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Chapter 63,940 words

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Pinkie See, Pinkie Do

On a summer afternoon in Ponyville, everypony in town dealt with their daily routines from business to leisure. But a certain pony had other plans for today. Local party-planner extraordinaire Pinkie Pie was seen approaching a house with a skip in her step. When she reached the front porch, she rapped on the door with a hoof and beamed at the closed door as she waited patiently for it to open.

The door opened to reveal a mint-colored unicorn with a lyre for a cutie mark. She grinned upon seeing Pinkie "Hey, Pinkie! Glad you could make it!" She peered her head out of her doorframe and looked around carefully with squinted eyes before looking back at her guest with a smile "Wanna come inside so we can talk?"

Pinkie nodded "Sure thing, Lyra! That's why you wanted to see me, right?" With that, the party pony was welcomed inside Lyra's home as she hopped her way in, as per her supposed norm.

Once inside, The two mares made their way into the kitchen, where they sat on their own chairs at the table. Pinkie looked around, then tilted her head at Lyra "Say, where's Bon Bon? I thought she wasn't working today!"

Lyra sighed "Oh, she's out at the spa right now with Carrot Top. I only stayed behind so I could clean the house. But also..." She turned to Pinkie with a serious look in her eyes "That's also why I wanna talk to you..." Lyra spoke in a low tone.

Pinkie blinked before she grinned "Ya want me to plan something extra special on your birthday tomorrow?"

Lyra nodded "You know it! Pinkie, you and I both know how we share a knowledge that possibly nopony in Equestria couldn't understand!"

"You mean the question we ask that makes the Silence die?" Pinkie answered innocently.

Lyra blinked before she looked annoyed "No! The OTHER knowledge!"

Pinkie remembered with a look of realization "Ooooooooh~!! The humans, right?"

Lyra smiled and nodded "Correct!" She then frowned "You see, Bon Bon's been giving me a whole lot of flak recently with how I talk about them, and on the day before my birthday no less! I know she's gonna give me an amazing gift come tomorrow, but there's also something else I want!"

Pinkie frowned "But there aren't any living humans in Equestria! I'd know if there were any!"

Lyra looked away with a hint of sadness "But you don't understand! I usually put up with this every year! I talk about something I like, my marefriend chastises me for it, she gives me her gift, and the process repeats itself! I at least want something that the humans had left behind so I won't seem so crazy to her or anypony else I talk to!"

Pinkie frowned "Awwww...." She then looked curious "What's the amazing gift Bon Bon gives you anyway? If anything, all I heard was yelling every night on your birthday!"

Lyra huffed "Focus, Pinkie! I'm asking a favor from you!" She placed her forelegs on Pinkie's shoulders "Can I trust you to find me an item or gift that could be relatable to humans and their history?"

Pinkie thought about this as she looked into Lyra's pleading eyes. This was a mare that wanted to live with herself knowing that there was plausible evidence of humans before Equestria's birth. She narrowed her eyes in determination as she gave a mock salute with her hoof "You can count on me, Lyra! I've always wanted to be an archaeologist!"

Lyra gave a heartfelt smile to the party pony "Thanks, Pinkie..." She clopped her hooves together with a giddy squeal "Knowing how you come through for anypony, I feel happy again! About as happy as the time you taught me that trick with your hoof!" She looked at her own in disappointment as she muttered "Even though it only lasts for a couple of minutes..."

Pinkie waved a hoof "Don't worry, Lyra! Leave this all to me! It won't be so hard to find evidence that humans exist! I can even start now!" She hopped from her chair and gave Lyra a small hug before she made her way out the front door "Just let Auntie Pinkie Pie handle this job and she'll get you the perfect gift by tomorrow!" She shut the door before Lyra could even say 'I'm a year older than you.'.
_____

Pinkie felt distraught after searching high and low for Lyra's gift and frowned "Sheesh, I know Ponyville like the back of my hoof, but there's nothing here that could be the right choice for a birthday present!" She looked down in thought, trying to figure out what she hasn't tried yet. As luck would have it, an idea came into the party pony's mind as she smiled to herself "If not Ponyville..." She turned to look at a distant city hanging on a mountain "Maybe Canterlot has something for me!! Good thing I have vacation days!!" She said as she went back to Sugarcube Corner to gather her bits.

