Party of the Century
One week after the Battle of the Everfree…
Twilight sighed in melancholy. Things in Ponyville hadn't been the same since the battle against the Gohma. The atmosphere, and especially the people. Especially Pinkie.
Pinkie. Twilight shook her head. She hadn't been the same since her uncle's death. Pinkie had yet to throw another party, and that was definitely unusual for her, considering she normally would use any excuse she could find, no matter how contrived. There hadn't been any birthdays over the last week, either. And most distressingly, Pinkie was still in her "Pinkamena" mode, with her mane and tail depressingly straight and her usually bright colors now dull and flat.
And then there was Vaati. He was still blaming himself for everything, despite Twilight's best efforts. She knew he had a point; if he hadn't come to Equestria, Ganondorf, Majora, and all the evils of Hyrule wouldn't have found her world. But what if he hadn't come? What if Twilight and her friends had come across some menace they couldn't defeat? How could the Changeling invasion and King Sombra's return panned out had he not been around? Would they have managed to reform Discord, or would the world have gone mad under his rule?
The whole town was in a depressed mood, trying to recover from the horrors of war. Twilight sighed again as she looked up towards the Palace from the Golden Oak's balcony. The more we mope about, the more Majora is beating us, she thought to herself.
She looked down as thoughts whirled around in her head. Maybe someone's birthday is coming up soon…no, I remember this time of year. There's a sixteen-day gap between Twist and Diamond Tiara's birthdays with nothing in between.
Suddenly Twilight's head shot up as she realized something. Wait! Three days from now is the two-year anniversary of when Vaati came here! Hmm…I wonder if there's something I can do for Vaati.
Then something else hit her. Wait a minute…we've never celebrated Vaati's birthday before! I…I don't even know when it is! Has he ever said?
She then nodded to herself resolutely and went back inside, walking down the stairs past Spike, who was putting away some new books. Noticing her passing him by, Spike looked over his shoulder and asked, "Where are you going?"
Twilight opened the door. "I'm going to see Pinkie about something. Keep an eye on things till I come back, okay?"
Spike saluted. "Yes, ma'am!"
Twilight then shut the door behind her and made a beeline straight for Sugarcube Corner. If anyone knows when his birthday is, it'll be Pinkie.
XXXXXX
Sugarcube Corner…
"I'm sorry, Twi, I don't know."
Twilight's jaw promptly dropped. "Wh…wha?! Pinkie, how can you not know Vaati's birthday?! You know everypony's birthday here in town!"
Pinkamena just shrugged behind the store counter, that empty stare still present on her face. Twilight couldn't look Pinkamena in the eye for long, for fear that she might be caught in that emptiness and dragged into the cruel void that was Pinkie's sadness. "I asked him once, but he just shrugged and didn't say anything."
"Didn't you try again?" Twilight pressed.
Pinkamena nodded mechanically. "I tried six more times. The last time I did, he magically zipped my mouth shut and yelled at me to stop asking."
Twilight sighed. She knew deep-down that Vaati did not appreciate Pinkie's over-eagerness, and could partially understand why he'd blow her off so rudely. But it still didn't answer the important question; why wouldn't he tell her when his birthday was?
This was a question Twilight desperately needed an answer to, and she knew there was only one way to get it.
"Thanks, Pinkie," Twilight said before making her way up to the Palace.
Before long she reached the entrance and pushed it open with a resounding creak. The first person she saw was Nigellas, and she waved. "Nigellas, you know where Vaati is?"
"He's up in his room," the Wizzrobe replied. "Probably still sulking."
Twilight sighed. "Yeah, figured he might be. Thank you."
XXXXXX
Vaati was still staring out the window of his bedchamber when a knock came at the door, startling him out of his thoughts. Vaati slowly turned to see the door opening, and a familiar face peeking out from behind it.
