow, Pinkie, I love the decor" Cherry commented. "And I see you went to experiment with food."
"Yes! Do you want to try my new creation?" Pinkie asked, handing her a tray with croquelate. "These are croquettes with chocolate inside."
"Oh, no, thank you" Cherry thanked. "Given that half of the patients I have in the first week of each month are those who taste your monthly culinary creations, I'd better not risk it."
"Look, it’s safe to taste them" Rainbow said, going to get a croquelate. "They're really good."
"I only hope that a tummy ache is not in flavor" Cherry answered, making Rainbow hesitate to eat the croquelate. "But, without that, this is a fantastic party, Pinkie. Don’t you think, Big Mac?
"Eyupp" he replied, with a hoof around Cherry’s shoulders.
She then turned to Sky and told him:
"You're lucky Pinkie always make a party to newcomers. She always makes the best of all parties."
"Yes, I could see it..." Sky said, somewhat nervously, and exchanging a look with the six mares. "They really are fantastic."
They rolled their eyes slightly. He was lying again... and shamelessly.
"Well, I and Big Mac were coming just to know how the Cakes are going with our wedding cake" Cherry said.
"Oh, sorry, Cherry, but the Cakes are not here" Pinkie Pie said. "They went with the twins for a stroll. But once they arrive, I’ll tell them that you were here. I Pinkie promised."
"Thank you, Pinkie" Cherry thanked, laughing. "Well, let's get going, Bic Mac"
"Eyupp" he said. "Bye, girls.”
"Bye" they said.
And then the couple left, with Big Mac and Sky exchanging harsh looks.
Seeing Cherry with that stallion, Sky filled himself with rage. So that was the pony who dared to steal his beloved. He could be big and strong, but it had nothing to do with Bloom. He was a farm pony that should just know how to pull a plow. He didn’t know what she had seen in him. But one thing was certain, he would do everything he could to separate them and stay with Bloom just for him.
And then, after doing that mental promise, he left. When he left, the six mares gave sighs and Rainbow Dash said, stopping shake the wings and sitting:
"I don’t believe that all our approaches have failed."
"Yeah, neither one of us got the results we wanted" Fluttershy said.
"This is like being invited to a party and find an empty room" Pinkie Pie added.
"It was a real disaster" Rarity said. "It seems Sky doesn’t want to be saved."
"Ah think ya're right, Rarity" Applejack said. "But Ah’ll tell ya one thing, mah friends. If he don’t want be sav’d, worse fer him."
The others nodded, agreeing with her.
"I cannot believe in what you are saying" Twilight said. "Are you going to give up when we've barely begun?"
"Twilight, ya heard him" said Applejack. "He doesn’t want tah be our friend."
"But of course he said that" Twilight replied. "For starters, we’re talking about a corruption made by the Lord of Chaos himself. And then you tried to give him the help you thought he needed. That is not our mission. Our mission is to find out what he need and facilitate that."
"Did ya know this could happen?" Applejack asked.
"It was quite likely" Twilight replied.
"Thanks a lot for the warning, Twilight" Rainbow Dash thanked sarcastically.
"If I had said that, you probably wouldn’t hear it" Twilight replied. "You went for the easy way and failed. We have just to seek new paths."
They did a silence and then Fluttershy said:
"Twilight’s right. Our missions were not as easy as we thought it would be."
"Yes, we think we could easily solve the mission to end soon" Rarity said.
"It seems that we have to be more creative in our approach" Applejack said.
And the others nodded in agreement.