Initially, Clyde had hoped he might still make it in time, thus having to deal with only a single Parasprite. The road to Baltimare told an entirely different tale. By the number of plants that had mysteriously vanished from the side of the road, Clyde estimated their numbers to be in the thousands.

When Clyde finally reached Baltimare, the city had changed beyond recognition. Market stands were thrown over, only their inedible remains scattered across the streets. Ponies were running wild, either giving chase or running from various swarms of Parasprites. Even a couple of buildings had partly collapsed and a fire had broken out somewhere, as indicated by a cloud of smoke hovering above the city.

Without a moment's hesitation, Clyde turned on the gramophone and held it up high above his head. The desired effect eventuated: All Parasprites ceased their attack and started to follow the music. Eventually, the crazed ponies calmed down and gathered in a cluster of ponies behind Clyde.

The farmer pony knew he didn't have enough time to wander through the entire city; at some point the gramophone's batteries would run out. He had to think of something, and fast. Luckily out of the corner of his eye, he saw a record store.

Clyde put down the gramophone next to the door before he entered the store. To his surprise, an employee was still inside, possibly completely oblivious to the chaos that had struck town.

“I need all your gramophones and all your records of the Pony Polka,” Clyde pleaded.

“Let's see: that would be thirty gramophones and twenty-two records for a total of six hundred and fifty-eight bits,” the clerk reported.

“I don't want to buy them, I need them! There is an emergency! The whole city is in danger!” Clyde explained.

“I can't just give them to you. Mr. Jenkins would be furious. I'd get canned,” the clerk declared.

A voice called out from the crowd, that had stopped in front of the store, quickly making its way to the front.

“This is beyond you or any Mr. Jenkins! The entire city, maybe even the entire country is in danger, and this stallion over here has found a way to stop it. We'll have to take these gramophone, and once all of this is over we will return them. By the love of Celestia, you have my word!”

The crowd agreed by a small number of cheers. By the end of its speech, the voice had made its way inside the shop. Clyde had already recognized it as Long Arm's.

Clyde turned to his colleague. “Thank you, my friend.”

Long Arm responded: “Thank me later, we've got a city to save!”

All gramophones were quickly distributed, as plans were made how to spread them across the city most effectively.

*  *  *

“I've never done anything like this before,” Pinkie stated.

“It's simple. Ya just spit in yer hoof and shake it,” Applejack explained.

“Yuck! I don't want to do that. We should do it some other way.”

Silence befell the tree house, as the two fillies were thinking of an alternative to seal their oath. The tree house, up in an apple tree in Sweet Apple Acres, was even older than Applejack. It had already been a hideout for her parents when they were young, until some day Applejack inherited it from her mother. Pinkie was now the first friend she dared to bring to this special place of hers.

“Ah know!” Applejack exclaimed. “Somewhere in a book Ah read a special vow ponies used ta take a long time ago. I think it went: 'Cross mah heart and hope ta die'.”

“That's way too dark. We should think of something happier,” Pinkie suggested. “How about: 'Cross my heart and hope to fly'.”

“That would work,” Applejack said with a smile.

Pinkie started to ponder. “I don't know, it doesn't seem quite finished. I think it needs a cupcake somewhere along the lines.”

Applejack laughed: “Oh Pinkie, you're so silly!”

“How about: “Cross my heart and hope to fly and all the cupcakes I will ever eat will be sour and won't taste good at all”?”

“Pinkie, that's just way too long.” Applejack giggled.

“Hmm, you're right. What about: 'Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye'?”

“That's perfect!”

“Okay then, we start at the count of three.”

“One.”

“Two.”

“Three,” both friends shouted at once.

“I promise that Applejack and I will remain best friends forever,” Pinkie vowed, while Applejack made the same promise with Pinkie's name instead of hers.

“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” they both continued.

“Now that’s what I call a proper Pinkie promise,” Pinkie exclaimed, earning another chuckle from Applejack.

