Shynon Visits Ponyville

>With a considerable mane of darkest black, a cleanly brushed olive coat, and the kind of patience that makes mountains jealous, (You) could only be Gale "Anon" Incognito

>Weird, you're used to only being featured at the end of one of these posts

>Ah well, time to main event, apparently

>It's not often you take time off for a proper vacation

>Most of your time off sees you hanging out in your cloudpartment back in Cloudsdale

>Enjoying time with family, hanging out with your circle of friends, puttering around with your own Cloud Collection

>You didn't understand your dad's obsession with it at first even if you do share a passion for weather, but there really is something oddly calming about seeing all the little Cirri clouds bob near the top of their jars and the Strati pooling gloomily near the bottom of theirs

>'Staycation shit', you'd probably call it back on Earth

>Not this time, though

>It'd been a few years since you'd last seen your sister, Fluttershy

>Once you got her cottage fully up and running you didn't want to butt in on things too much

>Generation 5 aside things turned out pretty okay

>The ponies didn't need you kicking the door down and trying to make things 'better' to some sort of arbitrary value

>This was your life now, here in Horse World

>And you fully intended to live it

>Not play Executive Producer

>Still, it did make you miss your oldest sibling, what with this self-imposed exile

>Enough to get you to realize that this was stupid

>At the end of the day you're just an inspector for the Rainbow Factory

>Even if you did visit your sister it wasn't going to throw a wrench into things

>And if it did... well shit, that's just how it's going to have to be, apparently

>It was with that personal declaration that led you here to your sister's home, having shared a few letters asking if she was amenable to your visiting for some time

>She was quite keen on it, frankly

>If you heard that kind of enthusiasm from her outside of ink and paper you'd have to assume she was a very poorly informed Changeling

>And so, when you knock gently on the door, you're not surprised to see a much more restrained sister open it - still pleased, but not gushing

>Flanked by a number of critters that you struggled to remember if you'd seen them before or not (sorry sister, all the squirrels just kind of look alike to you)

>You shared a nuzzle before being let inside to settle on her couch

>The same one you'd managed to put together years ago - with only three screws left over! A personal best

>Fluttershy was keen to catch you up on things

>Given a whole new lifetime's worth of your own experience you weren't exactly hefting around Wikipedia-tier knowledge of the show anymore, but you recognized some of her more adventurous stories and got to appreciate them from a new perspective

>Your stories weren't quite as flashy

>Beyond a close call with a dam that hadn't been given nearly enough maintenance, most of your work was routine, drama-free, and featured significantly less monsters and things trying to kill and/or eat you

>Your sister still listened with rapt attention

>Though before you could start talking about your latest Cloud Collection addition (the coveted altocumulus!)

>Fluttershy's clock chimed four, heralding the start of a new hour

>And a new guest

>Six limbs and zero matches

>A pair of jaundiced red eyes

>And a lazy grin that noticeably dimmed when he made eye contact with you

>Yep, that's Discord

>"Oh I do apologize, Discord. I suppose I let the time get away from me - this is my little brother, Gale Incognito! Though he prefers 'Anon'. Anon, this is Discord, the God of Chaos."

>The Draconequus's expression didn't shift much as you shared a polite paw/hoofbump with him

>Given rampant fan speculation you still somewhat remember, you would assume he'd ease up on the cold shoulder upon learning that the stallion enjoying a private, intimate meeting with the mare he was keen on was related to her

>Though there's always the chance that the mad God was aware that Fluttershy shouldn't have an extra little brother kicking around

>"Excuse me just a moment, I'll get you a mug and get us all some biscuits, we were getting low anyway!"

>Left alone with the spirit, your prediction practically trips over itself on its way to be proven right

>"Right then. So, who are you really?"

"I was just introduced, Discord, come on now."

>The Draconequus stared at you with an unimpressed expression

>He reached into one of his ears and pulled out a bundle of printer paper

>"I've read the script, kid. My best friend Fluttershy only has three other family members - Posey Shy, Mr. Shy, and Zephyr Breeze. You're not on the list."

>You couldn't help but sit up a bit straighter, trying to get a good look at the writing

"Does it seriously have him listed as 'Mr. Shy' on there? You're omnipotent aren't you, surely you know his first name is-"

>"Don't play games with me, impostor."

