//------------------------------// // Chapter 16 // Story: Do you believe in magic? // by gcsmith //------------------------------// It was quiet and peaceful night, and in the little town of Ponyville everypony was asleep. Everypony that is, except for Pinkie Pie and her three friends: Fluttershy, Rarity and Rainbow Dash. They were gathered around a table in Golden Oaks library, in what could only be described as a makeshift war room. While Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash sat around the table - all three looking rather bored, tired and confused - Pinkie Pie stood at the end table's end. She showed no signs of fatigue despite the lateness of the hour and was clothed from head to hoof in full military garb, including full camouflage make-up and a tin hat decorated with twigs. The table itself was festooned with various pieces of paper - many of which looked like maps or time tables - and scale models of Pinkie Pie and her friends. "Alright you filthy maggots, I assume you all know why you're here?!" she shouted, accentuating her point by slamming her forehooves down on the table, knocking over the figurines. Before anypony else could react, a buttermilk yellow blur could be seen fleeing the room in the direction of the kitchen, a high pitch cry following in their wake, slamming the door behind them. The combination of insult, shouting and loud bang of hoof on wood causing the skittish Fluttershy to flee in fright. "Pinkie! What the hay did you have to do that for?!" yelled a rather angry Rainbow Dash. "I was just getting into character," replied Pinkie glumly. "And what character was that? Sombra?" asked Rainbow Dash. "Nuh-uh," Pinkie shook her head wildly. "I was just being that army pony from that film we saw the other night." "And which film was that, darling?" asked Rarity. "Well, duh.... the film we all watched together the other night you silly. Full Metal Jacket." "You mean the film which also made Fluttershy run away and cry?" stated Rainbow Dash. "Hmm, you might have a point there Dashie, I guess I was a bit of a silly billy myself. Back in a second." With her last words, Pinkie dived under the table, however, when Rainbow Dash and Rarity looked underneath the pink pony was nowhere to be found. Coming back above the table they both shared a look of confusing before finally sighing in unison. "Pinkie...." Both of them stood in nervous silence for a couple of minutes until they heard the kitchen door open, filling the room with the sound of laughter, and saw both Fluttershy and Pinkie walking out, both apparently laughing at some unknown joke. While Rainbow Dash still looked rather stony faced at Pinkie, still not completely forgiving her for upsetting Fluttershy, the sight of them both laughing couldn't help but bring a smile to Rarity's muzzle. "So, I see you two made up," exclaimed Rarity. "Of course," said Fluttershy, "I could never stay mad at Pinkie." She punctuated this statement by giving her friends neck a quick nuzzle. "Aww," said Pinkie, wrapping her hooves around Fluttershy and bringing her friend in for a rather large hug. "I'm grateful to have a friend like you, Fluttershy. And you guys too, Rarity and Rainbow," she said. Making sure to leave none of her friends out. The hug between Fluttershy and Pinkie lasted for several moments more, leaving Rarity and Rainbow standing around and feeling rather awkward until a rather ladylike cough broke through the tension. "Ahem, Pinkie, Darling, didn't you bring us here for something?" asked Rarity "Okie dokie lokie, Rarity, time to get back to business." A pink blur flew across the room, and almost instantly, Pinkie had moved from hugging Fluttershy to standing, once again, at the head of the table. Standing straight upright, her hooves resting on the table, a riding crop now, somehow, gripped between them. It appeared that she was once again in 'boot camp sergeant' mode. "Right you lovely and rather wonderful ponies," she said this time, a rather lot softer than previous and without the hoof slam. "I'm sure you're all aware of the situation." A yellow hoof rose carefully into the air. "Um, Pinkie, actually I'm not. You just appeared out of my bathroom cabinet as I was preparing to go to bed and told me to come to the library. I have literally no idea what's going on, sorry." Said Fluttershy. "Hey! No reason for you to be sorry, Fluttershy, it's Pinkie's fault for dragging you out in the dead of night." Snorted Rainbow, setting Pinkie with an angry gaze. "Fillies, fillies, please, I'm sure if you'd give her a second, she'll explain the situation." Said Rarity, bouncing her coif of hair with one of her pristine white hooves. "Fine... But hurry up with it, Pinkie," sighed Rainbow. "Alrighty," Pinkie quickly resorted the papers that she had knocked previously before continue to talk. "As you all know, Twilight and Applejack have both spent the day in Canterlot, both of them having their own meetings with Princess Celestia. As I'm sure you also know, they were both meant to have returned on the last train to Ponyville." Pinkie pointed her crop to a piece of paper displaying the train timetable, on which the arrival time of the last train of the day was circled in red. "However, as you can tell from the very Twilight free library, they did not arrive on the last train like they promised they would." Pinkie's eyes began to twitch as said this. "Now, since they would never