My Little Pony--Beyond Equestria--Pinkie Pie Steps Up Read online

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  HASBRO and its logo, SONGBIRD SERENADE, MY LITTLE PONY, and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. © 2018 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. MY LITTLE PONY: THE MOVIE © 2017 My Little Pony Productions, LLC.

  Cover design by Ching N. Chan. Cover illustration by Tony Fleecs.

  Hachette Book Group supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  Little, Brown and Company

  Hachette Book Group

  1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104

  Visit us at LBYR.com

  mylittlepony.com

  First Edition: January 2018

  Little, Brown and Company is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. The Little, Brown name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

  The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.

  Library of Congress Control Number 2017954742

  ISBNs: 978-0-316-55747-4 (paper over board), 978-0-316-55745-0 (ebook)

  E3-20171111-JV-NF

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  CHAPTER ONE

  The Crystaller Building sparkled in the midday sunshine, as if the rows of skyscrapers flanking it were spires in a glittering royal crown. As the Manehattan skyline rushed past the window, Pinkie Pie felt a fizzy, bubbly rush of excitement inside of her. Even though she’d visited many times before, she’d always found the big city impressive. There were so many fascinating things to discover within its confines. Manehattan was like a gigantic shiny treasure trove filled with tasty treats, awe-inspiring sights, and interesting ponies to befriend. The city was always buzzing with a nonstop flurry of motion—like a big party that everypony was invited to. It was no wonder Pinkie Pie liked visiting so much.

  “We’re almost to the station!” Pinkie Pie squealed, loud enough for the other ponies in the train car to join in on her delight. A few of them gave a courteous nod to acknowledge that they’d heard her. The rest of the passengers remained serious. They were too busy reading their copies of the Canterlot Gazette or dozing off.

  “Don’t take it personally if they ignore you, dear,” whispered an old Unicorn mare in a floppy green hat. She sat in the seat across from Pinkie Pie, using her magic to carefully knit another floppy green hat.

  “Oh, I don’t,” Pinkie Pie chirped in response.

  “They’re just commuters.” The old mare nodded as she set down her knitting and began to search through her knitted, oversize bag. She adjusted her glasses and looked up at Pinkie. “Do you work in the city?”

  The pink pony shook her curly fuchsia mane. “No, ma’am.” Pinkie Pie pulled an orange envelope out of her saddlebag and held it up. Bits of rainbow-colored confetti fell out onto the train seat. “But I am meeting a friend who wants to hire me for a job.”

  “How lovely.” The old mare popped a candy into her mouth and held out her hoof to Pinkie Pie. “Butterscotch?”

  “Nope, his name is Cheese Sandwich.” Pinkie giggled. “He’s my party-planning pal. I can’t wait to see him again and see what party he’s planning to plan!” The scenery outside disappeared as the train chugged into the darkened tunnel of Maneway Station. Pinkie sprang to her hooves and trotted to the doors. As the bell whistled and the doors opened, Pinkie gave one last wave to her friendly seatmate. “Good-bye, train, and helloooo, Manehattan!”

  “Have fun, dear,” replied the old mare with a nod and a chuckle.

  “Oh, don’t worry—I always do!” Pinkie called over her shoulder, and burst out into the bustling station with a huge smile on her face. The impending excitement of seeing her old friend again filled Pinkie with energy. She bounded across the marble floors even quicker than usual, whistling a happy tune and darting with ease through the crowds of tourist ponies, locals, and serious commuters.

  Twenty blocks later, Pinkie Pie finally caught sight of her destination: Hay’s Pizza. It was the home of the best slice in town and the location of her very special meeting. Pinkie’s tummy grumbled when the delicious smells of pizza hit her muzzle.

  A bell jangled from the doorknob as Pinkie Pie pushed her way into the restaurant. Hay’s Pizza was packed with the lunchtime crowd: customers busy chomping down on cheesy slices and chatting about important city-pony topics. Pinkie instantly felt pretty cool—this time, she was one of them, here on Top Secret Party Business.

