"Pinkie?"
She was sitting at a table with a half empty drink. She downed the last of it before responding. "Yes, what are you doing here? This isn't your kind of place."
"It isn't, and I didn't think it would be yours either, but the Princesses need us. Can you stand, er... or walk?"
"Of course I can. I'm tough." Pinkie staggered to her feet and walked over to Twilight.
"I'll go with you. Out to the door," Grey said, following them.
She pressed up to Pinkie to keep her steady. Discord was eying the place. It wasn't that shabby. Nor were the girls. Pinkie looked the best in his opinion. Her hair was curled extra tight and laid over one eye. Her clothes hugged her new frame, though he still wasn't too keen on it. They were a dark blue shorts and jacket with sequins. Her sparkling pink lipstick was matched by her glittering pink eyeshadow. She looked nice but also different. Like a stranger. He couldn't put his finger on it exactly.
They walked back out the front door into the cool night air.
"Whoa," Pinkie said as the air hit her. She stumbled. Discord caught her and held on as she steadied herself. Then she brushed him off. "I'm fine."
"Are you sure? You look a little off to me. You also look very nice, might I add. I've never seen you so dressed up before. I like it," he said with a wink.
She blushed, "Oh you. Always the flatterer. I'm supposed to be having fun tonight."
"I know. But it seems you're going to have to put it on hold," he said.
"Might I ask, what is so, important?" Grey asked "You come to get her and we need to know why."
Twilight spoke up to explain, "It seems that a dragon is causing trouble near the base of Canterlot Mountain. The princesses need us to see why that is and fix it."
"Another one! What are... we aren't the Dragon police. We're the goddamn Elements of Harmony. Why can't she go take care of it herself or get someone else to do it? I want to get drunk," Pinkie declared.
Grey gave a wicked smile, "I agree."
"Yes, I know this is, rather inconvenient. But, as the protectors of Equestria, it is our job to help out in such situations. We don't know if outside forces are involved in this matter. From what we have been told, it seems this attack is very unusual. The dragon involved has never done this before," Rarity explained.
"Maybe he needs a drink. Cause I do. Or! He's having a bad day. Either way, it's not any of my business. Just send Fluttershy to deal with it. She'll look at him the wrong way and I don't know. Make it feel bad."
"Oh, I don't know. It might be something more than that. What if he's upset because he needs our help. You need to come with us Pinkie. It's really important," Fluttershy said, worried.
"Fine, fine. But you owe me... a lap dance. I was going to get one you know. To celebrate! So when we get back, you...going to pay for one," Pinkie said. She then started to walk off.
"It's this way my dear," Discord said as he lead her the other way.
Pinkie had started to sober up on the way to where to the princesses were. But, sobering up seemed to worsen her mood as she became more aware of the situation and thus, more annoyed. The other girls didn't talk much as they walked. Even Discord was quiet though he did peek at her every now and again. The doughnut shop was a cute place between a convenience store and a clothes shop. It was called Hay There.
The princesses and Spike were at a table with a box of doughnuts and cups of coffee. They looked to be having a pleasant conversation. Twilight hoped they had made sure Spike got decaf. The little bell above the door rang out.
"Pinkie Pie. It is good to see you. Your outfit is, rather creative," Luna said as they entered the shop.
"Yeah yeah, I get it. Now where is this dragon so we can kick its ass and I can leave?"
"This matter might need more than an 'ass kicking'. It is at a town called Peacham at the base of our mountain. You and the other Elements will journey by train to the station nearest the outskirts. Then, you all will have to walk to the home of the dragon. It will take an hour or two to get there and figure out the problem."
"Why can't you just teleport us or something? Or take us there yourself or I don't know, Do it yourself? This whole 'Saving Equestria' thing is getting really old."
"This whole 'Saving Equestria' thing is your job Pinkie Pie." Celestia declared, "It is your job as one of The Elements of Harmony to help keep this country safe. My sister and I need to be in Canterlot so the political and economic structure of this country doesn't collapse into chaos! I would love to take care of this petty matter but I'm busy figuring out such things as foreign affairs and taxes!"
"I'm… sorry. It's just..."
"Enough. The rest of your friends know where you'll be heading. I suggest you go now or risk staying up all night, Spike."
"Uh… yes Princess?"
"Come along with us. You won't be needed on this mission. And besides, I think it's past your bedtime."
"Ahhh, okay," Spike pouted.
With that, Celestia, Luna, and Spike walked out of the shop.
"Coffee? It's just how you like it," Discord chimed in. Pinkie took it and gulped it down. The cream didn't completely cover up the taste of espresso. "Besides, I partially agree with you. It would be good for them to get out once in awhile. Political chaos is a horrid stain on the good name of Chaos! And it's all they surround themselves with. No wonder they think letting things be for a bit would be so bad," Discord lamented. Pinkie smiled.
