After Peachy Keen and the Crusaders entered the house of Rose Petal two certain ponies appeared behind Salad Top, their eyes watching her as she bought the tomatoes. Well, not exactly behind her since they were sitting at an outdoor part of the restaurant that happened to be just a minute away from Salad's location. And by restaurant they meant a cafe that served all sorts of jittery beverages and sugary foods that energized the public of Ponyville.
"What are you ordering?" Pinkie asked her new friend Wisdom as she flipped through the menu.
"I was thinking an espresso," Wisdom answered, checking the list anyway, "One that would give me energy so we could spy on Miss Salad Top. You?"
"I was going to go with the Mega Caffeinated Coffee with a dash of candy cane sugar," Pinkie Pie replied.
"They make those?" Wisdom asked, signing the waiter to come over, "This place is amazing."
"Yes?" the waiter, a brown coated unicorn stallion with a red mane, asked, "What would you like to drink?"
"An espresso with two shots for me," Wisdom answered, "she, however, would like..."
"...a Mega Caffeinated Coffee with candy cane sugar," the pink mare spoke up, cutting the stallion off as she handed the menus to the waiter.
"I will be back with those in a few minutes," the waiter said, taking the order down and taking the menus before disappearing into the building.
"He's freaked out," Wisdom remarked, "I guess he isn't used to dealing with you Pinkie."
"I can see that," the pink mare shot back, staring at Salad Top as she bought something other than tomatoes, "She's buying something other than tomatoes. Maybe garlic or some apples?"
"You can be sure to ask her when we question her," Wisdom said, stretching his wings before returning to normal, "I want to know why she's following Peachy and spying on my friends."
Why is everything so expensive? Salad thought as she looked at the prices of a bag of apples and other items, I swear, the last time I bought apples they were only three bits, but now they are four bits. And what is this that I see? The prices of all the items have gone up. This is making me ANGRY.
Salad looked down at her front hooves and watched as the color slowly began to change to the blackness of the Changelings. Quickly regaining herself she reversed the changes and was back to normal. She was glad that nopony had seen what had happened and bought what she needed quickly. She had planned on quickly walking back to Midsummer Retreat, but that was foiled by the appearance of Pinkie Pie and another of the blue stallion's friends.
"Hiya Chrysalis," Pinkie said, bouncing around the mare while the other pony held their drinks, "We have a couple of questions for you."
"I'm not Chrysalis," Salad proclaimed softly, "My name is Salad Top. I am most certainly not the Queen of the Changelings. Just a simple restaurant worker buying ingredients that are in low supply right now."
Damn it Pinkie Pie, Salad thought, if you would have just left me alone I could have learned the weakness of the blue unicorn stallion and captured his power for my army.
"Right," Pinkie continued, not paying attention to her protests, "keep telling yourself that. Now, we were wondering why your following our friend Peachy Keen and spying on her. And I personally want to know what your buying that isn't tomatoes."
"Like I already told you," Salad said, "I'm buying things that are in low supply at the restaurant that I work in. And it just so happens that both me and this Peachy Keen were in the same place at the same time. And what are you drinking?"
"Mega Caffeinated Coffee with candy cane sugar," Pinkie answered, "and Wisdom here is drinking an espresso. But enough about us, tell us why you are spying on the friends of Rocket Sky."
At least I know his name know, Salad thought, now to see if his powers are as great as I know them to be.
"Stop asking me the same question," Salad insisted, "I do not know who this Rocket Sky is. Nor am I spying on anypony who might be a friend of his. So please, stop asking me why I'm spying on Miss Peachy. We are in the same place at the same time and that's final. Leave me alone."
"Did you know that Rocket Sky has an impressive amount of magical energy?" Pinkie asked, as if it would cause Salad to reveal herself, "I noticed when I was on break that his power is great."
"I do not care," Salad shouted, turning on the annoying mare, "Let me repeat myself for the hundredth time. I do not know who this Rocket Sky is, I do not care how much magical power he contains, I was not following Miss Peachy Keen and her little friends, and I am NOT the Changeling Queen Chrysalis."
"Denial is a bad thing," Wisdom said, stepping in front of the mare, "but if you choose to deny the truth and instead accept the falsity of your lies you will soon lose what really matters to you. Never forget that my student and you will prosper well in the world. Come along Pinkie."
Wisdom and the pink mare instantly vanished as they turned a corner and when Salad went to check she was correct in her assumption. The ponies around them were confused, but assumed that pinkie was being pinkie and had made no real accusation towards Salad. She smiled slightly and resumed walking towards her job, wanting to get back to work so she could take her mind off of Pinkie Pie and her new friend.
"Think she'll do anything interesting?" Pinkie asked, sitting on a rooftop with Wisdom, drinking their drinks as they watched Salad Top.
"Its not that she'll do something interesting," Wisdom said, "but that she'll eventually lead us to the reason why she's following Peachy and the Crusaders. Besides, we can always spy on her without her knowing we're here. Now, would you like some sugar for this stakeout?"
And sure enough Wisdom had somehow summoned a variety of treats that would keep them going as they watched Salad Top.