The Chaotic Three: A Zany Story

by LunaJack


Preparations

The time went swiftly by. At least, it did for Applejack, Twilight, and Rarity. Cinnamon Roll left the day before the Gala to help her griffon mentor prepare the food for the event. Twinkle accompanied her, claiming she needed to finish some research. Flash Sentry, who was called to Canterlot to provide extra security, promised to watch over the girls on their trip. Their mothers stood on the train station platform, trying not to cry.
Rarity met them at the station with their respective gowns already finished and carefully wrapped to keep them clean.
“Make sure you hang them when you get to your rooms,” she instructed them. “If they get wrinkled, a little steam should smooth them out.”
“Thanks, Aunt Rarity,” the girls chorused as they hugged the Unicorn fashionista goodbye.
Applejack, Spike, and Applespike brought bags of snacks for the trip. “You know it's not that far to Canterlot,” said Twinkle to Applespike as he slipped a paper bag of goodies into her saddlebag. “I doubt we'll even have time to get hungry.”
Applespike shrugged. “You know how we Apples are when it comes to food. You don't have to eat it on the train. You can wait till you get back to the school.”
“Thanks,” Twinkle glanced around. “Where's Zany?”
“He couldn't come. His dad's got some crazy idea that you two are going to run away together so he sealed him in a magic proof bubble and locked him in his room. He asked me to tell you 'Goodbye' for him.”
“Well, that's ...nice of him,” said Twinkle, thinking that didn't sound like Zany at all. She was a little disappointed. She had hoped the chaotic colt would show up, at least to get revenge for the ladle incident. “Tell him...'Bye'...and I'll see him at the Gala.”
“All aboard!” called the conductor, and the three travelers hurriedly boarded the train. Cinnamon Roll sat opposite Twinkle Sparkle and Flash. She bounced in her seat, eager to be going.
“Well, you're certainly happy to be returning to Canterlot,” said Flash, grinning. “You must be excited to be helping Gustave with the food this year.”
“Oh, yes, sir! It's a real honor. I can't believe he chose me to be his assistant! Well, me and Gulliand.”
“Who is Gulliand?” asked Twinkle, frowning. “That doesn't sound like a pony name.”
“It isn't. He's Gustave's nephew. He's studying to be a chef, too, but he's not into eclairs. He does stews and soups. He makes a delicious gumbo!”
All three ponies had eaten a good breakfast that morning, but the mention of food had their stomach's rumbling. Twinkle opened the bag Applespike had given her. There were apple slices, of course, with a little cup of peanut butter to dip them in, an apple brown betty wrapped in wax paper, a bunch of grapes, and a tiny paper bag tied with pink yarn. Twinkle untied the yarn and peeked inside. Green sour apple crystal candy! Her favorite! She popped it into her mouth and began to suck on it. Mmmmm! So tart but so good!
"Hey, no fair!" cried Cinnamon Roll, searching through her bag of goodies. “That little stinker didn't pack me any candy!”
“Me neither,” said Flash. “Maybe Twinkle is supposed to share—Great Celestia! Twinkle! What's happening to your face?”
“Huh?” asked Twinkle, turning to her Dad.
“Oh my gosh!” cried Cinnamon Roll, her eyes wide. “Twinkle! Your face! It's... GREEN!”
“With purple polka dots!” added Flash.
“WHAT!” Twinkle pulled out a mirror to examine herself. Her face was green as a Granny Smith apple with light purple polka dots spotting her cheeks and muzzle. How in Celestia's name...? The candy! Twinkle spat it out. Ugh! Her tongue was green with purple polka dots too!
“ZANY!” she shouted. Cinnamon Roll and Flash hid their giggling behind their hooves. Though Twinkle knew Zany was nowhere near, she thought she could hear him laughing too.
“Laugh while you can,” she muttered as she used her horn to change her face back to normal. “Just wait until the Gala!”