  Pinkie scanned the tables. She recognized two ponies from back in Ponyville, Lyra and Bon Bon, sharing a pizza at a table in the corner. They turned to look at her, but then quickly went back to their lunch. There was no sign of Cheese Sandwich, so Pinkie Pie trotted over to the counter to double-check. Maybe he was seated in the back.

  “Excuse me, mister!” Pinkie chirped. “Have you seen Cheese?”

  The gruff stallion behind the counter turned to the pink pony with a raised brow. “What d’ya want, kid?” he asked as he wiped his flour-dusted hooves on his apron, which was already covered in grease and tomato stains.

  “I was just wondering if you had any tables reserved under ‘Cheese’? Or ‘Pie’? Or perhaps… ‘Cheese Pie’?”

  “Two slices of cheese pie, comin’ right up!” The stallion grunted, slapped two enormous pieces of pizza on a plate, and slid it over to Pinkie. “That’ll be two bits.” Pinkie chuckled at the mistake and tossed him the coins. She took her accidental pizza and sat down near the front window to wait. Pinkie hoped she’d gotten the day right.

  “Gerooooonimoooooo!” A huge blast of confetti shaped like mushrooms, olives, and other pizza toppings erupted from the open front door. The confetti rained down onto the confused customers as none other than Cheese Sandwich himself burst through the cloud of colors!

  “Cheese!” cheered Pinkie Pie as she sprang up to give him a hug.

  “Pinkie Pie!” he shouted back, and the two ponies took a seat.

  He looked exactly the same as the last time Pinkie Pie had seen him—tall and gangly with a curly brown mane, and a gigantic toothy grin on his face. The only difference was that today his shirt was patterned with hundreds of tiny pineapples instead of his usual yellow one. He clearly agreed that pineapple and pizza went well together.

  “Okay, let’s not skip around the shrubbery.” Cheese Sandwich put his hooves on the table. “I need you to help me plan the wackiest, wildest, wow-wow-wowie-est party that Manehattan’s ever seen”�
��he looked around to make sure nopony was listening, then leaned across the table and whispered—“for the biggest stars in all Equestria!”

  Pinkie Pie gasped. “You don’t mean—”

  “That’s right!” Cheese laughed and nodded his head. “You and I are going to throw the Pony Popstravaganza!” Pinkie Pie’s eyes grew wide. She couldn’t believe it. Pinkie had been hearing about the event for years from Rarity (who read about it in her magazines). The Pony Popstravaganza was supposedly the party to rival all parties—a big blowout to celebrate the very special nominees of the Glammy Awards.

  “Wooo-hoooo!” Pinkie Pie cheered. “That’s the best party ever!” She sprang up and did an excited twirl, much to the chagrin of their table neighbors. “We have so much to do!” she squealed. Pinkie Pie paced across the restaurant as she began to brainstorm.

  “We’ll need balloons. Tons of ’em. Balloon it up! We’ll need confetti in every color of the rainbow, even colors that haven’t been invented yet! Party hats! ALL THE PARTY HATS! I have to go back to Ponyville and—”

  “Uhhh, Pinkie?” Cheese Sandwich gave a nervous smile and looked at the floor. “I don’t think there’s time for that—”

  “Who doesn’t have time for party hats?!”

  “Nopony I want to know!” Cheese Sandwich laughed. “But what I was trying to say was… the party is tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?! Then we better eat these cheesy slices fast, Cheese!” Pinkie plopped back down on her chair, eyes wild. Before she could take a bite, Cheese reached across the table and picked up a slice. Then he turned it over and slapped it on top of the other one. He smiled proudly. “Now you’ve got a cheese sandwich to go!”

  “Perfect! Because it’s go time.” Pinkie Pie took a massive bite. “Come on, Cheese!” Pinkie shouted as she made for the door, pizza sandwich in hoof. This had to be the coolest party they had ever planned, because if the Pony Popstravaganza wasn’t the most spectacular soiree, Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich might as well forget about planning another party in Manehattan ever again.

