//------------------------------//
// Fifth Chapter : The Mane Requiem 
// Story: The Mane Makes The Pony 
// by MerlosTheMad 
//------------------------------//

	



It had been a relief for Twilight that the Cakes allowed her the use of their restroom to rinse off the banana cream pie. Unfortunately, it also turned out that Pinkie was nowhere to be found at Sugarcube Corner, and nopony there had seen her since earlier that day after leaving with a large quantity of jello. 

In order to formulate a new plan, Rarity and Twilight sat at a table on the main floor, while Applejack leaned up against the counter not far off. They had the whole place to themselves on account of the little store being uncharacteristically closed for the day.

"If you need anything else, Twilight, I'm right in the back. Just... tidying up." Mrs. Cake sighed, shaking her head as she exited back into the kitchen. "I just don't get it. Pinkie usually leaves everything so clean after baking.”

Twilight called thanks out to Mrs. Cake for the towel, then continued to dry her coat while being enlightened by her friends. "So... the basic version of this, is that Pinkie got a manecut because of a mix up with Rainbow Dash at the spa, and now she's put on this huge party for the whole town with no warning?"

Rarity nodded once and sipped her tea, absently smoothing her delicately preserved mane with a hoof. "Yes, it was a botched job, and it's at least partly my fault, despite what Applejack insists. If only my mane and beauty didn't require such attention, things would never have happened this way!" She leaned back somewhat in her chair with a dramatic flourish, one hoof held up to her brow.

Off to the side of the room, Applejack rolled her eyes. "Rarity, it's just hair. Why, I bet that’s the only reason you think we need to hunt her down. Pinkie’s a grown mare! A little manecut won’t frazzle her."

Rarity ignored her friend’s interjection with a humph, and went on. "But a mare's coiffure is her identity itself! Why, I understand precisely what Pinkie Pie is going through. And besides, we all know what the state of Pinkie's mane can mean. It’s just as serious as Pinkie's strange sixth sense, remember that?"

Applejack's skeptical look became wary in a flash. 

She didn't know how much she bought into the 'Pinkie's Mane' business, but 'Pinkie Sense' was something she'd learned to be careful of the very first day Pinkie Pie had come bouncing her way into town, many, many years ago. 

An image of the most terrifying day of Applejack’s life flashed through her mind's eye.

"Buhuhuh..." She shuddered, crossing her forelegs protectively against her front.

Meanwhile, Twilight stared across the table, recalling incidents that concerned Pinkie Pie. At the same time, her ears both twitched in complaint, reacting to the loud noise outside. She put it out of her mind for now. 

"That's true, Rarity, but something doesn't add up." Twilight’s muzzle scrunched in thought. "Let's think about this logically. In the past, Pinkie has never acknowledged her... well, mane being anything but... uh, Pinkie Pie-ish."

"Ya mean poofy?" Applejack tilted her head.

"Right, that. She saw it and took off. She was then seen shortly after, again by Rarity and by Fluttershy, but acting normally despite the circumstances." Twilight went on, scratching a hoof under her chin and wishing desperately for her encyclopedia's worth of 'Pinkie Pie' notes back at the Golden Oaks library. "And she only goes, hm, ‘flat’ when she is exceptionally upset or sad over something to do with other ponies."

"That, and throwing a party for the whole town isn't usually what she does when actin' all loopy." Applejack nodded.

Rarity hummed, putting together the puzzle pieces along with her friends. "So if Pinkie hasn't been acting too out of the ordinary, what does it all mean, then?"

"I have postulated many theories in the past over the strange qualities of Pinkie's mane," Twilight offered.

Both Rarity and Applejack waited impatiently for more. 

"And?" they asked expectantly.

Twilight blinked her way out of her own thoughts. "Hm? Oh, they're just theories, of course. There are no documented cases of hair that shifts according to mood that I've ever found. And Spike’s silly comics don’t count... So from the sound of it, I doubt her behavior itself is magical, though I don’t know about her… hair thing. Anyway, your theory that Pinkie's just having an identity crisis of some kind makes the most logical sense. How major or minor it is, I can't say until we see her for ourselves."

Applejack stood up from leaning on Sugarcube Corner's counter. "Well shoot, let's go hunt the silly filly down then. Sounds to me that in the best case scenario, we all just enjoy this big party that Pinkie's put on. Which by the way sounds like it’s in full swing out there." She paused to nod appreciatively to the doors. "Worst case scenario, we talk her down same as we always do when one of us gets out of sorts! Seems pretty simple to me."

Rarity harrumphed lightly, while Twilight passed an eager look between both of her friends. 

"Alright! Then it’s settled. So, where should we start looking?"

Applejack tipped her hat back with a hoof. "Well, we could get Rainbow Dash to find her, 'course if there's a party this big and everypony's got the day off then she's probably barrel deep into the cider already. I'll bet she could hardly get off the ground let alone fly over town to look for somepony... I could go fetch Fluttershy at least. But with this many ponies out and about she’s likely to be hunkered down in her cottage."

Twilight shook her head. "No, we shouldn't take time to hunt down anypony else. As for finding Pinkie Pie, she's going to be the center of attention somewhere. I'll bet if we just follow the laughter we'll find her in no time. I doubt we’ll need help."

Rarity sighed as Applejack and Twilight headed for outside. "It's not that I mind putting my mane and coat at risk if Equestria or Ponyville is threatened, but must it be just after I've gotten it done for the second time?" The clamor of the persisting crowd of party-goers outside did a good job of covering up her muttering.

"Did yah say something, Rarity?"

"No, nothing at all, coming!" Rarity whisked her curled mane back away from her eyes and trotted swiftly to catch up to the others.

Leading the way, Twilight magicked open the door to Sugarcube Corner, calling back a final thanks inside. The intense sounds of partying rushed in immediately, growing ten fold. Once outside, she stopped out of shock, only for Applejack and Rarity to crowd up behind her in the doorway.

"Twilight? Why’d yah stop?”

“Is something the matter?”

Twilight stepped out of the way. “See for yourselves!”

“What in the…” Applejack leaned out and stared wide-eyed at Ponyville’s hectic state. By all rights, it looked as if someone had taken the already festive celebration and cranked up its dial to eleven. The scene made Pinkie’s usual bashes look less like parties, and more like the time Spike accidentally spilled a cup full of glitter on Twilight in the library.

Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack goggled in wordless awe as several giant balloons resembling various animals, each being drawn or pushed by laughing pegasi, floated in a column down the street. 

