Party Every Day

by Esle Ynopemos

1: The Solution is Pie [Romance]

((Prompt: Apple Pie.))

Pinkie Pie had a problem. Applejack had a crush.

Actually, no. That wasn't a problem. Crushes were great. They made ponies have fluttery warm-fuzzy feelings. They led to cuddles and nuzzling and smooches. The fact that one of Pinkie's best friends in the whole world had a crush was such great news that Pinkie could hardly contain her squeaks of excitement and glee.

But contain them she did, because the problem was in who Applejack had a crush on. Applejack had a crush on Fluttershy.

Again, that wasn't a bad thing by itself. Fluttershy was really, really cute, and super nice, and a pony would have to be crazy not to have a crush on her. Applejack wasn't crazy—in fact, she was the most not-crazy pony Pinkie knew—so of course she had a crush on Fluttershy.

The problem, that one nibbly bit of trouble that made Applejack having a crush on Fluttershy into just a little bit less than the superific news it should have been, was that Fluttershy was already seeing somepony, and it wasn't Applejack. Pinkie Pie had a problem, because the pony Fluttershy was seeing was Pinkie Pie.

It was a doozy of a problem. Pinkie pondered, and she thought, and she scrunched her face up really hard, and she still couldn't think of a solution that would leave everypony happy. Pinkie could stop dating Fluttershy so that Applejack would have a chance, but then Fluttershy would think Pinkie didn't want to keep dating her, and Fluttershy would be sad. Pinkie could invite Applejack to come with her and Fluttershy on their dates and have a wonderful three-pony pileup of love, but Pinkie didn't think Applejack or Fluttershy were the kinds of ponies that were very well-suited to three-pony pileups of love. Applejack would get all awkward and uncomfortable, if she didn't just turn the idea down in the first place, and Fluttershy would squeak and blush really hard and try to hide under her mane.

But Pinkie couldn't just do nothing, either. Applejack dragged her hooves and sighed wherever she went, and every time Pinkie saw her, Applejack said “Hi Pinkie,” in a tone of voice that said, “I'm trying really hard not to be jealous because you're my best friend, but every time I see you I remember how bad I wish Fluttershy was with me instead of you.” That was a really complicated tone of voice to pull off, and it had to make her tired to talk like that.

Pinkie eventually came up with a solution that would hopefully work. This solution was to throw a party, of course. Pinkie was of the strong conviction that there were few things in life that could not be made better with a party. But it couldn't be just any party. The wrong type of party would just make things worse. For example, if she threw a party celebrating the fact that she and Fluttershy had just had their longest session of cuddles yet, that would make Applejack even sadder!

No, this party had to be the right type of party. A surgical strike-party rather than a nuclear party bomb. This party had to have just the right decorations, and just the right games and snacks, and most importantly, she had to invite just the right ponies.

Pinkie carefully penned the address on the envelope and stuck a stamp on it. She needed it to get to its recipient as quick as possible, so she waited by the mailbox and gave the mailmare some extra bits when she took the letter.

*

“What was this party for, again, Pinkie?” Applejack still spoke in her 'trying not to be jealous' voice. Pinkie was sure that had to be hard on her throat.

Pinkie filled a cup with punch and slid it over to her. “Arbor Day,” she said, grinning.

Applejack raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Pinkie, I work with trees for a living, an' I happen to know Arbor Day was last week.”

Pinkie giggled. “Well yeah, the day was last week, but did you have a party then?”

The farmer stared into her drink. “I s'pose not.”

“Well there you go!” Pinkie's ear flickered as the door creaked open.

In the doorway stood a blue-gray earth pony with a straight mane and tail. She winced nervously as the door swung shut behind her. “I, uh, I'm sorry I'm late,” she said quietly.

“Blinkie!” Pinkie covered the length of the room in two enthusiastic bounces and wrapped the new arrival in a big hug. “You made it! I was worried the invitation didn't get to you in time, or you were too busy with the rock farm, or you got carried off by a wild pterannodon and had dozens of incredible adventures on your long trek back home!”

Blinkie shook her head. “Um, no, the train was just a little late. Hi, Pinkie.”

Pinkie squeezed her even harder, and without setting her down, dragged her over to the punch table. Applejack blinked in curiosity as Pinkie grabbed her and Blinkie's hooves and placed them together in a hoofshake. “Blinkie, this is my best friend Applejack. She runs a farm here in Ponyville, except for that one time when I ran the farm instead and she sewed things, but usually she runs it. Applejack, this is my sister Blinkie. She also runs a farm!”

Blinkie shook her head. “I don't run it, Pinkie.”

“When's the last time Mom and Dad were the ones to make a decision for the farm?” Pinkie asked.

Blinkie's eyes cast toward the ground. “Ten years.”

Pinkie grinned and patted her friend and sister on the back, inching them closer together. “I'll let you farm ponies get acquainted. It looks like they're running out of dip at the other table!” Before either pony could speak up, Pinkie disappeared in a pink blur.

Applejack coughed into her hoof. “So, uh, what do ya grow on your farm?”

“Rocks,” Blinkie said. “This year we have a crop of pumice and some shale coming in.”

“Ya don't say?” Applejack took a sip of punch, a glimmer of interest in her eye. “I gotta admit I'm a bit curious. How do ya grow rocks, an' what is it ya do with 'em?”

A cautious smile formed on Blinkie's lips. “Oh, well see, it's actually an important cornerstone of the economy...”

Comments

[JetstreamGW]

Quirky.

[Themaskedferret]

Interesting...I'd be up for seeing more of this ship.

[Honey Mead]

Arbor day... You can't sneak that one by me

[Lurks-no-More]

Pinkie, you sly match-maker, you!

[Hobbestc]

I did not see that being the direction this would go in. Looks like sometimes you can take an off turn and still end up someplace really cool.

[Connor Gorden]

You're very good at writing. I'll need to take a moment after reading this to see if you have anything with a little more meat on it. ( very good work however)

[Shipper107]

Marble "Blinkie" Pie, I LOVE THIS!!!

[The Countess of Tuscany]

Well, the prompt didn't say which Pie..