When she opened the door, she trotted inside and went upstairs to her room. She then made for her closet, opening her door to have something green leap at her and latch onto her right ear. She giggled as she patted the blank-staring reptile on her ear "Hiya, Gummy! Ya wanna come with me on a trip?" She said as she opened another door "I'm really excited to help Lyra out today with actual proof that humans exist!" Pinkie was undoing chains sealing another door as she rambled on "There wasn't much for me to find in Ponyville, but lucky for me, I could find something good in Canterlot!" She said as she began twisting on a large padlock on another door carefully "But if I'm gonna actually find something good for Lyra that's somehow for sale! Then I'll just have to have..." She opened the door to find a wooden box with a keyhole "Money..." She said in a serious whisper. Pinkie then plucked Gummy and placed him down in front of her with a chipper smile "You know what to do, Gummy!"

As if on command, Gummy began to hack something up in his lung. With one final hack, he brought up a silver key out of his mouth. Pinkie took it in her hoof with a grin and used it on the keyhole for the wooden box. Opening it up, there were small sacks sitting inside of the box. Pinkie smiled to herself "Good thing I put up all this security!" She turned to Gummy with a frown "You can NEVER be too careful when anypony wants something so bad! Especially on Hearth's Warming Eve!" She said as she took two sacks from the box and gave them a shake "I think that'll be enough!" Pinkie said as she shut and locked the wooden box, then proceeded to lock every door she opened in her closet down to the last one.

She packed her saddlebags and smiled to herself while Gummy made his way inside one of them, peeking his head out afterwards as his eyes blinked out of sync. Pinkie held up a hoof with a look of determination "Alright, Gummy! Time to go on a hunt for Lyra's gift! Off to Canterlot!!!" She galloped valiantly out of her room and made for the train station.
_____

After paying for her ticket and expertly hiding Gummy in her saddlebags from the train conductor, Pinkie hummed to herself as she sat down and looked out the window. She poked her chin with a hoof as she thought about where to start her search 'Hmmm...What if the princesses know about humans? They've lived the longest out of us! Oooooor, what if I look at their library and see if I can't find any good books on humans? No...There's gotta be some kind of shop that has all sorts of mysterious antiques and the like...but where?'

Before she could think any further, the train conductor called out to the passengers in the cart Pinkie was in "Now approaching Canterlot Train Station! Be sure to gather your belongings and exit your cart in a proper fashion!"

Pinkie giggled at the train conductor "You silly! I'm not wearing any clothes!"

The train conductor shook his head in annoyance as he trotted to the next cart to let the rest of the passengers know. Pinkie already felt the train slow to a stop and she grinned eagerly as she got up from her seat and trotted out of the cart with her luggage.

Stepping out of the cart, Pinkie looked around to see the majestic structures that made up of Canterlot and wondered where to begin her search as she trotted further into the city.

As she went, Gummy peered his head out of one of the bags and looked around blankly, his eyes blinking unevenly. Pinkie hummed to herself with a frown "Everything in Canterlot seems to be either too shiny, too pretty, or too fancy to have anything human-related! Maybe I'm not looking hard enough?"

Gummy looked around until his blank stare fell on a path that gradually lost Canterlot's pristine image and led towards. He hopped out of his bag and began to waddle towards it, away from his owner.

Pinkie noticed him twenty paces away with a gasp and chased after him "Gummy, get back here! We have to stick together! You know how big Canterlot is!"

She managed to reach Gummy and place him back into her saddlebag, then looked at the route he was waddling towards "Hmmm...I've never been down THIS side of Canterlot before..." She turned to Gummy with an inquisitive stare "Was this why you scampered out of my saddlebag?" Pinkie only received an uneven blink in response, and smiled at her pet "Good enough for me! It's always good to be open-minded on an adventure!" With Gummy in tow, Pinkie trotted down the ominous path ahead of her.
_____

As she progressed, Pinkie looked to see that she was lead towards a more exotic bazaar of sorts as opposed to what is commonly seen around Canterlot in a whole. There were many ponies in different garbs that purchased unique items for ranging amounts of bits. The party pony was impressed "Wow! You got a good eye, Gummy! These ponies look pretty nice! I wonder if Rarity's ever seen them before!" She shook her head "Nonono, I gotta focus!" She examined her surroundings for a good place to shop "Let's see..."

