"This had better be the final stupid clue." The teal unicorn, Glittermind, huffed to herself as she stood in front of the main Apple-family-farm barn.
What had started as a cute, fun little clue-scavenger hunt turned out to be a grueling psychotic trek around Ponyville, Everfree Forest, Canterlot and the surrounding no-pony's land of the countryside. A total of twenty clues she had to find, and now, using clue number twenty one; Glittermind looked at the nicely white-painted double barn doors of the large barn.
'Clue #21:
Your journey's next step will take you Ponyville's largest place to store those delicious red orbs. Complete with natural sugars, these red treats can be used in baking nearly everything.'
Glittermind recognized the clue for apples. The only place anypony would store apples would be Applejack's farm. So here she was, standing on the path before the barn, allowing the approach of dusk to engulf the world.
"So, are you gonna go in there?" a masculine brony voice interrupted her thoughts. Glittermind flinched in surprise as Big Mac stepped up next to her.
"Geez, Big Mac, you startled me." She looked at the dark red brony after getting over her scare.
"Sorry Miss Glittermind, I didn't mean it." The eldest Apple sibling blushed. "Ah jus' thought ya might wanna go in there before y'all get cold."
"Ah, that's mighty sweet of you, Big Mac."
"Eeeyup." The apple-stallion answered, blushing and looking away in modesty.
"Thanks, I'll be going in now." She smiled brightly at the green-apple marked stallion.
It was slightly awkward to be talking to a 'boy' pony in the world of Equestria. Even if she wasn't human, Glittermind figured gender chemistry was ever the same. Big Mac was rugged, strong and dependable. It almost was like looking at a handsome male. Shaking her head and stepping forward to nudge open the double white doors, Glittermind's mind was hoping there were no more clues. Stepping into a dark barn was the trigger for whatever would happen next.
"SURPRISE!" The barn shouted.
Light illuminated the barn, leaving no corner in shadows. Confetti burst forth from hoof-held crackers, zipping up in the air before fluttering down in gravity's grip. Noise-makers were blown, balloons released and ponies jumped out from behind bales of hay. The whole town must have been in the barn, as Glittermind quickly saw there were more ponies there, other than the Mane twelve.
Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Color Jam, Butterpond, Fairy Dust, Dragonfly, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Spike, Shly, Flawless, Dung Red, Cat Slave, Derpy, Dinky, Cherilee, Peppermint Twist, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Mr./Mrs. Cake, Aloe & Vera, Carrot-Top, Onigiri, Foal-Mouth, Lyra, Bon-Bon, Mayor Mare, Granny Smith, Milkshake, Snips, Snails and a few more of the Apple Family all were in the barn; each with a party cracker or a noise maker. More earth ponies, a few unicorns and pegasi were also there; being new faces to Glittermind.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GLITTERMIND!" The Mane Six cheered again.
The music cued up, turning the homely little hay-floored barn into a thumping techno scene. This drew the lilac eyes of Glittermind to the corner of which hosted D.J. P0N3's music set-up. It was thrilling to see up-to-date technology in the Apple barn. The music was pure club, ambient and alternative and wasn't too loud or invasive. The beat immediately got to Glittermind's heart as her inner-self began tapping to the vibe.
"Oh Glittermind! I'm sooo glad you made it!" Pinkie Pie jumped next to Glittermind. "I was getting worried you'd gotten lost or gave up on the clue-hunt."
"Oh…you ponies!" Glittermind lowered her head, abashed. Being the focus of forty some ponies was slightly unnerving. "You really did throw me a surprise birthday party."
"WHAT! YOU KNEW?" Pinkie Pie looked positively shocked. "OK, WHO WAS THE PONY WHO SPILLED THE BEANS!"
The pink-party-master looked pointedly at her own friends as they gathered closer. The other party-goers, ones who weren't that close to Glittermind, mingled and got the party started. Twilight Sparkle chuckled as she laughed at Pinkie.
"No pony told Glittermind, Pinkie Pie. She probably guessed."
"Yea, she is kind of clever like that." Fairy Dust agreed as she draped a hoof over her best friend's shoulder flank.
"Oh." Pinkie's righteous anger deflated. "Soooo, you knew all along?" Deflating even more, the pink pony teetered on being sad.
