//------------------------------//
// 6: A Bird in the Boutique is Worth... 
// Story: Rich Soil 
// by Moonbat 
//------------------------------//

A Sack of Potatoes
Darkness.  Though the world seemed to consist of other things, right now all that could be seen was nothing.  This would be unsettling to some, but the one experiencing it found it quite relaxing.  No responsibilities, no worries, no demands.  For right now, for at least one moment, the world was at peace.  An uncomfortable peace, but peace nonetheless.  Except, there was a strange cramp beginning to disturb the peace.  All sorts of strange, cumbersome weights were making it hard to move.  After some shifting, some film that had settled became unsettled, turning into a cloud and making it hard to breathe.  A coughing fit broke out, setting off a chain reaction of coughing and clouding.  Then came the light.  The light rudely forced its way in, even though it hadn't been invited.
“Well, darn.”  A pegasus stallion lay blinking, sprawled out between a number of heavy sacks.  It was he who had “darned” the light's intrusion.  What had seemed like tragedy for him seemed to bring excitement to the owner of another voice, however.
“Hey.  You're not flour.  And why didn't I know you were going to be there?  You surprised me. That's new!  Do you know what this means?  It means I'm gonna have to... huh!”  The voice's owner ended her sentence with a short pause and a gasp, as if she had suddenly realized something.
“I'm sorry, who are you?”
“Well that's a silly question.  Especially because you're the one in my basement.  You must be a spy for the flour!  Ooohhh, that's sneaky.  Hiding in the flour, just waiting for me to not know about it.  Then you'd find the perfect moment to leap out.  Too bad for you that I know about it now!”  The owner of this new voice stopped to catch her breath.  The pegasus guessed that she hadn't actually stopped to take a breath since starting to talk.  It was the sound of her heavy breathing that lead him to come to that conclusion.  “I guess it's not technically my basement, but that's not important right now.  Say, doesn't your disguise need to be more... flour-y?  Unless you're using reverse reverse psychology, then it's the perfect disguise!”
“That's not what I'm doing.”
“So, you're saying it isn't, is it?  Is that it?”
“No... wait, yes?”
“It is or it isn't, which is it?”
“I uh... have no idea.  And I'm not spying for the flour, I think.”
“So you could be?  Oooohhhh, I get it.  You're their captive and they've brainwashed you into being their secret spy.  Just don't say the magic spy words, that will probably activate their master plan, turning you into a zombie for their whim!”  The pegasus' eyes finally adjusted to the light.  The face of the bright pink pony stared at him.  Her gaze seemed to drill down through him and tempt him to divulge his deepest secrets.  Let's see, his deepest secrets were, what again?
“...Okay.  I won't say the secret spy words?  I-I'm lost, though, I have no idea where I am or how I got here.”
“You know what you need?”  The pink mare leaned against a table that hadn't been there a moment ago.  She produced a file and started to file a hoof; she occasionally extended the hoof to look at it, and then retract it to start filing again.  “You need a friend.  Aaanndd it just so happens that you are in the presence of Pinkie Pie, Ponyville's premier party pony.  Oh yeah, and friend maker extraordinaire.”  She blew some invisible filings off her hoof.
“Where?”
“Why right here, of course.  Pinkie Pie, I'm Pinkie Pie, it's me!”  Pinkie Pie waved her hooves furiously.  She suddenly stopped when she realized what she was doing and how ridiculous it looked.  She giggled.  “Good one!  Have we met before?  I feel like you and I are friends already.”
“No.”  Pinkie Pie seemed to get more excited.  The pegasus didn't think that was possible, but what happened next assured him that it was.
“I, uh, have to go do something completely unrelated to meeting you!  Make sure to help Mr. and Mrs. Cake while I'm gone!”  The pegasus heard another voice outside his field of vision.
“What was that Pinkie?”
“Um, I need to go do something really important.  Is it alright if my new friend helps you while I'm gone?”
“Oh, sure.  Have fun!”
“Great to meet you new friend!”  Pinkie Pie ran over to the pegasus, shook his hoof.
“Uh huh.”
“You're silly!  Bye Mrs. Cake!”  Pinkie Pie giggled.  She then disappeared, leaving the pegasus upside down.
He groaned, shifted, and righted himself.  The face of a blue mare replaced the pink countenance that had been there moments earlier.
