//------------------------------// // Second Lesson- Bad Reception // Story: The Magnificent Six // by Paradise Oasis //------------------------------// Second Lesson: Bad Reception "I must say, Princess!" Up, Up, and Away exclaimed, looking at silver Swirl. "That certainly was a wonderful performance! This will certainly go a great deal towards helping your public image!" Following the play, most of the ponies present had trotted their way over to the banquet hall. They were eager to sample the dishes at the post-play reception, and busily talked amongst themselves, as they waited in line for their meals. "It was mostly thanks to the girls, really!" Silver Swirl replied humbly. "Twilight and the others were the secret to the performance's success!" "And we were especially honored to have a Bright Valley native like you as the star, Miss Poesy!" Night Glider complimented the yellow Filly. "If I didn't know better, I would've sworn it was you sister up there on the stage!" "Why, thank you so very much!" Poesy replied bashfully. "And don't worry, it's a common mistake to make!" Princess Cadence trotted up to Silver Swirl, flexing her wings. "Congratulations, Silver! That was amazing!" The alicorn greeted her. "And I was glad I could help play my part... even if it was my aunt!" "Thank you, Cadence! I really appreciate it!" Silver said, looking around the room. "By the way, I haven't seen Surprise around since the performance. Where did she fly off to?" "Oh... you know..." Cadence replied nervously. "She's always around when you least expect it!" As some of the ponies wandered over by the punch bowl, Twilight Shine found herself confronted by Sugarberry. "Excuse me, miss Twilight!" The angry mare snorted, trotting around in a huff. "I would like to have a word with you, please!" "Oh...Miss Sugarberry!" Twilight's eyes went wide as the mare approached her. "Listen, I'm sorry about what happened with teleporting you and the other out to the lake..." "Ahh, don't worry about, you proved we were all washed up, anyway!": She laughed insincerely, glaring at the pink unicorn. Sugarberry then looked down, and saw the roast beef sandwich on Twilight's tray. "Oh, so it is true what they say about Dream Valley ponies." She snorted. "You really are blood thirsty carnivores, who devour the roasted entrails of other animals!" "Hey, wait just a minute now!" Twilight Shine snorted at the pompous mare. "We do not eat sentient animals from this world! It just so happens we keep non-intelligent herds of cattle, goats, and sheep that originally came over the rainbow bridge from earth!" "Ah yes... and you probably also barter for meat from your human allies, as well." Sugarberry sneered at Twilight. "It's funny that the Dream Valley herd has become such close friends with those bipedal monkeys. It's almost to the point a pony can't tell you apart anymore!" "You leave the humans out of this, trough feeder!" Twilight snarled, her horn beginning to glow. "My godparents are humans, and you're not half the pony they are!" Sugarberry's eyes went wide. "Why you little-" "That will be all, you two!" Glory stepped in between the angry ponies, pushing them apart. "I deeply apologize, Miss Sugarberry! Twilight is just suffering from a little too much stress from the play, coupled with a lack of sleep!" "Hmph! I have better things to do with my time, anyway!" The guild master snorted., trotting away in a huff. "I would shower soon if I were you, Miss Shine! You've been hanging around those hairless apes for so long, their stench is starting to hang around you!" "No, Twilight! She's not worth it!" She started to lunge at her, but Glory held the pink filly back. "Just let her go!" "Uuuugh! I can't believe it!" Twilight Shine snorted. "It's mares like that that make me sick!" "Well, I can't blame you for that, Miss Shine!" Silver Swirl told her, trotting up to where the two unicorns stood. "We aren't exactly happy with her uppity attitude ourselves!" Twilight looked up at the other pony guiltily. "Miss Bonnets, I'm sorry, I'd didn't mean to-" "What, the lake?" Bonnie just shrugged. "Think nothing of it! I needed a bath, anyway! I just wanted to tell you how grateful I and the other guild masters are, you pulled off such a great show! You and your fellow fillies really did show you respect us and our customs, after all!" "Thank you, miss Bonnets!" Twilight smiled, feeling a bit better. "That great to hear, especially coming from a pony like you!" Off in the corner, Firefly and Applejack were talking to Bow Tie and Nightshade. "Wow, you're really cool for an earth pony, Bow!" The pink Pegasus complimented her. "If ya ever get tired of life here in Bright Valley, you should come join our group!" "Thanks, Firefly! I really appreciate the offer!" Bow Tie replied with a smile. "But I really don't think I'm cut out to be a harmony bearer!" "Now you take good care of this lil' filly, ya hear Shade!" AJ told him, smiling. "She really does care about you, a lot!" "Of course I will, Miss Applejack! I'd do anything for her!" He replied, looking over at his girlfriend. "Why I'd even make her hate me, if it'd save her life!" "Attention ponies!" Munchie and Yum Yum called out simultaneously. "May we have your attention please!" Every pony made for their seats with their trays, as the two guild masters moved up to the front table to speak. "We are very grateful-" Munchie Began. "...for how well this play turned out." Yum Yum finished. "And we'd like to thank everyone..." Munchie began. "...for all of their hard work!" Yum Yum finished. The audience applauded with their hooves, clapping them together as the two guild masters bowed. "Aieeeeeeeeeee!" All of the loud noise caused Poesy to run out of the banquet hall, and make for the little fillies room. "Don't worry, I'll go talk to her." Butter Pop assured the fillies, and trotted for the bathroom. It was just after she had left the room, that the two guild masters started speaking again. "And so it is, that we have decided..." Munchie began. "...to act on