It was rare that anyone from outside of Ponyville came to town with the intentions of settling down and residing there. Sure, there were visitors around the town, each one expressing how much they loved the town and the people within. Some stayed for days if not weeks, long enough often in fact for the oddities to become the norm. None of them went further than that though; there was no rushing to settle down and raise a traditional and almost rustic family. Instead, the residency fluctuated on account of the folks that were already there. Most children grew up and looked for places to live close by. Given that Ponyville was considered rural and out of the way, the only places one could find that were local, were within the town itself. This meant that families lived next door to families, generations next to generations; it was all really rather cosy in a way. Sure, there was the odd exception to the rule, like Twilight Sparkle arriving in Ponyville and ending up staying there, Pinkie Pie’s move from her familyrock farm to Sugar Cube Corner. There were many exceptions to the homegrown appearance of Ponyville, but at its heart it was a place of community passed down through the ages.

They weren’t like some of the rural places, where one would turn up on their turf and they’d spend the next half an hour chasing you out. They were warm, friendly, welcoming, almost like they wanted you to stay there with them forever. Even if one was there on something that was strictly business, the attitude never changed. It was as if the residents saw each new person as someone who was going to end up in their town regardless of how long it took. Which for one particular person, was a little reassuring. Shrinky Dinks was her name, and somewhat of a misnomer if there ever was one. One might think that with a name like that she was all about shrinking things, what with her access to magic and such. That couldn’t have been further from the truth, as she actually had no control over her magic. Sure, there had been occasions when something had grown or shrunk due to her presence, but she wasn’t trying to make that sort of thing happen. Truth was, it could happen at any time, whether or not she was awake or asleep. It wasn’t exactly something that she enjoyed, and neither did those that happened to get involved with her.

She made a point to tell anyone that she needed to spend an extended period of time around that she had this affliction. Which wasn’t entirely easy when she stuttered and stumbled over her words due to a great deal of nerves and anxiety. By the time she managed to tell them of the problem, most people had zoned out, or forgotten what it was she was trying to explain in the first place. They soon got the idea though when some kind of magical mishap happened in Shrinky’s immediate vicinity. Those that were still happy to hang around with her might have said that her interests came around as a result of her nerves with others. She was quite adept at creating potions that functioned as a deterrent to insects. As such, she spent a lot of her time on her own, mixing up new batches for different kinds of bugs and pests. It was why she had arrived in Ponyville on this day, as she was there to meet with a local farmer to supply them with these pesticides. She hadn’t heard much about the farmers in question, the so-called Apple family. She just knew that they were apparently one of the most successful suppliers of apples in the country. That was it, but it was enough to get her to set up a meeting with them.

So here she was, standing in the middle of Ponyville, wondering just when the Apple family was going to send their representative to meet her. By her reckoning, the rep was already late as they were supposed to already be in talks by now. She took a seat at a local cafe and hoped that they showed up soon; she didn’t want to be responsible for another magical mishap whilst she waited. There were so many people around, she could hit any of them with an uncontrollable burst of magic and the results would be anything from catastrophic to silly. She briefly considered speeding things up by asking someone just where the Apple family’s orchard was, but knowing her luck, she’d set off to find it and the representative would enter town. So she opted for the best option: stay put, entertain herself at the café, and wait for the rep to show up.

As it turned out, there was a problem down on Sweet Apple Acres that was preventing the chosen representative from meeting with Shrinky Dinks. An illness had spread amongst the family, with Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh, and Granny Smith all falling for it. The only folks on the farm that hadn’t managed to contract the mystery illness were Applejack and Butter, due to their removed location. The actual representative was Granny Smith, but now that she was bedridden, she had sent a message to the pair asking for their help. Butter wasn’t exactly pleased to be taking one of his days off to go down and conduct yet more business, but wherever Applejack went, he had to go with her, considering the rules still in effect from the Monster Registration Act. Especially considering he was only going around to just stand around and not really take part in any actual business. Applejack was the one that’d be taking care of all that.

Still, maybe he’d get lucky and Applejack would be done within a few minutes. Then they could find something else to do, like perhaps a nice picnic outside. Anything was better than talking to some business representative in a stuffy shirt and tie, being bored by sales talk. He dressed himself up in his best outfit, a modification of his usual chef jacket, which allowed for the colour black and a bowtie. Applejack didn’t really have anything of a similar sort, so she had to make do with her usual set of clothes. If anything it made her role of being a farm representative look a little better. Which Applejack was a fine specimen of, fitting well to the role of farmers daughter quite aptly. The pair were dressed and ready to go, and in proper fashion they were going to end up being fashionably late. They were supposed to meet the client in town almost twenty minutes before they were completely ready. So naturally they hurried off into town for the meeting, Applejack carrying Butter to save time as was becoming the routine. Butter himself appreciated it, since with her custom hat there was ample shade to rest in atop her shoulder.

