Chapter 19: A Friend in Deed (S2:E18)
My Little Pony: Nine Elements
Book 2
Written by Brandon Nell and Blake Hawkins
Chapter 19: A Friend in Deed
The day after Rainbow got her library card, Pinkie was walking through Ponyville. It was evident that there was a smile on her face and a song in her heart. As she passed by the citizens, she gave them a friendly greeting.
The very first friend she ran into, was a brown coated cow with dark brown spots. Pinkie Pie remembered seeing her at Sweet Apple Acres. "Good morning, Daisy Jo!" Pinkie Pie greeted cheerfully "Have you come to pick up some cookies to go with your tasty milk?"
“I sure have, doncha know,” Daisy Jo smiled. “I’d ask my calf to fetch them, but, he’s laid up.”
“I had heard of that,” Pinkie said as she handed her a pink cardboard box. “So, I added in some extra so he can have a good serving. Tell him I give him well wishes for a safe recovery please.”
“Will do,” Daisy Jo said.
“Have a nice day,” Pinkie smiled as she trotted out of the bakery and made her way into the heart of Ponyville, making sure to stop and say hello to all of her friends whenever she met them. And considering the number of friends she had, it was impossible for her to turn a corner and not meet one of them. Whether they be old friends she had known for years, new friends she'd known only for a few days, and any kind of friends in between. “Your calla lilies are looking beautiful, Lily,” Pinkie smiled as she walked by Lily Valley.
“Thanks, Pinkie,” Lily smiled.
Her friends were amazed not only at how friendly Pinkie Pie was, but, just how much she remembered about them. And this was a fact that she demonstrated quite well with her good friend, Matilda, an old donkey who had lived in Ponyville since moving from Canterlot when she was a young jenny.
“Hi, Matilda,” Pinkie smiled. “Happy birthday in 132 days!”
“Oh, uh, thank you, Pinkie,” Matilda said, slightly confused, but, she was still smiling. “How do you remember everything about everypony? Even I can't keep track of that much information.”
“I have my own little secrets there,” Pinkie said. “I keep these factoids close to me because everypony, cow, dragon, and donkey here in Ponyville is my friend. To me, there’s nothing better than to make my friends smile. I'm even working on a song about it. It's not finished yet, but, it's going to be super duper amazing when I finally work out all the lyrics. I could hum a few lines if you'd like, but, right now I've only gotten as far as 'And you fill me with good cheer.' Want to help me figure out the rest?"
“Why, I’d love to,” Matilda smiled. “I have some time in my hooves. I can take care of the clutter in my home later.”
“Oh,” said Pinkie. “I don’t want to get in the way of your chores.”
“Alright, if you’re sure,” Matilda said. “Knowing how creative you are, I know you’ll come up with something wonderful.”
Pinkie bounced happily away, humming a little tune to herself. Now, where do I want to go after 'It's true some days are dark and lonely?’ she thought to herself. Maybe something that shows that I’ll be there to show them that it isn’t that bad.
Pinkie Pie focused so much on this thought, that she almost didn't notice when she bumped into a donkey. Said donkey had a coat in a dull brown color and his green eyes reflected a look of unhappiness that perfectly matched the black locks of hair atop his head. He was hauling a wagon loaded with all sorts of trinkets and knick-knacks.
“Oops!” Pinkie said aloud. “I am so sorry, sir. I should have been looking where I was going. Are you hurt?”
"Nope. No bumps, bruises, or aches," the donkey replied in a somewhat glum tone of voice. "And call me Cranky."
“Oh, that’s good that you’re not hurt,” Pinkie said. “Nice to meet you, Cranky. I’m Pinkie Pie. Welcome to Ponyville. I’ve never seen you around here before.”
“I’ve never been here before,” Cranky said, hauling his wagon. “So, that would probably have something to do with it.”
Pinkie found herself slightly put off by the donkey’s attitude. Seems he’s not only Cranky by name, but, also cranky by nature. I wonder if something’s bothering him. Lucky for him, I'm just the sort of pony to cheer him up.
“Hey,” Pinkie smiled. “Maybe I can help you with your belongings. All of that stuff to haul can be taxing to carry all by yourself.”
“I can manage on my own,” Cranky said.
