Chapter 2: Ep 5: The Cutie Mark Mixed-Up
Outside the new Community Garden, near the Crystal Brighthouse, Sunny was holding a giant pair of scissors in front of a rainbow ribbon. At her side, there was Hitch wearing a sheriff hat, while Sunset stood by Sunny to honor this moment.
Also, if you're wondering, the ponies already apologized to Sunny for how they treated her about the whole Alicorn-thing. Hitch even thanked Sunset for making sure the ponies learned their lesson after what they did to Sunny.
Now, the ponies were reunited outside the new Community Garden for the grand opening.
"Thank you, everypony, for coming to the grand opening of Maretime Bay's new Community Garden of Magic!" Sunny announced to the crowd.
“For this is a great way for Earth Ponies to practice their magic while also doing what’s right!” Sunset called out to the crowd as well.
The rest of their friends and Sparky were part of the crowd as well, as they all cheered to Sunny and Sunset.
"Yeah! Community Garden! Woo!" Izzy cheered.
Inside the garden, many of Hitch's critters were passing around happily.
"This will be your place to grow fresh food, foster friendships, and have fun in the fields!" Sunny assured the crowd with a smile, then she looked at Hitch and extended the scissors to him. "Take it away, Sheriff Hitch!" she told him with a smile.
"Thanks, Sunny!" Hitch said with a smile, taking the scissors. "I'm very excited to––" He tried to say, but Izzy cut him off.
"Aw yeah!" Izzy cheered. "That's our friend! Nopony interrupts him when he talks!" she shouted, while Pipp and Zipp looked at each other with smiles at the unicorn's attitude, while Sunset rolled his eyes with a smile.
"Oh, ah... Thanks Izzy." Hitch said with a little smile, then he cleared his throat. "Welcome, everypony! As Sunny said, this garden is the best place in town to learn how to harness your earth pony magic––" he tried to explain, but then Sunny interrupted him.
"Floral Magic!" Sunny said with a smile.
Zipp then brought her phone out and recorded a note. "Note to self: Earth pony powers are officially called 'Floral Magic'." She recorded with a smile, while Pipp at her side looked at her annoyed. "Hmm, I like it!" She said with a smile.
“I would’ve called it ‘Plant Magic’, but Sunny already called out the name.” Sunset added quietly with a smirk after hearing Zipp, having lost he name calling when Sunny called it first.
Both Izzy and Pipp shushed Zipp after hearing her next to them, having heard Zipp as Izzy then spoke. "Don't interrupt him!" She shouted to Zipp as she turned to Hitch with her normal voice. “Keep talking about what you are talking about!” She said to Hitch.
“Ahh… Thanks, Izzy” Hitch said with a smile at their unicorn friend, should’ve seen that coming. “So yeah, that's what we've been calling it! You know, because of the unicorn Float Magic and Pegasi Flight Magic, it's kind of a natural thing to name it..." He tried to point out, but then he heard chirping as he looked down and saw Kurtle chirping at him. “You’re right, Kurtle. I’m rambling!” He said as he got to the point to the crowd as Sunny smiled at Hitch while Sunset shook her head in amusement as Hitch continued. “As sheriff of Maretime Bay, it is my duty and great honor to hereby dedicate this garden to––" He tried to say, but an earth pony stallion among the crowd interrupted him.
"Do we each get our own spot?!" the stallion asked.
"Yes." Hitch replied, and Sparky among the crowd belched. "There are 'practice plots' inside, ready for you to start planting and growing––" he tried to explain again, but then Sparky belched on a carrot he was carrying and his dragon fire turned it into a small confetti cannon that he made explode.
The sudden explosion of confetti startled the Mane 6. Hitch threw the scissors in the air because of the surprise, and the scissors ended cutting the ribbon.
"It's open!" one stallion of the crowd shouted. "I call best spot!" he said, as he and all of the ponies in the crowd ran towards the garden.
"Slow down!" Hitch ordered them, but since none of them obeyed while Sunny is screaming while Sunset looked on with wide eyes as the three ponies got out of the way, while the critters in the garden were chirping and saw the stampeding ponies coming at them.
Hitch then went between he crowd and grabbed Sparky he got hurt, and the ponies entered the garden on stampede, startling the critters and making them ran away in terror.
"There's enough room for everypony!" Hitch assured them.
However, Curtle was also there, in the middle of the way, and one of the ponies accidentally kicked him and sent him flying in the air.
Sunny saw Kurtle as he went over her. “Whoa!” She called out as she gasped when Kurtle landed on her smoothie stand, hoping he was okay. But Kurtle then poked his head out as he slurped on one of Sunny’s smoothies and chirped. Sunny smiled in relief that Kurtle is okay and giggles at this.
“Thank you, Kurtle.” Hitch said to Kurtle, having heard from the turtle and understood what he said. “I am good at dedication speeches, maybe too good." he said with a nervous smile, looking at the chaos inside the Community Garden while ponies are grabbing spots while critters are running around.
“Either that, or they just get too excited to even listen to your speech, Hitch.” Sunset said, which earned Hitch a bore expression as Sunset continued to look at the chaos. “Do these ponies ever hear the word ‘in orderly fashion’? Seriously, they take new things way too far.” She said, seeing that the ponies really need to be patient.
“I asked myself the same question before we made peace with the tribes Sunset. Trust me.” Sunny said, having seen this before.
Later on, the earth ponies were around the Community Garden, practicing their new Flower Magic while some foals ran around happily, and then there were the critters that kept running in panic by the ponies.
“Dibs on this plot!” The stallion from earlier called out as digged his hoof on one of the flower pots to get his Earth Pony magic warmed up.
One of the bunnies ran towards Hitch, Sunny and Sunset and squeaked at Hitch. "What was that?" Hitch asked him, while Sunny and Sunset looked at him a bit worried and the bunny squeaked at Hitch again. "Don't worry, I'll fix this." he assured the bunny with a smile.
"What's going on?" Sunny asked Hitch with worry.
“Yeah.” Sunset added, wanting to know as well.
"My speech might have made the earth ponies too excited." Hitch explained nervously, as he and Sunny looked at three earth pony stallions stomping their hooves on the earth. "They're kinda... trampling everything!" he pointed out.
“You don’t say. They really don’t know how to contain their excitement.” Sunset said with a dry tone as the Earth Pony made some dust clouds from the stomps.
"What do we do?" Sunny asked Hitch about the thing with the earth ponies stomping on the earth.
Hitch then gave a determined look as he called out. “Watch your hooves, everypony!” He ordered. And immediately, the earth ponies stopped, and they realized that they accidentally stomped some flowers and killed them.
“Try to take it slow and focus before you start stomping! You’re killing the flowers by stomping too hard!” Sunset called out to the situation.
"But also, don't worry!" Sunny added with a smile. "With a little bit of love, I'm sure we can fix it!" she assured them.
"Oh, yeah, I guess we can!" one earth pony stallion said with a smile, and then all the earth ponies used their magic to make the flowers grow back.
However, they also made some of the fruits and vegetables of the garden grow a bit bigger and fell from their roots, which almost fell in the critters that ran away from the garden, while Sunny, Hitch and Sunset looked at them with worry.
Also, some fruits almost fell in Hitch. "Whoa! Careful there! We don't want another Glimmerberry incident on our hooves. Or on our manes. Oh" He said a bit worried, also remembering when Sprout made a Glimmerberry grow very big... twice in the same day as he tightened his hat to make sure he doesn’t get some on his mane again.
