"Next time, I think I'll just pass out written invitations," Pinkie labors and flops onto the wooden floor.

Shade smiles at Pinkie wearing a cake costume and sporting a second cake atop her head. "I told you I could deliver the invitations for you." Shade walks over to her pink pony and lifts her to her hooves. She ignites her horns to cast a rejuvenation spell on Pinkie.

Pinkie Pie wraps her hooves around Shade's neck, "I'll definitely ask you to do that next time! Oh!" She springboards back to her previous position. "Gummy! Do your thing!"

The little green alligator dives into the curly fluff known as Pinkie's mane to fish out an invitation and presents the paper to Shade. Shade stares back at the reptile and his exotropic purple eyes as he blinks slowly.

Shade envelopes the paper with her crimson magic, "Thanks, Gummy." She opens the invitation which explodes with confetti and streamers.

Pinkie Pie falls to the floor in a fit of laughter.

Shade shakes her head to remove the surprise from her face. "You got me," she laughs.

Pinkie Pie springs up to her hooves to kiss Shade. "Be there or be square," she giggles.

"Because if I'm not there, I wouldn't be around?" Shade inquires with a knowing grin.

Pinkie Pie giggle-snorts. "Yup! See ya later, Shadey-wadey!"

Inside the diabetes shack, Shade hears the music of the party underway. At least the party is just for her group of friends. Shade exhales the breath of anxiety she had subconsciously stored in her lungs. She adjusts her goggles before knocking on the door. The door swings open to reveal a bubbly pink pony.

"Shadey-wadey!" Pinkie Pie shrills.

"Expecting somepony else?" Shade smirks.

"C'mon!" Pinkie pulls Shade inside, "Gummy was just talking about you!"

In an instant, Shade finds herself muzzle to nose with said one-year-old alligator.

Shade lifts up her goggles to reveal her narrowing yellow eyes to the reptile. "So, Gommeux, I hear you've been talking about me. All nice things I hope?"

Gummy's eyes blink lazily. Oui.

"Good. Now," an orange box with red ribbon appears before Gummy in a crimson flash, "Happy birthday, Gummy."

Gummy blinks. Oui.

Shade cracks a smile.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack stand around a wooden apple-bobbing tub. . . to bob for apples. Applejack dunks her head into the tub to retrieve a red apple which she eats quickly in one bite.

"Nice one! Now let me show you how it's really done," Rainbow Dash comments. She opens her mouth wide and rears her head back to prepare herself for the task at hoof.

"Hey, girls!" Pinkie Pie greets her two competitive friends as she walks up to the tub.

Rainbow Dash halts her objective to return her friend's greeting, "Hey, Pinkie Pie!"

"Howdy!" the Stetson-wearing cowpony welcomes.

Pinkie Pie hums happily, "Just wanted to tell you how happy I am that you could make it to Gummy's party."

"Are you kiddin'? I wouldn't have missed it for the world," Applejack replies.

"Me neither. When Pinkie Pie throws a party, I am there!" Rainbow Dash states. She dunks her head into the tub and retrieves an apple. "Ta-da!" she boasts with the apple between her teeth.

"Aw! It's just a boring old apple," Pinkie deflates. She then springs back to life a second later, "Don't worry, there are plenty of other surprises in there."

Rainbow Dash spits the apple out of her mouth, which bounces off Applrjack’s cheek, to ask, "What kind of surprises?"

"You know," Shade says as she approaches the tub, "if Pinkie told you what was in there. . ."

". . .then it wouldn't be a surprise," Pinkie finishes the statement with a giggle and skips away.

"I'm sure there's nothing sharp in there," Shade comments. She begins to walk away but stops midstep. A quick scanning spell on the tub affirms Shade’s statement. "Like I said, nothing sharp in there,” she nods knowingly.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack share a look of uncertainty with each other and the tub.

Shade sees Rarity spit punch all over Pinkie’s face. Shade’s horns ignite.

Before she unleashed her spell she hears Pinkie nonchalantly reply, “It’s Gummy’s favorite.”

Shade watches Pinkie Pie zip over to the dance floor. She makes her way to the other white mare.

Rarity yelps when a cold arm drapes over her. She turns to see a Shade grinning. “O-oh! It’s just you! How are you finding the party, darling?”

Shade pulls Rarity in close for a crushing hug. “Splendid! Hey! Here’s an idea: let’s keep the spitting in ponies faces to a. . . never-do-that-again. Okay?”

“O,” Rarity strains as her ribs press against her lungs, “kay!”

“Good!” Shade chirps and releases Rarity.

Rarity collapses to the ground. Her lungs breathe in fresh air and her sides ache in pain.

“C'mon, everypony!” Pinkie’s voice carries over the music, “Gummy wants to dance!”

