It had been some time since Clue Chaser first came to the town of Ponyville, and things had certainly been emotional. When Chaser first arrived he was hurt and broken. He'd lost his dad, been adopted by his mother's brother, and was suddenly taken to a town he only knew by name.
It would have been a nice place to end things, but Chaser knew too well his problems could not be solved on his own. The Cutie Mark Crusaders weren't the only ones he owed an apology to. While he hadn't been snarling at his family, or downright troublesome, he knew he had been somewhat cold and distant. His family were good ponies, and they had given him space, but Chaser still felt bad.
His uncle never needed to take him in, he had his own family to deal with. Chaser could have easily ended up in an orphanage, but at the time, he didn't care. Now however, he felt it was time to put the cards on the table, and let them know he truly appreciated all they had done for him.
So on that day, he returned home, feeling like his whole body had become lighter after shedding a burden he hadn’t even realized he was carrying. So much had happened today, and it had only taken a few minutes. Chaser's mind had spent the entire trot home to put it all together, and no matter what conclusions he came to, he just felt happy. For the first time since he'd arrived here, he was grinning from ear to ear.
Once he arrived home, he hesitated for a bit. Chaser had no idea where to begin, nor how to really approach the subject. Still, nothing would come of standing outside and thinking about it. It was better to act, get it out of the way, and hope they would understand. The logical part of his mind told him they would, but the other part screamed with nervousness and hesitation.
As soon as the door opened, he was hit by a pleasant smell of freshly baked muffins. His uncle's marefriend must have finished her shift early, and was apparently using the time productively. Letting out a small sigh, his ears folded back, Chaser went to the kitchen. As he expected, Ditzy was waiting for the muffins to finish, humming to herself as she turned a page in some sort of novel she was reading.
For a few moments, Chaser just stood there, gathering his courage. After maybe two minutes of silence, he let out a quiet cough to get her attention. It worked, because her eyes moved up, finding him quickly.
"Hey, Clue Chaser! Did you have a nice day at school? How did the sale go? And wha-Oh my gosh! Chaser! You got your cutie mark?!"
Chaser nodded, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, it happened not too long ago in fact."
"Did it?! You have to tell me all about it! Want a muffin?"
She was so excited for him, so happy. It made Chaser feel slightly worse, but he knew if he could just explain, then he would be able to get better. "Well, I was hoping to talk to you, and my uncle…is he home?"
Ditzy noticed the serious and nervous tone. While she didn't frown, she did become calmer and more serious. "Of course he is. Why don't you go into the living room, then I'll get him?"
Chaser nodded. "Thank you.." He trotted back to the living room, waited patiently for his uncle and Ditzy to arrive before he sat down. Maybe he was being too formal? Before he could decide on that, Ditzy returned with his uncle.
Turner grinned at him when he entered. "Chaser, my boy! I've heard you got your cutie mark? Splendid!" Soon enough he noticed the rather tense mood, and so he adapted and calmed down as well. "Clue Chaser? Are you alright, lad?"
And so began a long and emotional story. Chaser told them everything, how he had been feeling ever since coming to Ponyville. His meeting with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, his outburst, and of course how he got his cutie mark. He laid everything out, and never in his life had he ever felt exposed.
Chaser wasn't one to share about his feelings, not even with his dad. All of this seemed too raw for him, and it hurt. Not physically, but emotionally, and at times, he felt like crying. Still, he faced it head on, and told them what they were owed.
Once done, he didn't know how they would react. Logic would usually tell him they were good ponies, and they would not get angry, or anything of the sort. In this case however, logic failed him, and it was like he could only sense his own fears and doubts.
Turner spoke first, as he usually did. "Clue Chaser.. I'm so proud of you."
Chaser's ears perked, and he looked at his uncle with uncertainty. Up until now, he had not dared to look them in the eyes, focusing instead on the floorboards. Now however, he could see both of them were smiling, and their eyes were glinting with tears.
Before he could ask, Ditzy spoke up. "You did really well, defending Scootaloo like that." She really looked proud, and Chaser could not help but feel slightly happy about it. "And you had the courage to tell us the truth about how you feel, that was very brave of you."
Chaser felt his cheeks warm a bit, he wasn't after praise, but it felt nice. Turner smiled, leaning forward a bit. "Don't you worry, lad. We are going to make sure you have the support and help you need. We'll be right behind you, all the way."
Chaser let out a breath he had no idea he had been holding in. "Thank you.."
