Discord's New Business

by KnightMysterio

Customer 13: The Cutie Mark Crusaders

All characters copyrighted to their original owners. If you like what you read, please support me on Patreon or with a Paypal donation!

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Ponyville...
Morning...
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rarity calmly left her shop, wanting to eat breakfast out this morning. Perhaps some pancakes. She was doing well on her diet and deserved a treat.

Rainbow Dash finished her morning stretches and flew into town, deciding to see if she could mooch a meal off of any of her friends before heading to Cloudsdale for Wonderbolt training.

Applejack, for her part, had been up for half-an-hour already. Granny Smith had talked her into going into town to have a leisurely breakfast at a restaurant. The concept was just novel enough that Applejack decided to try it. (But only if it was something nice and hearty. Waffles, eggs, hash browns, things like that...)

The three met up in town. “Good morning, girls,” Rarity said, smiling pleasantly.

“Pleasure seenin' y'all,” Applejack said. “Didn't know that any of you were up this early.”

Rarity giggled. “Just because I don't have fields to tend to, doesn't mean I don't get up early to start my work.”

“And I have Wonderbolt training in a couple hours, so I have to be up early,” Rainbow Dash said. “Figured I'd try to mooch a meal off of someone.”

“Well, at least she admits it now,” Applejack said.

Rarity smiled. “Fortunately for her, I'm in a good mood and can afford to pay for everypony's meal. My treat,” she said.

“Sweet!” Rainbow Dash said, grinning.

Applejack frowned. “You sure? I wouldn't want to...”

Rarity interrupted her. “It's perfectly all right, darling,” she said. “My status as a dragon a few days ago made my work more profitable than usual. After all, there are many who'd pay through the nose for dragon-crafted goods in Canterlot.”

Applejack frowned. “But... You were just changed,” she said.

“Indeed,” Rarity said. Rainbow Dash giggled, already guessing where Rarity was going with this.

Applejack frowned. “Isn't that like lying?”

“Certainly not,” Rarity said. “I simply never bothered to correct their assumptions. And those that DID understand that I was simply changed certainly wouldn't care anyway, as they would do the lying to impress their friends.”

Applejack sighed and rolled her eyes. “I don't like it, but business is business, so I won't judge. Let's get some grub.”

The three of them trotted along, chatting amiably. They passed through the center of town.

“Mornin, Applejack!” said Apple Bloom.

“Howdy, little sis!” Applejack said casually.

“Hiya Rarity!” said Sweetie Belle.

“Good day, dear sister,” Rarity said, not turning to look.

“What's up, Rainbow?” Scootaloo asked.

“Nothin' much,” Rainbow Dash said. “Rarity's just treating us to breakfast.”

The three mares walked on. And then they paused, freezing in place for a moment before dashing back over to their sisters.

The three younger mares smirked, posing a little. They'd all grown up, becoming fully adult ponies. Scootaloo's wings had matured, her build as athletic as Rainbow Dash. Sweetie's horn had grown longer, the filly grown up into an exquisitely gorgeous adult with a slim, willowy figure. Apple Bloom, to her amusement, was actually a little bigger than Applejack as an adult, as muscular as Big Macintosh.

“You like?” Sweetie Belle asked, her adult voice smooth and sultry. “We had Discord age us up today. And good golly we're gonna be gorgeous when we hit this age for real.”

Scootaloo flapped her wings, taking off into the air and doing a loop around Rainbow Dash. The younger pegasus giggled. “You were right. My wings were just growing slowly,” she said. “This is so awesome!”

The three older mares were horrified. Rarity, for her part, was able to regain her composure quickly. “Yes, well... I'm glad you're having fun. But... what, exactly, do you intend to do now?” she asked.

Apple Bloom grinned. “Ain't it obvious?” she said. “We're gonna go out and have fun like adults! In MANEHATTAN!”

“Oh buck no,” Rainbow Dash said, shaking her head vigorously. “Your parents will learn necromancy just so they can keep killing me if I let that happen.”

“Any stallion looks at you funny I'mma hog-tie them to a movin' train,” Applejack growled.

Sweetie Belle blushed. Because she had listened to Rarity's stories about Canterlot, she knew were Rainbow Dash and Applejack's minds went. “Not THAT kind of adult fun!” she protested.

“I mean like going into clubs where kids wouldn't be allowed normally!” Scootaloo said.