Shade smiles in good humor and makes her way to the dance floor to join the other ponies.

“Go, Gummy! It's your birthday! Go, Gummy! It's your birthday!” Pinkie chants as everypony—and gator—dances to the music.

Shade breathes in a long yawn behind a hoof. She stretches her frame when Pinkie Pie bounds down the stairs with a beaming smile. For some odd reason a gnawing “bad feeling” ate at the back of her mind.

“Hey, Shadey-wadey!” Pinkie chimes.

“Sup?”

“Twilight just gave me a great idea!”

A long silence hangs in the air before Shade breaks it. “Go on. . .” Shade says as she rolls her left hoof.

“It’s going to be a surprise!” Pinkie smiles.

Shade shakes her head in good humor. She slips off the chair to close the distance between the two. Pinkie lunges at Shade to wrap her forelegs around the tricorn’s neck.

“Wanna head back to my place or would the Cakes mind me sleeping over?” Shade asks as she leans into Pinkie’s warm embrace.

“Actually, I was going to suggest you to head on home. I’m going to busy tomorrow morning for the surprise.”

“Alright. Just don’t over do it, Pinkie,” Shade advises.

They exchange a kiss or ten before saying their good nights and Shade returning to her house. As the cool night air breathes on her, Shade’s “bad feeling” alarm keeps scratching the back of her mind.

Crack!

The early morning cool air is full of the sounds of applebucking. Shade levitates a bushel of apples over cart and dumps them into the cart half full of apples.

“You’re always a welcome help, Shade,” Applejack compliments her tricorn friend.

Shade smiles, “I like the work.”

“Speaking of work,” Applejack begins as she hitches herself to a train of carts, “We still have a few more things to work on for Pinkie’s surprise.”

“Eeyup.” Shade attaches herself to another train of carts. “With everypony’s help we should be finished by this afternoon. Too bad these apples can’t pick themselves.”

Applejack laughs. “What fun would that be?”

“I guess you’re right.”

The two of them pull up to the barn when Pinkie Pie wearing a basket full of pink envelopes as a hat pops out of a stack of hay which startles Applejack.

“Oh, hi, Pinkie Pie!” Applejack greets her friend warmly. “What brings you 'round these parts?”

“Who's ready to shake their hoof-thang?!” Pinkie announces.

“I know I am,” Shade comments from behind Applejack.

“Hey, Shadey-wadey!” Pinkie zooms over to Shade and hugs her neck. “So this is where you were hiding. Here!” Pinkie tosses an envelope to Shade who expertly catches it in her magic. “It's an invitation to Gummy's ‘after-birthday’ party this afternoon. There's gonna be dancing, and games, and cake, and ice-cream, and punch!”

“Thisafternoon? A-as in, ‘this afternoon’ this afternoon?” Applejack repeats for clarification.

“That's funny. That's just what Twilight said, and the answer is, ‘Yes! It's this afternoon!’” Pinkie Pie beams.

“Aw, Pinkie,” Shade says downhearted, “We really wish we could make it but we are going to be busy bucking apples all day. Right, Applejack?” Shade turns and winks at the orange pony.

“Ee-eeyup!” Applejack affirms with a straining grin.

Pinkie Pie narrows her eyes at the element of honesty.

Shade spins Pinkie Pie away and begins to walk her to the front gate, “Sorry, Pinkie.”

Pinkie cranes her neck back to study the nervous Applejack.

Shade uses her hoof to return Pinkie’s attention to herself. Shade plants Pinkie with an exaggerated kiss. “Save us some cake.”

Pinkie Pie scrutinizines her marefriend. She brightens up, “Okey-dokey-lokey! A party is still a party, even if there are only three guests.”

With an even longer kiss goodbye, Pinkie pounces away to carry out her task of delivering invitations.

“Wheew!” Applejack interjects and emphasizes with a hoof swipe across her brow. “You think she bought it?”

“Definitely,” Shade chuckles. “C’mon, we have a lot of work to do.”

“I just hope Pinkie Pie wasn’t suspicious of anything,” Fluttershy says after informing the others of her run in with said pink pony.

Shade facehoofs, “Of course she suspects something. She wasn’t wearing a hay bale because they’re fashionable.”

“That’s right,” Rarity chimes in, “Hay bales are so last summer.”

“Right. . .” Applejack replies uncertain.

“Applejack! We have a problem!” Rainbow Dash calls from outside.

Rainbow Dash zooms into the barn and is caught in a crimson glow. Before Shade can ask she hears Pinkie.

“I know you're IN THERE!” Pinkie announces, anger hot on her words.

Applejack looks back to the others inside the barn and then to Shade. Shade winks to Applejack. In a crimson flash, everypony and all the decorations disappear.