Friday:
Four weeks had passed since then, and little by little Chaser had gotten used to life in Ponyville. True to his word, his uncle had set him up with a foal therapist, one he was to visit twice a week after school. While he wasn't super excited about the idea, he didn't complain or fight, instead did his best to give it a chance, despite how uncomfortable it sometimes could be.
Thankfully the therapist was a nice mare, who seemed determined to make their sessions as comfortable and helpful as possible. Chaser liked her, she was nice and dedicated, unlike other officials he had met back in Manehatten. Though in a town like Ponyville, he could easily see how her work would be less stressful.
The therapist was a unicorn called Nettlekiss, although she preferred just to be called Nettle. She had a light gray coat, white mane and tail, and green eyes. She had a certain neatness about her; even if Chaser had not known her for so long, he could tell she likes things neat and pretty. Everything was straight in her office, even the cups of tea she placed on the coffee table between them was set at a specific angle.
Thankfully she didn't apply this kind of treatment to her patients, so Chaser didn't have to worry about being corrected or asked to sit a certain way. Her sessions took place at her home; she had dedicated the whole of the first floor for this purpose, creating an open space with plenty of light. Chaser liked it here, it wasn't cramped or felt intense. Likely that was the point of this office, and Nettle clearly liked to make her patients feel as comfortable as possible.
Chaser was surprised to find himself opening up to her relatively fast. Nettle was just so easy to talk to, so it felt so natural just to open up to her, even if some subjects were still too touchy to approach for now. Nettle didn't push him, instead she did what she always did when he came over. She usually offered him tea and biscuits, doing small talk, and let the conversation flow naturally.
Smiling kindly at him, Nettle asked about his day. "How was your day, Chaser?"
"Well, it was okay. We have been asked to do a project, and our teacher has made us pair up. I was paired with Apple Bloom."
"Ah, that is one of your good friends," Nettle said with a pleased smile.
Chaser felt his cheeks warm. He wasn't sure if he would call Apple Bloom or the others “good friends,” but they were friends. "Yeah," Chaser still answered. "She and her friends keep trying to drag me on one of their crusades to get their cutie marks."
Nettle let out a pleasant chuckle. "Ah yes, the famous crusading. Those three fillies have made quite the reputation in town."
Chaser couldn't help but chuckle a little himself. For the past four weeks the three fillies had dragged him along for anything they could think of. Whatever scheme they had to gain their cutie marks, somehow he almost always had to either be involved, or be the only voice of reason.
"It's not like they take me along for every crazy scheme they have planned, but they do try to get me along with most of them." Chaser replied, rubbing his right hoof with his left, looking down at the floor as he did so. "I don't really get why they want me to come anyway."
"Maybe they just want to spend time with you?" Nettle suggested.
"I don't know," Chaser replied, adding in a sigh for good measure. "I mean, I like them." He quickly clarified. "I'm just not used to all the attention."
Nettle nodded, leaning back in her armchair a little. "Did you have many friends back at Manehatten?"
Chaser flinched, he hadn't expected that question. "Well, I…uhm…"
Thinking back, Chaser recalled his school days back at Manehatten. He had friends, right? The more he thought about it, the more unsure he became. He wasn't bullied, nor was he exactly unpopular, or popular. He had always had his nose in his books, and his classmates had not really been that smart. Chaser stopped, a sudden wave of guilt washing over him.
His ears dropped. "I guess, I didn't really have any friends before. We were not really interested in the same things."
"And these three fillies are?"
"Well, I mean, they are, kinda." Chaser fidgeted on the couch, trying to come up with the words.
Nettle chuckled. "It's alright, Clue Chaser. Sometimes it is hard to put our feelings into words."
Chaser sighed. "I guess I was too focused on becoming a detective that I didn't give my classmates much attention back in Manehatten."
"Do you feel bad about that?"
"I guess." Chaser shrugged. "I always saw them as kinda dumb." Looking up at her, he quickly added. "I don't mean I'm better than them, I just, well, I don't know."
"I understand what you mean," she assured him. "Do you know why these fillies have been able to get closer to you?"
Again, Chaser shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, I guess I felt bad for the time I yelled at them. They were just trying to be nice to me, and I threw it back in their faces." They'd had this conversation before, although now she was looking into it from a different angle.
"Do you like spending time with them?"
Chaser thought about it for a moment. The three fillies had a lot of crazy ideas, and at times seemed to pay little attention to the potential dangers they put themselves in. Chaser had to either stop them or get them out of a tight spot on more than one occasion. Even so, when all was said and done, yes, he liked spending time with the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
Taking a deep breath, he looked at Miss Nettle and gave a single nod. "Yes, yes I do. I mean, they are reckless, and constantly getting themselves, and at times me, into trouble."