She spotted a run-of-the-mill stall selling junk "No..."

A stand that sold different forms of pottery "Uh-uh..."

A kiosk that sold taxidermied animals "Whoa! I don't think Fluttershy would like that!"

A stand selling weaponry; a pony draped head-to-toe in cloaks sold them. Pinkie could've sworn he held an accent heard in Trottingham "That's no good either!"

Pinkie pouted "Oh, this is a disaster! Either there isn't much for me to work with, or I'm still nto looking hard enough!" On cue, Gummy peered his head out of Pinkie's saddlebag and looked in a particular direction. Pinkie noticed with a blink "You found something again, Gummy?" She followed her pet alligator's gaze towards a building and approached it with curious eyes.

Reaching the door, Pinkie looked up to see a sign, reading it out loud to herself "Hmmm...Odsin Ends' Mystic Items...Ancient commodities sold at fine prices..." Pinkie hummed "Well, it wouldn't hurt to try, I guess...Maybe the humans were mystical in their time!" She opened the door and made her way inside of the building.

There were all sorts of odd and mind-boggling trinkets, some appearing to be made in Shanghay or other reaches of Equestria. Pinkie was intstantly intrigued as she browsed high and low for anything both valuable and important to her cause "Wowee wow wow! Would you look at all this stuff! I wonder if the perfect gift's just waiting for me in this very store!" A male chuckle was heard.

"Well, that depends on what you're looking for, my friend..."

Pinkie looked around "Who's there? Do you run this store?"

Another chuckle was heard, and the party pony was finally able to catch a shadowed silhouette of a pony behind a stack of wares trotting up to Pinkie to reveal itself. The shadows gave out to reveal a pale grey coated stallion in an oriental merchant's garb, complete with a hat and small glasses that rested on his muzzle. His plum-colored mane was braided to suit the style of his attire. His yellow eyes gleamed as he held a winning smile "So many questions, so little time. Clearly, you aren't here just to talk, are you?"

Pinkie smiled at the pony in front of her "Oh, goody! Are you the Odsin Ends that runs this place?"

Odsin Ends held his forehooves together and gave a curt bow, his smile refusing to leave "The same..." He looked back at Pinkie "Can I help you at all? Are you looking for anything in particular?"

Pinkie grinned "Funny you should ask that! Of course I am!" She looked around "With all this nifty stuff you have here, maybe you could help me out!"

Odsin Ends chuckled "Well, it's what I'm here for! Feel free to browse, and do take your time." He managed to sneak a grin while Pinkie was busy sightseeing 'After all, time is money, yes?'

Pinkie frowned to herself when she couldn't distinguish a proper item for herself "Say, Odsin Ends, do you have anything that could be linked to the possible existence of humans? I can't seem to find anything anywhere?"

Odsin Ends arched a curious eyebrow. This was a new request to him for all that he has in his shop "Humans, you say? Well, I may or may not have SOMETHING suitable for your needs-"

He was spooked when Pinkie instantly zipped into his face with a wide and ecstatic grin "So it's a yes, then!?" She blurted out as she stared into his pinpricked pupils.

Odsin Ends carefully distanced himself away with an awkward smile as he straightened his glasses "Well, your request could very well be that of mystical proportions! Certainly, some of my items may tickle your fancy. Each happen to have their own history; their own story to tell to those that buy them."

Pinkie hopped in place "Sounds like fun! Mind showing me what you have?"

The curio pony looked around his shop "Well, I suppose I could show you around, considering your...eager ambition...Come, come. Follow me..." He trotted around his shop, Pinkie hopping behind him as he showed him different trinkets.

He started off with a fine sky blue urn with a serpentine dragon drawn on it "Here is a lovely urn with the depiction of the fabled azure dragon Qīng Lóng! It belonged to Emperor Yu Ti back when he ruled in the Yu Dynasty!"

Pinkie craned her head back with a confused look "How does that help me at all?"

Odsin Ends flashed an awkward grin "Well...He was one of few ponies that ALSO believed in humans, if that helps..."

Pinkie hummed before she shook her head "Uh-Uh!" The curio pony frowned at her answer.

