Hating Somepony Everyone Adores
Twilight wasn't sure how she'd gotten into this situation. Bon Bon had been complaining about some rival in her sales on the other side of town named Sugarcube Corner, who got the majority of business simply because of the mare who ran the cashier. Well, that's what Bon Bon said, anyway. She'd also gone on to say that if it kept up, she would be bankrupt in no time.
And that was when she'd asked Twilight for help. Lyra had puppy-dog eyes as well, perhaps trying to sway the unicorn's decision in their favor. And, since Twilight was learning the magic of friendship, she couldn't very well ignore Bon Bon in her time of need. So, she'd been on her way to the infamous Sugarcube Corner to see what they were competing against.
And, upon arriving, she was surprised to see it looking so... well, for lack of a better word, sweet. The outside of the building sparkled, and gave the impression of a decked-out gingerbread house. It gave off a happy atmosphere that could make your mouth water. Twilight frowned at this, wondering if Bon Bon's shop could ever compare to a business obviously more elaborate in its design and, rumor has it, goods.
Twilight nudged at the double-doors, preparing herself to see chefs and waiters and a sparkling floor, but she didn't even have the doors open all the way before something stopped her. Twilight was launched back by something pink with blue eyes, staring down at her.
Twilight's first thought: A pony had tackled her. Perhaps this mare knew she was friends with her business's rival, and wouldn't allow her in for fear of Twilight stealing their recipes.
Instead, the unicorn heard the squeakiest voice she'd ever had the displeasure to listen to. "Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie!"
Wait--Pinkie Pie? Why is that so familiar...
"You must be that pony who moved into the library a while ago! See, I meant to come meet you--'cause, well, I know everypony in town--but you were always doin' something important, so I decided I'd wait until you came to Sugarcube Corner. Everypony likes Sugarcube Corner!" She grinned as if her logic was perfectly sound. Twilight only stared blankly.
"Pinkie... Pie?" Twilight's mind replayed something that seemed like a hazy memory, long forgotten. It was of her first day in Ponyville, in which Bon Bon had been saying something to her--didn't she mention Pinkie Pie?
"Yup, that's me!" she chirped, "What's your name?"
"Um... As much as I'd like to talk to you, I have things to do. Excuse me." Twilight pushed Pinkie off of her before trotting into Sugarcube Corner. The interior was just as well-thought out and well-done as the outside had been, if not more so. It appeared to be designed in a way that invited ponies in and made them feel at home. Twilight trotted up to the counter, where nopony was present, and looked around the store. She was surprised there were no other customers milling around such a nice looking place.
Well, until that crazy mare sidled up behind the cash register. "Hiya, welcome to Sugarcube Corner! Let's start over, okay? I'm Pinkie Pie. We have just about everything you could think of here, from cupcakes to muffins to hot-sauce bagels!"
Twilight wondered why anypony would ever want to eat a bagel dripping with hot sauce. "...No, thank you, but would you mind pointing me in the direction of the owner of this establishment?"
"I'm sorry, but it's just me today! The Cakes are out enjoying themselves, 'cause they've been working really hard lately. What'd ya want to talk to them about? I could handle any in-ker-ies you may have. In-core-ies?" She adopted a dumb-founded look on her face. Twilight wasn't sure if it was worth the trouble to talk with this mare. She seemed to be a mix between Lyra and Derpy--with all the bad qualities, that is. She was ditzy and silly, talked way too fast and with an annoying squeak, and perhaps the worst of all, wouldn't leave Twilight alone.
"Eh... You know what? I'm just gonna have to come back later." The unicorn smiled as apologetically as she could muster before turning around and leaving. She was sure she'd gotten away from Pinkie, but not long later the annoying pony had caught up to her. She was bouncing leisurely beside her.
"This is fun, hehe," the pony giggled out. "Where are we going again?"
"Don't you have work to do?" Twilight questioned the mare, annoyed. This pony was giving her the creeps something fierce, and her voice wasn't helping.
"Nopey-dope, since nopony was in. Hey, are you okay?" Pinkie asked sincerely. Twilight wasn't really sure why she wanted to be away from this pony so much. Something was telling her that this Pinkie Pie was trouble with a capital "T," especially for her head.
Then, the unicorn remembered that she had her magic. Starting to run, she charged up a teleportation spell, but just as she was about to release it, that silly pony bounced onto her and was pulled into the vortex as well.
The two tumbled over each other at the front doorstep of the Ponyville library. Twilight scowled at the giggling mass over her. "What's wrong with you?!"
"Nothing at all, thanks for asking!" she said cheerfully, not getting the implication of the question.
"It's dangerous for a pony to jump into another pony's teleportation spell--had I been somepony else with less magical prowess, you may not have survived! Look, I don't have time for this... Just go home." Twilight stepped into the library and closed the door in front of the other pony's face.