>Discord hissed through grit teeth, clearly intent on not alerting Fluttershy to the tense turn of the conversation

>"I don't know how you convinced Fluttershy you were a relative-"

>You cut across him with a lazy shrug

"Getting extracted from our mom probably helped. Listen, man. I'm no charlatan. No con artistry, no magic. I've been here the whole time. I don't know what to tell you."

>Discord looked ready to explode on you, but you were saved by your older sister returning with the mug and a tray of biscuits balanced on a wing

>Despite the God of Chaos's efforts, your sister's social awareness was keen as always

>Giving him a look that wasn't quite The Stare but promised some very pertinent questions when she got the opportunity

>Their weekly tea party wasn't the place for it (at least with its' current plus one), and it continued at a sedate, mildly awkward pace for some time

>Rather than continue intruding on what you vaguely interpreted as a date, you begged off, insisting that your sister enjoy the previously scheduled engagement

>You'd be in town all week after all, there'd be plenty of time to see each other

>Plus it gave you a chance to get a look around the town

>The scholars never did really give a concrete answer on how long each season lasted, so you didn't really have any idea of 'when' you were, beyond having comforted your brother for failing his Mane Therapy course recently

>And enjoying a letter about him overindulging in his self-pity, contrary to your advice

>So getting a lay of the land would be good for that, if nothing else

>Besides, you never really got a good look at Ponyville the first time you were here

>Too much time gathering up supplies and tools for the construction on the cottage

>So with a warm nuzzle from your sister and an awkward, unshared wave with the Spirit of Chaos

>You left them to their tea party to head into the Chaos Capital of Equestria

>Ponyville

 

 

Part 2:

>With a proud heirloom stetson keeping the sun out of your eyes, a stall to run, and the two meanest applebuckers this side of the Everfree Forest, (You) must be Applejack!

>As much as you enjoy working on the farm, you can't deny it's nice to run the Applestall like this a few times a week

>Enjoying the outdoors, getting to socialize with friends you don't get to see as often as the other Elements

>And there really is nothing quite like seeing a customer's eyes light up when they enjoy the literal fruits of your labor

>Celestia's sun was rising up to its' highest noon perch as you surveyed the open air market

>Daisy, Roseluck, and Lily were gossiping at their combined stall while waiting for an approach

>Golden Harvest had quite a bumper crop of carrots on offer

>Dr. Hooves had a variety of clocks and... other gizmos you weren't going to even try to comprehend

>Last and absolutely least you made sure to share a brief glare with Strawberry Sunrise

>There were a number of other stands offering all manner of things, but you were less familiar with the ponies running them, if you were being honest (which you tended to be)

>But the most important thing was that every last one of them was currently being ran

>A full house like today really got the ponies out in force, since it meant they could fully stock up on most everything they wanted

>And even better, window shoppers who would wander around the square out of curiousity

>Days like this saw keen profits for your stall to be sure, everypony could use a pick-me-up between all that browsing

>Keeping your eyes on a swivel let you keep abreast of any approaching customers, but also just ponywatch in general when you weren't engaged with somepony

>And it was that sweeping gaze over the square that made you notice the stallion trotting down the street into town

>The direction was from the Everfree forest, though you don't recall anypony going down that direction during your time running your stall

>Though an explanation was quickly sourced as the pony got close enough for your keen eyes to get a better look at him

>A Pegasus, that'd probably do it

>Just fly right on overhead

>Though that does beg the question of what he was doing out there

>The only thing out there was the clock tower

>Certainly didn't look like a repairpony, and you didn't hear about the old thing needing tending to regardless

>Well, that and... Fluttershy's Cottage

>Wait a minute...

>A Pegasus you've never seen in town coming in from that direction?

>Well whollop your withers, this must be the baby brother Fluttershy mentioned about a week ago during your picnic with her and Rainbow Dash!

>Sure you were correct, you lifted a hoof to wave warmly towards the new face

"Howdy pardner! Welcome to the Ponyville Market! Just blowing in from out of town?"

