“Oh no, no, I’m not getting out of the library, if somepony see me like this I’ll be the town’s laughing stock for weeks!" Rarity whined, receiving weary sighs from the older mares in the room.
"She’s right. If we go out in public like this, everypony’ll laugh at us!" elaborated Applejack as she crossed her forelegs defiantly.
"We’re not willing to go out and be recognized by somepony else either,” Applebloom explained looking down at her sister, "But hey, they won’t be starin’ at any of y’all. They’ll be starin’ at the three full grown mares WITHOUT Cutie Marks. So don’t worry sis, ponies won’t even bother to glance at ya.”
"Nice try Applebloom," Twilight growled, scowling at the mare. "An alicorn filly that looks just like one of the Princesses is sure to grab ponies’ attentions! I’m not going out, I—“
"Come on Twilight," Sweetie Belle chimed, deliberately interrupting the little filly’s bemoaning, "You know that we have to go out in public at some point. Don’t worry; it would only be a few minutes. We’ll just go outside, eat some lunch, and then head back to the library. It won’t be so bad, will it?" she said. Twilight tilted her head to the side slightly in befuddlement.
"I don't know…it’s just that—“ Twilight quieted as soon as she saw Spike’s piercing glare.
"Either way," Spike spoke up, looking at Twilight disapprovingly, "What Sweetie’s saying is that we all have to give our own little sliver of a sacrifice; it's just one walk through town. I guarantee that we’ll finish it in a heartbeat!" Spike assured, looking at the fillies and receiving nods of approval from the group of mares.
"Okay," Twilight said, "We can do this, right girls? It can't be that difficult," She said, getting slightly worried, collective nods of agreement from her friends.
"Fine," Applejack sighed in defeat, "But where are we supposed to go first?"
A little pink blob appeared, crashing into the three adult mares.
"Ooh! Ooh! I know a place where we could eat delicious ultra-tasty food! In fact, I just so happen to work there, or well ‘worked’ there since I’m a filly now," Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing up and down ceaselessly, “It’s Sugarcube Corner of course! I’m sure that Mrs. and Mr. Cake will extremely happy to see me! I could play with Pound and Pumpkin and—"
"Alright, alright Pinkie, we got it," Scootaloo muttered, covering Pinkie's mouth with her hoof. "We'll go to Sugarcube Corner. It’s not too far from here anyway. Now, let's get going." Scootaloo ran towards the door and was about to open it, only to hear muffled peals of laughter coming from her fellow crusaders.
"What's so funny?" the orange coated mare asked, stomping the ground with her hoof.
"Scoots, how are we going to pay?” Sweetie Belle asked, repressing her giggles once again.
"Oh... right. I knew I was forgetting something!" Scootaloo exclaimed, clapping her hoof to her forehead as her wings fluttered fretfully. Pleased, Sweetie levitated a bag full of bits into the alight green miasma known as her magical telekinetic grasp and beamed at her friends,
"Now, let's go."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
For the inhabitants of Ponyville, it wasn't unusual that strange things happened in town that made the town’s code enforcement appellate the Everfree forest as a prohibited border indeed. Manticores, Hydras, Cockatrices, Ursas, Timberwolves — and believe me, the list goes on — had attacked the town countless times, starting from the time of Celestia and Luna’s ancestors’ births to the eternal now.
With that being said, another magical disaster caused by Equestria’s newest princess wasn't going to stop the day, but not without a price. The whole town erupted into peals of laughter as six small fillies (one being an alicorn and looking strangely similar to Princess Twilight Sparkle), three grown mares with flanks barren of cutie marks, and a large, scaly dragon.
"Awww man, this is soooo embarrassing, and soooo not cool," Rainbow Dash moaned, hiding behind Scootaloo's back legs. The former loosed a chuckle at the sight of her idol whose cheeks were an unhealthy shade of red crouching behind her.
"I agree Rainbow, this is the WORST. POSSIBLE. THING! My reputation is ruined forever!!" Rarity whimpered plaintively. She gazed up at her now older sister with pleading eyes. "Sweetie... can I go back to the library pleeeease?" she asked with large puppy eyes.
Sweetie Belle giggled at how cute her sister was now. She put on a firm facade and said sternly, "No Rarity. We all have to play our parts in our bout of humiliation. It’s not like their laughter is doing any harm.”
"Still, this is awful," Twilight pouted, looking expectantly at Spike, "Spiiiike, can you carry me pleeeease? Everypony is looking at me and laughing!" the little filly implored, hugging Spike’s leg.
"Argh, Twilight, let go of me!" Spike demanded, shaking his leg repeatedly in an attempt to loosen her clasp on him, but Twilight held strong iron-like grip on his leg and squeezed it tightly, making him yelp in discomfort. Defeated, he sighed.
"Alright, I'll carry you. Now quit whining," Spike mumbled, hoisting his 'sister' up into his arms and putting placing her atop his broad shoulders.
“Yay!” Twilight squealed at the sudden height and wrapped her arms around Spike's neck, "Now, your princess needs to eat, serve her the fanciest of meals!" Twilight ordered with mock queenly authority, making Applebloom and Scootaloo burst out laughing.
"Hey, it wasn’t that, funny…was it?” the lavender Alicorn filly asked, looking at the laughing mares that were still laughing in confusion and slight irritation. "Stop laughing!!That is an order! I mean it! I'm not joking!” Twilight commanded, not even bothering to hide the desperation in her voice. When she couldn't handle anymore, she leapt off Spike’s shoulders and spread her wings in flight.
"Twilight!!" Spike bellowed as he saw the lavender filly flying off with the locomotion and speed of a young Pegasus. "Come back here right now!" he ordered, looking frantically skywards in search of the blue maned filly.
"No need to worry Spike," Rainbow assured, opening her wings, "I'll go get ‘er!” She prepared to take flight when Scootaloo put her hooves on the rainbow-maned filly’s shoulders.
"No, Rainbow! You could easily get lost! We don't even know where Twilight’s gone off to. We have to start looking for—" Scootaloo was interrupted by little Pinkie who was jabbing her hoof in the direction of Sugarcube Corner.
"Argh, alright Pinkie, we’ll eat something first, and then we'll look for Twilight." Scootaloo sighed, earning exciting nods from both the fillies and mares. Everypony started trotting towards the entrance…well, everypony but Spike, who was still looking up at the sky. Applebloom sensed his absence and cranked her neck around.
"Come on Spike, we'll look for her later, okay? Ah don’t want to be stuck haulin’ around all these hungry fillies while lookin’ for Twi." Applebloom said tartly, opening the door for the fillies.
Spike retaliated by giving Applebloom a glare that could melt steel, "How could you say THAT!?" the dragon retorted, evident anger and contempt dripping from his words, "We don't know where Twilight is…at this point she could be ANYWHERE!! She could be in the Everfree and is being eaten by a Manticore, or... or…she could be ponynapped, for Celestia's sake!! We need to go look for her!”
"Looking for who?" A familiar voice giggled. The yellow mare and dragon whirled around and saw Twilight, who was gliding above them with a big grin on her face.
"TWILIGHT!! Where were you??" Spike shouted, visibly relieved yet audibly angry, "We've been so worried about you!”
"Spike... I've been living in Ponyville for four years by now, I think I know the place as the back of my own hooves," Twilight answered, rolling her eyes.
"That’s.... shoot…I forgot about that," Spike replied with a sheepish smile.
"Anyways," Twilight folded her wings and gently lowered herself to the ground, successfully landing. "What's for breakfast?" She chirped.
As the group entered the confectionery shop, Rainbow nudged Twilight with her wing and whispered to her in a hushed, yet somewhat harsh voice,
"Where were you??" Rainbow asked through a clenched jaw.
Twilight replied with a not-so-innocent smile and said, "Rainbow, you love a good prank, don't you?"
Rainbow looked dumbfounded for a brief moment before she managed to get the words out of her throat.
"Umm…yes, yes I do. Why do you ask?" The blue filly couldn't help but notice that a small red bottle labeled “Hot Sauce” was tucked underneath the alicorn’s wing.
"No reason," Twilight said with a gigantic grin. Rainbow copied her and the two proceeded to giggle like little schoolfillies.
When they reached their respective table, the ground saw Pinkie chatting animatedly with the Cakes.
The two avid bakers displayed a slack-jawed, wide-eyed expression of utter shock seeing their number one employee as a filly; not to mention that this Pinkie Pie had more energy and effervescence than the adult version, her limits of foalish imagination knowing no bounds. That was something that nopony — in all of Equestria — thought was possible.
Next to her, Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy were commenting on the food while at the other table Scootaloo was lustfully eyeing a berry-glazed cupcake on the counter. The orange Pegasus licked her lips hungrily in anticipation.
Then Spike and Sweetie Belle arrived with a large dish that was filled to the top with muffins, pancakes, and orange juice. Drool dripped from the fillies’ mouths as they watched the plate in awe.
"Well, this is it, try not to choke on any of it!" Spike said with a chuckle.
At once, the fillies and mares leapt forward, attacking the food fiercely, while starting an animated and friendly chat among them.
While the 'adults' feasted on their meal, two certain little pranksters saw their golden opportunity; Twilight nudged Rainbow Dash, and motioned for her to distract the others while Twilight snuck over to Sweetie's muffin.
"Hey guys, look at that!!" Rainbow shouted, pointing to the window; everypony turned their heads. Twilight took advantage of the situation and quickly accomplished her mission, covering the confection with the spicy substance.
"What is it Dash?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow, "I don' see anythin’."
"Oh nevermind, you were too slow to watch it," Rainbow explained, barely suppressing a giggle.
The mares plus dragon dismissed the sudden interruption with a shrug; meanwhile, Rainbow joined Twilight at the children’s table.
"Did you make it?" Rainbow whispered, eyeing Twilight suspiciously.
"Of course, who y'think you're talking to?" Twilight stated proudly.
"Ummm, I'm talking to an Egghead?" Rainbow retorted looking smugly how Twilight’s cheeks pinked.
"You take that back RAINBOW CRASH!! I'm NOT an EGGHEAD!" Twilight replied, levitating the bottle of hot sauce dangerously close to Rainbow and dangling it in her face.
Retreating from the bottle’s path, Rainbow said, "Geez, calm down Twi, I was just kidding! Why don't we see how our amazing prank is going?"
"Fiiine," Twilight said, her anger cooling down, but they didn't notice the yellow Pegasus filly that was eavesdropping in on their conversation.
Fluttershy turned to the other table, and (as usual) tried to not be noticeable as she called for Sweetie Belle.
"Umm, Sweetie?" Fluttershy whispered, but Sweetie was too inside the conversation to listen her.
"So, Spike was looking at the sky like a madman, searching for Twilight," Scootaloo said.
"And when I told him that we were going to look for Twilight later he was like 'Applebloom, why are you so calm about this, Twilight is lost, I’m gonna cry'," Applebloom jibed, mimicking Spike's voice while the Crusaders burst out in a fit of laughter.
"Not cool, Applebloom. I was just worried about her, she... well, she's just a filly!" Spike bit back, glaring daggers at the ever-still laughing mares.
Sweetie continued the discussion, but she didn't notice the soft tugging on her coat, and the small Pegasus trying to earn her attention.
"Sweetie, please, could you pay attention to me, if it's no much bother…" Fluttershy peeped in a voice so quiet it was barely audible, tugging Sweetie’s snow white coat.
"What is it Fluttershy?" Sweetie asked, levitating her muffin towards her mouth.
"Sweetie, you shouldn't — " Fluttershy couldn't finish the sentence because Sweetie had taken the first bite at the confection; suddenly, tears begin to leak from the unicorn’s eyes and her cheeks were heated with a crimson blush.
"What's wrong Sweetie?" Applebloom asked in concern, seeing that the white coated mare stood completely still, with tears rolling down her cheeks.
"AHHHHH! What the BUCK is this!?" Sweetie screamed, grabbing a glass of orange juice and downing it in an instant. The ponies at the table looked on with dumbfounded expressions at the obscene profanity that Sweetie had just used.
"I was trying to tell you…but — " Fluttershy stopped at mid-sentence due to the intense glare that Sweetie Belle was giving her.
"Trying to tell me what?" Sweetie asked, anger filling her words. Fluttershy sunk in her seat and hid behind her pink mane.
"Twilight and Rainbow Dash put hot sauce on your muffin," the yellow filly replied in a soft whisper.
"I couldn't quite catch that."
"Twilight and Rainbow Dash put hot sauce in your muffin!" The Pegasus answered, still too horrified to move.
Sweetie, without saying a word, got up and walked towards the children’s table, where Twilight and Rainbow were laughing their heads off.
"Did you see her face!?" Twilight said between chortles.
"It was priceless!! Oh my gosh Twilight, you really did it this time!" Rainbow Dash replied with a chuckle.
"Uh oh, Dash, Sweetie's coming, Sweetie's coming!! Poker faces, NOW!" Twilight said worriedly.
The two fillies sat down properly in their seats, and plastered serious deadpan expressions on their faces, while receiving odd looks from the other fillies at the table.
"Twilight, Rainbow, may I talk to you in private?" Sweetie asked in a low voice, eyeing the fillies.
"Umm, I don't know Sweetie, we’re still eating and..." Twilight winced when she saw the hardened expression of the white coated mare.
"Alright, we'll go... come on Twi," Rainbow muttered, looking at her partner.
The two fillies plus mare walked outside the sweet shop, with their heads hanging low; when they exited the building Sweetie scowled at the guilty fillies.
"What did you two think you were doing?!" Sweetie roared, making the fillies flinch in shock, "You cannot take advantage of our situation. This is no funny business!"
"Well, you made a funny face!" Rainbow replied, and Twilight continued for her "And you were making fun of me earlier, sooo, now we're even!"
Sweetie glared menacingly at the fillies, "We were KIDDING, this isn't a game —"
She stopped her shouting when she saw that Applebloom, Scootaloo and Spike exited the store.
"What th’ hay is goin' on here Sweetie?" Applebloom asked, looking at the sad looking fillies in confusion.
"Well, this two little devils put hot sauce in my muffin!" Sweetie huffed, glaring daggers at Spike who was stifling his laughter.
Applebloom punched Spike in the arm and looked at him in disappointment. "That ain't funny Spike; they should apologize to Sweetie…right now."
"Yeah... Twilight, Rainbow, although it was just a harmless prank, you have to apologize."
Twilight sighed in defeat while Rainbow just rolled her eyes, "Okay, I’m sorry for pranking you Sweetie," Twilight mumbled, looking down at the ground.
"Yeah, what she said," Rainbow parroted, avoiding Sweetie's gaze.
"Beg ya Pardon?" Applebloom teased.
"Argh, alright, I'm sorry Sweetie!" Rainbow answered, pouting.
The other four fillies that were watching the spectacle were laughing their flanks off; Applejack and Rarity were giggling to themselves while Pinkie was, as always, jumping without a care, and the only one who wasn't laughing was Fluttershy, who was looking at the ground in shame.
"Okay," Scootaloo started, "Now that our hunger’s sated, we can go back to the library and search for a cure."
"Umm, Scootaloo," Twilight announced, raising her hoof. "I have an idea!"
"Yes Twilight? What is it?"
"We should go to Zecora's! She’s a master at potion-making; she might have a cure for this!" she said, pointing at herself and the others.
"Alright, I see your point, but if we want to get to her hut before noon, we should get going." Spike mused as he began walking again.
"Sooo…Th-this means another dreadful, awful, reputation-ruining walk through town?" Rarity groaned. “Oh, this is simply wonderful, now Zecora will have the chance to laugh at us!"
"Ohhh Rarity, Zecora is a professional, remember the Poison Joke incident? She didn’t laugh at us, and we were pretty hysterical-lookin’ that one time," Applejack assured, patting the blue maned filly’s back.
"Well, let’s get going, shall we?" Rainbow Dash cheered, looking at the mares with a grin. The group began to walk, with the adults in the front and the fillies behind. As the walk commenced, Twilight and Rainbow approached Fluttershy's side inconspicuously.
"Well done, tattle-tell," Twilight whispered harshly, glaring at the fearful Fluttershy.
"Sooo not cool Flutters, I thought I could trust you!" Rainbow Dash frowned. The lavender and blue fillies continued their walk with their snouts held high, while the yellow Pegasus trudged alone, with only her tears to accompany her.