Spike glanced over from the shelf he was working at. "Oh, hey, Twilight. You're back soon. I expected your visit to Sugarcube Corner to take a long while, all things considered."
"I'm afraid things didn't go quite as planned... Eheh, sorry, Bon Bon..." Spike arched an eyebrow at this lack of a reply. Twilight continued, "I ran into a crazy pony that wouldn't leave me alone."
"Huh? Who?"
"Somepony named Pinkie P--"
"DON'T SAY IT!" Spike's eyes had widened and he lunged over to cover her muzzle before she'd finished speaking. "If you say it, she'll show up out of nowhere, I swear!"
Twilight stared at him. "...You know who she is?"
Spike lifted his claws up defensively. "Well, yeah! I was doing some chores for you out in town, and she like, tackled me over speaking a million words a minute. Then she wouldn't leave me alone for the whole week until I finally said I would be her friend. And even now... if somepony says her name, she'll just poof into the room! It's happened before, Twi, I promise!"
"So what you're saying is that this Pink--"
"Don't say it!"
"--You-Know-Who will do whatever it takes to befriend somepony she hasn't already?" The dragon nodded his head in response. "Anything?"
"Yeah, she once tried to get Bon Bon to go on a date with me! Heh... Didn't work out though." Spike shrugged. Twilight grimaced at the thought of a pony bothering her at the most inopportune times--namely when she was studying, hanging out with her friends, or writing letters to the Princess... That could be troublesome.
"Urgh... Anyway, I'm just gonna relax and read a book... Spike, if You-Know-Who shows up, don't let her in, alright? She may try to 'befriend' me ..."
"Yeah, yeah, Twi... Actually, do you think I could go see Bon Bon to, um, let her know where you are? I'll lock the door." Spike's pleading eyes stared into Twilight's, giving her no choice in the matter.
"Alright, Spike. But be home by dinner, okay?"
"Sure thing, Twi. I'll make your favorite, too!" He smiled at his friend fondly before walking out the door. Twilight sighed when he was gone, revelling in the silence. Being in that pony's presence for only a few minutes had already left her with a headache.
"Time to get some work done... and pretend I don't exist."
Hm... I wonder what the Princess wanted me to do after finishing the sixty-fifth volume of The Origin of Magic... I guess I could re-read the series while I'm waiting for a new assignment.
Twilight mulled over whether or not she should keep reading, when other things began crossing her mind. I wonder what that Pinkie Pie is doing.
"Nothing much, really!"
Twilight screamed none too gracefully and looked around for the trespasser. A giggling pink pony was sitting right beside her. She glared at the new arrival, embarassed that she'd been snuck up on like that.
"Teehee! You're silly." Pinkie smiled widely at Twilight.
"How did you get in here?!" was the first thing the unicorn could think of to say. The crazy pony's grin never wavered.
"What do you mean by that? I walked in, of course! Silly filly." Twilight found herself glancing over at the door, which was still locked.
"Why are you even here? Can't you see that I'm busy?"
"You were sayin' my name. And you obviously can't be busy if you're calling me, right?" She smiled. "Wanna cupcake? You left in such a hurry you didn't even get to try our signature dish."
The earth pony pulled out a pink (and pretty tasty) looking cupcake from thin air. It looked pretty good, but Twilight didn't trust ponies who pulled tricks like that. No regular pony snuck into other ponies' homes while the door was locked and offered them cupcakes. That was just weird.
"Uh, no thanks." Twilight pulled out the first book in The Origin of Magic series, deciding she would re-read them. Perhaps Pinkie would get the hint and leave her alone.
Instead, she remained right there while she was reading, ominously silent. It was making her nervous, somehow, and she wasn't able to concentrate on the words. "...Do you need something?"
"Nope!" she replied.
"Then why are you here?" Twilight's eyebrow twitched.
"No reason in particular!" Pinkie responded with a grin. "Just hanging out with my new friend!" Twilight only glared at her.
"You're putting my friend out of my business, tackled me over, forced me to expend my magic to save your life, broke into my home, won't leave me alone, and you have the nerve to call me your friend? Go home!" Twilight pushed the pink mare out of the library before shoving the door closed. "Sweet Celestia, give me a break!"
"And then she just pushed me out..." Pinkie finished sadly. She traced a hoof idly around Bon Bon's countertop.
"Really? That's weird; Twilight's usually all gung-ho about making friends." Bon Bon frowned in response to what she'd just been told. Pinkie was helping her wrap up her newly made candy.
"Yeah, I don't think she ever wants to be my friend."
"All's ya gotta do," Lyra managed to say between mouthfuls of the very same candy she was sneaking into her muzzle, "is be interested in what she likes. Like books, or boring stuff..."