Applejack, slightly relieved and confused opens up the barn door to see a frazzled Pinkie Pie. “Oh! Howdy, pardner!”

“Mind if I... take a look inside thebarn?” Pinkie asks as she leans forward into Applejack.

“I d-don’t see why not!” Applejack smiles lamely and steps out of the pink mare’s way.

“Ah-ha!” Pinkie interjects as she jumps into the barn. “What?” confusion twists her face as she scans the barn full of apples. “Rainbow Dash just flew in here. . .”

“Oh, well, she was just bringin' in. . .” Applejack begins but fails at coming up with something. Just then a small, crimson flash behind Pinkie catches the orange pony’s eye. “A letter?” Realization stikes Applejack. She bulldozes through Pinkie to pick up the letter. “She was delivering a letter,” Applejack states confidently.

“Okey dokey lokey. . .” Pinkie says deflated and makes her way out the barn slowly.

“Alright,” Applejack says as she pokes her head around the door frame, “coasted clear.”

Pop!

When she turns around, everypony and everything is back in the barn. Shade collapses to the ground.

“Wow, Shade! That was impressive,” Twilight applaudes. She helps the white mare stand to her hooves and levitates an apple to the exhausted pony.

“Thanks,” Shade replies lazily after devouring the apple.

“Get some rest and we’ll finish up here,” Applejack says.

“Yeah,” Shade devours a second apple, “sounds good.”

“I’ll help you home,” Fluttershy offers.

Shade grins meekly, “Much appreciated, Flutters.”

By the time three o’clock came around, Shade finds herself at a hundred percent. The long bath and huge lunch definitely bring her back to top condition. She decides to head out to Sweet Apple Acres, not before picking up the gift wrapped box on the bed.

She teleports to the barn where her friends are waiting. Shade places the present on a table with the others.

“Here they come,” Applejack warns and turns off the light.

“‘They,’” Shade thinks to herself and her answer replies on the other side of the door.

“We’re here,” Rainbow Dash announces with a noticeable weariness.

The barn door opens to a tired Rainbow Dash and Pinkie with a straight mane wearing an unhappy countenance.

“Surprise!” Everypony exclaims in unison.

Pinkie looks about confused but still wears her unhappy expression. Rainbow Dash pushes the reluctant pony inside the barn. With the current Pinkie before her, Shade definitely sees the family resemblance.

“I thought she would be more excited,” Fluttershy comments to Twilight.

“‘Excited?’’Excited?!’Why would I be excited to attend my own farewell party?!” Pinkie exclaims wildly.

“‘Farewell party?’” Twilight repeats.

“Yes! You don't like me anymore, so you decided to kick me,” she emphasizes by unleashing a flying kick in the air, “out of the group and throw a great, big party to celebrate!” She flails her arms around in a fit, “A ‘Farewell to Pinkie Pie’ party!”

“Why would you think that, sweetness?” Shade chuckles.

“‘Why?’ ’Why?’ ’Why?!’” Pinkie Pie glares at Shade with wild eyes. “Because you've been lying to me and avoiding me all day, that's why!” She screams while flapping her limbs, somehow floating in the air.

The air in the barn grows cold. Shade lowers her head with her ears splay flat against her head.

“I. . . I just wanted to surprise you for your birthday. . .” Shade speaks softly.

Pinkie Pie looks around the barn at the table of gifts, the decorations, the banner and cake that reads ‘Happy Birthday Pinkie Pie!’, when everything clicks into place.

Pinkie Pie returns to her pink and fluffy self and she hugs Shade, ignoring the cold. “Shade! I’m sososososososososo sorry! I completely forgot about my birthday!” She squeezes Shade warmly and feels Shade start to defrost.

“We'd been planning this party for such a long time, we had to make excuses for why we couldn't attend Gummy's party so that we could get everything ready for yours,” Rarity explains.

“You girls are the best friends ever!” Pinkie, with her phenomenal Pinkie abilities, stretches her arms to pull the others into the hug, “How could I have ever doubted you?”

“It's okay, Pinkie Pie. It could have happened to any of us,” Twilight reassures.

“Uh-huh! It sure would,” Rainbow Dash pipes in.

“Don't worry about it,” Fluttershy replies.

Pinkie nuzzles Shade affectionately, “I’m really sorry for yelling at you.”

Shade returns he affections, “I understand. I should have seen this coming.”

“I'm just glad I haven't been replaced by a bucket of turnips,” Rainbow Dash comments.

Everypony looks at her and Pinkie. Pinkie shrinks back with a wary grin.

“You don't wanna know,” Rainbow Dash chuckles.

Applejack zips over to the record player and turns it on. “All right, girls! Enough of this gab. Let's party!”