“Plus, there's that play in Manehattan, Granite Wasps? No kids allowed in that one, and I've been dying to know what it's like!” Apple Bloom said excitedly.

“I am NOT letting you go to the big city by yourselves!” Rarity said.

“Granite Wasps... Criminy, that thing gave MAUD nightmares! It was so weird, seeing her actually emote...” Rainbow Dash said.

“It took three weeks of Princess Luna fightin' off the monster from that play before Maud could sleep normal-like again!” Applejack said.

“We can handle it!” Scootaloo said. “We're older now!”

“You LOOK older,” Rarity said. “That doesn't mean you ARE older.”

The Crusaders started to protest again, but suddenly froze in place. The older sisters stared at each other worriedly, wondering what happened. They got their answer when Discord poofed into existence in front of them.

“My apologies for the time stop, but I wanted to try and convince you to let them go,” Discord said.

“Absolutely not!” Rarity said firmly, stomping. “They're too young to go wandering Manehattan on their own!”

Rainbow Dash and Applejack nodded in agreement.

“My dear girls, whoever said they'd be alone?” Discord said, smirking.

That gave the three older mares pause. “...You're gonna follow them?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I'm chaotic, not callous,” Discord said, folding his arms. After a moment, he amended, “Well, not callous anymore. I figured that this would be a good opportunity for them to learn to appreciate their youth while they have it. Growing up too quickly does nopony any good. Oh, I'll protect them from the more dangerous things. But I'll let them experience enough to let them realize that adulthood isn't everything it's cracked up to be, that they should just enjoy being kids while they can. Cross my heart, hope to fly, yadda yadda, Pinkie Pie memes.”

Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack traded worried looks, muttering quietly to each other. Finally, Applejack looked up and spoke for all of them. “Just keep them safe,” she said.

Discord nodded, snapping his fingers and disappearing the time stop ending. The Crusaders were continuing their protests when Rarity held up a hoof to stop them. “We've thought it over, and we've decided to let you go.”

“Really!?” Sweetie Belle said, hugging her sister tightly. “Thank you!”

Applejack nodded. “But you leave right after y'all see that play. Y'hear?”

Apple Bloom grinned. “Gives us plenty of time,” she said. “We're going to the late showing.”

“And no complaining when you get nightmares,” Rainbow Dash said.

Scootaloo scoffed. “Cmon,” she said. “Even before we got aged up, we aren't little kids anymore.”

The older sisters just grunted. Please let them be safe, they prayed, thinking the same thought all at once.

Apple Bloom giggled happily as they gathered their saved-up funds. “We're really gonna go on a trip to Manehattan! By ourselves!” the farmpony said.

“I know, right? All the clubs, the boutiques,” Sweetie Belle said, fanning herself. “So awesome!”

“I knew saving up our allowances would pay off!” Scootaloo said. “I told you! I told you waiting would be worth it!”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Credit where it's due, you were right. Instead of just trottin' around Ponyville in whatever we transformed into, we're going to Manehattan! To see a Bridleway show that's just for adults!”

The three went to the train station and bought their tickets, chatting excitedly as they traveled. Neither of them noticed the gray pony with the odd yellow eyes following them wherever they went. Nor did anypony else for that matter. Which was how he wanted it for now.

As the Cutie Mark Crusaders pulled into Manehattan, a few hours later, they stared in awe. So many buildings, reaching high into the sky...

“This is so AWESOME!” Scootaloo declared as she flew out of the train, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom following her. “Where do you wanna go first?”

“Can we go to Carousel Manehattan?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Apple Bloom grimaced. “Seriously? You want to go to your sister's store?”

Sweetie giggled. “I heard that her assistant there, Plaid Stripes, had some weird dress ideas. She wouldn't talk about it, of course. Something about them being 'barely fashion.' But I was curious.”

Scootaloo frowned. “I dunno,” she said.

Sweetie Belle grinned. “One of her first ideas involved a dress made of spoons,” she said.

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom blinked, and giggled. “Oh, I gotta see this,” Scootaloo said.

Sweetie Belle giggled. “C'mon,” she said. “Rarity took me there one time, so I know how to get there from here.”

The three lovely young mares trotted along, chatting casually. As they made their way towards the store, oblivious to their surroundings, a stallion in a trenchcoat started following them. A cruel smirk was on his face as he looked them over, especially their rumps. The unicorn pulled out a bottle and trio of rags from his coat, pouring a liquid onto the rags...

