Pinkie Pie and the Rockin' Ponypalooza Party!

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  To Merm—my true rock

  CHAPTER 1

  Welcome, Spring-Sproing Springtime

  It was a perfect day in Ponyville. The clouds finally cleared from the sky and gentle rays of sunshine illuminated every cottage, garden, and cobblestone path. Ponies all around town emerged from their homes, blinking the sleepy winter out of their eyes. It had been almost a week since they’d finished their annual Winter Wrap-Up. The ponies had spent an entire day working hard to clear the paths of snow and ice, welcoming back the critters, and plowing the fields to ready them for crops of fresh fruits and veggies. Now every morning was like opening a present! The ponies loved being greeted by flowers and butterflies, rather than snowflakes and chilly breezes.

  This morning, one pony in particular was feeling an extra spring in her step.

  “Waaaaaaaaake up, citizens of Ponyville!” Pinkie Pie hollered, throwing open her bedroom window on the tippity-top floor of Sugarcube Corner. She was oblivious to the early hour. Even though nopony was awake enough yet to listen, she called out, “It’s going to be an awesome day!”

  The candy-striped curtains rustled as a sweet, fresh breeze floated inside. Pinkie closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and smiled from ear to ear. “Don’t you just love spring, Gummy?” Pinkie bounced around her pet alligator with glee, her curly fuchsia mane puffing up. “It’s all sunshine and good smells and playing outside!”

  Gummy blinked his large eyes in response, but his face remained expressionless. “Here! Smell this! It’ll make you feel all flowery-powery!” Pinkie plucked a purple posy from her newly installed window box and bounded back over to Gummy. The tiny gator opened his mouth, clamped down on the posy, and swallowed.

  “Ooooh, what a fun way to welcome spring, Gummy! Maybe I’ll try it, too.”

  Pinkie plucked another bloom and popped it into her mouth. Her face twisted into a sour look. It did not taste like a sugary delight. “Yuck! Actually, maybe I’ll just stick to cupcakes for now.”

  Pinkie trotted across the brightly colored room. Everything in sight was patterned with hearts or balloons. “So, what’s on the PPP for today, Gummy?” She looked over her Pinkie Party Planner on the wall. It had been a gift from Twilight Sparkle and was where she kept track of all the exciting parties happening around Ponyville. The majority of them were events she’d planned herself, but it still pleased her to see how much fun everypony was having. Ever since she accidentally multiplied herself in the Mirror Pool in an attempt not to miss out on anything, she thought it was best to keep track of fun another way.

  She scanned the list. “Let’s see… Ice-Cream Sundae Sunday party at Sweetcream Scoops’s house? No, that’s tomorrow. Silly me! Today is Saturday.” She looked at Saturday—but what Pinkie saw there horrified her. There weren’t any parties on today’s schedule. Not one! Pinkie’s jaw dropped, and she sunk to the floor like a wilted flower. How could this be? A whole day with no fun activities to attend? What was she going to do with her time? The sweet sound of birds chirping outside taunted her. Even the birds sounded like they had a party planned for today!

  Pinkie stood up straight with a determined look in her eye. “There’s no way we can waste such a prettiful sunshiny day doing nothing, Gummy!” She leaped over to a mountainous stack of colored boxes in the corner—her party supplies—and started to riffle through them rapidly. Neon streamers flew through the air. Glitter confetti sprinkled down. Pointed party hats, noisemakers, and birthday candles rolled across the floor. It looked like Pinkie’s party cannon had exploded! She was making a big mess, but she didn’t care. Pinkie Pie needed inspiration.

  “Aha! This could be superiffic….” Pinkie squealed, pulling out a shiny magenta cape edged in blue and yellow ribbons. She threw it over her shoulders and popped on a matching mask. “A superpony party, perhaps?”

  Gummy blinked, unconvinced. Pinkie’s shoulders sagged. He was right. The cape wasn’t quite doing it. Pinkie tossed it onto the pile of rejected items and sighed. “I know! I know!” she said, brightening up again. “How about a Capture the Flag tournament? Those are fantilly-astically fun!”