Nettle smirked. "And yet?"
Chaser sighed. "It's the most fun I've had for a long time."
"I'm glad to hear it. You seemed to have settled in nicely." Nettle said and looked over her notebook.
It gave Chaser time to look around the office. The entire first floor was dedicated to her consultation, which meant there was plenty of room for all sorts of activities. On one end was her desk, and a large closet. Then after that came her more informal space, a large couch, and an armchair with a coffee table separating them. It was here Chaser was, and it was here all his conversations with Dr. Nettlekiss took place.
The rest of the space was likely to do physical exercises, Chaser had seen some yoga mats, and three of those very large rubber balls. The place looked spotless, and very neat as always. Although, today things had seemed a little different. For example, the wooden tray was not on the coffee table. It was where their tea would be placed, along with the sugar and their mugs. Normally it would be on the table, but instead he had spotted it over at the desk, and with the mugs had been used.
"Did you have a visitor before I came by?" Chaser asked.
Nettle stopped looking over her notes, moving her eyes up to meet his. "Excuse me?"
"I was just wondering," Chaser replied, feeling a little embarrassed. "Did you have someone come over that you didn't expect before I came?"
Dr. Nettle seemed to tense a bit, biting her lip and sitting up straight. Had he upset her? "What makes you think that?"
"Well, the tray with the tea is on your desk, and you have not offered me any. Normally when you serve tea, the mugs are turned upside down," Chaser explained, then pointed at the tray on the desk. "But they are standing the right way up, suggesting they have been used."
Nettle didn't say anything for a few seconds. Then she smiled, just a little. "You can tell that? That is very impressive, Clue Chaser. Why do you think it was someone I didn't expect?"
Now Chaser felt his cheeks burn a little brighter. "Well, normally you like to keep all things neat and tightly. You also usually have things prepared when I get here, only this time you didn't. If you had expected company, I imagine you would not have taken them up here to drink tea, but instead kept the matter downstairs. But you used the tea set we use up here, so I imagine the visit was unexpected, but still important enough to let them in. Having already made the tea for our session, you took them upstairs and talked instead of making a new kettle, so the encounter must have been somewhat brief and close to our meeting."
The more Chaser talked, the more he could see he was right. Dr. Nettle seemed tense, likely embarrassed that he had been able to deduce all this. She liked keeping things neat, an attempt of control, and he had noticed it, and worse, he had noticed the change. "They must have left just before I came around, because you didn't have time to make a new pot of tea."
Dr. Nettle startled, or perhaps impressed, it was hard to tell. Though after a few seconds, she smiled at him. "That's very good, but if it was a short visit, then there should be plenty of tea left in the pot. So I didn't need to make a new one."
Chaser shrugged. "Even so, you have not gotten clean mugs, or offered me any tea at all. So it has slipped your mind, which is out of character for you. I don't think the visit was planned, and it must have frazzled you, as you knew I would be arriving soon."
His therapist favored him with a smile, admitting he was right. "That is really impressive, and really embarrassing." Nettle blushed, but still smiling. "I'm so sorry for the tea, it slipped my mind. I have a lot on my plate right now."
"Is everything okay?" asked Chaser, tilting his head to the side.
Dr. Nettle giggled and waved his concerns away with her hoof. "Oh yes, it's just some adult stuff." With a hoof, she placed it over a locket that hung around her neck, as she often did when she was thinking. The locket was very beautiful, and old. It looked like it had been through a lot, but had lost none of its elegance and charm.
"Well, I think that will do it for today, Clue Chaser,” she said, removing her hoof and smiling. "I'm sorry I was so far away today, but we'll make up for it next week, I promise."
"It's okay," assured Clue Chaser, getting up from his spot on the couch, and down on the floor.
Dr. Nettle took her young fellow downstairs, where Clue Chaser could pick up his hat. Smiling, Nettlekiss opened the door for him, and Chaser stepped outside. "Thank you for today, Chaser. I think you are doing really well. Get home safely, and I'll see you next week."
Chaser nodded. "Thank you." The two parted ways, and Clue Chaser made his way home to his uncle.
He made his way through town, enjoying the almost tranquil nature of it all. Ponyville still felt a bit foreign to him, as if he wasn't really a part of the town just yet. Although he supposed it was like this whenever you moved someplace new. He had always lived in the big city, so this was his first experience in moving somewhere else.
