Danger Zone
“My name is Pinkie Pie, and I have a partying problem.”
“Hi, Pinkie.”
“I’ve always loved partying ever since I was an itty-bitty-little-wittle-twinkie-Pinkie. I especially love throwing parties for my friends, and they love it when I throw them parties too but…” Pinkie paused, biting her lip. “Now I think that it might have gotten a liiiiitle bit out of control.”
“Can you tell us what you mean by out of control, Pinkie?” Winding Path asked in a kind tone.
“Well, just the other day, I was throwing a big birthday bash for Berry Punch, and I ordered all the cool looking drinks she always likes...I might have drank more than a few fruit punches than I should have. I remember head butting a filly and I woke up the next day in a pile of wrapping paper thinking that Rainbow Dash stole all of my teeth!” She shook her head mournfully. “I’ve become an animal! Not only did I injure a school pony, but it turns out I almost lost what I was saving for when I got married!”
Multiple gasps filled the air.
Pinkie reached into her mane and pulled something out. “My Granny Pie’s silver harmonica!” She smiled as she held the rectangular object close. “I have to wait for the big day before anypony plays this baby."
Winding Path quirked an eyebrow. “Uh...yes. Thank you for sharing, miss Pie.” The soft clopping of hooves accompanied his words. He glanced around the circle of ponies and smiled. “Well, that’s our session for today. Thank you everypony, for sharing your thoughts and feelings. Our next meeting will be two weeks from tonight.”
Pinkie bounced up from her seat on the floor as a few ponies started to leave the room; she stayed behind and made her way to the refreshment table while the rest of the mares and stallions conversed quietly. She grinned widely and licked her lips at the sight of freshly baked doughnuts on the table; the sweet, sweet aroma of eclairs was simply enticing.
“Pinkie, is that you?” Pinkie turned with the chocolate pastry dangling from her mouth.
A blue unicorn with a bright smile trotted in the room, careful to avoid other ponies. “It’s me, Minuette!”
Pinkie quickly swallowed the eclair whole and brought her friend into a warm hug. “Hey you! What are you doing here in Manehattan?”
“Well actually, I’m on some sort of mission,” Minuette relied as they pulled away, giggling into her hoof.
“A mission!?”
“If you can call it one!” Minuette glanced around before dropping her voice to a whisper. “Believe it or not, but there’s been some sort of crime wave happening in Manehattan lately! I’ve been told that a certain group of ponies have been causing lots of trouble!”
Pinkie gasped loudly, startling a few ponies nearby. “That’s terrible!” she whispered not so quietly.
Minuette bobbed her head. “I was actually here on vacation when I bumped into my old college buddy Twinkle Tail, and she invited me to come to a top secret group meeting that can help put a stop to it all, since the police already have their hooves full--kinda like a neighborhood watch! I won't be around long, but it'll be fun to be apart of!”
Pinkie Pie grinned. “Good for you, Minuette! Manehattan needs more good ponies like you!”
“Thanks!” Minuette’s blue eyes brightened when an idea clicked into her head. “Hey! Wanna come with? It’d be great to have a friendly face in there with me!”
Pinkie’s eyes widened at the open invitation. She was both astounded and honored that Minuette trusted her with such disclosed information. “You really mean it?”
Minuette leaned in close. “Come to room 647 upstairs. I’ll let her know that you’re coming.” She pulled back with a grin. “Twinkle Tail would just looove to meet you!”
“I can’t wait!” Pinkie nodded. “Be right there!”
As the unicorn left, Pinkie swiped three more doughnuts and stashed them into her curly mane. Meeting always made her hungry. She pranced out the door, almost smashing right into Rarity.
After letting out a rather embarrassing whinny, the flushed unicorn cleared her throat. “Mm, how did the meeting go, Pinkie Pie?” She gave a pointed but compassionate smile. “Did you learn anything from this experience?”
“I sure did! Partiers Anonymous is more fun than I thought it would be! I never realised how out of control most ponies can get under party fever! It’s nice to know that I’m not alone.”
Rarity wiped away a single tear and nuzzled her friend. “Darling...you’re never alone. I knew this would be good for you. Manehattan has services that we wouldn’t be able to find in Ponyville...speaking of, are you ready to head back?”
Pinkie drew in an excited breath. “Actually Rarity…”
“Five minutes until the meeting!” a filly announced before prancing off.