  Pinkie grunted as she struggled to push a massive gold box labeled PARTY FLAGS! (1 OF 3) to the center of the room. She placed a small ladder on the side and dived headfirst into the box, causing several flags to spill out and land on the already cluttered floor.

  Pinkie wasn’t just looking for any old flag. She wanted a special flag that would be absolutely perfect for the game, and she knew just the one. It was a keepsake from the time she’d been in charge of the flügelhorn booth at the Crystal Faire. It had a sparkly pink flügelhorn on it. Sparkles were very popular in Equestria lately—ever since the Crystal Empire had returned.

  But it was no use! Pinkie found checkered racing flags, some Summer Sun Celebration flags, and even flags with tiny flags painted on them. But no pink flügelhorn. Pinkie was pretty down on her luck today. “Oh well. Never mind that!” she exclaimed. “I’m sure there’s something else around here….”

  Meanwhile, Gummy climbed on top of one of Pinkie’s homemade Super Spring Sneakers—a set of shoes with giant silver springs attached to the bottoms for maximum bounce-ability. He slowly sprang up and down on one of them, and the shoe made a small squeaky noise. It was hard to tell if he was having fun, since he couldn’t smile, but he kept doing it, so that was a good indication.

  “Gummy, you’re brilliant!” Pinkie shouted. She did a celebratory twirl that rustled up some stray confetti like a party tornado. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?!” Pinkie smiled extra wide and strapped on her sneakers. “We’re going to have a Spring-Sproing-Spring Party to welcome the new season! We have so much to do!” And with that, Pinkie bounced out the door and into action. It was time to get this party started!

  CHAPTER 2

  Pinkie’s Party Ponies

  Whenever Pinkie Pie went somewhere, it usually took her much less time than other ponies. She had a unique way of traveling. She preferred to hop, skip, or bounce rather than trot or walk. Today, with her spring-loaded sneaks strapped to her hooves, she was bouncing high into the sky. “Hellooo!” she chirped as she poked her head through a cloud, surprising a green Pegasus with a yellow mane who had been asleep.

  Boing! B-b-ba-doing! Boing! B-b-ba-doing!

  Within a few minutes, Pinkie accidentally found herself on the outskirts of Ponyville. “Whoopsy-doodles! I overshot my bounce range again!” She giggled before heading back to the spot where she had meant to land—right in the center of Ponyville. It was the absolute best spot to start telling everypony about the Spring-Sproing-Spring Party. Then she would quickly go cottage to cottage, leaving plenty of time to set up for the party and have the best time ever the rest of the day.

  Pinkie cleared her throat and looked out into the now-bustling marketplace. She began to sing and do a bubbly dance routine. “It’s spring! It’s spring! What a wonderful thing! It’s time to laugh; it’s time to sing! But most of all… it’s time to spriiiiiiiiing!” Pinkie Pie spread her hooves out wide and smiled at the crowd.

  But nopony had stopped to listen. That didn’t stop Pinkie. “You’
re all invited to my Spring-Sproing-Spring Party! This afternoon! By the lake! Be there if you like having a little fun, a lot of fun, or even just medium fun!”

  Sea Swirl and Rose trotted past, giggling and shaking their heads. They were used to seeing Pinkie act silly, and seemed to be too busy to stop and hear what the party was all about. Pinkie shrugged and started her song again. “It’s spring! It’s spring! What a won—”

  All of a sudden, a little voice interrupted her.

  “A party? Can we come, Pinkie?” said Apple Bloom in her cowgirl accent, jumping up and down like a baby lamb. She was just a little filly—light yellow-green with a bold pink mane. She hadn’t received her cutie mark yet. As usual, her two best friends, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle—also “blank flanks,” were standing by her side.

  “Of course!” Pinkie shouted, and sprang into the air. “Everypony’s invited! Especially you three!”

  “Yay!” the three ponies chorused, and erupted into a tizzy of excitement. Parties in Ponyville were a frequent occurrence, but they weren’t usually called out as guests of honor.

  “What sort of awesome stuff will there be at the party?” asked Scootaloo. “Will there be bouncing?”

  “Will there be springing?” added Sweetie Belle.

  “What about sproinging?” squealed Apple Bloom.

