The Party Girl

by Godslittleprincess

Chapter 14: Twilight’s New Friend

A week passed, and everybody settled into a new normal. Cadance would teach First Base and the children of Griepsburg while Night Light exchanged letters and packages between them and Pinkie Pie. First Base would earn a few coppers writing letters for his classmates, but after a few days, their literacy improved to the point where they no longer required his services. He was disheartened at first, but his brother assured him that his contribution to their savings was more than enough.

Meanwhile, Twilight and Flash would meet every morning before breakfast and every evening after dinner so that Twilight could help him improve his reading, writing, and figuring. The two of them had yet to come to an agreement in their negotiations mostly because the two of them had been refusing to talk about them. In fact, outside of their lessons together, the two of them hadn’t been talking to each other about anything. Then, one morning, Flash finally got tired of the mutual silent treatment and spoke to her.

“Why are you doing this, Twilight?” Flash asked her.

“I’m sorry. What?” Twilight replied.

“Why are you trying to help me read and write better?” he clarified. “You have nothing to gain from this, so why make it part of the deal?”

Twilight bit her lip and looked away from him. She felt the guilt rising inside of her again, but some other emotion was rising with it. What was that feeling?

“Because,” she answered with a slight stammer, “because I know how much you hate being barely literate. I know you’ve never said so, but you do. I can see it all over your face whenever you struggle to read or write something. And I, well, I feel terrible for how horribly I’ve treated you and your brother, especially when you’ve been nothing but kind to me and my family, and I wanted to make it up to you.”

Flash had not been expecting that answer. Nevertheless, he accepted it and moved on to his next question.

“Okay, so, why were you trying to use my wanting to read and write better to bribe me into helping you and Timber run away?” he asked.

“Because for the last five years, Timber has been my only friend,” Twilight replied. “We have a lot in common. We both hate Griepsburg. We both want to move to the city, and we both have problems with our families. Back when my family was saving to go back to Paardenstad, I was going to beg them to take Timber with us. I mean, I wouldn’t be a very good friend if I got to live the life we both wanted and left him behind in the place we both hated, would I?”

“I, I can understand that,” Flash conceded before continuing, “but at the same time, I don’t think helping him run away from his sister is the answer to the problem. I know neither of you think highly of the people involved in the feud, but I don’t think they’re all bad. The problem is that they care about the feud more than what really matters, their kids, their families, their neighbors. If we really want to make things better for Timber and everyone else, we need to find a way to make the townspeople care.”

“And how do you supposed we try and do that?”

Before Flash could answer, a knock was heard at the door. Well, it was less like a knock and more like a series of rapid-fire pounds.

“Helloooooo!” A familiar, chipper female voice called from the other side of the door. “Anybody home?”

Flash quickly answered it and saw exactly who he expected to see. “Pinkie?”

“Oh, hiya, Flash. Oooooooh, you’re not going to believe this, but I asked the kids when their birthdays were, and it turns out that Diamond Tiara’s birthday is today, so I asked Pa if I could go into town and throw a party for her, and he actually said yes! Oooooooooh! I’m so happy!” Pinkie cheered.

“Wait. Hold on. What?” Flash cried, still trying to process what Pinkie had said.

“I’m throwing Diamond Tiara a birthday party,” Pinkie clarified.

“But it’s a school day,” Twilight cut in.

“Yeah, and?”

“Diamond Tiara is going to be at school for most of the day.”

“And?”

“Where and how are you going to be throwing this party?” Twilight cried, getting thoroughly annoyed with the pink intruder.

“Oh, whoops. I guess that completely slipped my mind. I guess I’ll just throw the party at the school then.”

“Pinkie, wait,” Flash exclaimed. “You can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s school. Ms. Cadance has a responsibility to teach the children, and the children have a responsibility to learn from her. You throwing a party there might get in the way of that.”

“Awww, but it’s Diamond Tiara’s birthday, and it’s the first time Pa’s let me throw a party for anyone since Granny died,” Pinkie pouted, making her eyes as wide and shiny as possible.

“Oh, good grief!” Flash thought to himself as he attempted to resist the power of Pinkie’s puppy-like pouting. After maybe a minute, he succumbed with a groan, saying, “Oh, alright! I’ll get Ms. Cadance, and see if the two of you can work something out, okay?”

“Yay!” Pinkie cheered, throwing her arms around Flash. Twilight didn’t know why, but the pink girl’s sudden action shocked her, and she found herself feeling oddly threatened by Pinkie, but why? Pinkie and Flash are friends, so that hug probably didn’t mean anything. Besides, why would it matter to her if it did?