Bon Bon smacked Lyra in the back of the head. "No, Lyra! Stop eating the candy... If you don't, I really might just go bankrupt!"
Pinkie frowned at the two. "But, Lyra, I already did. You guys told me she liked making friends, so that's what I did!"
"You were just being too forward. I mean, sending the Cakes off and declaring Sugarcube Corner closed for the day? I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't just teleport away from you." Bon Bon said honestly.
"...She did." The pink earth pony's lower lip quivered. "All I want is to be friends with everypony in town and make sure they're all happy! It is my life's calling, after all..."
Lyra had begun eating candy again. "So, what this means is that our plan didn't work?"
Bon Bon glared at Lyra until her hoof receded away from the candy once again. "Well, not exactly." Her gaze drifted to Pinkie. "She still thinks my store may be out of business soon, right?"
"...Right." Pinkie said.
"Then maybe we can convince her otherwise." Bon Bon grinned, causing a smile to rise to Lyra's features.
"Aren't you supposed to be the Element of Honesty? And you're encouraging lying?" The unicorn snickered out. Bon Bon looked disapprovingly at the other mare, but underneath she was obviously amused.
"Just because I'm the Element of Honesty doesn't mean I can't lie! You know I'll do anything to help out a friend, Lyra. Besides, it's for a good cause... Don't give me that look!"
Lyra was having trouble keeping a straight face, and Pinkie didn't seem to be paying much attention. She was staring straight ahead, but not really seeing. Bon Bon pulled her friend a little closer so she could whisper into her ear without Pinkie hearing, though whether or not she would have heard was debatable, "Don't you want to see what their friendship would be like? I mean, it'd be like fire and ice--opposites!"
The unicorn became serious. "I never said I wasn't in, Bons! I was just wondering about your motivation, that's all. Seriously, this is gonna be tons of fun--how could I not want in?"
Bon Bon gave her a liberating smile before turning to her out-of-it friend. The candy mare pulled the other pony up and her beam turned somewhat mischievous. "Don't worry, Pinkie. By the time we're done, you'll be as close friends with Twilight as I am with Lyra!"
"This is gonna be so cool. It's totally going to work!" Lyra exclaimed. Bon Bon pulled her friend deeper behind the bushes.
"Shh!"
The two had only just sent Pinkie on her way back to speak with Twilight--to apologize for her previous behavior and pretend to be into the Daring Do series, since it was the unicorn's favorite. Now, Bon Bon and Lyra were camped out behind the brush beside the library, trying to figure out how it was going.
"...What're you two doing?"
Both Bon Bon and Lyra jumped. Then, at the same time, they pulled their mutual friend into the hiding spot. Lyra pushed her hoof into the mare's mouth to shush her.
"Look," the earth pony explained, "our friend Pinkie Pie, with whom I'm sure you've met already, is trying to become friends with Twilight. But she's a... tad bit more... enthusiastic than most ponies--even Lyra. Which means she's having some trouble."
Octavia only stared, her eyebrows furrowed--perhaps in a silent question. Bon Bon sighed in exasperation. "...Please don't say anything to Twilight. It'll mess everything up--so, er... think you could lend a hoof?"
"Not mine, of course!" Lyra grinned before removing her hoof from the gray mare's muzzle. Octavia situated herself between the two other mares, but she still seemed uncomfortable.
"Isn't it wrong to spy on other ponies and keep secrets like this?" she asked. Lyra threw her hoof over Octavia's shoulder.
"Don't worry--we're just doing what good friends would do for their other good friends. Right?"
Octavia still seemed hesitant. "Are you certain this is alright?" The unicorn nodded her head exuberantly in response. Then, Bon Bon pushed both of the other ponies down as she heard the door slam open--
"--AND STAY OUT!" Twilight finished promptly with a slam of the door. All three hiding ponies peeked their heads over the brush to see Pinkie Pie land on her flank on the doorstep. Lyra was the first to clamber over to her friend.
"What happened?"
The other two mares came over as well, though Octavia did so slowly. "I was just done apologizing, and she was just starting to warm up to me, and I told her that I liked Daring Do, so I ran over to the shelf where it was... While pulling the book out--it was at the top--I accidentally pulled over the entire bookcase..."
Pinkie frowned before her gaze drifted to Octava. "Oh, hey, Octy..." She raised her hoof in a way that was probably meant as a wave, but lacked its regular enthusiasm.
Bon Bon stood up and spoke before the gray mare got the chance. "It's okay, Pinkie. We can still do this. I've got another plan..."
"Good, 'cause your plans are usually pretty entertaining." Lyra joked. The candy pony pulled the other three mares back into hiding before discussing the details of her most recent plot.
