At that very moment, hundreds of light years from Earth, a purple unicorn was getting ready to leave her treehouse library for the day. At least, she was ready, but her dragon assistant wasn’t.
“C’mon Spike, we’re going to be late for Rarity’s!”
The purple dragon came stumbling down the stairs, trying to slick back his spikes.
“I’m just trying to look my best for her, Twilight!”
Twilight rolled her eyes, but not in an annoyed kind of way. More of a ‘oh boy’ sort of way. Her horn lit up as she lifted him onto her back.
“Alright little Casanova, let’s get going.”
Twilight walked out of the library and locked the door with her magic behind her. It was a sunny day, a good one for a walk through the town to the Carousel Boutique. Twilight nodded in satisfaction, and set of in a leisurely trot into town. The multiple array of buildings in Ponyville were home to a large number of shops and service stores. There was Quills and Couches, which sold just that, quills and couches. There was the Sugarcube Corner, a pastry shop where one of her friends, Pinkie Pie, worked. Today she could be seen waiting table of the many patrons; Lyra and Bon Bon; The Doctor and Derpy; and many others. Pinkie let out a happy greeting to Twilight as she passed. Twilight waved a hoof, and looked at the other side of the street she was walking on. She could see a cloud house floating above the buildings lazily. It belong to her other friend, Rainbow Dash. Birds chirped overhead, heading to the outside of the town, no doubt heading to her fourth friend Fluttershy, who lived on the outskirts of town in her cottage near the dark and twisted Everfree Forest. Twilight hummed happily to herself. Today was the perfect day.
But as Twilight hummed, she had to do so louder and louder. There was a low rumbling gaining volume with every step she took. She stopped humming and walking. She looked around at all the other ponies milling about, but none seemed to have noticed the rumbling. She turned her head to look at Spike, who was still losing the battle against his spikes, but looking off into the distance dreamily.
“Hey, Spike, can you hear that?”
Spike snapped out of his trance and looked down at Twilight.
“Wha? No, I don’t hear anything.”
He leaned forward, and then he heard it. The rumbling was coming at an all time high. Even some of the other ponies had begun to wonder what it was. Twilight asked what was on everyone’s mind.
“What the hay is that?”
And as if on cue, around the corner ahead, a large, black carriage with red lining, drawn by four dark ponies with red eyes roared down the street, straight toward Twilight.
“Twilight! Get going!” Spike yelled.
Twilight sprang out of the way just in time, falling in the dirt, but didn’t see who the figure was that was riding on top of the carriage. She heard whoever it was, though.
“Outta my way, I got unfinished business here, and I want to finish it FAST!”
A loud pounding of hooves passed Twilight in her confusion, as well as the turning of large, darkened wagon wheels. Spike scrambled up off the ground and hid beside Twilight, peering over her at the street.
“T-t-t- Trixie!” Was all he could stammer out.
“I wonder what she has to finish?” Twilight wondered.
“I dunno, but it won’t be anything good, she must be really upset about what happened before.” Spike said as he clambered onto Twilight’s back again. Twilight shook her head.
“Spike, you know she’s just all talk, she won’t really do anything truly bad.”
“Believe what you will.”
Twilight continued on her merry way as she hoofed it down to the Boutique. Around her, however, ponies were pulling themselves together after the surprise of Trixie just up and returning unannounced. Down the dirt trodden road through town, the Carousel Boutique, the only fashion shop for miles around, probably the only closest one that wasn’t in Canterlot, but Canterlot was still pretty far away.
As they approached the door, Spike tried one last vain effort to slick his spikes over, then gave up. Inside they could hear two voices, one of them sweet and the other aggravated and annoyed. Twilight lifted her hoof and knocked on the door. The talking stopped until-
“Come on in, darling, just putting the finishing touches on my new dress.”
Twilight opened the door and stepped into the cool air inside the Boutique. Many spools and needles and sewing machines worked about, being charmed by magic, to repair dresses, suites, and other clothing, or else making them. In the back, the was a raised platform where none other than Rainbow Dash was standing in a frilly dress, looking the utmost disgruntled while Rarity trotted around her with a pair of scissors and a needle threaded with string.
“Or, at least,” said Rarity, “I would be finishing if Rainbow would just keep still.”
“You know I can’t stand this frou-frou garbage!” Said Rainbow, rolling her eyes.
“This is what you get for crashing into my store again.”
“It was an accident. I may be the best flyer in Equestria, but I’m still not entirely perfect.”
Twilight smiled. Same old friends. Maybe today could be normal after all. Spike had gotten down to help Rarity. Over in the corner, something stirred. It was an abnormally large stack of pink yarn.
“Uhh, what is-“
Rarity didn’t look up. “It’s Fluttershy, dearie. I must say, that whole business earlier with the stagecoach really frightened her.
Fluttershy poked her head up. “Is it gone yet?”
“Yes, it’s gone.”
“Oh good, I don’t think I could take much more.”
Rainbow pulled the dress and turned around to Fluttershy. ”C’mon, you shouldn’t be afraid of whoever that was, they were probably just in a big hurry for something.”
Twilight sat down on the couch that was nearby. “Yeah, Trixie did seem to be in quite the hurry.”
Everyone froze, then Fluttershy ran to hide under the couch, but was too big and bonked her head. Rarity went back to her work, but continued the conversation.
“Trixie, you say? Well, if she wants any business here, she won’t get it. Not after all the dreadful things she did last time. I thought I would never get my mane fixed.”
“Yeah,” said Rainbow, “If she’s got a problem here, she’ll have me to contend with, and this time, I won’t be so easily fooled!”
Fluttershy got up and sat down on the couch next to Twilight.
“Oh my, I hope she just leaves us alone. I couldn’t even imagine what she has planned.”
Twilight nodded, and they all sat in silence for a few minutes in thought. Twilight stood up.
“Well, I really must be going. See you guys later, then?”
There was a chorus of “OK, goodbye, Twilight!” and she left the Boutique, with Spike reluctantly on her back; he had wanted to stay. The sun was beginning to set now. All the ponies from earlier had either gone home or were packing up. Shop owners were ushering the last of the patrons out the door. A calm, warm breeze swept over, and all was good.
“Hold on Spike.” Twilight said, and as Spike gripped tighter, she set off on a quick trot through the town to her treehouse.