  CHAPTER TWO

  The next day had gone by with a whirly-twirly whoosh and a busy-dizzy blur. Since their meeting at Hay’s Pizza, Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich had worked tirelessly to put on the party of their lives. They’d rushed around the city, finding every streamer and balloon, and every star-shaped decoration in all Manehattan so the main ballroom of the Foal Seasons Hotel could be transformed into a star-studded wonderland for the big event. There were just a few hours to go till showtime.

  Pinkie Pie had just finished securing the second set of star swings from the ceiling when Cheese Sandwich rolled in a gigantic fish tank. It was almost the size of Cheese’s famous portable party-fruit-punch lake. “Oooh! Pretty!” Pinkie chirped. She climbed down her ladder and bounded over. “What’s it for?”

  “It’s a starfish petting zoo scuba tank.” Cheese pointed to the colorful rainbow of starfish stuck to the rocks inside. “So the party guests can dive right in and get the full star experience,” he explained. “Trust me, it’s gonna be a hit!”

  “Brilliant idea, Cheese!” Pinkie praised as she dipped her hoof inside the tank to pet a purple starfish. It felt bumpy and a bit squishy. How silly and fun! Pinkie was almost sure none of the previous Pony Popstravaganza’s party planners had ever thought of something so creative. “We really pulled this party together, didn’t we?”

  “We go together like melted cheese and toasted bread, Pinkie.” Cheese Sandwich nodded. “We’re the best team!” The two ponies stepped back and admired their work. Between the sculptures of each nominee made entirely out of fresh starfruit, the sparkling star swing, and now the epic starfish touch tank, it was more than just a sight to behold—it was a magnificent masterpiece of festive fun! Pinkie nodded, unable to contain her enthusiasm. “Do you think the super-duper important and famous pop ponies will like it?”

  “If they don’t love it, then my name isn’t Cheese Sandwich.”

  As nighttime fell over Manehattan, hundreds of sparkling stars began to appear in the sky, adding to Pinkie and Cheese’s brilliant theme. “Good thing I ordered clear skies from the Pegasi for tonight!” Pinkie said, patting herself on the back. Pinkie and Cheese were ready to go! They trotted over and took their place outside the main ballroom, next to the pink carpet, eagerly awaiting the arrival of their guests.

  One by one, taxicabs and carriages began to pull up to the curb.

  The door of a yellow taxi opened, and a pair of mares in long glittering evening gowns stepped out. Their manes were pinned into classic twists, and they smelled like delicate floral perfume. They had clearly spent all day primping for the soiree.

  “All right, par-tay ponies!” Cheese shouted at the fancy ponies, waving his hooves in the air. He was wearing a shirt covered in rainbow stars, star-shaped sunglasses, and a hat covered in twinkly lights. Cheese was glowing so brightly that he was practically a spotlight, guiding the guests right to the party. “Let’s get this thing star -ted!”

  “Welcome to the Pony Popstravaganza! It’s going to be stellar, startastic, and supernovariffic!” promised Pinkie Pie. She tried to nod, but found it difficult to do so through the giant foam star-shaped costume she was wearing. The two fancy mares looked at Pinkie Pie, then back at each other and scrunched up their muzzles in distaste. Then they trotted right past Pinkie and Cheese, talking in hushed whispers. Cheese Sandwich’s face fell in disappointment. He began to shuffle around. Pinkie could tell her friend was especially nervous because he was back in his hometown. Making a good impression was very important.

  “They must be so captivated with the decorations that they’re already speechless,” Pinkie suggested hopefully. She pointed her hoof at the starry arch of balloons and twinkling lights in the entryway.

  “Melted Jarlsberg!” Cheese exclaimed with a satisfied smile. His brown mane bounced as he nodded. “That must be it.”