behalf of Bright Valley's welfare!" Yum Yum finished. Yum Yum suddenly stepped on a pedal on the floor, causing a swarm of ants to be released, and swarm all over the chairs and tables. W-where did these things come from?!" Firefly shrieked, trying to scrape the bugs off with her hooves. "Eeek! Get em off get em off get em off!" Twilight shrieked, as she and glory zapped the bugs with her horn. While the ponies were distracted, Munchie stepped on the other pedal, and sent a magical shock through each of the chairs, catching the gathered ponies off guard, and knocking them out. "Well that takes care of that!" The two sisters exclaimed in unison. Yum Yum smiled. "This little problem…" "…just solved itself!" Munchie ended. The three pony friends came walking in, smiling at their handwork in the room. "Looks like our trap worked like a charm!" Creamsickle laughed with fiendish glee. "These ponies will be easy to transport to Hydia!" Spunky chuckled, lifting the head of the unconscious Princess Cadence. "This was almost too easy." Kingsly roared, hopping up onto the table. "All of Bright Valley's authority, handed to us on a silver plate!" Sharpening her claws on the tablecloth, the lioness failed to notice the two ponies standing in the back. "Oh dear, this is awful!" Posey whimpered, as she and Butter Pop hid around the corner. "We're the only two ponies left! What are we gonna do?" "Now calm down, Posey!" The other pony told her. "I'm sure we'll think of something!" The yellow filly looked to her unconscious friends, and thought about how brave her friends had been, A determination spiked through the earth filly's heart, and she finally decided she had to act. "Butter Pop, we should take out those two traitorous guild mares!" Posey whispered, staring into the room. "We gotta save our friends… not to mention all of Bright Valley!" "Good idea, Posey!" The theatre mare agreed. "But we're gonna need a distraction to get rid of those 'pony friends'!" As if on cue, a white comet came sailing into the room, plowing into the lion on top of the table, and knocking her to the floor. "What?!" Kingsley snarled, pulling herself back to her claws. "Who dares!?" "Hey, uglies! I didn't expect ta find you here when I arrived late!" Surprise sneered, flying around the ceiling. "You leave my friends alone, ya got it?" "Why you stupid featherbrain!" Kingsley snarled, unsheathing her claws. "I'll feast on your entrails!" Kingsley leapt at the Pegasus, who simply darted out of the way. "Nyah nyah! Can't catch me!" Surprise zipped out into the hallway. "Don't just stand there, you idiots!" The lioness snarled to her companions. "After her!" The three animals tore after the Pegasus, and the two earth ponies suddenly saw their opening. "Hey Munchie!" Butter Pop yelled, running up and Tackling the mare to the ground. "Get away from that switch, you traitor!" The two ponies scuffled on the floor, while Yum Yum snuck up on the unsuspecting Butter Pop. She lifted a hoof, ready to strike the unsuspecting pony. "End of the line, you miserable-" BZZZZZZT! Posey hit her with a shock wire she had ripped off of one of the chairs, sending the pony into spasms. "Aghhhhh!" The mare shrieked, before collapsing in a heap. "I'm so sorry I had to do that, Yum Yum!" Posey exclaimed sadly. "But I just couldn't let you hurt my friend!" Butter Pop finally shoved her mane into the struggling mare's face, filling her nostrils with the foul butter stench. "Urrughhhhh…" Munchie groaned, before passing out. "Wow, I can't believe you just-" The yellow filly started, before a glare from Butter Pop shut her up. "Not one word, Posey! Not one word!" Butter Pop snorted. "Now come on, let's wake the others up!" ... Surprise continued flying through the streets of Bright valley, trying to stay one step ahead of the three beasts hot on her tail. Exhaustion soon caught up with her, however, and it wasn't long before she had to land in an alley to rest. "….I think… I think I lost them!" Surprise gasped aloud, barely able to stand. The filly quickly found, however, that she wasn't alone in that alley. "No such luck, girly!" Kingsley snorted, as the three pony pals cornered her in the alley. "Say hello to your horsemaster to me!" The lioness lunged at the white filly, only to have a pink Pegasus fly-kick her in the face. "Hey, gruesome! Get away from that filly!" She snorted, knocking Kingsley back against the building wall. "Firefly!" Surprise yelled. "You're all right!" The lioness and the mare vanished into a dust cloud- clawing, biting, and scratching as they went around and around. Firefly got slashed across the flank by Kingsley's claws, while the lioness got bitten on the tail by the persistent pony. "C'mon, we gotta help Kingsley!" Cramsickle yelled, as the other two prepared to jump Firefly. "Hey, get away from our friends!" Twilight yelled, as she and a few other ponies came rushing around the corner. "Good thing your magic located em, Twi!" Glory added, glaring at the pony pals. "Let's get em, girls!" Bow Tie scraped her hoof on the ground, snorting steam. Creamsickle charged the three ponies, only to have the blue earth pony spin around and kick her in the face. Spunky dove in to help, but had herself caught between the two unicorn's horn blasts. "Take that, you ruffian!" Glory yelled, as the shocked camel was held in place. "That's for shocking us, you creepy bozos!" Bow Tie snarled, kicking the small giraffe in the jaw. "Ack!" The two villains yelped, before crashing to the ground. The battle between Firefly and Kingsley continued, until the Pegasus head butted the ferocious feline, cracking their skulls together. "MROOOWWRRR!" Kingsley yowled, before stumbling, and falling over. "Take that... ya… big… shmuck….!" Firefly stumbled, before collapsing on her side. "We did it!" Glory yelled. "We won!" "Firefly, are you all right?" Bow Tie galloped over to her side. "Well, I'm glad that's over!" Twilight whinnied, letting out a sigh of relief. "I just hope the others back at the banquet hall are all right!"