Chapter 2
The early morning sun sneaked its way through the curtains in Apple Blooms room. Soon it found its mark: Apple Bloom’s face. The young filly, who had been sleeping soundly, cringed as the bright light shown across her.
She turned over, blocking the sun’s rays with her back. But now she was awake, and after trying to fall back into a deep slumber for two minutes, decided it was time to get up.
Walking to the nearby dresser, she grabbed the hook in her mouth and pulled it open. Inside, neatly arranged in rows, were lots of pink bows. Picking one out at random, she quickly tied it around her hair.
“Looking good girl” said Apple Bloom as she looked into a nearby mirror.
After making her bed and picking up a few odd things here and there, she left her bedroom and headed down the stairs.
When she reached the bottom, she found Big Mac putting logs into the now empty fireplace.
“Morning Big Mac” she said.
Big Mac looked over at her and smiled “Morning” he said. Then he went back to the fire.
Apple Bloom walked to the nearby door and into the kitchen. Applejack was standing by the stove, stirring something that smelled really good.
“Morning Applejack” said Apple Bloom, not seeing her mouth being to water because of the good smell.
Applejack stopped stirring and looked over at her. “Good morning Apple Bloom. Sleep well” she asked.
“Yeah, it was great. I’m full of energy and ready for the day” said Apple Bloom happily.
“Well that’s great, because I have a job for ya” said Applejack. She pulled a list from off the counter and set it in front of Apple Bloom. “I need ya to run into town. We’re running low on a few vegies and I need ya to go get some more” she said.
Apple Bloom’s face fell “But I haven’t even gotten breakfast yet” she complained.
“Well the faster ya get home, the sooner ya get breakfast” said Applejack.
Apple Bloom groaned, but she put on her scarf, grabbed the list, and headed out the door.
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Apple Bloom trudged through the fresh morning snow. It was much harder than it had been the day before. Now she had to work even harder to make it through. Sometimes the snow reached up to the top of her legs, and she had to hop to get farther.
Thankfully she reached the town edge, where the snow was much more walkable thanks to the ponies whose job it was to clear snow.
But Apple Bloom noticed something strange when she walked onto the sidewalk. A group of ponies were gathered around a nearby street lamp. Some in the back were jumping so they could see whatever they were looking at.
“Maybe a colt got his tongue stuck to it” she thought. But she decided to get a straight answer. So she walked over the group, and started pushing her way towards the front.
But when she reached the front, she didn’t find a colt stuck to the pole. Instead, she saw a poster hanging from it instead. Even thought it was up high, Apple Bloom was still able to read it.
DEAR PONIES OF THE WORLD
I, PINKIE PIE, HAVE DECIDED TO ALLOW FIVE FOALS TO VISTIT MY FACTORY THIS YEAR. THESE LUCKY FIVE WILL BE SHOW AROUND PERSONALLY BY ME. AND WILL LEARN ALL THE SECRETS AND MAGIC OF MY FACTORY.
FIVE GOLDEN TICKETS HAVE BEEN HIDDEN UNDERNEATH THE ORDINARY WRAPPING PAPER OF FIVE ORDINARY PINKIE BARS. THESE FIVE CANDY BARS MAY BE ANYWHERE: IN ANY SHOP, IN ANY STREET, IN ANY TOWN, ON ANY LANDMASS IN THE WORLD.
IN ADDITION, ONE OF THESE FOALS SHALL RECEIVE A SPECIAL PRIZE BEYOUND ANYTHING YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE. GOOD LUCK TO ALL. AND HAPPY HUNTING!
PINKIE PIE
Apple Bloom stood there with her mouth hanging open for a few minutes. While all around her, ponies were talking.
“I can’t believe it; she’s actually going to let ponies in!”
“Where do you think the Golden Tickets are?”
“Wherever they are, I’m going to find one!”
“We’ll see about that, I’ll find one before anyone else can!”
“GAME ON!”
Soon the ponies of the group began to go back to what they were doing before. But Apple Bloom continued to stare at the poster for a few more minutes.
“I could…win a trip to the Factory” she said silently. She leaned over and looked at the factory in the distance.
“Alright, better hurry home and tell the others” said Apple Bloom. So she ran down the street towards the shops.
After buying all the veg. on the list, Apple Bloom ran down the street back to the Apple Farm.
