The Conference of Toys was in session. Pumpkin Cake looked around her tiny table and smiled at her best friends.

Tasty Turtle, Yummyfly, Munchy Monkey, Chewie Chickie and Rubber Pullet, the Conference of Toys, shuffled around a bit, settled down and grinned at her.

Squeaker Mouse, from the Carousel Boutique, looked up expectantly.

Gummy the alligator, honorary toy and honored friend, sat at the table and blinked.

I have important news, said Pumpkin.

The toys leaned forward, eagerly.

Today is Pound’s first birthday! she exclaimed.

The toys leaned back, astounded. Gummy blinked.

My brother’s birthday is today! continued Pumpkin. And I have a great idea: let’s give him a surprise party!

The toys nodded enthusiastically. Gummy blinked.

I know you all are as excited as I am, said Pumpkin. So, I was thinking….

Pumpkin was interrupted by the arrival of Smarty Pants.

Smarty Pants crept quietly into the playroom. So quietly that naturally every head turned to observe her, as she narrowly avoided the potted plant, nearly stumbled over Pound’s blocks (Oh! Hey, Smarty! Pound smiled, absently, considering his latest construction) and finally scooted herself near Pumpkin’s table.

Smarty looked down. Her button eyes dangled sadly. Sorry, everydolly.

Glad you could join us at last, said Squeaker Mouse, indignantly.

Please, be kind, Squeaker, said Tasty Turtle. It’s a long trip from Sweet Apple Acres to here, Sugar Cube Corner. Your Carousel Boutique is just across the square. Smarty has come a long way. Let us appreciate her effort!

Hear, hear! exclaimed Munchy Monkey to Smarty, giving the little doll a big hug. Smarty Pants smiled bashfully.

It’s good to see you, Smarty, said Yummyfly, quietly. We have missed you.

Rubber Pullet nodded silently in agreement.

I hope you’ll tell us what have you been up to, said Chewie Chickie.

Thank you, everydolly, Smarty Pants said, smiling around the table. I’ll be quiet now. Please, go on with the meeting.

Thank you, Smarty, said Pumpkin. Now, as I’m sure you can all imagine, surprising Pound on his birthday presents certain challenges.

The Toys looked at each other, baffled. Gummy blinked and nibbled at the edge of the table.

Squeaker Mouse rolled his eyes. (Well, to be fair, he did this all the time, since they were barely attached to his head.) Pound and Pumpkin are twins, he said, looking around the table. Born on the same day, he continued, in response to their bewilderment.

Oh! the Toys all realized.

Exactly! said Pumpkin. He is expecting a party on this day. But, she glanced about the table conspiratorially, he doesn’t know what time!

See, I heard Mom and Dad talking about throwing a big party this afternoon for Pound and me. Pinkie Pie is so excited, she’s beside herself. (Actually, I think I saw at least three of her this morning.)

But! That’s this afternoon! Pumpkin grinned at her friends. He’s not expecting anything now! So I was thinking, let’s invite him over now and surprise him!

Squeaker Mouse shook his head. Madam Chairman, if I may? Thank you. It is not sufficient, in my opinion, to merely invite this fine young pony to this Conference and offer him our congratulations! No! Now is the time for all good ponies to come to the aid of the party! There must be treats! Balloons! Festive gewgaws that tickle the fancy and warm the heart! Why, if my Miss Rarity were here, she would demand hats for everypony!

Hear, hear! exclaimed Munchy Monkey. Rubber Pullet nodded. Yummyfly flapped approval.

Smarty Pants coughed. The Conference turned to her. Smarty Pants was usually quiet during meetings. On those occasions when she did speak, the table was attentive.

I must, I’m afraid, disagree with my distinguished colleague, said Smarty Pants, quietly.

Hats. Balloons. Treats. Pound will have all those in abundance this afternoon. Can you imagine Pinkie Pie without balloons? No, neither can I.

But we can give him something special, something only we can give.

Smarty looked at Pumpkin. All that we can give him must come from you, Madam Chairman. You followed him into the light. Into life. And today, we all celebrate this. Your birth. Your life.

We celebrate you both!

Pumpkin, startled, looked around at the table. As she did so, Gummy the alligator scurried awkwardly to her and laid his head across her shoulders.

Praise her with great praise! said Smarty Pants.

And the Toys cheered silently as Pumpkin’s eyes started with tears.

Pound had almost done it. He had almost invented the cantilever arch. He gently nudged the long block into place, holding his breath.

Oh, no! Collapse! His wooden blocks clattered to the playroom floor. Once again he was defeated by his arch-(ha ha)enemy: gravity.

He surveyed the ruins of his construction grimly. I believe that matter can fly, he thought. I can fly; therefore, all life, all matter, has this potential, to reach up, to soar. I will build into the sky, and the sky will rejoice to be united with the earth.

He rubbed his belly and thought, Wow, I could use a chocolate-chip muffin right now.

He looked around and saw his twin sister sitting at her little table surrounded by her ridiculous toys.

Okay, that was a little harsh, he thought apologetically, looking at the Conference of Toys. In his head, he knew that, other than Gummy, they weren’t really alive and that they only moved at Pumpkin’s whim. But, in his heart… well, that was another thing.

