Fluttershy couldn’t bring herself to be mad at Golden Harvest. Though the carrot-topped pony apologized, going so far as to offer Fluttershy a raincheck with a generous discount, the pegasus meant it when she said she wasn’t angry. After all, Harvest was just doing her job and selling out her entire daily stock at three times the cost was a fantastic deal.
However, that knowledge did little to change Fluttershy’s mood. In her funk, she lost track of how many times she wandered around the market. Only now she notice “closed” signs hanging from stall to stall as the once baby blue sky had gradually changed to a deep orange.
Fluttershy could already feel her lip quivering, she still didn’t have anything for Angel’s gift. A new food dish? A hare brush? Should she finally give in to his demands and get the expensive terrarium he’d been eying? Despite every attempt to think on more important matters, her train of thought always brought her back to Sapphire Shores and a surprise birthday dinner utterly ruined.
It didn’t help that all of Ponyville was caught up in Sapphire fever. Every street corner had a small troupe of fans blaring her music, gushing about her looks over a magazine or chatting up a storm over tomorrow night. Fluttershy’s heart almost hit rock bottom when she found Ms. Cherilee sporting a Sapphire Shores t-shirt, and even worse when Ponyvile’s favorite teacher planned to take her class to the concert for a special field trip.
The very thought of Sapphire Shores, the big jerk who wasn’t nearly as nice as Rarity said she was, being showered with undeserved adoration put a scowl on Fluttershy’s face.
“... She’s not so great...” she uttered under her breath.
With a gasp, Fluttershy covered her mouth and quickly looked around to see if anypony heard her. Though she barely heard her own words, to Fluttershy she may has well yelled into a bullhorn. Rubbing her face and trying to shake the terrible thoughts away, she hung her head low, continuing her trek at a much slower, somber pace.
“What’s wrong with me?” she finally said after a few deep breaths. “I should know better than that. I-I hate being angry.”
Not wanting to face a disappointed pet back home, Fluttershy continued her walk through town, trying to put the last few hours, memories and feelings behind her. It wasn’t until she saw Twilight Sparkle at her favorite street side cafe amidst a small pile of scrolls and papers that Fluttershy began to perk up.
“Hi, Twilight,” she said, taking a seat next to her. “Are you busy? I could really use somepony to talk to right now.”
“Fluttershy,” began Twilight, flatly. “Do you know what it’s like to have your dreams crushed?”
“Wh-wha?” blubbered Fluttershy.
“To have one pony look at all the sweat, tears and magic you’ve poured into something for the better part of a month, place it between her hooves and then just... smash it?”
“Is this a trick question?”
“I mean have you ever had all your hard work rendered meaningless with a single word from somepony who never lifted one hoof in her entire life!?”
Twilight was glaring at Fluttershy, who was finally noticing the dark circles under the unicorn’s eyes and her frazzled mess of a mane.
“Twilight...” whispered Fluttershy. “Y-you’re shouting.”
“Oh, who am I kidding?” sighed Twilight, turning away to lean on her hoof. “I should’ve known you’d never understand.”
Normally for Fluttershy, this was her cue to slink away back to her cottage. But when put between a sad pet and a fuming friend, she’d rather take a verbal assault from Twi then bear one tear falling from Angel’s eyes.
“Um, Twilight?” said Fluttershy, trying to read her friend’s unreadable grimace. “Is this about your ball lightning cloud?”
Fluttershy felt herself freeze from the sharp look Twilight gave her. But before any sort of apology was formed, she saw Twilight bite her lip. As tears began to roll down her purple cheeks, the unicorn loosely threw her hooves around Fluttershy, forcing the pegasus to keep her unicorn friend from falling on her.
“Yeeeeeeeee-heeeeee-heeeee-heeeeeees!” bawled Twilight.
“Um... there there?” stammered Fluttershy.
Pulling away from her impromptu sobbing fit, Twilight grabbed a handful parchment strewn with calculations and manically waved them in Fluttershy’s befuddled face.
