Chapter 1
Why were you here, again?
No sign of the pony you were waiting for. The crowd about this intersection of Ponyville was already thinning at this time of day, so every passing moment made it more and more apparent that you might be wasting your time here.
Bah. It's not like you had much else to do tonight. Maybe some time out would do you some good. It's been too long since you last left your house just for fun. You didn't think you'd take a breakup this badly, but events in recent times have shown just how bad things could get. Still, at least now you've been taking steps to move on.
Just where was she, anyway?
You only have enough time to hear the rustling of leaves behind you before you feel a weight hit you from behind. A pair of pink hooves cling onto your shoulders, and from their owner comes a cheerful giggle.
"Surprise! Thought you'd be early, so I just had to come even earlier!"
That shrill, cheerful voice, oozing happiness in every syllable. The owner let you go and came around to face you. A pink, poofy mane, a body brighter than that, eyes bright blue with vigour. Oddly enough, the wafting scent of perfume. Your date, Pinkie Pie. She's... wearing a simple, yet elegant dress, sleeves and skirt black with blouse white. On any other pony it would have been stunningly beautiful, but on Pinkie...
"Oooh, right, we're going to the, uh, o-puhra, huh? You remembered the tickets, right, right?" She's swaying on the spot in anticipation as you get your tickets out of your pocket to show her. "Guess it's all proper and stuff to go to these sort of fancy events for a date!" she says, as she's turning the tickets around to figure out which side of the stage is supposed to face upwards.
You didn't think she'd be a fan of such 'fancy' events. Those tickets really weren't meant for her. Your previous partner insisted on arranging a date to watch this supposedly world-famous one touring thought Ponyville, so after much effort you managed to get a pair of seats. Then, things went awry and you were left with only one viewer to use a pair of tickets for. When you finally pulled yourself together to go indulge your sorrows in a cake from the local bakery, Mr and Mrs Cake heard about your plight and suggested you try taking out their tenant. Pinkie Pie, now dusting herself off and reading from a bunch of notes in excessively cursive handwriting.
"Don't mind me, just making sure I'm doing everything right! My friend was generous enough to give me a full set of instructions! Let's see... eh, I'll make sense of it later. Let's go!" Pinkie gestures towards the road to the theatre, lit with orange sunlight from the low west sky. The day's heat makes your formal suit uncomfortable, but events like this demanded your attire. Maybe it was some sort of test to make sure only the worthy could enter these fancy events, or something.
"You ever seen one of these things before? I actually had to look it up in the dictionary after you said you'd take me!" Pinkie strikes up conversation in between checking her notes, the topmost tuft of her mane occasionally swaying in the breeze. You're not currently in much of a mood to respond substantially. Ah, you should be here with someone else right now...
"Huh? Why I wanted to go out with you if I didn't know what an opera was? Wwweeell, that's exactly why I wanted to come, silly!" She responds to your question like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Oooh, you've never been to one either? That makes the both of us! It's one of my favourite things to do, discover new things with friends! Or if they aren't my friends yet, make new friends that way!"
Somehow, you were beginning to feel better. At least you were going out with someone. The alternative would have been to spend yet another night at home looking at pictures you told yourself you'd only keep for one more night. Pinkie by you kept up conversation, happily taking on most of the burden on herself. She does seem to like running her mouth on. Occasionally an ornately-decorated carriage passes by you, travelling along the same road.
"Huh? Oooh, what's that?" Pinkie's attention is caught by something else while you look at yet another carriage. Where she faces comes a cacophony of loud music and crowd voices.
"A funfair! I can't believe I forgot about the one tonight!" She hold her head in her hooves, apparently struck by some earth-shattering revelation. She draws her notes again, looking to a page with more bookmarks than any other, then quickly composes herself. "Well, w-we don't have to care about that, right? I bet an opera would be way more fun. It's what people do on dates, and dates are fun, right?"
Well, hopefully. Truth be told, a good romp around a fairground would help take your mind off things...
