Rain fell from the grey clouds above, completely blocking out what remained of the dimming sunlight. Long groans were heard along the air, as the weather patrol flew through the sky.

Leading the pack was a chromatic maned pegasus.  Her mind drifting away from her duties to a book she had ordered not a few days before, now sat on her bed, waiting, beckoning her to read the text within.

Daring Do and the Mystery of the Black Phoenix Egg. Ahh yah, this is going to be so awesome.  Just finish with these clouds and I’m home free.

“RAINBOW DASH!” she heard from behind. A shiver ran down her spine as she recognized the voice.

Not her again.

A black winged, red maned alicorn flew fast as a red streak followed her. Her bright pink eyes locked on to the rainbow tail of her friend.

“Wait up Dash, I wanna talk to you,” Although she was flying faster than her, and was catching up quickly, having nearly double her wing span.

“Can’t talk Mary Sue, I have to clear all these clouds, maybe after.”

A wry smile grew on Mary’s face. “Ok, I understand.”

Rainbow Dash was nearly shot back as Mary blew past; it only took but a moment. A black and red sonic rainboom tore through the sky, the prismatic blast shattering the clouds into nothingness.

Rainbow Dash face hoofed as she now was free from her work, now trailing back as her at untold of speed.  She stopped on a dime in front of her, showing speed and control of godlike proportions.

“Now you're free, we can talk now right?” her smile pierced like a hot arrow.

Rainbow Dash sighed, “Yes, Mary we can talk now.”

“Yippee, guess what today is Dash.”

“I don’t know… Friday I think.”

“Well yes, but no, today is my BIRTHDAY!”

Ahh, I see where this is going. “So you want me to come to your birthday party?”

Mary nodded. “Yup, since you were busy for my hearth warming day party, and my nightmare night party.  There was also Groundhog's day, Celestia Day, the summer sun solstice.  Actually you never have been to any of my celebrations.”

“I've been busy…”

“But today is my birthday, and you already have all your work done now.  So… can you please come? I only want my closest friends there today.”

I’m one of your closest friends? Damn.  “Sure… I'll stop in.”

Mary nearly exploded, “YES! Thank you Dash, I knew you were a true friend.” Mary grabbed her and enveloped her in her massive black wings; giving her a hug that nearly killing her.

It was now midday, the sun was up and the weather just right. A pair of siblings sat under an apple tree, sipping on some sweet tea as they enjoyed their break.

“Nothin’ like sitting in the shade, especially on such a fine day.”

“Eeyup.”

Pop

Before both of the farm ponies now stood a black winged alicorn, her red mane fell to her side with grace and elegance.

Applejack rolled her eyes, “Hi Mary, what brings you to Sweet Apple Acres this time of the day.  Need another batch of apples?”

She shook her head, “No thank you. Actually I’m having a birthday party... and I wanted to know if you would come.” Her eyes looked over to big mac, and away before they could make eye contact. “You’re welcome to come along too Big Mac… if you want…”

Ah horsefeathers. “Sorry Mary, me and Big Mac have a lot of work ta’ do today.” Close call.

“Sooo if your works gets all done, you and Big Mac can come right?”

Applejack snorted, “Sure sugarcube, but we won’t be done till well into next week.”

Mary smiled as her horn glowed and thousands of apple basket appeared on the ground around the trees.  She stomped her hoof on the ground and every tree, in the entire farm, shed their fruit.  Again her horned glowed in a dark aura and the baskets came alive as they danced in the air to their new home in the barn.

“So now you’re free, you will come right?”

Ah horseapples. “Yah Mary we will come…”

“Great, I can’t wait to see you two there… especially you Big Mac…”

Big Mac gulped. “Eeyup.”

The smell of the bakery wafted through the air for miles to come, thanks to a certain pink mare who just finished making all her deliveries.

Now she sat behind the counter, waiting patiently to serve the next lucky customer that happened to walk in.

Ding Dong

Pinkie's eyes shot up and her hair fell flat as a mat as she saw the black alicorn before her. “Oh… hi Mary, how are you?” she said in a monotone voice.