"No, not really." Glittermind lifted her head again, being surrounding by friends, and thus, no longer the singular attention of all in the barn. "It was only a thought; I didn't REALLY expect all THIS!"
The teal and turquoise unicorn waved a hoof to the decked out barn. Indeed, it seemed that no effort was withheld in decorating the barn for a party. Multi-colored streamers and ribbons of varying thicknesses hung from the rafters, walls, corners and tables. Colored and white disco-lights (most likely from the big city of Chiclompgo) were hung from the ceiling, moving in-sync to the music. Tables numbering in the teens were set, read to be used for eating and playing games. One table hosted a huge, teal-colored, five-tiered cake, underneath a large banner declaring:
'HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GLITTERMIND!'
"You didn't!" Pinkie Pie was happy again. "YAY!" Then she was off, in the thick of the party, dancing to the new-fangled music with glee.
"Let me guess, Pinkie-Pie used her 'Party Cannon'?" Glittermind smiled brightly at her close friends.
"Nope." Rainbow Dash laughed in the air. "All this was still her idea, though. It took a couple days to set it all up."
"DAYS!" the unicorn gaped. "So you all knew it was my birthday DAYS ago?"
"Yep, of course we did, G.M." Color Jam giggled and poked Dash in the ribs. "We knew ever since Nightmare Night. Spike let it slip that your birthday was ten days after the new-year."
"And just how did HE know?" Glittermind smiled as she poked the blushing dragon on the head.
"Well, uhh, I read it in your journal." Spike stammered in embarrassment. "I had to make a few calculations to figure it out, but I guessed it was the same date as our calendar year."
"Awh, that's mighty clever of you, Spike." Twilight Sparkle giggled at her protégé.
"I'll say! Spike told Twilight and she told us!" Pinkie Pie was back again, wearing a conical hat; pink with blue polka-dots. She had her pet Gummi, a toothless alligator, on her back and he wore the same hat, only smaller. "I was SO excited to throw you a party! I still feel bad about being mean to you when 'You-Know-Who' was free."
The ponies looked at Pinkie when she, again, broke physics and appeared seemingly out of nowhere. They swore the pink pony had raced to the other side of the barn to dig into the party food.
"Pinkie-Pie-chan." Glittermind placed a hoof over her face – something ponies here did when they were surprised. "I forgave you long ago."
"ALRIGHTY THEN, LET'S PARTAY!"
Whatever else the other ponies were going to say to Glittermind was left unsaid as Pinkie Pie, the undisputed Party Master, pulled every pony into the party.
Hours later, Glittermind was nearly on her last leg. The unicorn had clearly had too much punch, apple cider and clover-shakes for her own good; let alone the amount of cake, chips, fruit-pie and sweets she had eaten. Swaying on her four hooves, she leaned against the outer wall of the red barn. The party had spilled outside too, and lanterns/torches were hung up on poles, spread out in the sprawling yard behind the barn. The music, still based inside, thumped its way outside; the bass deep and pulsing. Whoever ponies weren't there at the start of the party were now. Glittermind vaguely recalled seeing glimpses of the two royal princesses, Celestia and Luna, earlier.
"You, ok there, miss?" a new voice toned softly into her ears.
Opening her lilac eyes, she turned to face the speaker and was pleasantly surprised upon seeing a new face; a male pegasus. Dark sky-blue eyes matched the navy blue face, and the rough, spiky crystalline slate-grey hair made a mohawk, until it fell down over his neck halfway down his scalp. His build was similar to Big Mac, as he was taller than her, well-muscled and sleek. His wings, sparrow-built, were slightly open and resting gently against his barreled sides.
"I'm just fine; just been partying a tad bit hard." Glittermind smiled. While in her cake-inebriated state, the immediate attraction was missed. "Just getting fresh air."
"Ah, I see." The slate-blue pegasus nodded as he stepped closer to her. "Then you really shouldn't eat that…" A black hoof was pointed to her hooves. Looking down, Glittermind saw a plate containing a piece of pie; flavor unknown. She must have brought it with her outside.
"Oh, uh." NOW the blush was evident on her face. "Right."
