Inside Town hall, Sweetie Belle finally finished counting all of the books and scrolls, as punishment for her sister having to finish her previous work for her.
“210…211…and 212…finally!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, exhausted from counting.
“Now, I hope that taught you a lesson Sweetie Belle.” Rarity told her sister.
“Perhaps she even got a cutie mark out of it.” Mayor Mare added.
Excited at the possibility of what Mayor Mare just said; Sweetie Belle turned her head around to her flank, but found no cutie mark yet again.
“Aww, I thought for sure it might be one for counting or something.” Sweetie Belle spoke, followed by the chuckling of her sister and the Mayor.
The laughter didn’t last much longer though, as a knock came at the entrance. Mayor Mare went to see who it was, and upon opening the door, she found herself addressing several ponies.
“Umm, hello. Can I help you?” Mayor Mare asked the group of ponies.
“Hello Mayor. It’s good to see that you’re at least still working here at Town Hall. We heard a rumor that Rarity has been working here for a while, is that true?” A purple Unicorn asked her.
The pony speaking outside caught the attention of both Rarity and Sweetie Belle inside. They moved a little closer to see who was there, until Sweetie Belle recognized the Unicorn and dragon that she had met before and let out a scream.
“Ahhh! It’s them! The evil Unicorn and her pet dragon!” Sweetie Belle screamed, before running away to hide behind one of the shelves.
“It is!?” Rarity asked, surprised at her sister’s sudden reaction.
After hearing Sweetie Belle scream, and looking the Unicorn over once more, Mayor Mare quickly slammed the door shut, and prompted Rarity to help keep it closed with her magic.
“Was that Rarity and Sweetie Belle?” Twilight asked from outside.
“HOW RUDE! How dare they shut a door in our faces, when we were just trying to ask them a question!” Fluttershy yelled quietly, before starting to bang on the door, trying to get it to open. “OPEN UP!”
Back inside, Rarity continued to brace the door with her magic, while speaking to the Mayor.
“Is that Fluttershy from Appleloosa? What’s she doing all the way out here?” Rarity asked.
“I’m not sure, but if she’s here helping that Unicorn, it can’t be good.” Mayor Mare responded.
“Anything I can do to help?” Derpy asked the two from behind.
Feeling her magic beginning to strain under the stress of keeping the door closed, Rarity accepted the Pegasi’s help.
“Yes dear. Sit in front of the door would you?” Rarity told the Pegasus.
“You got it!” Derpy replied, before flying over and plopping herself down right in front of the door.
Back outside, Fluttershy continued to bang forcefully on the door, growing more tired and annoyed with each knock.
“Did this door just get heavier!? Open up the door I say!” Fluttershy spoke angrily, before starting to buck at the door instead.
Braeburn began to try to pull Fluttershy away from the door, but found it hard enough just to keep a grip on her.
Rarity and Mayor Mare started to get worried inside, as they saw Derpy start to slide forward a little from the past couple hits to the door.
“Stand…err…sit fast Derpy! Don’t let them in!” Rarity told Derpy.
“I’m trying, but my bottom is starting to hurt!” Derpy replied, a slight look of pain on her face.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this Rarity.” Mayor Mare told Rarity.
Fluttershy began to buck harder and harder on the door, while Braeburn held on for dear life.
“Maybe we should come back another time.” Twilight spoke.
“Come back? If we leave now, then we might never know if Rarity is alright or not?” Rainbow Dash replied.
“I reckon she’s fine for now, but she might not be after Fluttershy kicks this door down.” Braeburn responded, still holding onto Fluttershy.
“You’re going to LET ME IN!!!” Fluttershy yelled, before giving one last buck to the door, causing it to burst open, and sending Derpy flipping end over end towards the back of the building.
Inside, Rarity and Mayor Mare watched in shock, as the door burst open, and Fluttershy turned to face them. Outside, Braeburn had finally let go after the last kick, and turned to Twilight.
“Y’all might want to come back later, after I try to smooth things over here!” Braeburn told Twilight.
“But what about Rar…”Twilight started to speak, before Rainbow Dash cut her off.
“Don’t worry Twilight. I’ll make sure Rarity’s okay, and I’ll help Braeburn keep Fluttershy under control too.” Rainbow Dash told her friend.
“Well you might want to hurry, because it looks like she’s starting again!” Braeburn told Rainbow Dash, while trying to pull Fluttershy back out from inside Town Hall.
Worried for their friends, but knowing that it would be best to come back when things cooled down, Twilight decided to leave Rainbow Dash and Braeburn to the task at hoof.