“Well,” Pinkie said. “Is there anything I can do to help your moving-in easier?”
“Making a lot of assumptions, pony,” Cranky said.
Boy, this is one tough nut to crack, Pinkie thought to herself. “You can call me Pinkie,” she said aloud. “All my friends do.”
“Good for them,” Cranky said as he walked on.
“Everypony in town is my friend,” Pinkie said. “You’re no exception.”
“I’m not a pony,” Cranky said, beginning to lose his temper. “I’ve traveled Equestria my whole life. I’ve made many friends and I don’t need any more.”
“W-wait,” Pinkie said. “I know other creatures I’m friends with, like dragons, cows, and even another donkey.”
“Dragons?” Cranky said. “There can’t be any dragons here. Nothing’s burnt down.”
“That’s because Spike is 12 in pony years, with way better control of his dragon fire,” Pinkie explained.
Cranky quickly lost interest. “Why don’t you do me a favor and leave me alone with my memories?”
“For how long?” Pinkie asked.
“For as long as I’m living here,” Cranky snapped.
And with that, Cranky stormed off, hauling his knick-knack loaded wagon. Pinkie was at a loss for words.
“Did I do something wrong?” Pinkie said to herself. She then went over what she did. “Maybe he was still mad at me for bumping into him. He did say that no harm was done, but, he still acted cranky towards me. My introduction was polite, but, he was still offput when he thought I wasn’t friends with any creature besides ponies.” This left her more confused. “So, why didn’t he want to be my friend?” She then noticed the initials “C.D.D.” on Cranky’s wagon. “C.D.D.? The C must stand for Cranky, but what do the two D’s stand for? One might stand for Donkey or something along those lines.” She trotted up to Cranky. “Hi, Cranky. I know you said to leave you alone, but, would you mind telling me what your initials stand for? If I don’t find out from you, it’s going to bug me trying to figure it out.”
Cranky reasoned that the sooner he answered Pinkie, the sooner she’d leave. “I’ll tell you,” Cranky said. “But, don’t tell anyone else, okay?”
“Deal,” Pinkie said.
Cranky whispered his full name into her left ear. “Cranky Doodle Donkey.”
Pinkie gasps happily. “That is one of the most awesome names I ever heard!” To Cranky’s annoyance, Pinkie went into a song and dance routine.
“You’re a Cranky Doodle Donkey guy
A Cranky Doodle Donkey
I’m glad I met you and you’re my new friend
And I’m your new best friend, Pinkie Pie”
So much for peace and quiet, Cranky groaned internally. Aloud, he said, “Okay, you know my full name now. So, please leave me alone. And don’t call me ‘Doodle!’ Only one special friend of mine had that right and she left me long ago.”
“Okay, Cranky,” Pinkie said, still off-put by Cranky’s crankiness. As the donkey headed off, Pinkie again found herself at a loss. “I haven’t met a creature this grouchy since Gilda. But, I don’t think he’s as big of a bully as she is. There must be something I can do to raise his spirits, but, how?”
It didn't take Pinkie Pie long to catch up to Cranky again, the wagon he was carrying prevented him from getting anywhere fast. "Hey there, Cranky," Pinkie Pie greeted cheerfully. "I think we got off on the wrong hoof back there, I wasn't trying to be rude."
“I know you weren’t, but, I just have my own business,” Cranky grumbled. “For now, I want to focus on getting to my new home and unpacking my belongings.”
"You've got quite the collection," Pinkie Pie observed, noticing the huge pile of items from all over Equestria that were stacked on top of each other. "Mind if I take a look? Maybe I can take some of it off your hooves!"
“None of that is for sale!” Cranky barked. “Keep your hooves off of my wagon!”
"Okay, Cranky. I promise I won't touch your wagon," Pinkie Pie insisted. Then, she gasped as a new idea came to her. She ran off in a pink blurr and came back with a small wagon of her own. This wagon was a brightly colored yellow, not unlike cake batter.
I really shouldn’t ask… Cranky thought to himself. But, I let Pinkie know my full name, so, I guess I'm obliged to ask. “What is that contraption?” Cranky asked aloud.
"It's my welcome wagon, I made it months ago to use it to welcome newcomers!*" Pinkie Pie explained "You have to let me give you the special welcome that comes with it. It won't take more than a minute or two, I promise." She then proceeded to whimper slightly at Cranky, while making the best sad face she could muster.
