//------------------------------// // chap 1 // Story: The 12000 Piece Puzzle Problem // by Ugly-Duckling123 //------------------------------// In a small town called Ponyville, there was a library. In the library there a small room with only one light in the middle of the ceiling. And in that room sat a Unicorn called Twilight Sparkle. "Almost there..." Twilight said picking up the next piece of her jigsaw and placed it in straight away. Suddenly a knock came at the door. Slightly annoyed Twilight went to answer it. "Hiya Twi, do you want to come swimming with me up at the pond?" Rainbow Dash, one of her closest friends, asked flapping her wings out side the library's door. "Not today thanks Rainbow," Twilight said. "I'm getting round to finishing that puzzle Pinkie gave me and that's my top priority at the moment." And with that Twilight closed the front door and went back to the 'puzzle room' named this after the first few weeks after Twilight had started doing the puzzle. After a few minutes of silence, and a long time of figuring out what goes where, Twilight had finally put 'Cloudsdale' in it's place. After a few seconds of silent glee, another knock came a the front door. "Um... Hello Twilight," Fluttershy the most timid of the six friends said. "Um I was wondering, that is if you aren't doing anything already, and it's not too much trouble... Would you like to join me and my animal friends on a picnic?" she said pointing to the picnic basket on her back - although Fluttershy was a Pegasus she like walking better. "Oh wow," Twilight said not sure how to say 'No' to Fluttershy, "I'd like to Fluttershy, but I'm busy working on something. I'm so sorry if I doubted you." "Oh that's ok Twilight," Fluttershy said neither sad or looking disappointed. "Sorry for bothering you." and she turned to leave, letting Twilight shut the door. Twilight was nearly back in the room when yet another knock came. "Why is it, the day I want to be alone, is the day everyone want me to be with them?" Twilight asked herself, taking in a deep breath before opening the door. "Yes?" "Well howdy Twilight," Applejack the co-runner of the farm Sweet Apple Acres said tipping her hat in greeting. "Just inviting you to the square dance and hoe down we're having up at the farm. Sorry it's last minute but you've not been around lately." "I've been busy working on something Applejack," Twilight said trying to keep her patience. "And I'm just getting around to finishing it, so if you please excuse me." With that she shut the door in her friends face and went back to the puzzle room. It was now around two fifteen in the after-noon. Now Twilight had... Cloudsdale, Canterlot, Fillydelphia, Las Pegasus, the Frozen North, the Crystal Mountains and the Crystal Empire, Appleloosa, Neighagra Falls, the Badlands, the compass and the rail way all done and in place. As Twilight was putting the 'sert' to the San Palomino Desert into the picture someone else was knocking at her door. "AAGGHH!" Twilight screamed as she carefully put the piece down, got up and stomped to the door. "Yes!" she asked taking in deep breaths. "Hey Twilight," a very excited 'basket on her head' Pinkie said. "Somepony new's come to town and I'm inviting everypony over to Sugarcube Corner to welcome them." she said surprisingly using her mane to fish out one of the inventions and handed it to her. "You coming?" Twilight looked down at the invertation... You are invited to a Pinkie Welcome to Ponyville Party to welcome the towns new freind. Place: Sugarcube Corner. Time: This afternoon 4 o'clock. Length of party: 2hrs. RSPV Pinkie Pie. At the bottom of the invitation there was a picture of a smiling, winking Pinkie Pie. Twilight looked back up to talk to the real Pinkie, to see she was gone. Sighing Twilight went back in, having the idea to change the 'open' sign on the door to 'closed', and went back to her puzzle. Step by step, piece by piece, by the ticking of the clock on the wall, Twilight was closing in to finishing the puzzle. She had now added Manehatten, and the Galloping Gorge and the Everfree Forest to it. Suddenly Spike came in to the puzzle room and saw how far Twilight had got with the jigsaw. "Wow Twilight, you're really coming on with that..." "Oh be quiet Spike, I'm trying to concentrate." Twilight snapped waving her hoof to the door telling her dragon to shut up. Because he was having one of his seven hour bubble baths, Spike didn't know all the problems Twilight had been having over her friends to finish the puzzle. Shrugging off the anger and words Twilight had just given him, Spike went to the kitchen to make her some herbal tea to calm her down a bit. As the kettle was boiling a knock came to the door. "AAGGHH! SPIKE GO SEE WHO IT IS AND SEND THEM AWAY PLEASE!" Twilight cried from the puzzle room. Spike did what he was asked and went to the door seeing Rarity on the other side. "Hello Spike," she said "Is Twilight in, it's just I've just gotten some new orders in that need sorting and I'd like her help." "SPIKE DID YOU SEND THEM AWAY YET!" came Twilight's voice from behind him. "Er... Yes Twilight," Spike answered back, then turning to Rarity said "Err... Today's not really a good one for her Rarity. She's just coming around to finishing that puzzle Pinkie gave her and seems to be getting very tensed. "Yes, I understand," Rarity said rubbing her chin. "Oh well better go and see if Cheerily can help, what with her school teacher experience. Goodbye Spike." she said walking away. Spike returned to the the kitchen, made the tea, and went back to the room. Seeing Spike, Twilight put down the piece she was holding in her magic and took the tea. "Thanks Spike," she said. "You always know how to calm me down." she said taking a sip from the cup. "I see you're nearly done Twilight," Spike said being careful not to move anything or make bit fall on the floor. "Yeah," Twilight said nodding taking a break from drinking to look over the puzzle. "You want to help?" With that Spike went about handing Twilight the pieces and she put them in there place. Until finally... "And that's the last one Twilight," Spike said smiling that he helped his friend out. "Er... you might want to check again Spike," Twilight said sounding annoyed. "What do you mean I can count and I can see there aren't any pieces... Oh...." Spike said seeing the piece that had Ponyville on it was missing. "So... Where is it Spike?" Twilight said the tips of her mane and tail starting to turn red. Spike looked all over the room, on the table, under the table on the floor everywhere. When he couldn't find it, he went back to the box and turned it over. "Erm... Twilight have you seen the underside of the box before?" Spike said after coming back from putting on his 'Twilight Tantrum' safety suit. "And why should I want to Spike?" she asked taking it. On the bottom of the box there was a smiling thumbs up winking draconequus. 'This product was made by your friendly neighborhood Discord. Hope you liked it.' Before Spike could even ask if Twilight was alright she got up went out side to the front door, and.... "DISSSCOOORRRDD!" She cried her mane and tail turning into flames eyes burning red screaming up to the sky. *o* In his own dimension, where he lived when he wasn't visiting Fluttershy of causing havoc over other dimensions, Discord, the Lord of Chaos and Disharmony, was on his back laughing the loudest he had ever laughed just enjoying the moment. "That's the best reaction yet." he said wiping a tear of joy away from his eye. Suddenly an alarm clock went off somewhere. "Celesta's nearly finished. Celesta's nearly finished." the bird said before going back inside the clock. "Oh goody." Discord said somehow now in a row of cinema seats wearing 3d glasses and holding a box of pop corn in his lions paw. "I'm going to need more popcorn..." he said flipping the channel to see Celestia only ten pieces away from finishing her puzzle.