“Okay you guys, we’ll be back after we find Pinkie. Come on Spike.” Twilight spoke, before running off into town.
Upon seeing the Unicorn and dragon flee from one of the windows inside, Mayor Mare decided to send Sweetie Belle and Derpy after them, while she and Rarity dealt with Fluttershy.
“Sweetie Belle, Derpy! After those two!” Mayor Mare told the two ponies.
“But she’s evil and scary!” Sweetie Belle protested.
“My rump hurts.” Derpy added, still laying upside-down against the wall.
“Perhaps you could get a cutie mark in capturing a dastardly pony Sweetie Belle, and I’ll make sure a fresh batch of muffins is ready when you two get back.” Mayor Mare persuaded the two.
“Cutie Mark! Muffin!” Sweetie Belle and Derpy exclaimed simultaneously, before zipping out the back door after the Unicorn and dragon.
“Quite devious Mayor, but effective I must say.” Rarity told the Mayor.
“I know, but better they go after those two than deal with the problem here.” Mayor Mare replied.
“Agreed.” Rarity added.
The two faced Fluttershy, as she stomped her way inside; Rainbow Dash and Braeburn desperately trying to pull her back.
“When did Fluttershy get so strong?” Rainbow Dash asked, straining trying to pull Fluttershy.
“This isn’t going to end well.” Braeburn replied.
Fluttershy finally stopped, before taking a deep breath, and preparing to yell again.
/)(\ /)(\ /)(\ /)(\ /)(\
Meanwhile, in the streets of Ponyville. Twilight, with Spike on her back, continued to make their way through the crowds of ponies, searching for Pinkie Pie.
“Pinkie Pie!” They both called out, trying to reach their friend.
“Are you sure we’re going the right way Twilight?” Spike asked.
“I don’t know Spike. Pinkie Pie could be anywhere, and we need to find her fast.” Twilight replied.
“What about Sugarcube Corner? She’s bound to be there for sure.” Spike asked.
“Good idea Spike. We shouldn’t be too far from there.” Twilight responded.
Nodding in agreement, Spike took a quick look back, only to discover Derpy and Sweetie Belle chasing after them.
“Uh oh! Looks like we’ve got company!” Spike told Twilight, pointing back to the ponies chasing them.
“Muffins!” Derpy called out, smiling while flying towards them.
“Halt fiend! I shall capture you!” Sweetie Belle added, trying to sound heroic.
“Better think of something fast Twilight.” Spike told Twilight.
“Why does everypony in this down have to be ca-razy!?” Twilight groaned, before performing a teleportation spell.
“Oh no! Where’d they go?” Sweetie Belle asked, slowing down.
“Muf…fins?” Derpy spoke, a sad look on her face, slowing down as well.
Reappearing in an alleyway nearby, Twilight and Spike watched as Sweetie Belle and Derpy continued along the road, looking for them.
“That was close.” Spike said aloud, wiping some sweat from his brow.
“It would’ve been easier if we could’ve just talked some sense into them, but everything’s too confusing right now.” Twilight added, a worried look on her face.
Twilight and Spike began to make their way out of the alleyway, before they were both struck over the head by something metallic, knocking them out. Emerging from the shadows behind them, eyes briefly glowing red, a blue Unicorn with a magician’s hat levitated the frying pan used to subdue the two down to the ground.
“Humph. Well, well. Sparkle.” The mare spoke.
/)(\ /)(\ /)(\ /)(\ /)(\
Back at Town Hall.
“And another thing!” Fluttershy continued on her angry tangent.
The reaction between the other four ponies in the room had been the same since Fluttershy had started. Frozen, scared, confused, and overall, silent. Fluttershy had been going nonstop about how upset she was with the way that she and her companions had been treated since they got there, and how Mayor Mare and Rarity had acted in sending Sweetie Belle and Derpy after Twilight and Spike. Whenever anypony would try to get a word in otherwise, Fluttershy would immediately interrupt them, and continue on her rant.
When Fluttershy finally finished her yelling, taking breaths to calm herself down, Rainbow Dash was the first one to speak.
“So uh…yeah… Now that all that’s out of the way. Rarity.” Rainbow Dash spoke to her friend catching her attention.
“Huh? Yes?” Rarity answered, snapping her attention to the Pegasus after she spoke to her.
“We were hoping that you could join us in trying to stop Chrysalis from taking over Equestria. We know that you’re not really yourself right now, but maybe there’s something we can do to help you remember?” Rainbow Dash spoke to her friend.
