Last time on QUEST TIME:
>Went to deliver invitations to Pinkie's party.
>Went to Twilight's. Only found sleeping Spike, so you just left the note.
>Took forever, so you went back to Pinkie.
>She decided to help you.
>Now in Big Apple Acres.
>Get tackled by big red pony.
You are now under the full weight of a pony larger than any you've seen so far. It mumbles something along the line of "I wont... just let..." and then promptly falls asleep. Pinkie, who was bouncing around in front of you, is looking back at you now, confused.
As Pinkie bounces back over to you in the evening light, you hold out a hand for her. "Pinkie, help me out?"
She maneuvers in a way so that you can warp your free arm around her and hold. You hold on and the two of you pull together. The two of you do this for a good couple of minutes but it's clear that it's not working. The two of you are simple two weak and this pony is simply too heavy.
"What's this guys problem?" You ask Pinkie. She just gives you a shrug.
"I dunno! Big Macintosh is usually really friendly!" She sits down in front of you.
Brute strength isn’t working in this situation, that much is obvious. So you try go about it a more subtle way and try to wakw up the lumbering pony. Turning over as best you can, you try to jostle the pony on top of you.
"Hey, someone. Wake up!" You give the red pony a poke in the face, flick his ear, open his eye lid. Pinkie soon joins in, making it into a game. Soon enough, Big Mac shudders awake.
"Wha waaha?" He mumbles, getting up a little off you. He gets to his hooves unsteadily, you and Pinkie help pushing him up. Eventually, he seems to notice where he is and the two of you. "Hey... wait a sezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz."
He then falls over again, thankfully away from you. He falls on his side with a heavy thud and is sound asleep again. You and Pinkie exchange a look.
You get back to your feet and brush yourself off. The red pony, Big Mac, is still sleeping, snoring lightly. You and Pinkie share another look, more worried.
"Maybe we should go on ahead and get some help?"
"Yeeeeaaaaahhh." Pinkie says, slowly continuing on. She doesn’t seem to sure but the little pony continues to bounce her way towards the farm. After a few minutes, you see lights on up ahead and arrive at a farm house. Pinkie goes right on up ahead and knocks loudly on the door.
"APPLEJAAAACK!" She shouts. "PARRRTTYYYY! PARTY TIME!"
After a few minutes and some commotion inside, the door opens, revealing a grumpy looking Applejack, now without her cowboy hat.
"What is it Pinkie?" She says, flatly. Pinkie goes into a whole song and dance routine, hopping around the orange pony.
"You're invited to a party, we're gu-"
"No." Applejack interrupts. "Not today Pinkie." She goes back inside and goes to close the door. You quickly hope past Pinkie and get your foot in the door.
"Hold on! We ran into another pony on the way here. He's asleep in the road and he's too heavy for us to move."
You hear Applejack let out a long sigh and opens the door. She walks past the two of you.
"I'll take care of it."
You and Pinkie decide to follow after Applejack back the way you came. Pinkie seems somewhat muted after being turned down for the party, but still bounces along your side, perky.
"Does uh," You start, trying to keep up. "Does this happen alot? Your friend sleeping outside?"
"He's mah brother," Applejack says. "And no, not normally. But it's been a hard couple of weeks."
Soon enough, you all come back to the sleeping red pony, still exactly where you left him. Applejack bends her head down next to his and starts whispering to him, then starts helping him up. "Come on Big Macintosh. Time for you to hit the hay."
With little consoling, she's able to get Big Mac back to his feet, letting him put some of his still sleepy weight on her side. They start walking back to the house. Applejack turns back particularly to Pinkie.
"Ah sorry Pinkie, but I cant come to no party."
"But I-" Pinkie tries to reply, but Applejack has already turned away and is walking back. You and Pinkie are alone again.
"So... who's next?" You say, looking down to Pinkie. She seems a little dazed.
"What? Oh!" Pinkies shakes her head and pulls outs a checklist and pencil from... somewhere. "Let's see... you left one for Twilight and Applejack is busy so, that leaves Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy! Fluttershy is closest, but that doesn’t mater. We still have plenty of time!"
"Well if Fluttershy is closest..."
"Right!" Pinkie stows the checklist and bounces off again, leaving you to catch up.
The two of you walk along a dirt path leading away from town. The landscape changes from apple trees and turns to more wilderness, less developed with plenty of brush and tiny streams. There’s a few small streams and you can see the forest you started in not too far from here.
It doesn’t take long before your companion leads the two of you to a humble looking cottage. The lights are off and there doesn’t seem to be anyone home.
That doesn’t stop Pinkie. She goes right to the front door and starts knocking like before.
