//------------------------------// // Sneaking around, bunkering down, and popping a plot squat. // Story: Aftermath of the Blanks // by HumanSVD //------------------------------// Sugarcube Corner was full of activity as numerous ponies milled about in their various costumes while the Cakes, busy but cheerful, served them treats. Twilight Sparkle, Princess Cadence, and Shining Armor stood next to a wall to avoid the increasing herd of ponies pouring into the store. Fully rested and cleaned up, Shining Armor slowly ate a cupcake, enjoying the different but tasty treat. “Mmm! This is probably the best cupcake I’ve ever had! I’ve never had a jelly and cotton candy cupcake before,” said Shining Armor. Using her magic to hover the treat closer to her, Twilight Sparkle ate the treat carefully, doing her best to prevent the jelly from spilling on her costume’s beard. “Mmhmm! Pinkie Pie always makes the best cupcakes, but I wish she didn’t have to make eating it a huge risk.” Princess Cadence laughed while observing Twilight eat the cupcake, earning a look of confusion from the unicorn. “What? What’s so funny?” “Twilight, just take the beard off. It won’t hurt to be out of character for a few seconds to eat a cupcake.” “But I can manage it! I didn’t plan on making a new costume this year because I wanted somepony to figure out who I am!” Finishing his cupcake with satisfaction, Shining Armor answered his sister. “Oh, I know who you are, Twiley.” With her eyes widening and an excited smile, Twilight asked, “Really? Who am I?” “A mare whose beard is going to get stained.” Twilight pointed a hoof at his sister’s cupcake, noticing a glob of jelly falling from her cupcake and landing on her beard. With her face reddening, Twilight huffed in anger and took the beard off with her magic while stowing it away under her cape. Chuckling, Shining Armor walked over to his sister and put a foreleg over her neck. “It’s okay, sis; I know who you’re supposed to be.” Looking at her brother with a skeptic look, Twilight asked, “Oh really? Then who am I dressed as? I doubt you’d know since you played that silly and nerdy game instead of studying history in school. What was that game called anyway? I swear you had more books about it than your school projects.” “Ogres and Oubliettes, which is NOT a silly and nerdy game!” After crossing his forelegs with a slight pout, Cadence planted a small peck on his face, causing him to blush with a smile. “Oh, it’s okay, honey! Nerds are hot, and you won me, so does it really matter?” With his face red, the unicorn stallion replied sheepishly, “Heh, I guess not. So nerds are hot?” Winking at her husband before giving him a nuzzle, she replied, “Well, YOU are.” “Oh, brother! Why can’t you guys be lovey-dovey elsewhere? And I wish somepony would recognize my costume!” Rolling her eyes at the romantic scene before her, Twilight Sparkle looked around the shop, asking no pony in particular, “Does anypony know unicorn history? Does anypony know who I’m dressed as!?” “Star Swirl the Bearded, the same as last year,” answered a new voice. Everypony took notice of Princess Luna walking into the shop, bowing down. With a simple smile and wave by Princess Luna, everypony quickly went back to their business with a few ponies whispering amongst each other in excitement of the Princess cutting the cake. Beside her was Apple Bloom, looking at the ponies dressed in various costumes. Several of her classmates noticed Apple Bloom’s lack of costume and began to whisper amongst themselves why. Twilight, Shining Armor, and Princess Cadence exchanged nervous looks as the duo walked up. They knew Princess Luna wasn’t beyond displeased with how they handled the situation with the last human and, as such, didn’t want to associate with them in the night. But to them, such a request was almost impossible due to the town’s size, even more so when she actively approached them. As Princess Luna and Apple Bloom got closer, Shining Armor whispered to his wife, “I thought she didn’t want us to be near her! Why is she approaching us?” “I don’t know, but be respectful.” “I can hear both of you,” spoke Princess Luna. Looking down at the floor, Twilight’s face went beet red from the awkward situation brewing before her. It was as close as she could to burying her head in the sand in hopes of the scene before her not turning into a potential disaster. “Oh dear, we forgot Luna was going to cut the cake! This is so awkward!” thought Twilight Sparkle. With a nervous smile, Shining Armor stumbled out a sentence, hoping to recover from being caught whispering by Princess Luna. “I uh...Good evening Princess Luna! The celebration is really um...” Narrowing her eyes at the stallion that fought the last human, Princess Luna asked in a cold tone, “Is what Prince Armor? I’d certainly like to know.” Looking at his wife and sister for help, only to see none was coming, Shining Armor chuckled nervously at Luna’s cold stare. It didn’t take a genius to see the displeasure coming from her. “Umm… it’s very… good?” “Good? Well, I’m very pleased to hear that. More so than hearing your little spar with Konrad. At least he won that little fight.” Princess Cadence glared at Princess Luna, who returned a glare of her own. While two mares locked into an epic glare contest, Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle looked at each other, silently hoping the other would do something. Everypony else was oblivious to the cold war brewing near them as they were busy talking and eating various Nightmare Night-themed treats. Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes upon hearing the news that Shining Armor fought Konrad, who in return rubbed the back of his neck nervously at the filly’s stare. “Oh no! This is falling apart real fast! Come on, Twilight! Think of something!” “So uh, Apple Bloom?” asked Twilight. “Yes, Twilight?” replied Apple Bloom, still staring at her brother. “Are you having a good Nightmare Night? I noticed you aren’t wearing a costume.” Turning her glance towards Twilight, Apple Bloom replied with a surprising remark that would sadden her for the whole night. “Don’t feel like it. I guess. I’m just not in the mood. It ain’t the same when you don’t have your special friend with you.” All three could feel the sting coming from Apple Bloom’s subtle jab. Even the young filly was laying the blame on them very thick. Guilt washed over Shining Armor and Twilight, causing both siblings to frown at their previous night’s mistakes. Shining Armor felt that he had somehow committed fratricide by failing to disclose the truth about the rescuer of Luna and Apple Bloom to everypony. Twilight thought that she had failed in the worse way possible by being an accomplice to the death of a friendly and endangered being. Lowering her head in sadness, Twilight Sparkle thought to herself, “The signs were there, and I failed by coming to the wrong conclusion. And as a result, a friend and the very last of a previously mystical race were killed. So much could have been learned from him. Some “apprentice” in the magic of friendship I am.” “Apple Bloom, I’m very sorry about your friend. I wish I could take all of it back.” With a saddened expression, Apple Bloom replied, “I know Twilight. I just miss him.” Breaking from her glaring contest with Cadence, Luna nuzzled Apple Bloom. Looking at Luna, Apple Bloom rubbed her eyes, hoping to prevent herself from sobbing before everypony. “It will be alright, Apple Bloom. I promise it will be.” “Oh, please! Will something happen? I can’t take this anymore! I don’t know what to do!” As if somepony above heard her call, the Cakes, dressed as Raggedy Mane Dolls, brought out a vast and impressive cake from the kitchen. “We have the Moon Cake everypony!” Everypony stomped and cheered as the couple brought the cake to the center of the treat table. Hearing the cake’s arrival call, Princess Luna glanced at the cake before addressing Twilight, Shining Armor, and Cadence. “Well, it would seem I’m needed over at the table. Apple Bloom, care to join me?” Turning her attention to Luna, the filly smiled and nodded. “Yes, I would.” With Luna and Apple Bloom walking away from them, Princess Cadence narrowed her eyes at the Princess of the Night. Shining Armor noticed this and wrapped a foreleg around his wife. “It’s okay, honey; she’s just upset.” “I know. But still, she was rubbing it in that you got hurt by him. I don’t want anypony hurting you! Do you know how worried I was when I heard you were injured?!” Shining Armor whispered into her ear and nuzzled Cadence, “I can only imagine, but it’s fine. It was all a misunderstanding, so don’t let it get to you. Not the first time somepony’s kicked my plot.” Cadence winked, kissing Shining Armor before whispering back, “Yeah, well, only I can do anything to your plot.” “Aaagh! I can’t take it anymore! Princess Luna was right! You two are terrible at whispering!” Shining Armor and Princess Cadence blushed bright red in embarrassment as Twilight walked away from the couple, hoping to find somepony else to talk to. It didn’t take long as the unicorn ran into Applejack dressed as a scarecrow. “Hi Applejack! Here to get some cake too?” With a frown on her face, Applejack nodded silently before noticing Apple Bloom standing next to Princess Luna. “I mostly came to see Apple Bloom, but she still doesn’t want to be near me. Big Macintosh is watching the apple bobbing tank. I was hoping to just spend some time with her.” With her ears lowered, Twilight gave Applejack a look of sympathy. “It’s such a tragedy an innocent was lost, especially one that risked his life to help us.” “How did she find out?” Looking at Apple Bloom, Applejack took off her scarecrow hat and sat down on her haunches, with Twilight doing the same. Sighing, Applejack replied, “I told her. I was going to tell her after the celebration, but she kept going about how he would join an’ all. The more and more she kept speaking about him, the only thing I could think of was his face. I couldn’t hold it in anymore, so I told her.” A single tear escaped the country mare’s eye before falling to the ground. Wiping her face, Applejack found herself in the embrace of Twilight. As the two embraced, Twilight could tell Applejack was on the verge of breaking down, and there was no way she would allow that. At least not in front of anypony. “It’s okay, Applejack. At least she’s safe and home. She’ll forgive you eventually.” Letting go of Twilight, Applejack wiped her eyes once more before replying, “I’m not sure. She said she forgave me and understood it was a mistake, but she still doesn’t want to be around me.” “She probably just needs time to adjust to what happened. I can’t imagine what it must be like to lose a friend. I’ve never lost anyone important to me like that before.” “Yeah, I guess so.” “Ladies and gentle colts! Are you having a fun night so far?” Turning to the voice of Luna, both mares turned to see the Princess of the night standing next to a rather sizeable blue-colored cake. Next to Princess Luna was Apple Bloom, wearing an apron belonging to the Cake family. The filly had a smile on her face, which gave Applejack some little comfort knowing her sister was safe and at least had some fun. The shop was filled with cheers from ponies, both young and old. “Could be worse. At least everypony is receiving Luna much better than last year.” “Excellent, my little ponies! This was a rather great night for me as well. A much better improvement than last year, wouldn’t you agree?” Several ponies laughed in remembrance of the last year’s celebration which resulted in a grave misunderstanding that made the whole town feel silly. As the laughter died down, Princess Luna continued. “Yes, I agree as well. Before we continue further, I wish to thank the Cake family for making this my honor. It looks very delectable!” Several ponies could be seen staring at the marvelous moon cake with drool nearly forming around their mouths. The cake was giant in width and height, almost the same size as the Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness. The frosting was the same color as Princess Luna’s coat, with the icing trimmings the same sparkling color as her mane and tail. And with a final touch of detail, Luna’s cutie mark was adorned on the top portion of the cake in perfect detail. Twilight had no idea how the Cakes managed to pull off such a creation, but she could hear it calling to her just like it had to everypony in the room. Mr. And Mrs. Cake looked at each other with a smile of satisfaction before humbly bowing to Princess Luna, satisfied that their hard work was well received. “Well, what are we waiting for, my little ponies?! Let’s