“It was ready! It was perfect!” snarled Twilight. “All that work Rainbow Dash and I put into that cloud! How could she say it was ‘obnoxious!?’ She just... she just... oooooh!”
Fluttershy looked aside as Twilight loudly blew her nose in the gripped batch of papers. Bringing her face back up with a loud sniff, the pegasus tried to ignore the lone page stuck in her mane.
“But you and Rainbow worked so hard,” said Fluttershy. “I can’t imagine anypony saying something so mean.”
“Anypony?” growled Twilight with a twitch of her eye. “Try Sapphire Shores!”
“Sapphire Shores!?”
“Thanks to her, Ponyville will miss out on seeing a fully-functional ball lightning cloud! I never knew one pony could make me feel so miserable!”
“Oh Twilight,” whispered Fluttershy, putting a hoof around Twilight and giving her friend the best snuggle she could. “I’m so so sorry.”
“Yeah, I know,” sniffed Twilight, hugging back. "I’m just... I’m just so frustrated right now.”
“I know the feeling,” smiled Fluttershy.
“I don’t know about that,” replied Twilight. “I can’t imagine you feeling the way Rainbow Dash does right now....”
“Oh no!” realized Fluttershy. “I almost forgot! Poor Rainbow, she must be devastated.”
Twilight sighed. “She was pretty broken up about it, sure. I just hope she doesn’t do something...”
“I said lemmie in!” shouted a familiar scratchy voice from across the street. “Ya overgrown bulldozer!”
“... something like that...,” finished Twilight, holding her head in her hooves.
“W-what’s going on?” asked Fluttershy.
“I don’t know?” flatly replied Twilight. “And I don’t want to know.”
Gulping, Fluttershy glanced at Twilight before gingerly getting up and headed across the street. Just across the street from the cafe was a large, wheeled trailer. Not unlike the one Trixie used during her visit. That is, if Trixie was a wildly successful musician who could afford a trailer that could easily dwarf Fluttershy’s own cottage.
Standing at the front entrance were Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Both looked like they were ready to charge at the large security stallion barring them inside.
“I want a couple of words with your boss,” shouted Rainbow, flaring her wings.
“Sorry ma’am,” answered the security stallion with a cool nonchalance. “Ms. Shores is not taking autographs at this time.”
“Autographs!?” yelled Applejack, grinding her trusty backhooves into the dirt. “That prissy little so-n-so didn’t sign diddly-squat today! Tell your boss-lady she done broke my brother’s big ol’ heart, so’s I’m here ta break a few things o’ my own!”
“Ma’am,” stated the stallion. “Ms. Shores is having her ‘me time’ from now until midnight. Please keep any and all personal threats to yourself or else I will take action.”
“You’ hearin’ this rent-a-goon?” sneered Rainbow. “How about we ‘take action’ all over your face!?”
Maybe he was hard of hearing and seeing, because the stallion hadn’t even looked in their direction and Rainbow hated to be ignored.
“Oh, that’s it!” she shouted. “You’ve got the count of five to move, or else! One!”
The stallion cleared his throat.
“Two!” yelled Applejack.
“Five,” coolly said the stallion.
CRASH! POW! BOOM!
Fluttershy swore all she saw the stallion do was take off his glasses. The next moments were figuratively and literally, a blur.
“Wha...,” said Rainbow Dash, looking around and wondering when did she ended up in an alley and whey Ponyville suddenly moved upside down. “What just happened? Did we win?”
“Doubt it,” answered Applejack, her voice echoing from inside a nearby garbage can.
As Rainbow helped Applejack out of her temporary abode, the Earth-pony grabbed her misplaced stetson. As she bent down, Rainbow quickly noticed a very-sizable lump forming at the very top Applejack’s head. The sight of it made her wince.
The Pegasus’ eyes went wide with realization as she slowly brought her hoof to touch the top of her own head. She recoiled at the sudden flash of fresh pain upon grazing her own lump.
“Owwwwwwww!” she cried. “Ow ow ow ow ow!”
