twilightpony | A Surprise Party To End All Surprise Parties

We all arrived at nearly the same time at Sugarcube Corner, just as the Cakes were returning from their final delivery. Freed from her foal-sitting duty, Pinkie emerged with bowl after bowl of rock candy and stacked them in Applejack's cart. It all fit, but it made for a dazzling pile of rock candy, a full spectrum of sweet facets glittering in the sunlight. We were all a bit jittery as we tightened our saddlebags and hoisted our baskets. Just in time, I thought to ask Pinkie to bring her camera, waving my hoof in the general direction of the blinding kaleidoscope of rock candy. Pinkie zipped back inside and emerged victorious with her camera. All set, we made a bee-line for the east pasture.

There were a lot of ponies out picnicking. It looked like the whole town was there. Even the school was having a picnic. Applejack and Dash got distracted by a game of netball but fortunately I spotted our destination and got them on track. We tried to avoid running over ponies as we made our way past ponies sunning, eating, reading! (I tripped over Spike), rolling in the grass and generally relaxing.

We arrived and unloaded all the candy (I think drawing many eyes our way). While we set up our blanket, Applejack headed back to park the cart off the field, back the way we came. By the time she had returned, I had organized the bowls by wavelength into a glittering crescent and everything was ready. "Pinkie! Take a picture!" I suggested we make a necklace to wear before lunch. As we finished stringing rock candy, Pinkie snapped more pictures and Fluttershy released a blue jay that flown in to see her. Suddenly, somewhere in the crowd, a pony broke out in song.

Though fillies there be
Who never foresee
That the future holds anything pleasant;
Who grimly cast
Their eyes on the past,
And who gaze all aghast at the present!
The golden rule
For sage or fool,
For princess and pony and peasant,
Is, come what may,
At work or play,
To live, just live for today!

More and more ponies joined in and started walking toward us from all sides. It was fabulous. Pinkie was in shock. They were singing 'Just Live For Today' from Hinny of the Hills. Pinkie knew this song well, we'd all been to a private showing of Hinny of the Hills on Briddleway thanks to Rarity.

Sing hay! Sing ho!
There's no time like the present!
Sing ho! Sing hay!
There's no day like today!

They sang the entire song. They were at least fifty ponies strong by the final verse. I had trouble counting, I had tears in my eyes.

When a mare's depressed,
Not feeling her best,
She'll lament over yesterday's sorrow,
And brood, what's more,
On worries galore
That the fates have in store for the morrow.
Yet mares have power
From every hour
Some gleams of sunshine to borrow;
So don't delay
But find a way
To make the most of today!

Sing hay! Sing ho!
Take no thought for the morrow!
Sing ho! Sing hay!
Live, just live for today!

They ended by looking and pointing straight up. High above up us, two pegasi were spelling "PINKIE PIE" in huge letters made with clouds. There was a thunder of hooves pounding in applause all around, then suddenly more ponies sprang up bearing baskets and saddle bags stuffed with treats, plates and cups. The Cakes thought of everything. Zecora trotted up with a wagon. She brought the punch, the water and the ice tea. And she brought ingredients to make more.

The pegasi hadn't finished. I grabbed Pinkie and pointed at the sky. They were putting the finishing touches on the words "SURPRISE PARTY". Pinkie's mouth formed a huge "O". Then she started talking so fast I couldn't tell when one sentence ended and the next began. I caught a few words, like 'acting strange', 'so many', 'picnics everywhere' and 'cake'. Then the crowd parted as another cart crested the rise. The Cakes had arrived.

I slipped Pinkie's camera over to Rainbow Dash and whispered "take pictures!". I'd have done it myself but I think Dash is better at it. Dash was way ahead of me. She had thought to ask a few photographer ponies to document the event, and through Scootaloo, Featherweight was on the job too. I think we'll end up with enough pictures for a scrapbook.

The Cakes, with their foals in their saddlebags and a giant cake in their cart, beamed as they pulled up in front of Pinkie. In the sky, the pegasi were putting the finishing touches to the last two words: "ALL INVITED". All around ponies cheered and started chanting: "Cut the cake! Cut the cake!"

Pinkie leaped up onto the front of the cart and held up a hoof for silence. In the quiet she pointed at a tag on the cake and announced, "Wait! There's something written here. It says, 'To give this party a special zing, let me out, pull my string!'"

In the crowd, a pony called out: "Pull it!"

Pinkie pulled the string, then dived for cover as the cake began to spin, throwing icing in all directions. In the center, out popped Cheese Sandwich wearing the lid like a hat, playing an accordion and firing party cannons. (I breathed a sigh of relief. He made it!)

Some of the cannons provided instant party decor, others confetti, streamers and balloons, and another tossed up a shower of party hats that floated down under parachutes. DJ Pon3 appeared like magic, her turntables spinning and her hoof ready on the needle. Cheese Sandwich gave Pinkie a hug, grabbed a microphone and made an announcement. "Hold your horses, mares, stallions and foals! Before we start this party for the Premier Party Pony of Ponyville, the Surprise Picnic Party to end all surprise parties," (loud cheers) "there is just one more surprise, and it's almost here!" He pointed and all eyes turned to Big MacIntosh, yoked to his cart and steadily plowing through the crowd, straight to Pinkie. In his cart was the box Rarity and Applejack had built, hidden under a sheet.

Pinkie dashed through the crowd, grabbed the edge of the sheet and yanked it off. The natural amphitheater made by our chosen location magnified the "ooh's" and "aah's" from all present. Big MacIntosh came to a stop at our picnic blanket. Applejack called out, "Right on time." Big MacIntosh replied, "Eyup."

"Open it Pinkie!" "What's inside?"

Pinkie Pie studied the sparkling box with mock gravity. She grabbed the giant ribbon with her teeth and gave it a tug. The box remained closed, but as the ribbon fell off, it revealed a door handle. Pinkie did the obvious thing, she knocked. "Come on out!" The door handle turned and Pinkie gasped and scooted away, falling on her back. The crowd caught its breath. Out stepped Maud Pie. "Surprise."

Pinkie sat down right there and burst into tears.

I think my heart stopped beating for a moment there. I think everypony's heart stopped. But then in an instant, Pinkie leaped up, grabbed her sister, grabbed the microphone and with tears still gushing, announced "This is the BEST SURPRISE PARTY EVER!" and bear-hugged everypony in sight. Cheese Sandwhich set off a few fireworks to punctuate the fluffy white words written in the sky, Dj Pon3 applied a needle to a disk and the party started.

Cheese delivered a giant party. There was a food fight with cream pies. Rock candy necklace making event. Fireworks, some from Cheese, some from Zecora. A conga line a hundred ponies long with sprinkler fireworks (resulting in a lot of singed manes). Pinatas, games, balloon animals, cake juggling...

I'm all partied out and Spike is fast asleep, but through my small balcony door I can hear that this party isn't winding down anytime soon. I've kept my rock-candy necklace as a souvenir and I have another one I'll give to Pinkie tomorrow. As will each of us.