Chapter 2…

Friday

Pinkie Pie softly neighed as she slept peacefully on a pile of comfy, green leaves in Ponyville Summer Park after a long morning of baking grueling amounts of treats for a big party in Marehead.

The pink earth pony’s mind swirled between cakes, balloons and punch as she dreamed of the party that should have received the treats by now but what was THIS?? Her dreams of sweets and treats was interrupted by an itching sensation upon her nose! What kind of meanie mean mean itch would ruin a party-rific dream?! thought the semi-unconscious mare.

She raised her hoof to scratch the sensation away; but instead of her hoof, she received a face-full of…whipped cream? Her eyes shot open as she bolted up searching for the reason for the cream when she heard three small voices scream, “CUTIE MARK CRUSADER PRANKSTERS!! YEAH!!”

Three fillies, each wearing a red cape embroidered with a golden, caped pony appeared from behind a bush all snorting with laughter at Pinkie’s now white face.

Scootalloo, Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom laughed louder as their victim began licking all the tasty white goodness off her face. When it was all gone, she looked at the fillies and noticed a feather in Sweetie Bell’s magical grip and whipped cream all over Apple Blooms hoof.

She burst out laughing as well at her own misfortune, able to appreciate a good prank. When they had finished laughing, Pinkie congratulated them, “Good one girls! That prank is a CLASSIC!”

The small ponies’ faces glowed from the praise, “Thanks, Pinkie! If you think it was good then we must be naturals!” said the small orange pegasus. Apple Bloom pulled a small book out of her saddlebags, “We are followin’ this here book Spike checked out for us!” she squealed with abundant happiness.

Pinkie Pie laid the book on the ground and stared at the worn-out, yellow colored (which reminded Pinkie of a rotting banana peel under her bed in Sugercube Corner) cover. The spine was  holding on for dear life and the book was missing it’s back cover. But something else attracted her attention, the title was a little hard to make out because of the books age and the goofy way the other had written it, but after a few moments Pinkie Pie read Easy as Pie to the Face by Joyous Grin.

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“Pinkamena tore off the wrapping paper of her only birthday present, almost unable to contain herself. Her parents sat with big smiles on their face and her two sisters, Octavia and Bellamena, silently watched with anticipation.  

It was Pinkie’s first birthday since she got her cutie mark and, of course, she planned it all herself so it could make it the most bestest for her family. She hadn’t been expecting a present, there wasn’t much money in rock farming and so the fillies usually only got candy or a bow or something else small like that. She threw away the paper as she stared down at her gift: a small, bright yellow book. She stared at the name, Easy as Pie to the Face by Joyous Grin.

The Pink party pony’s face exploded with joy as she threw herself into her parents in a massive embrace, squealing over and over, ‘Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! The is most super duper bestest westest gift of all time!’

Little Bellamena stared at the tiny book, confused to why everyone was acting so excited, “What is it Pinkie?”

Mr. and Mrs. Pie turned to their youngest daughter, who was not old enough to read yet, ‘It’s a joke book, dearest.’”

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“Um…Pinkie?”

Pinkie Pie shook her head and looked at the three little ponies staring at her with a strange look on their faces, “Oh! Hey girls! I was just thinking about this time back on the rock farm when I baked an easy pie on my FACE!...Why? Did you need something?”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked at eachother and back at the pink earth pony now utterly confused. Apple Bloom shook her head, “Actually Pinky…when you saw that there book you froze up all statue like and started a hollerin’ somethin’ about you havin’ a birthday party after you got your cutie mark and how you got this here book as a present when you don’t usually get presents ‘cause their ain’t a lot of money in rock pickin’.”

Pinkie thought for a moment, “I wonder why there’s not a lot of money in rock picking; people need rocks all the time! You can use them as door stoppers, paperweights, construction material, pets....”

The three fillies looked at one another as the pink mare rambled, that is until Apple Bloom realized that the conversion needed a moving forward.

“Pinkie?”

“...chairs, foot rests, garden decorations...”

“Pinkie!”

“...impromptu frying pans, skipping, pagans-”

“PINKIE PIE!”

