//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 - Cleaning Up // Story: The Ponyville Adventuring Society // by Midnight Crescent //------------------------------// CHAPTER 2 – Cleaning up... “First, yer gonna pick up every dang piece, and put it in a nice, neat pile over there,” Applebloom pointed towards a large scorch mark on the ground. “An’ then ya gonna do tha same fer the barn, and put that pile over there.” She pointed towards the concrete foundations the barn used to stand on. Api just nodded sullenly, the already small pony shrinking under her mother’s tirade. “An’ then ya gonna be grounded fer at least two weeks.” “Two weeks!?” Api looked up at her mother, barely holding back tears. “At least two. If Ah find out ya’ve been wastin’ any time while ya doin’ this, it’s gonna be more,” Api collapsed, not caring about the slurry beneath her feet. Applebloom looked down at her daughter. As much as she wanted to go easy on her, the fact that the barn she’d built to stand up to Sonic Rainboom and Derpy level catastrophes was lying around her shredded just wouldn’t get out of her head. Taking a brief look down the path, she saw her old friends struggling down the path towards her. “Now, Ah’m gonna go talk to mah friends. When Ah git back, Ah expect ya ta have started.” Applebloom walked past her still sniffling daughter, to intercept her friends. “Hey girls, what's goin’ on?” “Pixel and Echo came home not long ago...” Sweetie Belle started. “...And we figured we should come and check on things here.” Scootaloo finished. Applebloom looked at the pair. Sweetie was definitely starting to show now. However, she was more shocked by the changes to her Pegasus friend. “What happened, Scoots? The loop again?” “Why does everypony always say that?” Scootaloo said, rolling her eyes. She then sighed, and stared at the floor. “But, yeah, it was.” “Well, Ah’m not sure what y’all can do ta help,” Applebloom said, looking over her friends again. “Especially with how ya are right now...” “We weren’t coming to help clear up,” Sweetie said, wincing as she started towards the farmhouse again. “We were coming to make sure you didn’t do something stupid,” she spoke, before looking past her old friend, to see the forlorn figure of Api. “But it looks like we were too late...” Applebloom snorted. “Do y’all even know what her an’ her fool friends have gone an’ done this time?” “Blew up your old cider press?” Scootaloo questioned, raising an eyebrow. “’Bloom, I figured you’d be upset,” she looked past to Api herself. “But don’t you think that’s goin’ overboard a bit?” Applebloom sighed, and her shoulders slumped. “Ah think it might be best if we finished this up somewhere a mite quieter...” The red-maned farm pony turned back up the path, walking round to the cellar doors for the farm house. She nosed one of the doors open, and waited for her friends to slowly make their way down. Once inside, Applebloom produced mugs of cider, handing one to Scootaloo, before placing a large beanbag down for Sweetie Belle. “Ya want some juice or anythin’, Sweetie?” She shook her head. “No, I’m ok. Thanks for the cushion though.” “So what was that all about up there?” Scootaloo asked, narrowing her eyes and glaring at Applebloom. “Echo looked pretty shook up when she got home. And then we get here, and you’re just about tearing Api’s head off.” Applebloom took a swig of her cider, not even looking at her old friends. “Do ya remember those Flim Flam Brothers?” “Well, yeah, they didn’t exactly make themselves easy to forget...” Sweetie Belle gave Applebloom a curious glance. “But what does that have to do with Api?” “What was it they brought with ‘em the firs’ time they came ta town?” “Umm... What was it they called it?” Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo started to exchange looks as they tried to remember. “I know it started with ‘Super’...” “It was a pretty big number too...” Then Sweetie Belle’s eyes went wide. “Oh, oh! I think I remember!” She cleared her throat violently for a few seconds. “The Super Cider Squeezy 6000!” She sang in a similar accent to the old pair of con ponies. Then her jaw fell open, and she turned to face her friend. “Oh no...” “Yeah. Why d’ya think it was sat in a barn all these years?” Applebloom slumped down, her face resting on one hoof. “AJ an’ Mac have been lettin’ me handle buildin’ the new barns since before me an’ Pip got hitched. An’ Ah’ve been reparin’ Mac’s ploughs since before Ah had Api. But that press... It took me five years ta sort out the kinks. And every year, they said no. ‘Cause they just couldn’t forget those two stupid ponies and their Celestia damned pile o’ junk...” “I still don’t see what this has to do wimp hmmm...” Scootaloo started, before she found a white hoof in her mouth. “Scoots, I don’t think she’s finished...” Sweetie Belle’s voice was soft and quiet. “Five years to sort out the kinks...” Applebloom said, her eyes glazed over by nostalgia. “An’ another five ta convince Equestria’s stubbornest ponies ta give it a shot. Five minutes for Api an’ ya girls to reduce it an’ the best barn Ah’ve built to scrap an’ splinters,” she downed the rest of her cider. “That was mah one chance, girls. No way they’re gonna let me even build another out here, let alone try it out. Shoot, they might not even let me build another barn without runnin’ mah blueprints past every builder in town firs’...” “Oh, come on, ‘Bloom.” Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “You can’t really think they’d be that harsh.” Applebloom merely waved a hoof in the general direction of the doors, as she started to cry. “Well, the Apple already didn’t fall far from the tree...” Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo got the impression she wasn’t talking about Api... *** Just outside the cellar... As Api heard the sound of her mother crying she pulled her friends away from the open doorway. “Ah don’ think Ah’ve ever felt this small...” The young Earth pony spoke with a shaky voice, her eyes glistening. “And that’s saying something...” Pixel said, jokingly, before receiving a soft slap to the back of her head from Echo, and glares from both her friends. “Sorry...” “Ah really think we dun goofed this time...” Api just stared at the ground. “So what are we going to do about it?” Echo asked after an uncomfortable silence. “What d’ya mean?” Api looked up at her Pegasus friend. “C’mon, you two are always the ones with ideas.” Echo said, sitting on the floor. “And saying sorry ‘til we run out of breath isn’t going to cut it this time. Even for Pixie...” Api rubbed her chin with one of her hooves while she tried to think of a plan. “...Blueprints...” She said to herself. “What was that, Api?” Pixel Bit asked. “You got something?” “Maybe? Ah’m not sure...” Api said, while she ran over the idea in her head a few times. “Alright, but if we get caught, we’ll be even worse off than we already are. So ya don’t have ta join me fer this.” “And let you take all the credit if it works out?” Echo quipped, gently pushing her shorter friend. “Not gonna happen, Api.” “Yeah, we’re friends,” Pixel added. “’United we stand’, remember?” “Alright, just don’t say Ah didn’t warn ya,” Api whispered, before pulling the others into a huddle. “Pixie, Ah need ya to keep an eye on our ma’s. Echo, ya need ta git down ta mah place. Ah’ll check here... “Wouldn’t it make more sense for you to be checking your house?” Echo asked. Api just shook her head. “No time,” Api bit her lip as she answered. “No way Ah can git there an’ back before they’re done down there. An’ ya need ta make sure mah Pa don’ see ya. First, we’re gonna try ta swipe those blueprints...” Api ran through the plan quickly. Her friends just nodded along where appropriate. “Ya got it all?” The continued nodding suggested they had. “Alrigh’, but be careful. We’re only gonna git one shot at it...” Pixel put one of her forehooves in, expecting the others to follow her. She was shocked when Echo facehooved. “Sure, let’s do a team shout when we’re trying to be stealthy...” Echo snarked. “There’s no way yelling the plan to the whole farm yard could be a problem...” “Oh, right...” Pixel Bit rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “So, what should I do if they start to leave?” “Ah trust ya, Pixie. Ya’ll think of somethin’...” *** In the farmhouse... Api dodged her way past the creaky floorboards at the top of the stairs, and started making her way down the