Dusting off her stetson, AJ raised her eyebrow at her whimpering friend.
“What’re you goin’ on abooooooow!”
Applejack flipped her stetson off her head just as quickly as she flipped it on. Fighting the urge to rub her already sore lump, she and Rainbow instead focused back on the stallion from across the street.
“No ma’am, nothing serious,” she heard him speaking to somepony inside the trailer. “Just a couple of over-enthusiastic fans.”
“Did he just call us ‘fans?’” asked Rainbow Dash.
“Yep,” nodded Applejack.
“I’m gonna knock his block off.”
“Y’all can have whatever blocks ‘r left.”
However, any more impending violence was brought to a sudden conclusion as the two saw Fluttershy frantically putting herself between them and their antagonist.
“Um, hi Applejack. Hi Rainbow.?” gasped Fluttershy, forcing a friendly smile. “W-would you both like to sit down with Twilight and me? Please?”
Both had an emphatic “No!” ready to let loose. But looking at Fluttershy’s pleading look and seeing that were in no shape for round two, it was clear their fight was over.
“Ugh,” signed Applejack. “All right.”
“Tch,” grumbled Rainbow. “Whatever.”
Left to carrying her stetson on her back, Applejack unceremoniously flung it on the table and nursed her headache alongside Rainbow Dash.
Twilight looked up at Rainbow, who narrowed her eyes back. Shaking her head, Twilight gave a condescending sigh reserved for just such occasions. “Well that sure accomplished a lot,” she muttered.
“I didn’t see you do anything,” growled Rainbow, crossing her hooves and slouching in her seat.
“So a frontal assault on a pony swarming with security guards is better than nothing?” lectured Twilight, crooking an eyebrow. “You know, I expect this from you Rainbow, but Applejack? Really?”
“Hey, this was a matter ‘a kin, Twilight!” shot back Applejack, rubbing her sore head. “Better than sittin’ on ma’ fanny with ma’ tail ‘tween ma’ legs.”
“Pft!” snorted Rainbow. “Some egghead. Best idea you’ve got is crying in your notes.”
“Stop calling me...!” hissed Twilight before giving a might huff and turning her chin up at AJ and Rainbow. “Forget it... just... forget it.”
It was a silent mutual consensus as the three ponies sulked in their seats, refusing to meet each other’s eyes.
“Applejack,” asked Fluttershy, trying to put a hoof on her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
Sliding out of Fluttershy’s reach, Applejack glared at her hat, her face contorted with seething anger.
“Don’t feel much like talkin’ ‘bout it,” answered Applejack through tight lips.
Before Fluttershy could think of something to say a waiter sauntered to the table, pad and pencil in hoof.
“Would anypony finally like to order?” he asked with a hint of impatience.
Fluttershy shook her head, while Twilight refused to answer and RD and AJ glanced at each other before looking back at the waiter.
“Two ice cream cones,” said Applejack.
“What flavor?” said the waiter, writing away.
“Doesn’t matter,” retorted Rainbow.
Before the waiter dotted the last period for the order, his pressed shirt was gripped by a wild-eyed white unicorn who glared at him with teeth fixed in an almost permanent grimace.
“I need a root beer float with as much ice cream as equinley possible!” cried Rarity, her voice cracked and broken.
Unhoofing the waiter who bolted back into the cafe, Rarity plopped herself next to Fluttershy. The unicorn looked glassy eyed and confused, like everything about life, happiness and most importantly, fashion, was revealed to be a lie.
Though she looked as helpless as a newborn foal, Fluttershy could hear the subtle sound of teeth grinding.
“Rar-” was all Fluttershy could utter before the unicorn threw up a hoof to silence her friend. Several, confusing, awkward and uncomfortable minutes rolled by until a very nervous waiter returned with a large root beer float and two ice cream cones.
As the waiter quickly left, Rarity’s lower lip quivered as she stared at the float. As if it denied her one last chance for happiness.
“Um...,” Fluttershy tried again. “Rarity?”
