My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Starlight Sparkle

Close Encounters of the Pinkie Kind

"Now you're getting the hang of it," said Rarity, giving Astra an encouraging smile. She stood back as Spike went to work, digging through the ground to unearth the pile of gleaming gems that Astra had located. Within seconds Spike had the bundle safely deposited in the cart alongside all the others. As he did so, he licked his lips at the faceted crystals, his eyes shining with hunger.

"Not now Spike, you can have some when we're done," Rarity chastised the little dragon, "Now then, where was I? Oh that's right; I was wondering why it was we never saw you at last years Grand Galloping Gala. Surely you would have been invited?"

Astra narrowed her eyes as she concentrated on locating the next batch of gems, her horn glowing with magic. "I was busy."

"Too busy to attend the Grand Galloping Gala?" Rarity sounded horrified, "My dear lady, what in all of Equestria could possibly take precedence over the social event of the year? Especially for a princess!"

Astra mumbled something.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that." Rarity leaned towards her, listening more intently. Astra bowed her head, her expression one of painful embarrassment.

"I was helping them reshelve all the books in the Canterlot library of magic," Astra repeated, enunciating her words more clearly this time, albeit reluctantly.

Rarity fainted.

"Don't worry about it, she's fine," Spike assured Astra. The princess looked from him to Rarity, then back again.

"Happens a lot does it?"

"Now and again, yes."

The fashionista unicorn went from lying flat out to up close and in Astra's face in less than a second, her eyes burning with an almost deranged look as she grabbed a hold of the princess.

"Why?" Rarity demanded fiercely, "I mean, if I were a princess I would attend every high society event in Canterlot, and I most certainly wouldn't miss out on the Gala to ... to ..." She grimaced as if in pain, "Reshelve a library!"

Astra wilted under her blowlamp glare and averted her gaze. Rarity made it sound like the crime of the century. "I'm just not much of a party pony, sorry. I really don't like attention, or large groups of people."

Rarity relented and released Astra, regaining her normal composure and dignity. She sighed heavily and glanced at the cart full of gems. "Life is so full of cruel irony, Astra. Ah well, I suppose we have enough gemstones to be going on with. Let's head back."

They returned to Carousel Boutique and Rarity thanked them both for their assistance. Astra bid her a good day and departed, eager to return to the library. On the way back, Spike seemed especially nervous, and kept casting her awkward sideways looks. All of which Astra completely failed to notice. When the two of them finally arrived at the library, Spike cleared his throat loudly.

"So, umm ... Astra? Did you mean what you said earlier?"

"About what?"

"Oh, you know, the whole ... not liking parties. Or large groups of ponies. You didn't really mean that, did you?"

Astra's eyes bulged at him. "Mean it? Of course I meant it!" She wailed, sagging before the tiny purple dragon. "Celestia threw me a surprise party for my last birthday. Invited all of the Canterlot nobles. And a band. And the Wonderbolts."

Spike gave a hasty smile and gestured at her. "Well that sounds nice!"

"Nice?" Astra snapped bitterly, "I had a panic attack. In front of everyone. I've never been so humiliated in my entire life. Believe me Spike, I'd sooner traipse through a hydra infested swamp than go to another party. I'd rather sleep on a bed of rusty nails than face a crowd of ponies. I hope I never have another surprise party for as long as I live, even if I live for a million years!"

With that she perked up and trotted past Spike, who gaped for a moment and then waved frantically as he tried to prevent her from going into the library.

"Astra, wait! Don't go in there!"

"SURPRISE!"

Astra stopped and stared in utter horror at what confronted her within the Ponyville library. Streamers. Balloons. Punch. Cake. Music. Banners. And ponies. Lots and lots of ponies. All looking at her.

"Aww, will you look at that!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed cheerfully, bouncing up and down in front of the stricken princess, "She's so happy she's speechless! C'mon everypony, come and say hello to Astra, and lets get this party started! Woohoo!"

Astra was paralysed with shock, while behind her Spike sidled over to Twilight and drew his hand across his throat in a hasty gesture. Twilight completely failed to catch his meaning.

"Spike, what are you doing? Never mind, did everything go okay with Rarity?"

"Twilight, I think the party was a big mistake!" Spike tried to tell her. She frowned at him.