corridor. Bathroom... Applejack and Caramel’s... Attic Stairs... She mentally checked off each door as she passed. “An’ here we are,” She said under her breath as she reached the final door. “Ma’s room.” She gave the door a tentative push, wincing as it creaked open. The weight of the door pulled it fully open despite the lack of effort Api had put into the shove. She quickly darted past the various toolboxes to a large filing cabinet. She pulled open the lowest drawer, and started to leaf through the folders... *** Somewhere in Ponyville... Echo landed a short way from the familiar house, stretching her wings to ease the aching. She took a few deep breaths as she walked up to the door. Checking to make sure nopony was watching her, she snuck through the door, and quickly turning to stop the door slamming closed behind her. A quick check of the ground floor, including Applebloom’s workshop, turned up nothing. Echo sighed, and stared at the staircase. She gave a sigh, before heading up the stairs. Please don’t be in, Please don’t be in... The mantra repeated in her head as she ascended, but was soon interrupted by a very loud noise. “ZZZZZZ...” Pip’s snoring echoed down the narrow staircase. Or asleep... Echo mentally added to her light sigh of relief. Asleep works too... She was in the room in a flash, and set about searching through anything that might contain the papers she was looking for... *** Outside the cellar... Pixel Bit was starting to get worried. Her mom and her friends had been quiet for a while now, and she’d been hoping that her friends would have found the blueprints quickly. Then she’d heard movement, and approaching voices from the cellar. Uh-oh... Pixel thought, quickly looking around in a panic. I don’t have long... Need to warn the girls... What do I do? What do I doooo? She started to pace frantically, as she desperately tried to think of any way to warn her friends. It was then she caught sight of her reflection in one of the farmhouse windows. There was one thing... She waited and hoped for any other idea to pop into her head, but she knew she was out of time when she could hear what the voices beneath her were saying. “Could you give me a hand, Applebloom?” Sweetie Belle asked, sounding breathless. “Getting down is a lot easier than getting up...” “Yeah, well at least you can still use the stairs...” Scootaloo added in a huff. “Probably not for very much longer, though...” The singer quipped back. Pixel turned back to the window, and her shoulders slumped. The things I do for those friends of mine... You two owe me big for this one... Then the unicorn filly took a deep breath, and sparked her horn into life... *** In the farmhouse... Api pushed the stool back under the desk, glowering at the cabinet while she massaged the shoulder she fell on. Why do they always put the things I want in the top drawers? Api thought while rolling up the papers she’d found. She’d just let the door shut behind her when a sound pricked her ears. A very loud sound. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” There was no doubt as to who was behind the sound. Pixel? Api thought, her careful walk instantly becoming a dash. As she hit the stairs, a thought passed through her mind. Tell me she didn’t... A quick glance through the windows confirmed her worst fears, and she facehooved. She did... Api dashed over to the sink, and started filling up a bucket... *** In Ponyville... Echo slowly walked away from the house, a piece of notebook paper securely tucked beneath her wing. Well, not what I was looking for... Echo thought, as she turned towards Sweet Apple Acres. But it could still come in handy... As she hit the Orchard path, she heard a high pitch sound echoing around the trees. “AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!” “Pix!?” Echo yelled to nopony in particular. “I’m coming Pix!” The Pegasus took the scrap of paper out from beneath her wing, stuck it between her teeth, and flew as fast as she could manage toward the farmhouse, veering off into the trees when she caught sight of her mother and her friends crowding round the burning Unicorn. *** In the farmhouse... “C’mon ya darned tap, run faster!” Api said, tapping one of her rear hooves against the