But everywhere she looked, it was chaos. All the sweet shops were overloaded with ponies. They crowded around the inside and outside, screaming and trying to push their way in. A few foals sneaked out from under the adults, with Pinkie Bars overflowing their saddlebags.
“They’ll all be sold dry by noon” said Apple Bloom.
Then as she passed the pole with the poster, she reached up, yanked it down, and shoved it in her saddlebag. “Better than telling em” she said. And then she bolted down the sidewalk.
When she finally reached the barn, she kicked open the door and ran inside. Applejack was pouring whatever she had been cooking into bowls. She looked over when Apple Bloom ran in.
“Hey sis, you sure got home quick. Ready for some delicious breakfast” she asked.
“Yeah, but not now. You have to see this” said Apple Bloom. She pulled out the poster and set it on the table. “EVERYPONY, COME CHECK THIS OUT” she screamed.
Big Mac and Granny walked in a moment later.
“What is it dearie” asked Granny.
“Come look at his poster; it was hanging from a bunch to street lamps out in town” said Apple Bloom.
The family gathered around and looked at the paper. But with each line they read, their eyes grew bigger and bigger. And when they finished, they too were silent for a moment.
“I can’t believe my eyes; Pinkie is going to let ponies into her factory” said Applejack, still in awe about what she had read.
“Eeyup” said Big Mac happily.
“Don’t get your hopes up you two. She says foals are allowed to visit, and there are only five golden tickets. If anyone has a chance in this family, its little pintsized here” said Granny, rubbing Apple Bloom’s mane.
“Really, you think I have a chance” said Apple Bloom hopefully.
“You have as much chance as anypony does” said Granny.
“So can I go start loading up on Pinkie Bars” asked Apple Bloom.
Applejack’s face fell. “Can’t say sis. Remember we have limited money during the winter. Until we can see what it’ll cost to keep us going until spring, we’ll have to hold up on buying chocolate” she said sadly.
Apple Bloom’s face fell as well. “Alright, I understand. But you should have seen the mob of people outside all the sweet shops. They were fit to burst, and I bet every one of them wanted to buy Pinkie Bars” she said.
“Eeyup, this is going to be a crazy contest” said Big Mac.
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And Crazy wasn’t even close to what this contest was doing.
All over the world, stores carrying Pinkie Bars were being overrun with ponies. All of them were waving a bag of bits and demanding ten or twenty bars at a time. Some just threw their bags on the counter, grabbed some bars, and ran out the door.
Cities like Manehattan and Las Pegasus had to call in the police to keep the crowds under control. And small towns all over Equestria were offering Pinkie Bars to those who helped keep the crowds under control.
And when a store ran out of bars, some ponies camped outside so they could get in first when the new shipment arrived.
Filly Delphia was even reporting that some ponies had tried to sneak into the warehouses and steal the incoming Pinkie Bars.
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At the Apple Farm, Granny Smith and Apple Bloom were sitting in the living room. Granny was in her favorite rocking chair, and Apple Bloom was sitting on some cushions. A radio was placed above the fireplace; with the volume turned up to they could hear. A report on the Golden Ticket search was being sent through.
“Already we have reports coming in that the response to the contest is phenomenal. Pinkie Bars are beginning to disappear from sweet shop shelves at a rate to boggle the mind. Truly it is incredible the way that Pinkiemania has descended upon the globe. While the world searches, we watch and wait, wondering where the pursuit will lead and how long the spirit of pony will hold up under the strain.”
“They’ll tear towns apart looking for those tickets” said Granny.
“All the shops in town are already sold out. And ponies are spending every cent they can spare on Pinkie Bars” said Apple Bloom.
“Wasting so much money on chocolate, it’s just not right. Buy a candy bar if you have some spare money, but don’t spend it all on forty bars” said Granny.
Just then Applejack walked down the stairs. When she saw Apple Bloom and Granny listening to the radio, she walked over to them.
“What are you two listening to” she asked.
“Latest update on the contest. They’ve already sold out all the shops in Ponyville, and ponies are demanding they get their next shipments in” said Apple Bloom.
“Geez, ponies sure are gathering up lots of Chocolate. Must hurt when they spend all that money and don’t get a Golden Ticket. But I do suppose they can eat all that chocolate to make them feel better” said Applejack.
“Well I can tell you one thing; the pony that finds the first ticket will be fat, Fat, FAT” said Granny.