One night on Sweet Apple Acres...
“Alright, y’all know what ya gonna be doin’, right?” Api asked the two other fillies in the musty tree house.
Pixel waved off the younger girl's concerns, while Echo just nodded. “Relax, Api. You’ve gone over the plan twenty times already.”
“Ah just don’t want anythin’ ta go wrong.” Api flopped down onto a beanbag chair, sighing. “Y’all know what people thought about our moms when they were our age...”
A shudder passed over the three fillies as they remembered the album of Repair Invoices, Medical Receipts and Guard Reports their mother's had shown them all the week before. And the stories they’d heard. So much tree sap...
“OK, we get it,” Pixel ceded. “But we have something they don’t have.”
“And what’s that?” Echo asked, not looking up from her hand.
“Our moms already did all the messing up for us!” Pixel had a huge grin on her face, and failed to notice the huge face hoof Api was doing.
“That don’t mean new things cain’t go wrong fer us...” the small Earth Pony pointed out. “Look at what happened when we tried ta capture one o’ the Ponyville Dragons...”
“We got out of the net eventually.” Pixel said, circling her hoof dismissively.
“Y’all got set on fire!”
“Only a little...” Pixel said, her voice seeming a little smaller now. “Besides, Claire put me out again.”
“We caught Turquoise and Spike easily enough, Api.” Echo said, throwing a card across the table to Pixel.
“Until Annie let T out, ya mean?” Api cocked her head, and glared at the quiet Pegasus.
“Well, she cheats...” Pixel said, folding her forehooves in a huff. “Besides, she dropped the net when she found out we weren’t hurting him...”
“Yeah, she dropped tha net. On fire...” Api said, before thinking back. “Didn’t ya get lit up then an’ all?”
“Eh...” Pixel said, shrugging her shoulders. “Ocku...Ocu...risk of catching dragons. And Claire put me out. Again.”
“And it don’t really count if they let ya catch ‘em like Spike did.” Api pointed out. “Everypony knows that.”
“Yeah, Twilight put up more of a fight than Spike did,” Echo pointed out. “Probably wasn’t the best plan to try and catch him when he was in the Library’s kitchen.”
“Ah’ll say,” Api said, shuddering as she flashed back to the event. “It was awful cramped in there. Ah think Spike got me stuck up against a wall at one point...“
“You think you had it bad?” Echo asked. “One of his wings knocked me through a window. I couldn’t fly straight for the rest of the week.”
“Well, when Twilight teleported in, she knocked me into the hob.”
“That doesn’t sound that ba...” Echo started, before being cut off.
“It was lit.”
Echo mouthed an Oh... before sharing a look with Api.
“Ya seem ta get set on fire an awful lot, Pixie,” Api said, finally sitting at the table with her two friends. “What’s with that?”
The Unicorn just shrugged her shoulders, and refused to say anymore on the matter. Echo rolled her eyes and shook her head, as Api sighed.
“Alright, Ah’ll take it that ya’ll do know the plan,” Api said, glancing between her two friends as she laid a hoof into the middle of the table. “Through Wrath and Ruin”
Pixel Bit giggled as she laid her hoof next to Api’s. “United we stand!”
Echo snorted a laugh at her two friends, before completing the hoof circle. “For Gold and Glory.”
The trio of fillies raised their hooves in unison as they yelled the final part of their oath. “Ponyville Adventurers! Yay!”
***
Meanwhile, at the farmhouse...
Applebloom sat up in bed, a cold sweat running down the back of her neck.
“Somethin’ up, love?” Pipsqueak asked, blinking himself awake.
“Ah think it was just a bad dream...” Applebloom said, but Pips curiosity wasn’t satisfied. She settled back down, and rolled so she was facing him. “Ah heard Ponyville scream out in terror, an’ then had to watch as it drowned in tree sap...”
“Cor...” Pipsqueak took a few seconds to think over what Applebloom had said. “That must have been a right bad ‘un.”
Applebloom nodded. “Ah’m startin’ ta think it might’ve been a bad idea ta tell the girls mah old stories. Ah just got a bad feelin’...”