Locked in his room in his magic proof bubble, Zany rolled with laughter watching Twinkle in his mother's magic mirror. It was the same mirror she had used to see her friends when his father first took her as his bride and refused to let her go. It would not have worked inside the bubble, but Applespike had tied it to the bedpost so he could watch.
The look of shock on the alicorn's face when she realized what had happened was priceless. Oh, he needed to play that part again! The scene rewound and he happily watched it again and again. Too bad there was no audio, but he didn't want his Dad hearing it and taking the mirror away.
Zany frowned as Twinkle easily turned herself back to normal.
"Drat! I knew I should have made that spell more complex!" His bubble prison rolled across the floor as she paced, deep in thought. "Applespike needs to smuggle me some more candy. Maybe hot cinnamon apple this time. Ooooh! Maybe candy that makes you breathe fire!" He shook his head. The Princesses might not like it if the guests accidentally burned down the palace.
“I guess I better stick with the color changing spell,” he decided after a long while. “Green with pink polka dots would be best. I just need to change the variables so it's a little harder to undo.”
"Sounds like a plan to me!"
"Dad!" Zany jumped as Discord appeared directly in front of him. "Wha-- what are you doing in here?"
"Looking for your mother's magic mirror. And I seem to have found it!" Discord floated over and untied the knots with a flick of his claw. His eyebrow went up as he gazed at the image in the mirror.
Zany bit his lip. "You're not going to keep me going to the Gala, are you?"
"Of course not!" Discord snorted. "Pulling pranks at the Gala is a long-standing tradition with us! I wouldn't let something like that alicorn Lolita keep us from it!"
"Oh, good," sighed Zany in relief.
"Of course," added Discord, grinning slyly. "That doesn't mean I'm not above forcing my son to watch a few hours of Granny Smith having her hooves scaled and polished."
"ARG! NOOOOOO!


It was afternoon when the train reached the Canterlot station. Flash Sentry gave his daughter a big hug before heading to the palace.
“I'll see you later, my little filly.” he said. “If you need anything, you know where to reach me.”
“Same here, Dad,” said Twinkle, grinning. “Love you.”
Cinnamon Roll walked beside Twinkle as they made their way through the narrow avenues to their respective schools. The two fillies trotted in easy silence, the Earth pony keeping her eyes on the street ahead while the alicorn gazed up at the grand buildings that rose up on either side. Before long they reached an ivy covered arch with a sign shaped like a golden cooking pot hanging from the top of it.
“See you at the Gala!” called Cinnamon Roll as she trotted under the arch.
Twinkle waited until her friend was safely inside before trotting confidently to the Unicorn school campus. The school was mostly deserted. Even the library was closed, much to her annoyance. Oh, well. She had plenty of books in her room. Maybe one of them would have the answers she needed.
Twinkle's “room” was actually a tower: the same tower her mother had lived in while studying under Princess Celestia. Many of her mother's books and things were still there. Twinkle sighed happily as she closed the door behind her and breathed in the bookish smell. She hung her new gown in the closet with some fresh cedar chips to keep out the moth then trotted upstairs to the bedroom. Rows of shelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling. The shelves were loaded with books, scrolls, diagrams, maps, globes, binoculars, and telescopes.
Twinkle perused the sections. “Let's see: Astronomy...Biology...Culinary Arts (need to give that to Cinnamon Roll)...Dragon Lore...Ah-ha! Equestrian Law!” She levitated the heavy books to the floor and checked the titles. “Consumer Law. Real Estate Law. Business Law. Family Law. Ah! Labor Law!” Her face fell. The book was as thick as a feather mattress!
Twinkle sighed. “Looks like I've got my work cut out for me.”