“These Earth Pony magic really make fruits and veggies big, no matter how much they hold back a bit.” Sunset commented, grabbing a piece of an apple that was falling off as she caught it on her hoof and took a bite out of it.
"That's exactly why a designated spot to practice is perfect." Sunny pointed out to her two friends, walking towards some giant fruits. “And look at all these amazing fruits!" She said with a smile. "Like those! Uh, what are those?" she asked one of the earth pony stallions.
"Pearnana-melons!" the stallion replied with a smile, holding one of those fruits.
"Okay, that actually sounds really tasty." Hitch confessed with a confident smile.
“And creative.” Sunset said with a smile, seeing a new fruit fusion combine as one as Sunny smiled in agreement.
"Go ahead and get creative, everypony." Hitch said. "But let's just be mindful of the..." he tried to add, but then the critter ran around the garden in fright. "Wildlife." He finished with a worried expression.
“This is gonna be a problem.” Sunset said in worried, seeing that the critters are gonna be an issue.
The critters were all running towards the Crystal Brighthouse, while Zipp and Pipp looked at them worried while Izzy smiled at them..
"Oh, I can't even belizzle my eyes!" Izzy said cheerfully. "It's like a parade, but not on purpose." She added.
"Belizzle?" Zipp asked her in confusion, since that wasn't a word at all.
"I said what I said!" Izzy started with a smile. "Just look at these animals going wild!" she said, trying to sound optimistic but also a bit worried.
"Ah! Great idea, Izz! Cute animals are great for the feed" Pipp told her with a smile, as she grabbed one of the bunnies and looked at it with a soft smile. However, when she took out her phone to try and take a picture of the bunny, he shouted and jumped away from Pipp. "I can't even... I don't have words..." Pipp said a bit confused.
“Try ‘belizzle’!” Izzy whispered to Pipp with a smile. It works whenever you can or can beizzle things.” She advises her friend as Pipp smiled at a suggestion as she pointed her phone at the critters coming at them.
"Oh, no! The critters are stampeding towards the Brighthouse!" Pipp said with worry and panic.
"Get out of the way, us!" Zipp said, as they all immediately pulled themselves aside, except for Pipp who checked at something on her phone.
However, one of the critters jumped on Pipp’s face, which made her fall backwards and lay on the ground.
Some other critters were running towards Izzy, and she looked around in panic until she got an idea: she used her magic to levitate herself, and the critters passed down her. "I got it!" she said with a smile, but then some squirrels passed and their tails made Izzy sneeze and float backwards to crash against Zipp, with both of them falling to the ground. "Huh. Maybe I didn't 'got it'." Izzy said jokingly.
Pipp then approaches them while holding the bunny that ran from her earlier. She put the bunny down as she sat on the ground next to her friends with a smile. “Well, I did!" Pipp said, since she recorded the exact moment Izzy crashed against Zipp. "And... posted." Pipp said with a smile, posting the video on her feed.
"Great..." Zipp said sarcastically, another embarrassing moment that she won't forget anytime soon.
"Why are you all layin' around?" Hitch asked, arriving with the other 3. "I need backup with these critters!" he stated with worry.
"Can't you just ask them to chill out?" Zipp asked Hitch, as she and Izzy stood up and Pipp checked on her phone. “You literally speak ‘animal’!” She reminded Hitch of his ability to speak to animals.
"Just because I speak 'animal' doesn't mean they'll listen" Hitch pointed out with worry. "So, can you help?!" he asked desperately.
"Sorry, what? I wasn't listening." Pipp said with a nervous smile, since she was too focused on her phone.
"See?!" Hitch pointed out, seeing that his point was made.
"Of course we'll be your deputies!" Izzy said with a smile, with the others nodding in agreement.
"Thanks.” Hitch answered with a smile. “Because while you all handle the critters, I gotta get back to the garden" Hitch explained. "Sunny seemed stressed, even with Sunset helping out." He pointed out.
Meanwhile, Sunny and Sunset were catching some fruits that kept falling on the Community Garden, starting to feel both stressed and anxious about that.
Hitch decided to return to Sunny and Sunset after his friends agreed for his help to take care of the critters.
"Don't be stressed, Sunny and Sunset! We're deputies now!" Izzy shouted out loud. "We're going to help!" she assured, with the rest nodding in agreement.
Meanwhile, Hitch arrived at Sunny's smoothie stand and found Cloudpuff there. "Cloudpuff! What are you doing here?" Hitch asked to the dog, who barked at him in response. "Keeping an eye on Pipp and Zipp for Queen Haven, huh?" He translated. "Yeah, that does sound boring. Want to help me instead?" he asked the dog, while Cloudpuff barked happily in response.
Back at Opaline's Castle, Opaline was mixing some ingredients, with Misty looking unsure.
"What is lacked in magical might, conjure from my Alicorn light!" Opaline recited. However, her magic started to glitch out, and she couldn't make her horn glow properly, so she groaned in anger.
"So... do you need anything?" Misty asked, a bit nervous.
“I was doing fine, until you ruined my concentration.” Opaline complained to Misty as she walked closer to the pond as she looked worried. “You know that my power is... compromised." She said to Misty that her magic hasn’t been working right with a worried look.
“No, I didn’t.” Misty answered, saying that this is the first she heard of it.
“Good answer.” Opaline said with a smile. “But it doesn't change the fact that it's still not enough.” She said as she levitated some bottles of her throne. “Magic is back, Misty. It's back, and those silly little ponies have it by accident!" She cried out with rage as she flared her wings up.
“Accident? We can try that, too!" Misty suggested, pushing one potion over a small cart that had plenty of them.
"Stop!" Opaline ordered, and Misty caught the bottle before it fell. "That silly Unity magic is just the spark. And with this Sunset Shimmer being the only pony other than me having mastered magic from us watching her and those silly ponies, she could be a challenge." She stated, levitating a bottle with her magic, one again working properly, and then she flew over to her boiler. "Only I can possess the flame!" She stated, dropping the content of the bottle in the boiler.
Soon enough, the boiler worked its magic and a bubble with a fully pink pega-mouse came out of it as it floated right in front of the two ponies.
“Aw!” Misty said at the sight of the critter, finding it cute.
"Don't get attached, Misty." Opaline warned her. "It's a sign of weakness." She stated.
“Oh, I wasn't!" Misty said with a sheepish smile. "I was just impressed by your magic." She assured Opaline a bit nervously.
"Of course you were." Opaline said with pride. "Nothing is more important than magic." She assures Misty as she sends the pega-mouse in the bubble through the image of the Crystal Brighthouse. "And when my magic mouse sneaks into their magic house, I will finally know the secret of how they're harnessing the Prisbeam power." She said with an evil grin, while Misty sighed worrying.
Back at the Community Garden, the earth ponies were enjoying their time on it as they also drank from the smoothies of Sunny's stand. Sunny was talking with an earth pony mare, while Sunset gave a smoothie to an earth pony colt, when Hitch arrived suddenly with Sparky on his back.
"Sunny?! Are you okay?" Hitch asked her with worry.
"Yeah, just serving up some smoothies! And Sunset is helping too, of course." Sunny said with a smile, pointing at Sunset who just smiled at Hitch as she kept using the blender, creating another smoothie. "Are you okay?" She asked back to Hitch, giving a smoothie to another pony.