Above those floated Ponyville’s hot air balloon, dragging behind it a giant pink streamer advertising the party.

Beneath that were the floats, each seeming to be followed by their own crowd of dancing and laughing ponies as musicians of different types all played a lively tune. The circus parade that Twilight had been caught up in earlier was mixed in as well.

On top of that, unless Twilight was mistaken, even more strangers than just the entertainers seemed to be amongst the crowds. A small squad of photographer ponies had even laid claim to a large space of the street to one side, no doubt capturing the event for later newspaper publication.

“Whoo-eee, would you girls lookit all that.” Applejack took off her hat in appreciation. “I can't remember ever seeing such a sight in Ponyville before. Pinkie must have been planning this for weeks. I hope the town can handle it...”

Twilight stared at all of it a bit longer before speaking again. "Maybe. It is Pinkie, though." Not hesitating a moment more, she began to scan the crowd, floats and even the rooftops. "Alright, lets find a party pony, girls." It seemed easier said than done, especially considering the extent of the party. Almost as if to add insult to injury, a troupe of ponies marched on by, each wearing bright pink jumpsuits that bore a striking resemblance to their quarry.







Meanwhile, above Ponyville



“Uggh, I’m glad that’s over. Why does dad always gotta fuss over me? I visit like, at least once a year.” 

Rainbow Dash, along with her newly shortened mane, flew in an exhausted way on a heading straight for home. 

The breeze caught her wings like sails every so often, gently trying to guide her one way or the other. Careful adjustments made without thinking about it kept her on course, taking her all the way from Cloudsdale back to her boring, calm home over in Ponyville. At least, it was boring on a slow day, and even with the occasional dark force that tried to stir up trouble that was still more often than not.

Rainbow sighed weakly, thinking intently about getting to her cloud couch in her cloud home and just passing right out; visiting her dad for a day or two, even for something as simple as a mane cut, always took it right out of her.

The same old farmland as always passed by Rainbow Dash as she soared high above Ponyville's mix of thatch and shingle roofed homes, such that she hardly noticed anything about it.

Same old boring market. Same old boring ponies wearing clown suits. Same old boring flaming watermelon jugglers and wait a second— What the hay!?

Rainbow Dash’s eyes slowly began to bug out of her head as what she was looking at far below finally dawned on her. There was chaos everywhere. Not the crazy Discord variety of chaos, but the organized, excited kind of chaos that a huge crowd of celebrating ponies created. The whole town seemed to be outside contributing, too, and then some.

Even the town hot air balloon was aloft and proudly dragging a massive streamer, big enough to need the other end hitched to a cloud just to keep it held up.

"A Ponyville surprise party…? Did I miss something?" Rainbow read aloud. 

Even with the wind whistling in her ears she could make out the distinct sounds of music and cheering. Miniature looking ponies dancing and having fun covered every street, making the town look as if somepony had crammed Canterlot’s populace into Ponyville’s confines. 

Rainbow snickered in anticipation, deciding to not think on it too hard. "Oh well, no sense questioning a good thing." A sly look crept up her face and without waiting a second longer, her wings angled her down toward the earth and what looked to be the party of a lifetime.

“Alright, I see a cider stand!” Rainbow cheered.

 






Back on the ground



Twilight, Applejack and Rarity all had their work cut out for them, and that became clear as they continued to slowly nudge and politely shoulder their way as quickly as they could through the throngs of ponies and party-goers. Searching the festival covered town for Pinkie Pie was proving to be no small feat, and they had searched for a while already.

"Seen anything yet, Twi'!?" Applejack called over.

"No, still nothing. Oh, hi there Cheerilee! Yeah the party’s... a lot of fun alright. Ehheh. Say have you seen Pinkie? No? Darn.” Twilight fought to stay put amidst the churning bodies of the festive crowd. “Excuse me—"

With Twilight busy asking others if they had seen Pinkie, Applejack mumbled to herself, "Shucks, me neither. It’s almost like she’s hiding from us." Frowning over that, she hopped atop a nearby pickle barrel to scan the crowd for a solid pink body amongst them. As she did, she also had to remind herself to not search for a large and bouncy pink mane. Phew, that'll take some gettin' used to. 

“Wait a second.” Applejack noticed a distinct lack of welching nearby, and turned about in a tight circle on the rickety barrel. “Rarity? Now where’d she get off to?” There was no sign of the alabaster unicorn anywhere. “Twilight, did you see where Rarity got to?”

Twilight paused in speaking to another passerby. “She was right next to you.” She too looked around for Rarity, but came up empty on finding her. “Great, we must have gotten separated.”

“Well, that just about does it.” Applejack snorted, then stamped a hoof in frustration.

The crack of wood, though quieter than the intense party, made Applejack’s ears stand up. At the same time, the rest of her toppled downward. 

“Woah!” she cried out. As she landed, the powerful smell of dill and pickle juice filled her nostrils. There was also the unmistakable soak that her coat got from being splashed by a full barrel.

“Applejack? Did you find— What happened? Are you alright?” Twilight had heard her friend cry out, and hoped maybe she had seen Pinkie. Now, that didn’t seem so likely.

Applejack picked herself up slowly, eyes concealed by her own dripping wet mane and the brim of her hat. “Ah’m fine… But Twilight, I’d say it’s turnin’ out to not be neither your day or mine.” She whipped her mane back and shook her hat out as best she could. “Gross…”

Twilight winced at the murder scene of the barrel. “That would be ‘it’s not turning out to be your day, nor mine,’ Applejack,” she corrected offhandedly. 

As Applejack ringed her abused stetson out, she shot a dry look the way of her friend. “Ah huh. Anyway, should we go track down Rarity?”

Beside her, Twilight again stood up on her hind legs, a forehoof over her brow to block out the sun as she searched for their original quarry. "Let’s keep looking for Pinkie. Maybe Rarity even saw her and took off. In the meantime, there's no sign of either one around here. If we go on over to the balloon ride, we could..." 

Twilight trailed off as a large shadow passed over her, blotting out the sun and immediately getting her attention. Powerful, gusting wing-flaps also got her to look up to see what the cause was.

"Huh? Who— Oh my gosh." Twilight lowered her hoof, staring up in surprise at who it was.

"Good day to thee, Twilight Sparkle!" a regal voice announced.

Some of the laughing, celebrating ponies in the crowd stopped immediately, and long enough to bow, wave or even cheer. They received quick greetings in turn from the Princess of the Night as she came into a low hover beside Twilight Sparkle.

