Feeling Pinkie Keen
Night's POV
Night was helping Twilight with a transfiguration spell with Spike, who was having a hard time focusing. "For this to work it's crucial we keep up our concentration on the—" Twilight starts, but Spike gets distracted and the rock Twilight was trying to turn into a hat fell on his head. "Spike! This magic needs our full attention to make it happen."
"I can't help it," Spike protests and shows Night and Twilight what's distracting him. Night looks and sees Pinkie with an umbrella hat on running under things and checking the sky before heading to the next bit of cover.
"Don't mind her Spike. She's just being Pinkie Pie," Twilight tells him.
"I don't know, she's acting stranger than normal," Night points out. The three head over to Pinkie to see what's going on.
"Pinkie Pie, what in the wide, wide world of Equestria are you up to?" Twilight asks.
"Oh! It's my tail! It's my tail! It's a-twitch a-twitchin'! And you know what that means!" Pinkie tells them.
"No, we don't. Would you care to explain?" Night asked.
"The twitchin' means that my Pinkie Sense is telling me that stuff's gonna start falling. You three better duck for cover," Pinkie tells them.
"Oh, Pinkie, it's not going to rain. Why there's barely a cloud in the—" Twilight says when a frog falls on her face which croaked.
"He said 'Nice catch' in frog," Pinkie said.
"Oh, I'm so so sorry, are you okay Twilight?" Fluttershy asks from above and Night looks up to see Twilight with a ton of frogs in baskets, bags, and a cart behind her.
"I'm fine. What's with all the frogs Fluttershy?" Twilight asks.
"Oh, well the pond was overpopulated with frogs hopping into each other, so I'm flying over as many as I can to Boggy Bottom Bogg," Fluttershy explains.
"Of course you did," Twilight said uncharacteristically sarcastic. Night then uses his magic to levitate the frog on Twilight's head over to Fluttershy.
"Bye-bye," Fluttershy said as she continued on to the Bogg.
"Come on Spike, Night. Let's continue our practice session somewhere where there's a little less commotion," Twilight said. Spike then hops onto Twilight's back.
"Wow! That was amazing! Pinkie Pie predicted something would fall, and it did!" Spike said amazed.
"It sure was convenient," Night pointed out.
"Yes, and that's all it was: a coincidence. Nothing more," Twilight claimed when Pinkie popped in from nowhere.
"My tail! My tail! Twitch-a-twitch! Twitch-a-twitch! Somethin' else is gonna fall!" she shouted.
"Oh, Pinkie, please. Nothing else is going to faaa—" Twilight shouted the last bit as she fell into a ditch.
"Twilight! You okay?" Night asked.
"I'm fine," Twilight said with annoyance.
"Is it safe to go help her?" Spike asked Pinkie.
"It's okay, my tails stopped twitching," Pinkie answered and she walked away. Night hopped down and helped Twilight out of the ditch.
"You sure you're okay?" Night asked again.
"I'm fine Night, you can stop worrying," Twilight said, bordering on adding spite into her voice from what Night could tell.
"Um, Twilight, why were you in a ditch?" Applejack asked.
"Because Pinkie predicted it," Spike told her.
"She did not Spike. Two coincidences in a row may be unlikely, but it's still easier to believe than twitchy tails that predict the future," Twilight says.
"Twitchy tail? Pinkie Sense?" Applejack panics and dives beneath a cart.
"Don't worry, it's safe. Prediction already came true," Spike told Applejack.
"Wait, is something Pinkie just made up one day and everypony goes along with it for the laughs?" Night asked.
"I wish. As little sense as it makes, those of us who have been in Ponyville for a long time have learned that if Pinkie's twitching, you'd better listen," Applejack explains when Pinkie again shows up from nowhere.
"My ears are flopping! My ears are flopping!" she screamed.
"What does that mean?" Spike asked worried and Night flew into the air to see if anything was coming.
"I'll start a bath for you," Pinkie says to Twilight.
"A bath? This keeps getting more ridiculous by the minute," Twilight says just as a pony runs past with a trailer that sends mud all over Twilight. Pinkie and Night quickly get Twilight in a bath to get all the mud off and once she's finished Pinkie explains.