A unicorn mare with a dark pink coat and a soft brown mane and tail smiled a the number of ponies entering the room and grabbing refreshments. “What a turnout,” she said with a large grin.
“The credit’s all yours, Twinkle Tail,” the mare beside her replied. She had a light blue coat and a wind swept red mane and tail. “You’re the one who got the word out so quickly.”
Twinkle Tail turned to her. “Just wait till you meet my old friend Minuette, Ginger. She lives in Canterlot.”
A smirk spread across Ginger’s face. “Canterlot. The crown jewel of Equestria. You sure have the right friends in the right places. Almost completely free of dirt draggers.” She grimaced. “The sooner they’re out of our city, the better.”
Just then, Minuette entered the room and Twinkle Tail beckoned her over. “This is Minuette! Minuette, this is Ginger, the pony in charge!”
“Pleased to meet you, dearie,” Ginger said sweetly as they shook hooves. “Twinkle has told me so much about you.”
“Oh, the pleasure’s all mine,” Minuette giggled. “I hope you don’t mind, but I invited my friend Pinkie Pie here. She came from a long way!”
Ginger’s eyes sparked. “Not at all! The more the merrier!”
“Fantastic! And believe me when I say that she’s with you all the way,” she said with a wink.
“Excellent…”
“Hurry up, Rarity! We’re gonna be late!”
Rarity snorted as they hurried up the last flight of stairs. “Said the pony who had to use the fillies room at the last minute!”
“Said the pony who spent ten minutes putting on eye makeup you already had on!”
They continued arguing back and forth until they reached the second floor; Pinkie counted the room numbers as they trotted past. “645….646...Here we are!”
Rarity noticed a sign that hung from the center of the door, but Pinkie flung it open before Rarity could get a better look. The room was large enough to hold a reasonable get together, complete with a podium up front. Most ponies sat in folding chairs while a few others stood against the walls. Somepony seemed to be talking already, so the two slipped in quietly.
Despite this, a few heads turned in their direction, and their expressions turned from neutral to utter shock. Rarity noticed some ponies tapping each other on the shoulder, causing more wide-eyed gazes to fall upon them. Apparently these ponies aren’t familiar with the term ‘Fashionably late’, Rarity thought with a raised eyebrow.
Minuette’s head popped up from the front row, and she waved cheerfully, beckoning them forward. Pinkie waved back while Rarity flashed a dazzling smile. But as they moved forward, heated whispers began to surround them. Glares of fury and malice were cast in their direction. Minuette stood up and embraced Pinkie, causing most ponies to gasp. “I brought Rarity,” Pinkie whispered as the fashionista hugged Minuette.
Ginger stood behind the podium with her mouth hung open. She turned to Twinkle Tail, who stood to her right, who looked completely baffled. A sea of murmurs washed over the previous silence. Oblivious to the outraged looks they were receiving, Pinkie and Rarity took a seat next to Minuet and smiled up at Ginger. “Oh, don’t let us interrupt, darling,” Rarity said, running a hoof through her mane. “Go right ahead!”
“Yeah!” Pinkie said excitedly. "Carry on, my good mare!
The silence stretched on another minute or two before Ginger continued, not taking her eyes off of their ‘guests’. “...Thanks to a certain group of ponies, crime in Manehattan has reached to an all time high. More and more stores and shops have been vandalized, ponies have been robbed, and historical monument have been tagged.”
“That’s not good,” Pinkie whispered.
“In response, this organization is working to help those in need; by getting rid of the root of the problem.”
“You said it, sister!” Pinkie said, pumping a hoof into the air.
“Which means it’s time we wipe the earth pony race off the face of the map!”
“Yeah!” Pinkie cheered. “Wipe the--wait, what?”
Rarity and Minuette sat stunned as the deafening silence returned with a vengeance. With concern growing within each second, Rarity’s gaze swept over the room; only now did she notice that most ponies in the room were unicorns with the occasional pegasi here and there. Her mouth suddenly felt dry.
Minuette chuckled nervously, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. “Mind repeating that last part? Heh heh...I don’t think I heard that right…”
Suddenly, one unicorn stallion stood up and pointed a hoof at Pinkie. “Who let the Ground Pounder in?!”
Angry mutterings accompanied his words while Rarity gawked at him with an open mouth. “Pardon!?”