“Yeah, Hitch. You seem a little stressed.” Sunset said, seeing how stressful Hitch is.
"Yeah, just taking care of the animals!" Hitch assured with a smile. However, Sunset looked at Hitch with a bored expression, since she knew Hitch was lying because the ones taking care of the critters were at the rest back at the Brighthouse.
"Good, so we're both okay." Sunny said with a smile, giving a smoothie to Dahlia while Sunset kept making some smoothies.
Hitch then sighed heavily. "Too bad the dedication was a disaster." He said a bit disappointed. "Did I ruin it?" he asked her.
"Not at all." Sunny assured with a smile. "But I actually think it gave everypony a chance to practice their magic while fixing the mess." She said, as he brought out a smoothie with a little trick and gave it to an earth pony mare. "Easy sugar snap peasy!" She said with a chill tone.
"Easy sugar snap peasy?" Hitch asked, a bit offended. "Easy for you to say, you're not sheriff." he stated, turning around and walking away from her.
Sunset flinched at what Hitch just said as she dropped a strawberry. “Oh boy.” She muttered, feeling some tense coming to the two ponies.
"What does that mean?" Sunny asked Hitch, who stopped and sighed frustrated.
"It was supposed to be my moment. I had Big Scissors! I'm in charge." Hitch said with disappointment. "I shouldn't be encouraging chaos and smoothies!" he said with worry.
Then, somepony snapped a picture at Hitch and Sunny giving a smoothie to Windy. "'Chaos and smoothies'? Now there's a headline!" an old unicorn stallion said, as he walked away alongside Windy.
"What's wrong with smoothies?" Sunny asked Hitch with a little frown.
"Nothing!" Hitch replied, frowning as well. "But I have the hardest job of anypony and what-pony notices it?" he asked, a bit mad.
“Oh Celestia, here we go with those two having another ‘married couple’ fight… again.” Sunset with a bored expression as she looked at the necklace Twilight is in, Twilight can’t show herself with this many ponies among them, but if she was out, she would agree with Sunset since she saw how Sunny and Hitch act with each other.
While Sunny got out of her stand to talk with Hitch, the bubble with the pink pega-mouse Opaline sent appeared and popped on the stand and ran out of it.
"Well, have you noticed how hard I've been working?" Sunny asked with a frown to Hitch. "I've been making smoothies during this entire conversation!" She pointed out with anger, showing a smoothie on her hoof.
"True... But come on, it's not like being a sheriff." Hitch said with a confident smirk.
"Yes, it is." Sunny replied.
In the meantime, Sparky started to chase Opaline's mouse around while Hitch and Sunny kept fighting over who had the worst work.
“Well, you got Sunset to help you out while teaching you some magic and friendship lessons while making smoothies as well!” Hitch pointed out.
“Hey! Leave me out of one of your ‘love couple’ fights!” Sunset pointed out, not wanting to get drag into it.
"Well, Sunny’s job it's easier than maintaining order." Hitch added with a frown, ignoring Sunset’s comment, while Sparky kept chasing the mouse around and then Cloudpuff joined him barking.
“Oh boy. This is gonna be a while…” Sunset muttered, having the strange feelings again, but paid no mind as she watched Sunny and Hitch like a love couple.
Back at the Brighthouse, the girls are doing their best to get the critters under control and away from the Brighthouse.
Izzy was having a staring contest against a bunny. After a while she shook her head and launched herself against the bunny to grab him, but the bunny moved before Izzy could even touch him, and she landed grunting in the ground, while the bunny jumped on her back.
Pipp arrived soon enough to her side and grabbed the bunny with her hooves, but then both she and Izzy saw the critters running towards them.
"Okay, so they're coming right for us." Izzy pointed out. "But I have a plan! I think... we should stop them!" she stated with confidence, pointing at the critters.
"Smart, smart. What's the plan?" Pipp asked her.
“Oh, that’s it! That’s the plan!” Izzy said with a smile, which earned a look from Pipp.
“Heads up, ponies!” Zipp called out as she flew over them while chasing a couple of pega-rats.
Izzy and Pipp ducked from Zipp, but some of the critters launched at them as they fell to the ground from that.
Back with Sunny and Hitch, they were greeting the ponies that passed by while Sunny and Sunset kept giving smoothies to the ponies and Sparky and Cloudpuff kept chasing Opaline's mouse.
"I don't think you understand how much pressure I'm under all the time!" Hitch complained to Sunny.
Sunset groans as this argument keeps going, and has a bad feeling about this.
"Of course I do!" Sunny assured with an eye roll. "Do you even know how hard it is to be the Alicorn in Maretime Bay?!" She questioned him with concern. "Everypony's watching. I need to be a pony that others can count on." She pointed out.
"So do I!" Hitch assured, while Sunnny just groaned in annoyance. "The sheriff is the backbone of a community, you know?!" He told her with a frown.
"You just don't understand what it's like to be me! And you never will!" both Sunny and Hitch shouted to each other.
Then, Opaline's mouse passed in front of them, and Sparky tripped trying to catch him. His trip made some dust that made him sneeze a small dragon flame in the ground that spread and grew big enough to cover Sunny and Hitch. The magical properties of the flame made Sunny's and Hitch's Cutie Marks exchange, but it passed unnoticed by both of them. Not even Sunset noticed as she listened to Sunny and Hitch’s argument to notice.
Once the fire dissipated, Sunny and Hitch shook their heads and looked at each other, then looked away from the other madly.
That didn't go unnoticed by Sunset as she got between them. "Okay ponies, maybe we should just cool off for a bit and sort this kind of thing out so you two love birds can discuss this later. Okay?" She asked the two ponies with a teasy tone and smirk.
“Fine!” Both Sunny and Hitch said in unison as Sunny went back to the stand while Hitch stood there to maintain his Sheriff duty, but they both stopped as they realized what Sunset just said as they both turned to her with frowns and blushes on their faces. “Sunset!” They both yelled out to Sunset, who chuckled teasley at her teasing them.
Back at the Brighthouse, Izzy and Pipp took out some critters from inside the Brighthouse.
“There, now you're back outside." Izzy said with a smile, while Pipp let go of the bunny on her hooves and Izzy put the one she was levitating on her hoof.
"Who's a cute bunny? You are! Yes, you are!" Pipp told a bunny before letting him go with her and Izzy started giggling.
"Aw!" Izzy said, as the bunny hopped away.
However, Opaline's mouse managed to enter the Brighthouse, with Sparky and Cloudpuff following behind. But then Cloudpuff crashed against Sparky and they both fell to the ground.
"Cloudpuff? What are you doing here?" Pipp asked to the dog. "Ugh! Mom sent you to check on me, didn't she?" She asked again with annoyance, as she got close to the dog and grabbed him, while Izzy used her magic to levitate Sparky away. "Aw! You're so cute!" Pipp told Cloudpuff as both she and Izzy walked and flew away from the Brighthouse, leaving the door open and allowing other critters to enter the Brighthouse.
Back at the smoothie stand, things got a bit weird since Sunny and Hitch were acting... different, to say the least.
"Everypony be happy!" Hitch said in a very cheery tone, very weird of him. Zipp was flying nearby, and noticed that, so she looked at the two ponies curiously. "Follow your feelings. You do you" He added, still in a cherry tone.