Cranky sighed, admitting defeat. “Alright, as long as it’s quick. I have a lot I need to do.”
“That’s the spirit!” Pinkie said, beaming with a smile as bright as the sun.
She then activated the Welcome wagon, acting as a sort of calliope, playing a jaunty tune. Pinkie sang along with the music.
“Welcome welcome welcome
A fine welcome to you~!
Welcome welcome welcome
I say, how do you do
Welcome welcome welcome
I say hip hip hooray!
Welcome welcome welcome
To Ponyville today~!”
When the song had ended, Pinkie Pie quickly said to Cranky, "Wait for it!" Just seconds before the oven in the wagon gave off a ding, and confetti shot out of it like a blast of hot air. At the same time, the party kazoos planted on the wagon fired off a blast of cake batter.
Cranky was caught in the crossfire of the hot air blast, launching his black toupee off of head. “No~!”
Pinkie ate her way through the batter. “Whoops,” she said. “Looks like I put the confetti in the oven and the cake in the confetti cannons. You’d think I’d get it right after that happened twice in testing.”
But, Cranky wasn’t listening. Instead, he was frantically looking around. “Where is it? Where is it?!” he muttered to himself.
“Where’s what?” Pinkie asked.
“My toupee!” Cranky gasped. “It flew off of my head when that oven opened!”
Pinkie then noticed something black and hairy on the ground. “Is this it?” She picked it up with her mouth, something Cranky didn’t take kindly to.
“Yes, that’s it!” Cranky scolded. “Take that out of your mouth right now! You have no idea where that’s been!” In his haste to get it back, Cranky unwittingly damaged the wig as he tried snatching it before Pinkie had a chance to loosen her jaw.
“Oh, my gosh!” Pinkie stammered, spitting out loose strands of hair from the toupee. “I’m so sorry, Cranky! I can fix this!”
“Don’t bother!” Cranky said. “Anything you attempt will be a disaster!”
But, Pinkie, full of determination to help, grabbed Cranky by the hoof and hastened him off to the Ponyville spa. Aloe and Lotus were surprised when they saw Pinkie Pie burst through the spa doors, with Cranky in tow.
“Aloe, Lotus,” Pinkie panted. “This is a spa emergency! Cranky needs help, STAT!”
"Can do, Pinkie," Aloe said cheerfully and turned to Lotus. "I'll need your help on this vun."
“Vouldn't have it any other vay,” Lotus nodded. “Let’s do this.”
Before Cranky had a chance to protest, Aloe and Lotus grabbed him and ushered him away. Surprisingly, Cranky found that the spa treatment he received worked wonders. It's been years since I've felt this good in mind and body, he thought to himself as he relaxed in a steam bath. I feel just like my young self again. I guess that Pinkie Pie isn't all bad after all.
When the spa treatment ended, Cranky looked and felt much better. His coat was spotless and he glowed somewhat in the early afternoon sun. Though he still wasn’t smiling, he didn’t feel too cranky either. He felt silly without his wig on. At that moment, Pinkie came bouncing along with a present box on her back.
"Hiya, Cranky!" Pinkie Pie greeted, holding out the box colored a brilliantly bright shade of green and topped with a yellow bow. "I've got a present for you! I know it's probably not your birthday or anything, but, I hope you like it."
“You didn’t need to do that,” Cranky said. “That spa treatment did help me, so, thank you for that.”
"It's not going to explode or anything. I promise. Just open it, I think you'll like what's inside!" Pinkie Pie insisted. Cranky reluctantly did so and he was amazed at what rested at the bottom of the box. It was a hair piece that was a bright blonde in color and had a series of long and wavy lines. "It's a brand new toupee! I had my friend Rarity make it just for you. She calls it the 'dreamboat special'. Try it on!"
Cranky wasn’t sure what to think at first, since it wasn’t necessarily his style. But, once he put it on, his self-confidence quickly grew. “This is wonderful,” Cranky commented. “Thanks, kid. And tell your friend Rarity I give her my thanks, too.”
Though he wasn't as cranky as before, he still didn’t have a smile present. Though he wasn’t scowling either. With that, he walked on.