>The Pegasus makes eye contact with you, sees your friendly smile and raises you one of his own

>Something about those green eyes are oddly familiar, but you don't have too much time to ruminate on it before he's crossed the distance to your stand

>"Well howdy howdy, friend. You know, I'd heard all about the friendly nature of the Ponies here in this town, and you're definitely living up to that reputation immediately."

>You share a hoofbump with the Pegasus as you grin at his praise, using your other hoof to adjust your stetson

"Gosh stranger, you're too kind. If y'don't mind me asking, did you happen to come from the cottage down that long path? Trajectory certainly seems right for it."

>The stallion freely nods at that, setting his forehooves on your stall as he eyes some of your stock

>"Well spotted! Enough with that 'stranger' talk, though. The name's Gale Incognito. You can call me Anon. I hope it isn't too presumptious of me to name you 'Applejack', but you look exactly how I thought you would given how my sister's talked about you in her letters. It's a pleasure to meet you."

>You were taken a bit off guard that he could recognize you so easily, but between all that Element nonsense and apparent familial correspondence, you supposed it made sense

"Pleasure t'meet you too, Anon. I hope Fluttershy's speakin' about me well in any letters you're sharin'. What brings you down here? She mentioned you recently, said you were up in Cloudsdale still."

>Eyeing your price list, Anon reached into his saddlebag to pull out a few bits

>There was a bit of a cold war there as you weren't keen on making a family friend pay for their first bite of one of your apples

>Just seemed a bit wrong, that

>But when you perked up an authoritative eyebrow at him he just raised one of his own right back

>The absurdity of the whole thing got to you soon enough, and you shared a chuckle with him as you slid the bits into your till and he enjoyed a loud, crunchy bite of Sweet Apple Acres' finest

>And there it was, the shine in the eyes of somepony experiencing it for the very first time

>You'd trade any amount of sleeping in late for the privilege of seeing that kind of expression

>The stallion actually wiped a tear from one of his eyes before addressing you properly again

>"Sorry. Wow, y'know. You hear stories, but the real deal is just... wow."

>A bashful sort of grin settled on your muzzle at that, and you could feel some heat on your face

>It weren't no blue ribbon, but that kind of earnest, honest praise was in a way even nicer than a professional assessment

>"To answer your question, I felt like it'd been way too long since I'd seen my older sister, you know? I helped her settle a few years back. We actually crossed paths then, if you can remember. You let us borrow your tool bag."

>A jolt of realization lanced down your spine at that

>That's why he looked so familiar!

"Land sake, I knew I thought I recognized you... if just barely. You helped Shy out with renovating her place? That was good work, sugarcube. I couldn't have set those shelves any more level myself. Will you be staying in town long, then?"

>"Just about a week. I'll be trying to make myself less scarce, though. Mom, dad, and Zephyr are all back home in Cloudsdale as well, so I see them all the time, but I think I've really neglected Fluttershy. I really want to make up for that."

"That's right nice of ya, Anon. Family's important to me and mine, so I'm glad to hear that. Let me be the first to wel-"

>"WELCOME!"

>You'd say you didn't leap out of your coat as the shrill voice of your most boisterous friend rang out right next to you

>But honestly

>It's Pinkie, she's probably given half the town the jitters at this point with her ability to just show up out of nowhere

>And indeed, there she was, poking up from behind your stand that you would swear you were the only one manning before

>Serving up Anon with a literal ear-to-ear grin, claiming one of his hooves to shake it a mile-a-minute as she babbled on a mile-a-second

>You loved Pinkie Pie, really

>She was like a sister (and possibly some sort of distant relation, you and her were never really able to figure that out)

>But when she got like this it was best to just wait for her to wind down and try to parse it out as she slowed down

>You definitely caught something about her also remembering Anon and.... apologizing?

>Definitely going to need to wait for the end of this

>Throughout it all Anon simply allowed his foreleg to get turned into a wobbly noodle and weathered the barrage of Pinkie's rambling

>Nodding gently and responding as best he could to the torrent

>When the girl finally needed to breathe, he offered her a helpless sort of shrug

>"There's no need to apologize, really. I was only in town for a few hours that day, and I spent most of it busy. I don't think anyone would hold it against you that you didn't host a party for a passerby like that. Oh, and to answer your other questions; I prefer coffee or carrot cake, my favorite color is, perhaps egotistically, green, you may want to ask Fluttershy for permission before commandeering her cottage for a party, and can I help you?"