"Twilight?" Vaati asked in confusion. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you, why else?" Twilight indignantly replied, closing the door behind her. "Haven't you gotten bored with blaming yourself yet?"
Vaati rolled his eyes. "I'm not discussing this."
"Fine, we won't," Twilight agreed. "I didn't come here for that anyway."
"So what did you come here for?"
Twilight silently admitted that she hadn't really thought this through when she blurted out, "Vaati, when's your birthday?"
Vaati looked surprised by this, his eyebrows shooting up as he regarded her with confusion. "My…birthday?" he repeated slowly.
Twilight nodded mutely, deciding just to run with it.
Vaati's eyebrows slowly furrowed. "Why are you asking?"
"B-because you wouldn't tell Pinkie."
Vaati jutted his chin out at Pinkie's name. "I see. So you're asking on her behalf."
"Vaati, why are you being so obtuse about this?" Twilight demanded in exasperation. "Can't you just tell me?"
"No," Vaati replied.
"Why not?"
Vaati hesitated a moment, before he slowly admitted, "I…don't know what day I was born. I've never celebrated it because I don't even know when it is. There, happy?"
Twilight just stood there, thunderstruck. My goodness…no wonder he wouldn't tell Pinkie. She'd demand he let her throw him a party on the spot!
The gears started whirling in her head as she thought this, but she made sure to say, "Thanks for telling me, Vaati."
Without another word, Twilight left, and Vaati returned to staring out the window. As the door shut, Vaati glanced over his shoulder, a brief curiosity taking over before he shrugged.
XXXXXX
Sugarcube Corner…
Pinkamena looked up just in time to see Twilight barging into the store, crying out her name. "Pinkie! Pinkie!"
Pinkamena's brow furrowed. "What is it, Twilight?"
Taking a moment to catch her breath, Twilight said, "I went and asked Vaati when his birthday was, and he told me he doesn't even know!"
Pinkamena's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "He doesn't know his own birthday?!" she exclaimed.
Twilight shook her head. "And there's no way we can find out…"
Pinkamena scratched her chin in thought, and without Twilight's notice, her coat slowly started to regain a little luster. Finally she looked up again and said, "Maybe…maybe we don't need to."
Twilight looked confused. "What do you mean?"
"We might not know when Vaati's birthday is…but we know what day he came to Equestria."
The two mares locked eyes as understanding dawned. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"
With a delightful "pop", Pinkamena's hair regained its poofiness as she replied, "Yep yep yep!"
Pinkie Pie was back.
XXXXXX
Palace of Winds, three days later…
As she walked through her opulent home, Scootaloo was murmuring constantly under her breath, as if she were practicing some sort of speech. She did this as she headed for the library, where Nigellas had said her father would be. Before long she reached said library wing, and after passing by a few shelves, she eventually found the Wind Mage sitting at a small desk, writing in a journal.
Though Scootaloo remembered what she was here for, she couldn't help but be curious. "Hey, Dad, whatcha writing there?"
Vaati looked up at her. "Oh…I'm writing down all the events that transpired since I came here, as it all happened from my point of view. Ganon, Majora, all of it."
"So…basically a journal," Scootaloo replied. "Could've just said that, you know."
Vaati rolled his eyes. "Did you finish your homework?"
Scootaloo unfurled her wings and hovered in the air, tapping her hooves together nervously. "Actually, umm…a-about that…"
Vaati's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Scootaloo…is there something you're not telling me?"
Scootaloo gulped. This was it. "Um…Miss Cheerilee, she, uh…s-she wants you t-to meet her at Twilight's l-library as soon as possible. S-she said that she…she wants to talk to you about, um…a study group she wants me t-to join."
Vaati's brows furrowed. "A study group?" he repeated questioningly.
"She wants to see us down there right away!" Scootaloo pressed.
Vaati didn't know, but something about it sounded oddly suspicious. On the other hand, it could have just been his paranoia talking. Vaati sighed as he put his pen down. "Alright, let's get down there."