"He's starting to warm up, but, still no smile," Pinkie Pie said to herself. "Maybe I'm out of touch. Of course, that must be it! I need to do some smile exercises to get back into shape. And I know just the ponies who can help me." And she trotted home to Sugarcube Corner, bouncing and humming a little tune to herself. She was still trying to work on that new song about smiling. Now, what rhymes with 'smile?’ she thought to herself.
Once she trotted back to Sugarcube Corner, she went back upstairs to her bedroom. She then adorned herself with yellow and blue workout gear, very much a throwback to Earth’s 1980’s period (don’t ask how such a comparison can be made). It felt a little tight around her due to the amount of sweets she ate, but, she could still move around in it.
“Let’s do this,” Pinkie said, determined. The ponies she had in mind were the Cake Triplets. She knew from experience that they were hard to please.
Pinkie tried everything she could to make them smile, pulling funny faces, bouncing up and down, sticking out her tongue. But, nothing seemed to work.
The exercise left Pinkie rather sweaty. “Whew,” Pinkie said. “I’m really out of shape.”
She decided to sit down for a rest, but, she hadn’t seen that there were jacks on the floor close by where she was going to sit. She sat on the sharp metal toys and she jolted upwards from the pain with a high-pitched, “YOW!” She ended up hitting her head on the ceiling. She ricocheted off of the ceiling and landed in a pile of stuffed animals with her rear in the air. She wasn’t hurt, but, she did appear dizzy with her eyes spinning. She shook her head to regain the use of her sense and saw one jack stuck in her left flank. “How’d those get there?”
The three foals laughed happily at Pinkie, smiling gleefully. Even Velvet, who saw that Pinkie wasn’t really hurt, allowed herself to laugh.
“Well,” Pinkie said. “I at least know I still have unintentional comedy to work with.”
After finishing her smile exercises, she undressed and showered. Once she was dried, she was on her bed thinking to herself. “I haven’t lost my touch when it comes to smiling,” she said. “But, I can’t make Cranky smile. If only I could figure out that special friend he mentioned.”
Just then, the ringing of the bell above the bakery door caused Pinkie to lose her train of thought. That bell sound meant that there was a customer. Mr. and Mrs. Cake were taking care of the triplets, leaving Pinkie to take care of the customer. She went downstairs to greet the customer, who was in fact, Miss Cheerilee.
“Welcome to Sugarcube Corner,” Pinkie smiled. “How may I help you today?”
“Well,” Cheerilee said. “Today’s my 26th birthday.”
“Oh, that’s right!” Pinkie said happily. “Happy birthday to you, Miss Cheerilee!”
“Do you have a special cake for the occasion?” Cheerilee asked.
“I’ve got just the cake for your special occasion,” Pinkie smiled. “Wait here, please.” Pinkie dashed back to the kitchen. She soon returned with a freshly baked chocolate cake that she put into a pink cake box.
"Wow, you even remembered how much I love chocolate cake!" Cheerilee exclaimed, as she tossed Pinkie Pie the gold bits to pay for it. "You truly are the best friend anypony could ask for!"
“Thanks, Miss Cheerilee,” Pinkie smiled, though her mood quickly dropped. “I’m sorry for not remembering it earlier, though. I got a little distracted.”
“Better late than never,” Cheerilee said. “Can I count on you to stop by to help with the party tonight? My sister’s coming to visit me."
“You sure can,” Pinkie smiled. She saw this as an opportunity to take her mind off of Cranky for a while.
"Good," Cheerilee smiled, and prepared to leave with her birthday cake in tow. Then, she remembered something "Oh, by the way, Pinkie. Have you heard the news?"
“What news?” Pinkie asked.
"A donkey just moved into town, he's living on the outskirts," Cheerilee said, stopping in her tracks. "I believe his name is Cranky."
“Oh, I see,” Pinkie said, laughing nervously. “Uh, do you happen to know where exactly he lives?”
“No,” Cheerilee admitted. “That would be Derpy’s area. Say what you will about her, but, she’s very competent with the mail.”
“True that,” Pinkie said. “I’ll go see her now. Thanks, Miss Cheerilee.”
