//------------------------------// // Capture and Punishment // Story: Cutie Mark Crusaders Pranksters // by RebelNarrator45 //------------------------------// The Crusaders' panicked retreat was a short lived one. They had split up outside of town and gone in three different directions, hoping that maybe doing so would make it much harder to find them. They could meet up later, at the clubhouse, after it was searched for them. Which it would be...considering they were now likely on Equestria's Most Wanted list. Five of the Mane Six had split up to look for them, while Luna, Twilight, and Cadence had taken the still hog tied Celestia to Twilight's castle to wait for the effects of the live potion to wear off. Applejack and Rainbow Dash found Sweetie Belle hiding in a haystack at Sweet Apple Acres. Rarity and Fluttershy, who had finally calmed her birds, found Scootaloo hiding in a tree by the pond. Pinkie Pie found Apple Bloom hiding in a dust bin at Fluttershy's cottage...not too smart, all things considered. All three of course tried to flee, but to no avail. They were taken to the castle...and thier impending doom. Applejack and Dash arrived first, and placed the terrified Sweetie Belle down in front of the four princesses. She immediately flopped on her belly and hid her head. Rarity and Fluttershy were next, placing Scootaloo next to Sweetie Belle, who gave her captured leader a mournful look. "Scoots..." Dash's tone was threatening, and she didn't finish. Rarity simply shot her younger sibling a death glare. Pinkie bounced in last, a terrified Apple Bloom being jostled on her back. Pinkie lightly bucked her off next to the other two, where she cowered. "Apple Bloom!" Applejack sounded highly upset. The filly cringed. "Alright, girls." Twilight spoke up, glaring down at the three at her hooves. "Would you like to explain what in the name of Celestia you thought you were doing?!" "I...we...that is...it..." poor Scootaloo couldn't get her thoughts together. "Sweetie Belle?" Rarity asked sternly. The filly eeped loudly and pressed her body closer to the floor, ears pinned back, too terrified to even attempt to talk. "Apple Bloom?" Applejack said, eyeing her younger sister with more than a little anger. "It...it...Ah mean...well..." stammered Apple Bloom. "We were, um, trying for our cutie marks...?" From the expressions on everypony's faces, it was evident that it might have been the worst answer possible. "Do you mean to tell me," Twilight began, "that you were playing pranks JUST TO GET YOUR CUTIE MARKS??!" The Crusaders cringed. "Um...yes?" said Apple Bloom slowly. Twilight's eye twitched and she began pacing furiously. "Pepper sauce in the wine, itching powder on me, love potion in the punch." She fumed. "You caused Princess Celestia to go stallion crazy, you nearly caused three stallions to drown themselves while trying to cool thier mouths, you made me going through all kinds of completely unprincess like movements, and don't even get me started on all the property damage your pranks caused!! You three should be ashamed!" The Crusaders cowered lower, if that was possible. They realised how mad everypony was. It was true: thier pranks had caused a ton of trouble, even though they hadn't meant them to. They risked a glance up at Twilight and the others. All they saw was fury on all thier faces. "You...you're not gonna banish us, are you?" Sweetie Belle finally mustered up enough courage to ask. Princess Celestia stepped forward, now very much recovered from the love potion, and very, very upset at the fillies responsible for giving it to her. "Why the love potion, girls?" She asked, expression stern. "Well, if it helps, it...it wasn't meant for you, it was for Princess Cadence." Scootaloo said. That most certainly did not help. Princess Cadence loomed over them, her snout mere inches from Scootaloo's. "What?" Her voice was low, but oh so very terrible. One would not have thought the Princess of Love could sound so...mad. "I...I mean, not for you, for you, but for some stallions who would chase you around for a while!" Scootaloo hastily explained, gulped. "I mean, we thought it would drive you a little crazy. Nothing more. It was supposed to be harmless!" "Yeah!" Sweetie Belle added. "And the pepper stuff was for Princess Celestia! Only, somehow the bottles got switched around and...and...well, you know." Princess Celestia stared down at them intensely. "Oh, yes, I know." She said severely. "I made a fool of myself thanks to you three." Luna, at this point, let out a giggle. Everypony stared at her, and Celestia arched an eyebrow. "Sister?" "Oh, do pardon me, Sister!" Luna said, still giggling. "But we found the foalish pranks of these young fillies quite amusing. We are suprised they did not get us, as well." "We were goin' to." Apple Bloom confessed. "But we couldn't think of any." Celestia scowled as Luna giggled louder. "I do not find this funny, Sister." She said. "These three caused all of us, with the exception of Cadence, to look very foolish. And thier pranks caused massive destruction to the town center." "Oh, but the looks on your faces, sister!" Luna said. "It was priceless!" And she collapsed on the floor howling with laughter. Celestia gave her a glare that promised retribution at a later date, then turned her attention back to the fillies. "Whoa, nellie!" Apple Bloom whimpered as the Sun Princess towered over them, eyes blazing. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo instantly pressed themselves closer to the floor and thier friend at the same time. "Ah just can't believe you thought this was a good plan!" Applejack huffed, stomping a hoof. "Indeed!" Rarity added, scowling. "Sweetie Belle, you are in big trouble, young filly!" Dash took a step forward and gave her fan/sort of little sister a withering glare...although secretly she was a little impressed at the Crusaders' pranks. And the fact that they had even dared to prank Equestria's rulers in the first place. But still, it had been a foalish and dangerous thing to do, so she knew she was going to need to give the filly a sound talking to later. Twilight stepped forward again. "Are you three prepared to face your punishments?" She asked, eyes narrowed. Three very audible gulps rang through the room. Then Scootaloo straightened and put a foreleg over each of her friends. "Its been mighty nice knowing you, girls." She said sadly. "I don't guess we'll be banished to the same place, so...I'll see you in a hundred years. Or never." The other two latched onto her, starting to cry at that thought. Everypony else exchanged looks, then Twilight leaned down and gently nuzzled the fillies. "You're not being banished, girls." She said. "We...we aren't?" Sweetie Belle faltered. "Of course not!" Princess Celestia smiled a little. "We don't banish fillies." Cadence leaned down and nuzzled the fillies too, smiling reassuringly. "But you still are going to be punished." Twilight added. "I'm sentencing the three of you to clean up the mess your pranks caused. And I'm fairly sure your sisters will see that you do it...right after they have thier own talks with you." "Ah'll be sure Apple Bloom is there." Applejack said, giving the filly a look that she knew all too well. "Sweetie Belle will be cleaning up within the hour, Twilight." Rarity promised, glaring at her sister. "What they said." Dash added, looking hard at Scootaloo. "Very well, then." Twilight said. "I'll expect it done by the end of the day." "Yes, Twilight." They said in unison. Then Scootaloo frowned. "You know the absolute worst part of all this?" She asked her friends. "Ya mean besides havin' the princesses mad, havin' to clean up the town, an' likely gettin' tanned, too?" Apple Bloom asked. "Yeah, what's worse than that?" Sweetie Belle asked. Scootaloo sighed and pointed toward her flank. "Not a single cutie mark." The other two checked thier own flanks. "Aw, zap apples!" Apple Bloom groaned. "All that an' no marks? Ugh!" "That really is worse than all the rest!" Sweetie Belle moaned sadly. The three fillies couldn't quite get why everypony exploded into laughter.