//------------------------------// // 14 - Pinkie's Friends // Story: The Storm's Challenge // by OneLonelyPickle //------------------------------// Chapter 14 - Pinkie’s Friends Pinkie grabbed Spike’s shoulders and shook him. “Don’t you get it!” Pinkie’s eyes were bulging as Spike stared in fear. “Something is seriously wrong, and Maelstrom is behind it! Or involved… or something!” The sun hovered just above the horizon. The Royal Courtyard was all but deserted since most ponies had either returned home or stumbled to the other side of the city where the nightlife was just beginning. Spike had finished the last game at the throwing darts stall when Pinkie once again accosted him about her second tail twitching incident. “We have to do something, Spike!” Pinkie’s eye twitched and Spike sighed, shaking his claws in front of his face. “L-Listen, Pinkie, I get it, okay? Everypony knows about your Pinkie Sense and that it can predict the future.” Spike grabbed Pinkie’s hooves and lowered them to the ground. “But don’t you think this time is different?” Pinkie raised an eyebrow patiently. “You were saying that your tail twitched a different way that you’ve never felt before, during this really exciting event, and it involved Maelstrom saying some really exciting stuff.” Spike raised his own brow. “You don’t think it could have just been, y’know… excitement?” Pinkie scrunched her features towards the middle of her face and pointed back at her tail. “Are you calling my tail a liar, Spike? You know my tail can hear you right now!” Spike looked back at Pinkie’s tail and raised a finger. He was about to apologize then rapidly shook his head. “Ahjibawha — No! I’m not calling you or your tail a liar! I guess what I’m trying to say is, don’t lose your cool!” Spike started walking back and forth, moving his claws as he spoke. “Let’s say your tail is shaking because Maelstrom is up to no good. We still need evidence to prove it beyond just your tail vibrating! We’d have to tell Celestia or Luna and neither one is going to have somepony arrested because of a Pinkie Sense!” Spike looked at Pinkie just as seriously as she looked at him. “If you really, really think Maelstrom is bad news, I believe you. But we need to find some dirt on the guy so that we can do something about it!” Pinkie’s face muscles relaxed, and she looked at Spike plainly. He continued. “We don’t even know what he could possibly be up to.” Pinkie managed a tiny smile. “You’re right, Spike. Sorry I got a little loopy there. Where should we start?” Spike pointed a finger behind Pinkie and she swerved her head around. Applejack and Rarity were closing shop for the day. Both looked quite pleased with the results of their ventures. “I think we should tell our friends and get their opinions.” Spike looked up at the sky with a huff. “Even though they were too busy today selling apples and dresses to have some fun with us.” Spike and Pinkie walked to the edge of the courtyard and right into the middle of an Applejack and Rarity conversation. “So, are ya done pretending you can outsell my apples there missy?” Applejack leaned against her wagon and took a big bite out of her apple, smacking a bucket filled with bits with her spare hoof. Two other buckets, just as engorged, were close by. Rarity blew some hair out of her eyes. “Oh darling, those hooffuls of bits are fine and all, but take a look at this order list.” Rarity looked back at Sweetie Belle, who had a huge scroll in her mouth. Sweetie Belle dropped it and it unraveled, travelling all the way to Applejack’s hooves, several metres away. Applejack almost choked on the apple she was chewing. “Blah – well, we’ll see who actually buys one of them fancy pants dresses and scarves and such once the races are over, and everypony comes back to their senses. Ah already got my bits AND sold my apples!” Pinkie and Spike looked back and forth as the mares continued their tiff. “Where’s your pal Boozebeard, Applejack?” Rarity said as Sweetie Belle scooped up the order list. “Passed out behind your wagon?” There was a smug look on Rarity’s face as Applejack stared her down. “No ma’am! Boozebeard’s an honest early-riser so he’s gone back to Ponyville for the night. He’s got to be up with the sun for some training. Ah take it your little twin, the drama queen, had to catch her ‘beauty rest’?” Applejack teased. Rarity looked away with a puff. “If you must know, Lady VeeVee was extra tired after her afternoon meeting with PRINCESS Celestia. Did you know she had an audience with her AND