Derpy was indeed able to point Pinkie Pie in the right direction. Cranky's house was a simple and humble cottage far removed from the center of Ponyville. The perfect location for anyone seeking some peace and quiet. Cranky had parked his wagon and was currently in the process of moving the wide assortment of souvenirs from said wagon into his house. And as luck would have it, he was still wearing the toupee he'd been given earlier and hadn't dyed it.
“Hi, Cranky,” Pinkie said from the still-open cottage door. “Need some help with your unpacking?”
"No thanks, I don't need or want any help," Cranky insisted. "For now, I just want to get settled in."
“Well, would you mind if I asked a question or two,” Pinkie said. “There are some things I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while.”
“What could it possibly be now?” Cranky asked.
“You’ve been all over Equestria, right?” Pinkie asked.
“Yep, I have a collection to prove it,” Cranky boasted. “I've got things from Manehattan, Fillydelphia, Canterlot, Baltimare, Las Pegasus, and even Appleloosa. Just about the only place I haven't been is Cloudsdale, but, I'm in no hurry to go there since I can’t fly."
“That’s okay,” Pinkie said. “If you did want to, you could do what my friends and I did and have our unicorn friend Twilight put a cloud-walking spell on you.”
“Appreciate the offer, but, I prefer my hooves on solid ground,” Cranky said.
“But, isn’t Las Pegasus in the clouds, too?” Pinkie asked.
“Yeah, but, at least there’s solid platforms earth-bound creatures can stand on,” Cranky said.
“I’ve always wondered how they do that,” Pinkie said.
“You’re asking the wrong creature,” Cranky said. “Donkeys can’t use magic any more than earth ponies can.”
“Fair enough,” Pinkie said. “So, what were you doing traveling to all those different places? Was it for a job or something?”
"Oh no, it wasn't for a job or anything," Cranky explained. "I was traveling by choice, trying to find a friend."
“Ooh, I’m always trying to find friends,” Pinkie smiled. “And today, I found you when you came to Ponyville. I’m pretty good at it.”
“This was a different kind of friend,” Cranky said. "The kind of friend you couldn't find anywhere else. Know what I'm saying?"
“Do you mean like me?” Pinkie asked.
“Well, you’re definitely special,” Cranky said. “But, not the kind I’m talking about.”**
Sounds like I’m making progress, Pinkie thought to herself. But, I just need a little more effort. Pinkie then looked at a dazzling holiday ornament, asking Cranky. “Where did you get this ornament, Cranky?”
"Fillydelphia and it wasn't cheap," Cranky explained.
“I can see why you got it,” Pinkie said. “It’s very pretty.”
"Yes, she was," Cranky said in reply, before realizing what he'd just said.
“She?” Pinkie asked curiously.
But, before Pinkie Pie had the chance to ask Cranky, he quickly said, "I mean, it was– I mean, it is. Yes, it's pretty. Now put it down!"
Pinkie gently put the ornament down, careful not to shatter it with how fragile it is. Afterwards, she spotted a book colored a soothing light blue. But, instead of asking Cranky about it, Pinkie Pie decided to look inside it herself. There's got to be something in here that can help me out, she thought and began to flip through the pages. Page after page was filled with photos of Cranky visiting all of the locations he had previously talked about traveling to. One photo in particular caught Pinkie Pie's eye, something about it was very familiar. “Whoa~ no way!” Pinkie gasped in awe.
However, right at that very moment, Cranky snatched the book out of Pinkie Pie's hooves and shut it with an audible thud. "Just what do you think you're doing?!" he asked angrily. "I don't go snooping through your personal belongings whenever I feel like, now do I?!"
“N-no,” Pinkie stammered. “I was j-just trying to learn more about you so we can at least try to be friends.”
“And you think violating my privacy is the way to do it?!” Cranky said.
“No… it isn’t,” Pinkie said sadly. “I’m so sorry, Cranky.”
"Oh, you're sorry?" Cranky asked sarcastically. "Well that's just fine!"
Pinkie, not one to fully grasp sarcasm, paused for a brief moment. “It is?”
“NO!” Cranky said. “If you’d asked to look in my scrapbook first, I might’ve considered letting you, but, you didn’t and violated my privacy! There’s nothing you can do to make up for that!”
“Can’t I at least try?” Pinkie asked.
"No!" Cranky snapped. "I want you out of my house, do you understand?!"