“I’m doing great Pinkie, today has been the best day I have had in almost ten years.”

“Oh why is that, save the world from an unnamed terror… again?”

“No, although that was kind of fun.  I was wondering though if you wanted to come to my birthday party.”

“You’re throwing yourself a birthday party?”

Mary nodded. “Yeah, last couple of years everyone seems to forget it, or my invitations kept getting lost in the mail.  This year I’m personally inviting all my best friends.  It will be fun I got pin the tail on the pony, a twelve layer cake, and later… I got enough Jack Daniels to get us all completely plastered.”

“So you’re throwing this great party, and didn’t ask for help from the leading expert on partying?” Pinkie deadpanned.

“Oh Pinkie, I knew you would be busy today, so I didn’t wanna ask.  Last time you helped me you couldn’t attend because you got tired, I wish you would have though, oddly, nopony else showed up.”

“Yah, it’s a mystery.”

“So will you? Please?”

Ahh think of something Pinkie, “Sorry, I have to babysit tonight, little Pound, he needs constant care.”

At these very words Cup Cake walked in, “Oh don’t worry about it tonight Pinky, I have everything covered.”

Oh you have got to be kidding me. Pinky looked back at Mary. “Sure… since it seems my schedule has been cleared for me.”

“Yay, this is going to be the best birthday ever!”

In the room that smelled of dragon scales and musty tomes stood a lilac mare. Her coat covered in a thin layer of dust, for she just had finished her biggest chore of the week, re-shelving day.

She sat there and admired her hard work, “Now its time to relax, its been a long day.”

“I guess I caught you at a great time then.” A voice came from behind her, Twilight leaped into the air as she swiveled around.

“Mary, you scared the living hay out of me!” she said.

“Sorry about that Twilight, I didn’t think I had to knock, this is a public library.”

Twilight face hoofed. “Yes, you are right, it IS a public library. So Mary what do you need.”

“Well today is my birthday and since we are both students of Princess Celestia now, since I saved the world from certain doom, I was wondering if you wanted to come.”

“I’m sorry Mary.” Twilight chuckled as her horn glowed, sending every book on the shelves straight to the floor. “It’s re-shelving day, and as you know I need to reshelf everything two times to make sure I wasn’t wrong the first time, you know how it is.”

Mary’s horned glowed and all the books flew back into their proper shelf and place, “There you go, all organized by alphabet and by content.  So can you come now?”

You have got to be kidding me. “Fine Mary, I will come.”

“Thank you Twilight, you’re the best.”

The groans of the alabaster mare could have been heard for miles around, if her muzzle were not buried in a pile of clothes. A week has past and not a single customer had come through her door.

Her ears didn’t not even pick up the sound of the door bell as she sat there in her pile of self-loathing. A alicorn walked across the foyer and sat the stool next to her.

“Oh, what am I to do, this has got to be the WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!” she whined.

“Well you could always come to my birthday party to take your mind off things.”

Rarity jumped over the counter as her heart went into overdrive. “Mary, you startled me!”

“Sorry, I thought you heard the door.”

“No I didn’t, its rude to sneak up on ponies.”

“Sorry Rarity, but I came to ask if you wanted to come to my birthday party.”

“I don’t think I can Mary, since some pony came out with their spring line. I have to work overtime in hopes of somepony walking through that door.”

Mary blushed, “Sorry about that, I just whipped up some clothes for Sapphire Shores.  I didn’t think she would go all GA-GA over some silly frocks I whipped up and less than a minute.”

Rarity nearly lost it, but kept her cool. “I am quite busy Mary, sorry but I will not be able to attend you little gathering.”

“That’s too bad, I was hoping you would make me a dress for this evening.  I even brought enough bit for a rush order too.”

Rarity’s ear twitched, “Well… since you just HAVE to have the dress, and it IS your birthday.”

“So you will come?”

“Sure, sure, but pay the bits upfront, I will deliver the dress tonight.”

Mary squeed, “Thanks Rarity, you’re the greatest.”

