Tickled Pink

Pinkie Pie had gone all out. She had decorated the cafeteria to advertise the fashion show. There were posters. There were balloons. There were streamers. There was even a TV monitor set up showing one of the Sonic Rainbooms’ sell-out performances. Pinkie Pie herself was going from table to table selling tickets to the evening’s big event.

Sunset Shimmer slid into a seat beside Rarity and handed her a big box of attachable decals she had made. She covered a yawn with her hand.

“How long did it take you to do all of this?” Rarity asked in amazement.

“Not as long as it took you to design all those uniforms,” Sunset Shimmer answered.

“The kittens and puppies are ready for their parade!” Fluttershy announced as she sat down. “I can’t wait for tonight. It’s going to be wonderful.”

“I even had some extra time to whip up a special batch of my famous cider,” said Applejack. “How did we ever manage to get everything done?”

“Teamwork,” said Rainbow Dash. “It’s what does it every time.”

Sunset Shimmer looked around the table at each of her friends. Each one of them was so different and so special. She was really lucky.

Pinkie Pie took a break from selling tickets and came over to sit with them. She looked upset.

“What’s the matter, Pinkie Pie?” asked Sunset Shimmer, concerned.

“I don’t really know,” said Pinkie Pie. “I’ve tried to show everyone how fun the fashion show is going to be, but nobody is buying tickets. Nobody. Not even DJ Pon-3. Not even Flash. I can’t imagine what’s going on. Nothing else is scheduled for tonight. I don’t even think there are any parties. Believe me, if there were, I would know.”

“That’s so strange,” said Rainbow Dash.

“I never imagined people wouldn’t come,” said Applejack.

“The athletes told me they loved the do-it-yourself fashion accessories,” said Rarity.

“It just doesn’t make any sense,” Fluttershy whispered.

“Unless,” said Applejack, “the Great and Powerful Trixie is getting mixed up in this in some way—”

“No,” interrupted Sunset Shimmer. “This isn’t Trixie’s fault.”

While her friends had been talking, Sunset Shimmer had been looking around the cafeteria, and what she saw had shown her what was going on. Kids were stealing sideways glances at her and then whispering and pointing at her. She was the gossip of the cafeteria. She’d been so happy to make things right with her friends that she had forgotten that the whole rest of the school had only seen the trouble she had made—the chaotic kitchen, the runaway rescues, and what must have looked like mean photos of Rarity on their fan site. To make sure that she was right, Sunset Shimmer got up to throw her trash in the garbage can. As she walked back to her table, she overheard what the kids were saying.

“Who knows what she’s planning this time? I just don’t want to be there.…”

“I’ve heard she’s called back the Sirens and they are going to take over the whole school.”

“But didn’t she help defeat them?”

“You never know.…”

“What’s she going to do to our school this time?”

“Is there any way to stop her?”

“Just don’t go to that fashion show. Stay home!”

Sunset Shimmer slumped back into her seat. “I’m sorry, everyone. This is all my fault. I’m not a pony anymore, and every time I try to be a real girl, I mess it up. I’m a failure at everything.” She put her head in her hands, defeated.

Her friends tried to console her, but just as they were trying to reassure her that everything would be all right, Principal Celestia dropped by their table. “I just want to say, girls, that you really seem to have pulled this together. I’m proud of you. I really am.”

Sunset Shimmer shook her head. “But she’s going to be so disappointed when she sees that empty auditorium. And it’s all my fault. All I’ve done is create another school-wide disaster.”

“I think we’ve got to advertise that new song you said you were going to write for us,” said Pinkie Pie. “No one will be able to resist that.”

Sunset Shimmer gulped, remembering her promise at the sleepover. She had totally forgotten about the song. She smiled weakly. “Right. The new song. I’ll come up with something. But that still doesn’t solve the problem of how suspicious everyone is of me.” “We’ll figure out something,” said Fluttershy.

“We always do,” agreed Applejack.

Sunset Shimmer shook her head. “I don’t think so. I think this time I’ve just gone too far.”

“Nonsense!” Pinkie Pie perked up. “Everyone wants to come to the fashion show. You know they do! Music! Animals! Fashion! What’s the problem? What we have to do is just find some way to get people excited about it again. They want to be excited.”

Sunset Shimmer looked at Pinkie Pie with amazement. Nothing ever spoiled her day. She was a ray of bubblegum-colored sunshine, always eager to look at the bright side of things and make everyone happy. What a gift she had. How could Sunset Shimmer have ever imagined that there was any more powerful magic than that?

Pinkie Pie was rattling off a list of ideas. “We could throw a raffle and offer a free concert to the person who wins. Or we could promise some big surprise, but we’d have to figure out what it was. Or maybe we just need more balloons!”

The girls were putting their heads together.

“I like the raffle idea,” said Applejack.

“But will it work?” wondered Rainbow Dash.

Sunset Shimmer cleared her throat. “No,” she said. “That’s not what we need to do. In fact, the rest of you have done enough already. This is up to me. I’m the one who has to prove to everyone that I’m not up to something dangerous. That’s what they’re scared of—me. And the only way I can prove to them that I’m different now is to show them. I’ve got to do it the same way that I’ve showed all of you. I wish I had more than an afternoon to do it in, but there it is.”

“Mighty big of you,” said Applejack.

“Mighty brave of you,” said Fluttershy.

“You think it will work?” asked Rarity.

Pinkie Pie clapped her hands. “Of course it will! I think Sunset Shimmer can do anything, and I think it’s going to be wonderful!”

Pinkie Pie’s optimism was just what Sunset Shimmer needed.