Pinkie had little choice but to hasten out of Cranky’s cottage. "I just wanted to be your friend!" she said sadly, tears forming in her eyes.
"If this is how you go about making friends, I want no part of it!" Cranky demanded. "Get out and stay out! And don't ever let me catch you snooping through my things ever again, do you understand?!"
“I-I-” Pinkie said, her voice cracking and tears welling in her eyes. “I understand…”
"Good," Cranky replied, and slammed the door shut in Pinkie Pie's face. That was enough to get Pinkie Pie to cry. Not overly dramatic or loud or anything, Pinkie Pie wasn't as much of a crier as Fluttershy or Rarity, but, that didn't mean she didn't tear up if she was really unhappy. And this was one of those situations. She softly sniffled and walked off away from Cranky’s cottage, self-disappointment present in her heart.
She made her way to the Golden Oak Library where she found Twilight, Spike, and Rainbow engaged in reading books. Spike noticed her unhappiness first.
“Hey, Pinkie,” Spike said gently. “What’s the matter? You’re not your usual happy-go-lucky self.”
"Do you have a moment?” Pinkie asked. “I'd like to talk to you about something."
“Of course,” Spike said as he set his book down. “How can we help?”
"There's something that's really troubling me," Pinkie Pie replied.
“What is it?” Spike asked.
Pinkie Pie sighed. "I suppose it all started earlier this morning. I was leaping along, minding my own business, when all of a sudden I bumped into this donkey. I soon learned his name was Cranky and his middle name is Doodle."
Pinkie proceeded to explain what happened. Spike, Twilight, and Rainbow all listened. None of them interrupted her until she finished explaining.
"And that's when he shut the door in my face and I started to cry," Pinkie told them. "After that, I came to see you."
Twilight and Spike took this story in and they looked at each other.
“Look, Pinkie,” Twilight said. “We know you mean well, but, there are just some beings that you can’t really befriend.”
“Although it doesn’t hurt to try,” Spike continued. “There are times when you just need to respect their privacy.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow said, albeit snarkily. “And not be bothered by your super hyper over-eagerness.”
“Rainbow!” Spike said sharply.
“No, she’s right,” Pinkie said with a sigh. “You all are right. But, I still feel terrible that I did all that to him.”
“I’ll admit I can be a bit rude myself,” Rainbow said. “But, invading another’s privacy is where I draw the line.”
“Says the same mare who snuck into the library to finish reading Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Statue late at night,” Spike added cheekily.
“Well,” Rainbow said. “There’s that.”
“Still,” Twilight asked Pinkie. “Do you understand what we’re trying to tell you?”
“Yeah,” Pinkie answered. “I should respect Cranky’s privacy. Although, it wouldn’t hurt to do something nice for him to make up for what I did. Of course, I would need to know more about him and find out what would be the nicest thing to do for him, anonymously. I really want to help him find that special friend he's been searching for all his life. I know I've seen that one photo before somewhere, but, for the life of me I can't figure out where.”
Twilight sighed. “If you’re going to look into this, make sure to do all of this away from Cranky’s home.”
“Right,” Pinkie said. “Luckily, I have friends in Ponyville who could help me. Thank you all for helping me. I already feel a lot better.” She headed out. “See you at Cheerilee's birthday party tonight."
We can at least hope that this endeavor of hers doesn’t turn out to be a trainwreck, Spike thought to himself.
Outside the library, Pinkie was thinking hard.
“Now,” Pinkie thought aloud. “Where did I see that picture?” Then, suddenly, it hit her.. “I have a friend to visit!”
It had been a few hours since Cranky had heard from Pinkie Pie. By now, he was starting to feel a bit guilty. True, he had a right to be mad with her for snooping through his personal belongings without his permission, but, he hadn't intended to lash out so harshly at her. He could well remember that when he was a young jack, he'd caused his fair share of problems without intending to. I hope the kid didn't take it too hard, he thought to himself. I guess my temper hasn't really improved since my more energetic days.
A knock on his door broke his concentration.
“Cranky,” Pinkie’s voice said, muffled from behind the door. “You have every right to be mad at me for looking into your book without your permission. Before I leave you alone forever, I have something to at least try to make up for what I did.”
