by G. M. Berrow
A moment later, she launched herself into another triple flip routine that would have shamed any circus pony. She jumped high into the sky, burst through a fluffy cloud, and somersaulted back down to the trampoline—all without the use of her wings. The crowd cheered once more.
“Wheeee!” Pinkie Pie bounced up to her friends, still wearing her shoes with the giant springs on them. “Hey, girls! Isn’t this party hoppin’?” Pinkie began to laugh. “Get it? Hoppin’!”
“You could say that, all right,” replied Applejack. “I think I’m gonna go for a jump on that bouncy barn. Looks almost like the one we have at home! Except it’s inflatable.”
“Of course it does! I designed it based on the one at Sweet Apple Acres. You wanna know why? Huh? Huh? Huh?!” Pinkie asked, nodding her head. “Because he’s the friendliest barn I know. You sure raised him well, Applejack!”
“I wasn’t aware you knew a lot of barns personally, Pinkie,” Twilight joked. It amused her that Pinkie was now making friends with buildings, along with everypony in town. What was next? Hanging out with vegetables? A picnic with trees?
“Oh, I do,” said Pinkie. She began talking really fast. “You’d be surprised! Let’s see… there’s the rock farm barn, the barn at Nana Pinkie’s, the barn at Granny Pie’s—that one’s a little grumpy—and a gazillion trillion more!” Her mane was puffed up to full height, which meant that Pinkie was very excited. Either that, or she’d just been jumping a lot. Or both. “So, have you guys tried any of the super-fun activities yet?!”
Rarity, who had joined them in the middle of Pinkie’s barn speech, sighed loudly. “Oh, you know I normally would, darling, except I just can’t stand the thought of having to fix my mane afterward. Jumping and perfect hair do not go together!” She flicked her shiny purple coif to illustrate her point and trotted off to go check out her reflection in the lake.
“Okeydokey-lokey!” Pinkie replied, unfazed. “Catch ya later, Rarity!”
Twilight shrugged, then watched as Spike dived off the bungee platform, laughing as he sprang back up like a baby dragon–sized yo-yo. “Well, Pinkie, I’d say your Spring-Sproing-Spring Party is a smashing success,” she said. “It seems like everypony in town is here! Even someponies I’ve never seen before. Like that group over there.” Twilight gestured toward the bouncy barn where an older couple stood with their two daughters.
The old stallion had a light brown coat and gray mane with long sideburns and wore an old-fashioned pilgrim hat and tie. His wife had a light gray coat and wore her dark gray mane tied up in a tight bun, along with glasses and a stern expression on her face. The two young mares with them were different shades of gray. Their manes were both bone-straight, but one of them had her bangs cut evenly across and the other had hers flipped over the side of her face. They looked at each other and then frowned at the festivities going on around them.
Twilight furrowed her brow, wondering why the family was acting so odd. “Maybe they are new to Ponyville, or they are just passing through?” Something about their look said that these weren’t really urban ponies. They seemed so confused and lost. The two young ponies looked up at the large inflatable barn like they’d never even seen one before.
“New ponies? Oh boy, oh boy! Where? Where?!” shouted Pinkie Pie, darting across the field. She loved nothing more than welcoming new residents to town and learning every single thing about them. A pony could never have too many friends! Pinkie ran back and forth, scanning the crowd until her eyes landed on the group in question. The smile on her face instantly grew to maximum Pinkie happiness.
“I don’t believe this!” Pinkie screamed with joy. She bounced up to the top of the bungee platform and pulled out a glittery pink megaphone. “Fillies and gentlecolts! Your attention, puuuuh-lease!”
Everypony stopped jumping and turned to Pinkie for her big announcement. “I’d like you all to welcome to Ponyville… my FAMILY! Look, look! It’s really them!” Pinkie threw confetti onto the crowd of townsponies and a cheer rang out. “See?! That’s my mom, Cloudy Quartz, and my dad, Igneous Rock! And my two sisters—Marble Pie and Limestone Pie!” The crowd craned their necks to get a look at the newcomers.
“That’s Pinkie Pie’s family?” Spike said to Twilight. “But they don’t look anything like her!”