"I swear, that mare's never gonna get out of my mane!" Twilight fumed. She was pacing around as best she could in the mess Pinkie had caused, just about to carve a groove in the floor. Usually Spike would have put an end to this borderline crazy behavior, but he had yet to return from his trip to Bon Bon's.
When the library door opened again, she was about to go off on that annoying pink mare for intruding in her home once again--
"Uh, Twilight? I have a letter for you." Derpy stepped closer, worry slowly making its way into her features. Twilight's mane was starting to stick up in weird places. The pegasus hoofed over the envelope to Twilight, who hardly looked at it. "Usually I'd just put it in your mailbox, but... eh... how to say this?... Your mailbox isn't there anymore."
"What?!" Twilight dashed over to her door, the letter fluttering down uselessly where she was standing less than a minute ago. Derpy caught it before it hit the ground, and she cast a concerned look over her shoulder. "What happened to it? It was there a few minutes ago--right after I kicked her out! Wait... She's at it again, isn't she? She wants to be my friend so much she's taken my mailbox and is going to 'return' it! Derpy, watch the library for me!"
The unicorn then cantered out in no set direction, leaving behind a confused mailmare and a cloud of dust in her wake. Derpy looked down at the letter, up at where her friend once was, and back at the letter again.
"This letter seems important..."
Pinkie, Octavia, Bon Bon, and Lyra had just finished discussing their plan. "So, what you're saying is that I've gotta save her life and then she'll be friends with me?"
Bon Bon nodded. "Spitfire saved all of our lives in the Everfree Forest awhile ago, and saved my life exclusively on the trip to the dragon's den. Now, I'm not sure I trust anypony more."
Lyra gave her a look, but said nothing.
"But how can I save her life?" Pinkie asked Bon Bon. It really was amazing that she was still determined to become friends with a pony who obviously didn't want anything to do with her.
"Hm..." Bon Bon's brow creased. "There's always timber wolves... but that's a bit extreme... Is Twilight allergic to anything? Nah, even if she was, that'd be too dangerous..."
"No, Bon Bon! Your plan will never work. C'mere, Pinkie, I've got just the thing for you!" Lyra pulled Pinkie aside and began speaking with her privately, which was responded with exceedingly excited nods.
"Huh?" Bon Bon said to herself, "Didn't you just say my plans were always 'entertaining'?" The earth pony grumbled to herself a bit more before joining the rest of her friends' plotting.
Twilight was stalking around town, walking on only the tips of her hooves. Pinkie--no, You-Know-Who was nowhere to be seen, but the unicorn was sure she was lurking behind one of these corners. After all, she always seemed to pop up when she least expected it. And, hopefully, this time she'd appear with her missing mailbox.
Several passing ponies gave her weird looks, but that was nothing compared to the expressions of those she asked about her stolen mailbox--"Have you seen my mailbox? It's been stolen, see, by a crazy pink mare that I keep seeing everywhere!"
Finally, Twilight stopped walking. She pressed a hoof into her forehead, feeling her headache worsen. Back when she'd had to hurry to save You-Know-Who's life, she'd been forced to expend more magic than she had prepped for the teleportation spell. Which, in earth pony lingo, meant she was going to be feeling very unreasonable and like manure for however long it would take her body to make up for the magical imbalance. No magic for a while.
And to think, I have to feel like this because of a pony I dislike... The things I go through... Makes me wonder if I ever should have left Canterlot!
Twilight glowered at the space ahead of her. I can already feel it coming... Great. Then, the smell of fresh apples made its way over to her. She suddenly felt hungry. So, the mare trotted over to where it had originated from--a small stand run by a red stallion.
"Hello," she greeted as cheerily as she could manage. The male only nodded at her. "May I have an apple?"
"One bit." he said simply. Twilight reached back for her saddlebag, where she'd keep a pouch for her bits, but then realized she didn't have it. She'd left the library in such a hurry she'd forgotten it.
"Oh... Heh, sorry, I'm going to have to pass this time." She smiled sheepishly at the bigger pony. However, a random pink mare appeared right beside her.
"Don't worry, I'll pay for ya!" Pinkie pushed a bit onto the counter as Twilight glared at her. The red stallion placed an equally crimson fruit atop the stand, but the unicorn pushed it back toward him.
"No, thank you." Twilight smiled apologetically at the vendor before turning and walking away. Not long after, You-Know-Who trotted up after her. She had the apple's stem in her mouth.
" 'Ere! Come on, just take it!" she pleaded. When Twilight didn't reply, the pink mare grabbed the apple and shoved it into the unicorn's mouth. Immediately, Twilight spit it out and rounded on Pinkie.