"HOT HAYSEEDS! PIE!" the voice of Soarin chimed into her ears. A near-black blur zoomed at her untouched plate. Glittermind reared back, being startled.
"Dang it, Soarin." The mohawked-pegasus came to Glittermind's rescue, stepping between her and the now pie-eating Wonderbolt. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself, startling a nice mare like that. You just could have asked!"
"MY PIE!" Soarin growled back, his mouth full of pie.
"Right. We'll just be over here." Soarin's unknown friend said and guided Glittermind away from the pie-nivorous Wonderbolt.
When they were a good ten yards away from the barn, Glittermind began giggling. Her delayed reaction caused the Mohawk-ed pegasus to eye her with an inquiring eyebrow raise.
"Oh, that Soarin really loves pie, doesn't he. That dummy really surprised me and came out of nowhere."
"Well, that's Soarin for you. I should know; I'm in the Wonderbolts you know."
"Wow, really?" Glittermind was impressed. There were more Wonderbolts than the five she had previously met. "I didn't catch your name…"
"OH! How rude of me, I'm terribly sorry." The tall brony chided himself before bowing to Glittermind. "My name is Puzzlebum, son of Cloudskate and Jarlswirl; Cloudskate is my mother."
"Ah, Puzzlebum. That is the coolest name I've heard so far."
"Ah, is that so. I beg my pardon, Miss…but aren't you that beautiful mare who hasn't found her mark yet." Puzzlebum inquired without any hint of detest in his voice.
"Celestia curse it." Glittermind coughed. "You ponies, pegasi and unicorns are all the flipping same." The teal unicorn scowled something awful at the Wonderbolt. "Always worried about your stupid flank marks. I'm leaving."
Puzzlebum, who only had asked his question in innocent curiosity, was stunned. Glittermind trotted off a few yards before he could recover his demeaner.
"I beg your most abject forgiveness, Miss…" Puzzlebum struggled for a name.
"Glittermind."
"…Miss Glittermind. I did not mean to step onto a sensitive subject as such. I truly did not know how to otherwise identify your supreme beauty. I once again beg for your forgiveness, as I now see this loathsome pegasus is truly not worthy of such reprieve."
Glittermind ceased stomping away from Puzzlebum as he spoke, and giggled after he had finished his groveling. Looking over her shoulder to watch as the mighty Wonderbolt placated himself into the grass, the unicorn snorted from her nostrils.
"You use big words for a pegasus."
"Touché." Puzzlebum smiled back. It was misbelieved that pegasi were flighty in the brain and could never be smart with words. But Glittermind really didn't know of that mild racism and didn't see the way Puzzlebum misunderstood her comment. "I made my parents very proud when I joined the Wonderbolts."
"Is that so?" Glittermind was still slightly cool towards the flier. "Fine then, what is your 'special talent'?"
"Oh, this?" Puzzlebum looked at his own rear, lifting a large wing to do so. Although it was difficult to see in the night's light, the 'Talent-Mark' (as the macho-looking male pegasi called it; many of them refusing to say 'cutie-mark') was a gold puzzle piece – the image having two outward facing nubs and two indentations, where other pieces could interlock with.
"Oh cool, a puzzle piece, how awesome is that!" Glittermind's cool-shoulder melted as her curiosity was sparked. "Does it mean you're really smart with picture puzzles?"
Puzzlebum, smiling as the unicorn rejoined him, chuckled. "Well, that's half of my talent. I suppose I did do kiddie puzzles when I was younger. But it also represents my capacity to solve things; such as battle strategies and flight patterns."
"Really? Wouldn't it be something different then? Maybe a question mark or a brain?" the teal, blank-flanked unicorn was now investigating Puzzlebum's 'Talent-Mark', poking it with a hoof-tip.
"Well, not really. I don't know. One would think of kiddie puzzles when seeing my T-Mark, wouldn't they?"
"I don't know either; I wasn't born a unicorn, so I don't know exactly how Cutie-marks work."
"Ah, I see." Puzzlebum smiled to Glittermind. "I – please forgive my next words – would think a beautiful and lovely unicorn mare such as yourself would have already found her Talent-mark."