“By the way,” Pinkie added, releasing Flash, “Pa says that either you, the postman, or one of his family have to be there while I set up the party, or else, there won’t be a next time. He said something about wanting to make sure I stay out of trouble. Don’t know what that’s all about.”

“Oh, Pinkie, I’d love to help, but Postman Light, Shining Armor, and I have jobs to do,” Flash apologized. “Ms. Cadance will be there, but she’s going to be busy teaching.”

“Are you going to be doing anything today?” Pinkie asked Twilight.

“Me?” Twilight replied.

“Yes, you.”

“Well, no, not really,” Twilight managed to say before Pinkie interrupted her.

“Great! You can help me set up the party. We’re just going to have so much fun working together, and then, you and I will be the best of friends!”

“Uh, right,” Twilight parroted uncertainly, “the best of friends.”

“Wait a minute,” Pinkie suddenly realized before turning to Flash and asking, “I know you, the postman, and his son are too busy to help me set up, but can the three of you and the postman’s wife make time to just show up for the party, please?” Pinkie was pleading and pouting again, which was starting to give Flash a tension headache.

“I’ll talk to them, and see what we can do, but no promises,” Flash replied, sternly.

---

When the three of them told Cadance about Pinkie’s desire to throw Diamond Tiara a birthday party during school, Cadance was quite understanding and cooperative. To allow Pinkie to throw the party, she decided to omit the day’s morning recess and give the children a longer lunch period instead, which allowed for a two-hour celebration. Pinkie had hoped for more party time, but she could work with two hours.

While everyone else set out for the schoolhouse, Flash relayed Pinkie’s invitation to Mr. Light, Ms. Velvet, and Shining Armor and asked them for permission to go to the party. The three of them agreed that they all could spare two hours out of the day to celebrate a child’s birthday and not only allowed Flash to attend the party but agreed to come as well.

While the children were inside the schoolhouse receiving the day’s lesson from Cadance, Twilight and Pinkie worked to get the schoolyard ready for the party. Twilight was amazed by how quickly and quietly Pinkie was able to work. By the time Twilight finished blowing and tying off balloons, Pinkie had already finished decorating.

“Okay,” Twilight uttered in confusion, “so, what are we going to do for the next, uh, two hours until the party?”

“Oooooh, that’s just enough time for us to talk and get to know each other and become best friends,” Pinkie chattered excitedly. “I’ll go first. What’s your favorite dessert? Mine is cake, but I honestly love all of them.”

“Uh, I’m not really much of a dessert person, but I do enjoy cookies,” Twilight replied hesitantly.

“Oooh, do you have a favorite kind? I can make some for you and bring them over next time I come down to visit.”

“I’m not sure if I have a favorite because I’ve never really thought about it, but if I had to choose, I’d probably pick oatmeal. Or almond.”

“Oatmeal? Are you crazy?” Pinkie exclaimed with a giggle while playfully elbowing Twilight.

“I don’t like the kind with the raisins though,” Twilight admitted.

“Eh, neither do I.”

The two girls ended up sharing a laugh at that.

“So, do you have anything you want to ask me?” Pinkie asked.

“Uh, yeah, Pinkie, what do you think about, uh, Flash?” Oh, good gosh, of all the things Twilight could have asked, why did she pick that?!

“Okay,” Pinkie replied, thoroughly oblivious to Twilight’s inner turmoil, “he’s a really nice guy, and he’s the first friend I ever made here, well, the first human one anyway, and he’s been a great friend too. He got your dad to come up and see me and those kids to write letters to me, and now, they’re all my friends. Maybe after this conversation is over, you will end up being my friend too. I’d really like that.”

“Is that all you think of him? As just a friend?”

“Uh, yeah. How else would I think of him?”

“Uh, never mind,” Twilight replied far too quickly as she blushed. She turned away trying to hide her reddening face from Pinkie, but she was too late. Pinkie had already seen it, and unlike Twilight, she knew exactly what it meant, and she couldn’t be happier about it.

Comments

[Foxhelm]

Pinkie is a shipper and. FlashLight shipper... I am so proud of her.

[SuperSonicHeroes]

Pinkie's going to do something to get Flash and Twilight to become a couple isn't she? Good girl.

[Ro994]

Pinkie ships SciFlash, I KNEW IT! That headcanon is so much fun, hehe
Also hope the two girls will start becoming closer friends. Twilight could REALLY use more friends outside of Timber.