Alternate Beginnings: Year Two

by Doug Graves

11 Arri-versary

February 17th, 994

Pinkie Pie happily pronks through town, double checking her list of party supplies. Winter Wrap Up finishing late yesterday delayed a lot of ponies from getting their stores ready today, but many of the shops she needs to patronize know she will be along. It helps being such a reliable customer; not only does Pinkie regularly buy their larger, more expensive options but the mare would cut deals to buy any surplus party supplies. Or, anything they had in surplus, really; the mare stores who knows what everywhere around town.

After picking up her orders for the largest banners, colorful streamers, and the drabbest tan paint she had ever seen (I mean, could it get any more boring? Hello!) she starts towards the edge of town. She greets everypony she passes with a "Hiya! Hello! How ya doing?" or with how long it is until their birthday (her favorite being Rainbow Dash, since the mare both managed to have a birthday that fell on the same day as when she came to Ponyville (birth-iversary! what a fun word to say (Oh! I need to ask Doug when his birthday is (Heh- what if it is today! Then it would be his Arribirth-iversary! Or his Herrivabirthaversary! (Hmm, how many end parenthesis do I need?))))) No wait that's too many, ( : o-kay much better.

Pinkie unloads her supplies on the outskirts of town. She starts working on one of the banners that will be hung. It has written in large text: 'Happy Arri-versary Doug!'. Underneath is written in smaller text that, towards the end, wraps around the top and starts circling to the left: 'For celebrating the one year anniversary of Doug arriving in Ponyville, starting a herd with Applejack, and potentially for being born!"

A cough behind her fails to surprise Pinkie Pie as she recognizes Spoiled Rich's hoofsteps getting closer. She looks underneath her body to look at the pink mare, "Hi Spoiled Rich! Have a good spring yet?"

Spoiled Rich looks down at Pinkie Pie, "My spring has been going well, yes, for the short time it has been."

Pinkie Pie shakes her head, "No, silly. Do you know what spring you're bringing to the party? There's going to be a whole lot of bouncing and I wouldn't want you to miss out! Mine's this ball!" Pinkie holds up a large blue ball, "I just love bouncing on it! Boing, boing, boing!"

Spoiled Rich smiles, "No, Pinkie, I haven't picked out my spring, though that does look like fun. I just wanted to talk to you about the theme of your party. I was hoping we could focus more on spring, and the new foals that will be around. I'm sure you know, since you threw both of them a party, but there are two new foals in my herd and three in yours."

Pinkie Pie nods slowly, speaking much slower than she normally does, "Yes, but Today is the day that Doug got here." Her voice resumes its normal speed, "There will be plenty of days for parties for the new foals."

Spoiled Rich's voice gets quieter as she moves close to Pinkie Pie, "Look, Pinkie, I didn't want to have to tell you this, but not a lot of ponies are going to be very enthusiastic about a party for Doug." Pinkie's eyebrows furrow in confusion as Spoiled Rich continues, "I'm just trying to save you the embarrassment of putting all this effort into a party that not many ponies will be able to appreciate. I know how much you want everypony to have fun, right?"

Pinkie Pie slowly nods, her ears flattening against her head as her hair deflates, "But, I can still keep some of the party for Doug, right? You don't think ponies will be too turned off if there is just a small section for him?"

Spoiled Rich gives her an encouraging smile, "Of course not, I think this banner will be great for that! Do you need any help getting the rest of the party ready?"

Pinkie Pie nods, her ears and hair perking back up, "Oh, I can always use another helping hoof! Let's see, if we're doing something for the foals we'll need, hmm, five, seven, nine different color palettes, one for each of them." She taps her hooves together, looking out over the grounds, "So, we'll set apart this area over here for Doug, and then we'll want banners for each? No, that'll be too restrictive and separates the party out, we'll want different decorations for each of them."

Spoiled Rich nods, "I think that will look wonderful, Pinkie Pie. Oh, I did want to ask you. Did Rainbow Dash talk to you about your... pending relationship with Doug?"

Pinkie's smile fades, a sullen look coming over her face, "Oh. Yes, she did. I don't like it, but... why did you want me to wait again?"

