Rearranged

by Touch the Sky

Rainbow Tries Her Best To Strangle Me

Rarity trotted elegantly towards me. All around her, ponies gasped and gaped as the princess swished past them.
Gold shoes gleamed on each of Rarity's hooves, each with a single diamond encrusted in the shining metal. Around her neck hung a heart-shaped fire ruby which I quickly recognised as the one Spike had given her. But on her head, perfectly balanced behind her pricked white ears, lay my coronation crown, the symbol of Magic glittering in the centre of ornate golden swirls.

But even though I knew Rarity wasn't really a princess, it was supposed to be me, I found myself bowing to her as she came to a stop in front of me.
In her usual, slightly upper-class tone, Rarity exclaimed, "Oh, Twilight, I've told you that really isn't necessary. You too, Rainbow- please, both of you, stand up!"

Rainbow stood up, tutting as she did, "Princess Rarity, you know I hate it when you wear those shoes. Diamonds really aren't in fashion nowadays, they're so last week."

Rarity smiled. "I suppose you're very frustrated having last week's fashion permanently emblazoned on your flank, then?"
"You said it." grumbled Rainbow. "Now, Applejack's cutie mark is the cutting edge. Sharp, jagged shapes like that lightning bolt are so in right now."

"Speaking of Applejack," said Rarity, "where is she? Pinkie flew past the chariot and notified me of the issue at Sweet Apple Acres, so I wasn't expecting her or Fluttershy to be here, but Applejack didn't even come for a fly-by."
"I don't know." said Rainbow. "She'll be here soon, I suppose."

Rarity turned to look at me. "You don't seem yourself, Twilight. I thought you'd have thrown a party now I'm back."
"Oh, I'm alright. I just didn't feel up to throwing a party today." I answered distractedly.

Before I knew what was going on, I'd been tackled to the ground by Rainbow, a flicker of her old speed and fighting spirit showing through.
"Okay!" she snapped. "What have you done with Twilight!?" She narrowed her eyes and stared at me threateningly.
"I... what?....Rainbow..." I stuttered.
Rarity was looking alarmed. "Rainbow, what are you doing?"

"I'm interrogating this imposter to find out what she's done with the real Twilight!" growled Rainbow, still pinning me on the ground, her hooves crushing my lungs.
"Rainbow, I'm..." I choked, "the real Twilight!"
"Oh really?" snarled the cyan unicorn. "I don't believe it! The real Twilight would never say she wasn't in the mood for a party! Twilight's always in the mood for a party!" Rainbow dug her hooves into my stomach even harder.

"Rainbow, please, you're restricting her breathing!" cried Rarity in alarm, her white horn beginning to glow. When Rainbow didn't move, Rarity's pale blue aura surrounded Rainbow and pulled her off me. Coughing, I got shakily to my feet. Rainbow struggled in the grip of Rarity's magic, swiping at the air between us.

Ignoring Rainbow, I bowed my head and clutched at my throat for a few seconds, getting my breath back. When I lifted my head again, Rarity was standing imposingly over me, her great white wings spread wide and her blue eyes glittering menacingly at me.
"Rainbow's right. I just couldn't have her suffocating you before we could find out the location of the real Twilight Sparkle." she said coldly, gripping my tail in her magic to prevent me running away before carefully releasing Rainbow.

When the blue mare instantly tried to throw herself at me, her horn glowing with violet magic, Rarity impatiently took hold of Rainbow's tail again. Now the three of us stood in a stand-off, Rarity standing impassively between us, her blue magical aura glowing on her horn and mine and Rainbow's tails. Rainbow and I glared at each other, the violet magic still glowing on Rainbow's blue horn. For safety's sake, Rarity formed a magical shield between us.

I felt suddenly jealous of Rarity and her almost infinite magic; I even felt jealous of Rainbow- at least she had magic. I just had stamina as an advantage of my species, and Rarity also possessed that, as well as wings. I briefly wondered if Applejack or Pinkie had ever felt jealous of me, or Rainbow, when we were in our proper forms.

My attention was diverted back to the present as Rarity began to speak to me. "Now, 'Twilight', tell me, in no uncertain terms, what you have done with the real Twilight Sparkle. It is my belief that you are a changeling trying to impersonate her. I must add that if that is the case, you are doing a very bad job of it."