"So, basically, it works like this: I get different, little, niggly feelings naming different things. Like when my back gets itchy, it means it's my lucky day. And, when my knee gets pinchy, it means something scary is about to happen," Pinkie tells the three.
"Is your knee pinchy now?" Twilight asked concerned.
"No, but my shoulders achy. That means there's an alligator in the tub," Pinkie says. She then dives her head in to pull out a small alligator which caused Twilight to jump.
"Why didn't your knee get pinchy? That sounds like something scary and dangerous!" Night asked.
"Don't be silly, this is my pet alligator Gummy. He's got no teeth, see?" Pinkie says and Gummy claps down on her, but she doesn't even flinch. The three then head out.
"I still don't believe in all this 'special powers' stuff. It's just a bunch of mumbo jumbo," Twilight claims.
"So, what does that make my lightning?" Night asked.
"Yeah, Night has his lightning and you both have magic. What's the difference?" Pinkie asks, which annoys Twilight.
"Huge! For one thing, magic is something you study and practice. It only happens when you decide to do it, and it's meant to do something specific. It's the same with Night's powers. With you, it makes no sense at all!" Twilight counters.
"That's so not true, Twilight," Pinkie says with a frown before it turns into a smile. "Sometimes it's a bunch of random things happening to my body at random times. I call them 'combos.'"
"Combos?" Twilight asks skeptically.
"Sure. Like, ear flop, then knee twitch, then eye flutter. That means the sky is about to be graced with a beautiful rainbow," Pinkie explained.
"I'll believe it when I see it," Night says.
"Uh-oh. I feel a combo coming up. Ear flop, eye flutter, knee twitch," Pinkie says. Twilight looks back at Pinkie, only to have the door to the Library open and slam into her.
"I thought that combo meant a rainbow was about to show up, not for a door to suddenly open," Night tells Pinkie.
"Oh, you're thinking ear flop, knee twitch, eye flutter. This was an ear flop, eye flutter, knee twitch. That usually means 'watch out for opening doors,'" Pinkie explains.
"You okay Twilight?" Night asks, turning to her.
"I don't believe this," Twilight says, not answering Night.
"You don't believe because you don't understand," Pinkie tells her. Twilight's face shows that she has an idea. Twilight then strapped Pinkie up in some contraption in the basement of the library.
"Okay, how come I've never heard of this?" Night asked Twilight.
"Now is not the time, Night," Twilight says before turning to Pinkie. "Okay. Now that I have you all hooked up, when you get another twitch, I'll get all the scientific readings."
"Okie-dokie-lokie," Pinkie responds. After some waiting with no twitches, Twilight asked Pinkie if she felt anything, who responded with no. This went on for some time untill Twilight got fed up with it.
"Seriously! After all day of constant twitching you've got nothing?" Twilight asked surprised.
"I don't control it, they just come and go," Pinkie tells her.
"That makes no sense!" Twilight says
"Sometimes we just have to believe in things. Even if you don't understand them," Pinkie tells Twilight.
"And some things are so weird that they can't be believed until you see the—" Night begins before Pinkie interrupts him.
"Wait! I think I got something!" Pinkie shouts.
"What? What is it?" Twilight asked excitedly but Night hears a stomach growl.
"It's my tummy! That usually means I'm hungry. Let's eat!" Pinkie says. Upon hearing Pinkie's revelation, Night hoof palms himself. Twilight on the other hoof, loses it.
"You know what? Just forget it!" she says as she unhooks Pinkie.
"Okie-dokie-lokie," Pinkie says as she slips out of the restraints.
"Wait, could you have gotten out whenever you wanted to?" Night asks her.
"Yep," Pinkie says as she hops to the door. When she gets to the door, she gets the combo for opening doors. The door to the basement then slams into Twilight.
"Hey Pinkie, have you seen Twilight?" Spike asks.
"Yes, she's behind the door," Pinkie answers and Spike pulls the door back to see Twilight stuck to it.