  A string of carriages pulled up, and each pony who arrived seemed to be more famous than the last. First Sapphire Shores and her entourage made a bold entrance. Next were Daisy Chain, Jewel Tone, Feather Bangs, and Moonlight Melody. Then came Songbird Serenade and her shy assistant, Crownpiece, who greeted Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich with kind smiles. Songbird waltzed in and Crownpiece shuffled after her, dragging a large trunk on wheels that probably contained some sort of outfit change inside.

  Finally, the last Glammy nominee, Countess Coloratura, had made her grand entrance in a glittering cream-colored shift gown and impossibly sparkly earrings. Ever since she’d gotten rid of her old manager, Svengallop, her look had gone from eccentric to light and refreshing. But Rara still knew how to make a statement when she wanted to, of course.

  By the time the countess and her posse had filed inside, the Foal Seasons was bursting with famous, sophisticated ponies. Since most of the guests were part of the fashion and music industries, it was not too surprising that they had all dressed themselves to the nines in designer fashion. Pinkie Pie didn’t know too much about fashion, but she definitely recognized more than a few of Rarity’s creations among the crowd. She couldn’t wait to run into one of her best friends and see what other fun things were going to happen that night.

  “Are you ready to rock, Roquefort?” Cheese Sandwich nudged Pinkie.

  “You bet your Brie!” Pinkie replied. She bounced inside after her friend, feeling energized in a way that only a super-fun celebration could inspire. But the second that Pinkie Pie entered the party, her heart sank.

  The star swings weren’t swinging, the starfruit sculptures were snubbed, and not a single pony was petting a starfish. The whole venue was packed to the brim with guests, but somehow nopony was doing anything except… frowning?

  Cheese Sandwich galloped over, eyes wide. “This is not Gouda. This is bad-a! Pinkie… what are we gonna do?!”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Cheese Sandwich had never, in all his party-planning days, seen such a monumental flop of a fiesta right from the get-g
o. “If… if… nopony has fun at the biggest party of the year, our reputation as super party ponies will be stinkier than a slab of Stilton!” He dove into his giant rainbow-patterned saddlebag.

  “I must have something in my bag of tricks to liven this thing up.…” Cheese pulled out a rubber chicken labeled with the number two. “Oh, that’s where you’ve been, Boneless Two. Any ideas, buddy?” He threw the chicken onto his back and continued to search for anything that might kick things up a notch or twenty.

  At first, Pinkie Pie thought Cheese was overreacting a little bit. But as she began to stride past the fancy ponies, it became clear that most of them were practically falling asleep with snooty boredom.

  “Yuck, the star theme is so overdone,” said a mare with a fiery-red mane and a sour face. Her name was Ritzy Rose—the most famous lounge singer in the whole city. And she loved to constantly remind everypony of that fact. She waved her polished hoof in dismissal. “It’s like—we get it, we’re stars.”

  Jewel Tone, a fellow singer who was renowned for her impressive vocal range, nodded in agreement as she took a sip of her sparkling cider. “They could have at least had it at the observatory or something. Perhaps a ‘Nightmare Moon’ theme would have been a bit more original than this tired shtick.”

  Ritzy Rose rolled her eyes. “I wish I were exiled to the moon right now with how awful this party is!” The two ponies laughed and shook their heads at their surroundings, then blushed when they noticed Pinkie Pie eavesdropping nearby. They shot her fake smiles and went back to talking in hushed whispers.

  “Pinkie Pie!” Rarity called out as she rushed over in a panic. “You have to do something. I just heard Moonlight Melody say she is going to… leave!” Rarity whimpered. “If she leaves, it’s only a matter of time before more guests depart.”

  “I can’t let that happen to Cheese! Manehattan is his hometown. He needs this party to be a hit!” Pinkie narrowed her eyes in determination. “I’m all over it—like whipped cream on a banana split,” Pinkie assured. She furrowed her brow and rubbed her chin as she looked around the room. What was this party lacking?