"WHY won't you just leave me alone?! You're so annoying--and I'll never be your friend! I DON'T MAKE FRIENDS WITH PONIES WHO STEAL OTHER PONIES' MAILBOXES!!!" Then, the unicorn, satisfied with herself, stalked off.
Pinkie remained there, a frown on her face. "...Steal other ponies' mailboxes?"
"I don't get it..." Pinkie sniffled. "Nopony has ever resisted being my friend like this!" Lyra patted her friend on the back.
"I'm sorry, Pinkie! I don't see how my plan could have failed--if a pony got me an apple, they'd be my best friend, hoofs down!" A glare was directed at Bon Bon. The two then proceeded to argue with each other. Octavia frowned, then approached the sad pony.
"Pinkie Pie... Allow me to introduce you to Twilight Sparkle." Octavia had her own plan to help Pinkie, seeing as how both Bon Bon and Lyra had their go. Hers seemed to have the highest possible success rate, and she really didn't want to see anymore emotional distress from anypony.
"You're friends with her?" The pink pony's ears perked in interest. Octavia nodded in response.
"--Why are you being so mean to me today, Lyra?!"
"Mean?! All you've been talking about is how it's so easy to become your best friend!"
Octavia ignored her other friends' quarrel and continued speaking to Pinkie. "You must reform yourself and ask for forgiveness. I will do my best to help with the process. Try to be more reserved--at least, until she accepts you as a friend."
Pinkie nodded once. She cleared her throat and straightened her posture. "Uh, how... how's this?" Her voice was a tad bit deeper, though it kept its feminism. The gray earth pony smiled lightly.
"Better. Are you prepared?" The pink pony hugged the other mare.
"Yeah, I'm totally ready to make a new friend! Er, I mean... Yes, I'm quite... prepared." She couldn't stop the huge grin from overtaking her features at her apparent success at conquering her normal demeanor. Octavia returned her embrace.
Octavia knocked on the library's door. Pinkie was beside her, though her expression was starting to look uncertain. Octavia gave her a reassuring smile and mouthed, Don't worry. Soon, a voice was heard behind the door.
"Who... Who is it?" Twilight's paranoid voice rang out. "If your name is, or of relating to, the letter 'P' or the color pink, please just leave!"
Octavia cleared her throat. "Twilight, it's me, Octavia. Would you let me in?" The door to the library inched open slowly, and the gray earth pony could see the unicorn's crazed expression, wild eyes, and frayed mane.
"Oh, hey, Octavia... I could use some help--"As she opened the door wider, her eyes caught sight of her. The door slammed shut in the two ponies' faces. "Sorry, Octavia, but I'm busy!"
"Twilight!" Octavia knocked on the door harder, then opened it herself. The gray mare didn't hesitate to step inside the strangely dark room. "Twilight, I need to talk to you..."
"What about? I-I'm doing something. Ponies that steal mailboxes and baby dragons aren't welcome here!" Octavia turned toward Pinkie with an incredulous look.
"Exactly... What did you do to her?"
"I don't know what she's talking about... I didn't take any mailboxes or baby dragons, I promise!" Pinkie said hushedly. Octavia didn't give her any response, and instead trotted to where she knew the light switch was.
When the light flickered on, Twilight was leaning back against the far wall, books scattered all around the floor. She looked worse in the light.
"We need to talk. All three of us." Octavia said simply. "Twilight, I'd like to introduce you to my sister, Pinkie Pie. She is... certainly a piece of work, but a good friend nonetheless. If you are open-minded about it, surely you can find something endearing about her. I grew up with her, after all."
Twilight kept staring at Pinkie the way a pony would eye an explosive that could go off at any moment. She slowly walked closer. "If... If you really don't think she's bad... I guess I could give it a try. Maybe I was too harsh..."
Taking slow steps, Twilight finally stood directly in front of Pinkie Pie. Her posture suggested she was ready to jump away in case something did explode, but Octavia supposed that was a step up. She could tell Pinkie was doing her best not to give voice to her happiness to the world, but was unable to stop the small smile from creeping onto her muzzle.
Pinkie had always been this way ever since she'd thrown that party years ago. Ever since she'd gotten her cutie mark, no matter who it was, she'd made it her life's goal to make everypony happy. That was good and all, but it wasn't what Octavia wanted. Pinkie wanted to make ponies happy with a loud exuberancy--while Octavia wanted to do so quietly, with kind and gentle music. Perhaps it was Pinkie's revelation of her destiny that led Octavia on hers.
The two ponies were just about to shake hooves, when suddenly, the entire library shook. Twilight pulled back at once and glared accusingly at the pink mare.
"You--You're doing it again! Stop!"
"It's not me--I swear!" Pinkie attempted. Octavia was immediately looking around for the source of the disturbance--more books were falling to the ground. A random envelope fluttered onto Octavia's muzzle.