  “All of the above!” shouted Pinkie, her smile growing wider by the second. “And also big huge trampolines, a bouncy barn, and bundles of bungees! All of the springiest things there are.” Pinkie looked at them proudly.

  “Well, count the Cutie Mark Crusaders in,” said Apple Bloom. She turned to her two friends. “Maybe one of us will get our cutie mark while we’re there!”

  “Yeah!” Scootaloo chimed in. “My hidden talent could be… jumping?”

  “Let’s find out!” Pinkie pulled three sets of mini spring-loaded shoes just like hers seemingly out of nowhere. It was almost like magic, but it wasn’t—it was just Pinkie. She was prepared for a good time, and nopony could blame her for that!

  “Wow, these are for us?” Apple Bloom took a pair and put them on her hooves. She hesitantly gave a little bounce and nearly lost her footing. It wasn’t as easy as Pinkie made it look!

  Pinkie’s face became serious. “I need you to help me out. Everypony in town looks so busy, but I don’t want them to miss this beautiful new spring day! Can you go around Ponyville and spread the word about the party while I get everything ready?”

  “We’ll do it!” the Cutie Mark Crusaders said in unison. They loved a new challenge, especially if a party awaited them at the other end.

  “Awesome!” Pinkie replied with a jump. “I’ve always wanted some Party-Planning Ponies!”

  The three fillies puffed up with pride.

  “Okay.” Pinkie pointed to Sweetie Belle. “You start by finding your sister. Go!” Sweetie Belle nodded and bounced toward Rarity’s home and shop, the Carousel Boutique. Rarity was probably there right now, working on some new outfits.

  “Scootaloo, you head toward Rainbow Dash’s cloud and tell her about the party so she can tell everypony in Cloudsdale!” Scootaloo nodded and started off. She couldn’t fly yet, but the bouncy shoes gave her a little more height with each step. Scootaloo flitted her tiny wings hopefully and disappeared into the distance.

  “And you, Apple Bloom,” Pinkie said, looking down at her little filly friend, “are in charge of rounding up the entire Apple family! Yippee!”

  “Aw, man,” said Apple Bloom, scuffing the dirt with her hoof. “Can’t I go somewhere different than my house? Somewhere excitin’?”

  Pinkie cocked her head to one side, pondering this. Of course Apple Bloom didn’t want to go to Sweet Apple Acres—she spent every day and night there! “You make an excellent point, Apple Bloom,” Pinkie agreed. “Going to new places is way more fun! Why don’t you take the path to Fluttershy’s and stop at Twilight’s library on the way?”

  “I’m on it!” Apple Bloom was off before Pinkie could say “Meet me by the lake!”

  Pinkie smiled in satisfaction. She was glad that her little Party Ponies understood how important the party was going to be.

  CHAPTER 3

  The Road Less Sparkled

  Before heading to Sweet Apple Acres to invite Applejack, Pinkie decided to take a mini detour. She would first stop by Cheerilee’s house, Sweetie Drops’s cottage, and Cranky Doodle Donkey’s place. (Just in case he wanted to play, for once. He usually didn’t, but Pinkie always asked anyway. It was the right thing to do.)

  As Pinkie Pie bounced up the cobblestoned path to Cheerilee’s house, humming an upbeat tune, she noticed something shiny on the ground. Pinkie bent down from her tall shoes to examine the mysterious glimmer. “I spy with my little Pinkie Eye, something SHINY!” Upon closer inspection, she saw that it was none other than a rich red ruby! Sunshine reflected off its facets and made it appear extra gorgeous next to the dull gray rocks of the path.

  “Wowza!” exclaimed Pinkie. “Sparkly-warkly prettiness!” Getting excited over a ruby made her feel like Rarity, who had a special talent for finding precious stones with her magic. Pinkie had many talents, but that wasn’t one of them. Yet there was the little stone—just sitting on the path. But what was a ruby doing there? How peculiar….

  Maybe somepony had dropped it! Pinkie looked around. There wasn’t a soul in sight. “Come with me, little ruby!” Pinkie said to the stone. “I’ll help you find your owner again. I bet somepony is missing you real bad!”

  Pinkie tried to pick it up, but the ruby wouldn’t budge. Pinkie pulled and twisted every which way, but it remained stuck to the ground. Suddenly, she let go of the gem and toppled hooves over head into the nearby hedge. Her springy shoes had bounced her backward!