Rarity sniffed, then sniffed again, only louder. Fluttershy knew that look. Her friend was on the cusp of a waterfalls worth of tears.
“I’m not hungry,” blubbered Rarity. “Not even ice cream can help.”
“Speak fer yourself, sister,” replied Applejack.
With that, AJ and Rainbow gave each other the slightest of nods before they ducked their heads, flipped over their cones and stuck the ice cold dessert onto their stinging heads.
“Aaaaaaah, there we go,” signed Applejack.
“That’s the stuff,” joined in Rainbow.
Both managed slight, yet still pained smiles as the ice cream melted in their hair and down the sides of their face.
Fluttershy felt like a fish living in Cloudsdale, like a snowpony lost in the desert, or a bear visiting the beach. Completely and utterly out of her element.
Normally, she was the one who needed comforting. She wasn’t sure if she had was it took to bring smiles back to the faces of her friends.
“Smiles?” thought Fluttershy. “Smiles!”
“Everypony wait right here, I’ll go find Pinkie Pie!”
“Don’t bother,” answered Twilight.
“Huh?” answered Fluttershy.
Likewise, Twilight was getting strange looks from everypony else at the table. Looking at her friends, she rolled her eyes and looked underneath the table. As everypony else did the same they found Pinkie Pie.
Surrounded by dozens of bowls, sundae glasses and spoons, Pinkie was sporting a very noticeable pudge and a splattering of chocolate and whip cream on her mouth, face and mane.
“Uuuuuuuuuuuugh,” she gurgled, her eyes rolled in the back of her head.
“She’s been like that since I got here,” signed Twilight.
Fluttershy was left flummoxed. Give her a squirrel with a broken heart, a badger with an inferiority complex or a manic depressive otter and she knew how to turn their moods around with a kind word and a gentle hug. Cheering up her fellow ponies on the other hoof was daunting and a little scary.
Applejack and Rainbow looked like they were gearing up to weakly bum rush the security pony again. Twilight, through her face softened a bit, still stubbornly refused to look at anypony. Rarity had slumped her head on the table, her glazed eyes staring blankly at the untouched root beer float. Pinkie let out a burp, followed by a painful groan as she shifted among her next of bowls and spoons.
It was then that Fluttershy felt the overwhelming need to help. Her friends have always been there every time she felt helpless or scared. So in a word, she came to depend of them quite a bit. Today though, today it was time for her repaying them. Taking a deep breath, Fluttershy prepared her to trek into unknown social waters.
She’d start with a guess.
“I don’t mean to pry,” said asked, trying to put some actual volume and confidence in her voice. “But is this all about Sapphire Shores?”
“Sapphire Shores,” growled everypony.
The simple question brought out a myriad of emotions from frustration to sadness to blood-boiling anger. Twilight and Rarity were first, the two finally meeting each other’s eyes, then suddenly jumping out of their seats and loudly bawling in each other’s hooves. Rainbow stood up quickly, her eyes burning back toward Shores’ trailer, but she was quickly forced back down in her seat by Applejack. Before she could voice any sort of objection, Rainbow turned to see Applejack giving her a hard look. A moment past before two gave each other a single, understanding nod, with Rainbow putting a friendly hoof on AJ’s.
As Twilight and Rarity took their seats, Rainbow gave a friendly nudge to the purple unicorn, who reciprocated with full hug. Even Applejack gave a hug to Rarity, who took great lengths to make sure she didn’t get any melted ice cream on her.
It was then that Fluttershy felt a sharp tug on her mane and hooves, as though something was trying to pull her under the table. Pulling back, she looked down and saw a goggilly-eyed pink pony groggily groping her way back into the sunshine like a sugar-fueled zombie. Fluttershy would have screamed in terror if she didn’t already know it was Pinkie Pie.
But Fluttershy didn’t mind chocolate syrup on her coat and sprinkles in her mane as she accepted a tight hug from Pinkie.
Fluttershy sighed with a smile. They may still be miserable, but at least now they’re miserable together. Not too bad.
“So...” she finally said. “Does anypony want to talk about it?”
