"Hello, darlings, sorry we took so long-"
Splat.
Luna and Scootaloo burst into laughter as Cheerilee and Rainbow Dash wiped the mud out of their manes. Cheerilee rolled her eyes. "Good one, Scoots."
"Good one?" choked Rainbow. "Good one? I'm covered in mud!"
"What took you two so long?" asked Toola-Roola.
Rainbow groaned. "There were eight pocket universes! And multiple pizzerias with animatronics trying to kill us! Who built this place?!"
"And," added Cheerilee. "We found out about Sweetie Belle. Apparently they were trying to find out about rainbows."
"Is she alright?" asked Scootaloo.
"Yeah, she's fine...."
Luna couldn't help but roll her eyes as she saw the grown-ups sitting down and talk about something, probably boring grown-up stuff. She sat down next to Scootaloo. "Wanna prank them again? Or play hoofball?"
Scootaloo bit her lip. "How do we know that Sweetie Belle and the others are really okay? Maybe we should rescue them."
"How?"
"We just sneak out and go into rooms until we find them!"
"That's a terrible idea! I'm in!"
They gigled, tiptoeing over to the door. They were pushing it open when they both felt the glares of their older sisters. "And where are you two going?" demanded Cheerilee.
"Err....." mumbled Scootaloo. "Bathroom?"
But by the time she had said that, Luna was halfway through her excuse. "Interior decorating!"
They glared at each other. 'Interior decorating?' mouthed Scootaloo, rolling her eyes. "What she meant was that we were going to go to the bathroom and then search for interior decorating supplies."
"Since when do you know what interior means?" asked Cheerilee.
Celestia rolled her eyes. "You can go to the bathroom if I come, but no interior decorating."
"If I come," corrected Cheerilee.
"I'm not leaving Luna alone with you!"
"I'm not leaving Scootaloo alone with you!"
They both heard hoofsteps and turned to see the fillies backing away. They blushed. "Err...Would you believe I'm just moving closer to the door for no reason?"
The older mares rolled their eyes. "Maybe we should go together," decided Celestia.
"Sounds good," replied Cheerilee, and the four trotted out.
"Psst," whispered Luna. "What now?"
"Once we find a room big enough," breathed Scootaloo. "we gallop from 'em. Trust me."
Luna nodded, grinning. She galloped upstairs and pulled the door open, with the others close behind. To their dissapointment it was just some sort of garage. Not big enough to gallop. Unless......
Scooter.
It was purple, and clearly designed for an adult- just big enough for her and Luna, and probably Sweetie Belle if they needed to. Maybe, just maybe.....
Scootaloo grinned, grabbing the purple handlebars and Luna's hoof before pushing down with her right back hoof and taking off. She smiled as she stood on her hind leg and pulled Luna on behind her. She was doing it.
She slammed against the next door, forcefully pulling it open. Some sort of old, run-down office. Doors wide open. She grinned, pushing again with her hind legs and flying through both doors at once. She heard the sound of hooves behind her, but she ignored them as she scooted through the halls.
Celestia fell to her hooves, panting. "It's no use, we've lost them. We should go tell the others-"
"No way!" panted Cheerilee, galloping past her. "She's my sister-"
She reached the next turn. Scootaloo was nowhere to be seen. "Ugh!"
She groaned, trotting back. "Maybe you're right, the others will be able to chase them out. Come on."
She galloped back up the stairs and then back down them, opening the door hopefully. Sure enough, it was the attic. Everypony turned to them.
"Scootaloo and Luna," panted Celestia. "They ran. We lost them in one of the rooms."
"Why?" demanded Kimono.
"Not a clue. Come on, if we all get into that room we'll be able to corner them."
She galloped off and the others followed. Minty grinned, raising a hoof to her mane and taking out the elastics she had hastily put in before she went to ask Pinkie to try on socks with her, throwing them to the floor and doing the same to her tail. Maybe the light was too dim, or maybe they were all distracted, but nopony noticed the dark green blotch on her flank moving to cover her whole coat.
"They're somewhere in here...." muttered Cheerilee, thwinging the door open. Thome thort of run-down offithe. How can ponieth uthe thith thtuff? Mutht be out of uthe.
"R-Really?" thtammered Toola-Roola. "It's pretty dark in there....."
"Well, you can suck it up!" anthwered Cheerilee. "We need to find Scootaloo! ....And Luna."
She galloped inthide. "We should split up," thuggethted Cccelessstia. "That way we'll cover more ground."
"Alright!" agreed Minty. She theemed tho much more confident than normal. "Dibs on Pinkie!" And before I had time to thay thome overly long word we were inthide.
"So," mumbled Minty. "why don't you tell me about all your lovely adventures with the others?"
"Well," I began. "There wath the time we thaved Twinkle Wish- but that wath all over the newth, wathn't it, tho you'll know about it. Err......Ooh! Onthe, Sssweetie Belle invited uth over-"
"You seven."
"Yeah, uth theven-"
"Without me."
Oh. Thaat'th what thith ith about. "Minty! How wath I meant to know you wanted to be part of our group?"
"Yeah, not like I was dropping hints left right and centre or anything. Not like I tried to date Rainbow Dash so you would have an excuse to talk to me or anything like that."
"Minty! Rainbow made you promithe you would never mention that again!"
"I don't care! Pinkie Balloon Pie! You abandoned me!"
Crap. Nopony utheth middle nameth unleth they're really angry. "I'm thorry-"
"I don't care about sorry! Sorry is a meaningless word! Nopony ever says they're sorry and means it!"
"Minty-"
"I said sorry for almost ruining Christmas. Of course, that wasn't good enough, so I tried being nice to make up for it. And then I ended up being really nice to absolutely everypony. And nopony wants two friends with the same personality, so you threw me away for the stupid Unicorn because she can do magic, and don't you try to deny it!"
"Minty!" I shouted. "How could you thay that?"
That wath when I notithed where we were. At the end of a hallway, a dead end. Who made thith plathe? Why include a dead end hallway.
"Minty," I thnapped. "I know you're upthet, but how could you accuthe me of-"
Thmack.
"Ow...." I complained, raithing my front hoof to touch my cheek. I backed againtht the wall. "Minty-"
"Oh, Minty's gone. I'm Poison Mint, and I'm going to stand up for Minty. I'm going to find every pony that ever wronged her and kick them to death. Starting with you."
"Darling, could you perhaps let go of my leg?"
"W-What?" stammered Toola-Roola. "Err, s-sure...."
She stumbled to her hooves, shaking. Rainbow Dash looked back at her. "Darling, are you sure you're alright?"
"Y-Yeah, I-I'm f-f-fine...."
She stumbled forward, then jumped. "What was that noise?" she yelped.
"What do you mean, darling?"
"Somepony said something!"
"Well, I didn't hear anything-"
. "Help!"
Toola-Roola bit her lip, and galloped.