Chapter 3_____________________________________________________________________
A Few Days Later...
Somepony knocked on the SugarCube Corner door. “I’ll get it!” shouted Pinkie Pie, who sprang from her bedroom all the way down the stairs and to the door. She opened it and was greeted by Derpy Hooves the Mailmare. “I have a letter for Pinkie Pie, can you please give it to her?” She said. Pinkie Pie fell over and giggled for a whole 160 seconds before finally getting up and saying, “Oh Derpy, I AM Pinkie Pie!” Derpy’s face blushed red and she said, “Oh... sorry. Have a nice day!” “You too!” she called. “Especially if you meet GIANT flying cupcakes, ‘cuz that would be a SUPER nice day!” Pinkie shut the door and tore open the envelope (which is very hard for a pony since they have flat hooves). The letter read,
Dear Pinkie Pie,
Hi there! I would like to meet you at the Everfree Forest at 3:00pm today. I have something I would like to show you. I can’t tell you though, ‘cuz it’s a surprise!
I hope you can make it. :)
-Stormy Skies
“A surprise? Oh boy! I just love love LOVE surprises!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie. “Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Cake? Is it okay if I go out to the Everfree Forest at 3? She called, running back upstairs to where the shop owners were. When they (finally) accepted, Pinkie gave a leap of joy, and headed to the Everfree Forest four hours early.
When it was finally around 3 o’clock, Pinkie Pie saw Stormy Skies coming up the path. “Finally!” gasped Pinkie. “I’ve been waiting for like, EVER!” Stormy gave her a look of total confusion. “But... I’m five minutes early.” she said. She shook her head as though trying to shake the illogicality of this statement out of her head. “Anyway, let’s go in.”
About six minutes into the forest, Pinkie Pie began to feel nervous. “Do we REALLY have to go in this deep...?” she asked. “Oh, but this is something I REALLY want you to see! It’s so cool.... please?” pleaded Stormy Skies. Pinkie Pie sighed and gave in. “Oh, okay. But it better knock my invisible, non-existant socks off!” Stormy laughed. “Oh, it will.”
“I’ll cook up a solution with the knowledge I’ve accrued, they say a kitch-en time saves nine, but I’m just saving two...” sang Fluttershy as she went on about her weekly afternoon stroll through the Everfree Forest. Fluttershy loved to walk through the Everfree Forest, it was so calm and quiet during midday, it gave her the opportunity to think about... well, everything! Her wondeful friends, the wonderful animals, the wonderful EVERYTHING in the world. Well, except for some things. Like Draconequui. And dragons. But other than that pretty much everything was wonderful.
All of a sudden, Fluttershy began to hear noises. This confused her, what could possibly be wrong? Today seemed like such a fine day! As she followed the noise, it appeared as though it was not the sound of manticores fighting, but the sound of 2 ponies talking. After listening some more, she identified the voices as Pinkie Pie and Stormy Skies. “This is taking forever!” complained Pinkie. “But we’re almost there!” exclaimed Stormy. Fluttershy, curious as to what was going on, followed the 2 ponies in secret.
And it was lucky she did.
Suddenly, the 2 ponies came to a halt in a clearing in the middle of the forest. “Okay, I’m here!” called Stormy to a listener unknown. “I would’ve brought more ponies, but if half the town mysteriously went missing, everypony else would’ve gotten suspicious, and I couldn't use my powers out in the public.” Pinkie broke out into a nervous sweat. “S-suspicious of what? What powers?” she asked. There was a horrible feeling in her gut that something absolutely awful was going to happen to her, something not even laughter could get her out of. Was she going to die? Was THIS how it felt to be close to death with nothing you could do about it? It reminded her of the awful dream she had once had, where she had killed Rainbow Dash and turned her into Cupcakes. Suddenly there was a soft buzzing noise, and Pinkie Pie felt a great wave of relief and anger. Was THIS the awesome thing Stormy wanted to show her? A BEE? Pinkie had gotten worked up over nothing. But then the buzzing noise got louder. And louder. And LOUDER until finally there was a loud *THUD* and Pinkie Pie found herself face to face with Queen Chrysalis herself. “Well done, Stormy, but we’re going to need more than one pony to conquer Equestria.” she said, slightly dejectedly. Pinkie Pie felt ready to faint. Conquer Equestria? Why was she a part of this? She had to run back to Ponyville, and warn Twilight Sparkle! She turned to tell Stormy to run for it, but Stormy was no longer there, and in her place was a Changeling, who proceeded to wink at her. “Well, like I said, if I brought half the town ponies would’ve noticed.” it said. Pinkie Pie was in a state of shock. “I- you- WHAT DID YOU TWO DO WITH THE REAL STORMY?!” she shrieked. “I am the real Stormy.” said the changeling by her side. Her voice dripped with hatred and anger, like a bomb that had been waiting to explode for a long time, not at ALL like the young foal who had been standing in it’s place. “This is exactly the reaction I expected. I’ve been a changeling under your nose for 3 years. I’ve been kind and polite to everypony for 3 years. I give you honesty- you revolt. You ponies are disgusting. But now... It seems we have a use for you.” The changeling grinned, showing her sharp, snow colored fangs. It nodded at Chrysalis. Pinkie watched in horror as the Changeling Queen’s horn glowed an acid green, as she performed her spell.
Little did any of the 3 ponies know, so did Fluttershy.