"I will keep your clothes," Grey said.
"Huh?"
"You aren't going out to a mission in those, are you?"
Pinkie looked at herself and realized what Grey meant. "Oh, yeah,"
"I could help you take them off," Discord happily offered.
"Aren't you supposed to be going off with the princesses?" Applejack interjected.
"I don't need to."
"Ya also don't need to help Pinkie take her clothes off. So get."
Discord chuckled like a little kid. "Fine. I'll go," he said disappointed. "But this doesn't mean I won't be doing it in the future. She did never say no to my offer."
He then winked at Pinkie and walked out the door.
"He wants to take your clothes off," Grey loudly whispered.
"Oh… shut up," Pinkie replied, blushing.
Grey had left them shortly after helping Pinkie dress down. The Mane Six then went to the train station and boarded the train. They had tried to talk to Pinkie, to no avail. She didn't say much more than a few words. She was determined to hold onto her grudge. To show them how serious she was about how they had acted.
They got to Peacham's station and walked toward the town. A guide was supposed to meet them and show them where the dragon lived. He was also to tell them more about the attacks.
They got there and saw a brown and tan pinto Pegasus. He was wearing a beanie over his black mane and had a bird as his cutie mark. He introduced himself as Overo.
"Oh! Overo, what are you doing here?" Pinkie asked, "I thought you were in Whiterston with Chester."
"Hi Pinkie. No, I'm here help out with the local swallows. They're having issues with formations."
"You know him?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yep, he's Chester's boyfriend."
"Who's Chester?"
"He's a dancer at The Cantering Stallion. He's pretty popular," Overo answered proudly, "But, what happened to you? You look so.. different."
"I'm on a diet," Pinkie said happily.
"A diet? But why? You don't seem like the type to go on a diet., he chuckled.
"What would make you say that?" Pinkie replied, offended.
"You just...don't seem the type. I can't really imagine you eating salads or celery. Like some valley girl," he said with a laugh, "I've always seen you with some sort of cupcake or candy."
"Well, I'm changing that."
"Are you sure that's such a good idea? I wouldn't want you to completely change everything. And you looked just fine before."
"You only say that cause you're my friend."
"No I don't. I'm not that kind of person and you should know that," he said, angered. "Let's just get you guys to the dragon. That's why you're here."
Pinkie's face burned as she looked away.
"The dragon started to attack earlier today. It wrecked part of the forest to the west of here. We managed to keep it away from the town but it could start up again at any time. We also have kept the fires back and only earlier tonight got them all out," Overo explained.
"So where is this dragon now? I'm ready to kick some ass," Rainbow Dash declared.
"It's three miles to the west of here. Follow the yellow tape to the burnt part of the forest and continue toward the mountain. You'll see a lot of toppled trees leading to a cave. Be careful when you get there. We haven't been able to evaluate the damage so a tree might come down at any moment. We also don't know how the dragon will react to you guys."
"We'll be careful. Don't worry about anything. The Elements of Harmony has got this," Twilight announced.
"Okay, I'll see you later. Just come to City Hall and ask for me. They'll give you directions to my house."
"Why would we want to go ta your house?" Applejack asked.
"So you have a place to stay. I've got plenty of room and it's easier to crash at my place than deal with a hotel."
"Oh, that makes sense. Ah guess we will see you later then."
"Goodbye, and good luck!" Overo called out as he walked away.
They called out a goodbye as well.
"Come on girls. We should get this done before it gets too late," Twilight said.
The group followed the yellow tape to the burnt forest Overo had mentioned. It was a horrible sight. The trees were torn from the ground with dirt still clinging to their roots. The brush had been trampled and ripped apart. Damaged limbs hung over them as they carefully maneuvering around the debris.
A stinging filled their noses from the pungent smell. It wasn't like that of a nice roaring fire but of burnt mulch and seared dirt. The distinct smell of wet wood also added itself to the unpleasant aroma. Fluttershy couldn't keep herself from wondering if any little animals had been trapped and forced to suffer the same fate as the surrounding area.
They got through the clearing and were lead towards the mountain. The path there was quite obvious with the grey ashes helping to distinguish the trail from the brown soil. They walked a ways until they finally got to the mountain side then another 15 minutes till they got to an opening in the rock. The destruction around the cave was more than what they had previously seen.
The area looked barren as if the land had been cleared and then snowed upon. The air still had lingering dry ash floating around but most everything looked to have been wet down at one point. The open land gave the entrance a more ominous feeling. They looked at each other, uncertain, before entering.