>That last question was aimed not at you or Pinkie Pie, but the draconequus who had managed to sneak up on the three of you during Pinkie's tirade

>Discord, great

>The nuisance was preoccupied with Anon and had... skinned him?!

>The lower half of your new friend's coat had been pulled back

>Though mercifully instead of seeing his bare skin or... worse...

>You were baffled to see that Discord had exposed some denim pants covering his flank and rump

>"Oh, don't mind me, 'Gale'. Just checking your jeans."

>The draconequus was squinting at a brown patch on the back of the jeans

>A brand name and logo of some sort

>Leaning over the stall to get a good look you made out the phrase 'Shy Strauss & Co', with a little picture of a pony that vaguely resembled Fluttershy cowering

>Seemingly displeased with his findings Discord scowled as he lifted Anon's coat back to cover the apparel up

>Made a gesture pointing his at his eyes with two digits then at Anon's eyes, before repeating the motion

>"This isn't over."

>And with that he did a backflip and disappeared into nothingness

>... Every day you swore this town got a little weirder

>Without missing a beat Anon turned to face Pinkie again, and continued the conversation as if it had never been interrupted

>"As I was saying. I don't think it'd be right for me to grant you permission to host a party at Fluttershy's cottage - you'd have to ask her yourself. But I would be very amenable to one, stories of your parties have made the rounds across Equestria, you know. I'd be honored to learn how true they are, especially for one in my honor."

>Pinkie Pie grinned at that, clearly excited at the idea of meeting those expectations

>Anon turned to you, next

>"As I said earlier it's been lovely meeting you, Applejack, but I won't hold up your stall much longer. I never did get to see much of the town my first time coming through, so I'd love to do some exploring. Best of luck with your business!"

"Of course, sugarcube! Enjoy Ponyville, there's plenty to see 'n all. The Castle should be open to visitors this time'a day, so give Twilight my regards if you swing by and see her!"

>"Make sure to stop by Sugarcube Corner too! We made so many yummyrific treats today! I'm sure Mr. and Mrs. Cake won't mind if I share a few with you as a welcome gift!"

>With one last hoofbump you let the stallion off to see the sights, chuckling to yourself

"Looks you like best see to Fluttershy then, eh Pinkie?"

>You asked what you thought was one of your best friends, but it turns out you were just talking to empty space

>Checking out the direction of the road out of town, you saw a cloud of pink dust rising into the air

>Seems like she was so excited she couldn't wait to be on her way

>Never change, Pinkie Pie

 

Part 3:

>You're the winner of Frizziest Mane in Equestria competition three years running now, and the premier Party Pony in all the land - could (You) be anyone other than Pinkie Pie?

>Surely not!

>Right now you're in your element

>No, not Laughter, silly!

>A Party!

>Sadly Fluttershy wasn't quite amenable to the idea of hosting Anon's 'Welcome to Ponyville' Party in her cottage

>You might've tried a little harder to win her over, but there was some weird vibes going on between her and Discord

>More than usual, even

>So you let it be and managed to convince the Cakes to close for the day so you could rent out the Bakery

>They were happy to do it, really

>Evidently Gale had passed through and made a good first impression, sharing some stories about some desserts Mrs. Shy had made growing up that sounded just wonderful!

>Upside Down Cloud Cake sounded really interesting

>You wondered if it actually featured clouds or if it was just white icing

>Either way you had made a note to get an idea of the recipe from Anon, or at least his best recollection

>You might be able to get a better idea from Fluttershy, but to be honest...

>That green stallion's been niggling at your mind this entire party

>Your Pinkie Sense hasn't been pinging you about anypony having a bad time at the party, even him

>But every time you catch sight of the Pegasi you honestly can't tell if he's having fun or not!

>And you swear he has to have his own Gale Sense because almost every time you check in he catches you staring

>Makes eye contact, smiles that polite little smile of his, even waves

>But he hasn't approached you either, returning back to conversing with whoever he was currently engaged with

>(You've never seen someone engage in so much small talk)

>Which was... polite, true, it would be rude of him to just break off mid-talk to come over to you

>But even when he finishes naturally he'll often go get something to eat or find someone else to talk to

>Are you being avoided?