Meanwhile, back in town at Sugar Cube Corner, Pinkie Pie was getting ready to head out to the market. She was looking to find herself a certain ingredient for one of her little culinary experiments. A new range of cupcakes that were designed to change flavours halfway through the consumption process; it would be a revolutionary creation if she managed to pull off the recipe. Her first batch was modelled after two of her favourite ponies, so who else but Butter and Applejack? The cupcake would be apple flavoured to begin with, before melting in the mouth with a smooth, creamy and nutty finish. If they proved successful, she had hopes to expand the selection to that of her other friends. She had ideas of a light, lilac perfumed cupcake, which switched to a bubblegum flavour, to simulate Twilight and Pinkie. Another one would be like your average blueberry muffin, before it switched to a lemon sensation, which came courtesy of Fluttershy and Rainbow. Then finally, she’d thought about using Applejack again, and combining it with a marshmallow to make a truly unique cupcake, courtesy of Rarity. Or perhaps from marshmallow to something with a hint of spice, to signify Spike.

The Cakes, the husband and wife team that owned Sugar Cube Corner, didn’t know about her little experiment but Pinkie was certain they would come to love it. All she needed now was to get the bonding ingredient that would keep the two flavours together and release their flavours in the sequence that she wanted it to. Ordinarily, it was something that would be featured only in Saddle Arabia, but a local trader had recently received a delivery of it to his stall. He’d even taken the time to refine some of it into the powder that she needed it to be, thus saving her a great deal of time. Now all she needed was to get to the stall in time before it closed up for the day. It wasn’t exactly that big of a problem, but the fact that it wouldn’t open again until after the weekend was over certainly hampered her plans. So it was of the utmost importance that she got to it today and not a moment too late.

Perhaps she’d run into Butter along the way and they could go for a meal together, assuming that Applejack wasn’t with him. No matter how much she tried to express her care and delight for spending time with both halves of the couple, there still seemed to be a rising tension between the two mares. She had even taken to spending more time with Applejack alone if she could help it, but thanks to the law and her friends own tendencies it was hard and very rare for such an occurrence. Sometimes she even snuck into their house, to surprise them with a visit and maybe play some fun games or watch a movie. That didn’t work out very well, but for the life of her, Pinkie couldn’t really work out why. She was just being her usual super friendly self, getting up close and personal with everyone she loved. Perhaps she would figure it out someday, but for now she had other more pressing matters. Like making her new edibles, with a side of prowling for Butter Nut. She grabbed a jacket from the cupboard and stepped outside. It was a glorious day outside; the sun was shining in the sky and ponies were milling about in the streets. She skipped off towards the centre of town, humming a little tune to herself.

In the centre of town, Applejack and Butter were trying their best to locate the representative in amongst all these ponies. They’d been told to look for someone of a light green colour, dressed in a red blazer, with a white shirt underneath. Her legs would be covered partially covered by a pair of thigh length shorts, and anything from sandals to regular shoes would be on her feet. The problem was there were quite a few ponies who matched at least part of this description, which often led to Butter insulting someone. Mostly due to the name he was calling them; they’d been informed their client was called Shrinky Dinks. Something about that name seemed to strike a chord with the people of Ponyville, as they looked at Butter with discontent. Almost as though they were going to launch into a tirade about how he had gotten the wrong person, or how they didn’t look anything like someone of that name. That last one was certainly popular with the males who had done some working out to get that ‘ripped’ look. Those that gave him that look, instead of responding politely and calmly, soon backed down. They only needed look at the giantess that was Applejack, before they realised they were barking up the wrong tree.

Butter found it humorous, but he wasn’t exactly getting anywhere fast and neither was Applejack. That was most concerning given that she was the one in the best position to see their client. She had the eagle eye view, so to speak. Alas, the afternoon hustle and bustle just made it too difficult to pin down one particular pony in amongst the crowd. One minute she saw someone who fit the description and the next they’d walked behind a stall and disappear. Not to mention the fact that she was just about rooted to the spot, not able to move lest she bring her foot down on some poor civilian. They weren’t about to give up though; Granny was counting on them to do their best and secure this deal, keeping the farm’s interests at heart. Goodness knows what would happen if they returned back to the farm with a raw deal or empty hands. Applejack shuffled herself forwards, kicking up dust around those below, trying her best not to connect with any of the people in the market. Her plan was simple. She’d move to the outskirts of the market and call out the name herself, instructing their rep to approach her. It really should have been their first port of call upon entering the market, but hindsight was a glorious thing.