He didn't fail to catch the excited grin on his foster daughter's face, and his eyes narrowed slightly. Something's going on here.
However, he said nothing as Scootaloo almost led him through the palace, out the door, down into Ponyville, and finally towards the library. Vaati did not fail to notice that there wasn't a single person in the streets. There hadn't been any monsters in the palace either. Everyone had mysteriously vanished.
What in Din's name is going on?
Soon enough they reached the library, and Scootaloo stepped aside so Vaati could open the door, and the moment he did…
"SURPRISE!"
Vaati recoiled with shock, only to realize that he wasn't being attacked. Every pony and monster in Ponyville was crowded together in the library, which was covered with party decorations. And not just them, but Princess Celestia and Princess Luna too. Everyone was wearing a party hat, each of which were adorned with crude drawings of Vaati's Eye Sentries, and above it all hung a large banner that read…
"Happy… Birthday… Vaati?" Vaati read incredulously.
"Yep yep yep!" Pinkie Pie bounced onto the scene, as happy and cheerful as ever. "When we heard you didn't even know when your birthday was, Twily and me were just like 'GAAAASP', and then we realized you never celebrated your birthday before and I felt so ashamed of myself for letting you slip through the cracks so we just HAD to make it right, and so we all got together and threw this party just for you!"
Vaati's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water as he tried to process what was happening. Finally he managed a hoarse, "I-I don't understand…this can't be my birthday…"
And then Luna stepped forward, smiling warmly. "But it is, Vaati. This is indeed your birthday, for this is the day you came to Equestria to begin your new life and leave your old one behind. This is the third anniversary of the day the old Vaati died and the new one was born."
Vaati stood thunderstruck, unable to form a reply. "The whole town's turned out for this," Twilight spoke up proudly. "Everyone, because we all want you to know that, no matter what, you are and always will be our friend, and that we will always be there for you. Come Tartarus or high water, we are all in this together, whether you like it or not."
Vaati felt something clamp around his leg, and he looked down to see Scootaloo hugging it tightly, looking up at him with the most loving, trust-filled gaze in her eyes. He looked up to see that same warm gaze reflected in the eyes of every pony and monster there.
The sight of this filled his chest with a warmth he hadn't been permitted to experience in a good long while. He felt his eyes water as he managed to say, "I…thank you. All of you…"
"No," Rarity said. "Thank you, Vaati. Thank you for accepting our offer of friendship."
"And thank you for helping us kick major flank and keep Equestria safe!" Rainbow Dash declared.
"And thank you for giving me a family," Scootaloo added. "A real family."
"And for freeing all of monster-kind from a curse we thought we'd never be free from," Nigellas added.
"And for showing me what it means to love," Luna spoke up. "Truest, deepest love."
Vaati felt tears slide down his cheeks as he glanced at each of his friends, overcome with emotion. "I…I love all of you…"
Everyone smiled at this, and Pinkie bounced into the air and cried, "And now that that's over, TIME TO PARTY!"
And party they did, and it was a party the likes of which hadn't been experienced in Ponyville ever before. The party of the century. Food was eaten, songs were sung, people danced, and an atmosphere of love and friendship finally returned to Ponyville.
After a good hour of festivities, there was a lull in which a number of ponies grabbed instruments and moved over by where Vinyl Scratch was operating her equipment. Lyra had her signature harp, Pinkie had somehow produced an accordion, Zecora had a flute-like instrument native to her homeland, Spike had gotten his claws on a pair of small bongo drums, and Rarity had an arrangement of same-sized glasses, each filled with varying amounts of water, as well as a spoon. Behind them stood Vinyl, Bon Bon, the Flower Sisters, Caramel, and Big Macintosh, acting as a chorus.
Vaati was led over to the front of the crowd, and Twilight said, "Vaati, the good ponies of Ponyville have something they want to show you. I looked through the music book in your library, and together we came up with this, to show you our appreciation. Alright, everypony!"