Maelstrom at the castle? She’s good friends with him, you know. She’s awfully well connected, unlike that ruffian you’ve been parading around.” Rarity stuck her tongue out at Applejack for a split second. It made Applejack grit her teeth and scrape at the ground with an irate hoof. Pinkie chimed up. “Umm, guys, can I talk to you both for a minute?” The two entrepreneurial mares seemed surprised to hear their friend’s voice. They jerked their heads in response. “Pinkie! Spike!” Applejack cried. “How was your day?” “Yes, tell us!” Rarity trotted up to Pinkie. “We’ve been so busy – oh, I do wish we had more time to have fun together.” Rarity shot Applejack a look through half-closed eyes. “But not too much fun together.” It was Applejack’s turn to stick out her cheeky tongue. Pinkie was in serious mode. “I don’t have a lot of time to go into detail because I have something super duper important to tell you both buuutttt” – Pinkie took a deep breath – “SpikeAndIGotSomeCandyApplesThenSawMrCakeAndPoundCakeWhoWasSuperCuteThenWeGotSomeCakeWeAteTheCakeThenPlayedAGameOfHorseShoesThen…” Pinkie listed every last thing her and Spike had done that afternoon in one breath then gulped up another breath to fill her empty lungs. Rarity and Applejack stared blankly at Pinkie, then both turned to Spike. “Uhhh,” Spike said, just as puzzled, “Yeah… that.” “Anyway!” pleaded Pinkie, “The important part is about Maelstrom and my tail!” Applejack smiled. “Tell you what, sugarcube, how’s about you give me a hoof packing up then we’ll talk at the hotel? Ah’m staying the night so Ah can be up bright and early and open shop. Even sent a letter back to Ponyville asking Big Mac to come with more apple goods as soon as he can.” Pinkie pouted. “Okay... let's be quick though!” she said reluctantly. She bounced over to the apple wagon. Rarity batted her eyes at Spike and the purple dragon floated over to the fashion wagon. “I suppose I will allow Big Mac to help you,” Rarity mentioned, loud enough so Applejack could hear, “Considering my cute little baby sister has been assisting me all day.” She ruffled Sweetie Belle’s mane with her hoof and the tiny white filly glowed and nearly purred from the praise. “We, too, are going to stay the night. Wouldn’t want to fall behind, would we, Sweetie?” Sweetie Belle responded with a fluctuating pitch, “Nope! Plus, we get to have a sisters night in the fanciest city in Equestria! We can stay up late, paint each other’s hooves, eat popcorn, do our manes…” Sweetie Belle shrieked, “I don’t think we’ll have much time to sleep!” Applejack smiled sinisterly at Rarity and the fashion-minded mare bit her lip. She looked down at her sister, who noticed a doubt in Rarity’s expression. Sweetie Belle whimpered with huge, wet eyes. “R-Right, big sis?” Applejack snickered as she and Pinkie loaded up the wagon. Rarity struggled to find the right words, stumbling over herself and becoming tongue-tied. She sighed. “O-Of course, Sweetie – well, we’ll see.” Sweetie Belle cheered. Everypony did their best and prepared both wagons for transport. Applejack pushed her own wagon, and with little convincing Rarity impressed Spike to push hers. It was a few blocks to the hotel, giving Pinkie ample time to explain everything to her friends. Spike gave his input, in between heavy panting as he kept pace with the group and towed the imposing vehicle of wood and suitcases. When Pinkie was finished, as the group reached the hotel and secured their wagons with the staff, Applejack and Rarity shared a skeptical look. Applejack replied to Pinkie first. “Ah think – well, this Maelstrom fella doesn’t seem bad at all, and everypony loves him. You sure you didn’t eat too much sugar – I mean, I know it’s you and all, but…” Rarity nodded. “I agree with Applejack, our competition aside. There’s a lot at stake if you get this wrong, Pinkie, and you and Spike did eat a lot of fair food from what we’ve been told.” Pinkie jumped up and down, her mane and tail sticking up like she’d been shot with lightning. “My tail is not a liar! Stop being mean to my tail!” She sat down and hugged the bushy, pink mass of hair behind her, the tail seemingly depressed as it hung limply in her grasp. “My tail and I know what we felt! It was a violent shake, and right when Maelstrom evilly said: Waaahahaha, I will show Canterlot a day it will NEVER forget!” Applejack and Rarity looked at each other, then back at Pinkie. “Not… plum sure if that’s quite the way he put it, Pinkie.” “Darling, we are on your side, but without more to go