>With a bit of a pout you made a move to budge into the stallion's conversation

>But you were cut off by someone calling out

>"Hey Pinkie!"

>Momma Pie didn't raise no rude filly, so you stopped to reply

>Drawing a genuine smile as you recognized one of your best friends, Rainbow Dash

"Heya Dashie! Having a good time?"

>"Totally! This party is awesome, you've really outdone yourself! Cooouldn't help but notice you standing around scowling though, thought I'd check in."

>You gasped internally

>Then, externally

"Oh, gosh! Really? Was I really making a face like that? I didn't even realize..."

>"Don't sweat it Pinks. What's up?"

>Rainbow Dash strode over to stand at your side, looking in the direction you had been

>It was her own turn to make a face pretty similar to that time you bit down on a raw lemon just to see how it tasted

>"Ah. You have an issue with the guest of honor, huh?"

>You gave your friend a puzzled expression, full on head tilt and all

"I wouldn't say an issue, really... do you, Dashie?"

>Rainbow Dash actually flinched at that

>"Well... kinda. We ran into each other today and Anon was a little frosty. He works up at the Rainbow Factory, y'know, and a few ponies up there are a little sore still about, uh... y'know. That thing I did."

>'That thing' seemed like a teensie weensie way to refer to her almost blowing up the Factory, but it'd been years so you probably didn't need to rub her nose in it

>You get the feeling Anon may have done that already

"Oh, no! Are you two alright?"

>"Oh, yeah. Anon wasn't happy, but we're still friends. Besides, I did put in a lot of work and bits towards repairing the whole thing, so it's not like I got off scott free. I think that helped. What's your deal then, since we're trading stories?"

>You couldn't help but rub at one of your forelegs with the other, suddenly feeling a little silly

>And not your usual kind, either

"I can't get a read on him, Dashie!"

>You looked away from your friend to stare over at Anon again

>Somepony must've told a joke or something because he and the two other ponies with him are sharing a chuckle

>A SENSIBLE chuckle

>Not even a real laugh!

"He hasn't played any of the games, not even a single round of Pin The Tail On The Pony! He's just... chatting! Quietly! Is he bored? Did I pick the wrong kind of music he likes to dance to? Are the streamers the wrong color?! I'M LOSING IT HERE!"

>Fortunately the Pony Pop playing over the speakers was loud enough that no one heard your screech that last bit

>Rainbow Dash simply let you get all that out before reaching out to wrap a foreleg around your withers

>"Ah, Pinkie. This makes sense. You don't really know Gale, huh? Trust me, as someone who grew around the Shy household, he's having a good time."

>You wiped at your eyes, a few stress tears having slipped out, and looked at Rainbow to continue

>"Y'know the foal story about Golden Locks and the Three Manticores? Fluttershy, Zephyr, and Gale are pretty much like them."

>Well that didn't help at all, to be honest

>Your dissatisfaction with that answer must've shown on your face because Dash just laughed at you and kept talking

>"The first Manticore's nest is too soft, right? That's Fluttershy. She's... well, she's shy. Doesn't like to get out too much. Trust me, she lived up to her name even more as a filly. Zephyr Breeze is too hard. He's like, the total opposite. Very outgoing but so focused on himself that he doesn't care if he's getting on everypony's nerves. And Gale... well, he's just right. I guess. Social and pretty good at reading ponies. He loves talking. Maybe he's not playing any games or dancing to your Sapphire Shores playlist, but you've given him a lot of new ponies to meet. He's definitely having a great time. Why not go up and ask him? It's not like you to be afraid to strike up a conversation."

>You didn't consider it at first, but Rainbow makes a good point. Sure, all Anon's been doing tonight is chatting up... basically everypony, but it's not like he's actually looked bored or displeased

>Standing up just a bit straighter, you gave Dash a grin and nodded your head so hard something tucked in your mane jangled loudly

"You're right! I'm just being silly, huh? I'm gonna go right up to that stallion and see how he's doing, like I should've in the first place!"