“Maybe they are one of those families that are similar in other ways,” Twilight suggested. They did look a bit plain to have such a kooky daughter like Pinkie. But families came in all shapes, sizes, and colors.
“Yaaaaaaay! Familyyyyyy!” Pinkie jumped onto one of the trampolines, using it as a launch pad to land right in front of her sisters. Pinkie couldn’t believe how her luck had turned around today. She loved parties and she loved surprises…. But a visit from her parents and sisters at one of her parties? That was the biggest surprise of all!
CHAPTER 5
Between a Rock Farm and a Hard Place
Her family all wore blank expressions as Pinkie skipped and twirled with glee. It was obvious that Igneous Rock had dealt with Pinkie’s exhausting energy many times before when she was a filly. He stood patiently for a while, waiting for her to calm down. But soon he grew tired of the act, and his face morphed into a frown. “All right, now,” he said. “That’s enough.” But Pinkie was too excited to notice his disapproval.
Meanwhile, Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity stood close by. They’d heard a lot about Pinkie’s days growing up on the rock farm, but they’d never actually met Pinkie’s family before. Some of the other party-going ponies started to gather around, too. Apparently, they were also curious to learn more about the relations of the most popular pony in town. Chances were good that her family was probably totally fun, too.
“Hi, Mom! Hey there, Dad! How’s it going, Marble? What’s new, Limestone? Where’s—?”
“Your older sister is keeping an eye on the farm,” Igneous cut her off.
“Oh, okay. So what are you guys doing here?! I’m so totally surprised!” Pinkie skipped around her family. “My Pinkie Sense didn’t warn me about this at all! Are you here to party? I planned all this! Look, there are lots of really cool—”
“Pinkamena Diane Pie,” Igneous interrupted. “We are not here to party.”
Pinkie stopped in her tracks. “Oh. You’re not?” She cocked her head to one side.
“No,” Cloudy Quartz replied. Marble and Limestone shook their heads solemnly.
“Well, why’d you show up at a party, then, you bunch of silly heads?” Pinkie giggled and nudged her mother. “A party is the absolute worst place to not party!”
A couple of ponies laughed. Pinkie did have a pretty good point there.
“Pinkamena, don’t you start with me….” Cloudy warned, looking down at Pinkie through her glasses. Pinkie shrank back.
“Sorry, ma’am,” Pinkie said, her mane deflating a little. “I just got really excited to see you guys. It’s been super-duper long! I mean, you guys never even leave the rock farm. Oh no—is something wrong with Rockie?!”
“Who’s Rockie?” Cloudy asked, growing impatient.
“Rockie’s my pet rock, Mom! He’s gray and a bit lumpy and about yay big?” Pinkie made a motion with her hooves to demonstrate the size of the rock in question. “I definitely introduced you to him.”
“Oh,” replied Cloudy Quartz.
“Anyway, I only left him back at the farm because he said he’d miss all of his rock buddies,” Pinkie explained to her friends. She turned back to her parents. “Marble and Limey promised to look after him!”
Marble Pie’s face remained blank. Limestone Pie blinked. Plink, plink.
Igneous cleared his throat and started to pace back and forth across the grass. “This here has got nothin’ to do with pet rocks or parties, Pinkamena.”
“Well… why are you guys in Ponyville, then, Dad? Huh? Huh? Huh?” Pinkie looked to the faces of her family but couldn’t read them at all. “Oooh, let me guess! Are we going on a family vacation to Appleloosa? Or
… I know, I know! You came to bring me some of Granny Pie’s scrumptious rock cakes!” Pinkie looked around, but her family hadn’t brought any satchels with them. “No, that’s not it…. Okay, okay, I give up! Tell meeeee!” Pinkie’s eyes were practically popping out of her head with excitement.
“Your mother, sisters, and I are here for a very important reason,” Igneous began. Pinkie frowned. Whatever it was, it didn’t sound very fun at all. In fact, it sounded… serious.
“Well, word got ’round that you are friends with—” Igneous looked around nervously, realizing he had an audience of curious Ponyville residents watching his every move. “We heard that you might know…” Igneous puffed up his chest and finally announced, “We are here to see Her Royal Highness, Princess Twilight Sparkle, regarding a very urgent business matter!”
