Entering town, Jerry noticed a round building sitting all by its lonesome that vaguely reminded him of a carousel. Figuring he might be able to shake Tom inside, Jerry headed around back to the backdoor.
Fortunately, it was partially ajar, allowing him to duck inside – and allowing Tom to follow him.
Jerry ran through a kitchen area and into a room full of fabric rolls, pony-shaped mannequins, and a sewing machine. The frantic mouse was so focused on finding a hiding spot in the room that he ran into a velvet cushion – with something heavy sitting on top of it.
Just as Jerry pulled himself free, he let out a squeak of terror and quickly fled. Upon the cushion sat Opalescence, who frowned down at the mouse but didn’t bother to get up. It was too much work to chase a mouse, after all.
Tom burst into the room just as Jerry had ducked behind some rolls of fabric. His scowling eyes scanned the room before falling on Opalescence – and his pupils quickly turned into hearts.
Opalescence watched him with a raised eyebrow as he looked around the room for something to give to her, Jerry long forgotten. He quickly exited the room, and Jerry poked his head out of his hiding spot.
Tom returned with a bouquet of flowers, freshly picked from Rarity’s flowerbeds. Jerry scowled as he promptly dropped down on one knee and offered them to Opalescence – what was he, chopped liver?
Fortunately, Jerry wasn’t the only one annoyed by the gesture. Opalescence raised one paw, extended her claws, and promptly slashed Tom across the face with them.
The flowers scattered as Tom stumbled back against the rolls of fabric Jerry was hiding behind. Smirking, Jerry climbed on top of the stack and pushed the topmost roll off onto Tom – which proceeded to bury him under an avalanche of fabric.
With much scratching and clawing, Tom freed himself. His focus once again on Jerry, he chased him over to a cabinet of small drawers. The mouse ducked into one of the lower drawers, leaving Tom to search through it.
Jerry peeked out of one of the higher drawers and threw some buttons at Tom, getting his attention. As Tom looked through that drawer, Jerry hopped out of one of the lower drawers, sewing needle in hand, and promptly lodged it into Tom’s backside.
With a howl of agony, Tom leapt into the air. Grasping for something to catch, he caught the top of the cabinet – which made it fall forward. Jerry gasped and quickly ran to get clear. Tom leapt off just as it crashed to the ground, spilling some of its contents – he wound up tangled in some of the spilled fabric.
“What is going on in here?” came Rarity’s voice from another room.
Opalescence’s eyes widened and she quickly made herself scarce, leaving the dazed Tom behind.
As Rarity opened the door to her work room, she let out a shrill scream, one that caught Tom and Jerry’s attention.
“What have you done to my work room?” she said in a hoarse shriek. “Out! Out! Shoo, get out of here!”
Seeing her horn light up, Tom and Jerry quickly fled for the kitchen and out the backdoor they had come in from. Opalescence stuck her tongue out at the fleeing Tom as he passed her new seat on the kitchen table.
“Oh, what have those creatures done?” Rarity huffed, quickly using her magic to try and right some of the rolls of fabric.
“Rarity might know something,” Fluttershy said, knocking on the front door of Carousel Boutique.
Pinkie nodded next to her. “She does listen to a lot of grapevines.”
It took an unusual minute or so before Rarity opened the door. Her mane and coat seemed rather disheveled, which surprised her two friends.
“Are you alright, Rarity?” Fluttershy asked.
“Yeah, you’re looking a hair away from frazzled,” Pinkie remarked.
“Oh, I’m sorry darlings. A dreadful cat and mouse made a mess of my work room. Took me a while to set things straight,” Rarity said, flashing a tired smile. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“We’re on a Friendship Mission here in town. Seen or heard anything about anypony needing friendship?” Pinkie asked.
Rarity shook her head. “Afraid not. I’ve been rather busy as of late – and right now, I could stand to lie down. I don’t mean to be rude, but if that’s all, I think my chaise lounge is calling my name.”
“You take it easy, Rarity,” Fluttershy said with a soft smile. “We can find the friendship problem.”
Rarity nodded and quickly shut the door. As Pinkie and Fluttershy turned to leave, the former hummed with thought.
“Fluttershy, that’s the second time somepony around town has seen a cat and mouse,” Pinkie pointed out. “Do you think they’re the friendship problem?”
“Could be,” Fluttershy said. “Cats and mice don’t exactly get along very well. I guess the only way to know is to try and find them.”
“Hopefully before they trash any other boutiques.”