//------------------------------// // Gather Your Forces // Story: The Check-Up Blues // by XSomeGuyX //------------------------------// Gather Your Forces “Twi-i-i-i-light!” Spike said as his purple unicorn friend galloped at full speed. “Slow down!” “Can’t now, Spike!” Twilight replied. “Who knows what Pinkie’s doing back there? We have to get back as soon as possible.” “Oh man!” the young dragon said, struggling to stay mounted on the unicorn. _________________________________________________________________________________________ “I’m glad you all could meet me on such short notice,” Pinkie said, addressing what seemed to only be her pet alligator, a pile of lint, a bucket of turnips, a stack of rocks and a bag of flour. “Anything for my best gal pal!” Pinkie supplied the voice for the rocks as she also caused them to bounce. “Why thank you, Rocky!” the pink pony said. “May I ask why we were called here?” Pinkie provided the flour’s high pitch, French voice. “Of course, Madame Le Flour,” the slightly crazed pony answered herself. “My friends are plotting against me! All because I don’t want to go to the doctor! We must come up with a plan of our own!” “Who do they think they are?” the collection of lint exclaimed, with Pinkie acting as its ventriloquist. “I’m glad that I have friends like all of you, that understand me,” the pink pony said. _________________________________________________________________________________________ “Lemme get this straight, Pinkie doesn’t wanna go to see the doctor. Did ya’ll try talkin’ wit her?” Applejack asked as she continued bucking apples from a nearby tree. “Well, Twilight did,” Spike answered as Twilight recovered from her sprinting. “I reckon we better round up the others, then,” the country earth pony said as her and the purple dragon began running down the dirt road that led to Fluttershy’s cottage. “Hey, Twilight! You comin’?” the unicorn’s assistant called to her. “I-I’m coming,” Twilight said as she lifted herself from the ground, only to fall back down. ________________________________________________________________________________________ “So does anypony have a plan yet?” Pinkie asked her “friends”. “Obviously, you shouldn’t be left out in the open,” Sir Lintsalot answered. “If there’s five of ‘em and five of us, I say we take ‘em head on!” Rocky suggested. “Violence is beneath us!” the bag of flour shot down the rocks’ idea. “If they’re coming to us, then perhaps traps would be the best way to go,” the lint said. “That sounds like a great idea, Sir Lintsalot!” Pinkie agreed giddily. “What does everypony else think?” “It’s much better than Rocky’s plan,” Madame Le Flour agreed. “As long as I get to face that Rainbow Chump that knocked me over last time, then I’m in!” the trio of rocks agreed. “Sounds perfect to me!” Mr. Turnip also agreed. “What about you, Gummy?” the pink pony asked her pet. A long silence followed as Pinkie waited for an answer that would never come. Finally, the toothless alligator swung its tail once, which Pinkie took as a “yes”. “Wow, Gummy! I never knew you were such a deep thinker! I’m glad you’re on our side!” _________________________________________________________________________________________ “Oh dear!” Fluttershy exclaimed in her soft, quiet voice. “I don’t know how I can help but if you guys need…” “Great!” Spike interrupted the yellow Pegasus. “Now, we’re just missing…” “Whew! Finally!” Twilight said as she reached Fluttershy’s fence, just in time for a certain blue, daredevil Pegasus to crash into her. “WHOA!” Twilight and Rainbow Dash yelled simultaneously. “Oh! Hey, Twilight!” the rainbow-maned pony greeted her friend after their collision. “Oh… Look…” the purple pony said as she struggled to stay conscious. “I found Rainbow Zash…” “Rainbow Zash?” Rainbow Dash asked. “What’s wrong with Twilight?” “Oh, she’s just a lil tuckered out is all,” Applejack answered. “Wait! Rainbow, we need your help with Pinkie!” Spike yelled to stop the wannabe Wonderbolt. “Pinkie? I’m sure you guys can handle her without me,” the blue Pegasus responded as she began flying away. “OH NO YA DON’T!” Applejack said as she caught Rainbow in her lasso. “Hey, what’s the big idea?” the blue pony said as she was soon grounded by the combined efforts of Applejack, Spike and Fluttershy. “Come on, Rainbow. We could really use your help,” Spike pleaded. “Fine, fine,” the athletic Pegasus gave in. “Can you just take the rope off?” _________________________________________________________________________________________ “Okey Dokey Lokey!” Pinkie said as she finished her drawing on a dry erase board in her room that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. “So here’s the plan! Rocky, you will intercept Rainbow Dash as she tries to fly in through the window.” “Yes, ma’am,” Rocky said. “Finally, a chance to get back at that losuh!” “Mr. Turnip, you will meet and stop Applejack when she reaches my room. Right here,” Pinkie pointed to the crude drawing of her room. “Got it!” the bucket of turnips responded as it received its orders. “I trust that you know what to do with Rarity, Madame Le Flour,” the pink pony looked to the bag of flour. “Oh yes, I know exactly what to do with that over-the-top fashionista!” the sack said as Pinkie’s hooves control its movements. “Ok, that leaves Fluttershy and Twilight,” Pinkie stated as she pointed at the drawing of the yellow and purple ponies. “I think you can handle Fluttershy on your own, Gummy. It’s a dangerous mission but I have faith in you!” Gummy only stared at her seemingly oblivious to her words. “Finally, we have Twilight,” Pinkie said. “She’s a tricky one with her magic, so we’ll have to tag team her, Sir Lintsalot.” “It’s an honor to be at your side, Pinkie!” the pile of lint said. “Now that everypony knows the plan, let’s get started!” Pinkie exclaimed. _________________________________________________________________________________________ “Oh, why does that pony have to always be so difficult?” Rarity asked as she was informed of the situation. “If I may ask, where is Twilight?” The three other ponies looked for the missing unicorn who was nowhere to be found. “Uh-oh…” Spike said as he realized that they might have left her behind. “I’ll go find her…” Rainbow said as she lazily backtracked. “We’ll meet ya’ll over at Suger Cube Corner!” the work pony yelled out. _________________________________________________________________________________________ “Ok, now all we need to do is wait for Twilight and Rainbow Dash,” Spike said as they arrived at the bakery. “We’re here!” Rainbow Dash yelled out, carrying the purple unicorn along. “Is she going to be ok?” Fluttershy asked, seeing Twilight spread over the floor in exhaustion. “Don’t worry, I’m sure we won’t need Twilight for this,” the flying daredevil said boastfully. “I got Pinkie out of there once, I can do it again!” The blue Pegasus then flew off towards Pinkie’s apartment while the rest of the group helped Twilight get back on her hooves. “I told her to slow down,” Spike said as Applejack poured a bucket of water over the tired pony and Fluttershy fanned her with her wing.