Luna’s smile was as wide as it could go, and she carried a gigantic plush toy on her back of an overly fluffy pony with its tongue sticking out comically. "Hello to you also, Applejack! It is good to finally see you out here! I was unable to pick you all out amongst the crowds at the start of this marvelous gathering.” She gave them both a friendly nod of her head, to which Twilight and Applejack returned a quick bow. “I hope I'm not interrupting your good time with my presence. You see, I just finished eating a couple things called an 'extra large pizza' when I took notice of you across the way. Also, I was not fond of the pineapple." 

“N-No!” Twilight stammered, smiling. “You’re not bothering us at all. We were just looking for, uh… I think we’re just surprised to see you here in town.”

“Ah.” Luna smirked and nodded. “I see! Yes, I was just as surprised by the last minute announcement of this festival. And to think, the Summer Wrap Up Festival and Hoe-down was so recent! I had not expected another Ponyville celebration of such magnitude so quickly, and both myself and Celestia received invitations. Strangely enough, so did our entire staff... It caught us rather off our guard.”

Twilight traded shocked looks with Applejack, before snapping back to Luna. “Wait, Princess Celestia is here too!?”

Luna blinked, then made a chiming laugh. “No, sadly my sister and most of the servants have duties to attend to during the day, and were unable to come. But, mine take place during the night! And I was all too happy to attend Pinkie Pie’s festival, along with much of my Night Guard from the barracks.” 

As she spoke, two bat-winged ponies wearing tropical themed shirts and sunglasses gave curt nods, before resuming to suck on what appeared to be smoothies gripped in each of their wings. Each also had excessive globs of sunlotion smeared atop their muzzles. 

“But enough of that!” Luna proceeded. “I trust you are both enjoying the festivities? I do see that Applejack has already visited a dunk tank!”

Applejack grumbled at that, but traded another look with Twilight, this time a doubtful one. 

“Well, we would be, Princess,” Twilight answered slowly. She took a breath, and decided to spill the beans. “But we’ve actually been trying to find Pinkie Pie and it might be important that we do.”

Luna’s look became tinged with worry and slightly serious as she read into the tone in Twilight’s voice. “Find her? Is something wrong?”

“O-Oh. I don’t want to get in the way of your time off, Luna, we’re not so sure it’s serious,” Twilight stammered.

Luna batted a hoof towards her sister’s pupil and blew a raspberry to the air. “Nonsense! Twilight, if I can help I would be happy to. Now, what is the matter?”

Twilight made a thoughtful sound. “Well… it might be safer to say we aren’t really sure. We mostly just want to check on her. Assuming we can even find her.” 

Princess Luna hummed and tapped a hoof to her chin. “Hm, I’m not sure I understand. It was Pinkie that put on this large festival, correct? Do you mean to say she is in trouble, despite this?”

Applejack added her two bits in. “It’s a long story, Princess. But the short version is that Pinkie Pie might be throwing this whole party because she’s self conscious over, well, a botched manecut. We’re just tryin’ to find her and make sure that everything’s okay. I’m sure you remember how coocoo that girl can get.”

Luna stared back, then nodded after recalling several Pinkie Pie related instances from around the castle and elsewhere. “I see. This won’t be anything like the sentient pudding incident, will it? I think I can assemble a reasonable fighting force if―”

Twilight quickly shook her head. “I don’t think so, Princess. We just want to check on her, and maybe spend this party with her like good friends.” She gave Luna a cheerful, wide smile to further her point.

“Ah, I see... And we are also friends, Twilight Sparkle!” With that, Luna encased both Applejack and Twilight in a rib crushing hug that she must not have realized was rib crushing. “Allow us, I mean me, to help thee! Ohhh, this is like a game of hide and seek. I haven’t played that since… by my stars, it’s been forever.”

“Oh, s-sure. If you ‘nsist—” Twilight wheezed out, her eyes bulging slightly. 

Luna unceremoniously dropped Applejack and Twilight, eliciting oofs from both. “Excellent, I will inform my guards of this as well.” She quickly took flight again, still talking aloud to herself. “We’ll have her found in no time! Perhaps I should offer prizes…”

Applejack grunted and readjusted her hat as she stood up. “That mare is crazy strong. Remind me to never get stuck between her and Pinkie Pie at once. I think I’d croak.”

Twilight winced a little as she stood, but chuckled. “Weeeell, Princess Luna was just being a little enthusiastic. Her hugs are usually more tame. Anyway, let’s get back to looking. We still have a lot of town to cover.”

Applejack nodded determinedly. “At least with Luna’s help this should go a lot quicker. Still, I can’t believe we haven’t found Pinkie yet. She isn’t exactly a ‘low profile’ mare, yah know?” She glanced around at the surrounding festival pensively. “You don’t think… she might’ve gotten hurt or somethin’?”

Twilight started back into the crowd, all the while searching for a pink pony atop one of the stages doing an act or in the streets saying hello to everypony one by one, making sure they were all having a good time. 

“I don’t know, Applejack,” she replied. “I do think I’m starting to agree with Rarity, though. There must be something going on. Let’s just hope it’s not trouble.”








Elsewhere in Town



Rarity breathed heavily as she traversed the crowds, her sides heaving, and continued in a half panic to keep an eye out for more possible dangers. Dangers to her pristine mane, that is. She had already been forced to gallop away from several, ranging from pies, to messy rides, to splashing mud, to water balloons and more.

Her accidental separation from Twilight and Applejack seemingly had made things even worse, but she continued to search for Pinkie despite this, and despite almost everything trying to dissuade her.

“No!” Rarity shouted to the cloud’s and overhead sun. “I must not give up. Under no circumstances will I stop, you hear me, festival of filth!?” Her determined sky-ward stare was met by a hot air balloon, floating lazily past through the air. “Hmph, it’s no fun being dramatic if I don’t have the girls as an audience—”

A couple of passersby snapped Rarity out of her state, and gave a slight applause by stamping their hooves or clapping.

Rarity blinked at them, then hurried along and regathered herself. Her coiffure, only recently restored to pristine perfection that very morning, simply seemed to be attracting every sort of dirty or greasy obstacle in the entirety of Ponyville like a magnet. It was best not to linger anywhere long or take any chances.

Though it had been at least a couple of hours, if not longer since she had lost track of Applejack and Twilight, she had still not found Pinkie. And that was after she had searched with them for some time already. 