"Hitch, you're not helping" Sunny said suddenly, as she delivered some smoothies to the ponies, while Sunset, having a worried look at Sunny, inside kept making them. "I have a line and nopony is asking for anything on the menu. We need order! And we need it now!" She pointed out with a frown.
“Uh, Sunny?” Sunset asked, seeing that something is different between the two ponies after their argument from earlier. “Are you okay? You seemed stressed. More so than Hitch is.” She said in worried, noticing how different Sunny’s behavior is, acting like Hitch for some reason.
"Ugh! I'm stressed because there's no order in here!" Sunny shouted at her. "Now get back to your work!" She scolded Sunset.
“Whoa! Hey! What has gotten into you, Sunny? If this was about the love couple thing, I was just messing with you.” Sunset said to Sunny, never seen that attitude in her before.
"Sunset is right, Sunny." Hitch said with a bright smile. "Just do what you think is right, you know? Go with your glow." He added with a chill tone.
Sunset raised an eyebrow at Hitch, seeing that he is acting like Sunny for some reason.
Then, a pony threw an empty cup on the ground, and Sunny saw that with a frown. "Litter? Bup, bup, bup! Better pick up that cup!" She scolded the pony, who picked up the cup with a sheepish smile.
"They're acting weird. Very, very weird." Zipp pointed out, flying towards the three ponies with her phone ready to record. "Hi friends. What's up?" She asked all three of them.
"Kinda busy, Zipp" Sunny replied coldly.
Zipp landed and zoomed her camera to Hitch. "Hey Zipp!" He greeted her with a cheery smile. "Want to help me show ponies around the magical garden?" He asked her happily.
"Why are you talking like that?" Zipp asked him in confusion, moving toward Sunset. “Sunset…” She started.
“I don’t know. They started acting like this after an argument they had 20 minutes ago.” Sunset answered, not sure herself.
Zipp then starts moving the camera towards Sunny now, who was talking with Kenneth and Kurtle.
"I can understand that you want something, but I don't know exactly..." Sunny confessed to the critters. "Maybe pearnana-melon?" she asked them, giving a pearnana-melon smoothie to Kenneth, but the tiny bit he slurped he spitted out.
"This doesn't make any sense." Zipp said with worry. "You two seem... How do I put this... off?" She said nervously.
Sunset then came next to Zipp with a worried look. “Yeah. After that argument you two had, they seem to be acting like each other for some reason.” She said, seeing how Sunny and Hitch’s personalities seemed to switch somehow.
“Yeah. What Sunset said.” Zipp said in agreement, seeing that was well. “Who's gonna explain to me why you two are so weird today?" she asked them.
"Ugh, ever since Hitch started that argument, I've felt off." Sunny said with a frown.
"What?!" Hitch snapped at her. "No way, you started it!" He said, pointing at her madly and looking away offended.
“To be fair, it’s both of you that started it.” Sunset pointed as the two ponies gave her a glare. “But that doesn’t say much.” She added, not seeing how an argument would do this.
Zipp looked at Sunny's flank with Hitch's Cutie Mark on it, then at Hitch's flank with Sunny's Cutie Mark on it. She kept doing the same a few times, until she finally realized what was wrong and gasped.
Sunset turned to her when Zipp gasped. “What is it, Zipp?” She asked, instead of answering, Zipp pointed to Sunny and Hitch’s flanks. Sunset followed Zipp’s pointing as she gasped in shock. “What in the name of Celestia…” She said in shock when she saw Sunny and Hitch’s Cutie Marks have switched.
"Sunny! Hitch! Stop!" Zipp instructed her friends, who looked at her confused. "Now, don't freak out, but..." She said slowly and calmly, which made Sunny and Hitch look at her a bit scared now.
"Your Cutie Marks are switched!" Sunset shouted in shock and panic while pointing at their flanks.
"They are?!" both Sunny and Hitch asked, looking at their flanks, and checking that indeed, their Cutie Marks were switched. "Oh! They are!" The two ponies cried out.
"No, no, no!" Sunny cried out with worry and panic. "How did this happen?!" She questioned in panic as she ran in a circle to try and look at Hitch’s Cutie Mark on her flank.
“I have no idea, but this does explain a few things.” Sunset said, unsure what to say but now realizes why Hitch and Sunny behaviors changed all suddenly.
“I don’t know, either.” Zipp replied, pulling out her phone again. "But I'll get to the bottom... of it." She assured with a sheepish smile and chuckled at her pun while Sunset nudged her, telling her now's not the best time for jokes. "You say you started feeling funny when, exactly?" She interrogated them.
"When I was explaining to Hitch how running a smoothie cart isn't always smooth sailing." Sunny started to explain.
"And then I told her I knew that, and it hardly compares to the pressures of being sheriff!" Hitch added.
"Mh-hmm" Zipp said, as he wrote down what they told her on her phone. "Then what?" She asked them.
"I told them that ‘ two love couples should sort this out later’." Sunset said suddenly at Zipp's side with a smirk.
That just made Zipp throw her phone and burst out laughing, losing all her 'professionalism' because of Sunset's joke. "I-I'm so–– I-m so sorry..." Zipp said in between laughs, while Hitch blushed but frowned at them and Sunny's cheeks puffed out with a frown as well.
Sunset gives the teasy smirk at the two Cutie Marks’ switched ponies. “Sorry, but Zipp needs to know everything that’s happened.” She said with a chuckle.
"T-Then Sparky burped and––" Sunny tried to add, but then Hitch cut her off.
"That was not a burp. It was a hiccup." Hitch pointed out.
"It was not!" Sunny said with a frown, facing Hitch with anger.
“Break it up you two!” Sunset called out, getting in between the two ponies before another fight could start. “But you said Sparky burped between you two, right Sunny?” She asked Sunny.
“Yeah. He did. And then some green mist formed around us.” Sunny said, finishing what happened.
"Cutie Marks swapped... and personalities, too!" Zipp said, still writing down on her phone. "I think I might know what's going on here." She stated, closing her phone and putting it away.
“Yeah. I think I do too.” Sunset said, placing a hoof on her chin, having the same thought.
"Catch you on the flippity-flip!" Zipp said, turning around and getting ready to fly away.
"Wait!" Hitch stopped her. "Are you not going to help us figure out how to switch back?!" He asked with panic.
"Not until I confirm my theory! But Sunset will tell you the rest!" Zipp replied, and then flew away.
Sunny and Hitch turned to Sunset. “Well… What’s your thought on this, Sunset?” Sunny asked.
“Well, from what you two told me and Zipp, and the fact that Sparky burp out some green mist, I think his dragon fire must’ve caused your Cutie Marks to switch.” Sunset theories.
“What? He did? How?” Both Sunny and Hitch asked her.
“I don’t know. Sparky’s magic could be so random.” Sunset answered. “Again, it’s just a theory. But at least we know why you two are acting like each other.” She added, seeing why Sunny and Hitch were acting like each other.
“Well, I do feel cheerful.” Hitch said with a smile.
“And I feel like wanting to maintain order.” Sunny added, feeling like something Hitch would do.
“Yeah. Your personalities switched when your Cutie Marks switched.” Sunset pointed out.