>Rainbow just gives you a pat on the back and gestures with her head to go on, letting you free

>But as you stride on up to the stallion of the hour, you're blocked

>Again

>This time though it's not by any random party invitee

>But by a chaotic contemporary of yours

>Discord slips right out from behind a chair that had no conceivable way of hiding somepony as big as him

>Amateur hour stuff, really

>Engaging Anon in conversation before you could, causing your cheeks to puff up with irritation

>"Ah, Gale! Enjoying the festivities, I hope?"

>Anon regards Discord warily

>But he does stand his ground

>"Up until a few seconds ago. What's your angle this time, then? Got the DNA results back from the boys in the lab yet?"

>You didn't really have any idea what that meant, though that was just part for the course with a conversation featuring Discord

>The God of Chaos simply snorted at that

>"Yes, yes, we all saw the logo. So you've gone that far to trick my dear best friend, so lets try a new avenue of attack, shall we?"

>With paws as fast as lightning the Spirit jabbed at the Pegasus and

>And

>Booped his snout

>Right in front of everypony

>Without consent!

>A range of gasps echoed out across the party at the sight of such a barbaric act

>Though they were paired up nicely with noises of confusion as the act seemed to force Anon's mouth to open

>Spitting out some sort of odd plastic-y looking thin rectangle

>It was black in color and had little windows on the sides

>There seemed to be some sort of ribbon suspended in there, just as dark as the container

>"Lets see how long you've really been in her life then, boy."

>And just like that, the God of Chaos shoved the box into one of his ears

>A static effect took over his eyes as a revving noise began to emit from the Draconequus

>"Just got to rewind the tape a bit... and back... and back..."

>Gale and the rest of you observed, dumbfounded at these proceedings

>"My, there is a lot of tape here. Bit further... a few more years... and... ULP. Oh. Oh no. Gross."

>"Hey, what do you mean gross? What are you seeing, exactly?"

>There was an odd tone of fear in Gale's voice as he questioned Discord

>"Ugh. Almost threw up in my mouth a bit there. I rewound too far back and got a front row seat to the night of your conception. I did NOT need to know how much Gusty Shy had going on down there... mortal copulation is so gross."

>Discord spat out the black box, which disintegrated into dust as it fell to the floor

>He began wiping his tongue off with his paws

>"Kind of regret asking, really could go without that mental ima... wait a minute! You said his name! You knew it! I knew you did! Who was that bit even for, man?"

>The God of Chaos opens his mouth to answer, but he's cut off by something quite unexpected

>"DISCORD!"

>Oh jeez

>Fluttershy makes her way through the crowd, actually stomping her hooves as she gives Discord her most peeved of expressions

>You haven't seen her this upset since she caught that one colt tricking his dog by pretending to throw their ball but actually hiding it behind his back

>"Of all the rudest things! How dare you embarass my little brother like this! And that complete breach of privacy! I've never..."

>Fluttershy's voice fades off as she

>To the amazement of the populace less accustomed to seeing her deal with the draconequus

>Floats up to nab one of his ears and lead him right out of Sugarcube Corner, scolding him all the way

>An action he even humors by letting it happen rather than... well, do literally anything else

>With them gone you could probably hear a pin drop, now

>You make eye contact with Anon

>He's trying to put on that small smile of his but you can see the distinctly uncomfortable look in his eyes

>You offer him a gentle smile of your own before spinning around and shouting at the top of your lungs

>"HEY PARTY PONIES! LETS STOP STANDING AROUND AND GET THIS BAKERY QUAKIN', HUH? I DECLARE A DANCE OFF!"

>And just like that the noise picks right back up as you storm the dance floor with a cavalcade of ponies

>You missed your chance but that's fine

>Chatting him up's going to have to wait, you need to get the attention off him and get this party back on track

>And the night is young, after all

>You have plenty of time

 

Part 4:

>The night is no longer young

>Middle-aged, if you had to gauge it, given that it's something like 2AM

>Despite all odds, (You) are still Pinkie Pie

>And unfortunately, you didn't get the chance to chat up the guest of honor like you wanted to

>When you were just staring at Anon chat up every pony at the party, no one even sidled up until Rainbow Dash

>But when you tried to make an effort Discord showed up

>Committed illegal snout booping tactics

>From there it was a whirlwind of taking on all challengers on the dance floor

>A spontaneous bout of karaoke

>And last but not least competitive Pin The Tail On The Pony

>You're still very impressed with Rarity's time of 12 seconds from spin to pin

>But none of that let you get close to Anon

>The will of the party works in mysterious ways, sometimes

>Still, he's supposed to be here for a week

>There'll be time, surely

>For now though, with all the guests cleared out, it's time to get to cleaning!