The cue given, Spike began to pat his drums to a steady beat.
After a few beats, he was joined by the gentle strum of Lyra's harp.
Then came Zecora's flutes. Her notes fluttered like a butterfly in the blissful spring, dancing around Lyra's harp and Spike's drums like a youthful ballerina in her prime.
And then Pinkie's accordion joined in, adding to the joyous tune.
Before long, Rarity began to gently clang her spoon against the glasses of water, the tinny plinks adding a new, playful layer of percussion to the song.
And finally the main part of the song came, cueing the singers.
With a start, Vaati recognized the tune; Song of the Sea, an old Gamelon shanty. But then he noticed parts of other songs he recognized; Princess Zelda's famous lullaby, Adventurer's Journey, and even a riff from Through the Dark World. It was a beautiful song, filled with such raw emotion that Vaati found himself in tears all over again.
And soon it finished, and what followed was a raucous chorus of stomping hooves, clapping hands, cheers, and whistles. Vaati smiled as tears wet his cheeks. Friendship truly was an unstoppable force, and the knowledge of that filled him with unfathomable happiness.
XXXXXX
Manehattan, that evening…
A hooded pony navigated the dark underworld of Manehattan, taking care to avoid the evening crowds. Beneath the figure's hood, fanged teeth flashed as the figure sneered with disgust at the oblivious ponies going about their everyday lives.
Fools, the figure thought cruelly. Soon this will all be mine. Soon, I'll make slaves of them all. But first…
The figure then headed into an alley, where a dingy door to a curiosity shop stood. Without a word, the figure entered the shop. The owner of the shop, a stallion wearing a foreign cap and suit, looked up at the ringing of the entry bell. He smiled genially. "Welcome to my shop, dear customer! Take a look around!"
A red glow emerged from the hood, which locked the door with an ominous click. The shopkeeper immediately began to suspect something was amiss, but he kept smiling.
That smile fell when the figure spoke. "You have something of mine, thief. Something that was taken from me long, long ago."
The figure's deep, almost ethereal voice chilled the shopkeeper to his bones. "I-I don't know what y-you're referring to, good stallion!"
"The Alicorn Amulet," the figure snarled. "You will return it to me, and in exchange, I may refrain from turning your shop into your tomb."
"The A-Alicorn Amulet?" the shopkeeper repeated incredulously. "B-but that can't possibly be yours, unless you're…"
And then the figure threw back his hood, revealing his face. The shopkeeper paled, his eyes widening in fear.
"K-K-King S-Sombra!" he whimpered.
Sombra grinned maliciously. "Indeed. Now give me what I asked for."
The shopkeeper nervously complied, handing over a black amulet with a red jewel set into an alicorn-shaped design. Sombra immediately seized it in his magical grip and fastened it around his neck. The moment he did, his eyes flashed green, the violet mist flaring in intensity for a brief moment before it faded. Sombra's grin widened. "Reunited at last…Now my full power is restored."
He then turned his wicked gaze on the cowering shopkeeper. "Now, to deal with the thief. You are hereby convicted of high treason against your king, and your punishment…is death."
The shopkeeper didn't even have time to plead his case before Sombra sent a shaft of darkness through his neck, which condensed into a black crystal, killing him instantly. With a dismissive flick of his head, the crystal disintegrated, leaving no trace, and the dead shopkeeper collapsed to the floor behind the counter.
Sombra smirked as his horn flared again, causing a purple and green fire to manifest within the store, spreading quickly. Satisfied, Sombra turned and left the store before his dark flames could threaten him. As the dark flames consumed the store, Sombra ominously hissed, "The Amulet is mine once more. Your Triforce of Power will not save you when the time comes for us to meet again."
The Crystal Tyrant laughed before he teleported away, leaving his fire to wreak unimaginable havoc on the city of Manehattan.