And then the necklace then began to open as Twilight appeared once nopony was around yet as Twilight sighs at this outcome, having seen the whole thing from the necklace. “Not again. That’s three times Cutie Marks have been switched.” She said, having seen this kind of thing before.
“Again? This has happened before, Twilight?” Sunset said in shock, along with Hitch and Sunny as they listened to Twilight.
“Apparently.” Twilight answered. “This happened twice before. The first time was when I accidentally switched my friends’ Cutie Marks by Starswirl’s unfinished spell. And the second time when Starlight Glimmer switched Celesita and Luna’s Cutie Marks during a friendship problem.” She listed off the Cutie Marks swapped incidents she had seen before.
Sunset, Sunny and Hitch looked at Twilight in shock when she said that. “Wow. So this isn’t the first time a pony Cutie Mark has been switched with another.” Sunset said in shock.
“Nope. Just two times. This one makes three.” Twilight said.
“Wait.” Sunset spoke up as she turned to Sunny. “Sunny, didn’t you speak to the critters earlier?” She asked Sunny.
“Yeah…” Sunny answered, feeling unsure what Sunset meant.
“The Cutie Mark swap did more than just switch your personalities, it swapped both of your magic of you two.” Sunset said, saying what else the swap did as she turned to Sunny. “Sunny, try and bring out your Alicorn form.” She pointed out.
“Um. Okay.” Sunny said, as she concentrated to bring out her Alicorn magic. After a sec, nothing happened. She looked at herself and noticed that her wings and horn weren't appearing. Sunny strains herself to bring her magic out, but nothing. She stopped as she sighs. “I can’t bring out my Alicorn magic.” She said in defeat and was a little worried about this.
“Figures.” Sunset said, feeling bad for Sunny as she turned to Hitch while holding Kenneth. “Hitch, speak to Kenneth.” She said as Kenneth chirped.
“Okay. Hey, Kenneth. How are you?” Hitch asked Kenneth, who started chirping, but Hitch was unsure of what he’s saying. “I can’t understand what Kenneth is saying. His chirping makes no sense to me now.” He said to Sunset.
“Yeah. That’s what happens when somepony’s Cutie Mark is switched with another.” Twilight said, confirming their theories.
“Well, it’s official and no denying it, you two. Neither of you have any trace of your special magical abilities.” Sunset said with a ‘feeling sorry’ expression for the two ponies.
“Yeah, but check this out, Sunset.” Hitch said as he did a few flips and jumps as he summoned his Earth Pony magic as some flowers grew. “You can take away my abilities to talk to animals, but you can’t take away my moves or my Earth Pony magic to grow plants.” He said with a smirk, glad that he didn’t lose those when his personality and animal talking was with Sunny now.
“Exactly.” Sunset said with a smile, seeing the bright side of this. “You still have the moves you had before acquiring your ability to talk to animals, and you and Sunny and still use your Earth Pony magics to grow plants. Whatever Sparky did to you two must not have affected your natural abilities or your planting growing magic since you’re both Earth Ponies.” She lists off, seeing that their special talents and personalities may have been switched, but their natural abilities and plant growing magic are still with them since they're both the same tribe ponies.
“Oh. Well… At least it’s not a total loss.” Sunny said, with her and Hitch still feeling unsure about this but at least they still have their natural Earth Pony magic abilities.
“Is there any way to switch us back, Sunset? Twilight?” Hitch asked two ponies.
“Not that I know of.” Sunset honestly said.
“Well, usually it fixes itself or by the thing that caused this before, but I’m kinda stumped since your personalities have switched as well.” Twilight honestly answered since this isn’t one of Starswirl’s spells or Starlight’s for that matter.
“Until Zipp finds a way to solve this problem, you're both stuck with each other’s special talents for a while.” Sunset said, saying that they will have to endure this for a while until they figure out a way to reverse it.
Now, Sunny and Hitch looked at each other a bit uncomfortable. "So... Uh, we're stuck like this." Sunny said with a nervous smile. "I guess I'll do your job for now" she said, now smiling normally while Hitch smiled back.
"Good." Hitch replied. "Then I will have it easy when I do yours!" he stated confidently.
"Ha!" Sunny said, as she took Hitch's sheriff hat off and put on her head. "Not as easy as me." She stated confidently as well.
"As if!" Hitch said mockingly, while Sunny took his badge away from his belt and put it on her bag. "Alright! Who wants smoothies?" he asked, still very confidently.
“Hitch. Sooner or later, you’ll find out it’s not as easy as you think it is. And I once worked in a sushi store to make a living.” Sunset pointed out with a confident smirk at Hitch, Twilight went back into the necklace when ponies were showing up again.
“We’ll see about that, Sunset.” Hitch mocked with a smirk.
Meanwhile, Sunny approached some critters with confidence. "Okay, critters. Sheriff Sunny here" she presented herself. "Let's get you all back to your homes in the garden." she told them, as the critter turned around and walked towards the garden.
Then, on the smoothie stand, Hitch tripped and grabbed two smoothies, while a lot of ponies bombed him with smoothie requests while Sunset is making some smoothies. "Ah! Okay!" Hitch cried out, feeling overwhelmed once again.
“Having some issues, Hitch?” Sunset asked with a teasing smirk.
Back with Sunny and the critters, the animals kept escaping from the Community Garden while Sunny approached them.
"Alright, critters, there's a new sheriff in town." Sunny told them with a frown. However, the critters split and ran in different directions away from her. "You can understand me, right?" she asked them, then she tripped with a pearnana-melon and fell to the ground with a groan, while some of the critters approached her. "Then why aren't you listening?!" she cried out with frustration.
Back at the Crystal Brighthouse, some of the critters were playing around the kitchen and the living room. And for some reason, McSnips was break dancing on the dinner table. Izzy and Pipp saw all the chaos around, and felt worried.
"This is not good" Izzy stated with worry.
Then, Opaline's mouse passed besides Sparky, who started to follow it again.
Pipp flew over a squirrel and grabbed it. "Gotcha! Don't worry, we've got this!" She told Izzy with a smile, and then she flew out to put the squirrel outside. "Now, stay!" She pleaded to the critter, flying back inside.
"Look what I found!" Izzy told Pipp, levitating a box of snacks that had Cloudpuff's face on it. "'Snackerdoodles: Perfect for Cloudpuff or any critter who needs to be convinced to just go outside already!'" she read on the box's label. "Hey, that's perfect!" She said, running towards the exit with the box, with Pipp following close behind.
Izzy placed some of the snacks from the box to guide the critters outside the Brighthouse as she hummed to herself with Cloudpuff on her head.
The critters started to follow the snacks and Izzy gasped on happiness. "It's working!"She said with a smile. However, some critters from outside noticed the box with the treats and stamped against Izzy, who not only lost the box with snacks, but also tripped and fell on the ground with a frustrated sigh. "The label didn't say anything about that." She said with a sigh.
"Look on the bright side, Izz! It looked adorable" Pipp told her with a smile, showing her the picture of Izzy on her phone. However, a pega-mouse got on her hoof, and Pipp screamed and totally panicked. "Get it off! Get it off! Get it off!" She pleaded, flying away from the mouse and throwing her phone, which Izzy caught with her magic.
"Adorable!" Izzy said with a smile, now recording Pipp trying to get away from the mouse.
Meanwhile, Sparky kept following the pega-mouse around the Brighthouse, until he tripped and the mouse managed to climb up-stairs.
