//------------------------------// // Plan A: The Decoy! // Story: Based on a True Story // by Shrinky Frod //------------------------------// “Twi, we really don’t need to do this,” Rainbow sighed. “We know you wanted to take us out there, but the cooks can’t be better than the Princesses’, and… well, it’s the thought that counts, right?” “Right!” Twilight grinned as she looked up from the parchment she’d been scribbling on. “It’s the thought that counts, so thinking more makes it more important!” Her left eye was twitching, her mane slightly askew no matter how much Fluttershy fussed about trying to keep it in shape. Both pegasi were having flashbacks to what they’d taken to calling the T-Word Incident, but they weren’t sure if drawing Twilight’s attention to it would help, or make things worse. “And that’s why I’ve drawn up a fool-proof plan to get us inside!” The Princess grinned broadly as she held up her parchment, covered in equations and notes that Rainbow was reasonably certain made no sense to anypony but the one who’d made them. Assuming, of course, that they did even to her. Still, better to play along than to ask for an explanation of the math. They’d be here all night if she did that. “Okay… so what is this plan?” “It’s simple!” Twilight explained. “They only serve couples tonight, so all we have to do is go in as two couples! We find a fourth pony who’d like to eat out at one of the most exclusive restaurants in Canterlot, wouldn’t mind doing so by pretending to be the date of a former supermodel, and understands that it’s only pretending to be her date! Then we walk up to that obstinate, hyperdogmatic, superannuated jerk, and right on through the doors of his precious La Romanetique!” At this, Twilight’s magic floated her pen into position at the end of the page, pointing at a stick-figure sketch of four ponies laughing at a dinner table while another looked on and pouted. Memo to self, Rainbow thought, get Twilight some art books for her birthday. Art critique aside, Rainbow had to admit… the plan wasn’t as terrifying as she’d thought it would be. “That… sounds like it could work. So, who do you have in mind as our extra ‘date’?” “Oh, that’s not important, they just need to be single and dressed well enough to not get thrown out,” Twilight shrugged with a dismissive wave of her hoof. “I’ll go find somepony!” With that, she trotted off around the corner, looking as much like she was trying to find a lost dog as a decoy date. “I’m not so sure about this idea,” Fluttershy admitted. “Yeah… now that she’s shown how much attention she’s giving the little details in it, I’m not so sure either,” Rainbow frowned. “Look, Fluttershy, if she comes back with somepony you can’t stand, I’ll take your place in the plan, okay?” “Oh, but Rainbow, you’ve been with Twilight the least amount of time!” Fluttershy protested. “You really should –“ “By all of two months, Fluttershy,” Rainbow pointed out. “Besides, for all we know she’s going to come back with somepony who can’t keep their hooves to themselves!” “Eep!” Fluttershy squeaked almost inaudibly. “B-bu-bu-but… Twilight wouldn’t do that!” “Not on purpose, no!” Rainbow agreed. “But come on, she’s out looking for anypony who isn’t a bum right now. She’s not really thinking this through… man, that sounds really weird to say about Twilight,” she pondered. “I’m really starting to worry about her and her check lists.” “Well, if this works out, we should be okay,” Fluttershy promised, reaching over to stroke Dash’s back gently with a wing. “As long as she doesn’t pick somepony like–“ “Flootershy!” An all-too familiar voice boomed out from around a corner. “It really is you, mein falter!” ”Oh no!” Fluttershy gasped, pupils rapidly shrinking to the size of pinpricks. The two pegasi whipped their heads around to look at Twilight as she led Photo Finish down the street towards them, the white-haired photographer breaking into a bouncing prance as she saw Fluttershy. Somewhere deep in her mind, Rainbow was reminded of Pinkie doing the same thing to follow her throughout Ponyville and its surroundings. The sight brought back ancient stirrings of a primeval terror, something known all too well to her prehistoric ancestors as a harbinger of inescapable doom. “I had thought ze Princess was not serious when she said zat you ver here!” Photo Finish carried on. “Vhere haf you been? Vhy did you qvit? Vhy didn’t you return mein letters?” By now, she was within one or two bounces. Rainbow moved to place herself between the photographer and the former model, but she miscalculated where she would have to stand. Photo’s next bounce carried her easily up and over the startled flyer, and even closer to her prey. Fluttershy, who had been staring at her oncoming destruction and trembling the whole time, did the only thing that her frozen mind could process. She flapped her wings, and shot off into the skies of Canterlot, leaving the three of them behind. “Nein, mein falter!” Photo Finish wailed into the night sky. “You cannot leaf me again! Can’t you see? We were meant to be together!” She took off, following after the slowly shrinking yellow-and-pink speck in the sky, leaving Twilight and Rainbow behind to try and figure out what exactly had happened. “We chase?” Rainbow asked, flaring her wings and getting ready to take off. Twilight sighed and assumed the position as well. “We chase.” The two of them took off, twin streaks of light behind them as they trailed the dwindling pleas of a Germane madmare.