Rarity looked up as she trotted and sighed weightily. The sun was moving toward the edge of the sky at a steady pace, and she had already covered most of Ponyville, twice, but there was no sign of her quarry. She was beginning to think that Pinkie was out of town, or maybe working so behind the scenes to keep the celebrations going that she was nowhere to be found.

“At this rate, it will be sundown soon! And my hooves are starting to ache,” Rarity complained. “If Pinkie Pie’s truly upset and trying to convince everyone she’s still herself, who knows what she’ll come up with...” 

The roaming band of pie-fighting clowns ran by up ahead, then, but at a safe distance. 

“Oh, if only Applejack were still here. She would make an excellent shield— Ah!” Rarity jumped to the side, just in time to miss being gunked by a large glob of melted cheese. 

“Haha, whoops! Sorry there, filly,” a portly, buck-toothed mare apologized. “The bucket got away from me. Hey, would’ja like a free sample? Skinny thing like you needs to put on some weight if she wants any hope of findin’ a stallion ‘round these parts!” 

Rarity stared in horror at the oozing pool of cheese resting at her hooves and shuddered. “N-No thank you, I— Eee—!”

Disaster reared its ugly head again just then.

Coming from both sides this time, muck and grime assaulted Rarity in the form of a traveling herd of pigs on one side—all of them snuffling and slinging mud happily—and a dumpster being wheeled past atop a wobbly wheelbarrow by a janitor pony on the other. 

The pigs sought to push Rarity into the dumpster, and the precariously perched garbage looked as though it would tip from the hands of its master by a stiff breeze.

Rarity’s expression drew down in horror upon seeing the impending doom of her entire coat and mane. Just before she was sandwiched between the two, she went into mane-protection maximum-overdrive. With the same grace as a swan taking flight, she leaped to the side, over the pigs, managed a flawless sideways roll the rest of the way, and landed on all four hooves with ease.

“Phew.” Rarity watched as the pigs, jolly as ever, accidentally careened with the garbage pony, who then careened with the melted cheese stand, all of it turning into one giant mess. She wiped what felt like possible sweat from her brow: a small sacrifice in the face of complete failure.

“That was too close.” All that avoided, Rarity finally breathed a sigh of relief. She took a careful look around herself, double checking for obstacles or threats, then turned away, eager to move on.

“Heya there, Rarity!” a filly’s voice with a southern drawl called.

It was followed by another, only slightly more boyish voice. “Hi, Rarity!”

Rarity’s ears perked up and she turned about, only to be greeted by the sight of her little sister’s friends.

Scootaloo and Applebloom, two of the three cutie mark crusaders, grinned upward at her, a giant hard candy on a stick clutched in one’s hoof, and what looked like a great big bag of popcorn resting on the other’s back. 

“What’s up!? Are you out here having fun, too?” Scoots asked.

Rarity blinked, hesitating to answer. She could practically see the dirt and sticky candy remnants on both of their grimy faces.

“O-Oh, Yes, fun. I’m having that. Ehheh.” Rarity gulped, eager to move on and resume her search.

Applebloom tilted her head. “You okay there, Miss Rarity?”

Rarity began to nod, just as a high pitched and cutesy voice called, interrupting their greetings.

“Raaarity! There you are! I was hoping we’d find you!” Sweetie Belle galloped up and skidded to a halt, kicking up dust as she did.

Rarity winced. She had been about to answer, but her eyes instead homed in on the state of disarray her little sister was in. What had to be butter and candy stains covered much of Sweetie Belle’s normally bright and spotless hooves. Her face was covered in what appeared to be low-quality face paint. And worst of all, she must have gone swimming in something untoward, as the rest of her coat was tinged a light green.

“Oh my gosh, we should go on some rides together!” Sweetie squealed, speaking quickly. “Mom and Dad are over there trying to win a prize right now, but I bet they’ll let us go with you for—”

Rarity smiled weakly and made a settling motion toward her sister. “Easy, Sweetie, slow down. I’m actually on business at the moment, and can’t really go off to enjoy myself just yet.” All the while, she tried to back away slowly from her messy train-wreck of a little sister. 

Sweetie Belle awwed loudly. “Darn...”

“But I thought you said you were out having fun?” Scoots spoke up and asked.

“Yeah, what gives?” Applebloom chimed.

Rarity groaned inwardly. “Well, that’s because I find business to be fun!”

The crusaders gave each other a look, then rolled their eyes as one.

“Nevermind. Uhm, what exactly happened to you by the way, Sweetie?” Rarity asked her sister, changing the subject.

“Huh?” Sweetie Belle craned her around around and her eyes lit up at the sight of her coat. “Oh! There’s a big ol’ jello mold on the other side of Town Hall, by the lion tamer’s pit.” She giggled. “Silly me, I didn’t realize it wasn’t for diving into… I mean, why put a diving board on the side if it isn’t?”

Rarity hummed at that, and remembered again that she was in the middle of looking for Pinkie. “I see, well, you should get mother to get you washed up. That stuff will stain your coat horribly.”

Sweetie groaned. “Aaw, but I don’t wanna! Are you sure I can’t come with you instead?”

Rarity shook her head resolutely. “Absolutely not! I’m in the middle of searching for Pinkie Pie, and I cannot allow the three of you to distract me. It’s very important that I find her quickly.” She thought that putting her hoof down so soundly would have done the trick, but she immediately discovered she was mistaken.

The girls all looked at each other, eyes lighting up as if by a single switch.

“Oh my gosh, you guys are playing tag!” Applebloom shouted first.

Scootaloo nodded, her wings buzzing. “I knew it! The adults never wanna tell us anything.”

“Rarity, please let us play too? Pleeease!?” Sweetie begged. “We’ll be the best marehunt seeker assistants ever! Pleasepleaseplease! What if I give you a hug? Can we help then?”

Rarity had been about to calmly refute the crusader’s requests, but all at once the three of them had begun advancing on her. “Uhm, girls― no, girls? Stay back, back! I don’t need any help―” The sheen of greasy faces, the icky clumps of mud on their flanks, and worst of all, the gum-like stains and jello all over Sweetie Belle!

Rarity skittered back on her hooves, stammering, until her rump came into contact with something.

“Oh, hey there, darlin’! You change your mind about this here free sample o’ quality melted swiss?” It was the same mare from before, returning with a vengeance. “It got a bit o’ gunk in it from tha’ there trash can, so I’ll give yah a discount!” The grinning carnie held out a sloppily filled cup of melted cheese, and the world went into slow motion.

A glob came free of the cup, headed straight for Rarity. It soared through the air, straight as an arrow in flight. As if by some ill-fated unholy design, the glob managed to splash delicately on her pristine, white front.