Through everypony looked apprehensive at first, leave it to Applejack to break the ice first.
“Sapphire done cancelled her autograph signin’ before it even began,” sighed Applejack. “Poor Big Macintosh has been beside himself all day. I can’t get more than two words out of ‘em.”
“Sapphire Shores made me a has-been!,” whimpered Rarity. “She found some new exclusive fashion designer in Manehattan. Manehattan of all places! I only just started making dresses for her concerts and now I’ve been replaced! It’s humiliating is what it is. My career’s been set back by years!”
“Nopony calls my ball lightning baby ‘obnoxious!’” growled Rainbow Dash. “Especially in front of my main brain, Twilight!”
“I’ve never let down so many friends,” choked Pinkie Pie. “I thought a singer likes to turn frowns upside down, but Sapphire Shores turned them right-side up again! She said that I was stupid. Even worse, she said my ‘Welcome, Welcome, Welcome’ song was stupid! Even worser than that, she said all my singers were stupid. It was a tragedy! A travesty! A mockery of everything happy! It... it... it was a tragvastymockery!”
“Oh my goodness!” said a wide-eyed Fluttershy. “Sapphire Shores did all of that?”
“Looks like it,” replied Twilight. “I just wish there was something we could do. Is it too late to start a petition to have the concert moved into the Everfree Forest?”
“What are the odds of me meeting a rival world-famous pop-sensation and becoming her exclusive fashion designer by tomorrow?” mused Rarity.
“We could sing a song!” squeaked Pinkie. “What rhymes with ‘Big Jerk Face?’”
“I’m so sorry everypony,” said Fluttershy.
“Aw we know you are sugarcube,” smiled Applejack, shaking off her ice cream ice pack and gingerly putting on her stetson. “Ow. Today just took a sour turn for all of us.”
“Sour turn indeed,” added Rarity. “I’ve never felt so depressed.”
“I know,” replied Twilight. “Who knew a pop-singer could make us feel so low?”
“I don’t even think a party could get me outta my funk,” sniffed Pinkie.
“Oh dear,” said Fluttershy. "If only there was a way Sapphire Shores could somehow learn that you shouldn’t treat others so badly.”
“Pffft... yeah,” scoffed Rainbow, rolling her eyes before going wide with sudden lightning-bolt quickness of a bright idea. “Yeah... hey! Hey, yeah!”
“Um, care to share?” inquired Rarity.
“Fluttershy’s got a point,” pointed out Rainbow.
“She does?” asked Twilight.
“I do?” asked Fluttershy.
“Yeah, it’s obvious,” answered Rainbow. “Sapphire Shores should learn that you can’t go messing with anypony, especially these ponies. So maybe we could... y’know... ‘teach her a lesson.’”
Fluttershy was silent. Though her friends were just as quiet, gears were already turning in their collective minds.
“You mean...” asked Pinkie.
“What do you say, Pinkie?” smirked Rainbow, throwing a hoof around her. “Wanna prank the pony of pop?”
“Wow,” gasped Pinkie, in awe of the idea. “That’s just... wow. We’re gonna need a big whoopie cushion.”
“Now hold up,” interrupted Applejack. “You two ain’t goin’ out and pulling a prank on Sapphire Shores!”
“Awwww,” whined Pinkie.
“Why not!?” argued Rainbow.
“Y'all need ta let me finish,” replied Applejack with a grin. “Ya ain't doin' it without me.”
“You? Ha!” laughed Rainbow. “Leave the pranking to the pros, country girl.”
“This ‘country girl’ has pulled off a few good pranks in her time,” shot back Applejack with a light thump of her chest. “‘Sides, if you two are taking a shot at Sapphire, then I want in.”
“LIkewise,” interjected Rarity.
The unicorn was responded with a tableful of odd looks.
“Yes, well... granted, I know more about the fashion business then funny business. Still, I have just as good of a reason as anypony else.”
“You sure yer up for it, Rarity?” asked Applejack.