His school felt less strange to him now, and he felt generally accepted by his classmates. Miss Cheerilee was a good teacher, far more patient and understanding than any other teacher he'd ever had back in Manehatten. Then again, her school had a smaller student body, so that meant a less stressful environment.
His uncle and his marefriend did everything they could to make him feel at home. When he first got here, their relationship had been that of strangers. While they knew each other, they had not been in constant contact, so it had been a challenge to get over the hill. Thankfully, things had seemed to ease up a bit. Uncle Time Turner seemed less nervous and tense when talking to him, and that in turn made Chaser feel less exposed and awkward.
Things were still a little strained here and there, but generally Chaser felt things were going the right way. Maybe in time, they could actually feel like a proper family? Of course, Chaser still carried his father deep in heart, and he was still convinced his father had been murdered. However, he accepted that for now, there was little he could do.
The best thing he could do, was to hone his detective skills, and study the subjects that could possibly help him in the future. Clue chaser had vowed he would find his dad's killer, but he knew the odds were heavily stacked against him. For one, he was only a foal, and he recognized his age and the trauma of seeing his father dead could have influenced his overall assessment. Two, all clues were likely gone by now, and the police have already ruled it a suicide. Three, the police would likely not be of any help, and he had no way to access the resources they possessed.
So all in all, things didn't look good. That didn't mean he would stop trying, no, far from it in fact...
Saturday:
The next day Chaser slept in, as he did every Saturday like most foals his age. He had no idea that something was afoot in Ponyville as he slowly opened his eyes, and greeted the new day with a yawn. Rubbing his eyes with his hooves, Chaser sat up, heard a small thump. Looking to the side, he saw that a book had fallen from the bed and onto the floor.
He had been reading in bed again. It wasn't the worst habit a colt his age could have, but it did mean he would read until it became way past his bedtime.
A glance at his alarm clock banished any tiredness from his eyes. It was almost 09:30, and he had promised the girls he would meet them at Sugarcube Corner to work on a school project.
Chaser had been lucky enough to get paired up with Apple Bloom, who was definitely the most studious of the CMC. Not that Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were not smart, but Scoots hated to do any kind of school work, and Sweetie Belle got easily distracted. While Apple Bloom wasn't a big fan of homework either, she did do them dutifully, and was kind of the good filly in the group.
He let out an amused snort. Apple Bloom was smart, and yet she was also very active and adventurous. Chaser wondered if her sense of responsibility came from her family. He'd only met her family a few times in passing, but from what he had been told, and from what he had seen, they valued honest work, and took responsibility. When thinking about it like that, it was no wonder Apple Bloom turned out the way she did. That being said, she was still a filly, and still liked doing foal stuff, and getting into trouble.
The door opened, bringing Chaser out of his thoughts. It was Ditzy, standing in the doorway with a smile. "Oh, good morning, Clue Chaser. I'm sorry, I didn't know you were still sleeping."
Chaser yawned, shaking his head as he did so. "No, it's alright, I was already getting out of bed."
Ditzy giggled. "Sleepyhead." She walked in, carrying a basket on the back. "I just wanted to see if you had anything that needed washing."
"No, I got nothing." Chaser assured her, thinking the whole laundry thing was just an excuse to check up on him. He didn't call her out on it, she meant well, and it was clear she worried about him. "Thank you."
Ditzy smiled. "You're welcome, sweetie." She turned around to walk out, but then stopped. "Oh, do you have anything planned for today?"
Chaser nodded, finally sliding out of his bed and landed on his legs, stretching a little. "Yeah, I'm going to meet up with my friends and do some homework."
"Oh! That sounds like lots of fun!” Ditzy beamed. “Do you need any pocket bits?"
Chaser shook his head. "No, I'm good. Thank you."
"Alright, if you're sure. Just remember to freshen up and brush your teeth before heading out, okay?"
"I will," assured Chaser as Ditzy left.
Yawning one final time, Chaser shook his body, trying to wake up, and clear his head. It didn't do much, but at least it gave him enough focus to go to the bathroom and brush his teeth. He'd never been a morning pony, but he knew it was his own fault for reading until so late. He made a mental note of keeping better bedtime schedules for himself in the future.
About seventeen minutes later, Clue Chaser was finally out the door, his saddle bags placed across his body, and his trademark hat. He still felt a little sleepy, but nowhere near the amount he felt this morning, and the fresh air did help clear his head a lot.