Rarity stared down aghast at her soiled coat. Her mouth drew down in horror, her muscles tensed, and she had no idea how to react. I’ve got to get out of here! she screamed internally, and burst into a full on charge. 

The crusaders stared after the adult unicorn who shrieked as she ran away from them. 

“Oh, I get it! We’re playing now!” Scootaloo cheered.

“Whoo!” Applebloom added, and began to give chase.

Sweetie Belle brought up the rear, shouting, “If I catch you I’m gonna give you that hug, Rarity!” The three girls laughed as they gave pursuit.








At Sugarcube Corner


“Uggh, my hooves are killing me…” Twilight lamented, massaging two of her sore hooves against one another. After hours of trotting, the search of the town hadn’t produced Pinkie Pie.

“Yeah… mine, too.” Applejack agreed, and sat down hard on Sugarcube Corner’s steps. Running around Ponyville more times than she had bothered to count in a single afternoon had drained even her. She gratefully accepted an offered glass of water from a somber Mrs. Cake.

Night time in Ponyville had nearly fallen, the sun having reached its destination in the western part of the sky. 

The surprise festival that had been put on by the M.I.A organizer had moved onto its later stages, with outdoor vegetable barbecues and bonfires being erected for evening dancing and relaxing. Ears of corn wrapped in foil were being cooked alongside marshmallows, while bright lights outlined the edges of the buildings in the festivity filled town.

But Pinkie Pie was still missing.

Even with the help of Luna, her guardsponies, the local police ponies and more than a few other random citizens keeping an eye out, she was nowhere to be found. What had started out as a search for a possible party monster on the rampage, had turned into a mare-hunt for a missing friend. 

Twilight and Applejack sat despondently on Sugarcube Corner’s front steps, each of them weary from having circled Ponyville’s entirety more than once. Luna and a few of her Night Guard were standing or sitting in a similar fashion around them. One guardsmare tossed popcorn lazily into a nearby styrofoam cup, while three other guards busied themselves with interviewing passersby. Luna herself frowned at the well-trampled fairground, frustrated and worried over her subject’s well being.

“I think it may be time to stop this party,” Luna said, out of the blue. She looked at Twilight. “And perhaps to organize a proper search effort. Or is it too soon for that?”

“No.” Twilight peered up through her disheveled mane, a look of deep concern etched into her features. “I think you may be right, Princess. Pinkie wouldn’t be gone this long.” She didn’t like the thought, but couldn’t come up with an alternative.

Luna nodded. “I can leave my guardsponies here to help you organize a halt to the festivities then, but I’m afraid my own free time here is near an end. I must return to Canterlot with haste in order to conduct my nightly duties.” 

Twilight and Applejack shared worried looks from the princess’ words, and of what was to come. 

“Alright, I’ll go see if I can’t track down the Mayor, hopefully we can—” 

A loud, scratchy voice from across the street cut Twilight off, and broke the relative silence that the town had become reacquainted with since sundown. 

“Hey, lay off!” The familiar mare’s voice yelled. “I swear to officer, drunk! I’m not Celestia!”

“Listen, lady, you’ve clearly had too much and I’ve got bigger problems than making sure you’re alright! Just land and I’ll let you go with a warning, okay?”

The assembled group of ponies around Sugarcube Corner turned to face the disturbance. They were met by the sight of Rainbow Dash, somewhat lilting in the air just a short distance above the ground, and the earth pony police stallion following along beneath her.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight and Applejack called. They jumped up to their hooves and sprinted over. 

“There you are! Now you can help us look for… uhm.” Twilight trailed off and had second thoughts of what she had been about to say. Rainbow didn’t exactly look search-party-ready. “Well, in any case, what have you been up to?”

Rainbow’s eyes shot wide open in surprise. “Twilight? Applejack? Oh, hey!” She ignored the officer giving her a hard time. “Woah, is that Luna over there? And I’m partying, duh! It’s a great time, am I right?” 

Twilight rolled her eyes as she approached Rainbow, then gave the trailing police officer an apologetic look. “Eh-heh, hello there—” She quickly read the cop’s name-tag. “Officer Cinnamon Swirl? We’re her friends. I promise we’ll take care of her, if that’s alright.”

Rainbow floundered her way down to the ground, landing with a thump. “Hehe, Cinnamon Swirl. That’s a girl’s name.”

The officer, looking none too pleased by Rainbow’s comments, snorted gruffly. “Whatever, just keep her grounded, alright?”

Rainbow hiccuped. “Whoo! So what are you guys up to? I haven’t had this much fun since… well, Pinkie Pie’s last party!”

Twilight finished giving the cop assurances they’d see their friend home, while Applejack answered. 

"Yeah, about that, Rainbow." Applejack swept the hat off her head and gave Rainbow a somber look. “Have you seen Pinkie Pie anywhere? Not sure if you’ve heard, but we can’t find hide nor hair of that mare.” 

“Pinkie’s missing!?” Rainbow half took flight again, only to tip to the left and thud back onto the ground, where Twilight rested a steadying hoof on her shoulder. Rainbow blinked and paused, wearing an intense look of thought. Then she began snickering. “Hehe, that rhymed. Hair… Mare… Hic—”

Applejack and Twilight traded a flat, but knowing look. 

“Rainbow, focus. This could be serious,” Twilight pleaded.

“Although, hopefully it isn’t.” Luna had trotted up as well, joining the three friends. 

Rainbow shook her head. “Er, right, sorry. I just got here, Twilight. I was in Cloudsdale visiting— Eh, my dad. I hadn’t heard about Pinkie Pie. Didn’t she throw this party? That’s what the streamer on that balloon said…” She looked around a moment, then pointed a hoof up at the hot-air balloon in question. “So how is she missing?” 

Something distracted Twilight. She furrowed her brow over the town’s hot pink, hot-air balloon, as it was flying overhead abnormally low to the ground. “Uh… well, Pinkie was last seen over at town hall, delivering… uhm, a jello mold.”

Rainbow lowered one ear and raised her other. “A jello mold?” she asked, confused. “That’s it?”

Twilight pulled her attention away from the balloon. “Wait, no, we think she went missing because she ended up getting your manecut by accident. For the last couple of days after that she was setting this huge festival up.”

Rainbow blinked slowly. “Wait. She’s wearing the Rain-do!?” Her expression lit up and she devolved into a fit of laughter. “That sounds awesome!”

Luna turned and whispered to Twilight, “She named her hair after herself?”