"Yea, I do want my mark, because it would be so awesome. It would also mean I would stay in Equestria longer."
"Dang it, why does she get all the Wonderbolts' attention?" Rainbow Dash sulked as she hovered in the air. The blue pegasus glared gloomily over at the couple who sat under some apple trees yards away.
Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Spike, Flawless, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Color Jam, Fluttershy, Butterpond and Fairy Dust were all gathered around the open backdoors of the barn. They watched as Glittermind talked with the mohawked Wonderbolt. Each one of them wore a smile of knowing as their teal horned friend cozened up to a male pegasus.
"Oh, Dash, don't begrudge her opportunity." Rarity sighed wistfully. "It's not every-day one of us gets to talk to a handsome, strong stallion like him. I think it will do Glittermind good to have an acquaintance of the opposing gender."
"But…but…but…" Rainbow Dash sputtered. "WHY a Wonderbolt? There are plenty of other bronies at the party."
"Oh Dashie, are you jealous?" Color Jam looked up at her friend. "PLEASE tell me you're jealous JUST because he is a Wonderbolt?"
"Tch, I'm not jealous." Rainbow Dash lied. "I'm just upset that she walked off with somepony she didn't know."
"You are such a terrible liar, R-Dash." B-Pond tossed her head dramatically. "You are so jealous because HE went to talk to Glittermind and not you."
"That's it; I'm going over there and joining them." Rainbow Dash scowled further.
"Now jus' wait an Apple-buckin' minute, Rainbow Dash." Applejack hastily caught the rainbow flier's tail in her mouth. "There's no way Ah'm letten' you interrupt them two."
"Applejack is right." Fluttershy's soft voice came. "It would be rude to barge in there and start talking about the Wonderbolts. I mean, if it's ok with you that is." Rainbow Dash gave the kind-hearted pegasus a cold glare.
"I don't care, Glittermind is hogging all the Wonderbolt's attention. First she lures Soarin outside with Pie, then she steals that other Wonderbolt and walks off with him. I can't take it anymore, I have to show off for the Wonderbolts!"
"Rainbow Dash, would you just relax?" Twilight Sparkle finally took charge. "It is her birthday after all. I think it's wonderful she is making new friends."
"Friends-shmiends. She is hogging the Wonderbolt's attention." Dash sunk to the ground and pouted further. "It's driving me crazy."
"What if we wait a few more minutes, THEN go over there and introduce ourselves?" Fairy Dust suggested. Inside her alicorned head, she smiled wickedly.
The plan 'OPERATION GET GLITTERMIND A DATE' was a huge success. She and her sister, Dragonfly, had planned and plotted to set their Glittermind up on a date with a Wonderbolt brony. They wanted to get Glittermind out of her stifling tree house and into the community where the chances of finding her 'Cutie-Mark' would increase. Having extended birthday invitations to the Wonderbolts, the alicorn twins hoped there would be bronies who would spark interest from the unicorn. It turns out they were right. A taller, less known Wonderbolt flier, Puzzlebum, had similar hobbies as Glittermind. Getting him to the party was the easy step; getting him to 'bump' into Glittermind was easier still.
All Fairy Dust had to do (plot) was to isolate Glittermind, then go ask Puzzlebum to check on her friend. The plan worked flawlessly; if the fact her air-headed sister had forgotten the plan and became drunk on dancing to the music. The green and purple sister had completely forgotten her part in standing watch over Glittermind to insure that Puzzlebum was actually a reputable brony. (Some bronies were bullies while others were dunderheads.)
"Ok, fine. I'm only waiting five more minutes before going over there." Rainbow Dash huffed out. "ONLY FIVE!"
"That's mighty sweet of you, Dash." Flawless smiled. "I'm going back in to dance the night away, see you ponies in the morning."
Dear Princess Celestia,
Today I have learned the best friendship lesson of all: plotting. Plotting is so fun when you see the results blossom in front of your eyes. Of course, plotting to do harm is very bad, but plotting to move your friends into situations which would benefit them is so fun. Plotting WITH friends FOR friends is even better. Although my sister wasn't any help at all, my plots turned out alright in the end.
I wonder what plots my cragon and I will come up with next.
Your plotting guest,
Fairy Dust & Shly