You try and wipe that idea from your mind and continue on your way. The theatre's big, moreso when you consider the average building in Ponyville. Near it is almost every carriage you saw on the way, parked and somehow exuding more wealth when they were still like this. Pinkie finally takes her nose out of her handmade reference guide and looks around, excited to be in a new place.
"Wow, sure are a lot of ponies from Canterlot coming, huh?" Pinkie whispers to you, a little stifled by the atmosphere. Suddenly, you don't really feel like stepping in, either, but those tickets aren't going to use themselves. You two step into an entrance hall filled with suited stallions and mares, all in their own little social circles more exclusive than the others. Fortunately, the queue to the interior is short, and soon you're at the front desk.
The receptionist pony looks you and Pinkie over and over again, before finally processing and returning your tickets to you. Pinkie quietened when you two arrived and she stays subdued, looking around for... something. The show's going to be starting soon, you tell her as much and together you head into the hall itself.
The seats look comfy, at least. It's dark, but Pinkie's head is closer to the floor, all the better to watch for stray hooves to avoid stepping on. Her fluffy tail waving to you is easy enough to follow despite being able to see little else. You could only manage to get seats far at the back, your sole
consolation being that there was another tier of seats behind you, so you weren't really the last.
"Well, if we're higher up, we can see more, right? Strange, though, I didn't see anywhere selling popcorn. Did we miss it? Wait, you mean they don't serve popcorn here?" Pinkie seems absolutely confounded by your explanation, eyes wide in a sort of shock. Truthfully, you didn't find it such a convincing argument either.
"Wweell... I-I guess we'll just have to sit here and enjoy the show then! Lemme check to be sure..." She flips to a few other pages on her notepad. "There! We should be seated like a proper filly and gentlecolt. And we're doing that now! Oh look, show's starting!"
The curtains open, and the grand stage is revealed. The spotlight focuses on the mare in the middle, dressed in robes like water. She starts singing, and you feel her voice shake the floor beneath you.
"Hey, this is pretty cool!"
It is, though you can't actually figure out what anyone is singing. It seems to be a romantic drama about a mare looking for a stallion, which was all you can really make out of it. Pinkie still looks interested, at least, though she's clasping her notepad particularly tightly.
....
What is going on here, anyway?
You haven't been able to understand anything for the last fifteen minutes or so. As far as you could interpret, the mare was unhappy. So was each stallion. This wasn't exactly your sort of music either, so it's not so bothersome when Pinkie leans in to whisper into your ear again.
"I think I get it! She's trying to find someone to replace a lost love! Or something, I dunno."
This really wasn't the way you expected it to turn out. By the minute it's getting harder and harder to pay attention to this stuff. The wild speculations in your head are dying down, and the scene is melting into a blur...
...
"AAAAAAAAH!"
Some scream jolts you up. It doesn't look like the scene on stage has changed at all, save the mare now singing some shrill soprano. You wipe the drool from your mouth, only noticing now that Pinkie's just right next to you.
"Sniff... fairground..."
Your faces are close enough that you can smell the candy off her breath behind the perfume. You're not sure if you should move - she's leaning on you and her breathing's going right into your own. It tickles your lips before dissipating about your face, the trace going into your breath...
"Ehh... huh? Oh, whoops!"
She springs up, wiping around her own mouth as well.
"Golly! Guess it got soo intense I became way too tired! Sorry about that! Let's, uh, let's keep watching! This sure is fun,right?"
Now the ponies on stage are staring at each other. One of them is holding a toy in his hoof, and staring at it with his mouth open. He'd been that way for half a minute already.
No, no it isn't. It wasn't even your idea to come here in the first place, it was that last person you decided you'd rather not waste any time thinking about anymore. Screw this. You came out to have a good time with Pinkie. If so, then why were you two here?
"Huh...? Yeah, I guess this really isn't suited to us. So does that mean we're..."
Yes, Pinkie. Funfair time.
"Wa-hoo!"