*  *  *

With the help of hundreds of ponies, rounding up all the Parasprites had taken no more than an hour. Eventually, all groups gathered in front of a number of empty warehouses in the dock area, as they had previously planned. The Parasprites were secured within these warehouses, disabling them from causing any further damage to the city.

Afterwards, Long Arm personally made sure all the borrowed gramophones were returned to  the store and that both, the shop owner and the clerk, got recognition for the vital part they had played.

The rest of the crowd threw a parade for Clyde Pie, who was now deemed savior of the city. This was rather troublesome for Clyde, since all he could think of now was getting back to his wife. Thankfully, the crowd was pleased with a quick speech he improvised, making him free to go.

Just as he was about to leave, a hoof got hold of his shoulder.

“Mr. Pie, I want to talk to you about something,” the stranger attached to the hoof said.

“What do you want to talk about?” Clyde asked.

“We want to offer you a job. We need you. By all means, it will be worth your while.”

*  *  *

Things were looking up for Pinkie: she had a best friend she would do anything for, she made lots of new friends at school, as well as improving her grades, even her sisters seemed to slowly warm up to their new home.

All the worries and all the fears were now things of the past. The only things on Pinkie's mind were how much cupcakes she could have for dinner, and which ponies she couldn't count among her friends yet. She had even made up with the two bullies from her first day at the new school. Pinkie could certainly get used to her new life in Ponyville.

*  *  *

When Clyde returned home, Martha had calmed down.

“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for leaving you, but the entire city was in danger and I knew how to save it. Otherwise I would have never left you!” he began.

“I know. I already heard from the neighbors, I had a lot of time to talk to them. I even know that you are a hero.” Martha gave her husband a weak smile.

“There's more,” Clyde said, “I've been offered a job in Liverfoal. The pay is great and we could get back our children, but we would have to leave the farm behind...”

“...and you just can't do that, can you?” Martha finished his sentence.

“Actually I could, but I was afraid what you would have to say about the idea. After all the farm is your inheritance. It doesn't feel right to just leave it behind,” Clyde informed.

Martha responded: “But just look at this place: This isn't a farm anymore. Nothing is ever going to grow here again. It's unfortunate, but there isn't anything left of what my parents had left for me.”

“So I suppose I should take the job.”

“As long as it gets us our daughters back, anything else is out of the question.”

*  *  *

Pinkie had slept in, which was a strange occurrence by itself, but on this one of all days, it had to be more than a coincidence. When she did finally go downstairs, she rubbed her eyes in disbelief at the sight the kitchen beheld: The entire family, her parents, her sisters, and the Cakes, sat around the kitchen table, happily snacking and conversing. Pinkie instantly rushed towards her parents to give both of them a hug.

“Mother! Father! What are you doing here?” The obvious first question that popped up in Pinkie's mind.

“We have great news! We've come to get you kids back. We're gonna be a family again” Martha answered merrily.

Clyde continued: “You see, I've been offered a job in Liverfoal, so we decided to move the entire family up there. Well, the Cakes probably won't come along; they have a business to run after all...”

Pinkie was spacing out. Why did it have to happen at a time like this? She had finally acclimated herself in Ponyville. She was getting along in school and even made a best friend. And after that, she would just have to go pack up and leave everything behind in an instant.

Clyde was still talking: “...and they pay me a lot more than before. We'll live in a bigger house. You'll go to a better school. Our new life will be...”

“But I don't want to go,” Pinkie interrupted.

The entire family was dumbstruck. Martha was the first to ask: “What was that, dear?”

“I don't want to go,” Pinkie repeated.

“That's nonsense! Why wouldn't you want to go? Just pack up and in a few days we'll live a better life in Liverfoal,” Martha persistently explained.

“But I don't want to go!” Pinkie cried out. She turned her back on the family and ran out the door. She desperately wanted to be alone right now.

Again, everpony was flabbergasted. After a few moments, Clyde got up to follow his daughter.