...and then Discord appeared out of an alley, grabbing him. “Now, I said that I'd let them experience SOME bad things, but you're a little more than I'm willing to have them deal with.”

“Whu!?” the would-be kidnapper stammered.

Discord grinned, showing far too many teeth. “Hi. I'm the Lord of Chaos. Let's you and me talk on the veranda,” he said, dragging the hapless stallion into the darkness of the alley.

The Crusaders arrived at the store a few minutes later. It wasn't as flamboyant as Rarity's Ponyville store, but it did have its elegance.

A short, but lanky pony with braces came up to them. “Heya. Welcome to the Manehattan branch of the Carousel Boutique, where everything is chiq, unique, and magnet feet.”

“Mangifique,” corrected a white Earth pony behind the counter. “Please feel free to look around! I'm Coco Pommel, and this is my assistant, Plaid Stripes!”

“A pleasure,” Plaid said, grinning.

“Likewise,” Sweetie Belle said. Turning to the girls, she said, “I'm actually going to buy a dress.”

Scootaloo frowned. “It won't fit you in a day,” she said.

“I know, I know,” Sweetie Belle said. “But Rarity gets this angry twitch in her eye when nopony buys anything. I don't wanna do that to them,” she said. She looked around, and said, “Plus, I really like some of the things here.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Whatever...” she said.

Apple Bloom grinned. “Just be sure to save enough money for the show tonight.”

Sweetie Belle smiled, turning back to Plaid Stripes. Coco was busy with another customer. “So,” Sweetie Belle said. “I heard a rumor that you once made a dress out of spoons?”

Plaid grinned. “Yeah. Cutlery Chiq,” she said. “I still think it can work, but Boss Rarity nixed it. She lets me work on improving it, but I can't sell it yet.” She motioned for the three to follow, taking them to a back room in the otherwise elegant shop.

Sweetie Belle giggled at the mess of cloth and thread, so very similar to Rarity's 'inspiration room.' On a ponyquin in the corner was a dress made of various shaped spoons. Plaid smiled proudly at it.

Apple Bloom looked thoughtful. “Huh... That's... actually not that bad,” she said honestly.

Plaid beamed. “Thanks! I'm still getting the hang of combining cloth and the spoons, but I'm really makin' progress,” she said.

A door opened in the back of the storeroom. A large, white Earth pony with a purple beard came out. “Plaid, I am wondering what you and Miss Pommel are...” the stallion said. He took one look at Sweetie Belle, shrieked, and ran away.

“...The heck was that about?” Scootaloo said.

Plaid smirked. “Yeah, Dad blackmailed Boss Rarity into hiring me. Threatened to hike up her rent to an unreasonable level,” she said. “I'm lucky she decided to make me a student instead of just firing me.”

Sweetie Belle blinked. “WHAT?! That's not right!” she said.

“Yeah! You can't just bully somepony into hiring somepony!” Scootaloo said, angry.

Plaid giggled. “Don't worry. Once everything was settled and her store was open, she called in a couple friends of hers. Maybe you've heard of them. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna?”

The Crusaders all traded amused grins at that.

Plaid looked back at the door. “The funny thing? The one he was most terrified of after that particular conversation was Boss Rarity herself. Now he has a panic attack every time he sees a unicorn with a white coat.”

Scootaloo nodded in approval. “Good,” she said.

“Um...” Sweetie Belle said, gesturing to Plaid.

“What? He's a jerk, right?” the orange pegasus said, nodding at Plaid.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Plaid agreed, rubbing her snout. “He's a good Dad, he's just a jerk to everyone else.”

The Crusaders chuckled at that, Sweetie Belle going back to shopping. After a few minutes of this, an impatient Scootaloo said, “C'mon!!! We got a lot to get done before we go to the show tonight!”

Coco smiled at the Crusaders. “Oh? What are you seeing?” she asked.

“Granite Wasps!” Apple Bloom said, grinning.

Plaid Stripes and Coco Pommel blinked. “...There are easier ways to get Princess Luna to visit you,” Plaid said.

Scootaloo scowled. “Oh, come on! It's just a play! It can't be that bad!”

“I head that Princess Luna visited the director and told him to greatly amp down the scary, as she was starting to get overworked from all the nightmares,” Coco said.

“I also heard that he keeps a recording of the conversation and listens to it over and over again, seeing it as the ultimate validation of his play's success,” Plaid added.