"I am the real Twilight Sparkle." I said. "I am no changeling."
"Okay then!" came Rainbow's still angry tone from the opposite side of the shield. "If you really are Twilight, you'll be able to tell us how you got your cutie mark! You've told that story all over town- I'm sure everyone from here to Canterlot knows it by now!"

Needless to say, I mentally panicked. I racked my brains for the story of how Pinkie had got her cutie mark, I knew it was something about a rock farm... But who's to say that you got this cutie mark that way? my mind niggled.

Shut up, brain.

I'm not entirely sure what happened next. I just know that I suddenly felt extremely happy, despite my current predicament, and began to jump rapidly on the spot, instinctively, as if my body knew exactly what it was doing. I felt sharp pain as my tail was pulled repeatedly, but still I kept bouncing.

There was a blur and suddenly I was outside Sugarcube Corner. Rarity's magic had lost its grip on my tail. As I stood blinking and trying to work out what was going on, I remembered Pinkie's uncanny ability to pop up anywhere and travel short distances at an impossible rate. She could pop up almost anywhere. I realised that this must be what I had just utilised.

In the distance, I saw a yellow streak zoom towards where the elaborate top of the boutique stood out a short distance away. After a moment, two shapes rose up into the air, the smaller one orange and the larger white. As I watched, the orange shape shot off to zigzag wildly over the rooftops, while the white one moved more slowly and strategically.

Realising that the two shapes were Rarity and Applejack, I took to my hooves and ran away.

Against all odds, I managed to slip out of town without my friends catching me. However, on the way to Sweet Apple Acres, I met the Cutie Mark Crusaders. But all was not well. Sweetie Belle was attempting to play peacemaker as Applebloom and Scootaloo argued heatedly.
As I walked by, I heard Scootaloo shout, "I don't need you guys! I'll find my cutie mark without the Crusaders!"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" I protested, stopping to look at the three fillies. "There's no need to split up because of some silly argument!"
Sweetie jumped on the back of my argument. "Yeah, girls, we can resolve this without splitting up the Crusaders!"

But Scootaloo and Applebloom continued to glower at each other, and despite the urgency for me to get away from town I had to sort things out.
"Okay. Sweetie Belle, what's going on?"
Before Rarity's sister could say anything, Scootaloo burst out, "She's being selfish!" A small orange hoof waved at Applebloom.
"Am not!" snapped the little yellow filly in response.

"Both of you be quiet. Sweetie Belle?" I asked.
Sweetie Belle opened her mouth. "It's about Applejack. She's Applebloom's sister, but Scootaloo has been saying that Applejack might be her sister instead."

"Well it makes sense!" interrupted Scootaloo. "She's a pegasus. So am I. She has an orange coat. So do I. She has an awesome cutie mark. So-"
"But ya don't have a cutie mark! Ya can't say yours is awesome if ya ain't got it yet!" shot back Applebloom.
"But when I get it, it will be awesome!" snapped Scootaloo. "Just like Applejack's. And if you would just share her, I might have already got my cutie mark!"

"It ain't a case o' sharing!" said Applebloom. "Me and Applejack're of the same blood. We're sisters."
"Then why's she a pegasus while you're an earth pony?"
"Ah told ya, it's a recessive gene! Ma great-grandpa was a pegasus!"
"Are you sure it's Applejack and not Fluttershy who's your sister? Aren't Apple family members supposed to have destinies defined by apples? Fluttershy's not family, but her destiny is apples, while Applejack barely has anything to do with the Acres."

I frowned. I had no idea how to resolve this problem. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a yellow streak approaching through the air at great speed. The Crusaders turned to look at it and I quickly dived behind a tree. Sweetie looked at me oddly, but then Applejack landed, skidding to a halt, and the white filly turned away.

Panting, Applejack was unprepared for the barrage of shouts which assaulted her ears. Even though only two fillies were shouting, I could make out only a few words here and there.
"Applejack-"
"-not fair-"
"-pegasus-"
"-orange-"
"-stupid-"
"-selfish-"
"-apples-"

"Whoa, whoa!" said Applejack, silencing them. "Whatever y'all are yelling about can wait. Have y'all noticed Twilight pass this way?"

I cringed as three small hooves pointed at my hiding place.

Comments

[Nolongerposting]

Please continue This sounds really awesome and could easily be a really good story.

[Discord_Lexia]

Woo-hoo!

[Ezekiel Namuh]

I simply cannot stand those stupid, selfish apples. That's what the argument was about, right?