“Now that might be going just a little too far.” Pipsqueak said, giving Applebloom a quick peck on the nose before lying back on the pillows. “I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?”
***
Back at the Tree House...
“Alrigh’, I think y’all need ta go on an’ get back home, it’s gettin’ pretty late.” Api said, looking out the tree house’s windows. “We don’t wanna be gettin’ ourselves grounded when we’re this close...”
“Sure.” Pixel said while packing away the deck of cards she had been idly shuffling. “Meet here again at 8, right?”
Echo sighed, before nodding.
“What’s up, Echo?” Api asked.
“I just...” Echo paused, bit her lip. She shook the doubts from her mind, before taking a deep breath and continuing. “I just don’t think this is going to end well...”
“Aww, c’mon Echo,” Pixel rushed over to hug the young Pegasus. “Api’s been planning this for days. What’s the worst that could happen?”
***
The Following Morning...
“Echo!” Api screamed over the hissing cider press. “Ya need to get that vent open!”
“I’m on it!” Echo yelled back as she flew over the bulging contraption. It only took a few seconds to find the clogged chute on the top of the press. “Alright, I’ve found it! I just need a little time to get this branch out...”
“How in Celestia’s name did that get in there?” Api asked herself, before turning to Pixel. “Alright, Pixie, now all ya gotta is keep holdin’ on ta that pressure release ‘til Echo clears the vent, ya hear?”
“What?” Pixel asked, shifting her focus to her small friend. Her pale aura faded from around the valve she had been holding in place since they had started. “Oh that can’t be goo...”
Her voice was soon drowned out by the meshing of gears and the creaking of wood. The three fillies were all frozen with shock and fear (Although if anyone else asked, they would never admit it...).
The first to react was Echo, brought back to her senses by the geyser of froth that erupted not five feet from her. Her scream then awoke Pixel and Api.
“Get outta there, Echo!” Api managed to yell, before the walls of the press began to splinter. Echo wasted no time flying straight out the open barn door. Breathing a sigh of relief, Api turned to where she had last seen her other friend. “Pixel? Are ya OK?”
“I’m coming, Api, just get yourself clear!” Pixel shouted just as she managed to jump clear of the controls. Barely a second later, the outer walls of the press finally collapsed, showering the barn with sparks and splinters. She ran through the cloud of dust, smoke and steam towards the orchard after her friends. A few seconds later, the barn’s walls buckled, before collapsing catastrophically, resulting in another shower
It only took twenty seconds from Pixel releasing the pressure valve, to the catastrophic failure of Applebloom’s new cider press and it’s barn. To the fillies, though, it seemed like the gauntlet they had run to escape had lasted hours.
“Are you two...OK?” Echo gasped.
“Yeah... I think so...” Pixel was just as out of breath as the shy Pegasus.
“Ah think we’re fine...” Api said, before she took one last gulp of air, and looked up, before face hoofing. “Pixie, ya mane...”
“Huh?” Pixel turned to the small Earth Pony. “What’s wrong with it?”
“It’s on fire again...” Echo rolled her eyes before pointing at the unicorn’s usually pale mane.
“Ha ha," Pixel deadpanned. “Come on, we just got covered in cider. There’s no way.”
“We ain’t kidding, Pixie...” Api dragged the unicorn over to a puddle, and shoved her in front of it. A quick glance had Pixel dancing on air.
“AHHHH! NOT AGAIN!” She cried, before dashing off down the road to town.
“PUT IT OUT, YA NUMBSKULL!” Api yelled after her. Echo hovered over to her, and the pair flopped to their haunches.
They barely had a chance to finish sitting down, before the silence of the farm was disturbed once more.
“API APPLE! WHAT IN CELESTIA’S NAME HAVE YA DONE TO MAH CIDER PRESS!?”
Api groaned, and looked behind her. Her mother was marching from the burning ruins of the barn. Api turned back to Echo. “Ah’m sorry, Echo, but ya’ll better get goin’, an’ fast. This was mah idea, Ah should take the fall,” She turned to face her mother again. “And Ah think Ah’ve gone and landed us in a world of Barney...”
