I woke up a little later in the morning than I planned, due to the fact I was recovering from the whack from that big dragon's tail and landing hard on the ground, so I had a good enough reason to stay in bed longer. After having my breakfast, I remembered that it was Pinkie's birthday today but I had to keep the planned party by the rest of us a secret, so I grabbed the bag of bits I put aside and left my home to go straight to Sugarcube Corner.

I entered the store and greeted myself Mr. Cake. "Present for Pinkie's birthday today." I said quietly.

He nodded as I walked upstairs and slowly opened the door to Pinkie's room, it was the first time I had ever gone into her own room. She was sleeping away peacefully, I knocked on her door which woke her up, she stretched and got out of her bed.

"Morning sleepy pie." I cheekily greeted.

"Oooh, Morning Bond, what brings you here." Pinkie asked as she got herself to wake up more.

"Two words...happy birthday." I answered showing her a bag I had wrapped up with her name on it.

Suddenly, she perked up and jumped right towards me.

"OH MY GOSH!" Pinkie shouted, "It's my birthday today, how did I forget?"

"Probably because you were too busy with other ponies's birthdays and working around them." I answered before handing out my gift to her. "Here, it's not much but here it is, as promised."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she exclaimed, as she took the present from me, she opened it to see the bag which contained 500 bits, which was a last minute change to the amount I originally put in there.

"You're welcome Pinkie!" I replied giving her a big hug...which she accepted.

"I hope I get a super duper party later!"

"Well, you never know, it depends on what the other ponies are doing."

"Let's go and talk to them, shall we?" Pinkie suggested.

"Sure, come on...you can leave the bag of bits here."

We then left the shop and began walking through town, we started off by going to Twilight's home, we knocked on the door, Twilight opened the door to see me winking which gave her the signal to keep the party a secret.

"Oh hello Bond and Pinkie, what's up?" Twilight asked.

"It's my birthday today, I just remembered!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"Is it, oh well happy birthday, Pinkie."

"Thanks, we're going to have a special party for me and Gummy later this afternoon." she said, even though I didn't say anything about it.

"This afternoon? As in this afternoon, this afternoon?"

"Yes indeedy."

"Oh gosh, I wish I could make it but I've gotten behind on my studies, I really gotta hit the books."

We then looked inside to find piles of books in the centre of the floor...smooth Twilight, real smooth, I thought to myself.

"I understand, your studies come first. But don't worry, we'll be sure to save you some cake."

I winked at Twilight knowing that she did very well at covering up Pinkie's birthday party.

"Oh and before anypony asks, you shouldn't really hit the books, you should just read them." I said out of the blue.

"I'll keep that in mind, see ya." Twilight replied as she closed the door.

"Let's see if we can get Applejack to come with us." I suggested.

Pinkie nodded and soon we walked to Sweet Apple Acres and found Applejack towing three apple carts full of apples.

"Hi there, Applejack." Pinkie greeted.

"Oh hi Pinkie Pie..and Bond Racer." Applejack replied.

"Three apple carts? I hope you're not overworking again." I cheekily asked.

"No indeed sugarcube, the applebucking at this time of year is much calmer and Big Mac is covering half of the orchard for me."

"That's good to know." I smiled.

"Anyways, what brings you two around these parts?"

"Who's ready to shake their hoof thing?" Pinkie asked shaking her flank.

Suddenly, I felt the urge to dress up as a 70's disco dancer and say "Shake your hoof thing, shake your hoof thing, yeah yeah! Show em how we do it now!"

I noticed to see Applejack and Pinkie looking at me oddly..."Umm, don't mind me girls, carry on."

"It's an invitation to mine and Gummy's party to celebrate my birthday today this afternoon." Pinkie said whilst bouncing.

"This afternoon, as in this afternoon, this afternoon?" Applejack asked.

"That's funny, because that's exactly what Twilight said and of course it's yes, it's this afternoon."

"Well ah'd love to come but umm...ah have to keep picking these apples down, cause that's what we do."

Now everypony knows that Applejack is a lousy liar, so I was praying that Pinkie didn't catch on to that fact right there and then. Pinkie gave Applejack a suspicious look before going back to normal happy mood.

"Okie, dokie, lokie, a party is still a party. Even if there are only three guests."

I breathed a sigh of relief...it may have gone against her element of harmony, but that was a close one for Applejack.

"Let's try Rarity and see if she's free." I said to Pinkie as we left the farm.

"Alrighty, let's go."

We walked back and on to Rarity's home to find her having her trash can being carried out of the house by Spike who looked like he needed a bath.

