"Pfft!" Shade stifles her laughter behind a hoof. Welcome Princess Celest, she reads the banner to herself.

"You can't hang a banner that says 'Welcome Princess Celest.' Take it down and try again," Twilight advises behind Shade.

Shade turns to greet her friend and stifles another giggle at her frazzled friend. "Hey. Who is this 'Princess Celest?'"

Twilight stares at Shade with a straight face. "Not today, Shade."

"What's all this for anyways?"

"Princess Celestia is coming to Ponyville for a visit."

"Well, guess I'm going on vacation." Shade turns abruptly around and waves to Twilight, "See you all tomorrow."

Twilight huffs and returns to checking on preparations.

Traipsing through the Everfree Forest, Shade stops to listen to a peculiar sound. Something chirps in nearby bushes. A tense moment of bated breaths and the creature making the noise hops out of the bushes and chirps up at Shade.

Shade cocks her head at the little, round insect. She picks it up in her hooves and lifts up her goggles to inspect it further.

"Aren't you a curious little bugger," Shade speaks aloud. She does a double take around her to make sure there are no deer in the vicinity. "Maybe Fluttershy will have an idea what you are." Before she could magic the creature away, it hops into her mane and burrows deep within. Shade shrugs and begins her walk to Fluttershy's cottage.

A quick locating spell informs Shade that her friend is in town. Shade begins to head down the road but stops when commotion in her mane draws her attention. Three of the buggers pop out of her mane.

"Fuuuuck no!" Shade exclaims. She pulls the three creatures out of her mane and proceeds to incinerate two of them. The third creature succumbs to a sleep spell.

Shade decides to stop by Carousel Boutique when she hears laughter originating from inside the shop. The bell above the door announces her presence. In the middle of the boutique, Shade notices Rarity working on a dress with one of the creatures assisting her.

"Rarity."

The sudden voice catches the fashionista off guard and she yelps in surprise. She turns around to face Shade, as she held a hoof against her chest to calm her heart. "Goodness me, Shade. I apologize I did not hear you come in. How can I be of assistance?"

Shade levitates the pink creature with large eyes and four insect-like wings to Rarity. "What is this?"

"They are the most darling and adorable creatures ever!" Rarity gushes as she nuzzles the orange creature.

"What is this?" Shade asks again.

"They are called parasprites, darling," Rarity answers and resumes working on her dress. "Twilight brought these over after Fluttershy showed them to her."

"'Parasprite?'" Shade taps her chin in thought. Shade places her pink parasprite on Rarity's back. "Keep it," Shade tells Rarity as she leaves the botique.

Shade heads over to her house to research the creature. She notices Pinkie exiting the general store carrying a trombone.

"Hey, Pinkey-winkie." Shade greets her friend warmly as she trots up to the pink pony.

"Hey, Shadey-wadey!" Pinkie smiles. "What's up?"

"I'm heading to the house to research what parasprites are."

"'Parasprites, ugh," Pinkie replies in disgust.

"What? What do they do?" Shade asks, her curiosity piqued.

"Nasty little creatures that eat up food. We need to get them out of here before they multiply," Pinkie explains.

"Alright. How do we do that?" Shade nods.

"Gather as many instruments as we can so everyone can play a song to lure them away," Pinkie instructs matter-of-factly.

"I have a guitar…"

"That's good but we need loud instruments, cymbals, drums—"

"Accordion?" Shade adds.

Pinkie beams, "Especially an accordion!"

"Ah, today is Saturday. The music store is closed today," Shade states.

"Yeah. We'll just have to wait until tomorrow. Hopefully, we won't be to late!" Pinkie grabs Shade's face and stares wildly into her eyes.

Shade chuckles and shakes Pinkie off. "Relax. You have me here. There is nothing we can't stop together."

"Thanks, Shadey-wadey!" Pinkie hugs Shade and prances away, "I have to go prepare the other instruments!"

Shade walks down the cobblestone lane to her house. The sound of a hammer striking metal makes her look to the left where she sees Grey Smith working at the forge. He works the steel with fervent passion. A sigh leaves her nostrils as she turns to open her door and enter her home.