He wouldn’t want Pumpkin to know this, but… some days, some nights, when he felt a little scared or lonely, he liked to sit next to Rubber Pullet and maybe hug her just a bit. Rubber Pullet always made him feel better.

The other guys from the Toy Box were okay, too. They were Pumpkin’s friends, not his, but they always welcomed him warmly.

He even liked Squeaker Mouse, although he seemed kind of mean, sometimes. It must be rough, he thought, being a cat’s plaything. But he was pretty funny, too, with his silly stories of living with fussy Miss Rarity and the awful Opalescence.

Smarty Pants motioned to him. Join us!

He scooted across the floor and parked himself between Rubber Pullet and Smarty Pants. Rubber Pullet nodded to him. But, at first, Smarty seemed to ignore him. Then she turned to him.

Pound, she whispered, her mismatched button eyes swinging towards him. My friend.

Hi, Smarty, he thought, blushing. He liked her a lot. He wanted to show her his blocks. He was certain she would understand his blocks, his arch, his ambition to build. She is so cool!

But then Smarty Pants turned back to the Conference and he felt sadly neglected.

And then Rubber Pullet caressed his shoulder and he knew he was okay.

Pound looked around the table and saw the Toys looking back at him. Even Gummy, who winked.

Pound, said Pumpkin, portentously.

We are here because it is your birthday, brother, said Pumpkin.

He shrugged, defensively. Yeah, so what?

Oh, wait…!

Pound looked across at his sister and felt ashamed. No, this is not my birthday. This is your day, my Little Sister, Best Friend Forever.

Every day I am with you, I feel weak.

I want to protect you from everything bad, but I can’t.
I want to not feel angry with you, but I can’t.
When you are mad, I want to hug the anger out of you, but I can’t.
I want to apologize, for every bad thing that I’ve done, but I can’t.

(I want you to forgive me for my defects, but you can’t.)

(Sorry I messed the bed that time. And the time after that.)

(Sorry.)

Pound looked downcast.

I can only offer you what little I am.

I’m sorry. All I have to give to you is me.

And Pumpkin cried.

You are the best birthday present ever! she exclaimed, hugging her brother.

And so Pumpkin and Pound were both surprised, on their birthday.

Smarty Pants and Squeaker Mouse wandered around to the back of Sugar Cube Corner and, looking about, crept into the shadows.

They love us, said Squeaker Mouse.

They love us, Smarty Pants agreed.

Well, except for Opalescence, admitted Squeaker. She might be wise to me.

Rough, said Smarty, sympathetically. I have it pretty nice with Big Macintosh. He likes my mane!

Lucky! said Squeaker. With Opal around, I feel happy just to have both eyes and a tail attached!

Still, continued Squeaker, I get to live in town. And that’s nice. The ambient love level must be, what?, over 900 heart power!

Quantity versus quality, chided Smarty Pants. There is much love here, in Ponyville. This is true. But in Sweet Apple Acres it is more… concentrated. Big Macintosh has a huge heart that he is shy to display to anydolly but me. I will never leave him, my BBBFF!

Squeaker Mouse and Smarty Pants sat together in silence for awhile.

Do you suppose that Queen Chrysalis will ever allow us back into the swarm? asked Squeaker. After we snuck out of the Badlands?

Smarty Pants pawed the ground. I don’t know, she said, puffing a complex cloud of pheromones towards her friend. I asked her, once, if everybuggy couldn’t just be friends with the ponies. They’re pretty nice, I said. But then the Queen gave me her LOVE MUST CONQUER ALL, FEED ME, MY FLYING MONKEYS, GRAR! speech, and that was that.

Wait! Flying Monkeys? asked Squeaker, squirting a mist of astonishment.

Flying Monkeys, insisted Smarty with a spray of certitude.

Weird.

Yeah.

They sat together for awhile.

I think I discovered something, whispered Smarty Pants, living in Ponyville. Something that I didn’t know when I lived in the Badlands.

What? asked Squeaker.

Smarty whispered, in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.

Shocked, Squeaker Mouse looked aghast and released a gas.

No, seriously, insisted Smarty. I love Big Macintosh. I love Granny Smith, Apple Bloom and Applejack. I love Winona, even if she slobbers on me sometimes. And I adore Pound Cake; he is good and smart and kind, no matter what he thinks. He’s like the Twilight Sparkle that the real Smarty Pants loved. There is a larva of greatness in him.

And I think, I think maybe, I love them all more than they love me. And that’s okay.

Now Squeaker Mouse looked thoughtful.

Opal is very protective of me, he admitted. She cuddles with me every night. Once, after Miss Rarity had put me out of the way on a high shelf, Opal nearly went crazy searching for me.

She hides her fierce true heart. In the night, when she holds me close, she sighs with relief. Sometimes, I imagine she thinks of me as the kitten she never had. I suppose I make her happy.

She loves me, in her way. And, I guess,

(good kitty!)

I love her, too, he thought, crying a little.

The two changelings sat together in silence.

We’re kind of hopeless, aren’t we? whispered Squeaker Mouse.

No, not hopeless, replied Smarty Pants, giving her friend a hug. Full of hope, for another day in Ponyville. With those who give us their love. And to whom we have given our hearts, without reservation.

Here, I’ll walk you home.

And then, finally, the Conference of Toys was adjourned for the day.