"Did you two plan this?" Twilight asks the dragon.
"Plan what?" Spike asks as Twilight unsticks herself from the door.
"This is ridiculous. This just doesn't make any sense whatsoever," Twilight says. She then turns to watching Pinkie around Ponyville while dragging Night around with her. As hard as he tried to slip away, Twilight seemed to be one step ahead of him. Twilight eventually gets startled by Spike. "Honestly Spike, don't you know better than to sneak up on other ponies?" Twilight asks him
"Sorry. But isn't that what you're doing?" Spike asks her.
"No!" Twilight answers.
"Yes," Night counters, causing Twilight to glare at him.
"I'm doing scientific research. I'm observing Pinkie Pie, scientific name: Pinkius Pieicus, in its natural habitat," Twilight says looking at Pinkie through the bush she was using as cover. Spike then decides to tag along. Twilight then seems to be cursed by the Pinkie Sense, as she was stung by a swarm of bees, fell down a flight of stairs into Applejack's new apple cellar, had a flower pot land on her head followed by an anvil, cart full of hay, and a piano. Later, Applejack and Pinkie engage in a conversation in which Night was to eavesdrop on by orders of Twilight, much to his dismay.
"Hey Applejack. Whatcha doin'?" Pinkie asks her.
"Taking more apples to my new apple cellar. How about you Pinkie?" Applejack asks.
"Oh, letting Twilight secretly follow me all day without me knowing," Pinkie answers.
"You mean you knew all along?! Why didn't you tell me?" Twilight asked.
"Cause that would have ruined the secret," Pinkie answered.
"She's got a point," Night said and Twilight glared at him.
"Tail… still twitching?" Spike asked concerned.
"All done, clear skies as far as I can tell" Pinkie answers when her entire body shivers.
"Care to tell us what that one means?" Night asked her worriedly.
"Dunno, never gotten any like it before, but whatever that shudder's about, it's a doozy. Something you'd never expect to happen is gonna happen!" Pinkie told the group as she got another shake. "Whatever it is, it's going to happen at Froggy Bottom Bogg."
"That's where Fluttershy going!" Night said.
"Is it about her?" Spike asks.
"I don't know," Pinkie says concerned.
"We should check on her just to see if she's okay," Applejack says as she heads toward the Bogg with Pinkie, Night and Spike right behind her. Night heard a protest from Spike and turned to see him on Twilight's back.
"I thought you didn't believe in this stuff," Night said.
"I don't. I just want to be there to see the look on Pinkie's face when we get there and find out nothing's wrong," Twilight says as she begins glancing wickedly at Pinkie.
"When did she get so selfish?" Night thought as they entered the Everfree Forest. Pinkie then got another shiver.
"Cold? Need a jacket?" Twilight asked smugly.
"No thanks, I'm fine," Pinkie answered as she shuddered again.
"Care to explain why you're acting so strangely?" Night asks accusingly.
"Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you've been so distant recently," Twilight threw back.
"What are you talking about?" Night asked, but quickly realized his mistake. Twilight also noticed and ran ahead of him. "Smooth Night, real smooth," Night said to himself. The group then arrived and quickly found Fluttershy, who was unharmed.
"I'm so glad everything is alright," Pinkie said.
"Sorry, I know it's not nice to gloat but… Aha! I told you there was nothing to worry about, and I was right. Pinkie Pie said whatever she was shuddering about was a [cough] doozy, and [cough] and the only [cough] doozy here is how right I am," Twilight started. Night, however, noticed something rising behind her, much like Spike and everypony else.
"Um… Twilight?" Applejack started. Twilight ignored this and decided to continue.
"Pinkie's made a lot of predictions today, but [cough] —ugh, what is that smell? But what we've shown here is that there's no point in believing [cough] in anything you can't see for yourself," Twilight finished.
"If it's a matter of seeing, then turn around!" Night warned. Twilight did so and saw the Hydra that had risen from the bogg. Its heads then let out a loud roar.
