//------------------------------//
// [A C H] The Forbidden Word 
// Story: A Collection Of Geodesic One-Shots 
// by GeodesicDragon 
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As the last dregs of sunlight faded away, replaced with the first glows of the moon, Warren made his way along the streets of Ponyville at a rushed pace. He stepped over and around ponies in his haste, as he made for 'The Greedy Chef,' the only restaurant in town that was only now opening its doors to patrons.

Arriving at the restaurant, Warren caught sight of five of his friends sitting at a table, chatting amongst themselves. There was an empty chair in the middle; three of them sat on one side and two on the other, where another empty chair stood.

"Hey, girls," Warren said as he sat down in the middle seat. "Sorry I'm late; I was taking a nap and lost track of time." He stifled a yawn. "I've been so busy lately, helping to prepare for the upcoming Festival of the Two Sisters."

"Don't worry, darling." Rarity took a sip of wine. "We've all been hard at work preparing for the festival; it's the first one since Twilight became ruler of Equestria, so everything must be perfect."

Warren chuckled. "Yeah, I saw Twilight earlier; she was reading a ton of books on how to effectively organise a festival," he said. "I swear, you'd think she'd be taking a break from her duties, the main reason she's even in Ponyville to begin with."

"Uh, that's not the only reason she's here, Warren," Rainbow Dash replied. "She was visiting Starlight, Sunburst and Trixie at the School of Friendship, and we also had a Council meeting to attend."

"Even so, she still needs to take a break," Warren retorted. "She'll burn herself out if she carries on reading the equivalent of an entire library and rushing from visit to visit."

"I think she heard ya, sugarcube." Applejack pointed at something behind him. "Here she comes now, lookin' fresh as a daisy."

Warren glanced behind him; sure enough, Princess Twilight Sparkle, ruler of Equestria, was walking towards them with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. As she walked, ponies either bowed or waved to her, while those in her way swiftly stepped aside.

"Well, would you look at what we have here?" Warren stood up with a grin on his face. "If it isn't my favourite book horse!"

Twilight stopped dead in her tracks, her expression changing from happiness to utter desolation and horror. Rarity sprayed the table with wine, Fluttershy hid under the table, Rainbow Dash dropped breadcrumbs all over the floor and Applejack looked as though Warren had insulted her parents' memory. The waiters serving restaurant patrons dropped their platters, adding the sound of smashing plates to the huge gasp which arose from the ponies in the area. Parents covered their children's ears, and several pairs of angry eyes were focused on the man, who looked around nervously.

"What?" he asked. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

His question was met with silence and hardened glares; after what seemed like an eternity, Fluttershy – who tentatively poked her head out from her hiding place – was the first to speak.

"That word..." she shuddered. "You just used that word."

Warren looked perplexed. "What word? 'Horse?'" The crowd gasped again, much louder than before, and Warren sighed. "Oh, come on, really?! You're genuinely upset about me calling Twi a 'book hor—'"

"DON'T SAY IT AGAIN!" Warren flinched as the crowd bellowed in unison; he also thought he heard a cry of 'Stone him!' amongst the cacophony of angry voices from the usually peaceful townsponies.