Her exclamation only turns a few heads, the rest of the audience gripped by the probably amazing drama and suspense they were immersed in. At least that made exiting easier, everyone still as they were, though you get a grumble here and there.
By now the sun's long since set, and Luna's work is again displayed across the night sky. A full moon and stars aplenty made sure you couldn't really call it dark. Next to you, Pinkie is bouncing with excitement, her notepad finally missing from sight.
"Do you feel like some popcorn? Because why would a show ever NOT serve popcorn? I'm actually really, REALLY hungry myself, are you hungry? Oh, great, then we'll get the biggest one they have! And that's not complete without drinks, we could get one of those really BIG ones and stick two straws in there..."
That smile. Pinkie Pie isn't just pleasant to be around, she was... invigorating. Her smile is infectious, it would have taken superhuman effort to not feel good by her side. Listening to that voice, exuding simple joy. By the time you reach the funfair, your sides hurt from jokes thrown back and forth.
"We are pretty overdressed for this sort of thing, huh?" She looks at herself and you, then takes off her dress, putting it... somewhere. Pinkie is resourceful like this. You settle with taking off your jacket and folding up your sleeves, and you're ready by the time she comes back with a drink and a huge bucket of popcorn to share.
"So they asked me if I wanted salted or sweet, I wanted to have sweet on ALL of it, but then I thought about you! I wasn't really sure if you like them salted or not, so I asked them for a mix! I can take the salted ones if you want the sweet kind–oooh, look at that alligator toy!"
Her attention is immediately pulled by the plush toys on display at a games booth. The pony attendant calls out to you.
"Fancy winning a prize for your girlfriend?"
"Oooh, hoopla! It'd be so cool if you managed to get that for me! Come on, lemme see you strut your stuff!"
It was unfair, really, these booths were meant for ponies. Still, you got to show off. All you needed was one ring.
"Weelll, congratulations..." The attendant seems to have realised his mistake in inviting you as he hands you the alligator a little reluctantly, but Pinkie doesn't notice, suddenly hugging you.
"You're the best! Oh, uh, whoops!" She suddenly withdraws. "Not until later!"
Pinkie happily plays with the alligator as you two walk around the fairground some more. There's a booth here with a dance machine set up. What catches your eye next is another cute plush, this one a pink pony. It looks so soft and cuddly...
"Oooh, you want that? Just sit tight– oh, you don't have to be shy! Like if you have your own and I have mine, we could play with them TOGETHER! Sounds great, doesn't it?" You didn't hear much encouragement with your own less orthodox hobbies, but it figured Pinkie would be the last to judge. On the machine she moves in ways you're not sure is even possible, and a few passersby stop to watch.
At the end, the score goes higher than anyone on the leaderboard, and the small crowd gathered cheers. Pinkie hops off the stage picks up the plush with her mouth and gives it to you.
"I had to do it! You were so cool and got me one, there wasn't any way I could let you go without anything!"
That's so sweet of her. You tell her as much. She looks a little taken aback, her cheeks becoming darker than the pink surrounding them. She smiles again.
"Oooh, sweet, that's such a nice word. You're so sweet too for saying that! Wonder what'll happen if we keep eating– cotton candy!"
More snacks. The popcorn had drained surprisingly fast, and your bellies had room for other things. Pinkie has already bounded to where the candyponies were working their sorcery.
"Not the way I'd make them, but still good! They only had this much left, though, we'll have to share!" You reach her just as she's done collecting the cotton candy, pink like her mane and tail. "Go on, you can have the first bite!"
That feeling of cotton candy melting in your mouth. Pinkie seemed to enjoy it as much as you do. "Sometimes I wonder if my mane and tail are kind of like a second cutie mark, because ponies love the candy I make. Oooh, you want to eat my cotton candy? Now just what do you mean by that? Hahahaha!"
As the night went by, prize after prize were won by you two, then given to the other. It seemed like the crowds thinned in only a few minutes. You felt the exhaustion creeping up on you, but Pinkie continued to hop around, eagerly running her mouth. She was a little slower, at least. but there was still one thing you couldn't miss.