Twilight gave the princess a floundering, sheepish look, while Applejack continued with the explanation. “That ain’t all of it, Dash. The standin’ theory is she’s upset and wantin’ to prove to everypony that she’s still the same ol’ party animal.” 

Luna chimed in. “I can relate to this. The proving to others of some aspect of yourself, mind you. Not the party animal thing.”

Applejack nodded. “So, I guess not havin’ her poofy mane rattled her a bit. She has kind of had it as long as I’ve known her, and as far as Pinkie Pie over-reactions go this one didn’t seem too bad.”

Rainbow’s laughter outburst died down quickly as she listened. “But now she’s missing. Hoo-boy…” She held a hoof up to her head and groaned. “Now I wish I’d taken it easy with the cider. Oh well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go look for her!”

Despite Rainbow’s enthusiasm and sudden sobriety, the rest of the mares around her gave doubtful expressions.

“We’ve been looking, Rainbow.” Twilight looked up absently for the Ponyville hot-air balloon, but it had moved on. “I don’t suppose you know about any super secret hiding spots or something that Pinkie might be using? We really hadn’t thought finding her would be so difficult, but it has been.”

Rainbow Dash sagged, looking a little frustrated. “Oh. No, I don’t. Not really? I mean, why would her mane getting messed up make her go into hiding? That’s way more Rarity’s style. Was Pinkie really that upset?”

Twilight answered, “According to Rarity? Not really, and if she just wanted privacy I’d imagine she’d just be up in her room, but she—”

Rainbow interrupted, her frown growing. “And if her mane was the only issue, why didn’t she get a wig!? Or why didn’t Twilight cast a hair-grow spell or something? You could have at least copped out and gone to Zecora if you couldn’t figure it out.”

“Well of course a hair spell would be simple enough to look up, but...” Twilight’s brow suddenly drew down. “Hey, now wait a second, why wouldn’t I be able to figure that out—!?”

Applejack stuck a hoof in Twilight’s muzzle and spoke over her. “Dash, that would solve the main issue, no pun intended, but that isn’t the problem. Heck, we never even got the chance to talk to her about it. We gotta find her first.”

Luna picked up Applejack’s sentence. “We were actually about to conclude this stage of the search, Rainbow Dash.” 

“What!? But we gotta find her!”

As the others spoke, Twilight grumbled while wrenching Applejack’s hoof away from her face, angry thoughts stirring in her head. Can’t figure out a spell? Me? Something as simple as inducing some hair growth for Pinkie Pie would be foal’s play! I’ll show her... After I get back to my house I’ll have a look through the library and—

Twilight froze in the middle of her machinations to give Rainbow Dash a mane long enough to span a hoofball field. After looking in the direction of her home, already thinking of which books in particular to search, she had spotted something that was quite befitting of just how crazy the day had been thus far.

“Wait… how—? There’s a…” Twilight stammered.

Luna observed both Twilight and what she was looking upon. “Hm, Twilight, did you know there appears to be something positioned atop your arboreal athenaeum?”

“Twilight! There’s a balloon in your tree-brary!” Applejack shouted.

Luna frowned over at Applejack. “That’s what I said, Applejack.” 

“My house!” Twilight screamed, then proceeded to run to the defense of her home while shouting, “Why does everything and everypony out there want to destroy my tree!?”

In the wake of Twilight’s retreat, the remaining three mares all traded glances, before proceeding to follow her amidst their conversation. 

“I suppose Celestia won’t mind covering for me for now,” Luna mused in answer. “I swear this town never stops being interesting.”

“Tell me about it.” With an eye-roll, Applejack then continued from before. “Anyway, Rainbow, we’ll keep searching, don’t you worry, but I think you oughta just head home.” Notifying the authorities for more help was an obvious next step, but Rainbow’s inclusion at the moment didn’t seem wise.

Rainbow‘s scowl returned. “What? Is this because of the cider? I swear I was just enjoying myself, I’m fine now! Look, I can even fly perfectly fine.” True enough, she hopped up into the air and floated smoothly beside them. “See?”

Luna again thought to speak her mind on the topic. “Back in my time, the village drunks were dunked until sober for public misconduct and endangerment.”

Applejack and Rainbow stared at her a moment, until Rainbow opted to land again. “Ooor maybe I’ll just stick with you. We could totally search better as a team.”

The three of them soon caught up with Twilight and what appeared to be a balloon caught up in the branches of the Golden Oaks library. Ponyville’s hot air balloon, to be precise. Surrounding the building were also several police ponies, as well as the local Ponyville fire-brigade with several ladders.

Twilight herself was looking up at the balloon and frantically pacing, amidst arguing with one officer in particular. 

Applejack and Luna frowned over the deteriorating scene, just coming to within earshot. 

“Ma’am, it’s not a suggestion. Please stop trying to use magic and let us handle it. You’ll just make things worse.” The police stallion, who was funnily enough the same one as earlier, stretched a hoof between Twilight and her library. 

“But that’s my house!” Twilight shot back as her horn lit up with a purple glow. At the top of the tree, the balloon took on the same glow as it was tugged on. The tree’s branches, however, held the basket fast. The tree itself began to lean somewhat to the side as more pressure was applied. Despite this, Twilight kept her determined look in place.

The work ponies still on ladders held on tightly as the tree swayed.

“Ma’am, I won’t ask again, put your horn down!” The officer squared off against Twilight, one hoof tucking itself behind his belt. He kept a trained eye between both the tree and the delinquent.

Twilight, meanwhile, had her expression screwed up in concentration. "I've almost got it!" she insisted, carefully unwrapping tangled limbs from the balloon’s cables and working around the crew up in the tree. 

“That’s it!” the officer shouted.

Applejack, Rainbow, and Luna winced as they witnessed their friend Twilight get tazered by the angry police officer. Her mane exploded into a frizzled mess, before she yelped and slumped onto the earth.

“Now you wait just a minute, you know us!” Applejack shouted at the cop as she ran closer. “She’s an Element of Harmony!”

“Your friend was endangering our crew, and I don’t care if you’re Princess Celestia herself. I’ve got another one ready for you ma’am. Back off,” he said, his hoof resting on a holstered taser.

Applejack thought better of interfering, and slowly backed away.

“And what if she were Princess Luna?” The princess trotted up swiftly, ready to interfere on her sister’s student’s behalf. “At ease, constable. She’s with me.”

“Alright, now look—” The officer turned his scowl towards the next newcomer, only for his jaw to drop. “Oh. You really are Princess Luna.”