  Pinkie popped out of the bush and looked again. The ruby really was stuck to the path…. But why? Just then, Pinkie noticed lots of other sparkles all around her. The path seemed to be dotted with colorful gemstones wedged between the normal gray, black, and white rocks. They looked like rainbow sprinkles on a giant cupcake. It was such a pretty sight!

  “Ooooh… ahhhh…” cooed Pinkie, her smile widening in genuine delight. “What a fun new way to spruce up a front garden.” Pinkie started to hop from stone to stone, looking down at the spectrum of precious gems in awe. “Hey there, Emerald! How’s it going, Sapphire?”

  Just then, a mauve-colored pony with a light pink mane and a cutie mark of three smiling daisies opened the door. “Pinkie Pie!” she called out. “I thought I heard somepony outside.”

  “Hiya there, Cheerilee! I was just talking to your gems!” Pinkie bounced over. “Your front path is like a party under your hooves!”

  “Thanks, Pinkie! I just installed it. New garden gems from the Crystal Empire. I didn’t want to be one of those ponies who follow all the Canterlot trends, but this one is just so lovely.” Cheerilee smiled shyly. She was usually a no-frills sort of pony, but apparently even she couldn’t resist some glitz and glamour once in a while. Pinkie wondered if Rarity had caught onto the trend yet.

  “Abso-tootley-lutely!” Pinkie agreed, bouncing up and down. Cheerilee gave Pinkie’s springy shoes a strange look. It wasn’t out of the ordinary to see Pinkie wearing something different, but this was especially odd.

  “So, what brings you to my house this morning?”

  Pinkie smiled. “Well, since you asked… do you like having a little fun, a lot of fun, or even medium fun?!”

  Cheerilee considered the question. “Well, I guess if you are twisting my hoof, I’d have to choose ‘a lot of fun.’ ”

  “Guhhh-reat!” Pinkie answered. “Because you’re invited to my first-ever, totally awesome Spring-Sproing-Spring Party! It’s to welcome spring, and it’s guaranteed to be any level of fun you want!”

  Cheerilee laughed. “I’ll be there.” Pinkie’s constant enthusiasm was pretty contagious, even if a bit tiring. “What would Ponyville do without all your parties, Pinkie?”

  Pinkie shuddered at the thoug
ht. Imagining a Ponyville with no parties was horrible. “It would probably be really, really, really boring!” she said, snapping out of her daydream. “See ya later, Cheerilee! Bring friends! Bring bunnies! Bring bouncy things!”

  As the excited pony took off, it was hard to tell which thing shone more—the pretty path or Pinkie Pie herself.

  CHAPTER 4

  The Spring-Sproing-Spring Party!

  “What in Equestria will Pinkie dream up next time?” Twilight Sparkle said to Fluttershy. “Look at this place!” The two pony friends stood on the sidelines of the Spring-Sproing-Spring Party, taking in the splendor and warm spring sunshine.

  As Pinkie had promised, the whole area by the lake was decorated in a springy theme. Corkscrew streamers and ribbons hung from the trees. Three massive pink trampolines were set up, along with a bouncy barn, jump ropes, a big bin of bungees, and a bunny bed. It was, indeed, the springiest place anypony had ever seen.

  “I can’t believe Pinkie Pie put all this together in just one day! She’s so talented,” Fluttershy said in her soft voice. “And Angel Bunny sure is having fun with his friends.” She pointed to the area where about twenty-five bunnies were hopping up and down on a mattress, giggling. Nearby, Rainbow Dash was taking her turn on one of the trampolines.

  “And look at Rainbow over there,” added Applejack, trotting up and joining them. “She sure knows how to put on an excitin’ show!” Rainbow did a triple backflip, and all the ponies waiting in line cheered.

  “Totally cool, Rainbow!” squeaked Scootaloo. Rainbow Dash was her idol, and Scootaloo thought anything she did was awesome.

  “Do it again!” shouted Lemon Hearts, a yellow unicorn with a sky-blue mane. Rainbow didn’t miss a beat. She called out, “You think that was cool? I can do another trick that’s at least forty percent cooler!”