"Haunted house!"
Her voice spoke in unison with yours. The queue was empty, too, so you two hurried before anyone could jump in. Above the entrance was a large painting of a cackling skeletal pony, beckoning what would have been a crowd in.
"Sure is spooky, huh? I bet you're not scared though! You must be really brave! Well, if you're scared... then let's be scared together!"
It's hard to be scared with Pinkie by your side, really. Loud ominous sounds play as you walk through dark halls...
"EEEK!"
Pinkie jumps back, holding onto you tight. A bandaged pegasus leapt out of a trapdoor in the ceiling , touching Pinkie's head before ascending back.
"Boy, I sure am glad you're here!" Pinkie smiles, her face close to yours.
The path takes you through to the bathroom. You hear a loud noise behind you and the sound of rushing footsteps...
"AAH! COME ON, RUN!" You realise you haven't let go of Pinkie, so you settle for picking her up and carrying her through. You ignore the cold water being sprayed at you from the sinks, but leap back when unicorns in suits reveal themselves from the fake walls by your sides.
"YIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Pinkie's almost suffocating you till they finish laughing maniacally and shut the walls again. The atmosphere was getting to you, even through Pinkie. Some nervous laughter escape your lips.
"Oooh, laughing! Yeah, that's a great way to deal with this spooky stuff! It's more fun right now to be scared, though. EEEEEEEEEK!"
Pinkie rode you through the whole way as you weaved about the maze, gleefully looking for the next fright to excite you two. By the time you're out of there, both of you are panting and exhausted. Pinkie, shivering, finally drops from you and falls onto the grass.
"Pfft..."
"Eheheheh... hahahahaha!"
What a laugh. You're panting and tired from carrying her the whole way through, but this fills you up with energy again. Oh, Pinkie, Pinkie. You flop onto the grass by her to join her, lying by her side, clutching yourselves in laughter. What a fun, fun night.
"I guess we should be getting home soon. Look, they're all closing already!" True enough, the stalls are packing up, soon it'll just be you two in the fairground.
"That turned out a lot more fun than I thought! Guess those notes really weren't good for us, huh?" She turns to face you, eyes bright as day even at night. A smaller smile.
"You look really nice when you smile, you know. I love to make others smile, but yours just seems so much better. Thing is, uhm, well... see, it made me really sad when you were sad these few weeks, so I thought it'd be nice if I could help cheer you up! And I feel really good about it now so, uh... Gosh, this is tough..."
She looks about a bit nervously. You let her take her time. Her eyes lock into yours, pulling you in.
"Well, this sort of thing has to come from the heart, so I gotta tell you in person like this. I uhm, kinda... really like you!
There it came. So sincere. Goodness, you feel really warm.
"So I hope you like me too, then we can keep going out like this! But, um, if you don't–"
How could you resist? Just one peck on her lips, you thought, but you really feel like staying here. They're warm, and there are still traces of sweets around them. You release it just moments later to free Pinkie now wide-eyed, stunned.
"WA-HOO! This is the best night ever!"
She jumps back on her feet to hop about and cheer. "Oooh, he likes me too, he likes me too..."
Hard to believe just hours ago you thought you wouldn't be laughing for another few years. Pinkie, Pinkie, Pinkie Pie.
The gates were going to be closing quickly, so it took you reminding Pinkie of that to finally leave the fairground as its last visitors. She bounced all the way back to Sugarcube Corner, asking you when you would next be free. Then the next time after, because she had even more in mind. Or maybe she could just drop by and bake with you...
"Well, looks like I'm home now! Ooh, what's that behind you?"
You turn to find nothing, but Pinkie's mouth is waiting to meet yours when you turn back.
"Mmm, one more for a goodnight kiss! I liked that idea from my notes!"
Pinkie waves one more time as she closes the door between you. You stand there a moment before leaving, wondering if she had one more surprise for you.
Never mind then, you think as you walk back home. That leaves more to do for her next time.