“We need to see the princess,” Cloudy said. The sisters nodded in unison.
Pinkie’s face dropped. “You’re not here to party or to see me?” She pouted, slumping down to the ground like a deflated balloon. “This is the worst surprise ever!”
“I’m sorry, but we have to talk to the princess and then get back to the farm right away,” Cloudy replied. “We don’t have time for any of this party nonsense right now.”
“Oh, I see.” Pinkie sighed.
“It’s not nonsense!” Twilight said, stepping forward. “And I’m right here.”
Everypony turned to look at Twilight, who up until now had been happily blending into the crowd. Usually, when she was at home in Ponyville, she preferred that everypony treat her like they did before she became a princess. None of this “Your Royal Highness” mumbo jumbo that every other pony in Equestria insisted on. Twilight still wasn’t used to all the attention, but she would do anything to help a friend, and it seemed like Pinkie needed her to play the princess role today.
Twilight straightened and spoke in her most regal voice. “Welcome to our fair Ponyville.” She bowed as she had seen Celestia and Cadance do.
Igneous, Cloudy, Marble, and Limestone immediately bowed their heads and leaned their front hooves on the grass to show their respect. “Princess!” Igneous Rock said, standing up again. “Thank you for having us. We’d be so grateful if you’d help us out.”
“I’ll help in any way that I can, Mr. Rock,” Twilight said. Then she added, “Pinkie is, after all, one of my very best friends.” Cloudy and the sisters looked down at their hooves, a little embarrassed for the way they’d just treated Pinkie in front of royalty.
“That’s great news, Your Royal Highness,” said Igneous, taking off his hat. But he didn’t sound too chipper. In fact, despair was written all over his face. “It’s great news… because we are about to lose the rock farm.” The crowd gasped, even though most of them hadn’t known the farm existed until then. It just seemed like the right response.
“What?!” Pinkie Pie shouted, practically leaping into the air.
“How dreadful!” exclaimed Rarity.
“Major bummer!” remarked Rainbow Dash.
“Oh, that’s really too bad,” whispered Fluttershy. “Those poor little rocks.”
“Say, Pinkie, are you okay?” asked Applejack, giving her friend a sideways glance. “She looks a little… different, right?” she whispered to Rainbow Dash.
Pinkie did look strange all of a sudden. Her eyes were wide with terror, and she stood completely frozen to the spot. Fluttershy and Rarity exchanged concerned looks. Igneous Rock’s news had been shocking to say the least, but they’d never seen Pinkie look so utterly… speechless.
“Somepony poke her or something!” said Rarity. “I’ve never seen her stand still before. It’s so strange!”
Spike ran over and gave her a gentle nudge. “Uhhh, you okay, Pinkie?”
Pinkie looked up, her face full of sadness. “Everypony go home,” she said, casting her eyes down at the ground. “This party is… over.” Everypony gasped. Nopony ever expected to hear Pinkie Pie say such a thing.
CHAPTER 6
The Pink Sheep of the Family
Pinkie Pie had always been the silliest, most fun-loving pony in town. If she was that upset over the closing of a rock farm, then it must be a big deal. For the rest of the day, everypony was abuzz with gossip and chatter about how Pinkie Pie herself had actually broken up a party! What was Equestria coming to?
“But I thought she didn’t even like the rock farm!” Rarity whispered to Rainbow Dash. They were following Applejack as she led Pinkie’s family over to the big barn at Sweet Apple Acres.
“Well, the rock farm was her home, so she’s probably sad it will be gone,” Fluttershy offered in her tiny, gentle voice. Her pink mane fell over one of her pretty blue eyes. “I can’t imagine such a thing.”
“I guess there’s no place like stones?” Rainbow joked. “Okay, okay, I’ll admit it—that was bad.”
“Hey, are those emeralds around the flower border?” Rarity gasped, trotting up to the barn entrance. She was easily distracted by gemstones, no matter where they were. “How divine!”
“Come on inside, y’all,” Applejack said, ushering her friends and Pinkie’s family inside.
“At least we’ll have a li’l bit of privacy in here.” She peeked her head out the barn door to make sure there were no stray party ponies following them. The Pie sisters looked at their surroundings in awe. Everything seemed to be so much brighter in Ponyville than back home.