partake in this wonderful cake!” Everypony in the room cheered and stomped in approval before lining up to have a piece of the moon cake. “Well, Applejack, care to have some cake? It seems Apple Bloom is going to help serve it.” Looking at Apple Bloom with a frown, Applejack nodded, and she fell in line with Twilight. Standing on a stool, Apple Bloom began to cut the cake as Princess Luna served the ponies at the front of the line. As each pony began to receive their piece of cake with a bow, a new voice spoke up behind Twilight and Applejack, surprising both of them. “Is this where the line starts?” Turning around, both Applejack and Twilight were greeted with the sight of Princess Celestia, who was no longer wearing her battle armor but dressed in her normal regalia. A pair of Royal Guards were posted inside, near the exit. Twilight and Applejack bowed before the Solar Princess, each receiving a nuzzle. “I take it you’re not enjoying yourselves?” With their heads lowered, Applejack and Twilight replied somberly, both still depressed at the unfortunate events of the previous night. “No, your highness. Apple Bloom knows what happened and doesn’t want me to be around her. It’s mighty hard to enjoy myself, knowin’ that..” Looking ahead to the front of the line, Princess Celestia saw her sister smiling and laughing with the subjects she desired to be admired. And beside her was Apple Bloom, still cutting the large cake and smiling along with Princess Luna. Frowning, Princess Celestia replied, “I understand. Luna still won’t speak to me as well. It seems this Konrad has made quite the impact on them.” “He certainly did. Apple Bloom wouldn’t stop speaking about him when we left the hospital. I wish I could make it up to her.” “As do I, Applejack. All I want is to just be near her. It was already difficult for both of us after we lost our parents to Discord.” Applejack and Twilight Sparkle gasped upon hearing that the same individual responsible for almost ruining their friendship and Equestria was also responsible for making the Royal Sisters’ parents disappear. Twilight Sparkle couldn’t believe that Discord was capable of such a despicable deed, and her disdain for the Draconequus grew tenfold. All three mares slowly moved forward as the line of ponies continued to receive their slice of cake, inching their way closer to Luna and Apple Bloom. ”Discord murdered their parents?! It’s a good thing he’s sealed away forever. I hope he never tastes freedom ever again!” “Yes, it’s true. We never found a trace of them.” “Oh, Princess Celestia, I’m so sorry,” Twilight said while giving a look of sympathy to her mentor and leader. Giving her student a quick nuzzle, Princess Celestia replied. “It’s fine, my faithful student. It was a long time ago, and I’ve shed tears. I wish the events could have turned out differently than they have.” “I second that. This stallion-” “Man,” corrected Twilight. “Oh, right. This man risked his hide for my sister, and anypony that does that is okay in my books.” “I agree, Applejack. I agree wholeheartedly.” As the line continued to move the mares, further along, Twilight couldn’t help but remember the human’s name. Since Twilight had come to accept Pinkie Pie’s seemingly superstitious gift known as the “Pinkie Sense,” she began to have a more open mind about things she once considered impossible. Seeing ghosts, zombies, and a human caused Twilight to believe anything to be possible. The human was nothing like the illustrations in the various books on the myth, now turned fact, of humanity. She would have loved nothing more than to study and learn from him if the previous night’s events were more pleasant. “So much history! So much advanced technology he had in his possession! We could have learned so much, and what history it would have been in the making! Now he’s gone and any secrets he had too. Perhaps I could study his...what did Luna call it? A truck?” “Princess Celestia?” The Solar Princess did not hear her student’s plea for attention as she was focused on the sight of Princess Luna nearing. Noticing her mentor’s attention was placed elsewhere, Twilight Sparkle stood on her hind legs and waved a hoof, effectively getting Celestia’s attention. “Umm, Princess Celestia? I have a question.” “I’m sorry, Twilight. What is your question?” “Is it possible for me to see or study the human artifacts?” Shaking her head no, Princess Celestia answered, “I’m sorry, but my sister has forbidden any examination of Konrad’s personal effects.” Unable to fathom a valid reason for Luna’s restrictions on Konrad’s items, Twilight Sparkle’s face began to contort into a look of frustration. The simple fact of having so much to learn and yet being denied the opportunity to study humanity in any way, shape, or form was akin to denying a foal candy. Seeing her student’s frustration, Princess Celestia put a hoof to Twilight’s muzzle, cutting off the inevitable question. “It’s a personal matter for my sister, and considering all she’s been through, I cannot deny her request. I’m afraid this is not something she will budge on.” Twilight Sparkle crossed her forelegs and huffed in dissatisfaction with a pout on her face, earning a slight giggle from her mentor. “I’m sorry, Twilight. Maybe someday she’ll change her mind.” “I doubt she will forgive me during my lifetime, or at least for a couple of years.” After much waiting, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Princess Celestia finally made it to the front of the line. Apple Bloom and Princess Luna were silent as all four mares and one filly stood next. Neither could think of a word to say to one another, leaving all five in awkward silence. After a minute of that silence, Apple Bloom cut a piece of the moon cake and placed it gently on a disposable paper plate. Hoofing it to Applejack, Apple Bloom asked, “Want some cake? I cut you a good slice.” Looking at her sister, Applejack ran over and embraced Apple Bloom in a tight hug. Returning her older sister’s hug, Apple Bloom whispered into her sister’s ear, “I know you didn’t mean it, Applejack. I just miss him, is all.” Nuzzling Apple Bloom, a single tear escaped Applejack’s eye, trickling down her muzzle. “Apple Bloom?” “Yes, Applejack?” “Do you wanna spend some time together? Just you and me? We can do whatever you’d like.” Looking at Princess Luna, Apple