Spike wrote a letter to Twilight? The earth pony pulled the piece of paper off her face and examined it briefly. Indeed, Spike the dragon's name was in the corner and Twilight's name was printed neatly in the center. Not sure what that could mean but deciding there were more important things at the moment, Octavia rushed to the library's door, leaving the envelope behind.
Outside, was a very weird scene indeed.
Spitfire was flying in the air above, along with some other ponies Octavia assumed were a part of the Wonderbolts. Spike was talking adamantly with Derpy Hooves, who was gesturing her hooves wildly. The gray earth ponies eyes trailed off to the side where she saw a blue male pegasus rubbing his head.
"Soarin'! It's just a simple barrel-roll; how can you screw that up?"
Lyra and Bon Bon suddenly appeared, just to the side. The former was snickering at what Spitfire had apparently said, though Bon Bon seemed to still be angry. Octavia had no idea what was going on.
Octavia felt a flourish of wind pass by her right side, and glanced over just in time to see what had happened. Twilight had lunged at Pinkie from inside the library, and the two were now rolling around. Twilight had apparently lost it with the pink pony, and had every intention of making her regret it.
"Woah! What's goin' on here?!" Spitfire exclaimed as she quickly landed next to Octavia.
"I've had it with you!" Twilight exclaimed. Everypony in the viscinity turned to look.
"Twilight?!" Spike's jaw dropped at the sight of his closest friend looking like a lunatic. Spitfire jumped into the tussle, and was able to separate the two mares. Octavia checked to make sure Pinkie was okay, while the Wonderbolt captain kept Twilight at bay.
"What's wrong with you? I've never seen you so angry!" Spitfire grunted. She dropped Twilight on the ground, a ways from Pinkie.
"It's her--that pony's crazy!" Twilight covered her ears with both hooves, her eyes dancing from pony to pony.
Spitfire's face contorted in confusion. "What? Right now, you're lookin' like the crazy one!" The pegasus turned to the other mare involved in the fight. "You, explain."
Pinkie looked torn. "I've been trying to befriend her, but it hasn't been going so well, and she thinks I'm annoying..."
Spitfire gave her a funny look before glancing at her team. "Uh, guys...? Let's call it a day. We'll continue tomorrow."
Some Wonderbolts rolled their eyes before taking off. Soarin' nodded at the captain--perhaps out of respect, before leaving as well. Spitfire cleared her throat before looking at Twilight. She spoke calmly, "Twilight, in order to sort this out, we're gonna need you to explain, too."
The unicorn hadn't lost all of her sanity just yet. "I... This morning, I was going to Sugarcube Corner to help Bon Bon sort something out with the owners, when she pounced on me. I proceeded to look for the owners of the shop, but they weren't in. So, I was on my way back to the library, and she wouldn't leave me alone. Then, I was going to teleport away, and she latched on--"
"She could've died!" Lyra said suddenly. She must've paid attention in school.
"Yeah, but I was able to extend the magical field around both of us--"
"Ouch..." sympathized Lyra, wincing. The other ponies obviously didn't have a clue--Lyra and Twilight were the only unicorns there.
"I know, and it does hurt. Anyway, she wouldn't leave me alone--stole my mailbox--ponynapped Spike--lied to me about the fact that she 'reads Dairy Dude,' and actually knocked over a bookcase! Her voice--her in-your-face attitude--I can't stand it!"
"Wait--stole your mailbox? Ponynapped Spike?" The Wonderbolt turned toward Spike. "I thought you said you told her!"
The dragon scratched his face sheepishly. "I, uh, wrote her a letter and told Derpy to give it to her!"
"You dodo!" Spitfire face-hoofed. Everypony but those two stared on in confusion. Octavia then remembered the letter that'd landed on her face--and went to retrieve it. When she'd returned, she gave the envelope to Twilight.
The unicorn read aloud, her voice somewhat quizzical. "Dear Twilight... You know how I said I was going to go to Bon Bon's? Well, I got side-tracked, and now I'm helping with Wonderbolt training! I'll be back home later tonight--oh, and this one guy named Soarin', he kind of ran your mailbox over... but he said he'd get it fixed. See you later, Spike."
She slowly looked up at the dragon and gave him an icy look. He dove behind Bon Bon to hide from that stare.
"I have a confession to make..." Bon Bon said suddenly. "I mean, we have a confession to make." The candy mare pulled Lyra and Octavia next to her. "We've been pulling some strings, Twilight... I kinda... lied to you this morning about my business's status... All three of us have been setting you up all day."
Twilight glowered at them, too.
Bon Bon continued, but her voice was sounding less confident. "We encouraged her to lie about Daring Do--though she must not have caught the title right. We told her all these different things she ought to do, and worst of all, used Octavia as bait!"
