//------------------------------// // Snuggle Pie // Story: Rarity Snuggles Everypony (Whether They Like It Or Not) // by PropMaster //------------------------------// Confetti exploded across the room, sending fluttering clouds of multicolored paper everywhere. “It’s time to go to bed!” Pinkie grasped Gummy and tossed him into the air, sending the little reptile cartwheeling, before catching him on her bouncing, flouncing mane. She beamed at nothing in particular as she pranced around the room, throwing confetti with wild abandon. “Bed time! Bed time! It’s the best time of the night, right after ‘brushing teeth time’, and ‘tucking in the twins time’, or any of those other times!” Pinkie bounced in place for a moment before dashing over to the nightstand and grabbing a small blue night cap and tucking it onto Gummy’s scaly head. She picked up the alligator, which stared blankly back at her for a moment before nipping at her nose. She giggled and set him on the edge of her bed. The tiny alligator scuttled over to a pillow, turned in a circle a few times, then sat down, staring at Pinkie Pie. She beamed back at Gummy. “You’re right, I totally should read tonight before bed!” The alligator blinked as Pinkie Pie ran over to a bookshelf and grabbed a colorful book before prancing back over to the bed and leaping atop it. Standing on two wobbling back legs, she lifted the book over her head. “I thought about your idea, Gummy, and I thought, ‘you know what’s better than reading? Reading dramatically!’” Pinkie Pie smiled at Gummy, who blinked slowly back at her, emotionless. She giggled, and then flipped open the story book, her eyes squinting briefly before she cleared her throat. Raising one hoof into the air in a classically theatrical posture of soliloquy, she inhaled deeply, the dramatic tension climbing. Gummy stared at the pink mare, his apparent lack of anticipation not phasing her in the least. Pinkie Pie’s eyes suddenly crossed, and without preamble, she fell face-first into her pillows. Gummy sat, unphased, as muffled snores rose from his owner. After a moment, the little alligator trundled off the bed, leapt up, and flicked off the light switch with a jump and a snap of his gums. He returned to his pillow, turning in a circle, and then curled up to sleep. “Raaaaariiiitttyyyyyyy. What are we doing?” whispered Pinkie Pie anxiously. Pinkie was awake, because of course she was awake. Nopony slipped into Pinkamena Diane Pie’s room without setting off a paroxysm of trembling limbs and twitching tail. Pinkie wasn’t sure how Rarity had managed to sneak up on her, even when she was asleep, but Pinkie’d woken up to a real doozy of a Pinkie Sense attack with Rarity next to her in her bed. It was the best surprise ever. Maybe second best. “Rarity, did you decide to throw me a surprise party in your sleep?” she hissed quietly. “Mmmhpgf… the tangerine… with the melon, yes… gnn…” Pinkie giggled. “You’re totally right. Tangerines and melons belong together. It’s like a match made in fruity heaven!” “Hmm… we can’t possibly… make them fly…” “Don’t say that!” Pinkie quietly gasped, “They tried their best in flight school!” “Well… ngh… that’s certainly true.” Pinkie smiled. “I know.” There was a moment of silence, and Rarity’s hoof reached out, grabbing onto Pinkie Pie in the dark. Pinkie said softly, “I agree, playing ‘guess what the sleeping pony is talking about in their sleep’ was totally getting old. New game!” “Mmmph… yes…” Rarity gripped onto Pinkie Pie’s fluffy candy-floss mane with a small smile. “Makeovers? I dunno, it’s hard to do that in the dark.” Rarity’s other hoof reached over and grabbed onto Pinkie Pie’s tail, and she rolled over, pulling Pinkie Pie to her side and covering herself in the curly, poofy locks like a frizzy blanket. Pinkie Pie giggled. “Oh! I get it now.” Pinkie Pie snuggled in closer to Rarity, offering up as much of her mane and tail to the sleeping unicorn as she could manage. “The twins and gummy totally love playing ‘sleep in Pinkie’s mane’ too! Oh, I’m so glad you like the same games. I’m the best at this one. I always win! They always win, too. Actually, I don’t think anypony can lose.” Rarity smiled in her sleep. “Mmmh… curly… octopi…” “You said it, sister!” Pinkie snickered, before humming tunelessly, watching out the window at the stars. Rarity continued to sleep, and Pinkie Pie quickly grew restless. “Rarity, this is fun and all, but we should stop playing games and maybe try to sleep? Because having a sleep-party is great, but it’s way better when everypony is… sleeping.” “Ngh, the… th’ other swatch… too silky…” Rarity snored. “What if we play some games? I’m sure there’s loads of great ones we could do! Pin-the-tail-on-the...oh, hm… there’s mareco-polo, that’s always… no, that one won’t work… what about hangpony? Oh, wait, somepony’s gotta guess letters.” Pinkie’s ears drooped as she wracked her brains for other games to play with a sleeping friend. “Hgh… the map… the fish took it…” “Well, I dunno much about that. Oh, I’ve got an idea! What if we play the ‘who can be the quietest’ game? We can totally play that!” “Hmm.. nyes, that’s… a porpoise…” muttered Rarity. “Onetwothree go!” whispered Pinkie Pie, and she grew still, barely moving. Rarity rolled over again, snuggling into Pinkie Pie’s side, but Pinkie Pie didn’t make so much as a peep. She stayed silent, eyes wide and staring, watching Rarity for any sign of weakness. She wouldn’t break. Not this time. She’d be the best, most quietest quiet-game player that ever was. Pinkie Pie was losing her mind. Rarity’s slumber had deepened, and she didn’t react to anything. She was so… so quiet. Pinkie Pie was determined, though, and nothing would sway her determination to see the game through. Once Pinkie Pie started a game, she always finished it. Pinkie had promised herself a whole day of singing and dancing, trying to maintain her resolve. A whole day, if only if she stayed quiet. She had to win. So, Pinkie Pie had waited. Watching. She had forsaken her middle name of Responsibility, and taken on a new one: Patience. Her limbs trembled with the non-effort of maintaining the endless, all-encompassing silence. Her vision blurred as her pupils bounced, trying desperately to release the building energy inside her. Small spasms shuddered through her body, setting her ears wiggling and hooves twitching. The first rays of the morning sun shone through the windows without warning, and Pinkie Pie stared at the rising light, her eyes growing wider and wider until they threatened to pop right out of her skull. Rarity didn’t move, breathing softly, her cream coat rising and falling at regular intervals. Very regular intervals. Three-point-four-seven breaths per minute, on average, Pinkie thought to herself. Pinkie Pie had counted. She’d done the math. It started in her tail. The very ends curled and twitched violently, sending a trembling vibration into her haunches. Her muscles tightened, pulling to the very edge of readiness, and her lower legs stretched outwards. Pinkie’s forehooves grasped onto the sheets, balling them up as she held on to the last vestiges of her silence. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, just a moment, but they refused to stay shut. No more silence. The Quiet Game was so, so over. With a guttural scream, Pinkie Pie launched herself out of bed. “Party Emergency! This is not a drill!” She leapt to a bookshelf and threw aside a dozen books, revealing a massive red button. She slapped it once, twice, three times, the button emitting loud buzzes with each fervent press. Lyra Heartstrings yawned as she trotted towards Sugarcube Corner, the first idyllic beams of the sunrise warming her minty-green coat. She wasn’t terribly cold, thanks to the yellow hoodie she was wearing, but the warmth was still welcome. She inhaled a zestful breath of the crisp air. It was a wonderful day to be alive. With her harp at her side and a few bits in her pocket, she felt like she could take on all of Equestria. Lyra didn’t need to, of course, but the feeling was still an empowering one. After a breakfast muffin and a cup of hot chocolate, she decided she’d head to the park and play her harp, before meeting Bonbon for lunch. With a warm smile, she reached out a hoof to open the front door of Sugarcube Corner. Without any warning, every window in the shop flew open. Pastel artillery pieces burst from every nook and cranny of the store, their muzzles turned outwards on the unsuspecting village. With a deafening multi-gun salute, they launched their payload. The citizens of ponyville awoke as one, gasping as their streets were filled with streamers. Confetti coated the roof of every house within three blocks of Sugarcube Corner, and dozens of cakes, presents, and party favors littered the streets, delivered at improbable velocities to key locations by the multiple party-cannon assault. Carnival music tinkled from dozens of enchanted gemstones that had fallen from the trees, released by concealed magics. With a shuddering report, fireworks began to launch from the rooftop of Sugarcube Corner, sending colorful flashes and bursts of pyrotechnic magic into the dawn, challenging the sun for its place in the sky. And there, at the very cupcake-shaped pinnacle of the store, danced Pinkie Pie, wearing no less than three party hats. The fluffy menace cavorted wildly, madly giggling as she bore witness to her patented “Partygeddon”. Pinkie’d been saving it for a real doozie of a day, and today was that day. “I LOST THE GAME!” she crowed, laughing happily. She didn’t care about the quiet game anymore, though. In her opinion, everypony should lose the game. And they had, each and every one of the confused citizens of Ponyville, as their befuddlement turned to cheer. Impromptu parties broke out in the streets as joy overcame confusion, ponies burst into song, and Pinkie watched over it all like a benevolent, jolly party goddess, soaking in the good feelings. Leaping from the rooftop, Pinkie Pie bounced happily back into her room. “Rarity! You won! Let’s have a par—huh?” Rarity was gone. Pinkie Pie frowned at the spot Rarity had occupied in her bed. “Hmm...”