"RUN!" Night shouted and the group quickly sprinted as fast as they could, but Night noticed Pinkie wasn't moving. Night quickly ran back and pushed her forward. "I said 'run!'" Night said as Pinkie moved. The Hydra chased them threw the bogg and they tried to get up a nearby hill only to find that there was a wide gap with multiple platforms that a non-flyer would have to jump to make. Night looked back to see the Hydra had started to head up the hill they were on and realized he was going to have to do something stupid. "You all start crossing. I'll buy you some time," Night says and is about to take off when Twilight stops him.
"Night, you can't, that Hydra may kill you!" Twilight protested.
"And if I don't, we may all get eaten. It's a risk worth taking," Night said as he barged past her and took to the sky. Before charging at the beast, he absorbed some lightning into his body. The Hydra seemed confused at the fact that a pony would charge right at it, but the confusion didn't last long as it tried to bite down on him. Fortunately, Night was too small and too fast for it. Night then charges more lightning into his horn and fires a magic beam with lightning coming out of it. The beam hits the Hydra on its neck between two of its heads which stuns both and they fall to the ground. But the rest of the beast was still moving and the two remaining heads tried to clamp down on him, but he was still too quick. Night then absorbed more lightning and dived beneath the beast between the two stunned heads and slammed into the Hydra's stomach which caused the whole beast to collapse, more from pain than his lightning. Night quickly flew back to his friends to find that everypony but Twilight had crossed, but she was near the other side. Twilight then made the final jump and Night landed beside them, seeing that there was no way for the Hydra to get to his friends quickly.
"Night! Thank goodness!" Twilight said and hugged him.
"I'm alright," Night said as he hugged her back. Twilight then released him and turned to Pinkie.
"Pinkie, I don't know how it happened; coincidence, dumb luck, or what, but you said there'd be a doozy here at Froggy Bottom Bogg, and I'd say we just had ourselves one heck of a doozy. I mean that hydra—" Twilight said but was cut off when Pinkie suddenly shuddered.
"That wasn't it?" Pinkie says confused.
"Wait, what?" Night asks.
"The Hydra wasn't the doozy," Pinkie explains and Night looks back to see the Hydra give up and head back down to the Bogg. "I'm still getting the shudders, whatever it is, it hasn't happened yet."
"WHAT?! The hydra wasn't the doozy?! How could it not be the doozy?! What could be doozier than that?!" Twilight asked loudly.
"Don't know, but that wasn't it," Pinkie says. As her patience boiled into oblivion, Twilight's mane burst into flames right then and there before quickly disappearing.
"I give up," Twilight says exhausted.
"What do you mean?" Night asks.
"The fight. I can't fight it anymore. I don't understand how, why, or what, but the Pinkie Sense somehow… makes sense. I don't see how it does, but it just does," Twilight says, that's when Pinkie stops shuddering and gasps
"That was it! That was the doozy, oh and, oh what a doozy of a doozy it was!" Pinkie celebrates.
"What? What was?" Twilight asks.
"You believing! I never expected that," Pinkie says as she walks back to Ponyville.
Later
Night was heading back to the Library with Spike and Twilight saw them as they entered. "Night, can I talk to you? Alone?" she asks and Spike heads upstairs. "Look, about earlier, I'm sorry," Twilight tells him.
"It's alright, but if you just tell me what's upsetting you maybe I can help," Night tells her.
"I know, I guess with you being in Canterlot for almost two months put some things into perspective," Twilight says.
"I take it Celestia told you what I was doing," Night guessed.
"Yes, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried. Look, this isn't Earth. We don't need a full-scale army now," Twilight said.
"Do you think I don't know that?" Night said, a little stronger than he meant. He calmed his voice before continuing. "You're the smartest person I know, and on Earth, there may be people who are as smart or smarter than you, and I'm worried that if they find out about Equestria, they may try to cross the gap between the two worlds. Earth's natural resources are running out while this whole world's resources are pretty much untouched."
"You think they might invade?" Twilight asked.
"There's a strong possibility, and I can't risk Equestria being unprepared," Night explained.
"I see… well if there's anything I can do to help, don't be afraid to ask," Twilight says.
"Yeah, I will," Night says.