You will be safe here.

"Shade!"

Pinkie's distressing voice alerts Shade awake along with her body shaking back and forth.

"Pinkie!" Shade manages to blurt out.

"Thank Celestia!"

Before Shade can make a comment, she notices Pinkie's teary eyes and slightly wet cheeks.

"Wha—"

A hug and tight squeeze keeps the question in Shade's throat.

"You weren't waking up!" Pinkie sobs.

Shade rubs Pinkie's back. "I'm awake now, Pinkie," Shade comforts Pinkie in a soft tone.

Pinkie sniffles and rubs her face along her fetlock before ending her embrace with Shade. Her face transitions from desperation to serious. "The parasprites are have started to eat everything! Twilight cast a spell to make them stop eating food and now they are eating houses and everything else!"

"What do you need me to do?" Shade inquires with a small grin.

Pinkie's face splits with a huge grin. "I have yours ready downstairs. Let's go!"

Without further explanation, Pinkie grabs Shade's hoof and pulls the ivory pony out of her bed. They rush downstairs where some parasprites had begun to eat Shade's home. Her horns flare with anger and Shade zaps the parasprites with magic disintegrating the creatures. Shade turns to look behind her to check on Pinkie and sees the party pony strapping a contraption of instruments on.

Next to her friend lays a similar musical contraption. Shade smiles and walks over to the amalgamation. After a few moments, she has the contraption strapped to her.

"Lead the way, Pinkie-winkey," Shade grins and points a hoof forward.

"Okey dokie lokey!" Pinkie giggles and proceeds out the blue door.

The sounds the contraptions had made was not entirely pleasing to the ears but Shade notices the parasprites following the ridiculous duo as she follows Pinkie. As they parade down the street she notices Twilight up ahead along with her other friends.

"Pinkie? We're in the middle of a crisis here. This is no time for your..." Twilight begins to say but is suprised to see the parasprites begin to dance to the music and follow Pinkie and Shade, "…nonsense?"

Shade continues to toot on her trumpet and march with the maracas attached to her legs as she glares at Twilight sideways. Oh, was Shade going to give Twilight a piece of her mind when this is over.

Shade and Pinkie continue their show pass an uncertain Princess Celestia. Pinkie stops at the entrance of the Everfree Forest and Shade watches the parasprites dance in a single file line into the Everfree Forest. Before they disappear, she gathers the pests with her magic and holds them in a crimson sphere of magic.

Twilight and the others trot up to Pinkie and Shade.

"Hey, what happened to the princess?" Pinkie inquires.

"Emergency in Fillydelphia," Twilight answers.

"Some sort of 'infestation,'" Rainbow Dash adds.

"Oh no! Have they got parasprites too? Well, have tuba, will travel," Pinkie replies and toots on the tuba.

Twilight smiles, "I think the princess can handle it."

"So you knew what those critters were all along, huh Pinkie Pie?" Applejack asks.

"Well, duh! Why do you think I was so frantic to get my hooves on all these instruments? I tried to tell you!" Pinkie explains.

Twilight apologizes, "We know, Pinkie Pie, and we're sorry we didn't listen."

The others say their sorrys on top of another. Shade nods her head.

"You're a great friend, even if we don't always understand you," Twilight states.

Pinkie smiles, "Thanks guys, you're all great friends too, even when I don't understand me."

"You saved my reputation with Princess Celestia, and more importantly—" she stops when she hears flames roar and thousands of terrified screeches.

Shade dispels the sphere of magic sending the parasprite ashes to the Dragonlands. Her friends' faces pale in horror.

"How can you all ignore a friend? She knew what they were from the beginning. Why did you not listen to what she had to say?" Shade turns to Pinkie, "When you need to get their attention, you can be loud. Assert yourself more. This all could have been avoided."

Fluttershy gapes and blinks at Shade. "Y-y-you ki-k-killed them…"

"The only good pest is a dead one," Shade states grimmly. She heads back to town and says back to them, "We have a town to fix."