//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7 
// Story: The Pony Version's Better: Maiden in the Moon 
// by Sunset Reed 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 7


“And that's the story of my whole entire life. Well, up until today. Do you wanna hear about today?”
“Oh yes, please!” 
Fluttershy had hung onto Spike’s every word. It wasn’t even like he had tons to talk about from Tania’s perspective. Mostly he had spent most his time as Tania’s apprentice, and hearing her daily life explained in extreme detail to a stranger was a tad disconcerting at best. Kyle hadn’t even been born in Freedrun! He was a Freedian by looks only, and most definitely not by character.
And now he was about to go on about their frustrating day! Tania turned around to face Fluttershy.
“I. am. so. sorry. How did we get here so fast?”
They had arrived at the library. The building was decorated so heavily with a tree motif you could’ve sworn it was a tree house at first glance.
“This is where I'm staying while in Ponyville, and my poor young apprentice needs his sleep.”
“No I don't. Waah!” Tania had shoved him over.
“Awww, wook at that. He's so sweepy, he can't even keep his wittle bawance.”
“Poor thing. You simply must get into bed.” said Fluttershy piteously. 
“I’m eleven you kn-”
“Yes yes. We'll get right on that. Well, goodnight.” interrupted Tania. She pulled Spike through the library’s doorway and slammed the door behind them.
They stood a moment in the dark interior, Tania trying to gain her strength.
“Huh. Rude much?” Spike said finally.
“Sorry, Spike, but I have to convince the Princess that Nightmare Moon is coming and we're running out of time. I just need to be alone so I can study without a bunch of crazy people trying to make friends all the time. Now where's the light?”
Just then the light came on, blinding them.
A collective “SURPRISE!” issued from the mouths of what seemed like half the ladies in Ponyville. Noisemakers sounded and people laughed and started chattering with glee.
Tania was not impressed.


*	*	*


A particularly joyful “SURPRIIIISE!” issued from the mouth of the red haired girl who had nearly run Tania over that morning. Only now, she had changed from her roller-shoes into more casual…crocs. White crocs worn with socks, very high pink and purple socks that disappeared into pink capris. She wore a purple shirt under a dramatically pink jacket with many pockets, two of which were shaped like balloons (one yellow, and one blue). She had completed the outfit with an orange lollipop necklace and pineapple earrings. Her copper hair was a mess of curls, and was just asking for Rarity to pull her into her dress shop to hack it all off. She had tried to manage it by (like so many other townspeople) pulling it into a ponytail. The hair elastic was lost in there somewhere. And finally, she was dressed with a grin, a very large grin that didn’t quit.
“Hi. I'm Pinkie Pie and I threw this party just for you. Were you surprised, were you, were you? Huh huh huh?”
“Very surprised.” answered Tania, and dropping her voice: “Libraries are supposed to be quiet.”
“That's silly. What kind of welcome party would this be if it were quiet? I mean, duh, booooring.” Pinkie had some very dramatic facial expressions. She bounced in place and followed Tania’s slow pace. “You see, I saw you when you first got here, remember? You were all, hello, and I was all, ‘GHAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSP!’.  Remember?”
“Ya huh.” Twilight picked up her tired feet and elbowed her way through the crowd towards the refreshments.
“ You see I never saw you before, and if I never saw you before that means you're new, 'cause I know every person, and I mean every person in Ponyville, and if you're new, then it meant you haven't met anyone yet, and if you haven't met anyone yet, you must not have any friends, and if you don't have any friends then you must be lonely, and that made me so sad, and I had an idea, and that's why I went ‘GHAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSP!’, I'll just throw a great big ginormous super-duper spectacular welcome party and invite everyone in Ponyville. See? And now you have lots and lots of friends.”
Tania tiredly poured herself a drink. She stared at it hard. It said vegetable juice, but smelled funky. Oh well…
“Aren’t you going to ask my real name?” continued Pinkie. 
“Uh?”
“Well, you’ve pretty much got the whole town figured out, I know ‘cause they told me. See my parents gave me the awesome, but not rockin’ (and I mean that in the most literal sense), name that is Diane Pineapple, but I tell you this to show you how perfect our nicknames are because Pinkie Pie describes me much better and besides, it’s mysterious, because pie isn’t always pineapple, maybe the pie in my name is apple, or lychee, or peach. Besides, Pinkie Pie shows off my bubbly personality even though, technically, Derpy…”
Tania’s face was burning and her ears rung. 
“Ah you ahright, sugar cube?” asked a familiar voice.
Tania was not ok. Her whole body was on fire. She escaped upstairs, into the make-shift bedroom on the second level, to the mini-fridge, and poured half a carton of milk into her charred mouth. She wasn’t going to be able to taste anything for a week!
Hot sauce! That stuff was HOT SAUCE!
“Well.” said Pinkie’s muffled voice below. “I recycle. What do you put your homemade condiments in?”
And the last taste Tania’s tongue remembered was apples.