Bloom asked, “May I go with my sister?” Giving a smile, Princess Luna winked at the little filly before the apple sisters left Sugarcube Corner, leaving Twilight, Celestia, and herself with the cake. “Well, would any of you care for a slice?” asked Luna. “Actually, dear sister, I prefer your company more than anything.” Looking at the line of ponies behind her sister, Luna replied, “Only if you help me finish serving the cake.” Smiling, Celestia said, “Deal.” “And you can’t have any until all of our subjects have been served first.” With disbelief, Princess Celestia retorted, “Luna, surely you must be jesting. I have waited patiently for a slice.” With a devious look, Luna cut a slice using her magic and held it up to her sister’s muzzle, effectively teasing her. “And I thought you were in line to make peace with me. Oh well, I guess you can have this.” It didn’t take a genius to see what would happen next as Twilight Sparkle suffered a very similar prank at the hooves of her brother. Twilight watched as her mentor was entranced by the slice of cake floating in Luna’s magic, never taking her eyes away from the treat. “Oh, where are my manners? You’ll need a plate, dear sister.” As a paper plate floated towards the cake slice, Princess Celestia licked her lips in anticipation of the treat before her. Noticing Luna giving her a wink, Twilight Sparkle backed away from the looming sisterly prank. “I knew Celestia loved cakes, but I didn’t think she loved it THIS much. Should I intervene? What will Celestia if I don’t do?” Before Twilight Sparkle could decide, Luna cast the paper plate upwards at the cake, propelling it towards Celestia. The solar Princess didn’t have time to react before it landed on her face, covering everything. Everypony in the room gasped at seeing their most beloved Princess comically covered in cake. On the other hoof, Princess Luna was giggling like a young school filly and pleased that her sister fell for an easy prank. Before Twilight could worry about her mentor’s possible adverse reaction, Princess Celestia wiped the cake off with her magic, revealing a not-so-pleased princess. Narrowing her eyes at Princess Luna did nothing to stop her giggling but slowly caused everypony else to laugh in the room. No longer being able to keep a straight face, Princess Celestia herself started to giggle. Soon, Twilight found herself laughing at the scene before her, pleased that the royal sisters were beginning to bond. After wiping the remaining bits of cake off her face, Princess Celestia joined Princess Luna behind the table, ready to help serve the remaining ponies in line. As the laughter in the room died down, the ponies returned to conversing amongst themselves; Luna asked, “Care to have some cake, Twilight Sparkle?” Smiling, Twilight accepted a slice with a smile as Princess Celestia spoke. “Twilight, I’m going to be with Luna for a while. Perhaps you would like to spend some time with your brother in the meantime?” Looking back at her, Twilight noticed Shining Armor was now romantically sharing a cupcake with Cadence. Twilight cringed and answered, “I think I’ll just go check on the rest of my friends. He seems a bit busy at the moment.” Noticing the married couple in the back, Celestia giggled before nodding to her apprentice. Taking her cake and leaving the royal sisters, Twilight Sparkle made her way towards an open spot and quietly enjoyed the moon cake, wondering how everypony else was doing now that both sets of sisters were bonding. “I hope everypony else is doing fine. I wonder how Spike is doing?” The young drake was not at all having the time of his life. After spending almost the entire day cleaning and reorganizing the library, he couldn’t wait to have fun like everypony else. The night fared no better than the day had, for his plan to woo Rarity with his knight outfit failed. He was sure the inspiration from his daydream of rescuing Rarity from Diamond Dogs would work. It only succeeded in capturing the heart of her sister. “Oh, my knight! Please save me!” Face palming with his claws; Spike groaned in agony at his companion’s pleas to be “saved.” She had continued the act, bringing him to his breaking point. He couldn’t even enjoy the candy he got without a request to share it as a couple would. “Sweetie Belle, for the last time! I said no!” Sweetie Belle, dressed in a very well-designed and exquisite fantasy-like princess costume, gave Spike a pleading look of sadness. “Oh great! She’s trying to make me feel guilty. Gah! Where’s Rarity?! I was supposed to spend this with Rarity, not Sweetie Belle!” “Not gonna work, Sweetie Belle.” “Aww!” “Good. Maybe she’ll just give up now.” “You wanna get some cake at Sugarcube Corner then?” “No, I’d rather play games and eat my candy, but you won’t go away!” Realizing he wouldn’t be rid of her, Spike resigned to his fate of being Sweetie Belle’s companion for the night. Despite how annoyed she was, they got an extra amount of candy since everypony else thought they were a cute couple. This made him cringe on the inside, but he could at least enjoy the candy later after tonight. As they began to walk towards Sugarcube Corner, a dark blur moving between a pair of houses caught the attention of the young drake. “Woah! Did you see that?” As he pointed a claw in the direction of the blur, Sweetie Belle turned around to see. After seeing nothing, she turned around with a confused look. “Spike, I don’t see anything. What was it?” “I’m not sure, but it WAS there. It was this...blur of dark green..” As Spike moved closer to investigate, Sweetie Belle, followed him to the “Dark green? Could it have been somepony else? There’s still nopony here.” “Wasn’t in the shape of a pony. It was something, and I saw it come from here. I don’t know what it could-” Spike’s eyes widened when he saw it again, moving towards another place quickly. The Carousel Boutique. “-be… holy guacamole! It’s there! You see it?!” And see it, Sweetie Belle did. Both saw a tall, dark green shape move strangely and rapidly between bushes and various buildings. The unknown green blur seemed to avoid the street lanterns and other lights as if they were poison, making it impossible to identify it. His eyes widened in horror at the potential danger Rarity was in. Considering what happened last night, Spike didn’t want to take any chances, and