Little did she know, Shrinky Dinks was already quite aware of Applejack’s presence in the market. It was hard not to be. She was sitting there, sipping away at a little cup of tea, marvelling at the sight of this giant creature trying to cross the market without error. She’d never seen someone of such size living amongst regular sized ponies, come to think about it she’d never heard of anyone of such a size even existing. It was a fine sight to see whilst she was waiting, but it was when she started to call out her name, that was when things took a strange turn. The giantess explained that they were the ones that she was here to see, later explaining that by ‘we’ she meant herself and this ‘Butter’ character. It didn’t make much sense, especially when Shrinky had been informed that her client was supposed to be an old woman. She mulled it over in her head, thinking about whether or not the words were genuine or not, She didn’t know either of the pair and her name was fairly unique, so the chances of someone stringing those two words together was fairly low. After a few minutes of prolonged thought, she jumped to her feet and left some money on the table to pay for tea. Then she walked into the crowd in the direction of what she assumed would be here client; perhaps she’d meet this ‘Butter’ along the way and he would assist in guiding her that way..

Pinkie had found her way into the throng of the crowd, just like everyone else. Having picked up the ingredient she required and dropped it off at the bakery in record time, she was free to browse. That was when her notorious Pinkie Sense flared into action. She recognised the sensation immediately; a weak leg, a drooping eyelid and a fuzziness in her head. It was the sensation that there was someone new in town, who was within close enough proximity to Pinkie Pie. It took priority over the fact that Pinkie was also aware of Applejack and Butter in the market as well. She’d have to be blind and deaf if she hadn’t noticed their presence by now. Except this new pony was the only thing she was interested in for now. She had to meet them, had to make friends with them, and certainly had to make their first time in town the most memorable. She bounced her way through the crowd, showing remarkable dexterity and agility by slipping between ponies without disturbing a hair, following her senses to point her in the right direction. The sensations grew stronger and stronger, until she had the target in her sights. She pounced on poor Shrinky Dinks, taking the poor girl completely by surprise.

“Hi!” She shouted.

“Wah!” Shrinky tumbling to the floor. “Wh-who are y-you?”

“Wow, you must have come a long way if you don’t know who I am! Haven’t you heard of the name Pinkie Pie before? Like, at all?”

Shrinky shook her head. “N-no, c-can’t say th-that I have…”

“Well, you are in for a treat! You’re gonna be glad you ran into me - there’s going to be a huge party in your honour, just to welcome you here! There’ll be streamers and balloons, candy and cake, oh and party favours! It’ll be great!”

“Uhm, y-you ran into me, a-and I h-have some business to get to. S-so that party w-will have to wait…”

“Business? Boring, stuffy, business? What kind of business could possibly be better than a super duper fun party?!”

“We-well...business with h-her for starters,” Shrinky Dinks got to her feet and pointed towards Applejack, who was now much closer than she had been before.

“Wait...you’ve got business with AJ and Nutty?! That’s great! We can all be friends now! Come on, I’ll take you the rest of the way - Applejack will be so excited that I found her business friend for her!”

“I was alre-” Shrinky didn’t get to finish her sentence as Pinkie practically dragged her off against her will. Sure, she was going to where she wanted to be, but in the company of this excitable stranger it wasn’t exactly the smoothest of journeys. Still, provided this Applejack and Butter weren’t as crazy as Pinkie Pie, then her sanity would survive intact.

Applejack stood at the edge of the market, scanning the crowds for any sign of their client responding to her calls. She’d instructed Butter to keep close to her in case she missed anything, though it didn’t look like they were having any success. She was sure she had seen Pinkie somewhere in the crowd as well, bobbing up and down here and there. Her hair was like the fin of a shark, poking out of the surface of the crowd and then disappearing, only to reappear somewhere else further down the line. Other than seeing Pinkie, Applejack was beginning to get a little bored of drawing blanks and Butter certainly wasn’t enjoying being stuck to one spot. Even though that one spot was Applejack’s toes, which he was using in place of the traditional bench. He was moments away from suggesting that they give up and head for home, and telling the truth about how they couldn’t find the client. It might not have been the best idea, but it was fast becoming the best option. The crowd at least was starting to thin some, perhaps due to some sixth sense that informed them of the giantess’ growing ire. Though only in the direction out of town, which oddly only seemed to peeve her more.

Enter Pinkie Pie, with her arm draped around the neck of one Shrinky Dinks. Like an angel of convenience, Pinkie arrived on the scene, bringing with her the very pony they needed. Butter could hardly believe it; having not seen her bobbing through the crowd earlier, the stallion was simply stunned that she would arrive with their expected business associate. Once they arrived at his love’s feet, he hopped off and walked forward to greet them. Feeling his leaving, Applejack looked down and blinked in shock at the two new arrivals to their little circle. With the crowd having thinned down enough for it, she kneeled and then sat down, crossing her legs buffalo style to preserve space. It also helped in assuring Shrinky Dinks hopefully about her size and presence. Now if only she could figure out why Pinkie of all ponies had to be here.