"Kid, I'm sure you're sorry, but, I'm still pretty mad with you for all the trouble you've caused me today," Cranky replied, trying his best not to sound too angry. "Right now, I don't really feel like accepting your apology. So, please leave me alone."
“Oh, my,” said another voice from behind the door. “You really are cranky.”
"It can't be," Cranky thought aloud as he unlocked the door. But, sure enough, when he had done so, standing in front of him was a donkey he'd thought for sure he'd never see again. "Is it really you?" he asked.
“It can be and it is,” answered the donkey, who turned out to be Matilda.
"Matilda!" Cranky gasped as he rushed forward and gave the old donkey the biggest hug his body could manage. "But, how?" he asked.
“Pinkie,” Matilda answered.
"But... I never even told you about her!" Cranky exclaimed to the party mare.
“You didn’t need to,” Pinkie explained. “I put two and two together and it added up to Matilda. And y'know, I wasn't just born yesterday. Nuh-uh! My birthday isn't for another 305 days. I've made sure to remember it after what happened last time!”
“Say what?” Cranky asked, confusion present in his voice.
“Trust me, you don’t want to know,” Pinkie said. “Anyway, in your scrapbook, I saw a flower, an old ticket, and a menu for the Grand Galloping Gala. I knew I had seen those things before, but, it took me a bit of time to figure out exactly where.”
"Because I also have those things in my scrapbook," Matilda explained.
“Oh, Matilda,” Cranky said lovingly. “Meeting you at the Grand Galloping Gala was one of the most magical nights of my life. I couldn’t wait to see you again, but, when I went up to the room you were staying in, you were gone. What happened?”
Matilda was a bit confused. “Didn’t you see the note I left in your room?”
“No, I hadn’t,” Cranky admitted. “Since that day, I went from town to town, looking all over Equestria for you. Until finally, I gave up and settled down to Ponyville to retire.”
“My note told you I’d be moving here,” Matilda said.
“Oh, goodness,” Cranky said with an embarrassed blush. “If I had known that, I would have come to Ponyville sooner.”
"I always hoped that some day you would come and find me... Doodle. And now you have," Matilda said happily.
“Uh, Matilda?” Pinkie stage-whispered hastily. “No one calls Cranky ‘Doodle.’”
"No one... but Matilda," Cranky replied and he and Matilda shared a passionate kiss. When the kiss had finished he turned to Pinkie and gave her what she had wanted to see from the very beginning, a great big smile. "Thank you so much for reuniting me with Matilda, Pinkie," he said happily. "You've got such a good memory. Just how do you know so much about everyone?"
“It’s like I told you before,” Pinkie explained. “Everyone in Ponyville is my friend and I would do anything to make my friends smile. In fact, I just finished a song about it!” She was about to sing it right then and there, but, she remembered. “Uh, is it okay if I sing it to you both?”
Matilda chuckled good-naturedly. “I’d certainly love to hear it.”
“Sure, Pinkie,” Cranky said warmly. “It’ll also add as somewhat of an apology for how I lashed out at you before.”
"Okay, here goes!" Pinkie Pie said cheerfully, and she began to sing.
“My name is Pinkie Pie, hello!
And I am here to say, how ya doin’?
I’m gonna make you smile and I will brighten up your day~
It doesn’t matter now, what’s up?
If you are sad or blue, howdy!
Cuz’ cheerin’ up my friends is just what Pinkie’s here to do
Cuz’ I love to make you smile, smile, smile
Yes I do
It fills my heart with sunshine all the while
Yes it does
Cuz’ all I really need’s a smile smile smile
From these happy friends of mine!
I love to see you grin, Awesome!
I love to see you beam, rock on!
The corners of your mouth turned up
Is always Pinkie’s dream, hoof bump!
But, if you’re kind of worried
And your face has made a frown
I’ll work real hard and do my best
To turn that sad frown upside down
Cuz’ I love to make you grin, grin, grin
Yes I do
Busted out from ear to ear
Let it begin
Just give me a joyful grin grin grin
And you fill me with good cheer
It’s true some days are dark and lonely
And maybe you feel sad
But, Pinkie will be there to show you that it isn’t that bad
There’s one thing that make sme happy
And makes my whole life worthwhile
And that’s when I talk to my friends and get them to smile~
I really am so happy
Your smile fills me with glee
I give a smile, I get a smile
And that’s so special to me
Cuz’ I love to see you beam beam beam
Yes I do
Tell me what more can I say to make you see
That I do
It makes me happy when you beam beam beam
As it always makes my day~!
