//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: To Scoot, Perchance to Dream // by TenderTalons //------------------------------// The three girls approached the front door of the boutique. The glow of electric light shone through the windows invitingly. Sweetie Belle stopped her friends before they entered. “Just let me do the talking. Last time I used something of Rarity's, things didn't exactly go well.” Sweetie Belle opened the door leading the group inside. The bell above the door chimed brightly. As they entered, the girls saw that Rarity was wearing her glasses, hard at work at her desk. The posh pony turned around and begin her usual greeting. “Hello and welcome to the Carousel Boutique! How may I- Oh, hello Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo. What brings the three of you by at such a late hour?” “Good evening, big sister! You look like you're hard at work on your next fabulous dress design.” “Why yes I am, Sweetie Belle. I was just in the middle of a few last minute tweaks to the initial design sketch. The client I'm making it for is someone I met in Canterlot the last time I visited there.” Sweetie Belle trotted to the desk and clambered onto the nearby stool to see the sketch more clearly. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom slowly made their way further into the boutique and exchanged sidelong weary glances. Rarity paid the pair no mind and approached Sweetie Belle, stopping by her side. She was surprised at her younger sister's sudden infatuation with her work. Rarity set her glasses down beside the sketch and spoke. “Now Sweetie Belle, I know the three of you didn't come here just to exchange pleasantries. What is it you need?” “Need? Well, now that you mention it...” Sweetie's snout curled in anticipation, unsure how to word her request. “Yes...?” “Scootaloo found a magazine advertising a new sports competition called the EX Games. She's super excited to enter but in order to do that, she needs to take pictures or video to show to the judges. So I was wondering...” “Oh, no. Sweetie Belle, you know I love you very much, but every time I let you near any of my things it ends in total disaster! Things are broken, lost, enchanted, ruined, stuck in strange places...” “I know, I know, I know, I know...” Sweetie Belle chanted in-between the breaths of her older sister's descriptive tirade. “What if,” Scootaloo interrupted, “we take the camera to Twilight Sparkle and had her use some kind of spell to protect the camera while we use it?” “Well now, I suppose that is a reasonable possibility. I'm not so sure such a spell exists but there would be no harm in checking with Twilight to see.” The Crusaders grinned ear-to-ear in Rarity's direction. “This by no means is me allowing you to use the camera just yet, girls. Turn around and I'll get it so that we can have Twilight take a look. Noooo PEA-king!” Rarity's horn glowed with magic as she opened the curtains of her stage. The camera sat behind it on one of the makeup tables backstage. The curtain closed behind the camera as it floated gently towards the marshmallow colored pony. Floating by its strap, the camera came to a rest softly around Rarity's neck. “It's getting late, so if we're going to do this we need to do it immediately. Come, girls, let's away.” The three bolted through the door in a rush of excitement. “SWEETIE BELLLLLLEE!” Rarity called after her sister as she began to gallop in an attempt to catch up to the three fillies. The few townsponies that were still out now that the sun had gone down stared at Rarity with confusion. Rarity grinned nervously in the direction of a group that was nearby and then focused her attention back onto the girls. Before she knew it, the four of them had reached Twilight's library. The girls started rapping anxiously at the studious pony's door. “Twilight! TWIIIILIGHT!” The CMC beckoned skyward, hoping it wasn't just the light of shining stars they saw reflecting in Twilight's windows as she made her way down to the front door. The large wooden door swung open with a dim purple aura. “Yes, hello?” Twilight saw who was standing on her doorstep and grinned. “My little ponies! What brings you by so late?” “Oh, I'm terribly sorry for their behavior Twilight. I just couldn't keep up with them on the way over and they began pounding madly upon your door.” “That's alright, Rarity. If they hadn't I might not have heard them! Come in, girls, come in. What's going on? Nothing too urgent, I hope.” Scootaloo quickly went over the details of what had happened that day. “...and we were hoping you might know a spell that would protect the camera while we use it.” “That's very exciting Scootaloo. I don't know of anything off-hoof, but I'm sure I could find something. Spike?” “Coming, Twilight!” The green and purple baby dragon rushed out of the kitchen wearing a stained white apron with pink frills. As he approached the ponies standing in the main room of the library he blushed and tossed the apron aside. “What's up?” “Do you think you can find my copy of Incantations for the Cautious?” “No problem. You used it a few days ago when you were refitting the lamps upstairs with lightbulbs, remember?” “EH-heh-heh, um yeah.” Twilight's cheeks flushed. On seeing this, the Crusaders giggled under their collective breaths. Rarity looked at them with her best impression of Fluttershy's 'Stare'. “Found it!” Spike said from midway up the nearby ladder. Twilight took it from him with her magic and began to flip through it, looking for something that might help the trio. Spike climbed down the ladder to join the group, looking at Rarity as Twilight searched. “Hmm, ah maybe? No, that won't work... Here we go! This one doesn't look too difficult. It lasts for three days and protects against shocks, falls, and submersion in liquids. But this is all up to you Rarity. It is your camera, after all.” The CMC looked as cute and trusting as they could at Rarity and gave a long, “Pleeeeaaseeeee?,” in chorus. “So it isn't exactly invulnerable. It can still be crushed by a runaway stagecoach or if it gets stuck under any sort of great weight?” questioned Rarity. “Yes, definitely,” remarked Twilight. “But they would never do something so foolish, would you girls?” “No way!” “Absolutely not!” “Nope.” “Well...” Rarity let out a brief sigh. “Against my better judgement, I'll let the three of you borrow my camera. Don't make me regret my decision.” “Oh thankyouthankyouthankyou!” Scootaloo jumped up and hugged Rarity to drive her point home. “Eh, yes. You're welcome dear. But don't you think it's time you all went home? It is very late and you couldn't possibly perform such daring feats by the light of the moon.” The Crusaders groaned in unison as they realized they wouldn't get to try out the camera today. Scootaloo looked to Twilight and asked, “Would it be alright if we waited until tomorrow to protect the camera?” She then glanced to Rarity and said, “We could always pick up the camera tomorrow morning and have it for three full days starting then.” “Yes, I suppose that would be for the best. I know I can trust Twilight and Spike to take care of such delicate equipment.” “You can count on us, Rarity!” Spike looked at his unrequited love with a sweet smile, not realizing he had completely forgotten about the dinner he had been cooking until... “Wait a minute, what's that smell? OH NO!” He bolted into the kitchen at lightning speed. All the ponies could hear were muffled words while pots, pans, and who knows what else clanged and banged in the kitchen as Spike desperately tried to salvage the meal he had been preparing. Twilight let out a nervous giggle. “Maybe I'll just bring this upstairs with me for the night. I look forward to seeing the three of you bright and early tomorrow morning. Have a good night, everypony.” “Goodnight, Twilight!” The Crusaders walked out of the door into the night as the mare in the moon glared o'er Equestria, providing its glow to the world below. Rarity followed close behind, making sure to keep an eye on the three as they made their own ways home.