Chapter Twenty-One – Pinkie Pie

"She was paired with Rainbow Dash. That's what it will say on my tombstone!" A dismayed white unicorn cried.

Pinkie felt like giggling at Rarity's overdramatic display. She knew she shouldn't but it was almost too tempting. The seamstress was banging her against the side of the airship for pony's sake!

"Sugar cube, there ain't no need to get so worked up about it." Applejack said, putting a hoof on the unicorn's shoulder.

"Oh of all the worst things that could happen, this is THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!" Rarity screamed. Applejack retreated a little after that outburst.

"Calm down Rarity." Twilight said. "Being on a search party with Rainbow Dash won't kill you."

Pinkie thought about that. Right now, Rainbow Dash was yelling at Sergeant Swift Sword about being paired up with Rarity. The cyan pegasus was definitely not happy about it, that was for sure. But unhappy enough to kill Rarity? Not likely, the pink mare decided.

"Easy for you to say, Twilight." Rarity countered. "Rainbow Dash doesn't hate you!"

Aside from Rainbow Dash, the only other pony missing from the Mane Six was Fluttershy, who had stayed behind in a vain attempt to calm down the cyan pegasus. That thought brought Pinkie around to the topic at hoof. Why had Twilight asked everypony to meet her outside the airship before going off to search? Finding Frosty should probably be on the top of the lavender mare's to do list.

Her thoughts got interrupted by the grumbling complaints of a pegasus. Rainbow Dash had flown down and landed right beside Twilight. Fluttershy came not long after.

"How did it go?" Pinkie Pie asked. Rainbow Dash grunted angrily.

"He said his decision was final." Fluttershy answered.

"Well, that's the censored version anyways." Rainbow said, not looking at anypony in particular.

"Well, you'll just have to make the best of it. Both of you." Twilight said while looking at Rainbow Dash and Rarity. The white unicorn pouted. The cyan pegasus snorted and looked away. "Look, girls. It's clear we can't just hand Frostburn over to Sergeant Swift Sword." Twilight continued. Nods came from everypony. "If you do find him, get him to the Crystal Palace immediately. I know Shining Armor and Princess Cadence will understand if we bring Frostburn there. Then we can wait out the search party, and we'll…" The purple mare trailed off.

"We'll what?" Rainbow asked.

"I… I don't know. Let's just focus on finding Frostburn and figure out the rest later. We still don't even understand the whole prophecy yet." Twilight levitated the painted scroll out from her saddlebag, which apparently she managed to smuggle out of Canterlot. As she unraveled it, everypony else grouped around her. "We can try to decode it at the palace."

"Alright then, we'd better get to it." AJ said. Twilight rerolled up the scroll and stuck it back in her saddlebag. Rainbow and Rarity exchanged some uneasy looks. The Mane Six was about to go their separate ways when Pinkie Pie remembered something.

"Wait girls!" She cried frantically. All five halted, curious as to what their pink friend had to say. "If you see Frosty, make sure to ask what color streamers he wants at his party. Oh, but don't let him know that the party is for him, it has to be a surprise!"

"O-okay." Fluttershy said. Twilight rolled her violet eyes and the two sped off away from the airship and towards the Crystal Palace.

"We'd better get going, Pinkie." Applejack said.

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie said. She turned to Rainbow and Rarity who were both looking pretty unhappy. "Good luck!" She said, and then followed an already moving AJ into the streets of the Crystal Empire.

"Ah'm startn' to think that he ain't here, Sugar cube." Applejack said. Pinkie's head swiveled around, away from the street corner she was inspecting.

"How can you say that until we've searched every inch of this place?" The party pony asked. She proceeded to shimmy up a lamp post and inspect it for any clues to Frostburn's whereabouts. Around them, crystal ponies stared in a mix of disbelieve and disapproval. The farmer was slightly embarrassed to be around Pinkie at that moment. She shoved her head in her hat, though the party pony didn't see it. Pinkie was occupied with the light bulb in the post.

"Now Ah highly doubt Frostburn would be in a lamp post, Pinkie Pie." Applejack called up. Pinkie reluctantly slid down the post.

"Fine," said the pink mare. "Where do you think he might be?" Not prepared for such a question, Applejack looked around for inspiration, but found none.

Pinkie looked as well. The sun was setting slowly over the Crystal Empire, bathing the gemstone city in a golden light that sparkled off the buildings. Crystal ponies milled about, finishing their daily routines and likely heading home. Outnumbering the crystal ponies were the soldiers – either crystal or regular – roaming streets. Their eyes darted back and forth, searching for the same pony Pinkie and AJ were.

"Ah doubt he'll be around here. Too many ponies are looking for 'im, and Ah don't think he wants to be found."

Pinkie inhaled loudly, an idea had just bloomed in her mind. "That's it!" She cried happily, bouncing up and down while attracting more attention. Applejack stopped her with an outstretched hoof.

"What is?" The orange mare asked.

"I know how we can find Frosty! We just have to not look for him!" Pinkie exclaimed giddily.

There was a moment of silence. Then Applejack said, "What the hay?" Pinkie sighed like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Listen Applejack," Pinkie said as the two mares began walking. "Everypony who is trying find Frosty has had no luck so far, right?"

"Uh… right." AJ said, still unsure of Pinkie Pie's plan.

"Then if we try not to find him, then it stands to reason that we would find him. Right?" Pinkie Pie beamed with pride about her plan. Applejack clearly still had doubts.

"It's madness, Sugarcube!"

"It could work." Pinkie protested. AJ sighed.

"Ah suppose we could give it a go around." She said slowly. Pinkie took that for an enthusiastic yes, and leaped with joy.

"Great!" She cried. "Now all we have to do is find Frosty, without attempting to find him. Simple." The two walked on for a brief, awkward moment as neither of them knew what to do. Pinkie kept a smile plastered on her face, while Applejack desperately fought the urge to glance around.

At first it seemed as though Pinkie's plan wasn't working. After several minutes passed, she became confused as to why they hadn't already bumped into Frosty. There had been several good chances for it to happen, yet it hadn't. She toiled in her mind why her plan was failing. Glancing over at her friend, Pinkie noticed that the farmer's eyes darting around.

"Applejack!" She cried. AJ flinched. "You're not even trying!"

Applejack guiltily sighed. "Ah'm sorry, Sugar cube. Ah just don't see how we're supposed to find Frostburn if we ain't lookin' for 'im." The orange pony justified.

"We'll you could at least…" Pinkie Pie never finished that sentence, because both she and Applejack collided with a pony who had also not been paying attention. The three fell onto the ground in a pile.

Disentangling herself from her friend and the stranger, Pinkie took a moment to see who it was they had collided with. He saw her first.

"Pinkie? Applejack?" He asked as if unsure if this was real.

"Frostburn?" AJ responded, equally taken back.

Pinkie Pie wasted no time. Turning to her farmer friend she said, "I told you so, Applejack!"

"But I don't underst—" Applejack began to say.

"Hey Frosty, what's your favorite color for streamers?" Pinkie asked, cutting off her farmer friend. Frostburn looked like he was about to pass out. Pinkie really didn't care. She was just extremely happy her method had worked.

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