The Crusaders traded uneasy looks. Scootaloo, after a moment, regained her confidence. “We're tough. We can handle it.”

“Uh huh,” Plaid said. She's going to be sobbing into her teddy bear tonight, she thought.

After a few more minutes of shopping, Sweetie Belle bought a trio of colorful, elegant scarves for the three of them. Bidding Plaid and Coco farewell, the trio went out for the next leg of their journey. Although Coco couldn't help but think that the unicorn looked like an older version of Rarity's sister...

Scootaloo bought a map from a street vendor. “Let's see... Where to next?”

Apple Bloom smiled. “I was wonderin' if they had a farmer's market?” she said.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked over the map. “Doesn't look like it,” Scootaloo said, frowning.

“Oh...” Apple Bloom said. “Well, maybe a museum?”

“Plenty of those, but they're all several miles away,” Sweetie Belle said, frowning at the map, starting to see a flaw in their plan.

“Forget that! I wanna see Manehattan Stadium! The Wonderbolts did a show there recently, and I'd love to see where they showed off how awesome they are!” Scootaloo declared.

“...That's even father out of the way than the museums,” Sweetie Belle said.

Scootaloo's jaw dropped. “What?!”

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Here, lemme show you,” she said. “Twilight taught Rarity a spell that allows her to estimate walking times. I was in the room when Rarity learned it, so I sorta know how to cast it as well.” Her horn glowed. With her aged up body, casting the spell was easier. It traced a line from where the Crusaders were on the map, to the Stadium on the outskirts of the city, back to the theater where the show they wanted to see was playing. “Yeah. If we went to the Stadium by walking, and tried to get back to Bridleway to see Granite Wasps, we wouldn't get back in time.”

“Oh come on!” Scootaloo said, frustrated.

Apple Bloom frowned. “I don't think we thought this through... To see everything we wanted, we'd have to stay more than just a day. We'd turn back into kids by tomorrow and...” Another thought occurred to her, a pained look coming to her face. “And our sisters would get in trouble for letting us come here alone.”

Scootaloo blinked, frowning. “...I don't want to get Rainbow Dash in trouble,” she said.

“Maybe we should just go back,” Sweetie Belle said sadly.

Discord frowned. While this attack of conscience was a good thing, he did want them to have SOME fun while here. Time for a little direct intervention... he thought, snapping his fingers and manifesting a disguise.

“Excuse me ladies!” said a voice from nearby. The Crusaders turned, spotting a grayish brown unicorn standing there, his Cutie Mark a portal, his mane and tail dark brown. “Sounds like you're having a bit of scheduling trouble!”

Sweetie Belle nodded. “We have only a day to be here,” she said. “We wanted to see Granite Wasps, but we don't have much time to do anything else...”

“Yeah...” Apple Bloom said. “We didn't think how big a city could be.”

“You're in luck!” the stallion said. “My name is Open Door, and I'm the best tour guide in the city! I know every shortcut and have mastered the art of transportational portals to get through even the toughest traffic jams!”

The Crusaders traded hopeful looks. “...You can get us to everywhere we want to go?”

“Absolutely guaranteed or your money back!” Open Door said.

The Crusaders grinned. “Well...” Sweetie Belle said. “Seeing the Manehattan stadium does sound interesting...”

Open Door hitched himself up to his cart. “Hop in!” he said. “I'll get you there in record time! Payment due only when my services aren't needed anymore!”

The Crusaders piled in. Open Door's horn flared, creating a portal in space. He trotted through it... reappearing in the Stadium's parking lot.

“Whoa, you weren't kidding!” Scootaloo said, looking around excitedly.

“C'mon, let's go! I can see where we can pay to get in!” Apple Bloom said, she and Scootaloo running towards the booth.

Sweetie Belle hesitated. “...That was chaos magic you used,” the unicorn said softly. “I can tell.”

Open Door began sweating. “What. You think that ugly noodle who sold everypony out to Tirek is the only one who can use it?”

Sweetie Belle smiled. “You've been shadowing us since we got here, haven't you?” she asked.

Open Door sighed, changing his head back to normal. In his real voice, Discord said, “I have my reasons. Your sisters wouldn't let you come here unless I went as a chaperone.”

Sweetie Belle hugged him. “Thank you, Discord,” she said, running off to join the others.

Discord blushed, and turned back into Open Door. “I really have gone soft,” he muttered, amused. He vanished into the shadows, watching over the girls as they traveled through the Stadium, admiring the various pictures of past games played there. They even got a chance to play games, trying out a pitching booth.