The inside of the cave was remarkable large. Twilight lit up her horn to light up the area. They neared the center of the cave and saw how the moonlight came in from skylights. The ponies tasted the fresh air the holes let in. There, in the center of the cave, was the dragon.
It was a very large purple dragon, with a yellow underbelly and yellow horns. Its eyes were a deep blue. The mound of gold and gems it sat upon was vast. It was clear this was a permanent home and not a rest stop.
"Ponies. What are a couple of ponies doing in my lair? I could eat you. Or simply cook you. Maybe I'll do both," he said.
"We're here on behalf of the Princesses and the townspeople. We're here to find out why you went on a rampage and tried to destroy the forest along with the town," Twilight asserted.
"A rampage?" He said. It made Twilight back up a little. "I have my reasons for doing so. Very good reasons. You see," he said getting up. "A few days ago, I noticed a couple of ponies. Much like yourself and those townspeople, sneaking out of my cave. I gave chase but lost them. When I came back to my cave–" He bent down to Twilight's level, staring at her face to eye "–I discovered a large portion of my treasure, missing."
He got back up and stared them down. They all leaned away from him.
"That is my reason for going on a rampage. And I intend to do so until I find the thieves who stole my treasure."
"Wha...What was so special about this treasure? If I might ask?" Rarity inquired.
"IT'S MINE!"
They all reeled back with a few collapsing on the ground. Fluttershy decided she should intervene before anyone got hurt. Dragons still scared her, but she knew she could be brave if meant keeping others from getting hurt.
"That all fine and good but this is the wrong way to go about it mister," she said having flown up to him and crossed her arms. "If you need help, we can do it. We'll help you find your missing treasure just a long as you don't continue burning everything down!"
He swiped her up in his claw and brought her up close. Everyone including Flutters gasped.
"Help me? Fine little one, you can help me. Even though I had lost the thieves, I had managed to surround the area with my fire. I believe my treasure is somewhere in that town. Find the thieves and bring them and my treasure back to me by tomorrow evening. The sooner, the better." he growled.
He put her down and turned around. They could feel the dismissal from his cave. They left the cave and headed back to town.
"This is just great! How are we ever going to find them? We don't know what they look like or even how many there were!" Rainbow Dash yelled.
"I understand ya. But we can't be letting ourselves get too riled up. We've got some varmints to root out," A.J. responded.
"I agree, dear. This is just dreadful. Thieves robbing a poor dragon while he's away! I would feel just the same if it had happened to me," Rarity said.
Twilight chuckled, “Yes, but your kind of rampage would be less fire and more screaming."
"Oh, I wouldn't put it past Rarity to add a little fire to her rampage. It'll be in the form of hot irons and glue guns," Fluttershy added. Everyone had to laugh at the image of Rarity rampaging through town with irons, hot hair curlers, and a gun glue.
"Yeah! I could just imagine her transforming into some horror story character like the old lady asking Who's got my rusty horse shoe?" Pinkie joked. Everyone was practically rolling on the ground at that point. A.J. was holding her sides.
"That is just too funny. Ha! Who's got my precious jewels?" A.J. said.
"Haha, my precious." Rainbow Dash managed to get out before falling into a pile of giggles.
"Oh, that is just going way too far," Rarity said in a huff. "Don't we have a time limit on finding these thieves?"
"Yeah, we do. Thanks for reminding us, Smeagol," Pinkie said. That really set them off. Everyone was on the ground laughing.
"Aah!"
It took them a few minutes to calm down and continue on. Eventually, they got back to town. It was around 3 am by then. They had decided that the best choice was to go to Overo's place and sleep until morning. Then, they would go out into the town and look for any leads.
The Mane Six walked to the City Hall. Amazingly, it was still open.
"I didn't think to wonder if the City Hall might be closed. It is late. But, I guess he wouldn't have said to go here if it would have been closed." Twilight stated.
The city hall was still busy with volunteers and city workers watching for any sign of the dragon. Others were discussing plans to rebuild the forest.
"Um, Excuse me, sir?" Twilight asked one of the workers, "Can you tell us how to get to Overo's home? We're staying with him."
"Oh! You must be Twilight. And the other Elements of Harmony. Welcome! He's staying at Mog's Inn. It's down the road, turn left at Seventh's Heaven. It should be right next to Wall Market. If you pass Sephiroth's Salon, you've gone too far."
"Okay, thank you!"
They got to Overo's house in a relativity short time. Pinkie wondered about the names of those shops they passed. It sounded like something from a video game. Twilight knocked on the door and Overo answered. He showed them to the guest rooms. By the time they got situated on beds and sleeping bags, they were all too tired to do much else. Overo assured them he'll set the alarm and they all fell asleep.