At Opaline’s Castle, Opaline and Misty were all looking at the mouse's point of view as he kept climbing up-stairs.
"Now that we're on the inside, it's only a matter of time before I obtain what's powering that prisbeam magic." Opaline stated with confidence.
"Then we can harness their powers and get your Alicorn magic back." Misty said with a little smile.
"I'll take my rightful place, reigning over all of Equestria the way Alicorns were meant to!" Opaline said with an evil grin. "And I'll make sure those little 'friendship ponies' won't get to use their magic ever again." she stated with confidence.
"Wait. Does that include me?" Misty asked, a bit worried.
"Don't be foolish Misty." Opaline told her, for the very first time, showing a bit of compassion. "You'll be allowed to keep your powers once you get your Cutie Mark." She reminded her, and Misty cheered silently. "If you prove to me that you're worthy of one." she added.
"I will. I'll do anything." Misty stated with confidence.
Back in the Brighthouse, the critters managed to arrive in the bedroom and caused a mess around.
Pipp was following some pega-mouses around to get them out, but she started to feel exhausted. "Why won't they leave?!" She cried out with frustration.
Izzy, on the other hand, was following a squirrel around. "We're never going to have a regular place to live again!" She said, strangely, with a smile. "This is just how it is now!" She added, chasing the squirrel once again.
Then, Sunny entered the room and slammed on the brakes. "Don't worry. I'm here to talk to the animals!" She said with confidence.
"No offense, but isn't this more of a Hitch thing?" Pipp asked her in confusion.
"Not today." Sunny said. And then Pipp and Izzy noticed that Sunny had Hitch's Cutie Mark and gasped surprised. "Listen up, animal friends! It's time to skedaddle." Sunny told the critters with an authority voice. However, the critters laughed at her, which made Sunny feel but confused and frustrated. "But, ugh! But I know you understood me!" She said with concern, while Izzy placed a hoof on her shoulder to comfort her.
Meanwhile, Zipp arrived at the room with her phone, and started to record it again. "It appears that Sunny has been Hitch-Switched, but still doesn't have his full powers. Hmm..." She stated with curiosity.
Then, Pipp noticed what her sister was doing and frowned. "What are you doing?! Taking notes?!" She asked her with panic. "Don't you stand there, help me!" She cried out, then a pega-mouse got on her hoof again, and Pipp fell on the ground because of the scare.
"Can't, I'm working" Zipp replied with a smile and looking around the room. "Hoof to heart!" She finished, then flew out of the room.
"Ugh!" Pipp groaned with frustration, placing a hoof on her cheek while the pega-mouse stuck on her hoof again, although she didn't seem to care this time.
Back at the smoothie stand, Hitch looked very comfortable making smoothies as he gave one to a mare, while Sunset just looked with a smirk, knowing that he'll screw it at any second now.
"This isn't so hard." Hitch said with a confident smile, as he put a fruit on the blender and read the steps to make the smoothie. "I don't know what Sunny was talking about. You just gotta follow the rules!" He added with confidence.
"Yeah." Sunset said with sarcasm. "You know there's no rules on making a smoothie, right Hitch? This isn’t the Sheriff Station after all." She said with a mocking tone.
"Recipes! I mean recipes. Gotta follow the recipes!" Hitch corrected himself, while Sunset rolled her eyes in annoyance.
“Typical. Guess he gotta learn the hard way.” Sunset said with a smirk, seeing that Hitch must learn his lesson the hard way, again.
"Um, excuse me?" Dahlia called over to Hitch. "My smoothie is too smooth. Can you chunkify it?" she asked him.
"What? But I followed the recipe" Hitch pointed out.
"There's the problem. Sunny always makes them on the fly. Hmm." Dahlia said in an offended tone.
“She got you there, Hitch. Sunny told me these things when I first applied for his job.” Sunset said with a smirk, agreeing with Dahlia after seeing how Sunny made her smoothies.
Hitch placed the instructive for the smoothies down and looked at her with a sheepish smile. "Okay, I'll make you another chunkier one." He assured, placing another fruit on the blender.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Toots said, as he stepped in front of the stand. "I'll take the usual." He said with a smirk.
"What's the usual?" Hitch asked in confusion.
"It's the smoothie I usually get." Toots replied. "Sunny knows what it is." He pointed out.
"Sunny also chit-chats with us while she blends." An old earth pony mare pointed out. "You've been too quiet!" She complained.
“They’re right, Hitch. Me and Sunny usually know each ponies smoothies, and we also chat while on the job.” Sunset said with a smirk, seeing that Hitch is now learning something about Sunny’s job.
Hitch started to look around in panic. "No recipes? Usual orders? Chit-chat? I didn't know Sunny had to do all this extra stuff, I thought it was just blended fruit!" He said with frustration.
"Finally he realizes!" Sunset said with annoyance. "Hitch, I get being a sheriff stresses you, but that doesn't make Sunny's job less important or easier than yours." She explained to him. "And that stress barely leaves, even when I help her around" She added with a frown, having been stressed out when she first applied with Sunny, but thanks to Sunny’s helping her and training her, she’s been doing a great job.
"Yeah, I see your point, Sunset. I was wrong... this isn't as easy as she makes it look." Hitch confessed with a guilty look.
Sunset then places a comforting hoof on Hitch. “Hitch. Not everything was as easy as it looked. Sure you saw how easy it is, but when you first tried it out yourself, you then realized how hard it really is. It just takes practice, like learning magic, but in your social life.” She said to Hitch, giving him some wisdom on how something may seem easy, but once tried out, it’s not as easy as it looks.
Hitch then sighs as he takes Sunset’s words by heart. “You’re right, Sunset. I guess I owe Sunny an apology.” He said, going to have to apologize to Sunny for what he said to her.
“I’m sure she’ll understand. And I’m sure she’s feeling the same way in your end as well.” Sunset assured, having a feeling that Sunny is feeling the same thing Hitch is feeling.
Then, Zipp arrived and looked at Hitch's stressed face. "Looks like this switch thing isn't working for you, is it?" She asked Hitch with a smirk.
"Yeah, you're right! I'll admit it, I just can't be Sunny." Hitch said frustrated. "So how did I get her Cutie Mark in the first place? We know it was from Sparky’s dragon fire, but how it was able to do that, not sure." He said to Zipp.
"I think I might have an idea. But take me through it one more time." Zipp replied to Hitch.
"These two were arguing like a love couple they were on who had the hardest work, and then Sparky kept erupting dragon magic and––" Sunset explained instead, but a groan of Hitch cut him off.
"Could you please stop with that 'love couple' nonsense?" Hitch pleaded to Sunset, who just smirked at him.
"Sure, just date her so I can stop making the joke." Sunset said with a mocking tone and smirk.
"That just makes it worse!" Hitch complained with a blush, while Sunset chuckled, knowing very well that Sunny and Hitch have a crush on each other since they were foalhood friends when they were little.
Zipp wasn't paying much attention, since she heard them until the part where Sparky let out dragon fire. She used a graphic that showed Hitch and Sunny with their respective Cutie Marks, then Sparky spilled dragon fire and their Cutie Marks switched.
"Dragon fire magic and how you two were arguing with each other?" Zipp questioned herself. "That's it! That's gotta be it!" Zipp shouted to Hitch and Tails.
"Context, please." Sunset said in confusion.