“Well, Pinkie left and didn't give you any instructions, did she?”  The pegasus shook his head.  “Well, don't you worry.  Mr. Cake and I will show you how to run the shop.  Tell me, have you ever run a register before?”  The pegasus shrugged.  “Oh my.  Well, we'll start from the beginning.  Here's an apron.”  The pegasus had an apron draped over his head.  Mrs. Cake tied the back.  He was then shown to the cash register where a yellow stallion with orange hair was frantically filling bakery orders.  The pegasus looked around.  He was in a bakery.  That explained the bags of flour.  How did he get there, though?  “Alright.  Mr. Cake over there will fill the orders, I'll take the orders and tell you how much they are, and you just have to punch in the amount here and take their money.  That's the fun part.”  
Without a word the pegasus made his way to the register.  After some figuring out, directions from Mr. Cake, and some receipts that Mrs. Cake secretly corrected, the pegasus started to get the hang of operating the register.
A lot of ponies of all shapes, kinds, colors and sizes came in that day.  The pegasus felt like his left hoof was going to have a permanent bend in it from operating the register.  By the time afternoon rolled around and the shop closed, the pegasus was exhausted.  He felt like wherever he was, he'd seen the entire town pass in and out of the shop.  The smells at the end of the day made it almost worth it, however.  He asked for a roll with a pecan on top.
“Oh sure, it's the least we can do for all the hard work you put in today.  Oh my, where are my manners?  I'm sure we already did this, but I'm Mrs. Cake, and that there's Mr. Cake.  He's got to go deal with the kids, but you come to the kitchen with me and we'll get you something to eat.  What's your name, by the way?”
“Joey Fleetwood.”
“Well, Joey, I sure hope we see more of you.  The shop's getting so popular.  I'm not complaining, mind you, but I don't know where we'd be without Pinkie Pie.” Mrs. Cake continued explaining all about the shop and its customers while Joey enjoyed a wonderful pecan roll and dinner with the Cakes.

Down and Out...the Door, the Wall, and the Window
Joey had flopped down on the bed Mrs. Cake had showed him to.  Sleep.  He really wanted to go to sleep.  The cellar had been uncomfortable and the day had been long.  Now he needed to... “Joey?  Oh Joey!”  … not sleep, apparently.  He got up, rubbing an eye with his hoof.  He slowly clip-clopped his way downstairs.
“So, what's going on, Mrs. Cake?”
“Hey there sport,”  Mr. Cake answered, smiling.  “Something came for you.”
“For me?”
“Uh-huh,” Mrs. Cake cut in, “and we think you're going to love it!”  She held out a hoof and shared a glance with Mr. Cake.  Joey wondered what was going on.  Looking down, he saw yellow envelope with a pink lining.  The unopened letter looked like a cake.   “Well, go on.”  Mrs. Cake was smiling now, too.  Joey took the letter and tried to open it.  As he did, the envelope itself unfolded once, then twice, then a third time.  Joey's sleep addled mind boggled, trying to comprehend what it was he was looking at.  Mrs. Cake snickered quietly.  The envelope was a card.  No, the envelope was an invitation.  Joey tried to read it out loud, maybe that would help him understand what was going on.
“To my new friend,
You are begrudgingly invited to Carousel Boutique.
There will not be a “party” when you get there.
Whatever happens when you do get there is in no way related to your first visit to Ponyville, or, for that matter, to becoming my awesome new friend.
This so-called not party is BYOC (Bring Your Own Cake) only.
Dancing will not be encouraged.
It will NOT be fun there, so don't even think about smiling!  There you go, smiling again.  I know you are!  Stop it!”  Joey had to laugh.  At the bottom of the invitation there was a frowny-pony drawn in crayon.
“Pinkie asked to make sure you left right away, so we baked this for you.  Make sure Pinkie gets to see it before it gets cut, she always loves to see the cakes... right before she devours them whole.”  Mr. Cake held out a box.  Joey was surprised.
“But you just met me, this is too much.”
“Oh nonsense.  You're like family now, don't cha know?”
“Are you sure Mrs. Cake?”
“Oh yeah, now you get on out there, have a great time, and say hi to Pinkie for us when you see her.”
“That's right!  And if you're ever looking for work, you did a great job today, we'd love to have you.”
“I-It's just.  Thanks, I mean.”
“Don't mention it.”  Mr. Cake lifted the box up and put it a carrier that strapped on Joey's back like saddlebags.  Joey walked out the door as the cakes waved goodbye.  “So, the kids asleep?”  Mrs. Cake smiled.  The door jingled as it opened again.
“I, uh, which way is Carousel Boutique?”
“That's right, you might want directions,” Mr. Cake chuckled.  After some directions, diagrams, and a number of hoof gestures, Joey set out into the night.