"FLUUUTTTERRRSSHYYYY!" She shouts. "PAARRRTTYYYYY!!"
There’s no answer.
You think that maybe Fluttershy might be around back. You leave Pinkie who keeps trying the door with gusto. "FLUUUUTTTERRRRSHYYY!"
You stalk around the side of the house and go around back. The area is huge, with lots of open grass, flowers and a few sparsely places trees. But no pony.
You look for a back door. There is one, but you also notice that there’s a small white bunny sitting by it. It's trying to get in, but it cant seem to work the nob. When it hears you, it stops hopping and looks up at you. It gestures to you and back to the door.
You pick up the little white rabbit and try the door. This one isn’t locked. You go inside to a dark and foreboding cabin. You can still hear Pinkie shouting and knocking on the front door. There doesn’t seem to be anyone home, its dead quiet.
The bunny jumps out of your arms and runs up the small staircase to the second floor.
You decide to open the door and let Pinkie in, before she cries herself hoarse.
"YOU'RE INVITED!" Pinkie shouts as you open the door and she starts jumping around you. "You're invited, to a party, we're gunna-"
"Pinkie, its me." You say, catching her mid hop, stopping her musical number.
"Oh, Rusty! Did you find Fluttershy?"
"Nope. The door out back was unlocked. There was a rabbit trying to get inside. It ran up stairs." You set Pinkie back on ground. "No one seems to be home."
"Hmmm," Pinkie scratches her chin. "Very interesting. Fluttershy is usually home around now. And she never leaves Angel outside."
"Pinkie, should we try upstairs?"
"Yeah, I guess." Pinkie says, trotting up to the stairs. "She might be napping."
You follow, Pinkie leading the two of you down a short hall and to a bed room. The door is ajar, still no lights. Pinkie knocks on door way with her hoof.
"Fluttershy? Are you up here?" She pokes her head in the door. "Fluttershy? There’s a partyyyyy - Fluttershy?"
Pinkie suddenly rushes in the room, the door flying open. You can see now in the bedroom and see a familiar yellow winged pony laying on a soft looking bed. Pinkie hops over to her.
"Fluttershy. Wake up." Pinkie nudged the other pony. "parrrttyyyyyyy."
The other pony doesn’t stir.
"Pinkie," You say, cautiously coming up to the bed. You can see now that the rabbit is also here, snuggled up in the yellow pony's pink mane. "Do... do ponies usually sleep this much? And this early in the evening?"
"Not really," Pinky says, still nudging Fluttershy. "Come on sleepy head. Wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wa-"
"Go away Pinkie." Fluttershy murmurs, almost too quiet to hear.
"Oh, you're wake!" Pinkie says, hoping over the bed to the other side, coming face to face with Fluttershy. "You're invited to a par-"
Fluttershy turns away from Pinkie mid sentence. "I'm sorry, I can't come. Sorry."
Fluttershy is now facing you. She momentarily looks up at you, her little face registers that you're there and lays back down, closing her eyes.
"Oh..." Pinkie looks a little hurt and surprised again. "That’s OK. Maybe next time. I'm just going to leave your invitation here, in case you change your mind."
Pinkie leaves a bright pink envelop on the night stand next to the bed and the two of you leave Fluttershy alone, closing the door gently behind you.
"So," You say, as you leave the cabin, closing the door. "I guess we should try Rarity next?"
"Good idea Rusty!" Pinkie takes out her checklist again and crosses something off. Despite being shot down for her party twice in a row she still sees pretty chipper. "She's just hop and a skip from here! Follow me!"
You walk besides Pinkie as you make your way back to town.
"Pinkie, can I ask you a question?"
"Uh huh!"
"Is this normal? A lot of you ponies seem really... tired. No offense."
"No." Pinkie frown and furrows her brow. The two of you are back in town now. It's mostly quiet, but there’s a few ponies walking around the streets. "This is strange. They're normally not like this at all! Hopefully Rarity will be more fun!"
Eventually, you're back in the heart of town with Pinkie as she leads you to a tall ornate looking building that looks like a merry-go-round with wooden ponies on polls on the side. Fancy. And once again, Pinkie runs right up to the door and pounds on the door.
"RRRAAARRRIIITTYY!! PAAA-"
The door immediately slams open and Rarity pops her head out.
"SHHHHHH! Pinkie!" Rarity scolds Pinkie, whisper shouting. She notices you behind Pinkie and she squints her eyes. "Some of us ponies are try to rest!"
"But you're invi-" The door slams shut in Pinkie's face, completely cutting her off. There’s a very distinct click of a lock.
"Pinkie, I may have just gotten here, but something seems wrong with your friends."