there was no way he would let anything ever happen to the mare of his dreams. He knew he had to get there and help immediately. “If I stop it, I’ll be her hero!” The imagination of Spike barging through the door and vanquishing a green blur with comic teeth and red eyes took hold of him, cutting himself away from reality. Spike defeated the monster using a joust with a very vulnerable Rarity ever so grateful rushing to his side. Just as he imagined himself kissing Rarity, the sight of Sweetie Belle popped into his head, snapping him out of his dream. “Sweetie Belle? " With her body shaking in fear, Sweetie Belle replied, “Y-yes?” “It’s heading to your sister’s house! We need to stop it!” “No! She’s still in there making somepony else’s costume!” As Spike and Sweetie Belle began to run towards the Carousel Boutique, Sweetie Belle shouted, “Spike, how will we stop it? Shouldn’t we get somepony else to help, like one of the guards?” “Over my gem collection. Like I’ll let them take the credit for helping her if there is something there!” “Don’t worry, I got a few moves, like my fire breath!” Rolling his eyes, Spike blew out an impressive green flame at a small weed, burning it to a crisp as they ran by, effectively ending the filly’s doubts. “Oh right, well, let’s go!” The area near the Carousel Boutique wasn’t particularly well lit, and as such, the strange green blurry shape made its way towards the home of Rarity far ahead before both lost sight of it in the darkness around the shop. This caused both Spike and Sweetie Belle to shout in fear, “Rarity!” The green blur had beaten them to the shop far ahead, sending both into a panic. This served to help them run faster to make up for the distance the blur had beaten them to. After what seemed like an eternity, both Spike and Sweetie Belle finally made it to the Carousel Boutique. “I think I saw it go inside,” said Spike. “But I didn’t see it go through the door. Are you sure it went inside? Maybe it went around and elsewhere.” “You really want to take that chance?!” Shaking her head, Sweetie Belle replied, “No! Let’s go in!” After taking a deep breath, Spike replied, “Okay, just stick close to me. If it is in there, you go get help while I stop it, okay?” “Oh, you’re so brave, Spike!” “Oh, brother! Give me a break.” As Spike rolled his eyes, he slowly reached for the door, only for it to suddenly open. Standing tall was a green shape while standing on two legs, laughing maniacally as lighting and thunder cracked into the night. “AHAHAHAHAHA! THE DEED IS DONE!” “NOOOOO!!!!” shouted both Sweetie Belle and Spike. Spike took a deep breath and blew a sizeable green flame towards the being before them. However, it reacted quickly and ducked down to the ground taking cover. When Spike was done, he smirked, thinking he had defeated the threat to Rarity. “HA! Take that you… you… Rarity?” Before them was Rarity with the ends of her mane singed and black spots on her now ruined white coat. Her eye was twitching in horror at the sight of herself in a nearby mirror. Horrified at her image, an angry Rarity immediately screamed. “AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!” “Woah, that just happened!” said a new voice. Behind Spike and Rarity was the sight of Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo sitting on a small thunderstorm cloud floating near the ground. After she finished screaming, Rarity turned to Spike with anger plastered over her face. “Now, Spike! Why in the name of Equestria did you do that!?” Twisting his claws in nervousness while avoiding her scolding glare like a foal, Spike replied, “Well… I saw this green thing run over here, and I thought you were in trouble. I mean, it laughed and everything at us!” Pointing her hoof at his feet, Rarity angrily replied, “You mean Miss Heartstrings? She rushed over here not too long ago to receive her costume!” Confused, the young drake looked where Rarity pointed and noticed a green unicorn holding some sort of green camouflage costume as if her life depended on it. “Is it safe? Am I safe?” said Lyra as she looked around. “Oh… oops. Sorry guys, I thought-” Rarity’s hoof covered Spike’s mouth to prevent him from finishing his sentence as she angrily scolded him even more. “You thought wrong, Spike. I appreciate your concern for my well-being, but now you’ve ruined my mane and coat! It will take me hours to undo the damage you’ve done!” Frowning in shame and sadness, Spike made a plea to the mare of his dreams. “I’m sorry, Rarity… can I make it up to you?” “Yes, you can. Take Sweetie Belle with you and go elsewhere. I have some beauty sleep I need to catch up on, as I’m thoroughly tired from completing my last commission!” Spike’s heart sank as Sweetie Belle smiled glee; he would be stuck with her even more as punishment. “AWWW! I messed up, and now I’m stuck with her!” “Hey, Sweetie Belle, where are you guys going?” asked Scootaloo. “We’re going to Sugarcube Corner to get some cake. Wanna come?” “Umm… I don’t know. Rainbow Dash?” “Hehe, don’t worry, squirt, we’ll be there after getting a few more pranks in.” Beaming with happiness, Scootaloo waved her friends goodbye. “See ya later, Princess Belle and Spike the Knight.” As Sweetie Belle smiled, Spike frowned and resigned himself to his fate. It would be a while before Rarity would cool down and see him in a better light. Maybe then he could prove himself to her, but for now, it was impossible after his recent blunder. As Spike and Sweetie Belle began to talk away, Lyra got up from the ground, inspecting herself and her costume. Satisfied there was no damage, Lyra gleefully smiled and bounced away a happy mare. “Thanks, Rarity!” “You’re welcome,” Rarity replied in an unenthusiastic tone. “Hahahaha! That was a riot!” laughed Rainbow Dash as she lay on her back, pointing at Rarity. Sticking her nose up at her friend and looking away, Rarity huffed indignantly. “Hmph! It was certainly NOT humorous in any way, shape, or form! And may I ask what exactly you are doing over here?” “Sure…” Rainbow Dash replied while suppressing a laugh. “We were going to prank those two, but they ran away, so we decided to follow them and find out why.” Adjusting her mane in a vain attempt to fix it, Rarity replied, “Well, now you know why. After what happened last night, everypony has been acting on edge. I’m so disappointed