He started questioning himself when all of the houses and streets started to look the same.  Was it a left or a right at Wheel Barrow Way?  It was definitely a right.  Or was it a left?  Joey stopped suddenly when he heard some voices.  They seemed to be coming from his right.  Perhaps his instincts had been “right” after all.
“Huh, that was a bad one, brain.”  Joey set off to his right.

Just a few blocks away, guests were arriving at Carousel Boutique.  Because there were so many new friends, Pinkie had invited most of Ponyville, and a lot of Ponyville had shown up.  When Rarity heard another knock at the door, she did her best to put on a calm, collected face and trotted over toward the door, greeting her guests as she passed.  “Why hello Cloud Kicker, glad you could join us.  Oh my Golden Harvest, is that a new dress?”  When she opened the door she was ready to scream.  She stopped herself, however, when she recognized Fluttershy.  “Fluttershy, who are all these ponies?”  Zecora and Zoe pulled back their hoods.  “And Zebras?”  Ah diamond dog stepped closer to the door, shielding her eyes from the inside lights.  “And, diamond dogs?  Fluttershy, what are you thinking?  Are you trying to get foalnapped?”
“It seems we have picked up a stray.  She journeyed here from a long way,” Zecora offered.
“Can I come in?  I promise I'll be good.  It's cold out here.”  Rarity blinked, unsure of what to do.
“Pinkie Pie asked us to come, I think?”  Fluttershy added.  Rarity got a look of determination on her face.
“Why you fillies and gentlecolts must be our guests of honor!  Please, please, do come in.”  Stepping aside, Fluttershy let Zecora, Zoe, Shiny and Pen and Parchment enter the party first.  “My, my, Pinkie Pie was not kidding when she said new friends were popping up like Daisy's daises.  I don't know how many more guests we can take.”
“I'm sorry,” Fluttershy said, stooping.
“Not at all.  Besides, what would a friendship party be without the new friends?  These are just so many friends.”
“I'm sorry,” Fluttershy whispered.
“Don't be silly.  I'm sure we'll manage.  There's just so many ponies... I mean, er, ponies and zebras... ponies, zebras, and diamond dogs.”  Rarity rolled her eyes.  “Well, the only thing we're missing is a Griffon, oh, that's right.”  Pen heard Rarity talking at Fluttershy and trotted over.  Fluttershy looked miserable, she seemed to be contemplating that coming to the party was a grievous mistake.
“We can leave, if that's all right with you.”
Rarity's haggard expression melted, she her face lighting up.  “Not at all, dear.  Now, you march over to that punch bowl this instant and go enjoy yourself, I insist!”
“Okay.”  Pen and Parchment got Rarity's attention.
“Nice to meet you.  I'm Pen and Parchment.”
“How wonderful!  You must be one of the new friends Pinkie was talking about. Charmed.”
“As am I.  You look lovely.  I couldn't help but overhear you earlier, though.  It sounded like you were a bit overwhelmed.  Is there anything I can do to help?”  Rarity brightened.
“Why I wouldn't know where to begin!  I'm afraid I may have worn out my Griffon helper.  He is pretty gruff though, and I wouldn't want him hurting my China.”
“Do you need help setting a party table, perhaps?”
“You read my mind, Pen.  Follow me.”  The two entered a dining room that was adjacent to the main hall.  Rarity floated out a place setting.  “Now, you will want to start on the outside and work your way in.  First we have the napkin, then the salad fork, the dinner fork-”
“Followed by plate, knife, and soup spoon.”  Rarity was taken aback.
“Why, another pony versed in Catillion!  Where have you been all my life?  I though Sweetie Belle might like to learn how to lay a table, but I'm afraid she's much better at taking them apart.  Literally.”  The two shared a chuckle.
“I'm sorry, who was Sweetie Belle?”
“Where are my manners?  She's my sister, you can see her right over there.”  Rarity pointed a hoof into the main hall.  Pen and Parchment saw three young ponies laughing and playing together.
“Which one is she?”
“The unicorn with the brilliant white coat.  Runs in our family, you see.”
“I can.  Your coat is quite beautiful.”  Rarity fixed her mane with a hoof.
“Now, now Pen, flattery will get you everywhere.  Courteous and read in the art of manners.  Where have they hidden you in Ponyville all this time?”
“Not at all.  Actually I think it's fun to use my magic to set tables.  I'm not sure why, but I enjoy it.”