"Anything else I can do for you, most beautiful one?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

Rarity sniffed and turned her head away, "Hmm, perhaps you could take a bath...how do I put this delicately?" she thought for a moment, "You smell like a rotten apple core that's been wrapped in malted hay and dipped in dragon perspiration."

Wow, that was quite honest...but it didn't seem to hurt Spike as he began to float in the air with hearts in his eyes before he was pushed away lightly by Rarity.

We walked on over and Rarity noticed us. "Hey Bond Racer darling and ooh Pinkie Pie, I love the hat, very modern, what's the occasion?" Rarity asked.

"Mine and Gummy's birthday party this afternoon, I'm delivering invitations." Pinkie replied.

"A party this afternoon, as in this afternoon, this afternoon?"

"It's so strange, everypony keeps saying that."

"Uhh do they?"

"I know it's short notice, but we haven't had such a great time for while, I felt that we could have a party today."

"And I'm sure that we would, but I'm going to have to decline." Rarity then tried to think of an excuse, "I've gotta wash my hair."

"Don't be silly, your hair doesn't look dirty."

"It doesn't?"

"Nope."

Rarity then went straight to the trash can and dumped her head inside it. "See?" she asked whilst trying not to vomit, "Dirty, I have to go." She then galloped into her home and closed the door.

"Well...that was weird." I said out loud.

"Huh, no Twilight, no Applejack and no Rarity." she pondered, "Oh well, a party is still a party with only two guests."

"Don't forget me." I intervened.

"Oh yes and you as well."

"What about Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, let's go and see them."

We then trotted over to Fluttershy's cottage to find her and Dash in the same place, much to our relief.

"Hi Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, I have a party for me and Gummy this afternoon, wanna come?" she asked them.

"This afternoon?" Dash asked.

"As in..." Fluttershy was then cut off by Pinkie.

"Yes, as in this afternoon, this afternoon."

"Oh man, we'd love to, but we're house sitting this afternoon." Dash said.

It occurred to me that house sitting was beginning to sound much more fun than just clinging on to Pinkie and making sure she stays distracted until the real birthday party arrives later.

Pinkie sighed, "Both of you?"

"It's uhh, a big house." Fluttershy added.

Dash then drew a watch on her wrist which made me laugh on the inside. "Oh would you look at the time, we gotta get going." she added showing the drawn watch to Pinkie, before they flew off...before Pinkie shouted.

"Wait! Maybe I could bring you cake and ice cream."

Uh oh...looks like Pinkie was about to get smarter...

"Who are you house sitting for?"

"Hairy." Dash replied.

"Hairy?"

"Yeah, I don't think you know him."

"That's strange, I know just about everypony around here."

"He's a bear." Fluttershy added.

"A bear?"

"Yep, he's a bear alright and he'll be pretty upset if we don't get to his house soon."

They both were about to fly off when Pinkie called out to them again.

"Wait! There's a bear around here that lives in a house?"

Yeah, this was not looking good at the moment, I winked at them to keep trying and carry on with it.

"It's really more of a cave." Fluttershy answered.

"But he's fixed the place up so much, it feels like a house." Dash added.

"And er he wants us to look after his house err cave while he's err."

"At the beach."

"He's vacationing at the beach?" Pinkie asked.

That's not even a word, Pinkie, I thought to myself.

"Yeah, he loves to..."

Here I thought Pinkie was about to catch on until Fluttershy and Dash came up with various hobbies that hairy loves to do.

"Gotta go!" Dash said as she and Fluttershy zoomed away this time.

"So it's just you, me and Gummy for the party this afternoon." I said to her. "Let's go back to Sugarcube Corner."

She nodded with a confused look, we walked back and made our way to her room to find Gummy with a ball of string.

"Something very strange is definitely going on around here, Bond." Pinkie said, "Sure, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy have to house sit for the vacational bear, but what are the chances of all my other friends having plans this afternoon too?"

"I don't know, but if anything, at least I'm 100% free to be here for it." I assured her.

"Rarity has to wash her hair, Applejack has to pick apples and Twilight's fallen behind her studies and has to hit the books?"

"Read the books you mean?" I corrected.

"The more that I think about it, the more those are starting to sound like..." she then gasped "...excuses!"

"Oh come on Pinkie, it's not that bad..."

"You know what, forget the party...it's no fun with just you, me and Gummy." Pinkie sighed.

"Alright...I'm sorry that I couldn't be much help." I said to her.

"It's okay, you were being a good friend...I'll see you next time."

"Alright, see you later, Pinkie."

I then left her room and downstairs to find Twilight and Mrs. Cake.

"Oh hey there, is it do with the cake?" I asked quietly.

"It is...thanks Mrs. Cake, remember, not a word about it." Twilight replied.