Spoiled Rich's smile grows a little forced, "Well, Pinkie, look at it as a test for Doug. If he is interested in you, then he will have no problem waiting until after your heat has ended, right? If he pushes you to have a foal, then you will know that he is just interested in you for your foals, and not in you. But, if you tell him, then how will you know which it is? He could then choose whatever he thinks you want, and the test will be ruined."

Pinkie nods slowly, "Well, I know that Doug is interested in me! He'll pass your silly test, just you wait!"

Spoiled Rich smiles again, "I certainly hope so, Pinkie, I certainly do. I'll go see about gathering some more ponies to help. See you soon!"

Pinkie nods, hoping she brings a pegasus or unicorn to help lift things. She could do it herself if she has to, but it could be hard maneuvering her balloons into tight spaces. Especially if it is something like a banner that really should be attached on both sides at once, to keep from folding or getting dirt on it.

Spoiled Rich returns soon, and with the extra help the rest of the decorations go up quickly, though Pinkie Pie did need to go back into town to pick up some more paint. The food is also coming along well; the cows had a bit of extra milk and cheese so those were going alongside the apples, fruits, and bread that many of the other ponies are bringing in. She sees Applejack dragging a cart with more food and one of their outdoor grills. More ponies continue to arrive so, without much else going on, Pinkie Pie begins entertaining them.

A little later, Pinkie Pie is balancing on her blue ball, juggling three rubber chickens. She spots Doug walking along with Rainbow Dash. The human is wearing an apron with the words 'Kiss the Cook' on the front and holding a tray of vegetables and other items to grill. He waves to her as she exclaims, "Ooh, Doug! Over here! I have something I want you to try!"

Doug walks over as Pinkie continues juggling. He asks, "What is it?"

Pinkie Pie says, rolling towards him on her ball, "It's a haydog! I made it special, just for you!" She winks, pulling a haydog out of her mane and tossing it to Doug.

Doug grabs it out of midair with one hand, sighing at Pinkie Pie, "You know I can't digest hay, right?"

Pinkie nods, still juggling, "I know, silly. That's why I made it special," she winks, "just for you!" she winks again, even longer.

Doug nods, peering again at the haydog, "It wasn't too difficult, I hope?"

Pinkie thinks hard, looking up and putting a hoof to her chin as the rubber chickens fall to the ground.

-Flashback-

Pinkie Pie is wearing a bright pink hazmat suit, colorfully adorned with drawings of balloons, that completely covers her body. Thick black goggles cover the upper half of her face while a respirator covers the lower half. She is holding a pair of metal tongs, currently grasping a charred, unidentifiable substance about the size of a brick. She is surrounded by puffy white walls, the floor the same substance with a large wooden fire. She is holding the brick above the fire, slowly rotating it. She sings to herself, 'Do you believe in magic? In a young girl's heart!' as the brick slowly roasts.

Eventually she gives a cackle, pulling the brick out of the fire and pronking to one of the walls. She gives it a push and it opens up, revealing more white puffy walls. She closes the wall behind her before stripping the suit off in one hop. She shoves the suit in a saddlebag clearly not large enough to hold it before tapping another wall. This opens up, revealing the sky and a large number of balloons. She reaches over, attaching the balloons to herself and removing their moorings. She slowly starts to lift off the cloud, so she pulls a few metal weights from her saddlebags. She takes a running leap off the cloud, slowly sinking down and away, her body swaying back and forth. She pulls out from her bags a large red button, grinning maniacally as she presses it. She turns away from her cloud structure, donning a pair of sunglasses as the walls begin to dissipate. The bonfire drops through the clouds before erupting into a gigantic fireball as Pinkie Pie nonchalantly looks the other way.

-End Flashback-

Pinkie Pie shakes her head, "Nope! No trouble at all!"

A brown coated colt picks up one of the chickens as Rainbow Dash asks, "Is that why you wanted me to build you that temp cloud house? And then I had to clean up the charred remains afterwards? How do you even char a cloud?"

Pinkie Pie giggles, "Yup! It was a big help! So, do you like it? Do ya? Do ya?"

Doug takes a bite of the haydog, slowly chewing. His eyes light up as he swallows, asking, "Is this-"

Pinkie Pie puts a hoof over his mouth, "Yup! So, ya likey?"

