Pinkie Pie came over to Twilight’s (tree)house, being brought there by Applejack as if she didn’t know where her house was, she was a small foal, cellphones didn’t exist, and/or Pinkie and Applejack hadn’t spent enough time together. The door was quickly answered by Spike, who was wearing sunglasses and holding a clipboard.

“Hi,” Applejack said, “Ah brought Pinkie.”

Pinkie hooved a ticket to Spike, who tore it and handed her the stub back. She went in.

“Can Ah come in?” Applejack said.

Spike ran his finger partway down the clipboard. “You’re not on the list.”

“Twahlaht?” Applejack said. Spike slammed the door.

“Welcome—” Twilight said before being interrupted by Pinkie giggling.

“What’s so funny?”

“Come.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Welcome to the futu... wait, that’s a different speech. Um, here. I need you to help me plan the party. I mean wake. Force of habit.”

“Oh,” Pinkie said since she magically knew about what happened, and by magically, I mean Facebookally. “Yeah, I can help you with that.”

“Great.”

“I walked all the way over here and now you don’t want my help?!”

“That was a normal ‘great’.”

“Oh. Okay, I’ll help you, then.”

There was a montage of Twilight and Pinkie setting up wake stuff with occasional ten-second cuts to Spike eating Jujyfruits.

Pinkie drilled the last screw into the last table. “Welperschaftens, it’s done.”

“Remind me why we decided to make a table ourselves from planks?” Twilight said.

“Because it’s cheaper if you make it from planks yourself than just buying one premade.”

“I’m going to call everypony over.”

“Okay. I’m going to put things on the tables we set up.”

And so Twilight called everyone as Pinkie set some food up. Meanwhile, Spike ate a box of Jujyfruits, as in having eaten the Jujyfruits, he tore the box apart and ate the cardboard.

The front door was knocked. Twilight, being the one doing nothing, answered the door.

“Hi, Rainbow!”

“Um, Rainbow? Why did you just say ‘Hi, Rainbow’?”

“Why are you acting like I’m you?”

“What are you talking about? You’re the one who’s acting weird.”

“I’m the one who’s acting weird?”

“That’s my opinion.”

“Pinkie? Aren’t you supposed to be setting tables up?”

“Anyway, ignoring Pinkie Pie, can I come in now?”

“Sure.”

The other guests, the rest of the mane six and the rest of the mane six, proceeded to arrive in much less interesting fashions.

“So this is the part where the chapter turns to a conversation between us, right?” Applejack said.

“Actually, it says—wait, look at this.” Rainbow hooved the programme to Applejack.

“Settin’ up the wake, your scene co—what’s after that there?”

“Exactly.”

“But... whah’d they give Rarity a part of all ponies?”

“Exactly!”

“Is that right?”

“It must be, I mean....”

“Yeah, but that’s so weird....”

Rarity walked up to Rainbow.

“Rainbow Dash?” Rarity said.

“Yeah?”

“I wanted to ask you a question.”

“Is this about Applejack and me always hanging around together at parties?”

“Nice pronoun case, and no.”

“I don’t love you back, sorry.”

“It isn’t that.”

“Well, considering how much you seem to wanna spend time with me....”

“If you’re going to be like this, I won’t even talk with you. I’m going to see Octavia whilst she’s not occupied with Lyra....”

“You do that.”

And so Rarity went away.

“So what’s after that?” Applejack said.

“It looks like... it actually follows Rarity.”

“wat.”

“Yeah.”

Rarity made it to Octavia without incident. Which is good, I guess. Sigh.

“Octavia?”

“Huh?” Octavia looked to her left. “Oh. Hello, Rarity.”

“Hello. I’ve been meaning to talk with you.”

“About?”

Rarity realised that she didn’t have a topic to talk about. “...You know, it’s funny, I never actually thought of anything to talk with you about... I just thought it’d be nice to be with somepony who’s a little like myself.”

“‘Be with’? I already have a girlfriend.”

“No, in the platonic sense.”

“Oh. Sorry, I get a little crazy sometimes.”

“It’s fine. Anyway, I just wanted to be in the company of somepony I could... well, I don’t want to say tolerate, since my friends are my friends and I like them, but....”

“I know what you mean.”

“I wish I had anything worth telling you.” Octavia didn’t know what to say to this. “Should Lyra be back any time soon?”

“Any minute now, she’s just in the lavatree.”

The word “lavatree” gave her an idea for something to say. “I could probably beat you in one of the fanciness contests they hold at Tripling-Off Arena every so often.”

“You think so?” This wasn’t an offended “You think so?”, more of a smug, amused “Y’think so?”.

“I do, in fact.”

“Hello, Lyra.”

“Hello, Octavia,” Lyra said. “Hello, Rarity,” she said after realising Rarity was there.

“I challenged Octavia to a fanciness contest and she hasn’t confirmed or denied acceptance yet,” Rarity said.

“I could beat you,” Octavia said.

“So do you accept?”

“I have no commitments, so why not.”

“Excellent. We will begin at high noon tomorrow.”

“That works for me.”

Next Chapter: Chapter 98: Fanciness Contest Estimated time remaining: 11 Hours, 13 Minutes