"Yeah, what is?!" Hitch asked her.
"Oh, uh..." Zipp said, unsure for a moment. Then she gave a grin and looked back at Hitch. "Sunny is in trouble at the Brighthouse! There are animals everywhere!" She told him, flapping her wings with worriedness.
"She is? There are?! I have to save her!" Hitch cried out in panic, immediately getting out of the stand and running towards the Brighthouse.
"Don't worry, everypony!" Zipp told the ponies waiting on the line with a smile. "Sunny will be back soon!" She assured, then flew behind Hitch while the ponies on the line sighed in relief.
"Phew! Good sheriff, but Hitch cannot make smoothies to save his hide" Toots pointed out, while Dahlia slurped a bit from her smoothie, but immediately regretted it as she ‘belched’ at the smoothie she just drank.
"Yeah, I agree. Sunny made better smoothies than I do." Sunset said from the stand. She placed a sign that said 'Closed for now. Be back after lunch!' and got out of the stand, then started to fly. “I'll be right back, ponies. I gotta see this for myself and hope Sunny is okay.” She said to the ponies as she flew back to the Brighthouse.
Back at the Brighthouse room, Sunny was having trouble with the critters that keep running around, while Izzy and Pipp were running away from some of them and Sparky kept chasing Opaline's mouse.
Izzy begins to pant from running. “To the left!” She called out to Pipp.
“I’m going up!” Pipp cried out as she flew up while Izzy turned left with the critters hot on their tails.
"Stop it, every critter!" Sunny pleaded with the animals. "I know you know what I'm saying!" she cried out with frustration.
Then, Zipp arrived with her. "Sunny! Hitch is in trouble! He needs you!" She told her to act worried again.
"He is? He does?! Hitch!" Sunny said with panic, immediately running out of the room to go and meet with her foalhood friend.
"I hope this works..." Zipp said, then a pega-mouse crashed with her and made her fall.
In the main room of the Brighthouse, Hitch entered through the Brighthouse main doors and climbed up stairs.
"I have to help Sunny!" Hitch cried out with worry.
"I have to help Hitch!" Sunny said as well.
Without knowing it, they both ran into each other and crashed, with Sunny losing the sheriff hat in the process. They lay on the ground for a few seconds, until they slowly got up. Zipp also arrived, still holding her phone and looking at her friends a bit worried.
"Ouch! I hope I didn't make this worse." Zipp said, a bit worried.
Sunset flew in as she saw the two Cutie Marks swapped ponies looking at each other. “Did I miss something?” She asked, but nopony answered her as she watch.
"Sunny?" Hitch called out to her.
"Hitch?" Sunny called back. "I'm sorry, I thought you had it easier than me. You don't." She apologized with a guilty expression.
"I'm sorry too." Hitch apologized as well. "I don't think you have it easy at all! Sunset and a few ponies have to tell me that! You're a pillar of the community!" He complimented her with a smile.
"So are you!" Sunny said with a little blush and a smile.
Sunset smirked as she saw that, clearly seeing the connection between the two, seeing them more than just friends.
"Maybe we both are good at what we do because of who we are." Hitch pointed out with a smile.
"Well, nobody can be Hitch like you can." Sunny said with a soft smile.
"And nopony can be Sunny like you can!" Hitch said back, which made Sunny's smile grow bigger.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Sunny asked him.
"Oh yeah!" Hitch said with a smile.
"Secret handshake time!" they both said with a smile. "Up high! Down low! Hitch it to a post! Flip it Sunny-side up, and on a piece of toast!" They both said cheerfully.
Then, their Cutie Marks started to shine, and slowly came back to be their usual Cutie Marks as Sunny and Hitch looked on and at each other with smiles.
“Sunny! Hitch!” Sunset called out as she flew towards the two ponies and brought them in a big hug for a moment before letting them go. “Your Cutie Marks returned to their rightful place!” She said in happiness.
Sunny smiled as she concentrated a bit and then her Alicorn form appeared as Sunny looked at herself in happiness. “As well as our magic!” She said in happiness that her Alicorn magic is back.
“You two apologizing for each other while also admitting how each of your roles are hard as it is, must’ve somehow reversed Sparky’s dragon fire on you two, which caused your Cutie Marks to return to their true owners once you both understand each other.” Sunset theorizes as she smiles that Hitch and Sunny are back to normal as the two latter ponies look at each other as they smile at one another.
Zipp also saw all of this, and smiled with pride at her friends and at herself. "Nice work, Detective Me!" she said proudly. "Maybe I'm starting to get a handle on this 'Cutie Mark Magic' stuff." She added with a smile.
"So, you think there's still time to fix all the messes we made today?" Sunny asked Hitch with a joyful smile.
"Only if we do what we each do best!" Hitch stated, smiling back at Sunny.
Hitch picked up the sheriff hat and put it on, and Sunny gave him his badge back.
Hitch then picked up the fruit as he saw it was a little squished. “Oops. It must’ve gotten squished in the crash.” He said sheepishly to Sunny with a smile, which made the Earth Pony laugh a bit before accepting it as she placed it in her saddle bag as Hitch laughed a bit as well while the two ponies started walking to the bedroom.
Sunset and Zipp smiled at this outcome. “They sure are meant for each other.” Sunset said with a smirk.
“Yep.” Zipp said as the two ponies chuckled a bit before following the two Earth Ponies.
Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Sparky kept following Opaline's mouse while Izzy and Pipp started to lose their patience on the critters, especially Izzy.
"I don't know how much longer we can keep this up!" Izzy complained dramatically with an anxious look.
"Ah!" Pipp cried out, while some bunnies jumped over her, and one even ran away with her phone in his mouth.
Then, Hitch arrived with them, showing that his Cutie Mark was normal again and now he could do his job properly "Sheriff Hitch is here, little buddies. Come on, now!" He told the critters, who immediately obeyed and started to get out of the room.
"Ah! It's a miracle!" Pipp said dramatically.
"I hear you've all been acting up." Hitch scolded the critters with a neutral expression, who looked down in shame as they walked out of the room.
However, Opaline's mouse got close to a certain spot where Sunny's lantern rested, with the crystal inside it shining like a Rainbow after the events of Maretime Bay Day. The mouse looked at it, ready to make his next move...
Back at the smoothie stand, Sunny finally returned to work with Sunset as the two ponies started serving smoothies to the other ponies.
"Here's your chunky smoothie!" Sunny told Dahlia, now giving her the smoothie as she likes it. "Here's the usual!" she said to Toots, giving him his usual smoothie. "Ooh, is that a new book you're reading, Seashell?" she asked the filly, who was holding a yellow book with her.
"Yeah! It's about this tree that grows special crystals called 'elements.'" Seashell replied with a smile.
"Wow, cool! Tell me more!" Sunny told Seashell, as she also started to blend and deliver more smoothies.
Sunset sighs with a smile at Sunny. “Glad to have you back, Sunny. Hitch was not fit to serve smoothies, let alone make them. Don’t tell him that I said that though.” She said with a smirk, knowing that Hitch won’t like what he hears from that.
Sunny giggled from that. “I won’t, Sunset. I promise.” She promised her mentor/sister figure. “It’s good to be back.” She added with a smile.
Outside the Brighthouse, Hitch led the critters out while Izzy, Zipp and Pipp looked on.