Apple Bloom did the best. “HA!” she said, flexing.

Scootaloo growled. “I want a rematch,” she muttered.

“Your noodle limbs can't match my farmer's power!” Apple Bloom crowed.

“Sweet Luna's tail it's Applejack and Rainbow all over again,” Sweetie Belle said, giggling. “Fight later! We still got stuff to see and the best tour guide in the world to get us there!”

“I guess...” Scootaloo muttered. “But I still want my rematch when we're kids again.”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle giggled, heading back to Open Door, who was waiting for them patiently. The quartet went on a long, winding tour of the city, taking in museums, stores, and even a few live musical performances. And throughout it all, Discord privately watched the trio, smiling at them and discreetly directing more troublesome things away from them.

He truly adored those three little troublemakers.

As the evening approached, Open Door smiled. “Getting close to showtime,” he said. “You should probably get your tickets soon, the lines will be pretty long.”

“Yeah, sure,” Apple Bloom said. “But... actually, I have an idea.”

“What's that?” Scootaloo asked.

“Open, could you get the tickets? We want to go to a club before the show, and maybe spend a couple hours there,” Apple Bloom said. “We'll pay you extra.”

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo smiled at Open hopefully. Open fidgeted, and then sighed. “Yeah, sure... Actually, there's a place I can recommend. DJ-P0N3 usually plays there, although she's not here tonight.”

One less pony to blow our cover, Sweetie Belle thought privately. “Thanks, Open!” she said.

Open sighed, taking them to the club. “Get in line,” he said. “You're all rather pretty, so they might let you in.”

Apple Bloom blinked. “Why wouldn't they let us in?”

Open Door shrugged. “Could be any reason,” he said. “They don't like how you're behaving, the bouncer thinks you're dressed inappropriately for the club, the bouncer thinks you're too young to be in the club...”

“Good thing that doesn't apply to us!” Apple Bloom said quickly, grinning nervously. Scootaloo facehooved.

“Uh huh,” Open Door said, amused. “Anyway, arguing with the bouncer's decisions will definitely get you tossed out before you get in. So be careful. I kinda like you girls.”

Sweetie Belle smiled. “We'll be all right,” she said, giving Open Door the money for the tickets. They went into the back of the line, Open Door opening another portal and heading to the ticket booth. Not wanting to waste time, he teleported in front of the pony coming up to the ticket booth and altered their perceptions, making it seem he had been there the whole time.

“Three for the late show of Granite Wasps, please,” Open Door said, paying for the tickets and teleporting back to the club in his real body once he had them. Discord watched, invisible, as the three Crusaders made their way up to the bouncers, a griffon the size of Big Macintosh and a fierce-looking changeling with an intimidating dark red color-scheme.

The two bouncers looked over the nervously smiling Crusaders, chatting briefly among themselves. Finally, the griffon shrugged. “Pretty enough, I suppose. Have fun,” he said, opening the door for them. Cheering, the three mares went inside. Discord vanished into the shadows, following them.

Once inside, the three of them stared in awe. The place was packed, ponies pressed up against each other as they made their way around. Smoke from ponies enjoying certain combinations of herbs filled the air, making Scootaloo cough. On the dance floor, ponies were bumping and grinding against each other to the beat of the music.

Sweetie Belle blushed at the sight of that, uncomfortable.

Apple Bloom, however, was undaunted. “Cmon!” she said. “I see the bar. Let's get some drinks!”

Scootaloo coughed again, landing. “Yeah, that'd be good. Air in here is really dry,” she said.

The three young ponies made their way to the bar, briefly separating as other ponies jostled by them rudely. They made their way to the bar. The bartender, a burly Earth pony with a white coat, looked them over suspiciously, taking in their expressions and the way they held themselves. “What'll it be, ladies?” he said.

Apple Bloom found a menu, and looked over it with the others. “Well...” Apple Bloom said after a moment. “We're in Manehattan, might as well try a Manehattan!”

Scootaloo grinned. “I want to have a margarita!”

“A martini for me please?” Sweetie Belle asked, smiling cutely.

The bartender nodded. “ID please,” he said.

The Crusaders blinked. “Uh...” Sweetie Belle said.

“No one under a certain age gets booze,” the bartender said. “It's not legal to serve it to kids. You want me to make you those drinks, you show me ID that proves you're the right age.”