All around him ponies were getting on with their day. Going shopping, spending time together, or foals playing around. It was a scenery he wasn't used to back in Manehatten, but he had to admit it was starting to grow on him. However, something he did recognize from Manehatten was a couple of police ponies, walking around and asking random ponies questions.
Chaser raised an eyebrow, slowing down his pace as he watched the uniformed ponies thanking the pony they had been talking to, and then moved on with their day. Chaser had seen plenty of cops back in Manehatten, his father was one of them after all. However in Ponyville they were a rare sight, as the jurisdiction fell under Canterlot. They did show up from time to time, of course they did, but it was rare, and there usually was just one or two. In this case, Chaser didn't see one pair, not two or three pairs, but four pairs of police ponies trotting around.
It was very unusual, but Chaser didn't think more about it, not until he entered Sugarcube Corner and he again saw police. A stallion with a thick mustache. He wore a coat, and seemed senior to the mare in uniform beside him. They were talking to Mrs. Cake, and Chaser had half a mind to go over and listen, pretending to be standing in line. However that was not to be, before he could as much as take a step towards them, a voice called out to him.
"Clue Chaser, over here!"
He looked over to one of the booths, it was Sweetie Belle who had called, and she was waving enthusiastically. Looking back towards the officers, Chaser saw they were already finishing their business and turned around and left. They didn't even glance at Chaser. However when they passed, he could hear the mare speak with an upbeat voice.
"Don't worry, sir. I'm sure we will find something!"
"I don't like it, Sergeant." Replied the deep voice of the stallion.
Chaser frowned, and he wanted to follow, his instinct pushing him to investigate, despite having no reason to do so. However another call from the three fillies compelled him to go to their table. They had already ordered milkshakes, which was nice.
"Morning," came the automatic greeting from Chaser, and the girls all replied in turn. It wasn't really morning anymore, but it was early enough that Scootaloo looked like she rather wanted to spend her Saturday in bed. Apple Bloom got out of her seat, so Chaser could slide into the booth with them. "Have you guys been waiting long?"
"Nuh-uh," Apple Bloom replied, sitting back down once Chaser had passed her. "We just got here a few minutes ago."
"And Sweetie Belle wanted milkshakes, so," Scootaloo said, sounding bored with the assignment in front of them already.
"So I decided to order us all some!" Sweetie Belle finished.
"Good thinking," Clue Chaser replied, while at the same time taking out his papers and pencil, while the others had brought books. Well, Apple Bloom had brought books, being the more studious of the three fillies, more willing to take on responsibility, so Chaser was happy he got paired with her.
"So," Apple Bloom began, smiling at Chaser. "We need to find a story about Ponyville."
Scootaloo sighed heavily. "Why? This town pretty much always sleeps."
"That's not true, remember the time when Discord took over Equestria?" said Sweetie Belle.
"Well, alright," admitted Scootaloo.
"Or that sleeping dragon?"
"The what?" Chaser asked, looking up from his papers, but nopony answered.
"Or when Twilight pretty much brainwashed the town?"
"She did what?"
"Okay, I get it," Scootaloo shrugged. "I guess there is a lot we can write about." Seeming a little less bored, but still not thrilled about the whole project.
Apple Bloom giggled, then looked at Chaser. "We could write about my family!" she beamed, pulling out a blue book from her green saddlebag. Chaser was about to ask why, but Apple Bloom was prepared, "My family pretty much founded this town when Princess Celestia granted my great grandfather the land."
Chaser lit up. "That does sound interesting." For a moment, he had completely forgotten about all the police he had seen in the town, but it was only just for a moment.
"Can we get in on that too?" Scootaloo said, a small hopeful tone in her voice.
Apple Bloom looked at her friend, an almost scolding look in her eyes. "No, you just wanna copy us."
"Will not!" Scootaloo insisted, but had no further arguments to defend herself with.
In the meantime, Sweetie Belle happily drank her milkshake, almost seeming oblivious to what was going on around her. Although Chaser suspected she had seen her two friends argue plenty of times, and had simply learned how to tune it out. After a minute or two, the girls stopped their arguing, and Apple Bloom returned to her book, and started to explain her idea to Chaser. Scootaloo in the meantime returned to looking bored out of her mind.
For the next two hours, the group began planning out their projects. Chaser and Apple Bloom did most of the work and had to push Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to get started. However it only took an hour before things started to loosen up, and it became less and less about homework, and more and more about having fun.