The pink mare looked down at the crusaders quizzically, “Yeah Apple Bloom?”

But then the sound of a moan made the two ponies turn to see Sweetie Bell sitting against the tree Pinkie had gotten her leaf bed from, holding a little hoof to her head.

“What’s wrong Sweetie Belle,” Scootaloo said walking up to the unicorn filly.

Pinkie and Apple Bloom trotted over and also sat down. Pinkie stared at Sweetie Bell with her massive, bright pink eyes, “What’s wrong, Sweetie Bell?”

The white filly messaged her head and groaned, “I don’t know…I suddenly got a real bad headache…I think I need to go home.”

“Okay dokey, lokie! Pinkie Pie is on the job! Hop on my back and I will get you there straight away!”

The unicorn, with the help of her best friends, stood and got onto Pinkie Pies warm back. It was just then that she remembered Pinkie bounced everywhere...

“Um…Pinkie? Could you maybe not bou-“

“Alrighty! Lets go!!”

And before Sweetie Bell could protest anymore, Pinkie Pie was bouncing along. She slammed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the added discomfort Pinkie’s bouncing would undoubtedly bring..

But it never came.

She peeped through an eye and saw the countryside go by at an alarming pace, and she knew her ride was bouncing but didn’t feel it at all…actually it felt like Pinkie wasn't even moving! A mixture of fear and confusing took control as she screamed, even though it hurt her head which now felt like it was ripping apart, “Pinkie! What’s going on?!

Pinkie's head whirled around and stared at her little passenger, "I'm taking you home silly filly! Why? Do you want me to stop? We're almost th- We're here!"

Sweetie Bell opened her eyes again to see the world had returned to normal and that they were now standing in front of her home in Ponyville. Still very confused, the filly climbed down from the pink mare's warm back and tried to stand. Her headache was tremendous and it really did a number on her balance, she started falling over when she suddenly felt surrounded by warmth and felt free. She turned to see her elder sister, Rarity, using her horn to hold her hurting sister a loft as she thanked Pinkie Pie for bringing her home.

"Nooo problem-o! Bye Sweetie Bell!" And with that the earth pony hopped off towards Sugercube Corner, singing some song about her little pony.

Rarity put her sister down and walked over to her, "Are you alright, Sweetie? Pinkie said you have a nasty headache...lets go and get you to bed, deary." With that, she picked the small unicorn up again with her magic and carried her inside.

"I wasn't doing anything, sis! We we just doing jokes and sudde- Ow!" She raised a hoof to her head once again as a sharp pain stabbed into her cranium. "How can i find my cutie mark if I can barely walk??" She held back a sniffle as her older sister placed her into her bed, pulled the covers to her chin and smiled.

"I'll go visit Nurse Red Heart and see if we can get you up and crusading in a couple hours, okay?" She nuzzled the little unicorn and turned to leave the room, but stopped when she came face to face with two breathless ponies. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo laid on the ground panting, "We...chased..after...after Pinkie...but...she was...too fast...phew!" Sweetie Bell and Rarity laughed until Sweetie Bell's head hurt too much.

After the two crusaders caught there breathe, they rushed over to their friend's bed. Apple Bloom pulled an apple from her saddle bag and gave it to Sweetie Bell, "We thought since you weren't there to help with jokin', that maybe we could find our cutie marks in helpin' you until you're all better!" The small, white unicorn smiled and took a bite of the crisp apple. She was glad her friends came, she hated missing out on hanging with them and trying to find their special talents. Scootaloo, rather uncharacteristically, whispered so as not to hurt Sweetie Bell's head, "Cutie Mark Crusader Nurses!" And with that, Sweet The white mare shut the door to the room and headed out to Nurse Red Heart's Hospital.