The Crusaders traded nervous glances. “Uh... you see...” Scootaloo said, stammering.

Apple Bloom, giving up, let her head droop to the bar. “Forget it. You got anything like an apple cider or something?”

The bartender smiled. “That I can do,” he said. “Same for each of you?”

Sweetie Belle just nodded. “Yeah,” Scootaloo said dejectedly.

The bartender went to a nearby minifridge and pulled out a jug. “Fresh from Sweet Apple Acres farms in Ponyville,” the bartender said. “Goes great in some of our harder drinks, but oh my is it good on its own.”

Apple Bloom allowed herself a smirk, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo giggling. The bartender poured their drinks, the Crusaders paid for them, and they sat back and watched everyone.

“This...” Scootaloo said, coughing again, “isn't what I expected.”

“Feels like a weaker version of a Pinkie Pie party,” Apple Bloom said.

“Pinkie Pie parties are actually fun...” Scootaloo muttered. “This music's dull compared to what Vinyl puts out, and everypony's just talking or dancing...”

Sweetie Belle shook her head, sipping her drink. Another thing not working out as planned.

“Well well!” said a nearby voice. The Crusaders turned to see a trio of stallions heading towards them. “What have we here? Some fine, lovely ladies all alone?”

“And content to be alone,” Scootaloo said. “Buzz off.”

The lead stallion, a pegasus with a dark coat and darker red mane, clad in a bright red jacket, smirked. “Now, don't be like that?” he said, putting a foreleg around Scootaloo's shoulders. “I bet once we get to know each other, we'll be the best of friends.”

The other two stallions, one a large, brutish-looking unicorn with a small horn and a dark orange coat, the other a dark magenta Earth pony with a slim black mustache, came up to Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom respectively.

Sweetie Belle squirmed uncomfortably as the unicorn stallion grinned dopeily at her. “Yer pretty,” he said. “I like pretty, shiny things... Want to be mine?”

“Not really.” Sweetie Belle said, grimacing.

Meanwhile, Apple Bloom was dealing with her own problems. “Come now, my dear,” the slick magenta stallion said. “No need to fear. We're just paying you compliments.”

“You're being real creeps about it,” Apple Bloom said, trying to ignore her suitor. Tuning out the stallion, she turned to check on the others.

She turned just in time to see the red pegasus slip a small packet of white powder out of his jacket sleeve and dump it into Scootaloo's cider, the pegasus's attention turned away from it.

“Hey Scoots? Loverboy just put something in your drink,” the farmer said.

The red pegasus blinked, quickly pulling the packet back into his sleeve. “W-What? I'd never do something like that!”

Scootaloo snarled at him. “I believe her more than I believe you!” she snapped.

A bouncer came over to check the commotion, a large, burly unicorn. “Something the matter?” she asked.

“I was simply paying fine compliments to these fine young ladies, me and my friends...” the red pegasus trailed off, noticing that his friends had made themselves scares. He scowled, and continued. “...and they just started accusing me of things!”

“He put a packet of something in Scootaloo's drink! I saw it!” Apple Bloom insisted.

The bouncer glared at the glass a moment, and whistled for the bartender. “Get the testing kit,” she said. The bartender, understanding, nodding. He pulled out a box filled with dark red sticks.

“What are those?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“They change colors if a certain drug is present in a drink,” the bouncer said. The red pegasus tried to flee, but was held fast in her magical field. “Once it was invented, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna ordered all restaurants that serve drinks to have them.”

The bartender dipped one of the sticks into the drink. The submerged part turned bright blue.

The red pegasus grinned nervously. “Eheheh...” he said, the bouncer and bartender glaring at him.

“We'll hold him for the police,” the bartender said, pouring Scootaloo a new drink and setting the tainted one aside. “You'll have to give a statement.”

“What would that have done to her if she drank it?” Sweetie Belle asked.

The bouncer explained. The Crusaders immediately regretted hearing it.

From the shadows, Discord nodded, satisfied. He would have intervened himself, but thankfully for the sake of the red pegasus, the bouncer was quick on the draw. The girls were fine for now.

An hour later, the girls had finished giving their statement. “Okay, thank you,” the officer, Copper Top, said. She smiled warmly at them. “You girls got a place to stay for the night?”

“We... we were gonna take the train back to Ponyville after seeing the late showing of Granite Wasps,” Apple Bloom said.

