//------------------------------// // Unexpected Ally // Story: Cutie Mark Crusaders Pranksters ll // by RebelNarrator45 //------------------------------// P....P....Princess Luna!" Scootaloo gasped in terror. "What...why...how...you're not supposed to be over here!" Luna laughed. "I spied you at the bakery and followed. I must say that was a very fine prank!" "Huh??!" Apple Bloom squeaked, while Scootaloo seemed to have lost her powers of speech. Luna sat. "Perhaps we should awaken your friend first. Then talk." She suggested. "Oh, right." Scootaloo turned. "Sweetie Belle?" After several minutes, they succeeded in rousing the filly. Once she was fully alert, she blinked at Luna. "Are you gonna turn us in?" She asked. Luna smiled. "Before I answer, suppose you explain to me why you are daring to do this again." The fillies told her the whole story. How they had had their pride and reputations injured and wanted to fix it. Hence, more pranks. "I see." Luna said. Her eyes twinkled. "Besides the orange dye, what have you done?" They sheepishly told her about Twilight's books. Her eyes widened in shock. "That was you?!" She said. "Do you not know how seriously Twilight takes her books? If any harm should befall them, Equestria would not survive her wrath." "We know." Scootaloo said. "That's why they're at our clubhouse. Wrapped in blankets. They're safe." Luna smiled again. "And what, pray, have you planned for my niece and my sister?" Sweetie Belle showed her the cake slice and explained it. Then Apple Bloom explained the permanent ink hearts they planned to draw on Cadence. Luna fell into a fit of giggles, much to thier dismay. Finally, she caught her breath and looked at them, eyes twinkling. "I wish to join in this prank." She said, amused. "What?!" The three fillies gasped. "I will provide the distraction you need so that my sister and niece do not see you." Luna said, smirking. "I have not had a chance to enjoy a good prank for a while. So will you let me join you in your mission?" The Crusaders exchanged amazed looks. They had expected to be scolded, turned over to thier sisters...anything but asked to let Luna join in. Finally, Scootaloo nodded. "Alright, Princess. You're in!" Luna clapped her hooves. "Very good!" She said. "I assume Cadence is your first target?" At thier nods, she rose. "I will take my place." She said. "What signal would you like?" "Uh, how about a wink?" Scootaloo asked. Luna smiled. "Very well." She said. "Wait for my wink." She strode off. The Crusaders watched as Luna went and sat down, apologising for her lateness. "Not to worry, sister!" Celestia said. And gasped. "Lulu! What happened to your coat?! You're orange!!" "Only a prank, sister. It will wear off." Luna replied casually. Everypony fell to eating,(after the shock of Luna's orange coat wore off), and talking, and at last Luna looked to where her young prankster friends waited. She winked. "I'll go!" Scootaloo whispered. She made for her target. She slid under the table unnoticed and slipped behind Cadence. Luna kept her niece and the others distracted while Scootaloo carefully set to work drawing on as many red hearts as she could. She managed six before Cadence suddenly noticed something pushing at her. Scootaloo barely had time to duck under the table before the princess swatted at where she had been. Elated, the filly hastily scrambled back to her friends. "Nice going, Scootaloo!" Sweetie said proudly. "Now we wait to switch the cake!" Apple Bloom added. It was a long wait, but well worth it. At last Pinkie brought the cake out and cut the first slice for Celestia...it being Celestia's favourite. Sweetie Belle acted this time, rushing in unnoticed and swapping the plate before returning to hiding with the original cake. Which the fillies ate. "This looks delicious, Pinkie Pie!" Twilight said approvingly, smiling. All the princesses picked up thier forks and took a bite. And they all had different reactions. While Twilight, Cadence, and Luna all exclaimed in pleasure, Celestia made a terrifically ridiculous face before gagging and spitting the cake out forcefully. Pinkie's eyes went wide. "S..saltyyyyy..." Celestia gasped, grabbing for her punch. Luna studied the cake and took a teeny taste, knowing full well what to expect. "Oh my, sister!" She said in mock dismay. "Somepony gave you a salted piece of cake!" All eyes went to Pinkie Pie, who looked completely horrified. "Oh, nonono!" She said hastily. "I would never! I mean, sure, its a fun funny prank but I would never do it to you, Princess!" "Then who...?" Twilight's question was cut short by a dramatic shriek from Rarity, who pointed at Cadence. "Cadence, you have a heart! No, six! Oh how dreadful! They aren't even straight! And red clashes horribly with your coat! Twilight let out her own shriek and Cadence's mouth dropped open at the six bright red hearts. "Who did it?!" Twilight yelled. "Wait, you don't think...?" Dash started. "Don't even say it!" Applejack said. "Why, they wouldn't!" Rarity exclaimed. At that precise moment, the Crusaders lost all control and exploded into laughter, falling out of the bush they had been hiding behind. They were laughing so hard they failed to noticed the outraged looks on thier older sisters' faces. Suddenly, they were caught up in a purple glow of magic, carried several feet, and suspended in mid air in front of a very angry Twilight. "You three again!" She said furiously. "Apple Bloom, what did Ah tell you?!" Applejack demanded, marching forward and yanking her sibling down from Twilight's magic hold. Rarity caught Sweetie Belle in her own magic, seperating her from Twilight's, and shook her. "Sweetie Belle, how could you?!" She seethed. "Oh! You and I will have more than words when we arrive home, young filly!!!" Dash came and held out her hooves. Twilight huffed and dropped Scootaloo into them. Dash scowled. "Scoots, I warned you!" She said sternly. "And you did it again! I'm gonna have to keep my promise to tan your flank." "Rainbow Dash, no!" Scootaloo gasped. Dash sighed. "Sorry, kid." She said, setting the filly down. "You knew what to expect." Scootaloo locked eyes with her friends in silent communication. "Well, before ya'll drag us off to tan our flanks," Apple Bloom said. "Yeah. We did everythin'. Includin' dropping orange dye on Princess Luna and emptying four of Twilight's bookshelves." "You WHAT??!" Twilight shrieked. "You stole my books?!" "Yeah, as a prank!" Scootaloo said. Twilight stood there, visibly shaking, eyes blazing. "If any harm has come to ONE SINGLE PAGE of any book...YOU WILL BE SORRY!" she yelled. The Crusaders exchanged looks. "They're fine, Twilight." Sweetie Belle said. "We took real special care cause we know how much they mean to you." Twilight drew a breath and calmed down, and the fillies relaxed a bit. "Ah reackon we best get these fillies home." Applejack said. The fillies in question looked like they would rather go to the moon. Cadence now spoke up. "The hearts were a nice touch." She said. "Me being the Princess of Love." They giggled. And then everypony realised they weren't the only ones. Luna was in a fit of hysterical giggles as she made her way forward. "Wait, I pray." She managed. "I...I aided these fillies in thier final pranks. And I must say they were glorious!" "Sister!" Celestia sputtered. "You...you encouraged them?!" "Ah, sister." The younger of the two giggled. "They were foalish and harmless pranks. At least nothong was destroyed." "That IS true." Dash admitted. She grinned. "Aw, who am I kidding! Scoots, that...was...AWESOME!!!" She grabbed her up in a hug. "Well, I must confess it was amusing." Rarity said, with a chuckle, foreleg around Sweetie Belle. Applejack snorted and rubbed Apple Bloom's head. "Aw, shucks. Ah guess it was pretty funny." Twilight blinked and then slowly began to smile. Then laugh. Before long, even Celestia was shaking with laughter. The Crusaders looked at each other and grinned. They had successfully pulled off thier pranks, and restored thier pride and reputation. One more look at each other, and they, too, collapsed in howls of laughter.