"You can say that again!" Pinkie says, rubbing her snout. "Rarity hasn’t slammed a door on me in years!"
"Maybe we should find some one to help? I'm getting concerned."
"Hmm, I guess we could stop by Twilight's before Dash. She'd know what to do. You left an invitation for her but didn’t talk to her, right?"
You nod.
"I say we go to Twilight and see what she thinks."
"Righto!" Pinkie says, again using her checklist. Done, she bounces off again. You are starting to find your own away now and the two of you make it to Twilight's tree house fast. Its just like as you left it earlier. There’s a few lights on in the windows, but it's quiet.
"TWWWIIIILIIIGHT! SPIIIKE! PAAARRRTY!" Pinkie shouts and knocks the door.
The door opens quickly this time and that little purple and green lizard looking creature you saw before is at the door, rubbing his eye.
"Huh, Pinkie? What?" He looks like he just got up.
"Hi Spike!" Pinkie gesture back to you. "This is Rusty! We're inviting you to a party! Also is Twilight here, we want to ask her something."
"Uhhh," Spike stammers, accepting a envelope from Pinkie and looking at you with a confused look. "I uhh.... we're both really... busy right now Pinkie. I don’t think we'll be able to come to a party today."
"Aww come on! You're the fourth person to turn us down! Can you come at least Spike?"
"Uhhh," Spike looks around inside behind the door. "I'm sorry Pinkie. We're both really busy. Maybe next time."
"Look hold on Spike, is it?" You hold the door open. "I just got here but even I think there’s something wrong with these ponies. We should really talk to Twilight about this. She seems like a smart one."
Spike looks a little intimidated by you and your height. "I... I know, but Twilight is very busy. She's not to be disturbed for anything!"
The little dragon, using strength you wouldn't think such a small creature could have, slams the door closed, despite you trying to hold it open. Your evening is starting to be developing a noticeable pattern of door slams...
Pinkie lets out a heavy sigh and scratches another name off the list.
"Well I guess there's always still Dashy. Come on Rusty."
"Oooor," You says, stepping in front of Pinkie. "We could uh... you know, try and see what Twilight's so busy with. You're her friend, you probably know a way inside."
"I dunno Rusty," Pinkie says, looking a little uneasy. "Something about that doesn’t seem right....."
You think it over for a minute.
"Mmmm, alright Pinkie. We'll go to Dash. But if she's asleep also, I think we should come back and get Twilight and see what's going on."
"Uhhh," Pinkie still looks a little uneasy. "Alright Rusty, that makes sense. We'll come back if Dash is also sleeping. Pinkie promise!"
The two of you shake on it and continue to the last name on Pinkie's list. Soon enough, not far from the edge of town, you're both on a little hill and looking straight up at a cloud house high up in the sky above you. It's a mix of white and pink in the evening light.
"Wow," You look up amazed at it. "How are uh... we going to get her?"
"RAAAAIIINNNBOW DAAAASSSHHH!" Pinkie shouts next to you. A moment passes.
"WHAAAAAAAAAT?"
"YOU'RE INVITED TO A PAARRRRTTTTTYYY!"
"OH OK, I'LL BE RIGHT DOWN!"
A few seconds later and the blue and rainbow flying pony you saw before shoots out of one of the windows like a bullet, does a high speed flip in the air and then glides down to the two of you.
"Oh," She says, giving you a look as she touches the ground. "You're here to."
Pinkie handles introductions.
"Rusty, this is one of my very best friends in the whole wide world, Rainbow Dash! And Dash, this is Rusty. He's a haymon!"
"Uh, it's human, Pinkie." You say, turning to Dash. "Dash, have you noticed anything strange going on in town."
Dash gives you a flat look and turns her head to the town, looking at it for a minute.
"Uhhhh, it's not under attack. That's pretty unusually lately."
"No no, I meant with the ponies. All of Pinkie's friends seem really... sleepy."
"We'll duh!" Dash says annoyed, flying up to your height and starts jabbing you in the chest with her hoof. "We've only been fighting rampaging monsters every other day since forever! What do you even know about ponies you... you, hymon!"
"Easy!" You say, putting your palms up defensively."I was just concerned."
Dash lets out a snort and falls back to the ground. "Whatever."
"So," You say, trying to dispel the dead air that just popped up. "You sill on for that party Pinkie?"
"Ho yeah!" Pinkie says, doing a back flip. "This will be great. OK, me and Dash will see if we can gather up some more ponies for the party! You go back to Sugar Cube Corner and see if everything is all set, Rusty!"
"Ugh, fine," Dash sighs and zips off into town.