“If it means taking Sapphire Shores down a peg, then I’ll learn fast,” the unicorn said with a smirk.
“Yay!” cheered Pinkie. “This is gonna be fun!”
“Yeah,” replied Rainbow. “I’m starting to like this team-effort thing.”
“Sapphire Shores won’t know what hit her,” said Applejack, throwing a hoof in the air.
“Indubitably,” smiled Rarity.
Fluttershy, again, felt like the lone pony out. She didn’t like the idea of being mean to somepony else, even if that pony was Sapphire Shores. Still, everypony was looking happier now... even if it wasn’t for a very good reason.
“Has everypony at this table lost their minds!?” interrupted Twilight, startling Fluttershy.
The high spirits were halted as Twi glared at her friends across the table.
“Do any of you have any idea what you’re talking about?” From Twilight, it wasn’t a question. “You’re talking about pranking Sapphire Shores. Sapphire Shores! I know we’re angry, sad even hurt over everything that’s happened today. But I will not sit here and watch my friends plot some cockamainme revenge scheme that’s sure to blow up in their faces. I hate to remind everypony, especially now. But... we’re better than this.”
Fluttershy finally breathed out. “Thank you so much, Twilight,” she thought.
From the looks on their faces, the four conspirators were looking very embarrassed. With the exception, of course, being Rainbow Dash.
“Spoilsport...” she grumbled, joined in by a slight whine from Pinkie.
“There’s no sport to spoil!” half-scolded Twilight. “Besides, we won’t be doing anypony any favors. Pranking the premiere pop-sensation in Equestria? We’d be run out of town, probably out of the kingdom. Despite what we think, she’s universally beloved by everypony.”
“But Twiliiiight,” whined Rarity.
“Nuh uh, Rarity. This is not up for debate. Sorry, but it’s just not going to happen.”
“Twilight’s right,” reassured Fluttershy. “But I can completely sympathize.”
“We know you do,” smiled Twilight. “I’d find it hard to forgive somepony if they did anything to hurt my friends, even if they were Sapphire Shores.”
“Uh... yes,” answered Fluttershy, clearing her throat. “Of course.”
“Fluttershy?” asked Rarity. “Is there something you’re not telling us?”
“Huh?”
“What’s wrong, sugarcube?” added Applejack.
“I wasn’t going to say anything” said Twilight. “But it looks like something’s still bothering you.”
Fluttershy mentally kicked herself before she plastered on her best smile. “Me? Bothered? Ha ha! No, no. I-I’m completely fine, honest!”
“Okay,” interrupted Rainbow. “Even I know something’s up. You’re never this loud. So what gives, Fluttershy?”
“W-well, you know. Heh, e-everypony’s talking about Sapphire Shores and, w-well I...”
“No!” gasped Rarity, knocking her untouched float off the table. “Not you too!”
“Not that mean ‘ol Sapphire!” jumped in Pinkie, doing a mid-air recovery of the float, which she then started enjoying.
“It’s not a big deal,” Fluttershy mewed.
“Hey! Anypony messes with you, they answer to me!” shouted Rainbow, pounding the table.
“It’s nothing to be angry about,” whispered Fluttershy over deaf ears.
“Out with it, girl!” demanded Applejack. “What happened?”
Fluttershy gulped hard. “Just relax,” she thought. “I can do this.”
“W-well, Angel’s birthday is coming up and I wanted to surprise him this year with a carrot cake. S-so I went to the market to get some fresh carrots from Golden Harvest, b-but Sapphire Shores was in line after me so... so I-I let her go ahead and... and... ha ha! It’s such a silly thing, really. She brought all the carrots at the stand, so I guess that means I can’t make Angel’s cake now can I? Ha ha...”
Despite having to relive such an unpleasant moment, Fluttershy still found it in herself to work up a smile.
“That’s terrible,” said Rarity, putting a friendly hoof on Fluttershy’s back. “I’m so sorry for-”
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!” bawled Fluttershy, tears gushing out of her eyes. “I’m soooooo sorry Angel!”
