Rainbow Dash slowly ascended to her cloud home above Ponyville as her surroundings grew darker in the sunset. Her stomach kept growling, and she contemplated the taste of the recently acquired ritual mask she held onto with her teeth.
Soon she reached the steps of her place and let out a relaxed sigh as her hooves sank into the cloud matter. Now that the clouds supported her, she once more stretched her wings and yawned, before carefully folding them up against her sides.
The pegasus set down the mask by the door and closed it from the inside, as her eyelids seemed to gain a dramatic amount of weight.
"Sorry Daring Doo," the mare whispered to herself as she pushed the book off her pillow, while making herself comfortable on her bed - she was just too tired for reading this night. Cuddling up to her favorite plushie that resembled a member of the Wonder Bolts in full gear, she slipped into softly snoring slumber.
In her dreams she found herself at Sugar Cube Corner, sitting comfortably nearby the counter. So close by the kitchen, she was immersed by the smell of freshly baked goods and the scent of piping hot coffee and chocolate as the pink waitress passed her table every so often.
Though Sugar Cube Corner was constantly abuzz with at least a dozen mares and gentle stallions, this spot was almost never taken. The customers preferred to be left undisturbed while enjoying their sweet treats in silence or private conversation with their company and therefore avoided getting too close to 'the test site'.
This well-known saying captured the consequences of sitting down at this table pretty well. Pinkie Pie was known to serve up her newest creations to anypony willingly or unknowingly placing themselves at this table - free of charge - but there were strings attached and not only to the balloons that were tied to the chairs.
No one left this table without being thoroughly interviewed on their opinion about the served pastries and beverages the pink earth pony with an affection for sweet desserts and parties had newly invented.
Suddenly her pink eyes were covered by a kitchen towel, that was knotted above her mane. Rainbow Dash wanted to rise a hoof to lift the blindfold, but found herself unable to do so.
"Order up - time for tasting," announced the high pitched voice of Pinkie Pie from her side. Her feathered wings puffed up a bit as her mind began to race at the thought about what she would be presented with.
The cold, slightly moist tip of a filled spoon softly touched her lower lip as Pinkie Pie giggled in anticipation for the pegasuses reaction. The rainbow-maned mare let the bite of ice-cream she had just licked off the spoon melt on her tongue focusing and enabling her to give the most accurate feedback on the presented sample.
"…wait for it," Pinkie Pie encouraged Dashie in a lower voice, now whispering into her ear. And there it was, the mildly flavored ice-cream had dissolved and gave way to some tasty, slightly crunchy deposits.
"Oh sweet Celestia," the slowly chewing pegasus moaned while being overwhelmed of the tastes congregating into a sea of flavor that left her stumped for a description.
"See for yourself!" Pinkie Pie ripped the blindfold from her test subject’s head, giving her hoof a shocked look as she saw a few strands of rainbow colored mane dangling down along with the kitchen towel. The chief weather pony blinked away a few tears of joy as the blurriness faded away, revealing the plate in front of her.
Rainbow Dash violently erupted from her sleep and tumbled off her bed. Her eyes were wide open and she was staring to the ceiling, but the picture of the dessert plate just wouldn't fade away.
The contents of the bowl she had been presented with at the end of her dream were clearly recognizable as a warped miniature representation of Ponyville. The dessert her mind had conjured up was topped of by melting rooftops. It was a surreal sight that even included a silver spoon that had been jammed into town square, halving several market stalls. Rainbow Dash got up as she felt her hunger rising.
"I really need to fea..," she stopped and corrected herself. "I really need to get my hooves on something to eat."
With these words she swung herself out of the door and circled above Ponyville. Her mouth was getting watery at the sight, but she knew she needed to be careful about this.
***
"Good night Spike."
Twilight had just extinguished the candles around her bed, as she put down a book and closed her eyes.
"Good morning, Owlowiscious," the tired librarian greeted her pet owl as she heard the soft whistling of air brushing against feathered wings. The unicorn fell asleep before she could take notice of the crunching sounds coming up from the libraries main room as a shadowy figure planted its teeth into several books, dropping each one after a few bites.
"A bit dry - but a good start into the series," whispered the shadowy figure as another book dropped to the floor, sliding into the spotlight of the moon. The light that was cast into the night revealed a partly devoured book cover that depicted Daring Doo dangling above the gaping maw of a crocodile.
The still smacking pegasus lifted itself off the ground and slipped through the window, back out into the night.
***
Twilight Sparkle was rudely awakened by a pink Pony that ran screaming by her library. She shook her head and messed up mane, at what she thought she had heard.
"Sure Pinkie Pie, go ahead and announce that we're about to get eaten in our sleep… She's so random sometimes. I hope this blows over soon," the sleepy unicorn muttered to herself while adjusting her blanket.
The next thing she heard was muffled by her pillow, so it took her awhile to react to it. The now fully awake protégée got out of her bed and followed the sobbing sounds into her library.
Her eyes widened as she levitated several books off the ground, all of them had bite marks and were missing chunks.
"This must be Daring Doo and the slathered in slime... something," were the only words that came to her mind as she levitated the dripping remains of another book into a trashcan. Still looking for the source of the sobbing she found Spike curled up around an empty box that had once held a precious gem.
"It's gone, Twilight!" The baby dragon exclaimed in pain over his loss.
"What have I done? I don't dese… buuurrp," with this a scroll materialized itself, abruptly ending the lament about the loss of the dragon.
“My faithful student,
I have received worrisome reports from all over Ponyville
(see attachments) and wish that you, Twilight Sparkle
take up investigations on the case of the new Parasprite
plague!
I await your report by noon.
This scroll is to be used as proof of authority when needed.
Signed and sealed by your majesty,
Princess Celestia”
Just seconds after reading these last words that were followed by the royal seal she heard spike.
"Oh not this aga… bbuurpp!" The baby dragon was pushed back by a massive pile of scrolls that spilled from his mouth.
"Spike go fetch the pinboard - It looks like another case," Twilight summoned a pair of sunglasses and put them on, "has been served up!"
"Yeah… I don't exactly follow your metaphor but as long as we catch the thief that stole my precious gem I'm with you." The baby dragon waddled away, carefully stepping around some wet puddles that were once covered by books.