willingly break a Pinkie Promise, I can only come to the ultimate conclusion that both Twilight and Applejack have been kidnapped. The Princesses as well probably." A loud Eep filled the room, as Fluttershy quickly hugged the ground, placing her forehooves over her head as she considered her friends being kidnapped. At the same time, both Rainbow and Rarity shared another look before Rarity turned to her now very worked up pink friend. "Pinkie, dear, don't you think you're being the teeniest bit paranoid? I mean, who would even be able to kidnap Twilight, Applejack and the Princesses in a city filled with Royal Guard?" asked Rarity, her face filled with a mixture of concern and pity. "Changelings?!" Pinkie suggested. "The Changelings were blasted all the way to the badlands by Cadance and Shining Armour, Pinkie," said Rainbow. "Really?" asked Pinkie, her face filled with confusion. "When was that?" "Errugh," Rainbow let out a groan as she literally facehoofef. "Pinkie, you were there." "Hmm, you'd think I'd remember something like that." There was an audible and repeated slamming that filled the room as Rainbow went over to one side of the room and repeatedly smacked her head against a bookcase. "Pinkie, surely you remember the royal wedding being invaded by Changelings and Cadance and Shining Armour blasting them away with a wave of love?" said Rarity, as she made her way over to make sure her skittle coloured friend was alright. "Oh that blasting away of Changelings..." said Pinkie, her eyes glazing over as her head was filled with vivid images of that day. "I remember that. I just didn't realize they were blasted that far, I just thought they were kicked out of the city. Those poor things, shivering and alone in the badlands with nothing to keep them company except all sorts of nasty monsters." "You mean like them?" asked Rainbow Dash. "They're not all monsters, Rainbow, that one who copied me during the fighting seemed nice for instance." Said Pinkie, pouting. "I mean seriously, how judgmental can you be?" "Pinkie, darling, need we remind you about how you reacted to Zecora?" asked Rarity. "Okay, so I overreact sometimes," said Pinkie. "But that's no excuse for blatant Changeling racism." "But you just accused them of kidnapping our friends!" shouted Rainbow. "Yes, but I didn't call them monsters," said Pinkie. The room fell into an uneasy quiet as Pinkie and Rainbow just glared at each other, neither understanding why the other was acting the way they were. After a couple of seconds, Rarity and Fluttershy could't deal with it anymore and decided to move the situation along. "Um, anyway, perhaps we better change the subject?" Suggested Fluttershy. "Exactly," agreed Rarity. "Regardless of your view of Changelings, I doubt they kidnapped Twilight, Applejack or the Princess's." "Then maybe it was Dragons," said Pinkie. "Pinkie, our friends have not been kidnapped." Stated Rarity "So, why haven't they come back?" asked Pinkie "Um... Maybe they got tired after their meetings and decided to stay the night?" suggested Fluttershy. "The journey is a couple of hours." "Thank you, Fluttershy, a completely reasonable suggestion." Said Rarity. However, Pinkie wasn't quite as easily pleased. She grabbed Rarity's face between her forehooves and smooshed the Unicorn's cheeks together. "Then why didn't she send a message to spike?" asked Pinkie. "Answer that, Rarity." "That's easy," Rarity struggled to speak with Pinkie's hooves squeezing her face. "Twilight realized that Spike would already be in bed given the hour and decided she didn't want to wake him. And, she trusted her friends to be completely rational and not overreact to her absence. Something which I now think was an oversight on her part given who one of a friends is." "And what is that supposed to mean?" asked Pinkie accusingly. "It means you're an irrational feather brain who always overreacts to the slightest thing." Answered Rainbow. "Or do you forget when I spent a week at the Wonderbolt Academy?" Upon being reminded about that particular experience, Pinkie's face went a bright red and she sheepishly released her grip of Rarity's face, causing the Unicorn to breath a sigh of relief. "Okay, so maybe I sometimes overreact. 'Sometimes'." Said Pinkie. "But, I still feel I'm right about this. My Pinkie Sense has been tingling strangely all day, and I don't know why, but something is wrong." The whole group collectively sighed, they were used to Pinkie's Pinkie Sense and knew better to argue against her in these situations. "Okay, Pinkie. Let's just say we agree with you, what's the plan?" asked Rainbow. Pinkie smiled at her friends. "You believe me then?" "Your Pinkie Sense has never been wrong before." said Fluttershy. "Alrighty then." Pinkie pointed to her notes on the table. "First, we'll need to travel to Canterlot. Secondly, we'll need to infiltrate the palace and find and, if necessary, rescue Twilight and Applejack. Thirdly, we find out what's going on and fix whatever problem they have." "Shouldn't fixing the problem technically be step four?" asked Rarity. "Perhaps, but maybe that's what they want us to do? Hmm, ever thought of that?" replied Pinkie. "Um... forget I said anything." said Rarity "But regardless of how solid a plan, you forgot one thing. There isn't a train this late, so how do you expect us to get to Canterlot?" "Oh you silly filly, by map of course." Said Pinkie with a large smile.