“Good call, A.J. Now, where were we?” Twilight walked over and hugged Pinkie. Luckily, she had started to perk up after Apple Bloom brought her an Emergency Cupcake. Thank goodness Pinkie had recently installed a few pink glass cases around Ponyville for situations just like this one. A cupcake was an instant cheerer-upper.
“What happened to the farm, Mr. Rock? And what can all of us here in Ponyville do to help?” Twilight wanted to make sure the family understood just how important her friends were to her. Being a princess required lots of support. It wasn’t just a one-pony job.
Igneous sat down on a wooden bench and hung his head. It looked like he had the weight of the whole rock farm on his shoulders. Marble, Limestone, and Cloudy Quartz trotted over and sat beside him. They all looked really sad.
“Go on now, Iggy,” Cloudy said with her slight country twang. She patted her husband on the back. “Tell the princess here what’s goin’ on.”
“Why don’t you explain, Cloudy?” he said, looking tired.
“Yeah! Tell us, Mom!” Pinkie said, jumping up and down. She couldn’t take the suspense any longer. “Tell us now!”
“Calm down, for granite’s sake,” Cloudy replied. “I’ll tell ya!”
But before she could begin, Limestone blinked her eyes and cleared her throat. “It’s the gems!” she blurted out.
“The gems?” Rarity asked. Any mention of jewels always piqued her interest. “What about them?”
“Ever since that Crystal Empire showed up again, all anypony wants are stones that shine, sparkle, and shimmer!” Cloudy explained. She cast her eyes down to the floor in defeat, and her bottom lip started to quiver. “Plain old rocks are boring.”
“No, they’re not, Mom!” Pinkie cut in. “Rocks are so totally awesome! There’s slate! And granite! And marble! And mudstone! And—”
“Well, you tell that to the rest of Equestria,” Marble Pie replied. “We haven’t had any business for months!”
“That’s awful!” said Twilight. She felt especially bad, thinking of all she had done for the Crystal Empire. She never expected the rest of Equestria to be affected by its return, especially by turning ponies out of their homes.
Pinkie suddenly recalled that very morning when she’d seen Cheerilee’s gem-lined front path. And Rarity had just pointed out that the Apple family had put in some gems around the barn. Now that Pinkie thought about it, it did seem like a lot of ponies right there in Ponyville were really into jewels lately. But Pinkie Pie never considered how that trend could be a problem for anypony, let alone her own family.
; Pinkie looked at the sad faces of her two sisters and her parents. The gravity of the situation hit her like a ton of rocks. She had to do something, anything, to help them! Pinkie may have left her rock-farming days behind her, but the last thing she wanted was for her family to lose the farm. She pictured the old barn, the rock fields, and the drab gray landscape. It wasn’t much, but it was home. Thinkie, Pinkie! she said to herself. She thought extra hard.
And then it came to her.
Pinkie began trotting around the barn, skipping and shouting. “I know! I know!” She did a grand leap and landed right in front of her parents. A puff of dirt and hay from the ground billowed up around her, and Limestone sneezed. “We’ll throw a party!” Pinkie Pie announced. “Then nopony will take you guys for granite anymore! Get it?! For granite!” She laughed.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash chuckled.
“A party?” asked Cloudy Quartz. She furrowed her brow in disapproval. “I don’t know about that….”
“Yeah! But not just any party, Mom!” Pinkie said, growing more excited by the second. “A party dedicated to the total amazingness of rocks! It will be… a rock… a rock concert! We’ll get bands and all sorts of rocks to decorate and invite everypony from every city all over Equestria to our very own PONYPALOOZA!” Pinkie smiled wide and spread her arms as if to say “ta-da!”
Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity all turned to Pinkie’s family for some sort of reaction. Marble frowned. Limestone blinked. Cloudy winced. And Igneous remained stone-faced.
“What a splendid suggestion, Pinkie!” Rarity finally said, breaking the silence. “What do you think, Mr. Rock?”
“I think…” Igneous said, stepping forward. “That it’s…”
Everypony leaned forward in anticipation of what he would say. “It’s…”
Pinkie’s smile grew with excitement.