Princess Luna flew over the School for Gifted Unicorns campus. Everything was quiet and peaceful. Most of the students were at home with their families. The ones who stayed were most likely in their bunks with the curtains drawn. She was about to leave, when something caught her eye. A candle was burning in Twilight Sparkle's tower!
Luna flew in for a closer look. She landed on the balcony quiet as an owl and silently stepped inside. Twinkle lay on her bed, her head resting on an enormous book laid open in front of her. Her eyes were closed and she was snoring softly. The princess chuckled.
"Back so soon, my prized pupil?" she asked.
Twinkle snorted and jerked her head up. "Oh, Princess Luna!" she said yawning. "Is it night already?"
"Aye, child. The stars emerged over an hour ago and the moon has been set on its path." The dark alicorn stepped up to the bed and peered curiously at the open book. "A little light reading?" she asked with a smirk.
"Just doing some research for a friend," answered Twinkle.
Luna twisted her head to look at the page. "A law book!" she said, raising her eyebrows. "Don't tell me your friend has run afoul of the law!"
"No, your majesty. I'm researching Equestria's labor laws. A friend of mine signed a contract that I'm not sure about and I was checking to see if it was legit." Twinkle looked ruefully at the huge book. "But I think it's going to take a little longer than I thought."
Luna smiled. "Well, remember you have a ready resource in me. After all, I helped write most of laws myself." The princess of the night plopped herself down on the rug next to the bed. "Now, tell me about your visit home. It has been a long time since you last went to Ponyville."
"I had a ball!" Twinkle giggled. "Wait till you hear about the joke I played on Zany!"
"Zany?" Luna grinned. "The son of Discord? Do tell!"
Twinkle gleefully related what had happened at the train station and the look on the chaotic colt's face when he realized he had been flirting with his old rival. Then she told about the prank he had pulled at the dinner party and the consequences he had suffered at the hooves of the vengeful Cinnamon Roll. Princess Luna giggled helplessly, wiping tears with the back of her hoof.
"And then--hee, hee, hee-- you turned the marshmallow into a ladle! That is priceless, Twinkle! Priceless!"
The little alicorn and her mentor laughed like school girls at a sleepover Luna had a reputation of being serious and strict, but she also had a mischievous streak a mile wide and loved a good prank almost as much as Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. Twinkle's relationship with the princess was not the same as the one her mother had with Celestia. Twilight regarded Princess Celestia as a wise mother figure who could do no wrong. Twinkle regarded Princess Luna as a wise older sister who sometimes made mistakes, but always made up for them.
"Well," said Luna, after she had laughed herself out. "Zany is definitely a colt who may be needing a lawyer one day! Oh, my! I heard he is attending the Gala this year. Is that true?"
"Oh, yes! And he has been planning pranks for the past two months. I guess it's a good thing I'm attending this year. I can help keep an eye on him."
"Really," said Luna slyly. "Are you sure there isn't more to it than that?"
Twinkle blushed and looked away. "Maybe. I wouldn't... mind too much is he... asked me to...dance. But please, don't let Discord hear that! He might banish me to the moon...or even another dimension!"
"He won't hear it from me," promised Luna.
They were interrupted as Twinkle's stomach growled loudly, reminding her she had not eaten any supper. She pulled out her leftover bag of snacks and dumped them onto the bed. There were some grapes left and the brown betty still wrapped in wax-paper. Twinkle offered some to Luna.
"I've already eaten, thank you." The dark alicorn sat patiently as her star student polished off the grapes and the pastry. Twinkle remembered to daintily wipe her lips with the napkin Applejack had thoughtfully included.
"Well,my prized pupil," said Princess Luna after a while. "You have told me some amusing stories about your friends. But, what about your mother? How is she taking the news that her daughter is being mentored by a princess of Canterlot?"
"She's very proud. She told me so herself," said Twinkle, looking away. Luna placed a hoof on her shoulder.
"But she wishes it was the other princess of Canterlot doing the honors, doesn't she?"
"Please don't be angry," begged Twinkle. "Mom does like you and she trusts you! She just doesn't know you like I do."
"I am not angry, Twinkle," said Luna soothingly. "Your mother was Celestia's pupil. It's only natural she would want the same for you. Besides," she added with a wink. "your mother doesn't know about your special talent, does she?"
Twinkle shook her head. "It was hard, but I kept it quiet, just like you asked."
"Good. Now, I wasn't planning on giving a lesson tonight. But seeing as you're rested and awake..."
Twinkle leaped off the bed and stood eagerly beside her mentor. "Ready when you are, princess!"
"Very well." Princess Luna lowered her head. Her horn glowed like a full moon on a clear night.
"Here we go."