on, there’s no way anypony would believe you” – Rarity smiled and placed a hoof on the incredulous Pinkie – “us, I should say.” Applejack joined her friend and placed her own hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder. “You’re the expert when it comes to investigating, right, Sherclop Pie?” One side of Pinkie’s mouth drew up. “Do some searching around and find out more about Maelstrom. And Rarity and I will do our best to get some info on him, too, from Boozebeard and uhhh, Madam Bees Knees.” “Ms. VeeVee,” Rarity corrected, looking at a sheepish Applejack. She turned back to Pinkie. “We’re on your side and will stop our competition if either of us finds out there’s something bigger going on here.” Pinkie’s eyes filled with tears. “You guys…” she sniffed back sobs as she squeezed the life out of her friends. They gasped and choked as they fidgeted for air. Eventually Pinkie relented and the two caught their breath. “Love ya too, girlie,” Applejack said, adjusting her stetson. “Friends stick together, Pinkie, no matter what.” Rarity beamed. Heavy snoring drew the attention of all three ponies. Spike was curled up like a dog and Sweetie Belle was on her stomach with all four hooves splayed out. Both were sound asleep. The mares giggled quietly. “Looks like that’s the cue to call this a night,” Applejack whispered. Indeed, crickets were chirping, fireflies were lighting up the streets, as were lamps, and up in the sky the orange glow of day was losing a battle against the purple cloak of early night. The summer air at twilight was muggy. Pinkie delicately scooped up Spike and placed him on her back. Rarity motioned to do the same with her sister but as soon as she touched one piece of fur on Sweetie Belle’s side the filly jumped up, wide awake. “Thank goodness for power naps!” she squeaked. “Ready for our sisters night, Rarity?” The named mare shushed her sister and stifled a groan. Applejack bit on her lip hard to stop from laughing. When the moment had passed, she turned to Pinkie. “You gonna stay the night too? Best place to look would be here in Canterlot, I’d say.” Applejack asked. Pinkie motioned to her back with a jerk of her head. “I would, but I should get Spike back to the library and see how Fluttershy’s day went. I feel bad we’ve been in Canterlot all day while she stayed back home! I should be able to catch the last train since it’s so quiet now.” Everypony said their goodbyes and were on their respective ways. Rarity and Applejack spoke as soon as they entered the hotel lobby. “You don’t really believe that this Maelstrom figure is dangerous, do you, Applejack?” “Not likely,” Applejack said with a shake of her head, “But there’s no harm in Pinkie and us asking around and getting to the bottom of it, in any case.” Rarity nodded. “Glad I’m not the only one thinking it.” Both ponies checked in at the front desk. Before they parted, Rarity cleared her throat. “Well, this would be good night.” “Sure would be.” Applejack chewed her top lip. She threw her hoof out, grabbed Rarity’s, shook it, then sped off up the stairs. “Night!” she shouted midway up the stairs. Rarity rolled her eyes with a grin. “You two are weird,” Sweetie Belle said with all the grace of a young, immature pony. * * * Rainbow drew her covers up to her chin and snuggled up to Tank. The tortoise companion stared lovingly at his owner. It had been a long day for both. “Good night buddy!” Rainbow said. She gave Tank an eskimo kiss and the two closed their eyes. Rainbow replayed the events of the day in her head. At the end of the Wonderbolts exercise with the EFL, she had made sure to tell Spitfire that she was not going to be available the following afternoon. But she hadn’t mentioned Zephyr. I don’t want her to think I’m a traitor or anything, but this is Zephyr we’re talking about! Fastest flyer in the east! Rainbow stared hard at a spot on Tank’s shell, the little guy softly snoozing. Still, I’m not even 100% sure I can trust him. This all happened pretty fast. Her doubts started to melt away when she thought of flying as fast as Zephyr, keeping up with him neck and neck during the final race of the Storm’s Challenge. Then, at the last minute, she would wring out the last of her energy and burst forward to cross the finish line just ahead of him and win the races. A big smile etched its way onto Rainbow’s face. Gah! I’m worrying too much! Rainbow closed her eyes once more and let the night take over her senses. She drifted into a deep sleep, filled with clouds and races and gold trophies.