"Actually, that was my--"Bon Bon pushed a hoof into Octavia's mouth.
"What we're trying to say, is that we're sorry and that we've learned our lesson."
Twilight's glare slowly turned into one of understanding. "So, none of this was her fault, huh...? Pinkie Pie, I'd like to apologize for being rude and judging you before I actually got to know the real you, not what you thought you had to be to befriend me. Let's start over." Though still a little hesitant, Twilight trotted over to the pink pony and hugged her briefly. "Though I can't make any promises that I won't get annoyed at you."
Pinkie Pie looked like she was about to explode from happiness. Twilight pulled away and looked at Spike.
"Spike, could you take a letter?"
The dragon cleared his throat, probably attempting to regain his 'manly' status, and stepped out from behind his crush. "Sure, Twi," he said as he pulled out a scroll and feather.
"Dear Princess Celestia, today I learned not to judge a book by its cover, and that you should always look for the good qualities in a pony." Twilight said, only to have Bon Bon continue.
"And we learned that you should never lie to impress somepony, no matter what. You should be truthful to your friends, and they'll return in kind."
"AND," Lyra hopped up excitedly, "WE LEARNED THAT YOU SHOULD NEVER EVER TRY TO SEND A LETTER THROUGH THE MAIL WHEN THE MAILBOX IS MISSING!"
Everypony laughed at that. When she finished, Twilight said, "Signed, your most loyal subjects." As Spike scratched the last bit into the letter, he wrapped it up and sent it to the Princess.
"...What now?" asked Derpy.
"I suppose we could clean the library." Octavia suggested, which got an eager nod from Spike--who obviously didn't want to do it by himself.
"--and brush Twilight's mane out." Lyra grinned, but only received a glare in return. Bon Bon hit her in the back of the head, and everything was back to normal. Between Bon Bon and Lyra, and Twilight's crazy mane. Finally, Twilight was going to get the rest she deserved--
"Wait." Twilight blinked. Everypony that'd been trotting inside stopped and looked at her. "So, you two are really... sisters?"
Then, the attention was drawn to Pinkie and Octavia. The pink pony answered for the two of them. "Well, of course! Can't you see the family resemblance?"
And yet they looked just about as different as two ponies could be, not to mention personality-wise. Twilight only smiled in acceptance, wondering if any of the others had family members she had yet to meet. She knew she did.
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Interesting chapter... it seemed like it had elements of A Friend in Deed, with a little Mare Do Well (minus the titular caped crusader, ironically enough) mixed in.
i like that Octavia is related to pinkie pie
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I decided, "What the hell, might as well!" while writing. (Yeah, I didn't notice that had rhymed at the time. 
) Initially, I hadn't intended for it to be that way, but the show did have a bunch of supporting characters that I am still lacking--Mr. and Mrs. Cake, the Apple family, the Cake twins, Fluttershy's animals--the list goes on. So, the introduction to one was in order! I'm glad it turned out well for you. 
Thank you for your input, and I am aware of the characters' lack of gusto in the first chapter--it was the first time I'd attempted something like this where I had to start from scratch character-wise. However, I believe I have improved over the chapters, and hope that (if you continue all the way through) you think so too! Regardless, thank you for reading and I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate the comment!
2748005
Yes, I was thinking about A Friend Indeed while writing this! Heh, just was in the mood... But anyway, I hope you liked it. And--Mare Do Well? I wasn't necessarily going for that effect, but I hope you mean it was mixed together well. Mare Do Well wasn't exactly one of my favorite episodes.
2748013
Yay!
2748073
Or maybe I read slow. 
You certainly read fast.
Regardless--I don't think there's a problem with Spike's affection being directed at Bon Bon. In my opinion, I don't think she's ugly in comparison to Rarity. In fact, it was meant to be a part of the surprise factor; this story is aimed at being different from the show, not to be similar to the point of his love being exactly the same as the one from the original. But you're entitled to your opinion and I'm entitled to mine.
I'd rather not give away anything about future chapters, but I will say there will be a CMC group, because they do have their own episodes. I am very much aware of what I will be naming it, and that I can't take things like that from the show. But I appreciate your concern in the subject.
I think this chapter was probably one of the best so far.
I thought you were going to make it that the real mane five would only be mentioned in passing or be in the background, but I was pleasantly surprised that you included Pinkie Pie since it makes sense that Twilight would have to meet with her at some point. It's better for her to be a marginal character rather than a background one.
I don't think I agree with the, "always look for the good qualities in a pony". I think if you don't like someone for some reason, it is your right not to want to befriend them. But I'm not going to argue what people should and shouldn't think.