Chaser would normally have found it annoying if he was still in Manehatten. However, after having lived here for a while, the fillies had sorta rubbed off on him, so he actually started to join in, and relax more than before. That was not to say when it came to their ideas of how to get their cutie marks, Chaser had to politely, patiently, yet firmly, be the voice of reason.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed two police ponies trot by, and he was reminded of what he saw on his way here. He turned his gaze back onto his friends. "By the way, did any of you notice all the police ponies in Ponyville?"
The three fillies nodded. "Yeah, they came out to my family's farm to talk to Granny, Big Mac, and my sister," explained Apple Bloom.
"Oh yeah, now that you mention it." Scootaloo nodded. "I did see a lot of them on my way here."
"It is pretty unusual,” Sweetie Belle put in. "We don't see police ponies here often. I mean, once Rarity had to report a theft from the store, but it turned out her cat had taken the fabric," she said with an annoyed roll of her eyes.
"Does any pony know what has happened?" Chaser asked. The fillies looked at one another, but none of them had an answer.
Clue Chaser let out a frustrated grumble, the desire to know what was happening eating away at his chest. Maybe that was kinda childish, and he again had to remind himself that he had no business knowing anything about what they were doing here. On the other hoof, he had such a bad feeling about it, he really felt a need to know.
For now though, there was nothing he could do, and so decided to leave it alone. He sighed, doing his best not to sound frustrated. Instead he looked at the fillies, and made himself smile. "So, I guess this homework session is over. What do you girls have planned for today?" He already knew the answer, and he wasn't disappointed when they all answered in unison.
"Cutie Mark Crusading, yay!"
Chaser flinched away, but didn't stop smiling. "And what insane plan have you guys come up with now?"
"We are going to try our luck at being weather ponies!" Scootaloo replied.
"Weather ponies?" Chaser repeated, frowning slightly. "How are you supposed to do that? Only one of you is a pegasus."
The three fillies stopped in their tracks. "Oh, yeah," mumbled Scootaloo.
"Well, we can still try our hoof at health inspectors." Sweetie Belle said.
Apple Bloom shook her head, waving her hoof as if waving the idea away. "No, we did that last week."
"I have an idea!" a sudden bubbly voice said from under the table. They all jumped, then looked under it to have a look, but nopony was there. When they sat up again, they all let out a yelp, because Pinkie was sitting among them, right between Chaser and Sweetie Belle.
"How did you do that?!" Chaser asked, before suddenly being dragged closer by Pinkie's Pie hoof.
"That's a secret!" she giggled, then let the colt go from her half hug. "Any-bo, I overheard you're looking for your next cutie mark adventure!" The fillies all nodded, although Chaser wasn't a crusader, so he didn't count himself a part of this conversation.
"You have an idea, Pinkie Pie?!" Scootaloo excitedly asked.
"Yooou betcha!" Pinkie grinned. "You guys can be my super duper baking assistants today! What do you say?!"
Pinkie looked at them with anticipation, and the girls only needed to exchange one look before it was decided. As one, they threw up their hooves, and cheered in unison again. "CUTIE MARK CRUSADER ASSISTANT BAKERS, YAY!"
Pinkie let out a cheer as well, and as if she was made of air, she easily bounced out of her seat, over the table and landed on the other side with no problems. "Okie dokie! Let's get started!"
The foals got out from the booth, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders made ready to follow Pinkie Pie. All except Chaser, who took his red saddlebag, and turned the other way. "You girls have fun. Good luck with your crusading." He was just about to take a step towards the door, when a pink hoof stopped him.
"Where do you think you're going, silly head?! You're coming too!"
"What?" Chaser turned around, a confused expression painting his face. "I got stuff to do.”
"Don't be silly!” Pinkie said, pulling him close. “You don't need to try and find your cutie mark to have fun with friends!"
Chaser looked from Pinkie, to the fillies, and back again. "But I-"
He didn't get to say anything else, before Pinkie suddenly pushed him to the three fillies. "Take him to the kitchen!" Pinkie commanded in a mock royal voice, and the three fillies grabbed Chaser.
It was all in good fun, but still Chaser struggled, confused and bewildered. All the while, the three fillies hauled him towards the kitchen, while calling out in unison. "CUTIE MARK CRUSADER KIDNAPPERS, YAY!"
"What do you mean yay?!" Chaser protested. "Don't say yay to that! Hey, let me go!"
Scootaloo laughed. "Relax, will you? What's the worst that can happen?"
The group laughed, and before he knew it, Chaser was trapped in the kitchen with Cutie Mark Crusaders. Somehow they had managed to talk him into helping out. Oh well, maybe Scootaloo had a point. What was the worst that could happen?