Pinkie put a hoof to her chin. “What’s a Ground Pounder?” she asked.
“Pay him no mind, Pinkie!”
Minuette looked up, almost at loss for words. “Twinkle? What is this? What’s going on here?”
“Minuette, how could you?” Twinkle chastised, looking betrayed. “Why didn’t you tell me you were thinking of bringing a Hoof Dragger in here?”
“Her name is Pinkie Pie!” Minuette argued.
“You said she came from afar!”
“Ponyville is far!”
A collective gasp filled the air. “Ponyville!” Ginger spat, as if the word itself had singed the tip of her tongue. “That town is the most vile mud puddle that has ever risen up from tartarus! Are you telling this Pack Mule is from the home of sub-equines!?”
“Yeah!” a filly shouted. Her bright red mane was done up in pigtails and her coat was bright yellow. “Beat it, Veg Head!”
Pinkie looked down at her in surprise. “Where’d you learn that from?”
“My sister,” the filly replied brightly. “Ginger told me all about your kind.” She tilted her head in confusion. “But you’re pretty for an earth pony. They usually have buck teeth and beady eyes.”
Pinkie frowned a little, not sure if that was a compliment or an insult.
“A Mud Slinger’s a Mud Slinger, Cherrybrook,” Ginger glowered, slowly stepping down from the podium. "Her bubble butt is sitting on a refined unicorn's chair!"
"Well, it doesn't say that anywhere," Pinkie said with a bit of sass in her voice. She paused for a moment before turning around in her chair. Her eyes widened at the sign attached to the back of the seat which read 'Refined unicorn's chair'. "Oh. I guess it does."
She stood up on the seat, sending a ripple of malice through the crowd. "Well I think my bubble butt can sit anywhere it wants! Why!?" She brought a hoof to her chest with the burning flame of passion in her eyes. "Because I had a dream!"
Rarity rolled her eyes. "Pinkie please! This is not the time to tell us about your dream about that rainbow flavored ice cream cat!"
Pinkie huffed and stepped down. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding,” she restated, looking around at all of the angry unicorns crowding around her. “Why don’t we all start over?” She beamed and outstretched her front hooves. “I’m Pinkie, nice to meet’cha!” With that, she careened forward and brought Ginger into a loving hug.
All hell broke loose.
Ginger screamed bloody murder and her body jerked back and forth in Pinkie’s arms like a jackhammer. “It touched me! It touched me!” she screeched.
“Ginger! Our great and glorious leader!” Twinkle Tail cried before fainting.
Cherrybrook ran over to the far side of the room and pulled the alarm. The crowd closed in on them, screaming and roaring above the sirens.
“Curse that hornless wingless beast of burden!”
“Common dirt rot!”
“Blast her where she stands!”
“Send her to the moon!”
Ginger’s eyes blazed with frightening fury. She stood on her hind legs and outstretched her front hooves, her commanding voice affectingly silencing the others. ”BRING ME...THE SADDLE!”
Rarity and Minuette gasped in horror. “You wouldn’t!” Rarity shouted.
But her cry fell on deaf ears as the crowd went into a frenzy. Pinkie was immediately held down by two unicorn males as a big brown bulky saddle was being passed over from the back of the room. The pink pony gasped in terror and squirmed about. “No! Not the saddle! Not the saddle!”
The crowd stomped their hooves against the floor and chanted over Pinkie’s pleads.
“SADDLE! SADDLE! SADDLE! SADDLE!”
Minuette tried to push past the crowd to save Pinkie, but none let her through. She turned to Rarity, desperate. “Rarity, do something! Twilight must have taught you some of spell, didn’t she??”
Rarity’s breath hitched, her eyes terrified. “B-But I’m not as skilled! I-I--”
“RARITY! PLEASE! HELP ME!”
Rarity’s eyes slowly narrowed and her lips parted into a un-lady like snarl. Her horn began to glow a brilliant azure, and wisps of magic circled around it, blowing Rarity’s mane back. Before Minuette could take a step backward, a bolt of lightning shot through the crowd, blowing them back. Ginger dropped the saddle, and Pinkie finally managed to writhe away from her stunned captors.
“Stand BACK!” Rarity hollered as Pinkie scrambled to her side. The white unicorn seemed tired from focusing all of her energy into that single spell, but kept her horn ablaze. “BACK, foul brutes! Before I blast you back to the shadows from whence you CAME!”