Doug grins, nodding as Pinkie Pie removes her hoof. "It's excellent; I don't suppose you have any more?"

Pinkie Pie's grin becomes a little forced, "Well, the rest of it may have been used trying to find the best recipe. I still have the other results somewhere around here," - she starts pawing through her saddlebags, then her mane - "but it might take a little searching. Besides, you won't like them as much, and I was hoping we could come to some sort of... understanding." She looks back at Doug, one eye slowly winking.

Doug laughs softly, "I think that would work just fine, Pinkie. Excellent job with the party, really enjoying it!" He and Rainbow give Pinkie a wave, starting to walk off. She returns the wave, returning to the party and trying to find that colt she didn't recognize from earlier. Doug moves over to the grill, taking over from Applejack and starting to grill a few of the peppers he brought with him.

Pinkie Pie spots the new foal teacher, Miss Cheerilee, out among the crowd. She happily pronks over, "Hi Cheerilee! And Berry Punch, good to see you too! Thanks for helping out with the drinks, really bouncing this spring off with a kick!"

Berry Punch smiles, "Oh, of course, Pinkie! You always throw the best parties, I'm glad to help out!" She moves in a little more conspiratorially, "So, was that the stallion over there you are interested in? He certainly is something else."

Pinkie Pie looks back, seeing Doug at the grill with several mares around him, one of them Rainbow. "Oh, Doug? Yuppers!" She raises her voice, "Hey Doug! Three pepper poppers please!" Doug glances over before finding a small box. He puts something inside the box; Rainbow raises a hoof to take it but Doug shakes his head, pulling his arm back. Pinkie gasps; she didn't know Doug played hoofball! His arm goes forward; Pinkie gasps, dashing forwards before turning around and chasing the box down. She makes a diving catch back where she was standing originally, smiling at her success. She hops back up, the dust on her coat falling off, and pops one of the peppers into her mouth. She smiles at the taste; it will work really well with some of the haydogs Doug is grilling. She pops another pepper in her mouth, looking at Cheerilee, "Did you want anything?"

Cheerilee giggles, "No, Pinkie Pie, I'm fine, thanks for asking. So, the herd you are interested in is certainly... prolific. Is that why you wanted to join?"

Pinkie Pie considers, putting a hoof to her chin and eating the last pepper. She grins, "Well, I do love foals! I sure wouldn't mind having one of my own, but, well, I don't think now would be the best time. Spoiled Rich is putting quite a bit of pressure on everypony, and they're already pretty busy with their three. Speaking of foals, how about you? I hear you'll be working here in Ponyville soon, with the new crop of foals!"

Cheerilee nods nervously, briefly fearful of where else Pinkie Pie could have taken the conversation. "Yes! I do like working with foals, especially seeing that I am barely not one myself." She self consciously looks to her blank flank, "I do hope I get my cutie mark there. They're just so much fun!" She smiles, thinking of the new classes she will have.

Pinkie Pie brightens as well, nodding vigorously. She will have to go get more peppers, and maybe a haydog; hopefully Doug brought enough for everypony. She waves goodbye to Cheerilee and Berry Punch as she makes her way over to the grill. She smiles sheepishly as she reminds herself to not act too foalish around Doug, or scarf down all the food he is preparing. Maybe she'll just have another three, or thirteen, more peppers.

Rainbow Dash and Doug are chatting with two older fillies as Spoiled Rich walks up. There are several tables with trays of food next to the grill, set up so ponies can serve themselves. Spoiled Rich looks at Rainbow, saying, "Good morning, Rainbow Dash."

Doug glances over from his conversation with the two fillies while Rainbow responds in an even tone, "Good morning, Spoiled Rich. Had a pleasant party so far?"

Spoiled Rich nods, "Yes, it has been. What do you have here?"

Rainbow points a hoof at a few of the products on the grill, "Well, Doug is grilling some peppers and haydogs right now, but we can also make grilled cheese or whatever else. We also have some other greens behind us, mostly lightly grilled. We can grill whatever you want to bring, if you prefer."

Doug glances over at the mention of his name but refrains from saying anything. Pinkie Pie pipes up as she gets closer, "Hey Doug! Another pepper popper please!"