Luna gave a smile. “Indeed. I apologize for the disturbance caused. May we see to our friend?”

The officer jerkily nodded his consent.

Twilight shakily climbed back to her hooves with Luna’s help. “Hee, I’m ready for my next lesson Printhess Celethia!”

Applejack waved a hoof in front of Twilight’s face. “Are you alright there, sugarcube?”

Twilight heard the question despite the ringing in her ears and proceeded to clear her head with a brisk shake. “Uggh, what hit me?” Her mane bounced slowly, now somewhat resembling a cross between a chia-pet and a bird's nest.

“That’d be the long arm of the law,” Rainbow answered with a frown, then brightened up. “But hey, at least you got the balloon unstuck.” She pointed a hoof at the object in question.

The work crew had attached ropes to the sides of the balloon and anchored it. They were now slowly pulling it to the ground. Once it touched down, however, a sound like ripping cardboard came from the basket and filled the air.

Applejack backed up a step. “What in tarnation?” 

“Was that some kind of monster?” Rainbow added, cringing away as well.

Whatever the origin of the noise, it sounded again, and twice as fierce as before.

Luna acted quickly. “Stand back everypony.” She held out a hoof, while the other mares stood at the ready. She approached the basket cautiously, ready to investigate.

The other three friends looked on, each standing prepared for the worst. After all, somepony had been piloting the balloon at one point, but they had stopped. Perhaps whatever had got them was still in the basket.

With the tension in the air growing ever thicker by the second, each of the mare’s eyes peeled, and Twilight’s crispy mane blowing slowly in the wind, Luna finally reached into the balloon with her magic and pulled out…

…

A green and purple baby dragon, encased in a blue aura.

“Well, look at what we have here,” the princess proclaimed. 

With the threat gone, the other ponies moved up to the balloon to finish securing it.

Luna continued. “And there is also—”

“Spike?” all three mares chorused together.

Twilight stormed up to the napping dragon angrily. “What are you doing—? Hey, you were supposed to be helping Rarity! Wait, where is Rarity?” It suddenly dawned on her that perhaps the story Spike had given her earlier hadn’t been truthful, especially considering that Rarity had been leading the search for Pinkie Pie. Where the other mare had ended up though was a mystery. “And have you seen Pinkie anywhere?”

Luna raised a hoof to interject, but she was interrupted again.

Spike snorted awake, the scruff of his neck still held by magic. “Huh— What? Twilight!? Why are you out here!?” A panicked look crossed his features while he spun slowly in the air. “Oh, well, uh, you see there was this swarm of parasprites, and… Uggh, okay, I confess. I really was going to help Rarity, but I got side-tracked! This huge party came out of nowhere and I ran into Pinkie, so I—” 

“Pinkie?” Twilight asked, and again all three of them shouted as one, “Where is she!?” 

“She’s over here!” Luna chimed in, and schooled her features away from an offended frown. 

“Uh, she’s in the balloon? Why, what’s up?” Spike scratched a claw behind his spines, utterly lost.

Twilight gasped and ran up to the basket, followed closely by her friends.

True enough, Pinkie was still sound asleep at the bottom of the basket. Everypony present, rescue and work-crew included, gathered around to spot the napping mare inside.

“Oh thank goodness,” Applejack breathed in relief. “And here I was really startin’ to get worried.”

“Well, looks like she’s alright.” Rainbow, in her unquestionable sobriety, decided to poke her until she woke up.

“Huh? What?" Pinkie Pie slowly uncurled from her position in the basket's corner, legs stretching and back arching. Then, she suddenly screamed, "THE JELLO MOLD! How did it go!? Did it work out? What happened? Did anypony jump in? I have to know if it was the most super-ific-est thing ever or a complete flop!” She reached out and grabbed hold of the closest pony’s cheeks with both hooves, which happened to be Twilight’s. 

“TELL ME!” 

“Pinkie,” Twilight smiled after prying two pink hooves off of her face. “Everypony loved your jello mold.”

Pinkie sighed in relief. “Thank goodness!” 

Twilight smiled, and shared in the laughter with her friends. “More importantly, have you been here the whole time?” 

“And are you alright?” Applejack also asked.

“Great haircut, by the way,” Rainbow Dash threw in last. After a couple stern looks from Twilight and Applejack, she added, “Oh, and what the hay happened?”

Pinkie Pie yawned, then hopped out of the basket in one go. “Phew, well, for starters I apparently fell asleep while flying the hot-air balloon! Thank goodness Spike was with me to take over.”

Spike tried to shrink from sight, but that was a little difficult hovering as he was. “Eh-heh, about that… I didn’t really know how to lower the balloon, and couldn’t reach the control-cords… so I sort of figured it was alright to nap too?” He gave a sheepish look to the ponies around him.

“Endangering a minor…” the nearby earth pony cop sighed, already taking notes.

Luna flapped a wing harshly at the stallion. “Off with you, I’m granting them amnesty.”

Twilight stared wide-eyed at Luna. “Princess Luna, you can do that?”

Luna snorted. “I’m a princess, I can do what I want, and I’m getting tired of these shenanigans. Pinkie Pie, please continue.” 

Pinkie giggled over the word 'shenanigans'. “Okie-dokie! So there I was for the last two days, or was it three? After you hit that thirty hour mark everything starts getting loopy… Anyway! I got everything arranged, from the circus to the vendors! All I needed to do was announce to everypony about the party and—!” She looked around herself, suddenly taking in the fact that it was night out. 

“Well, I guess I fell asleep after bumping into Spike.” She rubbed a disappointed hoof behind her head, then gasped. “Oh no! I missed so much! What time is it!? It's dark, already? That means I need to get to work and go set up the fireworks!” She made to take off down the road, but Twilight stopped her with a hoof.

“Relax, Pinkie. You’ve worked yourself to the bone. The party can take care of itself from here on.”

“But, but… this has to be the BEST. PARTY. EVER!” Pinkie looked around nervously for a moment. “There was so much more I had planned out!”

“What’re you talking about Pinkie?” Rainbow asked rhetorically. “This IS the best party ever!”

Pinkie blinked a few times. “It is?” she asked, genuinely curious.

“Yeah,” all of her friends resoundingly agreed.

“Really?” Pinkie asked again, head tilting a bit.

“Yeah!” The police ponies, work-crew, Princess Luna, and a few passersby all chimed in this time.

With a thoughtful look, Pinkie paused, mulling it all over carefully. “Hmmmm, but are you all absolutely, one-hundred-percent-ly, without a shadow of a doubt-ly, totally and completely positive?”

“Yes!” They all answered once more in unison, this time with a couple groans and laughter scattered throughout.

“OH MY GOSH! Do you know what this means!?” Pinkie beamed all around. “It means... that I’m still a super-duper party pony!”

Twilight giggled. “Well of course you are, Pinkie. Were you really doubting yourself that badly?”

In response to that, Pinkie put on an ashamed look momentarily. “Well, I did forget the sugar in some cupcakes.” Twilight and Applejack raised an eyebrow each, while Rainbow and Spike gasped. 

“But Pinkie,” Applejack butt in, “You threw a right good shindig, did ya really think your hair had anything to do with that?”

Pinkie giggled, then batted a hoof at her friend playfully. “Of course not, Applejack! That’s just silly! Silly Applejack.”

Applejack’s look fell a couple inches.

“And if I really wanted my mane fixed, I coulda just gone to Zecora! Well, or Twilight, but she’d take longer.”

Twilight joined in with Applejack’s expression. Rainbow snickered at both of them to the side.

Pinkie continued. “But after I got my hair chopped off... I just felt like a different pony, even if nopony else treated me different. I’ve always had that haircut!" 

Twilight arced an eyebrow and raised a hoof. "Don't you mean 'manecut', Pinkie? I mean, not to be a grammar dictator since either could work, but—"

"No no no no. Haircut, Twilight. Haircut." Her mistaken friend corrected, Pinkie continued. "Anyway, I didn’t even realize how used to it I was. I had to do something to make me feel all Pinkie-rific again! That’s why I threw this party. Come to think of it, I hope it didn’t get out of control while I was asleep…?”

“No, it didn’t.” Applejack shook her head, chuckling. “Well, maybe a little. So, I take it you’re feelin’ just like your old self again?”

Pinkie nodded a dozen times in rapid-fire succession. “You betcha! And I gotta admit, I really can move way faster with a short mane!”

“Really? So, Pinks… does this mean you're gonna rock the Rain-do from now on?" Dash asked with a grin.

Pinkie Pie giggled again. “I don’t think so, Dashie.” She rolled her eyes before giving her friend an innocent look. “After all, you’re toootally the only one who can pull off the colt look!”

Rainbow nodded. “Yeah, I’m definitely—” She screeched to a halt and stuck her friend with a dirty look. “Hey!”

The girls all shared a good laugh, as well as Spike, who Twilight promised to only ground for a few days. Together, after saying their goodbyes to Princess Luna, they all decided to head to Sugarcube Corner for a late and well-deserved snack. 

“So, Twilight, Applejack, I was wondering something,” Pinkie asked, trotting briskly along her friend’s left. 

“Yes, Pinkie?” Twilight answered, still smiling from everything working out so neatly. 

Pinkie tilted her head, getting a better look at her friends. “What exactly happened to your mane? Or Applejack’s, for that matter?”

Applejack and Twilight each looked at each others’ disheveled appearance, both of which had been earned during their search for Pinkie. Together, they turned towards her and muttered, “You don’t wanna know.”

“Really? Because it sounds like an awesome story! Almost as good as why Applejack smells like pickles.” Pinkie snickered at their expense, but soon threw two hooves over their withers and brought them close into a comforting hug. It was then that the group of mares—and also Spike—ran headlong into somepony.

From around the corner, a certain fashionista named Rarity came barreling out of nowhere, colliding with and knocking over all of her friends. 

"Oof!" 

Once on the ground, Pinkie Pie looked over from her spot in the newly formed pony-pile. "Oh, hi Rari—!"

Rarity jumped up first out of the group, and grabbed Pinkie by the shoulders.

“Hide me!” she shrieked, although her voice sounded entirely out of breath. In addition, her mane was even worse off than either Applejack’s or Twilight's. 

“Hide you?” Pinkie asked. “What’s wrong, Rarity?”

“You don’t understand!” Rarity gulped. “At first it was just a game of hide and seek for them! Innocent! Harmless! But you know how they are. They get these ideas. And they’re still coming for me! They found others, they multiplied! And then—” Abruptly, Rarity cut off and blinked dumbly for a moment at who she held in her hooves.

“Pinkie!?”

Pinkie Pie giggled and gave Rarity a boop on the nose. “Hi there!”

Rarity was suddenly aware of the other three ponies standing there. “Twilight? Applejack? And Rainbow Dash is back? You all found her?”

Twilight and Applejack gave a nod, each wearing amused smiles and dusting themselves off. 

“We sure did! She was—” Twilight had a hoof stuffed in her muzzle—again—before she could get another word out. She sighed, not bothering to fight it off this time.

“There’s no time!” Rarity insisted, already looking around back the way she came. “They were just behind me, and they had— oh no.”

Everypony else followed Rarity’s gaze to the building corner down the dark street. There was still some bustle in Ponyville, but strangely that road in particular was abandoned. This gave them a perfect view to a single, tiny head that peeked around the building corner. 

“What’s wrong? Isn’t that a filly?” Twilight asked, getting worried from the heaviness in the air.

Rarity heard the voices long before she saw them. Even after successfully losing the squadron of fillies and colts that had been chasing her, they were relentless in their pursuit. Along the way, the Cutie Mark Crusaders had picked up additional children, all of them convinced there was a game being played.

“It’s too late!” Rarity shrieked. “Every mare for herself!” With that, she charged off in the other direction down the cobble road.

Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow and Twilight—also Spike—all stared after her.

“Huh, what do you s’pose all this is—” Applejack was unable to finish her sentence due to the sudden thunder of hooves that was approaching. “Woah nelly!”

“There she is!” a tiny voice cheered. “And those are her friends! We almost got her, guys! I bet the grand prize is gonna be awesome!”

Pinkie Pie exchanged excited looks with the others in her group. Well, they looked shocked and terrified, but anyway, she wasted no time in joining them in a mad dash after Rarity.

“Wheee! Best party eeeever!” Pinkie cheered, all while Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Applejack all tried fruitlessly to discourage the stampede of fillies and colts running behind them. Spike was of course devoured first by the hungry mob, unable to keep up on his short and stubby legs. “Geez, Fluttershy’s gonna feel awful that she missed this!” 

Pinkie Pie laughed the whole way to Sugarcube Corner, happy that everything worked out and feeling way better. In fact, she was already planning an apology party for her friends for causing so much trouble! That was all in the future though. For now, she had a herd of foals to outwit.