“Hello there, I uh, assume you’re Shrinky Dinks?” Butter asked, looking her over. She fit the description well, better than most of the ponies he’d accosted earlier.

Shrinky opened her mouth, but Pinkie Pie interrupted. “Yup yup! This here is Shrinky Dinks!” The party planner gave the other mare a one-armed hug, prompting an embarrassed squeak not unlike a mouses. “She says she has some super boring business to do with you guys! So, because I’m such a good friend, I brought her straight to you - poor thing was wandering around the market on her own!”

“But I-“ Shrinky tried again.

“Thanks for that, Pinkie. Is that true? Are you the one here to conduct business with the Apple family?”

Shrinky Dinks nodded, then shook her head, then ended up doing a combination of the two. “Y-yes, well, n-no, kind of? I was at a cafe, then I saw…err heard...Applejack? So I started walking through the market and then out of nowhere-”

“Oh oh oh! That’s where I came in! My Pinkie Sense was tingling, telling me that a new pony was in town and you know that I have to welcome every new pony and throw them a party! Then we talked and that’s when we came here, to see you guys!”

By now, Applejack had heard enough to chime into the conversation. “Well, if ya are our client, ah c’n only apologise fer takin’ so long. Ya might’ve guessed, but we weren’t th’ ones ya were supposed t’ be meetin’. Th’ rest o’ th’ family are sick, an’ there ain’t anyone else, so we were kinda th’ backup. Still, a pleasure t’ meet ya.”

Applejack held out her hand to shake hands with Shrinky Dinks, though upon the noticing the absurdity of such a thing, she swapped to just a finger. Shrinky shook it with both of her hands and the group got down to making good on their business deal. Shrinky was there to help the Apple family with one of their biggest pest threats. That being vampire fruit bats. There had been multiple occasions when the little pests had ruined a perfectly good crop of apples, leaving the family at a loss for how they were going to make money for that season. That was where Shrinky Dinks came into it, what with her passion for pests of all kinds and her penchant for potion making. It had come to the attention of the Apple family that, in the process of creating a new pesticide, she created something else in the process. That extra mixture just happened to be the very thing that the Apple family needed. It was a deterrent for vampire fruit bats. All it took was to spray it on the trunk of the tree and it would produce a scent that only the bats could smell. The whole point of the meeting had been to broker a deal where the family would be able to pay Shrinky for that byproduct.

Before they began truly negotiating, Shrinky explained her affliction to the group. She gave them a list of signs to watch out for, and it was quite the extensive list. Her triggers seemed almost limitless and covered things from sneezes to random shaking. It surprised the group to learn that there was the possibility that she could have fired off a spell when Pinkie pounced on her. That directed a lot of stares towards Pinkie, who simply shrugged and smiled at them. Once little bit of information had been shared and everyone felt happy to continue, the negotiations began and were going great. Though that might have been down to the fact that both sides were in very agreeable moods. Whilst Butter and Pinkie sat on the sidelines, under Applejack’s attentive gaze, she and Shrinky talked things out. Money was the deciding factor on whether or not the deal could be made, but neither of them wanted to put down an offer first. The pair continued to talk in a back and forth, avoiding the question repeatedly, until things seemed to take a strange turn. Halfway through a sentence, Shrinky was struck by silence. Like she’d been struck by lightning, minus any kind of actual tension or sounds.

“Ah..ah…” A faint hum filled the air, localized to the small group. Shrinky Dinks muzzle scrunched up, clearly in some kind of discomfort. Her mouth slowly opened into an ‘O’ shape, then closed so fast there was an audible clap. Nobody really knew what was going on, but it was certainly a little creepy. Everyone fell silent, their eyes on Shrinky as she seemed to be affected by this sensation.

“Ah…ahh…” It was like being outside in the middle of a thunderstorm, except the day was as bright and cheerful as ever. There was a soft fizzle as Shrinky’s horn lit up briefly with an eerie glow, which faded away almost as soon as it had arrived. Suddenly the humming made sense.This was all on Shrinky; it was the magic thing that she had warned them about. What were they to do? Could they run and make it into some kind of mystery exclusion zone? What about Applejack? She wasn’t exactly in the easiest of situations to get nimble. Their minds raced as they thought about what to do. The glow returned to Shrinky’s horn, growing brighter and brighter by the second, like the countdown to an explosion. And then…

“AAACHOO!”