Scootaloo was used to Pinkie’s house being weird. It was Pinkie’s house after all. One could find entire rooms filled with party decorations and games thrown haphazardly about then find another with tax files folded and cataloged almost reverently. You never knew what you’d find when walking in her door and everypony in town knew it. It wasn’t like Scootloo snuck in through the back for Pinkie’s reputation.
But this was ridiculous.
Besides Rainbow Dash, who Scootaloo had to admit was pretty cool, there were four--four crazy ponies just wandering the halls. And Scoots wasn’t certain they were all actually ponies.
She peered around the doorway that led from the hall into the living room, watching the strange yellow creature on Pinkie’s couch. It flared its large, bat-like wings, and yawned with a mouthful of fangs. Definitely not like anypony Scootaloo had seen before and it made her just a little bit nervous to watch.
“Oh, hey there Sugarcube. Who are you?”
Scootaloo almost jumped out of her skin and whirled around. A very very large Earth Pony had somehow snuck up behind her.
“Whoa, calm down there.” The Earth Pony put a hoof up in surrender as Scootaloo crouched into an aggressive position. “I’m Applejack. Pinkie’s...uh… guest. I ain’t gonna bite.”
“What are you doing in Pinkie’s house?” Scootaloo demanded, trying to look as fierce as possible.
“Well, uh.” The Earth Pony scratched the back of her neck. “That’s kind of a secret, sugar. Who are you that you gotta know?”
“I’m Scootaloo. Pinkie’s best friend.” She briefly wondered if she should mention the future-wonderbolt thing but decided against it. There was no way that Rainbow Dash character was actually from the future. “So if you’re taking advantage of her…”
Applejack chuckled good-naturedly and shook her head, completely ignoring Scootaloo’s hanging threat. “Ya know, you remind me a lot of my little sis. She’s about your age, got the same kind of fire. I think you two could be friends. ‘Cept that she’s a platypus.” She leaned down like she was telling Scootaloo a secret. “And platypi can be ornery little things. It’s the poison, ah think.”
Scootaloo stared up at her, absolutely baffled. “...okay…? New theory: the town decided to just dump all the crazy ponies in one place and call it a day.”
The adult blinked at her and pulled back, looking embarrassed. “Ah, right. In the future ain’t no one knows what my kind is. Sayin’ I’m part lion ain’t gonna clear anythin’ up.” She put on a polite yet obviously fake smile and untactfully changed the subject. “So what’cha doin’ here, Scootaloo? I’m sure if ya hurry you could catch Pinkie before she heads ta work.”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Pinkie already left. She and that Rainbow Dash pony headed out, like, ten minutes ago. I’m just sticking around to keep an eye on you guys.”
Applejack’s brow furrowed. “Wait… Rainbow Dash left? Why in Harmony did she do that? Ah thought we were all supposed ta stay out of sight!”
“I don’t know,” Scootaloo said with a shrug, “They just left together.”
“Dang.” Applejack frowned down at her hooves, seemingly lost in thought. “Ah hope she doesn’t cause any problems for that nice Pinkie girl.”
Scootaloo’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “What does that-”
Knock knock
Both ponies’ ears perked up as their eyes trailed to the direction of the front room. They stood frozen, as if daring the sound to ring out again.
Knock
The adult leaned down to the filly’s level and spoke in a soft whisper. “Is… uh… is Pinkie expectin’ anyone she didn’t tell us about?”
“No,” Scootaloo hissed back, “Pinkie never has anypony over.”
“Well, should we open it?”
“Of course not!”
“Hello there, good pony, what a fine day we’re having, isn’t it?”
Both Scootaloo and the Applejack paled and scrambled to the front room. They peeked around the corner to find the front door wide open, a tall purple pony with a blanket draped across her back, standing in the doorway with a smaller green Unicorn grinning up at her from the porch.
“Who art thou?” The purple pony asked suspiciously, eyeing the other Unicorn as if assessing her threat level.
“Princess Twilight what are you doin’?” The pony leaning over Scootaloo’s head whispered to herself.
The Unicorn at the door did not seem at all bothered by Twilight’s odd word choice. “I’m Clover Glaze. I’m from town hall and I just have a survey about the town that I’d like you, and whoever else lives here, to take.”
Twilight stared down at her, unamused. “Thou art lying.” She leaned down until her snout bumped against the other mare’s. “If thou art trying to sell something speak plainly and know I have not acquainted myself with modern currency. Perhaps try your lies at the next house.”
“Wha-” But the Unicorn didn’t get another word out before Twilight slammed the door in her face.
“Twilight!” Applejack scolded, leaving Scootaloo’s side to advance on Twilight, “What did you do that for?”
“Dear Applejack,” Twilight replied, “That pony was very clearly looking to take advantage of ponies. I refused to continue on conversing.”
Applejack paused, a thoughtful look on her face, before she shook her head with a small smile. “Nah, not that. Honestly, kinda proud of that. I meant, why did ya open the door in the first place? We’re kinda supposed ta be stayin’ out of sight.”
Twilight blinked at her, as if not comprehending the critique. She gestured to her back, shifting her shoulders until the blanket slipped off and revealed a pair of large feathered wings. “I am not a fool. I had mine wings hidden.”
Applejack facehoofed.
“Why does this day just keep getting weirder?” Scootaloo muttered to herself, coming out to stand next to the two grown ponies.
Twilight’s face instantly turned nervous as she fumbled to put the blanket back on. “...indeed… I’m sure you’re wondering what a Princess is doing in your house young child… uh, Applejack why is there a child in the house?”
“I’m Scootaloo,” said child explained, gazing past the purple pony and towards the door, “And, honestly, I was talking more about the rando at the door than whatever’s going on with you.”
Twilight and Applejack both followed Scootaloo’s gaze, as if the strange Unicorn would come back and explain the oddity Scootaloo was describing.
“Is that not a common occurrence in the future?” Twilight wondered, “The pony seemed confident in her delivery that I just assumed…”
“No, that’s a thing,” Scootaloo reassured, staring into the distance with a thoughtful look, “Just not here. Pinkie doesn’t get visitors.”
Applejack raised a brow. “Why’s that? Town seemed pretty close by.”
Scootaloo shook her head to snap herself out of her own thoughts. She turned to glare suspiciously at the two adults. “Look, I may be a kid but I’m not an idiot. You guys are either insane or playing some cruel joke on Pinkie.” She pointed at Applejack. “You’re not part lion or whatever.” Then to Twilight. “Those wings are fake, and I bet your weird accent is too. Neither of you are from the future or past or whatever and there’s nothing you can say to convince me otherwise. So if you don’t tell me what’s actually going on here this very second I’m going to get the cops over to arrest you for trespassing.”
A lie, but a believable one. Scootaloo wouldn’t go to the police even if a pony was holding her at gunpoint. But these ponies didn’t seem particularly up to date with the going ons of the town. If she could just scare them into telling her what she needed to know then she could form her own plan of how to proceed.
Applejack and Twilight looked at each other, at a loss of what to do or say to put the child at ease.
Scootaloo grimaced, but played it off as a dangerous scowl. “Fine then. If you’ll excuse me then I’ll be-”
Scootaloo’s shadow surged suddenly, stretching away from her hooves and rippling like water. A yellow head slowly formed out of it like a clay statue being molded right before their eyes.
“Has anyone seen Rarity?” The vampire asked, eyes glowing bright red, as the rest of her body slowly grew out of the shadow on the floor.
Scootaloo screamed.