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Thank you! I happen to think this is also one of my favorites written so far... I did intend for none of the main characters to show up, but realized how silly that would be considering Pinkie Pie's ambition to be friends with everypony! Heh, I had to use her for this one. It was supposed to be a reversed version of Bridle Gossip, in which everypony liked Pinkie and Twilight didn't, whereas in the original everypony was afraid of Zecora and Twilight happened to disagree... but then it turned into what it is now.
Anyway, I agree with you on the fact that you have the right to decide who to be friends with, but in some cases you have to at least be civil. I mean, in this situation, if Twilight still didn't want to befriend Pinkie, there could've been some tension between she and Octavia, considering the fact they're sisters. And that wouldn't do much good for their friendship.
Also - third page for comments. Yay! (Though I bet most of them are my own)
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You can still be civil towards others and still not like them. If they didn't become friends and Pinkie left Twilight alone, or rather, didn't annoy her, then Twilight should be civil towards Pinkie, even if Twilight doesn't like her.
However, if Pinkie continued to pester Twilight and annoy her, I don't think Twilight should just try to look at her good qualities. If she can, and it overcomes her hatred of Pinkie, good on her, but if it doesn't I think Twilight has the right to be uncivil when Pinkie is not respecting Twilight's requests to keep away. It's the same problem Pinkie had in 'A Friend In Deed'.
Although I suspect we are on two different wavelengths regarding the message, so I think I'll stop.
I think that's good that you're answering people's comments. It's nice to have a discussion or debate about certain things.
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I like seeing different people's point of views... points of view? 
Well, you know what I mean. I actually agree 100% with what you've said! Debates always, without fail, do one of two things: give me a new perspective, or make me really angry... But the latter only happens with things like religion, politics... Where I have a strict belief in something. Now I feel like I'm lecturing. 
Nah, don't worry about a thing! I also enjoy debating about things like this - even if it ultimately leads to me looking silly or losing the debate.
Thanks! I usually try to get back with the comments, but I sometimes forget about them...
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Re: Mare Do Well... it was sort of the "everyone get together to convince Twilight that Pinkie Pie is OK and teach her a lesson" aspect that reminded me of that episode.
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Ah, I understand. Though, I'd like to think they got together and lied for a better reason than to teach Twilight a lesson about being humble--more like setting her up to meet someone new lol. Though I do see where you relate to the other episode.
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It certainly has been awhile, and as per usual, I'd like to thank you in advance for taking the time to let me know what I did well, and what I didn't.
This chapter was mostly going for a feel of A Friend Indeed, and Bridle Gossip, and I did want it to be surprising. I'm glad it worked out that way!
What pleases me most though is that you think I've improved. That's the best thing to hear, when you venture to do something you're not used to. 
As for the criticism portion, I understand where you're coming from. The intention behind it being a letter was a bit of a spur-of-the-moment thing, and I wanted everything to be a mystery up until the very end. I figured it'd flow well enough, but might've lacked in... gusto. And would happen too suddenly.
About the lesson--I wanted it to relate to the original lesson--don't judge a pony/zebra before you get to know about them, but I probably should've related a little more about the chapter itself. I was hesitant about making Octavia and Pinkie sisters--don't know if anyone noticed, but I avoided the usage of 'Octavia's friend' and 'sister' up until around the conclusion. I wasn't sure how it would be received, but decided it'd be fun to write. 
I'm very excited to continue on to the next chapter, and I will let you know now: it will also be completely original.
Thanks again for commenting--it really motivates me to write more; even the criticism. 
Never thought if twilights fellow elements were different how she would put up with pinkie.
2748105 lol, yes. I am a fast reader
But, still, I don't exactly like how Spike loves BB as much as Rares. Regardless, this is a great story anyways!
<insert sad zebra icon>
great story! I cant wait to see what will happen next.
While it still has ponies it will definitely be different
close
______________
How much longer until the next chapter?
3523658
Thanks for reading and catching those typos for me! Back when I did those chapters I had to use a tablet without auto-correct, so I had to make do without. As you can see, the errors themselves are pretty silly (missing spaces or letters, mostly). Thanks again for that!
I wasn't sure if anyone was still interested in this story or not, so I haven't really been writing for it. I'll start working on it, though. I won't make any promises on dates, but I'd say it'll take less than a week (if I'm lucky, perhaps this weekend or early next week).
3524789
Whoohooo! Seriously though, 117 upvotes and only 4 down is a pretty good deal. And of all the altverse I've read this is one of my top 3 favs. It has originality, depth, and is artistically well done. I really can't wait to see what you do next, and hope that it has a fully complete run. Even if it updates slowly. Thank you very much for writing this fic.
Great chapter
Uh-oh.
In light of Maud Pie, yes.
I just started and got done reading what you have so far and I like it so far hope to read more soon
But... but, what about Lime Stone, Marble, and Maud?