Pinkie Pie slammed the door to Sugarcube Corner as she walked in, her mane drooped. How could this have happened? She had given the Pinkie Party Promise that she would give Lyra the perfect party. The PERFECT party. PER! FECT! But she had made a mistake. A MISTAKE!

Lyra had wanted a banner of alternating pink, purple, and then yellow. But she had made the banner in alternating purple, pink, and then yellow. How could she have made such an error? Throughout the whole party Lyra hadn’t said anything, but she was surely disappointed on the inside. Yes, all her laughing and enjoyment had to have been fake.

She stormed in past the Cake twins, muttering to herself. “This was the worst party ever. And I’m the worst party planner ever. I wish I’d never been born, so nobody would have to deal with my terrible parties.” Tears streamed down her eyes. She headed up to her room, flopping on her bed.

The Cake twins were no longer babies. They had grown almost out of toddlerhood, and were only a few years away from school.

Pound and Pumpkin Cake looked at each other. “Didja hear that?” asked Pumpkin.

“Yeah,” replied Pound. “Auntie Pinkie is really sad.”

“But she’s a great party pony. She’s so much FUN!”

“I know!” The two of them slumped. “What do we do?”

“I don’t know… but Auntie Pinkie is great. If she was never born then we wouldn’t have the most amazing parties ever!”

The two of them thought it over for a while, wondering how to cheer up their Auntie Pinkie. Suddenly Pumpkin lit up. “I got it!” She let out a mischievous laugh.

“What, what?” Pound asked, smiling now as he leaned forward. He began laughing too as she explained her idea.

A short time later Pinkie Pie heard a knocking on her door. She could tell right away from the bangs that it was the twins. She sighed, forcing herself up.

Opening the door she saw the two of them smiling up at her. “Auntie Pinkie Pie!” cried out Pound Cake. “You gotta come here.”

“We’re putting on a show, and we need you to watch,” said Pumpkin.

Pinkie suppressed another sigh. She wasn’t in the mood but she always had had a soft spot for the two of them. If they wanted her then she would go with them… though she’d probably screw that up too in some way.

She went downstairs to the living room, where she saw they had set up some toys in the middle of the room. They directed her to a seat to watch, wondering what they were up to.

Pumpkin looked over at her, saying, “This is a play that we call, 'Auntie Pinkie Pie wasn’t borned.'

Pinkie’s eyebrow rose. What kind of play was this going to be?

Pumpkin and Pound sat on the floor on their stomachs, grabbing a few stuffed animals and toys. “Woohoo!” said Pound Cake, moving a yellow bear. “We won the big game.”

“I know!” replied Pumpkin, waving a purple cat. “Let’s go celebrate.”

“Yeah.” “Let’s go.” “I wanna come too.” The two of them pushed a few more animals to a rug in the middle of the room.

“Alright, we’re here at the party place. Let’s have some treats. We have lettuce, grass, apples, and hay.”

Pinkie, despite her own sadness, looked weirdly at the two of them. What kinda party fare was that?

“Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum,” said the two of them, digging in.

“O-KAY!” said Pound. “It’s time for some party games.

"Game number one. Push a rock with a stick.” He and Pumpkin grabbed a pair of straws, pushing a set of bits around.

“Game number two!” said Pumpkin. “Crumpling paper.” The two of them handed some paper to the animals, and began mashing it up.

Pinkie Pie had a very confused look on her face now. What was this? Who would ever play party games like that? Hadn’t she showed them how great a party could be?

“Game three!” said Pumpkin.

“The quiet game,” whispered Pound. “You have to keep quiet as long as possible.”

Pinkie’s mouth was now hanging open, in utter disbelief. Was THAT what they considered fun? She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It was like the past six years of their life had been spent under a rock. Surely they couldn’t be serious.

The two of them were being totally silent, for so long that Pinkie began getting really antsy. Finally she couldn’t take it anymore. She jumped out of her seat, saying, “Oh, come on! What kinda party is this? No music, no sweet treats, no great party games? That has to be the worst, most boring party ever! That’s not fun at all!”

The two of them looked over at her, and Pound said, “But this is tons of fun.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Yes, it is!” replied Pumpkin.

“No, it’s not!” Pinkie replied strongly.

Pumpkin turned back to her cat, saying, “Gee, this party IS pretty boring. It’s too bad there isn’t a super-duper party pony around.”

Pound shook his teddy bear, “Yeah, you’re right, Too bad there isn’t someone who can teach us how to have the most fun parties ever. But…she was never borned. This stinks.”

Pinkie was struck dumb, speechless for one of the few times in her life. A few tears came down her eyes, and then she left without a word.

Pound and Pumpkin looked at each other, tears beginning to well up in their eyes. It hadn’t worked.

Just as the two of them were about to start sobbing they were distracted by a blur that came flying into the room. With a creaking of the floorboards Pinkie slammed down her record player, putting on a catchy tune, and then rapidly placing appropriately sized party hats on all the little animals.

Holding onto a pink rabbit Pinkie said, “It just so happens that a super-duper party pony who knows all about how to throw a great party WAS borned. Can I join you?”

Pound and Pumpkin’s faces lit up. “Sure!” they said in unison, giving the rabbit a hug with their own animals.

Pinkie put out cakes, cookies, and muffins for the animals, and some of her choicest party games.

“There we go!” Pinkie said happily. “We have good music, good treats, good games, but there’s only one thing missing for the superest, duperest party ever.”

“What’s that?” asked Pound Cake.

“You two!” Pinkie responded, pulling the two of them to her and giving them each a big hug, “I love you two!”

They laughed, snuggling in and nuzzling her. “We love you too, Auntie Pinkie Pie!”

Next Chapter: 2: The storm Estimated time remaining: 19 Hours, 51 Minutes