that Spike has been acting out of line recently. He’s usually so well behaved.” Confused as to what Rarity was referring to, Scootaloo asked, “Huh? What happened last night?” Both mares realized their mistake, Rarity looking in another direction to avoid Scootaloo’s gaze of confusion while Rainbow Dash took the initiative to prevent any questions about the subject. “Hehehe, nothing important, Scoots. Don’t worry about it.” Shrugging her shoulders, Scootaloo dropped the subject, relieving both mares from having to talk about their battle with the blood hooves and the accidental slaying of the last human. Returning to Rarity, Rainbow Dash asked, “So umm… I take it you won’t be joining us later?” “What?! Did you not hear a word I said? Look at me! Do I look like I’m in a state to join anypony out in public?!” Looking at Rarity, Rainbow Dash shrugged and said, “Eh, I guess not. Well more cake for us! Let’s get going, Scoots.” Giving Rainbow Dash a salute, Scootaloo replied, “Sure thing Rainbow Danger Dash!” Rarity looked in disbelief at Rainbow Dash upon hearing the word danger, remembering the events a few months ago when she became arrogant for being a hero. Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head, “It sounds cool… don’t judge.” Narrowing her eyes, Rarity slammed the door causing Rainbow Dash to say, “Dang, so touchy. Alright, let’s bail.” Leaving the Boutique, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo moved their cloud back towards the center of the town, eager to carry on their pranks. Unbeknownst to everypony, a figure had made its way inside the residence of Rarity, quietly seeking refuge while waiting for its next move. Sneaking his way into Ponyville was easier said than done, but somehow, by the grace of God, Konrad managed to do it. And he couldn’t believe the sight before him. “I’m here… I’m actually here. Smack dab in the middle of Ponyville.” Before, he was exactly as he had seen in the show. Everypony was walking about enjoying Nightmare Night by playing games, getting candy, and enjoying each others’ company. It was strange being in a world based on a cartoon, but despite the weirdness of it all, he knew this place would be great to live in, assuming they would accept him. The sight of ponies before him reminded Konrad of when he was a kid enjoying Halloween. He smiled at the happy thoughts, hoping Apple Bloom was enjoying the same thing. The lack of lights on the outer portion of the town greatly aided Konrad in sneaking into town. It also helped that certain parts of the town lacked adequate or low-level lights, preventing him from being seen by ponies from afar. He couldn’t precisely recognize where he was, as the show didn’t have a complete layout. Instead, Konrad was stuck to guessing where he was based on the most recognizable building. “Let’s see. Town hall is in the center, Sugarcube Corner is near it if I remember correctly, and Twilight’s place is… shit, this will be harder than I thought.” Another fact that would make finding Apple Bloom difficult was the fact that she could be wearing a costume. Luna won’t be wearing one, but I can’t see any of them! Hell, I hardly recognize these ponies.” He realized his best bet was to wait and, if need be, move to another spot if neither showed up. Lying prone in the bushes next to a house, Konrad could see a few ponies he recognized. Passing by him a mere few feet away was Cherry Berry dressed as a bee, and if his memory served him correctly, it was the same costume she wore in the show. She was happily trotting along, unaware of what was next to her. Konrad quietly sighed in relief, afraid that he was almost discovered. Walking not far from her was Meadow Song, dressed as some sort of ninja, and not far from him was what he guessed to be Sea Swirl dressed in a Viking costume. The more ponies he saw, the more they looked precisely like the costumes they wore from the show. ”Woah. Do these ponies ever change their routine? I swear it’s the same shit they wore from last year! Doesn’t matter, really. I don’t see Luna, Apple Bloom, or anypony else that can help me. Might as well move when I can.” Before Konrad could look for an opportunity, a pair of Royal Guards walked by, with a unicorn casting a simple light beam acting as a flashlight while the other one- a pegasus- walked by with a spear. Konrad’s apprehension took hold of him, realizing that finding Luna and Apple Bloom would be even more difficult. With no weapons to defend himself with and his wounded state, there was no way he could win a fight if he were spotted. He was walking a tightrope with weak feet, and if he weren’t careful, he’d fall very hard. “Fucking hell! Of course, there would be guards! They just HAD to be here! No doubt on the lookout for me. This is going to be hard as dried horse shit.” After waiting a few minutes, the pair of guards were out of sight, and the remaining ponies near him weren’t paying attention to his location. It was the best opportunity to move, and the man decided he needed to find a town hall. Carefully moving from the bushes, Konrad could see a very dark alley and quickly but quietly moved into it like a thief in the night. Keeping close the walls for cover in case a pony walked by and decided to look, the man did his best to prevent his outline from showing. Every so often, he would freeze at the sound of movement with sweat pouring down his face in fear. Most of the time, it was simply the wind blowing loose leaves strayed into town, but some were indeed ponies. Lucky for Konrad, they weren’t guards but simple Ponyville residents in their costumes. As he lay against the wall and made a quick peek around the corner of a house, Konrad could spot town hall from a distance, giving him some bearing. He had no doubt the concentration of ponies would be the largest around there, as it was his best bet to spot Princess Luna or Apple Bloom. Looking around the corner in both directions, the young man noticed the coast was clear and kept to the shadows along the street as he maintained his stealth. “Good thing survival training taught me to be sneaky. If there’s one thing valuable I got from the military, it’s this.” After weaving around various stands and freezing when a pony got too close, Konrad finally found a spot next to a tent with what appeared to be a witch’s cauldron and a stand