Echo looked from her friend to a very angry Applebloom. She took a few steps towards one of the Orchards, before flying as fast as she could through the trees towards the far end of the little town.
***
Meanwhile, in the Town Centre...
“CLAIRE!” Pixel screamed as she stormed through Ponyville and into the Carousel Boutique. “IT’S HAPPENED AGAIN!”
Sweetie Belle, Rarity and Button Mash watched as the young Unicorn-fireball hybrid stormed up the stairs.
As Rarity raised an eyebrow, Sweetie Belle took another sip of her tea. Button Mash just continued to flip through his magazine.
“Was that Pixel Bit?” Rarity asked, as she bit her lip, trying to think of the havoc a combination of what appeared to be non-magical fire and her niece could cause to her home.
“Mhmm...” Sweetie Belle and Button Mash spoke in unison. The stallion turned a page while he spoke.
“I couldn’t help but notice she seemed to be, well, just the slightest bit on fire.”
“Mhmm...” The younger sibling took another sip of tea.
“Or that neither of you seemed to be concerned in the least...” Rarity began to eyeball the pair.
“Well, it is the fifth time this month...” Sweetie Belle looked up to see the shock on Rarity’s face. “...And I just realised we never mentioned this before, did we?” Sweetie Belle laughed sheepishly for a few seconds. “Alright, you remember when me, Applebloom and Scootaloo were... younger?”
A brief shudder suggested the older unicorn most certainly did. “All... that... tree sap.” Her eye twitched as she spoke.
“Well, it seems that setting her mane on fire is becoming Pixie’s tree sap.” Sweetie Belle refilled her cup as she spoke. “I was as worried as you the first few times, but it never seems to hurt her, and it seems like it’s brought her and Claire closer together...”
“Well, I must admit it is nice that they’re getting along, but I still can’t get my head around how you can just accept your daughter setting herself on fire, or that it doesn’t hurt. Surely that last one is a little strange, at least...”
“I think I can answer the second one...” Button Mash said, as he finally looked up from what he was reading. “How are we taught to use our magic?”
Rarity screwed her face up in confusion before answering. “To visualise what we want to happen, and use our will to make it happen. But I don’t see what that has to do with this situation.”
“Quite simple,” Button Mash sidled over to his wife, putting one hoof around her. “Our little Pixel is a bit of a dreamer. She might see things no-one else sees from time to time. She also really loves her games. So, if you have a girl who’s completely convinced that something which would normally be extremely difficult to pull off is not only possible, but how the world actually works...”
“...Then her magic will make it happen much easier than should be possible,” Rarity finished, having some idea where the discussion was headed, even if there were still a few gaps. “So, what, does she think she’s invincible?”
“No, nothing so strange as that,” Button Mash chuckled slightly. “If anything, a game mentality would tell her she could be hurt by quite mundane things. However, it’s not quite so hard for her to ignore the pain from the fire when she knows that burns don’t hurt outside of battle...”
“It doesn’t make any sense to me either, sis,” Sweetie Belle said, seeing the incredulous look Rarity was giving her husband. She leant into Button Mash before continuing. “But she never really gets hurt, and she always seems to run straight for Button or Claire. She seems to know the fire could hurt her. It just isn’t doing right then and there. Think of it being a little like Pinkie. She’s a smart filly. She’s just approaching reality from a different angle...”
Rarity sighed. “I fear I’m going to understand my niece as well as I understood you at her age, aren’t I?” Looking at the subdued nod from her little sister, Rarity tried to bring a smile to her face. “I still don’t understand what sharing all your old foalhood stories was meant to accomplish. It certainly doesn’t appear to have scared away from that path...”
Sweetie Belle gained a strange, far-off look in her eyes, and a slight smile. “You thought those were meant to scare her off?” Sweetie Belle caught Rarity’s look of disbelief. “Alright, I know we caused a lot of problems back then, but I wouldn’t trade one second of those times for the world, sis. I don’t know about the others, but I know I wasn’t trying to make them the next CMC, or trying to stop that either. I just wanted them to see how having good friends can make anything better.