"Mistake? Oh come on Spike, I'm sure Astra will be having lots of-" She turned to regard the princess, who was currently being bombarded by Pinkie Pie in full party mode, and looked as if she was faced with something unspeakably mind-numbingly terrifying. Twilight faltered. "Fun?"

Pinkie Pie giggled and nudged Astra so hard she almost bowled her over. "Come on Astra, dance! Shake that booty! YAY!"

Overwhelmed by the loud music, the staring ponies, and of course Pinkie Pie at her best, Astra couldn't cope. Her horn flared brightly for a moment and then she was gone in a flash of light. Everypony stopped what they were doing and gaped in astonishment, all save Pinkie, who had her eyes closed and was busy dancing to her hearts content.

Twilight glanced at Spike and then looked at the empty space where Astra had been. She groaned.

"Drat, I knew I shouldn't have taught her how to do that ..."

Astra popped out of thin air several feet above the river that ran through Ponyville, smoke curling from her mane in grey wisps. She hovered there for a second until gravity suddenly noticed her, whereupon it did its thing. She flailed her legs frantically but there was nothing for her to gain purchase on, and so she plunged rather unceremoniously into the glittering water.

She landed with a predictable splash and vanished from sight, only to break the surface a moment later, now sopping wet. Looking thoroughly miserable she spat a jet of water from her mouth and sighed glumly.

Twilight located her twenty minutes later at Rarity's, her mane wrapped in a fluffy towel as she dried off under a warm blanket. She did not look happy.

"Won't you at least give the party a chance?" Twilight pleaded with her, "I promise I'll make sure Pinkie Pie tones it down a little."

Astra sneezed and then gently rubbed her snout. She glared at Twilight and shook her head.

"Twilight Sparkle, I was sent to Ponyville to study magic, not to party. Besides, if Celestia found out I was shirking my studies to have fun and party, there's no telling what she might do!" Astra's eyes grew wide with fear and she gave a sharp intake of breath. "She might banish me! Or imprison me! Or banish me and then imprison me in the place where she banished me to!"

Twilight scoffed at that. "Oh please. You make her sound like an ogre. Princess Celestia would never do anything like that, much less to her own niece!"

"Oh really?" Astra challenged, leaning closer to Twilight, "So the stories about how she banished her sister Luna and imprisoned her in the moon ... not true?"

"Of course n-" Twilight began to say before she stopped herself. She gawked at Astra for a moment and then looked sheepish. "Okay, that one's true. But she had a really good reason!"

Astra sat back and sulked. "Either way I'm staying put. Rarity says I can sleep here tonight. If it's all the same to you, I'll see you bright and early first thing tomorrow morning."

Twilight glanced across at Rarity, who gave her a helpless shrug. Finally she sighed and dipped her head. "Fine. But if you change your mind, feel free to come on over and enjoy yourself. Once Pinkie Pie gets a party going there's no stopping her ..."

And indeed there wasn't. The party continued well into the night despite Astra's complete absence. After all there was no sense wasting a perfectly good party once one was going, was there?

It was quite late when the party finally wrapped up and Pinkie Pie emerged from the library, waving goodbye to Twilight and Spike as she went. The stars were out and the sky was clear, the moon shining brightly across Equestria. Pinkie hummed happily to herself as she made her way home to Sugarcube Corner.

"Oh wow, the stars sure are pretty tonight," Pinkie observed, stopping to stare up at the glittering sky above her. As she did so, she noticed that one of the stars was moving. Which was odd, because stars weren't supposed to move, were they? Not unless they were shooting stars, and this one certainly didn't look like a shooting star. It changed direction, for one thing. And it was getting bigger. And brighter.

"Is it supposed to do that?" Pinkie wondered aloud as she watched the thing. Her eyes widened as the star in question seemed to draw near, growing so large now that it was like a miniature sun hovering above Ponyville. Pinkie stared at the thing, mesmerised by it.

"Oooohh ..."

Suddenly a beam of white light lanced out from it, strobing across the sky. It swept back and forth until finally it seemed to notice Pinkie Pie, whereupon it zeroed in on her. She was bathed in the pale white light of the beam, which pulsed brightly.

And then Pinkie was gone.

The beam vanished and the searing star shot off into the night sky.