*  *  *

It wasn't hard for her father to find Pinkie Pie. Every passerby had easily noticed a crying filly running along the streets of Ponyville. His pursuit eventually led him to Sweet Apple Acres. The Apple family was very helpful and provided him with unlimited access to the fields. Their youngest child Applejack was eager to help with the search, but Clyde turned her down. He wanted to talk with his daughter in private. There wasn't a whole lot of places where the filly could hide and Clyde soon found Pinkie in a tree house, which had been the Apples' first guess.

Pinkie was cowering in a corner, her knees drawn to her face. She had ceased crying, but her cheeks still bore a couple of tears. Clyde sat down next to her.

“Tell me, sweetie, what has you so upset?” he started.

Pinkie simply gave her father the silent treatment.

Clyde began again: “I'm not mad at you, Pinkamena. I just came here to talk to you. Please tell me what has you so upset.”

Their eyes locked as Pinkie witnessed the sincerity in her father's words.

“Nobody ever asked me what I wanted,” Pinkie began. “I never wanted to move from the farm. None of us wanted to. All of us were only sad when we got here. But then I met Applejack and we became bestest friends, and everything started to get better. I made more friends and got along in school. Now Ponyville feels like a new home and we have to move again and everything starts over. I don't want to be sad again when we move. And I don't want to leave Applejack. It's just not fair.”

At the end, Pinkie averted her gaze back to her knees. Clyde sat there, listening patiently while processing the information.

“But do you really want to stay behind? Aren't you going to miss us?” Clyde asked.

“Of course I'll miss you! But I would also miss Applejack, and the Cakes, and Ponyville, and the others. I don't know! I just don't want to move again,” Pinkie responded.

It wasn't easy, but Clyde made a decision. “I came here to talk you into coming with us, but I won't. I guess that makes me a terrible father. Maybe it makes me a good father. I wish there was an easier way to tell.” He smiled weakly at his daughter, who didn't bother looking up.

Clyde continued: “I always knew you were special. From the moment you were born I knew I would never have to worry about you, you would find your way. You have this amazing gift: You brighten up the lives of all the ponies around you; you always want the best for everpony and they know it and return the favor.”

Clyde concluded:“If you really want to stay in Ponyville you can, as long as the Cakes don't mind. I want you to be happy and I know you will be without us. We'll miss you, of course. But I guess eventually every parent has to part with his children and at least I know you are safe here and have somepony to look after you.”

Pinkie just looked at him with big curious eyes. A sudden urge overcame Clyde to hug his daughter and he gave in.

“I love you, Pinkie! And so does your mom, and your sisters. Don't ever forget that.”

Pinkie returned the hug. “I love you too, daddy!”

“Will you come back to visit?” Pinkie inquired.

“We'll come back to visit as soon as we can. I promise,” Clyde replied.

“Can you Pinkie promise?”

“What's that?”

Pinkie quickly enlightened her father about the promise Applejack and her had made up.

Clyde vowed: “I promise! Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

As the two of them sat in the tree house, clinging to one another, time came to a standstill.

*  *  *

At nightfall, all the Pies, save for one, were ready to leave. They had spent the remainder of the day with two things: packing their bags and accepting the fact Pinkie would not join them. There had been a heated argument between Martha and Clyde, the first insisting on Pinkie coming along, the latter defending the choice she made for herself. In the end Martha just gave in, trusting in her daughter's ability to care for herself.

The farewell was rather short: There were brief but heartfelt hugs between Pinkie and the Cakes, and everypony else. Few words were spoken; all were at a loss for words, as the speeches of their previous departure from the rock farm still resonated in their heads.

The last to say their goodbyes were Pinkie and Clyde. His parting gift was a kiss on the forehead. One last time they stared in each others eyes, remembering the promise made in the tree house. Then the Pies were off to the harbors of Baltimare, eventually crossing to Liverfoal. Pinkie waved after them until they got out of sight.

Mrs. Cake approached Pinkie. “How are you holding up?”

“I'm fine,” Pinkie answered sincerely.

“And what do you want to do now?” Mr. Cake asked.

“I don't know,” Pinkie replied. “There's still so much of Ponyville to explore. There are still so many ponies here I don't know. I want to be friends with them all!”

The End