with vials and tubes that belonged to a mad scientist. Across the street was the apple bobbing tank with what appeared to be some green apples. On the road were a few ponies walking about and having fun. The first one he was able to recognize as Featherweight with a simple camera strapped around his neck. The young colt had a happy smile, taking pictures of the celebration. The other nearby colt was very easy to recognize from his costume alone. It was none other than Snails dressed as a snail. “He went as his name describes… a snail. At least he didn’t dress up as a pony; that would be even more redundant.” Turning his attention to two mares nearby, Konrad was at a loss to figure out who she was. She wasn’t like any character in the show and looked more akin to someone’s OC. Unable to figure out what she was doing, the man gave up on trying to figure her out and chalked it up to a canon difference in this dimension. “No clue who that is, but whateves, I’d bang her.” And the mare nest to her was facing away, trying to get the attention of what he assumed to be her friends. The mare was easily recognizable as Roseluck based on her mane. As he looked at the mare further, the costume bore a striking resemblance to a dress one would see in a Disney movie. As he thought about it further, he recognized precisely where it was from and face palmed in the process. “Belle’s dress from Beauty and the Beast? Ripoff! I’ll bet Rarity made that too.” Cringing in pain, the young man’s patience for finding Apple Bloom and Luna was starting to dwindle. The faster he could see them, the quicker he could get medical assistance. Looking around, Konrad could spot Sugarcube Corner in the distance and noticed a line of ponies standing outside and leading into the shop. Konrad groaned in his mind, realizing that the chances of Luna or Apple Bloom inside were high. “Makes sense to me, seeing how I’ve yet to see anything except regular ponies around here. That, and royalty always loves to attract the most attention. Might as fucking well do some more spying.” Formulating a new plan, Konrad decided that hanging near Sugarcube Corner to see if Apple Bloom or Luna would walk out was likely the best option for now. He’d have to watch from a distance, but if he could find a good spot that covered the entrance, assuming he was correct, he would be able to track either of them. And if he did, he’d wait for the perfect opportunity to surprise them and clear his name to all of Equestria. Looking around and ensuring the coast was clear, Konrad carefully moved through the various stands, doing his best to prevent himself from catching the attention of wandering eyes. He quickly pressed his back against the wall between two houses, repeating his previous evasive moves. The man thought he had made a clean getaway, but this perception was proven to be a false reality as a voice spoke out. “Woah! Did you see that?” For a good reason, Konrad’s heart began to beat rapidly in fear. Somepony saw him. “GOD FUCKING DAMMIT! I was so close, too! How the fuck did I not see-” Taking a quick look around the corner very carefully, Konrad could spot not just one individual but two. The one who spotted him was Spike, wearing a costume similar to his daydream from an episode. Next to him was Sweetie Belle wearing a princess costume. “See Spike and Sweetie Belle… shit, he’s coming this way! There isn’t a place to hide!” Realizing he was about to be discovered, Konrad bolted down the alley as fast as he could. He could hear both of them run after him, making Konrad curse himself for being so careless. The best he could do was lose them in the darkness as he ran away. ”I need to lose them and stay close to the shadows. The further I get away from the town’s center, the less are likely to follow them.” Taking quick peeks behind himself now and then, the fugitive man could spot the pursuing pair, but the silver lining was that he was outrunning them. His breathing began to hurt, and his blood burned like acid as he sprinted as fast as possible to avoid detection. Unfortunately, the man was running out of areas to lose the pursuing dragon and pony as the houses ended with an open area lacking any cover. It was then he spotted a landmark all too familiar to him. ”Carousel Boutique. Rarity’s home. I could hide there if I got inside fast enough. I’ll just hide in a closet and then leave. Hide and seek was always something I was good at.” Seeing no other viable options, Konrad bolted for the home’s back door, mindful of the bell at the front door. As he ran from his cover quickly across the short but open field, he could spot Spike and Sweetie Belle far away but otherwise still pursuing him. Even though it was technically an obvious spot to look for him, the lack of another place made it his only choice. Running in an open field with the moonlight would be an even worse option. Coupled with his tired and wounded state, he wouldn’t make it far. ”Fuck! Get the fuck inside and shut the fuck up!” After running around the back of the house, Konrad could find the back door, checking to ensure it was unlocked. “Oh please be open!” The door was unlocked to his luck, which was increasingly becoming rare. Smiling, he carefully opened it and sneaked inside. The sight of the kitchen greeted him. The lack of adequate lighting, except for the moonlight coming through the window, made it difficult to see where he was going. There was enough light to see the way out of the kitchen, but the man needed a better place to hide. As the man slowly made his way towards the hallway, something he vaguely remembered from the show, voices of two mares could be heard coming from what he assumed to be the front interior of the house. The first voice was easy to recognize as Rarity, while the second voice eluded him. He couldn’t determine what they were speaking, but it was highly irrelevant at the moment. The only thing that mattered was finding a place to hide. “Must be a background pony or something. Got to find a closet. Can’t get distracted by a potential bronygasm by being in Rarity’s home.” There were two ways leading away from the kitchen. The hallway leading to Konrad’s left was what he assumed to be the front interior, the very same direction where voices were coming from. Konrad’s decision to turn right in the hallway was the obvious choice as the