To say the least, the sudden mood swing gave everypony a start. But just as quickly as it started, after a few buckets full of tears, Fluttershy toned it back down to gentle sniffles and sobs.
“Whoa, nelly,” commented Applejack. “You gonna be okay, sugarcube?”
“I’ll be okay, really. I promise this time,” whispered Fluttershy as she tried to stifle a hiccup. “Everypony else has bigger problems than me.”
“Aw horsefeathers,” waved off Applejack. “That ain’t the point.”
“Yeah,” joined in Rainbow. “Nopony gives a hard time to our friend!”
“Especially when she’s the sweetest, kindest, gentlest, nicest, animal friendly-est pegasus in Equestria!” chimed in Pinkie.
“More especially when she’s been wronged by that utterly horrible Sapphire Shores,” concluded Rarity, shaking her head.
“She is going down!” thundered Twilight, smacking the table.
Twilight scanned the confused faces staring at her before continuing.
“Look. I know what I said. But... right now, I can’t just accept what’s happened. Fluttershy’s shown me that.”
“Buh-wha!?” stuttered Fluttershy.
“Sapphire Shores has done more than just hurt me, she’s hurt my friends, she’s hurt the relations of my friends. I won’t let her get away with it. So if the prank is still on... I’m in.”
The mood quickly changed to that of surprise and smiles.
“Well now. Somepony’s not afraid to get their hooves dirty,” said Applejack with a knowing nod. “Not bad, Twi.”
“Looks like the egghead’s getting herself a mean streak,” said Rainbow with a sly grin.
“I, for one, find it quite a refreshing turn of character, Twilight,” replied Rarity.
“You’re gonna love pulling pranks,” bubbled Pinkie. “It’s totally the best!”
“Well, nopony hurts my friends,” said Twilight looking hard at her wasted notes. “So as far that I’m concerned, this is payback.”
“Yeah,” added Rainbow. “The big payback!”
The other three responded with a resounding cheer.
“But we can’t do anything here,” quickly whispered Twilight. “Not now. Too many witnesses. Let’s meet at the library just after midnight.”
“Wait!” interjected Rainbow Dash as everypony got up to leave. “Before we go, let’s make this official. C’mon ladies, put your hooves in!”
Rainbow put her hoof in the center of the table. She was quickly joined by Pinkie, Rarity and Applejack. Nodding to her friends, Twilight put her own hoof in the circle.
All eyes then turned to the silent yellow pegasus who hadn’t made so much as a peep.
“C’mon Fluttershy,” said Rainbow. “You’re in right?”
“M-m-me?” asked Fluttershy.
“We need to do this as a team, Fluttershy,” said Twilight. “And this team won’t be complete without you.”
“But I... I...”
“Think about poor Angel,” said Rarity, narrowing her eyes. “You can’t just let Sapphire Shores get away denying him his just desserts.”
“I... w-well...”
“We ain’t lookin’ to hurt nopony, it’s just a harmless practical joke is all,” reassured Applejack.
“Well...”
“Sure,” smiled Pinkie. “Pranking is always all in good fun!”
Fluttershy took a deep breath and with as much gusto as she could muster, she put her hoof in the center of the table.
“Okay, I’m in.”
“Okay!” cheered Rainbow. “Ready? One. Two. Three!”
“Gooooooooo team!” shouted everypony.
“... team,” whispered Fluttershy, a half second off.
Fluttershy tried to calm the nervous beating of her heat as her friends said their good-byes. She then felt a nudge as Rainbow gave the fellow pegasus a gentle punch in the shoulder.
“Atta girl,” smiled Rainbow. “I knew you had it in you.”
“Of course,” said Fluttershy, working up a smile. “Anything I can do to help.”
“Awesome. See you tonight!”
“Sure.”
As Rainbow trotted away she was quickly joined by Pinkie Pie.
“Hey Dashie? I gotta question.”
“Shoot, Pinkie.”
“You gonna eat that?” asked Pinkie, pointing to the melted ice cream cone on Rainbow’s head.