“Griffy!  Why did you take off the suit I gave you?  It made you look stately!  Come over here, I'd like you to meet a new friend of mine.  This is Pen and Parchment.”  The Griffon had wandered into the dining hall.
“Uh huh.  Good to meet you.”
“Good to meet you, too,” Pen and Parchment chimed.  “I'm sorry if I forget your name, though.”
“Please do.”
“I'm sorry?”
“Forget my name.”
“Well, between Zoe, Zecora, Rarity, Fluttershy. I'm sure I will.  This is turning out to be a great time, though.”
Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and a third filly ran into the room.  Sweetie Belle anxiously tugged on her sister.
“Rarity?  Rarity?  Rarity!”
“Yes, what is it Sweetie Belle?”  Rarity replied, keeping her composure.
“I wanna show Scootaloo and Applebloom what I made for you.  Can you go get it now?”
“As in, right now, right now?  I don't know, we have a lot going on with the party, and Pinkie isn't even back yet.”  Sweetie Belle's head sunk toward the floor.
“Okay.  It's just, I really wanted to show them the awesome thing I made for my sister.”  Sweetie Belle pawed at the carpet.  Rarity's face contorted for a moment. Their inherent cuteness seems to be an offensive weapon, as well.  Interesting, thought the Griffon.  He gained a deeper level of respect for these ponies that seemed to have no natural defenses.  Rarity let out a sigh.
“Alright Sweetie Belle, let's go.”  Sweetie Belle went from morose to rapturous in an instant.  
“Awesome!” cried Scootaloo.
“Hooray!” Applebloom shouted.
“I apologize, I won't be a moment,” Rarity nodded at Pen.
“No problem,” Pen replied.
Rarity made her way back to the main hall, three fillies in tow.  On her way to the stairs, she realized that everypony seemed to have disappeared.  The fillies, the phonograph, and herself were the only sounds being made.
“Hello?  Did everypony go home?”  Rarity thought she heard snickering.  The four made their way up the stairs to Rarity's bedroom.  The staircase was in the middle of the hall, so Rarity turned around to get a vantage of the whole room.  She stopped, astonished.
“Rarity!”  Sweetie Belle tugged on her sister.
“Hush!  Something's wrong.”  Rarity heard a sudden noise and shout behind her.  She looked over her shoulder and her eyes went wide.

Joey approached Carousel Boutique alone.  The voices he heard had disappeared.  Between the direction of the voices and what was left of his muddled directions, however, he stood before a building  that actually almost matched the crayon building on his invitation... sort of.  The fact that the lights were on, though, and muffled music seemed to be coming from inside.
“Must be the place,” Joey said to no pony in particular.
“Psst!  Over here!”
“Who was that.  Where are you?”  There was a giggle.
“I said 'over here,' silly.  Can't you tell?”
“Pinkie Pie.  Where are you?  Why are you whispering? Wait, why am I whispering?”  Joey's voice had gone to a whisper almost subconsciously.  “Hey,” started at a normal volume level, but a hoof suddenly muzzled him.  Pinkie Pie came around Joey to be in his field of vision.
“Sssshhhh!  I said.” Joey pulled the hoof away.
“You did not,” he whispered.
“Did too!  That's why everypony's quiet in there.”  Joey arched his neck to look past Pinkie Pie. Aside from the music, there didn't seem to be talking anymore.
“How was I supposed to know?”
“You weren't, duh.  Come on quick, all the ponies and zebras and diamond dogs and griffons (there's only one of the last two, but it sounds better that way) are all being quiet and hiding like I told them to.  They're getting ready to surprise us.  But we're gonna surprise the suprisers.  I guess that makes us the... suprisees?  That's not it.  The suprisists?”
“Pinkie!”
“Oh right!  Up here!”  Pinkie Pie suddenly started to float.  Joey rolled his eyes at the gigantic balloons that were carrying lofting Pinkie Pie higher through the air.  She giggled as she galloped in mid air.  The balloons slowly drifted toward the roof of Carousel Boutique.  Sighing, Joey slowly beat his wings to follow Pinkie.
When he had reached the roof, he looked around and sighed again.  There was no sign of Pinkie.
“Hey there!”  Joey gave a yelp as the voice came from behind him.  “You caught up!  Imagine that, a pegasus having to catch up with a flying earth pony.  Isn't that hilarious?”
“Pinkie Pie, I-”
“You're right, it's just over here.  Normally we couldn't do this, but it looks like Rarity had a fight with her wall and it lost.”
