//------------------------------// // Blast Shields and Bunkers // Story: Pinkie Cake // by ItsDandan //------------------------------// Pinkie bounced towards the centre of the field. “Everything. Is. Perfect!” she thought to herself. The pink pony looked over her setup, and started to bounce back to the trench. Applejack watched Pinkie through the binoculars. Ducking back down, she looked to Twilight. “You sure Pinkie’s thought this through, Twi?” The apple farmer asked, and looked behind the unicorn to boards filled with equations. Twilight beamed, and replied “Oh yes. Even in a worst-case scenario, Ponyville would have no chance of being harmed.” Applejack raised an eyebrow, “So, uh… What about us?” Twilight stopped for a second, and her eyes opened wide. Spinning around, she raised her chalk and came face-to-face with the pink pony. “What are you silly-billies doing sitting here? We need to get this party started!” Pinkie said, and dragged the librarian to the other side of the trench. “No, Pinkie, we need to ext-“ Twilight started to say, before Pinkie slapped a pair of safety-goggles over her friend’s head. The pink pony looked around. “Everypony ready?” she asked, getting nods from all but Twilight and Applejack. “Don’t worry guys, it can’t be that bad,” she said, and pulled a pair of goggles out for herself. The purple unicorn looked over her friends, as they all peered towards the field. Pinkie bounced over to the pull-cord and Twilight ducked, head-in-hooves. Pinkie Pie inhaled, and looked out over her blast zone with admiration. “I love the smell of sugar in the mornings…” Pinkie said, and pulled the cord backwards. A flash of light erupted from the centre of the field. Noise erupted, and Twilight held her head even tighter. The noise stopped, and the light subsided. The first thing to run through Twilight Sparkle’s mind was “What in Equestria…” The purple unicorn lifted her head and looked about. All she could see were a few book scattered about, and the radiant pink of the sky. She looked up, mouth agape. Twilight got up on all fours, and scampered her way out of the trench. “It’s the same from here to Canterlot…” she thought, staring into the distance. Twilight heard a groan in the distance. Looking to her left, she saw Applejack lying on her side—hat not too far away. “AJ!” she called, and ran over. As Twilight got closer, she slowed down and stared at her friend’s hair. “Twi?” Applejack said, and slowly stood up. She turned to her friend. “Twi, what happ…” Applejack started, before noticing Twilight’s stare. “You alright, sugarcube?” the earth pony asked, moving to take a step forwards. Twilight saw her friend bounce towards her, and jumped back. After a few seconds, she replied. “Applejack, you’ve got Pinkie’s hair,” Twilight said, staring at her orange friend. Applejack got a confused look on her face, then pulled a full-size mirror from nowhere and plonked it on the ground in front of her. Darn it Pinkie, what have you done this time? Applejack asked herself, staring at her new mane and tail. She rounded on Twilight. “Is Pinkie Pie out there with my hair? Doing whatever wacky stuff she does all the time?” Applejack asked the unicorn, looking worried. “And what if-” the apple farmer stopped as she stared into the sky. “Applejack, we have more to worry about than a bad hair day. We don’t even know if everypony else is safe yet,” Twilight said. She looked towards Canterlot, and Applejack turned to face her. “You’re right,” she said, closing her eyes. Looking around, Applejack asked “So, where did everypony go?” “You were pretty close by, so they shouldn’t be too far away,” Twilight replied, and looked behind herself across the open plains. “Then again…” Applejack said, “I also ducked once it started.” Twilight’s brow creased, and she looked at her friend for a few moments. “On second thoughts, let’s get some other ponies to help us out,” the unicorn said, and turned towards Ponyville. As they headed to the town, Twilight began to notice differences in the flora and fauna. Everything’s so… chipper, she thought. She took a second look at some blooming flowers, before continuing towards the town. As they got closer to Ponyville, the two mares heard a very busy-sounding Ponyville. Talking, talking, and more talking dominated the soundscape, drowning out even the extra-chirpy birds. Ponyville came into view. Twilight saw a mass of ponies moving around town. Some were more pink than usual, some much more talky, and others just taking on a very familiar pink hairstyle. Applejack looked over the scene. “What in tarnation…” she said, taking in a busy, loud, and very pink Ponyville. The two of them slowly walked into town, while pony after pony jumped in front of the pair and began to talk their ears off. “Twi…” Applejack said, still looking around curiously. “Yes, AJ?” Twilight answered, head down as she tried to ignore the drone of voices around them. “This is…” the mare paused for a moment, looking for the right word. “strange?” Twilight cut in, and looked to her companion. “You can say that again,” the orange mare said, her pink mane bouncing as she looked to Twilight. Twilight looked to the mare in front of her. “Fluttershy!” she yelled, jumping forwards and embracing the yellow mare. “Oh hiya Twilight did you guys come here after the big explosion it was pretty big and went-” Fluttershy made a ‘boom’ noise, extending her hooves out at the same time. The rest of the mares around them did the same thing. “And then I was thrown really far away and I thought you guys might be hurt so I tried looking for you and then I found you and I am so happy you girls are alright…” Fluttershy said, her speech coming to a halt. Applejack and Twilight looked to each other, eyebrows raised. “Library?” Twilight asked, and Applejack nodded. They grabbed the yellow pony in front of them and headed off. Fluttershy stepped into the library, still talking about animals. The two mares other followed her inside. “Fluttershy,” Twilight said, closing the door. The yellow pegasus stopped talking with an “eep.” “Have you seen any of the others since you got here?” Twilight asked, staring at Fluttershy. “Well yes I think I saw Rainbow Dash flying towards Town Hall but then I saw you two and I was like *yay* and came over and started talking and then we-“ Fluttershy stopped as Twilight held up a hoof and turned to Applejack. “So, Town Hall?” she asked. Applejack nodded, and turned to the yellow pegasus looking at them with a look of confusion. “Now y’all stay here, alright?” she asked. A meek nod came from behind a light pink mane, and Fluttershy laid on the floor. Twilight floated a book over to the pegasus, and she began to read. Twilight and Applejack stepped back outside, closing the door behind them. They looked out at the scene before them, pink splayed across the town. Twilight looked to the sky, and saw that it was the same pink as before. She groaned, and dipped her head. “I tried to tell Pinkie, but no. “It can’t be that bad,” my flank,” Twilight said. Applejack’s face softened, and she nudged the unicorn next to her. “Twi, trust me—this’ll all be fine. Nopony’s been hurt, and you can be sure nothing’ll happen to Pinkie,” she said, and gave a smile to her friend. Twilight looked up into Applejack’s eyes and sighed. “I guess you’re right… still…” Twilight said. As she looked over the town, a brass section trumpeted from the sky. Twilight looked up and saw a carriage with gold and pink filigree flying towards them. The unicorn’s eyes expanded, as she muttered “Oh no.”