The party pony was then directed towards a small statue of a bipedal cat figure bearing its claws. Odsin Ends smiled and directed a hoof "Here is a statue of a creature depicted from Neighponese folklore. It is called a Nekomata, and they're known for their magic without horns! Certainly an item of your standards in terms of humans, hm?" He asked with an expectant smile.

Pinkie hummed before she shook her head again "Nope! She might look the part, but she's no human!" Odsin Ends gave a light huff with a frown. Pinkie poked a hoof "Maybe I'm not being specific enough! Humans are moooooore...Monkey-like in appearance, if that helps!"

Odsin Ends instantly perked up with a hopeful grin "Monkey-like, you say! Well, it is your lucky day, little girl! I have just the thing for you to take home and show your friends!!" He trotted off at a vigorous pace.

Pinkie gasped and beamed at his response "Really!? You do!? Showmeshowmeshowmeshowme!" She rambled as she hopped after the curio pony at the same vigorous pace.

It wasn't long before Pinkie noticed an item being held by Odsin Ends, who held a triumphant smile. It was a puppet that resembled a cartoonish monkey with a wild red mane and a brown beard sporting three large curls. It wore a gold headband along with a green shirt with a yellow trim and a small beaded necklace; a red sash and cape; both of its paws had gold bracers, and in its right paw, it held a staff with two hanging bells at the end; instead of being naked from the waist down, the puppet wore beige slacks and green shin wraps.

Despite its features, Pinkie tilted her head with a smile "That looks pretty monkey-like! What is it?"

Odsin presented the puppet to Pinkie "This little artifact happens to be one-of-a-kind! It is modeled after the mysterious individual known as the Monkey King..." He added his last sentence with a near grave tone.

Pinkie clopped her hooves together "Yay, a monkey king! That could work!" She then frowned "But wait...How is it related to humans?"

Odsin Ends trotted to his sales counter with Pinkie following him "Well, I came across this very puppet early in my adult years while I traveled the ends of Equestria, finding items to help better my shop. All it had done was collect dust with what I've sold, but I've managed to keep it clean, knowing that it is bound to find an owner...All my items must be prim and proper for any curious and befitting eyes!" He carefully set the puppet on the counter "I'm glad that one such as yourself would have your eyes on this puppet!"

Pinkie tilted her head and blinked as she examined the puppet "That still doesn't answer my question, though! Also, what's so mystical about this?"

Odsin Ends held a serious gaze at Pinkie "Little is known about the tale of the Monkey King...I've heard from some ponies that he was one for extreme mischief, causing all sorts of chaos before even Discord existed! There was also the fact that I had come across this puppet in a volcano."

Pinkie gasped, intrigued by the curio pony's story "It's lavaproof!?"

Odsin Ends chuckled as he looked away "Well, the funny story there is that the volcano I found this puppet in was actually full of cherry gelatin! A tad old when I examined it though...I was surprised the puppet even survived in it!"

Pinkie drooled at the image: A volcano full of cherry gelatin. That was another idea in her mind for when she decides to make an extra special meal. She shook herself before she blinked "And how it's related to humans?"

Odsin Ends looked at the puppet "Well, to answer your question, it seems to be THAT old, given that only few ponies know of the Monkey King's story...This puppet could possibly be dated back to the age of humans themselves" 'If they ever existed anyways...' He gave a slight wince "And believe it or not, but I could feel a faint aura inside of this item; as if a soul was lying dorment inside of it waiting for another host..." He spoke ominously as he stared at the puppet.

Pinkie stared at the puppet in blank awe after hearing Odsin End's story "Neato..." She uttered. As she looked into the puppet's eyes, she felt a sense of connection. It almost pulled her away from the fact that this was a gift for Lyra's birthday.

Odsin Ends held up a hoof with a frown "Now, I know that my words may sound unwelcoming and even pushing you away from wanting this item, but I'll be reasonable! I'll sell this to you for 10-"

"I must have it!" Pinkie blurted unexpectedly.

Odsin Ends instantly retracted his sentence with a bright grin "For 30 bits!"

Pinkie fished out one of her satchels and tossed it onto the counter, the bits pouring out in a beautiful golden cascade. Odsin Ends was indeed pleased with the sight as he turned back to Pinkie with a satisfied grin "Would you like that giftwrapped?"