The crowd of ponies glowered at them, but wisely kept their distance. Ginger squinted at her. “Rarity. I remember you now... You’re certainly well known for your designs...too bad you turned out to be a Mud-lover.”
Rarity held her gaze as the trio backed away. “You should all be ashamed of yourselves,” Rarity murmured. As they neared the door, the magic of the spell began to fade from her horn. “Run!”
The three mares turned around and ran out the door and down the hall; the sound of pounding hooves and angry shouts followed them.
“I just wanted a hug!” Pinkie cried.
“Keep moving, faster!” Rarity shouted.
As they neared the end of the hall, Rarity broke into cold sweat when they couldn’t find the door leading to the stairs. “Where are the stairs!?”
“Oh, the ones we went up ten minutes ago?” Pinkie said. “They’re all the way on the other side of the floor.”
Rarity’s vein popped out of her neck as she turned to Pinkie. “Why didn’t you mention that in the first place!?”
Pinkie shrugged helplessly. “I dunno! I thought you knew a better way out!”
“Girls, over here!” Minuette said, standing by an open elevator. “Get inside, quick!”
Rarity stood gaping as Pinkie rushed forward. “An elevator!? Why, so we can get caught faster?”
The angry mob neared closer. “Just get in!” Minuette shouted, pulling Rarity in before the doors shut. Pinkie hit the first floor button and exhaled briefly as the soft elevator music carried them down. Minuette and Pinkie couldn't help but bob their heads to the catchy tune while Rarity stared straight ahead with a flat expression.
Earth Po-ny and U-ni--corn
Love each other ev-er since they were born!
Side by side on my lill-y pad
Oh Lord, why don’t weeeeeee?
“I’m so sorry, Pinkie,” Minuette sighed with the shake of her head. “I had no idea.”
“They’re probably already downstairs as we speak,” Rarity muttered.
“It’s not your fault, Minuette,” Pinkie assured. “You couldn’t have known.” Her gaze lowered to her hooves and her ears flattened against her head. "I...don't think they really know those names can actually affect somepony. They actually...hurt." Rarity's face softened and gently ran a hoof through Pinkie's curls.
The three mares eyed the decreasing floor numbers warily. “Get ready to bolt, girls,” Pinkie said lowly, scuffing her hoof against the marble floor. The three braced themselves as the elevator doors opened with a ding!
Surprisingly, there were no angry faces greeting them, but they saw a few unicorns making their way down the final flight of stairs. “There they are!” a mare shouted. “Get them!”
“Come on!” Rarity shouted as they ran through the lobby, bumping into a few other ponies on the way.
Rarity and Minuette burst through the revolving doors while Pinkie got caught in it and let herself spin around and around, briefly forgetting their current situation. “Wheeeee!”
Rarity let out a frustrated yell. “Miss Pie!” With a grunt, she reached in and yanked her out before pushing her forward. With the mob spilling out onto the sidewalk behind them, the three mares ran across the street head on, causing carriages to screech into a halt.
Rarity huffed and puffed. “Oh, Manehattan….what have they done!?”
“Where’s the police!?” Minuette shrieked frantically.
Pinkie looked ahead and gasped with a smile adorning her face. “We don’t need the police!” she shouted. “We have Applejack!”
Rarity glanced at her friend in confusion. “What?”
Sure enough, there was Applejack walking towards them, her expression both a mix of worry and concern. Her saddle sack was filled to the brim with red and green apples. ”What in tarnation is goin’ on here?” she asked as Rarity, Minuette, and Pinkie skidded to a halt. “And what are y’all doin’ in Maneha--”
“No time to explain, A.J.!” Pinkie shouted, gripping her by the shoulders. “We’ve gotta go! Now!”
Applejack grabbed Pinkie by the tail before she could take off. “Now hold on just a minute,” she said firmly, casting a glare at the angry mob as they neared closer. “I wanna see what this is all about.”
“Applejack,” Rarity said hesitantly. “I don’t think you should--”
“Well, well well!” Ginger snided as she sauntered up. Twinke Tail and Cherrybrook stood on either side of her while the rest of the mob stood behind them, their horns ablaze. “Look what we have here! More weed pulling simpletons.”
Applejack frowned deeply. “Beg pardon?”
“Ew, she even sounds like a Mud sucker,” Twinkle Tail jeered. Cherrybrook giggled along with her.
