//------------------------------// // One, two, buckle my... // Story: Prank War! // by Ashfur //------------------------------// “And with that, the tax code is finally fixed!  Thanks for all your help, Spike.” The young drake rolled his eyes at Twilight.  ‘Help’ usually meant doing most of the paperwork for her, but he didn't mind too much.  It meant spending time with his older sister, and he always appreciated that unless he could be following Rarity around.  “No problem, Twilight. I wouldn't be your number one assistant if I didn't help you with these things.” “TWILIGHT!”  The tender moment was cut short as a loud banging echoed through the upper floors of the castle.  From the sound of it, Nick was at the locked door separating the public area of the castle and her private home, beating the door with his fists.  “I NEED YOUR MAGIC MACGUFFIN POWERS, AND I NEED ‘EM NOW!” Now it was Twilight's turn to roll her eyes.  “Ugh, this better not be another prank… HAVE SOME PATIENCE, NICK!  I'LL BE RIGHT DOWN!” “OKAY!  CAN WE STOP YELLING NOW?”” Twilight was already mid-teleport now, so she didn't hear that part, but she appeared behind the door and opened it.  Nick had to step back to avoid having the door slam into his face. Twilight's expert eyes did a quick scan of the human, noting that he was showing signs of mild panic and distress, in addition to being covered in mud and grime.  Rainbow dash was also with him, seeming just as panicked. “Hey, Nick. Hey, Rainbow. What's up?” “Twilight, you can fix anything, right?  Because it's an emergency, and I need your magic rescue power!  It's super important!” Rainbow butted into the conversation, getting up in Twilight's face.  “Yeah, it's a total emergency! We're gonna be super dead if we can't fix this!” “At least you can fly away and hide in Cloudsdale for a week, Dash!”  Nick threw up his hands as he shouted at his pegasus companion. “I don't have that luxury!” “At least you'll survive!  I have to run away if we can't fix this!” Nick and Rainbow suddenly found their mouths zipped shut by magic so Twilight could speak.  “Okay, calm down, both of you! I've been working my tail off fixing some laws in the tax code all day, and I'm tired, so this better not be a prank, you two.” “Okay, we'll cut to the chase, then,”  Nick explained, having control of his mouth again.  He reached into his backpack and took out a formal-looking shoe covered in mud.  “I need this cleaned up, and copied so it's a pair. Please.” Twilight deadpanned, glaring at Nick.  “Are you two telling me you came and bothered me for the purpose of cleaning and copying a shoe?  Really?” “Yes.  Please make it a clean pair.  And hurry!” Rainbow glanced worriedly over her shoulder as though some monster was going to arrive and attack them. “Oh, alright.  I suppose I can do that.”  Twilight hit the shoe with a blast of powerful magic, and the pair of pranksters watched eagerly as it took effect.  Although the look of hope in their eyes turned to horror as the shoe twisted in on itself and morphed into a pear shape!  “There you go, one clean pear.” She levitated the fruit into Nick's reach, although he didn't take it. “Enjoy.” “ARE YOU INSANE?!”  Rainbow screamed at Twilight.  She took to the air and hooked her legs under Nick's arms.  “Nick, hang on tight! We've gotta head for the hills!” She took off through an open window and flew towards Canterlot, Nick dangling in her grasp and holding on for dear life.  And just in time, too, because the door to the room they had been in swung wide and a pony trotted in. “Ah, Twilight, darling.  Have you seen those two intolerable pranksters, Nick and Rainbow Dash?  I need to have a word with them.” “Oh, hey there Rarity!  They just left. Why do you need them?” “Oh, darling, it's simply dreadful!”  The fashionista produced a hoofheld fan and fanned herself dramatically.  “Rainbow decided it would be ‘funny’ to pick up our dear Nicholas and drop him from the sky into a mud puddle.  Except not only did the splatter ruin my scarf and make me waste time going home and redoing my outfit, Nick's other shoe went flying into the lake!  I need to have a word with Rainbow about manners, and with Nick about wearing the nice shoes I worked so hard on while taunting Rainbow.”  She sighed, tired but still infuriated. A fancy, refined fury, but still a fury. “I suppose I can still make a second shoe for Nick if he still has the other, at least.  I overheard them saying they were going to get you to fix it… do you have it on you by any chance?” Twilight sheepishly grinned, levitating the mangled, pear-shaped shoe into view.  “Eheheh… sorta…” “Twilight?” “Yeah, Rarity?” “I'm going to be generous and give you a ten second head start.  Now start running, darling.”