Pinkie held up the puppet and examined it before placing her hoof in it with a smile "Hello, Mr. Monkey King!" The party pony then demonstrated excellent ventriloquism by keeping her mouth shut and moving the puppet's mouth, a high-pitched voice coming out of it "Hallo, Pinkie~!" She giggled afterwards "I love it! Thanks for the Monkey King puppet, Odsey!" Pinkie galloped off with her present for Lyra.

Odsin Ends only shook his head with an amused chuckle "A very manic mare if I've ever seen one..." He said as he went back to keeping inventory check on his many wares.
_____

After her train ride back to Ponyville, Pinkie made a beeline back to her house, all the way back into her room where she sat with her newly purchased item with Gummy at her side. She stared at the puppet with a grin "I can't believe it! I finally found the perfect gift for Lyra tomorrow! Maybe now, Bon Bon can be more nice to her AND learn about humans!" She then frowned "Oh wait...she probably doesn't know about the Monkey King!" Pinkie tossed her head back to face the ceiling and groaned in frustration "I should've thought this over!"

She froze in her position before looking back at the puppet "Unleeeeess~..." Pinkie peered closely at the cartoonish puppet "Maybe with what Odsin Ends told me, there could be somepony inside of the puppet who can tell me all about humans! But how can I know who's inside?" She moved the puppet and examined it in different positions "Is there some kind of switch to it? Do I have to perform a seance? Or is there other magic involved? How do I do it!?" Pinkie turned its back and wondered if there was a switch under the puppet's cape, but when she lifted it up and looked inside the compartment under its shirt, she found something else "Huh? An inscription! What does it say?" She squinted her eyes and tried to make out the words, even reading them to herself as she went.

"To free me of glitches and put you in stitches,
This merry ape begs: Pull my leg."

Pinkie hummed to herself in thought. Could this be the particular 'switch' she was looking for in order to talk to the possible spirit in the puppet? She decided to hold the puppet in front of her to glance at its face once more before she smiled "I'm sure it wouldn't be so bad! Maybe if there is a spirit, it could be friendly!!" Setting the puppet down on a chair, Pinkie took one of its legs in her teeth as she gave a light pull, hearing a click afterwards.

What she did not expect was the puppet's eyes briefly flashing red before a mischievous laugh echoed in her room. Pinkie looked at the puppet in surprise "Huh? What's happening?" Trails of shining pink smoke emerged from the puppet and instantly surrounded it along with Pinkie, who screamed before her voice was instantly silenced in the swirling vortex.

Afterwards, the pink smoke cleared to reveal another individual that looked strikingly similar to the puppet, only it was crouched before it rose at six feet tall and was shown to have better detail in its appearance. A staff slammed on the hard wood floor as the same laugh from before was heard. The new figure turned to reveal that it was none other than the Monkey King himself, grinning his sharp teeth mischievously as his green eyes glimmered with joy "I'm free again! And after so long, too! I still have the taste of bad gelatin in my mouth! Yuck!" He gagged as he stuck his tongue out and wiped it with one of his paws. He then looked around Pinkie's bedroom and scratched his head with a raised eyebrow "Huh...Must've taken the wrong turn in Albequerque..." He muttered before he shrugged with a manic grin similar to Pinkie's "Oh well! I'm back, and it's time I have some fun! If I somehow manage to run into those Chans and/or that old geezer who put me in wood again, that'll be a different story..." He added in a dark tone with a grin to match.

The Monkey King laughed as he turned to the chair with a small salute "Thanks a bunch for the help, toots, but I gotta get moving! No point in staying here when there's a piling plethora of pranks to pull! Smell ya later!" He used his staff and zapped open Pinkie's door before he chose to cartwheel out of it while chattering with laughter.

What he had left behind was not Pinkie, but a small pink pony marionette similar to her, laying lifeless on the chair while Gummy stared at all that had happened, blinking his eyes unevenly as he stared at the new puppet.

End of Chapter 1

Author's Note:

Gummy...You were in on this, weren't you...

Anyways, just another fic that I'm gonna sneak in while I'm working on the others. I can't help myself when ideas nag at my head sometimes .