Come on, everypony
Smile, smile, smile
Fill my heart up with sunshine, sunshine
All I really need is a smile smile smile
From these happy friends of mine~
Yes, a perfect gift for me~
Is a smile as wide as a mile
To make me happy as can be~
Smile~ Smile~ Smile~ Smile
Smile~!
Come on and Smile~
Come on and Smile!”
Pinkie finished her song with a showpony pose, giving Cranky and Matilda the idea that it was time for them to applaud.
"So, does this mean that you accept my apology?" Pinkie asked Cranky once the song had ended.
“Pinkie,” Cranky said. “I accept your apology. We're eternally grateful to you. But... Matilda and I just want to spend some time together in peace and quiet. Especially after a day like today.”
“I understand,” Pinkie said with a respectful nod. “Reuniting with loved ones is really special, so I’ll leave you two to catch up. And who knows, if you ever want to visit me at Sugarcube Corner someday, that’s okay, too. If you think you're up for it, feel free to come to Cheerilee's birthday party tonight. The whole town's going to be there.”
“I’ll think about it,” Cranky said. “Well, see you around, Pinkie.”
"Okay then, hope I'll see you two around," Pinkie said and cheerfully bounced away humming the tune she had sung earlier. As she did so, a thought came to her mind. I think I learned something today about friendship, she thought to herself. Sometimes, you can try your hardest, but, you won't always be able to make a new friend. But, that's okay, what matters is that you try your hardest and do your best to be nice to everyone. It's also important to realize that friends respect the privacy of other friends. Invading somepony else's privacy is wrong and very rude. But, the most important thing about friendship is that you can't put a price on it and yet it is worth more than anything else in the whole wide world of Equestria, maybe even beyond.
End of chapter.
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VERY nice chapter, and I am so happy you included the song!
11806317
Thanks.
Next time is Fluttershy and the Minotaur
11806324
Yep.
Yeah this episode was quite hard to watch, especially with Cranky being a loud grump. And it didn't help Pinkie went so over the top to try and befriend him. But in the end she managed to reunite old lovers.
Great chapter. The next chapter is Fluttershy trying to learn to stand up for herself with Iron Will.
11806338
And this time, she's more subdued.
Another great chapter! And nice that the song was added in.
Next up, the Fluttershy episode where she learns to stand up for herself better
11806352
Yep.
Thank you for making pinkie pie better than she was in the episode. And keep up the good work and I love how you made cranky why better than the episode portrayed him. And I love all your books all your works.
11806373
Thanks.
Again, you did a really good job on this latest chapter. The work going into the dialogue, characterizations, general wrap-up and future chapter set-up are really well done. You did a really good job on keeping Pinkie slightly more under control than in canon. And I also liked the dialogue with Matilda at the beginning as well as the rather logical reason why Pinkie didn't use the welcome wagon for Twilight and Spike.
VERY much looking forward to the remainder of the chapters in this book. As well as the future books/seasons.
11806383
Thanks.
And just like that you SET OFF PTSD!
smile HD although its traumatic its strangely that one thing you can't keep bringing up!
11806317
Indeed
Smile Is one of those songs you enjoy
Even if its Turned into a dark song *ahem HD ahem*
Its really good
11806410
This is the innocent version.
11806411
Thanks.
I know
11806419
Great chapter. Definitely good seeing Pinkie's stalker behavior toward Cranky a bit more toned down here. And thankfully Cranky's memory book remains intact.
Nice touch of having the Smile Song happen closer to the end of the episode too.
Next week: Fluttershy attempts to grow a backbone in assertiveness training and takes it too far.
11806534
Thanks.
Not much to say about this but it was good and better than how the episode went
The episode didn't become one of my favorites, so not much to say about it
I don't have any ideas for "Putting Your Hoof Down"
11806584
Okay.
Nice chapter.
But I worry about how Spike and the girls would think of Fluttershy next chapter.
11806849
Thanks.
11806849
I bet Spike's temper will kick in(if it's that minotaur episode) for sure
11806874
Wait and see.