//------------------------------// // Shop 'til it Drops (part 6) // Story: The Sunshine Chronicles // by TwilightUCrazy //------------------------------// They ran, and they ran, and they kept on running through the zig-zagging alleyways, leaping over garbage pails and dumpsters. They thundered past rats, mice, and even an illicit-looking encounter between a well-dressed stallion and his escort, before bolting out of the alleyway. Throwing themselves breathlessly against the wall, Applejack peered around the corner. “Any… anypony coming?” Rainbow panted. Applejack leaned back and relaxed, slowing her breathing. “Nah… I think… we lost ‘em…” Rainbow heaved a sigh of relief and looked around. “Well, we sure as hay can’t stay here. Twilight and Pinkie saw us, but we don’t know that they know it was us yet,” she said. Applejack scowled at her. “Rainbow, we ran straight into ‘em, screamed in their faces, and ran off. They’d have to be blind deaf and stupid to not figure it out. ‘Specially Twilight.” Rainbow Dash blinked and considered a moment. “Well, you screamed first…” she muttered. “I did not! You were the one shoutin’ like a dang banshee! I just started in ‘cause you did!” “Okay, first of all? I don’t even know what a banshee is. Second of all? No.” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Yer right about one thing though,” she said, looking up and down the street. “We need a place to hide while we sort out what to do next.” Her wife looked both ways, then picked a direction and started walking, seemingly at random. “Uhh, where we goin’?” Rainbow asked. “Followin’ plans ain’t worked in keepin’ low so far,” Applejack huffed. “So we’re tryin’ to find someplace random to duck ‘n cover ‘til we can figure out a plan of what to tell the girls.” “Random?” She grimaced. “You sure that’s a good idea? That’s Pinkie’s specialty, y’know.” “Oh, would you quit yer bellyachin’ and just keep up?” Falling into silence, the pegasus obediently followed her mate and walked along behind her. She was never one for silence, though, and after a couple minutes of simple walking, she felt she had to speak up. “So what kind of place are we looking for? A bar? A restaurant?” A loud growl reached Rainbow Dash’s twitchy ears, and she turned to look at her mate with wide eyes. Applejack blushed. “P-pardon.” “How are you hungry again, already? I only got like one of the snacks on the whole train trip! You—” Her wife glared at her. It was Rainbow’s turn to blush. “Oh. Right. Preggers. Yeah.” She giggled. “Restaurant sounds good, actually.” She looked at her. “You got any money left over, sugarcube?” The pegasus looked at her. “What? You don’t?” “I spent all ‘o mine on a diaper-changin’ table.” Her mate paused mid-stride. “Why? Didn’t you get anything?” “Buuuh…” Rainbow nervously averted her eyes. “Well, I’ve got some left…” she muttered. Applejack grinned. “Great! Then yer treatin’!” she said, continuing her march. “But why do I have to treat?” she pouted. “’Cause yer the hubby, and that’s what hubbies do for their pregnant wives.” Applejack sidled up next to her and nuzzled against her neck, smirking. “Right?” Rainbow huffed. “What if I wanted a turn being the wife?” she muttered. “That ship’s sailed, darlin’.” Groaning, she leaned back against her mate and sighed. “Being the husband stinks.” Applejack looked at her with a wicked grin. “Oh, believe me, it’s only gonna get worse.” Rainbow rolled her eyes and smirked. “Is it wrong to say I wish I’d kept my cloud house?” “Heheheh!” Rainbow Dash felt her wife's powerful front hooves wrap around her neck, probably trying to find a good position to strangle her from. Then she felt her tuck her head up beneath her chin in that way she liked, and she couldn’t stop the smile that crossed her lips. * * * The princess pushed open the door to the back stage of Fancy Pants's theater and stepped in as she and Pinkie Pie peered around. “Rarity! Fluttershy!” Twilight’s voice echoed across the backstage. The yellow pegasus looked up, blinked at her as she approached, then turned her attention back to something sitting on the table they stood next to. “Sorry we’re late! We got a bit distracted on the way here. We didn't miss everything, did we?” No reply from either pony. Pinkie bounce-bounce-bounced to a stop next to Twilight and looked at her quizzically. The pair walked up behind Rarity and Fluttershy. “Uhh... watcha girls lookin’ at?” she asked. Silence. The two exchanged glances again and peered around them, then their jaws dropped simultaneously at the sight. “Is that—” “Indeed,” Rarity said. “And she was back here somewh—” Fluttershy nodded. “Uh-huh.” Twilight gawked at the abandoned Stetson just sitting there, like it didn’t belong to anypony. “Then that means…” she started. “…that Applejack and Rainbow Dash…” Pinkie said. “…are really here?” “In Canterlot?” Rarity’s expression was unreadable. “It would seem so.” “And they were here…” “…at a fashion show…” “…backstage?” Fluttershy seemed equally emotionless. “They were on the runway modeling, too.” Twilight felt her face go numb. Pinkie’s jaw quite literally hit the floor. “You girls know what this means, right?” Rarity asked with a firm and determined voice. Fluttershy blinked and scuffed her hoof against the floor. Twilight blinked. “Umm... do you?” Pinkie shot upright. “Oh! I do! I do! I know what it means!” She paused. “But let me hear Rarity say what she thinks it means, just so I know we’re all on the same page.” “It means that our friends… Applejack and Rainbow Dash… have been replaced…” She slowly turned to meet her friends’ eyes. “…by changelings!” Fluttershy gasped. “That’s awful!” “That’s terrible!” Twilight echoed. “That’s silly!” Pinkie said with a giggle. Twilight and the others stared at her deadpan. “Really?” Rarity asked haughtily. “And I suppose you would have a better explanation as for why our most culturally-averse friends are here in this city, modeling the hottest fashion trends of today of all things?” “You have to admit, it doesn’t make a lot of sense,” the pegasus next to her muttered. “Can you think of any other reason why they might be here, Pinkie?” Twilight asked. “Well, I dunno,” the pink pony shrugged. “Maybe Dashie got pregnant and they came to Canterlot to shop for a crib and furniture for the baby’s room. But they saw us coming to Canterlot too on the same day and didn’t want us to know about it so we wouldn’t start asking questions. And then they saw us wandering around and went to the fashion show with Fancy Pants to try and hide from us!” Her three friends frowned. “Pinkie Pie, darling, honestly,” Rarity said with a roll of her eyes. “Do you ever listen to yourself when you talk?” “Not really! I just let everypony else do that for me!” Squee! Twilight sighed and facehoofed. “Pinkie, you’ve said some silly things in the past, but I think that takes the cake.” “I… umm… I think I agree with Twilight.” “Perhaps we should inform the Royal Guard,” Rarity said worriedly. “You’re right. There’s no time to lose! Every second we waste theorizing is a chance we could lose the opportunity to find out what the changelings did with our real friends!” Twilight charged towards the door. “We need to find them!” The three dashed out the door. And with that, Pinkie was alone. “Hmmm…” she considered as she bounced in pursuit. “I wonder what their baby would look like...”