//------------------------------// // Stories, Tea, and Prison // Story: Equestrian Recreation // by luigitime22 //------------------------------// Lord Tirek had the attention of the other villains next to him at the local “Villain’s Camping Trip: Down With Twilight.” Apparently it was time for spooky stories. “Cozy Glow crept through the corridor, ready to unleash untold devastation and doom upon all Equestria,” Tirek said, continuing his story. “Why do I have to be the character in the spooky story?” Cozy asked, sounding a bit scared. “Don’t question the decisions of the storyteller!” Tirek glared at the Pegasus child. “Why not?” Tirek facepalmed. “Just let me continue the story. Anyway, Cozy thought she heard a hoofstep behind her. She quickly checked to make sure it was alright, and nopony was there.” The other villains breathed a sigh of relief, with King Sombra wiping some sweat off his face. “So she moved forward, ready to destroy all of Equestria in a glorious fashion. Everything was coming together perfectly, just like she had planned. But then…” “WHAT? DON’T YOU LEAVE US IN SUSPENSE, TIREK!” Chrysalis roared. “But then she heard something again, another hoofstep. She checked again, and nopony was there. But then she turned… AND THE HEROES ATTACKED!” Sombra, Cozy, and Chrysalis all screamed in absolute terror when Tirek revealed that Twilight Sparkle had set up a perfectly planned ambush on Cozy Glow in the story, complete with making her have to fill out an essay on friendship. Chrysalis came close to passing out. But Tirek continued. “And then, just when it seemed her punishment was over, Twilight revealed she had one more surprise in store for Cozy. AND THEN PINKIE PIE CAME IN!” The other villains screamed again, except this time, out of nowhere, Pinkie Pie popped out of a nearby bush. “Hi everypony!” she said happily and completely devoid of ill intent. The screaming instantly hit an all time peak. “EVERYONE SCRAM!” Tirek bellowed in terror as the villains made a run for it. Chrysalis actually did pass out.  Cozy ran into a tree flying away in a blind panic and also got knocked out. Pinkie looked around innocently at the mayhem before her. “Huh, guess they thought we were playing hide and seek,” she thought to herself. She then sat down at the fire to make smores. ~~~ “So your mom got you to do things you regret as well?” Diamond Tiara asked. “Yeah, it wasn’t the best time ever,” Sprout answered. He had been invited over to tea. “My mom lectured me a lot about social standings and I bullied my friends a lot,” Diamond admitted. “But they forgave me, and I helped them rebuild the school playground.” “My mom drilled negative ideas about other ponies into my head, to the point I nearly started a war.” It took a second for Diamond Tiara to process that one. “But they forgave me, and I get along with everypony just fine now,” Sprout added. “May I have some more tea please?” Diamond Tiara needed a moment to ponder everything she had just learned. And she thought she had done some bad things! But Discord and Starlight Glimmer had as well, and they were heroes now. No sense in bringing up the past against Sprout, it wasn’t like she was one to talk. “Of course,” Diamond Tiara said, as she filled Sprout’s teacup with a smile. “Have you read any good books lately?” ~~~ Many various ponies from both time periods were gathered at a pretty large display, where two unicorns were announcing merchandise. “Behold, Equestria! Check out this rare, one of a kind artwork you can only find here, right now!” Flim shouted to the crowd of excited ponies. “That’s right, act now to get these rare one of a kind pieces of art made by some of the most famous artists in Equestria!” Flam yelled as well, continuing to build excitement from the audience. “This is your chance to claim artistic history few have ever had the chance to say they could own!” Flim added. A hoof raised in the crowd as a yellow Earth Pony with a pink mane and a green bow in both her mane and tail stepped forward. “Excuse me?” the Earth Pony, Posey, asked. “You in the front! You look like you could use one of these rare artworks! What do you think? Isn’t it a steal?” Flam asked, hoping for a sale. Posey’s face swiftly darkened, however. “Are you aware that the artwork you are selling is fake?” she asked. That was a bad sign, someone had caught on. Not like that would stop Flim and Flam from trying, though. “Nonsense!” Flim said. “We found these pieces of art and had them verified, they are all completely the real deal!” “Then why is Tree Hugger looking the wrong way in that painting?” Posey asked as she pointed towards one of the paintings. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Flam countered. “This is exactly the way the painting is supposed to look!” “Are you aware,” Posey said, her voice getting more aggressive and also concerningly confident, “that you are trying to scam the curator of Maritime Bay’s art museum with forged art?” Red alert and game over. Flim’s and Flam’s faces instantly turned into ones of horror, as they quickly attempted to pack their things and escape. “Sorry folks! Looks like there have been a few complications to business!” Flim yelled. ~~~ Posey was faster than they expected. Flim and Flam hadn’t even gotten 2 yards away before they were tied up in an abundance of vines and plants. The museum curator looked at the two unicorns in agitation. “Now come on!” Flim said in desperation. “I’m sure we can work out a deal?” “Hitch!” Posey shouted. “Come arrest these two con-ponies!” Hitch quickly ran over to the scene of activity, with a large crowd of ponies standing around watching the scene. “What seems to be the matter here?” Hitch asked. “These two are attempting to sell forgeries of paintings,” Posey explained, pointing to the fake art. Hitch looked at the paintings on display carefully. “Say Posey,” he said. “Aren’t a few of the actual paintings on display at your museum?” Flim and Flam’s jaws dropped. Suffice to say, Flim and Flam went to jail, Hitch got to write some of the most clear-cut police records of his life, and Posey’s museum got a boost in visitors after word spread about the event, much to her delight.