Twilight then placed the box with the cake on her back as we left the shop.

"How did it go with Pinkie?" she asked as we walked through the town.

"It worked...but I feel so bad for keeping it a secret from her." I replied sadly.

"Don't worry, Bond, the birthday party will start soon...just need to finalize the gift on this cake and we'll be ready."

"In the meantime, I think I'll take a rest."

"Okay, do that...oh and we're all set to be ready by 4:00pm, so you have an hour to either rest up or keep an eye on Pinkie."

"Hmm, I much prefer for the former option, so I'll see you all later." I replied.

"Alright, Bond...don't be late."

"I won't."

So I made my way into my home and I took a rest on the sofa...keeping a secret from Pinkie is next to impossible, I had to give credit to the others that they were able to do it so easily. Least I can get some downtime until the birthday party.

It was nearly an hour later, it was time for me to go and get Pinkie and take her to the barn for the party. I walked back to the shop and upstairs to the first floor, to find a table and guests in the form of various objects...before noticing Pinkie looking less pink and with her mane straight down. From my point, this was not good.

"Who could that be?" Pinkie asked herself.

"It's me, Bond." I said as I opened the door.

"Oh...it's you, what do you want?"

"I just wanted you to come with me to Sweet Apple Acres...I have a confession to tell you and the rest of the girls about."

"A confession?"

"Yeah, but we need to leave here soon, I wanna tell all about it where nopony else can hear."

"Okay."

We then left Sugarcube Corner and travelled to the farm, I volunteered to let her hold on to me whilst I flew which she accepted. We arrived to outside the barn in a very short period of time, before landing.

"Come on, Pinkie, in here." I said.

"Alright..."

We then opened the barn door which was dark, as we walked in, the lights came on.

"SURPRISE!" shouted the five mares and Spike.

Suddenly Pinkie went back to normal with her bright pink colours and curly mane and tail restored. "Ohmygosh!" Pinkie exclaimed. "It's a birthday party?!"

"It is and it's for you, Pinkie!" I replied.

"And because you all love me so much, you threw me a surprise party!"

"That's what we've been trying to tell you, darling." Rarity answered.

"You six are the best friends ever!" she then felt sad for a moment, "How could I have ever doubted you?"

"It's okay Pinkie Pie, it could've happened to any of us." Twilight replied.

"By the way, what was your confession about, Bond?" Pinkie asked me.

"Oh yes...my confession is that I knew the surprise party from the beginning and I'm sorry for lying to you today, but I had to in order to keep it a surprise." I answered.

"It's alright Bond, you were being a true friend all day." she then opened up her hooves, offering a hug.

I accepted the hug, confirming that things were alright.

"Alright everypony, enough of this gabbing." Applejack said as she got the victrola going. "Let's party!"

Soon, we were all dancing away and having a great time. After a while, Twilight and Spike were going over writing a letter as the others played a game of piñata. "Dear Princess Celestia…" I heard Twilight's voice behind me. "…I am writing to you from the most delightful party. I'm not only having a great time with my friends, but also was given the opportunity to learn a valuable lesson about friendship. Always expect the best from your friends, and never assume the worst. Rest assured that a good friend always has your best interests at heart. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."

I liked that one a lot, since these six mares are the best friends I've had...and they're streetlights better than the ponies I met back at the Fillydelphia filly school. After the party was over, we were feeling quite tried, but we had to rest up as much as possible cause in a few days time, the Grand Galloping Gala was approaching.

"Now that's what I call a birthday party!" I declared.

The others all agreed.

"But now everypony, there's one more special event coming up this week." Twilight said.

"The Grand Galloping Gala!" Pinkie jumped.

"Yes, but we must take it easy for the next few days."

"You can count on us doing just that, sugarcube." Applejack assured.

"As will I, dear." Rarity added.

"Good, as soon as we make a plan of what to do during that day, we'll be ready for later that evening if all goes as smoothly as planned."

"And when we get there, it'll be the eight of us spending time together!" Spike intervened.

"Alrighty then...let's all head home." I said.

We all agreed. We said our goodbyes to Applejack as we walked back to Ponyville, Dash then said goodbye to us as she flew off to her home in Cloudsdale. The rest of us exchanged our farewells and headed to our homes, I walked back to mine and headed on inside. Getting out of my clothes and into bed, I looked back at today's events.

It seems that Pinkie has a different side to her after all, but it seems to be far much worse than her happy and random side. Good thing I don't have that in my personality, but as I began to sleep away, I learnt another odd lesson...don't ignore Pinkie or she'll cut you! Next Chapter: The Best Night Ever Estimated time remaining: 23 Hours, 42 Minutes