"After you. Go ahead. Thanks for visiting, friends" he told the critters with a smile. Then, Sunny and Sunset came back to the Brighthouse as Hitch looked at them - specially to Sunny - with a bright smile. "Well, well, well. It looks like we both did pretty good, once we started doing what we were good at." He pointed out with a smile.
"You said it." Sunny said with a smile, agreeing with Hitch. "Is that all of them?" she asked, referring to the critters.
However, they all heard a clattering sound as the Mane 6 quickly ran towards the bedroom.
Once the Mane 6 group made it to the bedroom, they found many things thrown in the floor, and then they saw Sparky still chasing Opaline's mouse.
The mouse arrived at the spot where Sunny's lantern was, while Sparky followed really close.
"Sparky, leave that mouse alone!" Hitch ordered him.
The mouse managed to reach the lantern, but before he could do anything with it, Sparky launched against him, and the mouse disappeared the moment Sparky touched him.
"Did you see that?!" Pipp questioned with disbelief.
"It just went 'poof'!" Izzy pointed out in awe.
"Was that a mouse? Or a ghost?!" Hitch questioned, which made Izzy gasp in awe.
“I don’t think so, that mouse was glowing pink. I think it must’ve been a magic mouse.” Sunset said, having seen the mouse close enough that it was made of magic.
“A magic mouse? Who would have created it? Sunny asked.
“I have no idea. Twilight.” Sunset said as she looked at her necklace as it opened up and revealed Twilight inside.
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen that kind of magic before. But I sensed that it was made of dark magic.” Twilight said, having sensed the magic from that mouse before it went poof.
“Dark magic, so that’s what I sensed earlier. But who created it, it’s anypony’s guess.” Sunset said, while placing a hoof on her chin to think of who created that mouse.
"Daily mystery total: three." Zipp recorded on her phone. "Cutie Mark switch, disappearing mouse that is made of dark magic, and this smoothie." She listed, as she slowly lifted a smoothie on her free hoof and slurped from it, then looked at it suspiciously. "Mm. It still doesn't taste right." She stated, then Sunny came and grabbed the smoothie.
Sunny sniffed the smoothie and then smiled at Zipp. "I know just the thing!" She stated, as she opened the cup and put some herbs on it, then closed it again and gave it back to Zipp.
Zipp slurped again from the smoothie and smiled. "Ah! That was it! Case closed" she said to the phone and ended the recording.
Sunset chuckled from that. “Good to have things back to normal.” She said with a smile.
“It sure is, Sunset.” Twilight said, glad that the Cutie Mark swap thing is finally over.
Today was pretty wild, huh?" Hitch told Sunny as he approached Sunny with Sparky now on his back.
"Yeah! I couldn't even belizzle it!" Izzy said with a cheery tone.
“Be-what?” Sunset asked in confusion.
“Don’t ask. Trust me, Sunset.” Pipp said with a smile.
“But at least everything is back in order again.” Sunny said with a smile.
“Now that sounds like something Hitch would say!” Pipp pointed out with a smile.
"Oh no! Not again!" Zipp cried out with panic as she looked between Hitch and Sunny, thinking that their Cutie Marks had switched again.
“Please tell me they didn’t switch again!” Sunset cried out, not wanting to go through this again.
Sunny and Hitch looked at their Cutie Marks again, but then smiled when they were still theirs, and both Zipp and Sunset sighed in relief while the whole Mane 6, and Twilight, started to laugh at the situation.
Back at Opaline's Castle, Opaline and Misty were now staring at an image of Sunny's lantern.
"Ah-ha!" Opaline said with a grin. "Finally, it's all becoming clear." She stated. "Misty!" she called out to the unicorn.
"Yes, Opaline?" Misty asked, quickly arriving at her side.
"I need you to sneak into the Crystal Brighthouse and steal me that lantern." Opaline instructed her. "It holds power. Prisbeam power." She explained.
Misty then looked at the magic mouse that came back as she smiled cutely at it as it chirped. “Aww! Can I keep him? As a little friend.” She asked Oplaine, wanting to keep this little magic mouse.
Opaline came close to her as she immediately used her magic to wipe the magic mouse out of existence as it squeaks as it fades away into mist.
“No!” Opaline said as Misty looked sad that the magic mouse was now gone. “No need for friends when you have a job to do. Now stay focused!” She yelled at Misty as the unicorn flinched at her outburst.
“Yes, Opaline. I’m ready.” Misty replied as she gave a confident face as her and Opaline looked at the projection of Sunny’s lantern.
Outside the Brighthouse, Sunny, Sunset and Hitch both carried carts with smoothies after Sunny and Sunset got done working.
"Thanks for the help." Sunny told Hitch with a smile.
"I'm glad to help make sure things are running smoothly, just as long as it's not smoothies." Hitch joked as he chuckled at his own joke.
"I'm just happy that the Community Garden is officially open." Sunny said with a smile. "Even if the animals do still seem hesitant to go back inside." She added while a little worried.
“Well, the Community Garden is now a place where Earth Ponies can practice their magic, Sunny. So I doubt the animals would return there anytime soon.” Sunset pointed out, seeing the reason why the animals won’t return to the garden.
“Good point.” Sunny said, seeing Sunset’s point.
And then, the three ponies then hear critters' sounds as they all gasped, knowing what that means.
“Ah! Oh no…” Hitch cried out in worry as he, Sunny and Sunset ran back into the Brighthouse as they opened the door, but skied to a stop when they saw their friends waiting for them with smiles on their faces.
“Sunny! Sunset! Hitch! Come look!” Izzy said excitedly to the three ponies.
“What happened?” Sunny asked as her, Sunset and Hitch are confused.
“See for yourself.” Pipp said with a smile as the three ponies moved aside so the other half could see.
Sunset, Sunny and Hitch then gasped in awe at what they saw as they saw the critters playing around the play spot at the corner of the Brighthouse. There even were water plates, beds and a faucet that the critters could use as a shower. Also, Spark played with some bunnies with a ball.
“What is all this?!” Hitch asked in amazement while Sunny and Sunset smiled at this.
“It’s your ‘critter corner’!” Izzy cheered as she and Pipp gestured to it together. “Now the animals have a place to chill if the garden gets to be magically way too much.” She explained.
“Or if they want a solid lead on hanging with their best buddy, Hitch!” Zipp added with a smile as she nudged Hitch.
“Awesome!” Hitch cheered as he ran towards his critter friends as one of the birds chirped at him as Hitch chuckled from that. “A birdseed smoothie? Sure, I’ll ask Sunny to add it to the menu for you. Why not?!” He asked with a smile as Kurtle spoke to him as Hitch turned to him. “You were saying, Kurtle? Yes, lettuce is also nice.” He said to Kurtle with a smile.
Pipp and Izzy laughed at this as they walked close to Hitch and the critters as Sunset and Zipp turned to Sunny.
"So it looks like you two worked things out, huh?" Zipp told Sunny with a smile.
“Yeah. Looks like you two made up.” Sunset said with a smirk.
"I think... we just needed a little trot in each other's horseshoes." Sunny said to the two ponies with a smile and a blush. "Even if we didn't want to admit it." She added, then looked at how the critters started to tickle Hitch and the Mane 6 laughed at the sight, having experienced what they learned today and learned a valuable lesson after somepony walked a mile in somepony else's horseshoes, literally.
End of Chapter 2 Ep 5.