“Hnh. Good show,” Copper Top said. “Anyway. Please write your addresses down. I think we can get this scum to confess, but in case we can't we'll want to be able to contact you for trial.”

The girls nodded, signing the form Copper Top gave them. The red pegasus and his friends (the latter two having been found hiding in the bathroom) were dragged off, leaving three depressed Crusaders.

“Well, this has sucked,” Scootaloo muttered. “I am most definitely peeved.”

“Let's just go...” Sweetie Belle said. “We can get to the theater early and get good seats.”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Sounds like a plan,” she said.

They found Open Door waiting outside. “Got your tickets!” he said, giving them to the Crusaders. “Didja have fun?”

“No,” Sweetie Belle said. “Some jerk tried to drug Scootaloo...”

Open Door flinched. “Oooh. Well, that's the risk with clubs like this. I saw cops, so I guess it ended well though...”

Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah, yeah... Thanks for getting the tickets. Let's just go to the theater...”

Open Door nodded, taking them to the theater. He guided them to the theater and let them out. “Wanna join us, Discord?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Huh?” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo asked.

Open Door blinked, and chuckled, turning into Discord.

“Why are you even here?!” Scootaloo said, annoyed.

“Keeping an eye on you for your sisters,” Discord said. “They wouldn't let you come unless I agreed to act as your bodyguard. There's a LOT I had to direct away from you.”

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
In an alley...
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

In an alley, a terrified stallion in a trenchcoat lay curled up in a fetal position. “Eyes... eyes... eyes... eyes... eyes... eyes...” he chanted in a low, terrified voice.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Bridleway...
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo traded worried looks. Sweetie Belle smiled. “It's okay. I get why they're doing it. And I'm glad you're here. I was kinda worried about us going out on our own...”

Discord blushed. “I will NEVER get used to hearing ponies say that and mean it...” he said quietly.

Apple Bloom thought for a moment. “Well... If it keeps Applejack from worryin' too hard, I guess that's okay.”

Scootaloo grumped. “Fine, fine fine fine,” he said. “Still, you're here. Might as well see the show with us.”

“I don't have a ticket, though,” Discord said.

The aged-up fillies just stared at him, raising an eyebrow.

Discord snickered. “Just checking to make sure you wouldn't be too bothered by me sneaking in with you.”

Sweetie Belle grinned, hugging the draconequus again. “C'mon! We've been waiting for this all day!” The three fillies went inside, Discord shrinking down and hiding in Sweetie Belle's mane.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Later...
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

“It was just a faceless pony in a suit! How was it so scary!?” Scootaloo whimpered.

“It was just magical illusions... It was just magical illusions... It was just magical illusions...” Apple Bloom said over and over, trying to reassure herself.

“Dark... so dark... tentacles... so impertinent...” Sweetie Belle said, curled up and shivering.

Discord, a nostalgic look on his face, sauntered out of the theater, dragging the three paralyzed with fear aged-up fillies with him. “WONDERFUL performance,” he said. “Well done indeed. Especially when the tentacles went out over the audience.”

“This was the stupidest thing we've ever done,” Apple Bloom said.

“Can we go home now?” Sweetie Belle whimpered.

Discord looked over the three of them and nodded. “Yeah, I think you've had enough of pretending you're all grown up.” He snapped his fingers, the four of them teleporting home.

Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack were waiting for them in the train station when they reappeared. Almost immediately, the three aged-up fillies glomped their older sisters.

“Enjoyed the show, I take it?” Rarity teased gently.

“SCAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRYYYYYY!!!!” the Crusaders wailed.

“Let's get 'em home,” Rainbow Dash said. “I convinced Scoots' parents that she was having a sleepover at the clubhouse.”

Applejack stroked Apple Bloom's mane. “Yeah, I think separating them would be bad for now,” she said. “We'll let 'em sleep at the farm tonight.”

“I'm never gonna sleep again!” Sweetie Belle wailed.

Rarity gently hugged her sister. “Sssh,” she said. “Just relax. You're home now. Sister won't let anything hurt you.”

“Thanks for watching out for them,” Applejack said to Discord. “Everything go okay?”

“Minor incidents,” Discord said. “Nothing I couldn't handle.”

The three older mares gave him grateful looks as they took their frightened older sisters home. Discord, for his part, just sighed, shaking his head at the Crusaders.

“Sometimes, you just need to be allowed to make mistakes,” he said. “Good thing they have such fine sisters.” He snapped his fingers and vanished in a pop.