“Well, at least me eyes will get a good workout,” Joey mused as he rolled his eyes again.  Pinkie Pie and Joey entered the top level of Carousel Boutique through a literal hole in the wall.  The room was dark, the only sounds were Pinkie Pie and Pen, and the sound of muffled music.  The wind outside started to howl.  “Listen Pinkie, I'm not so sure about this.  I don't know what would I say?”  Pinkie Pie seemed distracted with something on the floor.
“And go!”
“Wait, what?”  Joey's world slowed down.  His hooves had been quietly clopping on wood a moment ago, but now his hooves touched nothing.  He cried out and tried to fly, but he was off balance and he hit his head on a beam as he flapped his wings.  The world turned upside down as he started to spin.  He thought he saw a large blur of white and smaller blurs of both yellow and subdued orange.  There was the distinct sound of tiny ponies screaming.
Rarity's eyes went wide.  With one deft motion, she brushed the three fillies out of the way (but not off the stairs) with a hind leg and danced her way to the other side of the stairs.  A pegasus went tumbling in between them all.
“Rarity catch me.”
“Wha?”  Rarity looked up and gasped.  Pinkie Pie was flying through the air.  The pink pony sized ball landed squarely on Rarity, who had instinctively turned around and held out her hooves to catch, what again?  The two of them followed Joey down the stairs.  Joey started to recover at the bottom of the stairs when Pinkie Pie and Rarity landed squarely on him, too.
Pinkie Pie bent the laws of anatomy and disentangled herself.  Jumping up, she shouted, “SURPRISE EVERYPONY!”  a battery of circus colored cannon fired confetti, balloons, and plush party favors all over the main hall.  The Griffon dove underneath the dinner table, taking cover from the ambush.  His head popped out from the table cloth a moment later, surveying the damage while one eye started to twitch.  Joey groaned, Rarity fumed from the ground.  Somewhere, hooves were clopping the ground in applause.
“Look mommy,  a zebra!”  One of the colts came out from hiding and pointed a hoof.  Zoe was in the middle of the room, a smile on her face.  She continued clopping her approval.
“That was wonderful!  Where did the cannons come from?”
“They're nothing special, just my standard '21 Party Salute,'” Pinkie Pie replied with a grin.  “Alright everypony, LET'S PARTY!”  The phonograph came to a scratching halt and changed records.  A repetitive tune came on with a heavy beat.  Those who had been hiding or seeking cover came out, somewhat slowly, and started to enjoy themselves.
“Pinkie Pie?”
“Yes, Rarity?”
“Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?  The fillies could have been hurt!”
“Don't worry about that, I'd never let them get hurt.  See, I put them on top of us and they rode us all the way down, safe and sound!”  The three fillies were dancing in a circle right next to the dazed Joey.
“That was amazing!” cried one.  “Is there a cutie mark for pony-riding?”  asked another.  “Check my flank, check my flank.” the third called anxiously.
“Rrgghh,” growled Rarity.  She huffed up the stairs, stopped at the top, and stomped back down.
“Are you okay Rarity?” Pinkie Pie gave her friend an honest look as her flustered friend stomped past toward the dining hall.
“Oh Mr. Griffon?” Rarity sing-songed.  The Griffon tucked his head back underneath the table cloth.  Spying the table cloth swaying suspiciously, Rarity's horn started to glow.  The table cloth swept out from underneath the place settings upon it.  Wrapped in Rarity's magic, it folded itself and put itself away in a cupboard.  Her horn continued to glow.  There was a scratching sound underneath the table.  The Griffon's posterior showed bright blue as it appeared from underneath the table.  The rest of the Griffon followed as he scratched at the floor, trying to get a grip.  Rarity floated him off the ground and turned him to be face to face with her.  “Do you happen to know anything about the massive hole in my bedroom?”
“No?  I mean, yes?”
“I see, and just when were you planning on telling me?”  The floating griffon shrugged.  “Do you know how cold it is up there?”  The Griffon shrugged again.  Pen and Parchment came to the rescue.
“You know Rarity, the Griffon and I could go fix it for you.  If not, we could at least seal up the wall.”  Rarity spun her head around.  The Griffon flailed as her magic towed him along.
“Why, you would do that for me, dear?  Oh would, you do that for me?”  She fluttered her eyelashes.
“Sure!”
“That's so generous of you!”  Rarity squealed and embraced Pen in a hug.  The Griffon flailed again as Rarity's magic cut off and he fell to the floor.  “You are a gem, Pen!”  Across the room, unseen to anyone in the dining room, Fluttershy and a small, purple dragon shared some angry looks and hushed conversation.  The rest of the party continued as the Griffon and Pen and Parchment made their way upstairs.