“I…uh…” Rarity replied, still under some of the shock from Fluttershy’s yelling.
“Oh please. There’s no way a push-over like her could do anything against that big meanie. She’d probably be more concerned with messing up that mane of hers, than she would be about stopping that queen.” Fluttershy spoke.
“Well that is Rarity alright, but she’d cast all of that aside to help us Fluttershy, you know that.” Rainbow Dash told Fluttershy.
“Humph. As if.” Fluttershy replied, looking away from everyone else.
“You know, I remember when the loudest you ever got, was when you gave one of your flutter ‘yays!’ to cheer me on.” Rainbow Dash told Fluttershy.
Upon hearing her say the word “yay,” something clicked in Fluttershy’s mind, as if she knew what she was talking about.
“I don’t…that is…I don’t remember…umm.” Fluttershy started to say, before shaking her head and snapping herself out of it.
“Well, whatever. If Rarity still doesn’t remember us, and I don’t know how to snap her out of it, then I’m going after Twilight and Spike, to help them find Pinkie Pie.” Rainbow Dash spoke, before flying out of Town Hall.
“Uh, perhaps we should be going ourselves Fluttershy. It doesn’t look like we’ll be able to get much further here either.” Braeburn told Fluttershy, slowly making his way out.
Fluttershy looked back and forth between Braeburn, and the other two ponies, before deciding to follow him.
“Fine. We don’t need help from these two anyway.” Fluttershy replied, before walking out with Braeburn.
“You really went overboard in their Fluttershy.” Braeburn told Fluttershy as she walked up to him.
“I’m still not sure.” Fluttershy responded.
“Come again?” Braeburn asked.
“I’m still not sure I believe her or not.” Fluttershy replied, walking ahead of Braeburn.
Still inside Town Hall, the shellshock of what had just happened seemed to be wearing off on the two ponies.
“So uh, what just happened Mayor?” Rarity asked.
“I’m not sure. I think I went deaf after the first ‘EXCUSE ME.’” Mayor Mare replied.
/)(\ /)(\ /)(\ /)(\ /)(\
A little while later, in the Royal Chambers in Canterlot.
Chrysalis looked out from one of the stain glass windows that had been modified with her image, and watched as Luna began to bring the night.
“Hmm, and another day passes in my new rule.” She spoke aloud to herself.
A knock came at the door, and Chrysalis ordered whoever it was to come in.
“Pardon me your majesty, but dinner is almost ready.” Princess Celestia told Queen Chrysalis.
“Very well, I’ll be down shortly.” Chrysalis responded, not taking her attention away from the window.
“Yes your majesty.” Celestia replied, backing out of the room and shutting the door with her magic.
Chrysalis waited a moment, sensing that another pony had entered the room, before speaking aloud.
“Celestia? Celestia!” Chrysalis checked once again, to see if the Princess was still nearby. “Very well, what do you have for me?” Chrysalis addressed the pony in the room.
“The task that you gave ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’ has been completed.” Trixie replied, walking out of the shadows.
“Good. Those two were a pain in my side for too long. Where are they now?” Chrysalis asked.
“They’re gone, just like you asked of Trixie.” Trixie replied.
“Hmm, very well. You’ve done good work for me once again. You may leave now.” Chrysalis told Trixie.
Trixie began to make her way out, before turning back to address the queen once more.
“If ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’ may be so bold, even though it was Sparkle, what did she do to incur ‘your’ wrath Queen Chrysalis?” Trixie asked.
“She and her friends ruined my chance to take over Equestria the first time I invaded.” Chrysalis responded.
“Oh, how so?” Trixie inquired further.
“I was on the verge of acquiring enough love to overthrown Canterlot completely, but then Twilight Sparkle showed up with the real groom’s bride, and together, their love proved too much for me, and I was cast far away.” Chrysalis told Trixie.
“Hmm, she really did have a knack for ruining other pony’s lives, didn’t she?” Trixie replied.
“Yes, she most certainly did, but no more. Now I am in complete control, and with her, and her friends out of the way, I’ll never have to worry about anypony ruining my plans ever again.” Chrysalis responded.
“I see. Well then, ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’ shall be taking her leave then my Queen.” Trixie told Queen Chrysalis, before disappearing in a smoke of magic again.
“Hmm, nosey little runt. She does good work though, so I think I’ll keep her around a while longer.” Chrysalis spoke to herself, continuing to enjoy the growing darkness outside her window.