>The Cakes will need the storefront for tomorrow, after all

>Can't leave it in such a state

>Pinkie Pie delivers the best parties around

>But she always leaves the space better than she found it

>Plus you do live here, even if it's in the form of a room upstairs

>As you open the closet to rummage for a broom

>You're surprised to find it's not there

>Odd, Mrs. Cake usually keeps the cleaning supplies well stocked and stored just in case any of your experimental baking gets out of hoof

>Which it totally hasn't in the past month

>A new record!

>Those marzipan brownies were touch and go, but you prevailed

>You're on the precipice of daydreaming about past confectionary glories when you hear a noise behind you

>The sound of bristles scraping against wood

>Turning to investigate you're shocked to find rather than either of the Cakes

>The guest of honor himself

>Gale Incognito

>Sweeping up some of the fallen confetti into a sizeable pile

>Your first thought is a sheepish admission that you were right about doubting whether or not you had affixed the decorations properly

>The second -

"Whoa! Whoa whoa, whoa! Anon, what're you doing?"

>Frowning, you trot on over to close the distance

>Anon offers you an expression of confusion before spitting the broom handle into his hooves

>"Tidying up? Can you believe that everypony just left the Corner like this? I'm shocked, honestly."

>You shake her head hard enough to get some of the cowbells in your mane to jangle loudly

"'Non, that's real nice and all, but that's part of the Pinkie Pie Party Experience! I bring the Party Cannon, I clean up the debris. It'd be no fun to ask the guests to pick up!"

>Ending a fiesta with 'alright now everypony pick up!' would definitely be a downer

>Anon doesn't seem to agree though, shaking his head as he suddenly rears up on his hind legs, carrying the broom in his forelegs to resume sweeping while talking

>"Well, part of the Gale Incognito Party Experience is not leaving a giant mess for the host to have to clean up. C'mon, we'll get this done quicker together."

>You're on the verge of trying to talk Anon out of his intentions when you realize

>This is perfect!

>You wanted to talk to the stallion

>And now there's no guests or Spirits of Chaos to interrupt or take his attention away

>So, instead you beam at him and rush to join him in dealing with the mass amount of decorations all over the Corner

>There's a brief period of silence as you work to gather up all the deflated balloons and fallen streamers

>The confetti too takes some time and concentration, given how much of it you were throwing around

>Just when you find the opportunity to try and start a conversation

"So, how did you enjoy-" "I wanted to say thank you, by the-"

>Apparently he recognized the opportunity, as well

>Anon simply grins and motions towards you with his free foreleg

>"Sorry, go ahead."

>You give him a questioning look, but take the lead

"So, did you enjoy the party? I hope it lived up to all the stories you've heard!"

>Anon bundles up the mass of streamers to place them in the garbage bag

>"Absolutely - honestly, the stories seem tame compared to what went down tonight. I didn't even know you could play Pin The Tail On The Pony competitively, but you made it work!"

>The earnest praise draws an even wider smile on your face, and you can't help the sigh of relief that follows it up

"That's good... I was worried there a little bit, to be honest."

>Anon seems confused as well, but seems to come to an understanding

>"Because of that incident with Discord? That did make things a bit awkward, but you recovered the mood really well. I wanted to thank you for that. It's not often I'm left speechless like that."

>You can't help but grimace at the mention of Discord

>What is his problem, anyway?

"Yes, that did worry me, but... I was really worried you weren't having any fun even before that!"

>"What do you mean?"

"Well... it's just, aside from big group things like the Pin The Tail competition, you... didn't really do much else but talk to ponies. No dancing, no karaoke, none of that! I was afraid that I'd messed up and you didn't like anything I had planned."