“Twinkle, what’s gotten into you?” Minuette asked sadly.
“Now, just who are y’all and why were you chasin’ down my friends like that?” Applejack demanded.
“Well, let me explain to you in words you can understand,” Ginger said cruelly. “The EPR doesn’t tolerate your kind in our meetings.”
Applejack turned to the other three with wide eyes. “Y’all went to a EPR meetin’!?”
“EPR?” Pinkie questioned.
“Earth Pony Repellents!”
Minuette slapped a hoof to her forehead. “I thought it meant Everypony Protects Roses!”
Rarity gave her a blank look. “Really.”
Ginger's sharp voice brought them all to attention. “You Clods think you’re entitled to everything, don’t you! You think you can destroy the cities that house you, steal from your own neighbors…” She gestured to her little sister. “Having your young influence our precious children! You’re ruining everything we hold dear by coming to our city and leaving your dirt tracks across our roads.”
Her face turned red. “Why can’t you just go back to the far country where you belong and--uh..hek--uh--!”
A fly had flown in her mouth, causing Ginger to choke.
“Ginger? Oh my goodness, Ginger!” Twinkle gasped.
Everyone could only stare in shock as Ginger turned purple and collapsed. “Ginger!” Cherrybrook screamed.
Ponies crowded around her, murmuring worriedly. Twinkle Tail desperately used her hooves to push against Ginger’s stomach, but it only got worse. Ginger continued to choke and gag before going still.
Cherrybrook started to cry. “Oh no...no, please! Does somepony know CPR? Anypony at all!?”
"Oh darn," Minuette cursed. "I took a CPR corse in Canterlot, but I think I kinda ditched class during the 'Saving lives' part."
Everypony stood silent with anxious expressions until Applejack pushed her way forward, dropping her apples. "Step aside." She kneeled over Ginger's body and placed an ear to her chest. Then, she sat her up and wrapped both hooves around her stomach and pressed upward a few times. Time stood still when Ginger didn't respond, but Applejack kept at it. "C'mon..." Applejack muttered. "Breathe, bi--"
"CHUH! Huh...uhhh...."
Everyone gasped and sighed in relief as Ginger's eyes started to open. Applejack sighed and placed her onto her back. Twinkle Tail and Cherry brook rushed to her side as she regained oxygen. "Oh Ginger, thank goodness you're alive!" Twinkle cried.
"Ain't we lucky?" Applejack whispered. Rarity and Pinkie Pie simply hugged her while Minuette giggled behind her hoof.
Cherrybrook stared at Applejack as if she were a Princess.
Ginger blinked about. "I...who...who saved me?"
Twinkle Tail hesitated. "It...it was the one called Applejack, your leadership," she said, pointing a hoof. "The earth pony."
Ginger sat silently as she looked up at the blonde farm pony. She gazed back at Twinkle. "The earth pony...saved my life?"
"Yes," she said softly.
Ginger quietly stood up with the help of a few other ponies before looking back at Applejack. "You should've let me die."
Pinkie's ears fell flat while Applejack and Rarity scowled at Ginger. Minuette was struck dumb. The unicorns behind Ginger looked astounded and somewhat disappointed. One by one, they left her side and went of into different directions. "Where are you all going?" Ginger shouted. "Hey! Come back here!"
She growled and snatched Cherrybrook's hoof. "Stay away from my family, you dirt-shoed hick!" With that, she left in a huff with her little sister waving at them from behind her. Applejack only regarded them with pity.
Twinkle Tail gave Minuette an apologetic look before turning to Applejack. "I...um...I won't forget this," she said quietly. She shifted in awkward way before giving an odd smile. "Hmm." She totted away, looking rather thoughtful.
"I'm proud of you, Applejack," Rarity smiled. "You practically breathed life back into that pony!"
Applejack rolled her eyes, but smiled in spite of herself. "I shoulda inhaled."
Pinkie wrapped her fore arm around Applejack's shoulders and giggled. "Oh stop it, you. You know you care for that pony. Even if she is a meanie pants."
Minuette gave a wink. "You're a real hero in my book, A.J. I just hope Twinkle learns from this."
Applejack nodded. "Eeyup. I hope they all do. They don't have to like us at all, but respect does go a long way." Her expression shifted on a dime. "Now, mind tellin' me what possesed y'all into going to an anti-earth pony meetin'?!"