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Pixel Bit cantered through the Boutique. When she reached the door, she turned and called up the stairs. “Thanks Claire. See you around!”
The dragon-pony hybrid soon appeared at the bottom of the stairs. “Oh, hello Auntie, hello Uncle,” She waved at the pair of them, before turning to Sweetie Belle. “Auntie, I think you might want to go visit Applebloom...”
“And I think I’ll take that as my cue...” Sweetie finished her cup of tea, before rising from her chair. “I’ll see you later sis, see you later Claire...” She hugged her family, before giving Button a quick peck on the cheek, and struggling to her feet. “Can you help me over to Sweet Apple Acres, Button? I’m not sure I should try and go that far like this by myself...” She indicated her extremely swollen figure.
As she leant into her Husband’s side, she thought Well, I wonder what you’ve gotten yourself into this time, Pixie...
***
At the other side of Ponyville...
“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Rumble,” Scootaloo said as she wheeled herself into their kitchen. “That’s the last time I let you talk me into trying a double loop circuit.”
“Sorry, Scoots,” Her husband said sheepishly, biting his lips as he walked over to the counter. “I really did think you could make it, though. You’ve gotten a lot better on the loop now, you gotta admit.”
“I know, but I can’t remember ever having a worse wipe-out...”
“Not even when you were a filly?”
“Hey, tree sap is amazing at absorbing impacts...” Scootaloo said, as she pulled up at the table. “Well, either that or I hit my head so hard back then I can’t remember how bad they really were...”
“I’m just surprised you actually managed to spend enough time at school to graduate, given that scrapbook.”
“Heh...” Scootaloo gingerly rubbed a hoof at the base of her mane, before rapidly shaking her head and staring at her husband. “Hey, stop changing the subject. You’re still doing all the chores ‘til I’m out of this thing.”
Before Rumble could think of a response, their front door flew open, shortly followed a very out of breath Pegasus filly.
“Acres...” she said as she gasped for breath. “Cider... Press... Blew... Barn... Bloom... Mad... Now...”
While Rumble just looked shocked at the nonsensical stream of words, Scootaloo went over them in her mind for a few seconds.
“You just came from Sweet Apple Acres, You were using the Cider Press, but it blew up in the Barn.”
Echo nodded along, still trying to catch her breath.
“And now Applebloom’s really mad, so I should get down there now?”
The filly nodded more energetically.
“Alright then, I’ll get going. Rumble, can you help her calm down while I’m gone?”
“Won’t you need my help getting over there?”
“I’m not helpless, Rumble. I can get there fine myself,” Scootaloo leant down and nuzzled Echo’s cheek. “But Echo needs one of us, and you don’t know how to work ‘Bloom like me or Sweetie.”
“Alright, but don’t be too long, it’s your turn to do the washing up.” Rumble said as she headed out the kitchen.
“Nice try, but not gonna work.”
Daughter and Husband watched as the door swung shut again. After almost a minute of heavy breathing, Echo’s mind finally caught up with what had just happened.
“Loop de Loop?” Echo asked, as she finally took a seat at the table.
“Well, a double loop, but yeah.” Rumble said, as he started rooting through the cupboards.
“Figures...” Echo paused for a while, idly scratching one of her forehooves with the other. “How’d she do?”
“Got about halfway up the second loop, but she started to panic, and her wings went out of synch.” Rumble watched his daughter, who seemed to be completely distracted.
“But, you’re not really asking about that, are you?”
“Huh?” Echo snapped back to attention.
“You’re just trying to keep your mind off what happened in the Orchards, aren’t you?”
“I’m that obvious?”
Rumble snorted. “You’re really like your mother, you know that?” He pulled a bag out from a cupboard, and placed it on the counter, before walking around the table. He pulled his daughter into a hug, and nuzzled her cheek. “Don’t worry, your mother’s going to sort this all out. You’ll probably still end up grounded, but hopefully she should keep Applebloom calm enough that it won’t be worse than that. Trust her, OK?”
Echo breathed a sigh of relief, and hugged Rumble back. “OK, dad.”