Doug says, "Good morning Pinkie, I have a couple more pickled pepper poppers preparing, but perhaps an introduction to our two new friends while we wait? This is Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon, both visiting from Canterlot."

Pinkie Pie waves at the two while Bon Bon responds, "Oh, Pinkie, such a pleasure to meet you! I did want to get together, chat a little bit, you know?" She smiles, looking up at Pinkie.

Pinkie fakes a moping expression, "Well, I gueeeess I don't have to throw you a welcome to Ponyville party then; how long are you visiting for?" She smiles, swiping one of the peppers sizzling on the grill.

Bon Bon shrugs, "Oh, just a day trip. I wanted to see what some of the communities near Canterlot are like in the early spring, as everything gears up for planting. It's good to know where your sugar comes from!"

Pinkie Pie nods, grabbing a glass of juice as Spoiled Rich says, "Doug, a good morning to you as well. You are doing well, so far. I would like two haydogs, one serving of the grilled sprouts, a glass of juice, and, once they are ready, one of those pepper poppers Pinkie Pie is so fascinated by."

Doug looks over to Spoiled Rich as he prepares her plate, "Good morning as well, Mrs. Rich. Coming right up, it'll be another minute for the peppers, more if you actually want to wait for them to cool." He quickly moves among the trays of food, dishing out her order and pouring a glass of juice. He puts the glass on the plate and places it on the table in easy reach of Spoiled Rich.

Pinkie Pie paws at her burned tongue as Bon Bon walks over to her. The cream coated earth pony slowly walks away from the grill, prompting Pinkie to follow her, as she asks, "So, when did you meet Doug? He's so fascinating!"

Pinkie responds, her tongue fully healed, "Let's see, I met him last year on the nineteenth, so a year minus two days, so three hundred and fifty eight days."

Bon Bon's voice grows quiet as she leans close to Pinkie, "I also heard that, um, you were interested in joining his herd? Herd Apple? What's that like?"

Pinkie Pie nods vigorously, moving away from some of the other ponies to a quieter section, "Yup! Well, we haven't gone on a date yet, but I'm sure it's going to go great!"

Bon Bon glances back at Doug, looking nervous, "But, why a creature like him? Aren't you afraid he's, like, a monster?"

Pinkie Pie thinks back, the chicken dog Doug ate coming to mind, "Well... I mean, he has his quirks, but who doesn't? He does his best to keep up with me, he loves pulling pranks and doesn't get angry when you pull a prank on him, and he has three adorable foals!"

Bon Bon smiles at that, "Oh, so you do want a foal with him? Are you thinking this year?"

Pinkie Pie rubs the top of Bon Bon's head with a hoof, "Isn't that a little old for you? But, no, probably not this year. I mean, we might, I kinda want to, but I don't think it'll happen that quickly. So, your cutie mark, it has to do with making candy? That sounds delicious!"

Pinkie Pie notices Doug waving at her; the two head back for more peppers, Bon Bon glancing around the party, looking for somepony.

Comments

[RustDust]

Kinda confused by Cheerilee... Just how old is she? I assumed getting your cutie mark was like a coming-of-age thing but she's about to become a teacher and still hasn't gotten hers?

[Doug Graves]

9942862
So, this chapter was mostly based on the flashback from Pinkie Pride, where Cheese Sandwich gets his cutie mark. It shows a lot of Ponyviliians - including Miss Cheerilee - without their cutie marks.

Perhaps whoever's in charge - Spoiled Rich, maybe? - is desperate to fill the position and takes the chance with an untested youngster. It's tough to wrangle the storyline to fit, especially because one of the comics has Miss Cheerilee going to 'high school' with none other than Princess Cadance. Or did Spoiled Rich know Cheerilee's parents, or Cheerilee herself, and saw a way to indebt the youngster to herself?

[chibilink]

I'm sure you know, since you threw both of them a party, but there are two new foals in my herd and three in yours."

Is Pinkie in the herd yet? Thought she was gonna have a date eventually but wasn't technically part of it yet.

[Gora]

I hope Bonbon is an agent of SMILES here, I want Spoiled Rich to explode.