man quietly tip-toed across the carpet floor. Pleased that his boots had somehow not dragged any dirt inside, Konrad could spot what appeared to be a closet at the end of the hallway. “Not exactly what I had in mind, but it’s better than nothing.” He slowly opened the door and went inside, utterly blind to what was inside. Instead of a closet, it was a guest bathroom with a shower. The only reason he could spot this was a surprise flash of lightning, though he could not notice the bathtub in time as the lightning flash revealed it too late. Konrad tried to stop his fall by grabbing the shower curtain by tripping over the bathtub, only to have his body weight completely rip it off the rails. As much as Konrad wanted to curse out loud, he couldn’t for fear of being discovered. If he got caught in the bathtub wrapped up like a burrito, it would be the most embarrassing moment of his life and an epic failure on his part. “Keep quiet, keep my mouth shut, and hope nopony noticed a thing.” Time seemed to come to a standstill as he laid in the tub, wrapped up comically with the shower curtain. For a brief moment, he was glad not to see the design of the curtain, as he had no doubt it would be feminine to the extreme. Suddenly, a scream so loud that it could be heard through the bathroom door shattered the silence. The man could not cover his ears in time to ease the pain inflicted upon his hearing and suffered until it was over. For Konrad, it was all too obvious who the scream belonged to. “Great, she’s done more damage to my ears than jet noise ever has! Damn, that was loud!” Worried that Spike and Sweetie Belle alerted Rarity to his presence, Konrad resigned to his anticipated doom. He was sure Rarity would be searching the house any minute now to find him and continued lying in the bathtub. Thinking of a witty remark when he would be discovered, time flew by with no Rarity or anypony coming through the door. “So… if Rarity isn’t coming after me, then what the fuck did she scream for? That was so loud! Might have even given Luna a run for her money.” Remembering how loud Luna’s Royal Canterlot voice was and how the show didn’t do it justice in real life, Konrad immediately threw the thought away as he slowly climbed out of the bathtub. Taking the shower curtain off wasn’t much of a hassle, despite how loud he thought it might be. Noticing that the curtain was ruined from ripping away from the ring couplers, he gently laid it in the tub and hoped it wouldn’t be discovered until after he left. Carefully opening the door, Konrad could see a tiny amount of light coming from the hallway to the front interior. Carefully making his way towards the hallway, Konrad could peek around the corner, seeing both Rarity and the central area of the Boutique. Like everything else he had seen, it looked exactly like it had in the show and was a sight indeed. The room was spotless, practically immaculate now that he thought of it. Even the air had a clean scent, eliciting nothing but pleasure from his nose. Rarity, on the other hand, was a mess. Her coat had black marks here and there, while her mane was charred on the ends. She was furiously trying to fix it by brushing it but continuously failed to make any improvements to her predicament. “Reminds me of Luna’s accident. How the fuck did this-” Before Konrad could finish his thoughts, Rarity angrily slammed the brush on the ground with her magic. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, he could see a very scalding look on her face. He swore he could have seen steam exit her ears if he wasn’t so tired. “Spike! I wish you would drop any notions of rescuing me in your silly fantasies! A green blur heading to my house?! How could he have mistaken Lyra for some green blur!? And to attack somepony with his fire breath! Especially me!” “Well, I guess that’s what happened; he mistook Lyra for me… wait, that other pony was Lyra? Hmm. Not quite what I imagined her voice would be. Spike, you done fucked up. Glad he got her off my ass.” “I’ll have to book an emergency appointment tomorrow, but I require my beauty sleep for now.” Konrad watched as Rarity turned the light in the room off, causing him to retreat into the kitchen briefly. Hearing hoof steps on the staircase before going silent, the young man breathed a sigh in relief, knowing the coast was clear. Walking back towards the entrance, Konrad looked around the Boutique using the light from his iPod. Despite not having enough lighting, he marveled at the sight around him. Almost any hardcore brony would kill to get a chance to be here. “Well, here I am. In Rarity’s home. Pretty interesting. First Sweet Apple Acres, now this place. Never could have seen this coming, but hey, it’s better than being dead. I still miss home, though. I better… oh no.” Turning his iPod off, Konrad realized a significant problem that needed to be taken care of immediately. He needed to go to the restroom. “No! Not here, not now! Dammit! I don’t want to take a shit here! This is Rarity’s place! It’s so clean and… and…” Unable to think of an alternate solution, combined with the possibility of his pants exploding, Konrad quickly returned to the bathroom. Relief could not even begin to describe the feeling when he was done completing the ever-so-relieving act of committing “number 2”. Cleaning himself up, the man flushed the toilet only to run into another problem. “Shit… literally shit. The toilet won’t flush.” Lacking any valuable plumbing knowledge, aside from using a plunger, he began to worry about his mess. The smell was already bad enough, but leaving it here was not something he could do to Rarity. “Or could I? Can’t do anything; toilet won’t flush.” Shrugging his shoulders, Konrad said to himself, “Fuck it. Not my problem anymore. I’ll just wash my hands and move on.” After washing his hands, Konrad quietly went outside the same way he came, leaving Rarity none the wiser of the devious deed committed right under her snout. “Okay, now where is Sugarcube Corner again? I think it’s this way.” Pressing onward to Sugarcube Corner, Konrad left nothing except the vile surprise for Rarity to discover, and nopony would never know it was him. Konrad smiled deviously at the thought of Rarity crying in horror, finding the “present” as he rounded a corner of a house, blending in like a shadow of the night.