Pen and Parchment put some pins and patted the trap door while the Griffon found the supply closet Rarity had told them about.
“So, uh Mr. Griffon?  Did you see where the candle was?  Maybe a light?  Boy, it sure is cold up here”
“No.”  The Griffon found the closet and dumped a bunch of wood and nails next to the hole in the wall and broken window.  The Griffon stopped and kept his head erect.  The wind had picked up significantly.  “Feels like a storm.”  Pen and Parchment trotted over.
“I don't know about that, but it sure is cold.  Listen to that wind.”  The hole started to howl in varying pitches as the wind slowed down and sped up.  “Don't worry, though.  I'm sure we'll have this covered in a jiffy.”  The Griffon stood still, not responding.  “I mean, if both of us are working together, it shouldn't take long.”  The Griffon's head swiveled so that one eye was looking directly out the window.  “Wh-what's wrong?”  Pen and Parchment shivered and it wasn't just because of the cold.  The wind, dark room, and weird griffon weren't helping matters.  The Griffon's iris expanded slightly.  Some of his feathers began to stand on their end.
“We're being watched.”
“Say again?”  The Griffon looked at Pen and Parchment with his other eye and nodded slightly.  “Really?”  The Griffon rolled his eye this time.
“Don't worry though.  He's trying to get a better look at us.  Just a little bit closer and he won't be able to escape.”  Pen and Parchment looked through the hole in the wall.  All he could see was a small grove of trees near the outside of town.
“W-What should we do?”
“I don't know about you... but... I've got him!”  With a flurry the Griffon was suddenly gone, leaving a panicked Pen and Parchment, who, above all else, didn't want to be alone anymore.  He fumbled with the trap door for an anxious half minute until, in a fright, he broke it again like Pinkie Pie had.  He bustled downstairs, trying not to look nervous.  Ignoring a purple pony offering him a glass of punch, he marched over to Rarity.
“Rarity, the Griffon said he saw someone watching us.”
“Lovely to see you Pen, what was that?”
“Th-the Griffon, he said someone was watching us and he's gone!”
“Gone?  Where did he go?”
“I don't know, but we have to help him, quick!”
“Calm down dear, now I'm sure there's nothing to be scared of.  My, you're shaking.”
“B-But, I don't know if he's okay!”
“Well, then, let's go see.”  Rarity sauntered to the door.  Pen and Parchment trotted nervously in place, murmuring.  He didn't want to go outside, but he couldn't leave Rarity to face whatever was out there by herself.
“Rarity, wait up!”  He galloped to her.
“Please, please, everypony, continue the party, Pen and I have to look at something.  We'll be back in a moment.  Yes, Berry Punch, save those two glasses for us.”  As Rarity opened the latch, the door was taken by the wind and pushed in on it's hinges quite forcefully.  Rarity and Pen made their way outside.   Pen struggled to pull the door shut with his magic alone, but he managed.
“See here, dear?  Nothing there.”  Rarity gestured gingerly.  “Oooh!”  Rarity shivered.
“Um, I think it was... on the other side?”  The two made their way to the side of Carousel Boutique that faced away from town.
“See, darling? Nothing here, either.”  Rarity lifted a hoof and held her head high in confidence.
“I wouldn't call that nothing.”  Pen pointed a hoof and Rarity opened an eye.
“Oh my.”  Two forms were circling each other in the night.  The moon was partially hidden by the clouds, so neither form could be seen clearly.  Other than each other, Rarity and Pen couldn't hear anything but the howling wind.  Rarity galloped toward the two forms.
“No Rarity!  Wait!”  Pen called out.  He whimpered and followed after her as fast as she could.  He was scared he might lose her, but her coat took on a beautiful blue sheen in the moonlight.  She stopped suddenly, a short distance from the two forms.
“Who has the gall to interrupt my peaceful, elegant gala?”  Her horn started to glow a brilliant, bright blue.  Pen pulled up next to Rarity, gasping for air.  Rarity gasped.
“What is it?” Pen asked, nervously.  The two forms had stopped circling.  Pen saw the detail of the two forms very well in the light of Rarity's horn.  The two looked monochromatic, however, as Rarity provided the main source of light.  It as if, instead of gray-scale, Pen saw the forms in blue-scale.  What he saw was two griffons.  Not just any griffons, but he saw two of The Griffon.  As they turned to stare at Rarity and Pen, all four of their irises shrank, in unison, to the size of a pin.