Half-Hour Horses

by HoofAndQuill

Half Right [Romance?]

(The prompt: Write an AU story based on an episode of the show, in which a character’s faulty assumptions or decisions about a situation turn out to have been correct all along.)

(I wrote two for this prompt. The mod suggested Pinkie, and I figured why not. This is a lot weaker than the Blueblood one though.)

Pinkie Pie dragged her hooves across the ground as her friend Rainbow Dash dragged her by the tail. Her ex-friend Rainbow Dash. They were almost to the barn now, and Pinkie knew that she wasn't stopping Rainbow from dragging her, just making everything more difficult than it needed to be. But that was fine.

Her friends didn't like her parties and didn't want to be her friends anymore.

It was the worst thing in the world. It was worse than Nightmare Moon trying to make it nighttime forever. It was worse than missing out on the Grand Galloping Gala. It was even worse than baked bads, which were already pretty bad. It was bad enough that Pinkie Pie had to make new friends out of whatever she could find, because she was Pinkie Pie, and Pinkie Pie couldn't be Pinkie Pie without any friends. It was so bad that her mane had even gone straight again, like before she'd even known what fun was.

Rainbow finally stopped tugging at her tail. They'd reached Applejack's barn. All of Pinkie's ex-friends must be right there inside, just waiting to laugh at her for being all alone forever now that all her friends hated her. Rainbow Dash breathed heavily as she called out to the ponies waiting inside, and pushed the door open with a hoof. "We're... hh.. here!"

Pinkie glared into the barn as the door slowly opened on squeaky hinges. There in the middle of what looked like a very festive party filled with red and pink balloons, presents, and cakes, stood the other four of her now-ex-friends, smiling warmly at her. They yelled in unison "SURPRISE!"

It was a farewell party. What kind of terrible pony would throw a surprise farewell party for one of their friends?

Pinkie Pie couldn't overpower Rainbow, and so allowed herself to be pushed across the floor until she was in front of her friends. She stared them down angrily. For their part, the other ponies mostly just looked confused, and Fluttershy whispered something about Pinkie being excited.

"Excited? EXCITED?!" Pinkie Pie glowered at her once friends. "Why would I be excited to attend my own FAREWELL PARTY?!"

Twilight Sparkle looked genuinely confused. "Farewell party?"

"Yes! You all don't like my parties, and you don't want to be my friends anymore, so you're kicking me out of town and you're throwing a great, big party to celebrate! A 'Farewell to Pinkie Pie' Party!" Pinkie Pie nearly collapsed to the floor, the full realization of how badly she'd misjudged all her friends settling onto her.

Applejack spoke next, sounding a bit guilty. "Uh, well, I guess you're about half right."

"Geez, AJ, just break her heart for pony's sake." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, and swooped over toward a cake sitting on a table nearby.

Pinkie's head drooped another inch. "So I was right..."

Rarity's voice was quiet and even, sounding for all the world as though she were treading carefully around a crazy pony. "Darling, this isn't a farewell party, and we all adore your parties, though I suppose we are all hoping we'll stop being friends, in a manner of speaking."

Pinkie Pie drooped further, nearly laying on the floor as tears welled up in her eyes. She jumped just slightly as she felt a hoof on her back. Twilight spoke quietly. "Pinkie Pie, you know we would never hate you or your parties. Will you at least... read the cake?"

She lifted her head, and looked at Twilight Sparkle. The other mare's eyes showed concern for Pinkie, but were sparkling with hope behind that. Pinkie looked upward, at the hanging red streamers, made of alternating cakes, candies, and hearts. She turned toward the pile of presents, looking to be mostly Hearts and Hooves Day style candy boxes and heartfelt gifts. She looked around at the heart-shaped pink and red balloons. Finally, she stepped over and looked at the cake. There in the center, with a drawing of her and all her friends in icing, were the words "WE ALL LOVE YOU - HAPPY BIRTHDAY PINKIE PIE".

Suddenly, everything made sense! Pinkie's hair poofed back out as she realized what had really been going on. "It's my birthday! How could I have forgotten my own birthday?"

She hugged all of her friends at once, and smiled inwardly as they all sighed in relief. She only squeezed them closer though. "And you all love me so much that you don't want to be friends, you want to be GIRLfriends!"

"That's what we've been trying to tell you, darling! Ever since we all met we've been getting closer, and we all felt your birthday would be the best occasion for this sort of thing!"

Pinkie let her friends go, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "You girls are gonna be the best girlfriends ever! How could I have ever doubted you?"

Twilight Sparkle smiled and kissed Pinkie's cheek. "It's okay, Pinkie, it could have happened to any of us."

Her other girlfriends all laughed and agreed, and the group shared another loving hug. Explanations could come later, or the story of just how it had even been decided that they'd all be together. For that matter, the logistics of all being together might have to be worked out. But for now, Pinkie just grinned widely. "Okay girls! That's enough hugging, it's time to PARTY!"

--

Dear Princess Celestia,

I am writing to you from the most delightful party. I'm not only having a great time with my friends, but also was given the opportunity to learn a valuable lesson about friendship. Always expect the best from your friends, and never assume the worst. Rest assured that a good friend always has your best interests at heart.

Though, just as a warning, once I have time to write my next letter, it's going to be long, and maybe a little unexpected.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle