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// Chapter Ten: Twilight, Quit Strangling Octavia! 
// Story: The Failure 
// by sparklerthesableye 
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	Applejack stared at Twilight. "Ah do, but why are yah bringin' it up with me?"

"Well, I know that if you say you'll keep it a secret, you'll be telling the truth. You just seem easy to talk to. Added to that, you're currently the only one I can talk to." Applejack smiled.

"Shucks. To answer yer question, yes ah do. That Wonderbolt Soarin'..." She trailed off, blushing madly when she came back to focus. Applejack cleared her throat. "A-anyway, sugarcube, what were you gonna say?" Twilight smirked.

"Applejack, I think that if both of us get what we want, we can go on a double date." Applejack blushed harder. "Anyway, I... I like Flash Sentry." Applejack looked confused. "That pegasus guard from that time I went through that mirror."

"Oooooh. Ooooooooh...." Applejack gave a mischievous grin. "Is he the one that sent that letter Pinkie told me about?"

"Uh..., yeah..."

"Girls! We're here!" Rarity pointed at the house, and they all walked inside.

"Hang on! I'll be there in a minute!" Gilda and Octavia walked up to the new arrivals. Twilight glared at Octavia.

"Hello. Sorry about the thing with Fluttershy..." Gilda suddenly took interest in how fascinating the pattern in the plain cream rug was. Twilight looked at her.

"Howdy, Gilda. It's fine, Flutters fergives yah." Gilda smiled. Twilight resumed her glaring.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Twilight?" Twilight pounced on her, pinned her to the ground, and proceeded to strangle her.

"Twilight, quit strangling Octavia! We already have a lot of problems involving what's happening, and her corpse wouldn't exactly help." Twilight listened to her step-sister's voice of reason and (reluctantly) stepped off of the traumatized earth pony. "What should we do while we wait?"

"Mad-libs!" They created the following story:

My name is Applejack and I live in a big house with my stepmother, Twilight Sparkle, and my two stepsisters, Pinkie Pie and Big Macintosh. The old tale about stepfamilies being happy is just silly! Twilight, Pinkie, and Big Mac are absolutely awesome! In fact, Pinkie, Big Mac, and I went to a dance last weekend. It was soft!

At the dance, I wore my dresses and my necklace. Pinkie, Big Mac, and I met this really fun guy named Soarin'. He was fluffy because he was the president of the Monopoly club, and he wore a cheerful tuxedo. I had a confusing time talking with him.

I had a confusing time, but I forgot my trenchcoat at the dance. Luckily, Soarin' brought it back to our house. First, Pinkie tried it on, and it didn't match her insane style. It looked really derpy! Then Big Mac tried it on, and it was obviously not hers either. But then I tried it on, and it fit me surreptitiously! I thanked Soarin' and invited him to stay for a snack of tacos. We have a lot in common. Who would have thought that a lost trenchcoat would lead to a new friend?

"What in tarnation?! This story just called Big Macintosh a 'her!'" Everyone, including Thunder, started laughing. No one saw her come down, so she scared them pretty badly. "Geez! You gave us quite a fright. Why are ya bringin' Derpy's pod, with her still in it?" Thunder made a 'liarjack' face.

"Oh, no reason."

"Okaaay." Twilight looked at Octavia, frowning.

She's the slave of a changeling, but she gives her master a respect level as if she was the master. I had better keep a close eye on her... Octavia looked at Twilight.

"Oh my Celestia, Twilight, stop staring at me like that. It's creeping me out!"