She laid there in her comforter, a pink maned pegasus.  Her eyes working over a national geographic that had all sexual references covered in black marker. She basked in the evening sun as the light from the warmed her wings.

Knock Knock Knock

“Who could that be?” Fluttershy questioned.

Before his master could get up from her couch, Angel was already bylining across the wooden floor to the door.  He jumped and grab the handle and used his weight to turn the knock, as he kicked off from the door frame.

The bunny stared into the pink eyes of the alicorn, her smile melting the rabbit’s ice cold heart.  He started to wave her in without a word in edgewise.

“Hi Fluttershy.” Mary said.

Not her again. As a thought appeared in her mind.  “How did you get Angel to let you in, normally he shuts the door in everyone’s face, even me.”

She shrugged, “I don’t know, I always had a really strong bond with animals.”

“Really, that’s interesting… so what brings you here Mary?”

“Oh yeah, today is my birthday.  So I was kind of wondering if you wanted to come, if you don’t mind that is.”

Fluttershy deadpanned, “Well maybe, I don’t know I got a lot to do tomorrow.”

“Please Fluttershy…. All the other girls said they were coming, and it wouldn’t be the same if you didn’t show.”

“You got the others to come with?  All five?”  How in the pony world did she do that, I thought no pony liked her.

Mary nodded, “They all said they were coming, and Rarity is even making me a dress.”

“Well I guess I can stop by for a little bit, but not long though, I need to get a lot of sleep tonight.”

“Oh, ok, I’ll make sure I make some special punch just for you then.”

“What’s wrong with the punch?”

A sheepish grin grew on her face “It’s a WOP; there is enough alcohol in it to knock a full grown stallion out with a single cup.”

“Oh, my…”

The living room was set up perfectly, a large plush couch just purchase that day from Quill’s and Sofas.  A large spread of the finest delectables that she cooked herself, in the center of the table was two punch bowls. A large bowl filled with punch and fruits, and a tiny bowl with generic fruit punch and a small sticky note on the side labeled ‘For Fluttershy’.

In the back was the game room, a large ten foot mat for Twister.  On the wall was pin the tail on the pony.  Upstairs in her bedroom was an enchanted bottle, for spin the bottle, that would always conveniently land on a certain red stallion.

The large 50 inch plasma television that had a stack of several horror movies and one comedy just in case certain pegasus staid longer into the evening.

“Perfect, everything is perfect.” She swished her tail back and forth as she sat down on the couch. “Tonight’s going to be the best night ever, finally a birthday where I HAVE guests.”

Her eyes gazed at the clock, “5:00pm on the nose, any time now.”

One hour later…

Mary sat there, now eating a bag of popcorn, as she licked the salt from her lips she again looked at the clock, “6:00pm… well its ok, it’s not too late yet.”

Two hours later…

Mary yawned as she press the eject button on dvd player, “That movie sucked, pfft who would believe a lame plot where everyone loves the protagonist.” Again she looked at the clock, “8:00pm, I'm sure they're all just fashionably late, I know Rarity, she is probably just working overtime to make my dress perfect.”

Three hours later…

Her cheeks had become redden as the large punch bowl had been nearly drained completely as well as half a bottle of Jack Daniels. Her current goal now rested at the bottom of the gallon of rocky road ice cream.

“I sure they all just got lost… I know I live on the far side of town, someponys say it’s a bad neighborhood.  That’s right, that must be it, they were just scared is all, I can’t blame them for that.” The clock had long since been taken off the wall to stop reminding her of the time.

Hours later…

She laid in her bed as she drank down the wine bottle that had been meant for her and Big Mac, as she looked at the photos of her 'friends'.

“Maybe next year…” she said as she turned off the light.

There the photo sat, next to her pillow, only tears to keep her company.

"Happy Birthday to me... Happy Birthday to me... Happy Birthday, dear Mary... Happy Birthday to me." Next Chapter: Somtimes Ignorance is Bliss Estimated time remaining: 6 Hours, 25 Minutes