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Nurse Tender Heart looked up from her desk to see a white unicorn with a beautiful purple mane strut into the library. Not another one! she thought as she let a large smile grow on her face. Sweet Vibrations smiled back and placed some money on the counter, "Hello Tender Heart! I'm in ne-" "Of some pain relievers for Sweetie Bell?" Rarity stared at her a little frightened, "How did you know?!" Tender Heart threw the coins into the register and placed a bottle of pills onto the counter, "All the young unicorns are getting nasty headaches today...we have no idea whats causing it! If another two get it Nurse Red Heart said we will be sending a letter to the Royal Princesses asking for insight....but until then there is nothing we can really do. These should be small enough for her to swallow easily, my dear. It's nothing to really worry about, all it seems to be is a bad headache that seems to be connected with their horn."

Rarity nodded and tried to hide her worry, if it's their horn, why has no other unicorn had a problem besides the little ones? She turned and headed back out the door and down the busy street towards Carousel Boutique.

The summer sun lighting up her luscious coat in a way that most mare's could only dream of copying; her purple mane and tail bounced with each step she took.

She looked around the streets and saw many worried parents talking, and very few small unicorns playing. With there parents gone, Rarity was in charge of raising her sister. It was a chore, trying to raise her into a proper mare and run the Boutique, but it brought such joy to see Sweetie Bell grow physically and mentally over the few years.

Sweetie Bell had once asked where their parents were....Rarity had almost broken down trying to think of an excuse. She truly didn't know...after she had moved to inner-Ponyville, they seemingly had forgotten about her. Then they showed up a few years later and told her to watch the then baby Sweetie Bell while they went on a little vacation. The barely adult mare couldn't just say no to her parents, so she took her sister under her wing, so to speak.

But weeks turned into months, and months into years and still no sign of their parents. Sweetie Bell grew and came of age to go to school for the first time. On that same day, Rarity gave up hope of them returning...She remembered that day well, it was a day when the sky was dark and the weather was violent, Sweetie Bell couldn't go to her first day of class because of the weather and Rarity felt so awful when she say the little pony's crestfallen face when she told her the news. Rarity went and sat in her room, alone...and wept. Not a proper mare's way of weeping where they sniffle and wipe a tear away with a handkerchief, mind you. But a down pour of tears out of the heart of a very lonely pony that felt unloved and forgotten...

It was then that young Sweetie Bell, who had been scared by the storm, came in to the room and saw her crying. She went to her older sister and not even bothering to ask why she was crying, sat next to her and began to cry out her heart and soul as well.

Since that single day, Rarity made it her full duty to protect and guide Sweetie Bell like a mother.

And now her little sister was in terrible pain and she couldn't do anything about it besides give her the medicine and pray that she would be healed.

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Princess Celestria, ruler of the Sun and queen of the day slowly walked around the ramparts of Canterlot castle, looking out at the green countryside her and her sister, Princess Luna, ruled together in harmony.

The princess felt an interesting disturbance in her magic today. Like something, or somepony, was trying to get in and control it.  It felt familiar...over the centuries she had randomly felt the same tug but she had never been able to really understand and so didn't really take notice. But now, she was extremely curious to what had randomly bothered her over all these centuries. Though the feeling was weak, it was still there.

Celestia had slipped away that fine morning from Minute Detail, her head advisor and planner of all things royal. She had been racking off about something to do with a Pegasus accidentally making two rainbows and that her highness should see to it right away. But she had been ruling for centuries and she could tell the difference between something being important and "important".

The white alicorn’s horn glowed as she reached out with her magic to locate the source of the twinge. No matter how tricky a magician was, they always left a trail of breadcrumbs to follow back to the source, like following a bubbling stream until you find a river or lake. Celestia estimated, by the low level of magic, that the task would take her the rest of the day, but she was determined. So she spread her wings and took to the bright blue sky. The wind rushed against her body and made her tail and mane dance wildly. She adored flying...but the ponies under her reign were more important than her own pleasures. She flew higher and higher till she quickly banked right and flew towards a seemingly small cloud. As she got closer, the cloud expanded and turned into a small cloud building.

She landed on the white, puffy balcony and walked into a small room that merely held a bed and a writing desk. Whenever she needed to get away from the strains of ruling and whatnot, she came here; for centuries it was her private place.

She quickly found a comfy spot on her cloud bed and once again reached out with her magic, and started tracing the intruder.