>The admission makes your face burn with some embarrassment

>Rainbow Dash assured you that Anon was enjoying the party, but part of you couldn't help but doubt

>Anon frowned sympathetically, seeming to consider things

>"I'm sorry if I caused you distress, Pinkie. I absolutely didn't mean to. Truth be told, I've got four left hooves when it comes to dancing, and my singing voice isn't terribly impressive outside of Heart Songs. But I promise you that I still enjoyed listening and watching people have fun with those activities. Plus, I got to meet so many new ponies tonight."

>You nodded along, making mental notes to add to Anon's file down in the Party Planning Cave

"Dashie told me you liked talking to new ponies, but it's still reassuring to hear. Did you make a lot of friends tonight, 'Non?"

>Anon laughed at that as he started to work on sealing up what few muffins and cup cakes were left on the counter

>It was pretty rare that you had anything left over after a party that ran as long as this

>"I'd like to say yes. The folks here in Ponyville are certainly some of the most interesting bunch I've met in some time. Vibrant, quirky, and with some interesting goings on. I suppose living next to the Everfree and housing a Princess does make for unique problems. It was a challenge to help them."

>Now that's confusing

"Is that... fun, for you? Talking out other ponies problems?"

>Anon considered that, resting one foreleg on the counter while the other tapped at his chin

>"In a sense, I suppose. It's what my cutie mark is telling me, you know?"

>He gestured with his chin towards his flank

>Emblazoned with a question mark, with two blue stripes crossed over it to simulate a gale of wind

>It reminded you of Fluttershy's other brother's mark

>Though you were pretty sure Zephyr Breeze's moved in the opposite direction

"Ooh, windy. What does it mean? I love hearing Cutie Mark stories!"

>Anon got off the counter to rest on all fours again, staring at his mark

>"When I first received it, I had just finished getting my mane done by my older brother, Zephyr Breeze. You've met, right?"

>You nodded, you didn't really get to know Fluttershy's first brother, but you've definitely met him

>That's another party you need to work on

>"He was talking about Rainbow Dash - he had the biggest crush on her as a colt, and I get the feeling he's still got a bit of a torch for her to this day. Anyway, I asked her what they even had in common, given her action-filled lifestyle and his more seditary slant. He always liked to talk up new, flashy, 'easy' careers to try and impress mares. I told him I thought it was better to live a life that makes yourself happy first and foremost, and... well, there it was."

"So it's... an advice giving Cutie Mark?"

>"I suppose so. I joked with my brother when I met him after his first pass at a Mane Therapy Course that I could 'hear his heart call' when I found him despairing over his failure, but honestly, it's not inaccurate. I can't explain it, but I do feel a bit of a pull towards ponies that need somepony to talk to. Whether it's because they're upset, need a sounding board, or want a second opinion before they commit to something..."

>Anon paused, and stared you right in the eye

>"Weather management's my job. I enjoy working with the cities of Equestria to make sure everypony's getting the rain and shine that they need, but I don't think I could ever feel half as satisfied with it as I feel when I see the light come back to a pony's eyes because I was there to help them."

>Something washes over you with that

>A palpable force of conviction in that statement that almost bowls you over

>And a sense of... comradery

"I totally understand! Parties are fun and all, but I don't host them just for that! Raising a pony's spirits with a fiesta, praising their accomplishments with celebrations, or even just making their presence feel acknowledged and that we're all happy to meet them with welcoming jamborees... that's what I love the most about what I do, because I want to make everypony smile!"

>An odd, foreign sensation of sheepishness grips you suddenly

"I mean... that's how I feel, at least. Maybe that seems way different than what you do. More... foalish."

>You can't help but duck your head

>Are those things really equivalent, or did you speak without thinking?

>"Maybe. But I think if there's a wrong way to mend a heart, your parties definitely don't qualify as such. Whether it's a one-on-one conversation or trying to cram an entire town in a bakery to celebrate, what matters is that the pony's spirit is lifted, don't you think?"

>Anon finishes putting the cupcakes away, before turning and flashing you a bright smile

"Yeah!"

>And you give him one right back

>"Now... I think the sound system still needs to be dismantled. And I believe Rainbow mentioned you being interested in mom's Upside Down Cloud Cake?"

>With a vigorous nod, you join him in approaching the stereo

>The rest of the night featured a lovely swapping of dessert recipes and a steadily paced cleaning of Sugarcube Corner until it sparkles

>And, most importantly, making a new friend