The moment the classroom door swung open, confetti exploded into the air like a party cannon had gone off—because, well, it had. Streamers hung from the ceiling, balloons floated near every desk, and in the center of it all stood Pinkie Pie, grinning ear to ear.

—"Surpriiiiise!" she squealed, bouncing in place. "Happy, happy, happy birthday!"

The other students—some startled, some already used to Pinkie’s antics—either clapped or shook their heads with amused smiles. But Pinkie? She was practically vibrating with excitement.

—"You thought you were just coming to class like any other day," she continued, bouncing over, "but nope! I had it all planned! The decorations, the cake, the pin the tail on the pony—which we totally can play later, by the way!"

She gasped dramatically, eyes widening.

—"Oh! And I made sure to get your favorite kind of cake! At least, I think it’s your favorite. I might’ve also made three backups. Just in case."

Somewhere in the back, Rainbow Dash snickered.

—"You definitely made three backups, Pinkie."

Pinkie beamed.

—"Of course I did! You never know when you’ll need emergency cake!"

With a flourish, she produced a wrapped box from seemingly nowhere.

—"Aaaand… tadaa! Your gift! But you can’t open it yet—we need to do the birthday song first! And the dance! And then—"

She stopped suddenly, eyes shining.

—"Wait! Are you having fun? You have to be having fun! Because that’s the most important part!"

Pinkie leaned in, hands clasped together, practically bursting with anticipation. Because for her, birthdays weren’t just about cake or gifts—they were about making sure the birthday person felt extra special. And she was not going to let this one be anything less than perfect.