“I don’t know, Spike. Are you sure about this?” Pinkie Pie said, her hoof rubbing her chin.

“You saw how happy Princess Luna was when we caught the other impostor. We just had to catch this one too. He may not be a kidnapping dark magician, but he still needs to be punished for trying to take our spot,” Spike said as he pulled on some streamers.

“I guess so. He looks a little uncomfortable. Let me go get the folding chair!” Pinkie said as she bounced away.

“I can’t believe you actually buried all of this stuff. You are crazy prepared when it comes to parties.”

“One can never be too prepared when it comes to parties!”

There was a crash and a rubber chicken landed next to Spike.

“Found it!” Pinkie said as she rushed back with the folding chair and set it up. Spike pushed the captive into the chair.

Regal Din sat between the pink pony and baby dragon. He was wrapped up in streamers and had a party hat on. He said something that was muffled by the streamers around his muzzle. Pinkie Pie scrunched up her face in thought then put a pair of swirly glasses with a fake nose on Regal. “Perfect!” she announced.

Regal’s dressing room had been done up with party supplies. There were streamers, balloons, and a piñata on the ceiling. Posters and a Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Pony game lined the wall. There was even a Bob-for-Apples tank. Sadly, the apples had not survived their prolonged burying.

“I’m sorry, Regal,” Pinkie said. “I tried really hard to get some ponies to come to your party, but every pony I asked was too busy going to the competition tonight. Don’t worry, though. I still got you some backup guests.”

Pinkie walked up to a pile of rocks that were wearing a party hat and sitting on a stool. She nudged the rock pile and said in a Manehatten accent, “Don’t youse worry, Pinkie. We’ll take real good cares of him for ya.”

Pinkie smiled at Regal and noticed the look of confusion on his face. “Oh!” Pinkie said. “They don’t actually talk, so you’ll have to do the voices for them!”

“Come on, Pinkie,” Spike said from the doorway. “Let’s take over the dressing room next door. It’s much swankier now that the cages are gone.”

“Coming, Spike! Bye, Regal. We’ll come untie you once the contest is over. Just remember to not be a McRuderson anymore. Oh! And have fun!”

Pinkie turned on a record player and shut the door behind her. Regal looked at the sack of flour, ball of lint, and bucket of turnips; his other ‘guests’ for the party that would last the next several hours. He started struggling harder.