floorboards impatiently. When the bucket was finally full, she realised something was still tapping. Looking up, she noticed Echo tapping rapidly on the window. “Thank Celestia,” Api said as she opened the window. “Ah was wonderin’ how Ah was gonna get this out...” She almost tossed the blueprints into Echo’s hooves. “Now, ya need ta get goin’. Jus’ wait on the path, and say ya’ll take Pixie t’see Claire. An’...” The small Earth Pony gulped. “...Don’t worry ‘bout me...” Echo nodded. “You better get that water out there, before they start asking for you...” She said, before biting her lip, and flying off for the trees. Api sighed, took the bucket in her mouth, and made for the farmhouse door. *** Outside the Farmhouse... Another puddle formed at Pixel Bit’s hooves as she continued to frantically run in a circle. “PUT IT OUT PUT IT OUT PUT IT OUT!” She cried as another lance of water flew just past her burning mane. “Hold her still!” Sweetie Belle yelled as she focused on drafting another round of water. “Ah’m tryin’,” Applebloom replied, as she tried to grab hold of the burning filly again, with another mud bath being the only result. “But Ah jus’ can’t get a good grip...” Scootaloo was torn. Her friend’s attempts to contain one filly were hilarious. The fact the filly was on fire did make her try her hardest not to laugh. If it were anypony other than Pixel Bit, that might have worked, too... “Scootaloo, stop laughing at us and help!” Sweetie Belle stomped a hoof as she spoke. “How?” Scootaloo said, as she wiped a tear from her eye, the chuckles finally dying down. “I can’t wheel through the mud, I’m not a unicorn, and I can’t make enough of a breeze to put her out, even if I could flap my wings...” “Girls, not now!” Applebloom said, as she tried another dive for the filly, with similar results as the other five attempts. “Ah’ve got it!” Api cried as she finally emerged from the farmhouse, carrying a bucket of water. A few seconds later, she was staring at a thoroughly drenched Pixel Bit and Applebloom. She ignored her mother for the moment, hugging her friend. “Better, Pixie?” The unicorn nodded behind the curtain of mane she now had. “Alrigh’, Ah think ya should probably get Claire ta check ya over like normal though...” She sighed as she broke the hug, and looked over the once again drenched farmyard. “An’ Ah should git back ta work...” “Pix? Are you OK?” Echo asked as she trotted down the main path, running towards her friends. "I could hear the screaming from town..." Pixel Bit gave another small nod. “You want me to walk you home?” “Y-Yeah...” Pixel Bit shivered slightly as she spoke. “Alright.” Echo laid a wing over her friend and turned back to the Path. “Wait a second.” Scootaloo said, as she began to wheel herself around the mud pit that Sweet Apple Acres had become. “Don’t think we’re just going to forget this morning, Echo. You’re still going to be g...” A white hoof laid itself across her shoulder. “Scoots, I think that can wait until we make sure, Pixel’s OK, right?” Scootaloo looked to her old friend, seeing her eyes watering. She sighed and lowered her head. “...Fine.” She turned back to her daughter. “You go straight to the boutique, and wait there for me to get back.” Echo nodded at her mother, and set off towards Ponyville. Api mentally sighed in relief. Alright, Phase One complete... It’s down to you two now. Good luck, girls. *** In Ponyville... “Did you get them?” Pixel asked after warming up a little. “Api got the prints.” Echo nodded as she lifted her wing off her friend, and flapped it a little, trying to warm the limb up. “I got somethin’ that might help too...” “You two owe me, by the way...” Pixel added as the Carousel Boutique came into view. “Huh?” Echo asked, as she turned to her friend in surprise. “What for?” “I had to set myself on fire...” Pixel Bit shuddered. “Why’d you do that?” Echo raised an eyebrow. “I panicked!” Pixel Bit’s voice squeaked. “They were coming and I didn’t know what to do and I saw some of my singed mane and I just did something.” “But you’re ok right?” Echo asked, resting a hoof on her friend’s shoulders, looking her in the eyes. “You’re not hurt, right?” Pixel shook her head. “I’m not hurt. Doesn’t mean I like being on fire, dummy.” The young Pegasus hugged her friend. “Alright, as soon as this is over, all the shakes at Sugarcube Corner are on me and Api for a week.” Pixel smiled a little. “Welcome back, Pix,” Echo said, smiling back. “Now, let’s go face the music.” The pair walked into the Boutique. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is unique, chic and c’...” Came a sing song voice, as the shop’s bell rang, soon followed by Crystal Clarity walking into the entrance hall. “Oh, hello Pixel, Echo.” “Hi, Claire,” Pixel said, walking over to her cousin. “You’re getting really good at that.” “I’ll say...” Echo said. “I actually thought you were Rarity ‘til you came in...” “Well, one doesn’t like to brag...” Crystal Clarity said, scratching her claws against her chest. “But I had the best teacher. Now, what brings you here?” “Well, two things...” Pixel said sheepishly. “First, it happened again. Do you have any ointment left?” “I think it’s a good thing I started buying in bulk...” Claire said under her breath. “I do believe there’s some upstairs, yes. And the second?” “Well, remember this morning?” “Somewhat.” Claire said, tilting her head. “It was only this morning, after all...” “Ha Ha.” Echo deadpanned. “It’s to do with that...” Pixel Bit said, as she motioned for Echo to lay out the papers. “Oh no.” Claire said, before they had even finished preparing. “I am most definitely not going to help you try and build this contraption.” “We’re not trying to rebuild it!” Echo practically growled. “We can barely read this stuff as it is! Even Api doesn’t know where to start...” “Then I don’t see what you’re hoping to accomplish here...” “We just need to get the parts so Applebloom can build a new one...” Pixel Bit said, giving her cousin the best pout and puppy-dog stare she could pull off. “We all think we really messed up this time. We want to say sorry, but I don’t think that’s going to do it.” “So you just want to get out of being punished?” The dragon-pony asked, her voice turning a little colder. Both fillies shook their heads. “Even if that was it, we know it wouldn’t work.” Echo said, sitting on her haunches. “Api’s already picking up the scrap from the old one, and grounded once she’s done. And in about ten minutes, the same thing’s going to happen to us too.” Crystal Clarity looked over the two fillies, and then turned back to the blueprints. After a minute or two, she sighed. “I’m sorry girls, but I can’t help you. I just don’t have the spare bits to get everything.” “Then I suppose you’re lucky you have family, dear.” A navy-blue field wrapped around the blueprints, and levitated them into one of the drawers. Spike and Rarity wandered into the Boutique from the Entrance. “You should be thankful your mothers are currently slowed down. Or they would almost certainly have beaten us here.” “How much did you hear?” Echo asked, wincing. “Enough to know that we should help you.” Rarity said, smiling at the two fillies. “However, these materials will cost a not insignificant amount of bits... I’m afraid we can’t just give them to you, girls.” Pixel Bit nodded in understanding. “You can have my allowance ‘til we’ve paid it back...” Echo bit her lip, before agreeing. “Mine too.” Rarity shook her head. “Girls! That will not be necessary.” Her smile stretched, to the point it made all the others present a little uncomfortable. “We can make the arrangements once this is all smoothed over...” The two fillies shared a glance, and came to the same conclusion. Maybe we might be better off sticking with the allowance thing anyway... A cough brought the pair back to reality. “Pixel, we really should go put the ointment on your head. Before Auntie Sweetie gets here...” The filly nodded and fled for the stairs, her cousin not far behind her. A few moments later, a very out of breath Sweetie Belle staggered into the Boutique, followed shortly by Scootaloo. “Is... she... here?” Sweetie Belle panted. “She’s upstairs.” Echo said, walking over to her mother. “Claire’s just putting some ointment on her head.” “Alright, let’s get going then.” Scootaloo said as Echo moved behind her. “I’ll talk to you later, Sweetie. Bye Rarity, Bye Spike.” The pair headed out the door. Sweetie Belle waved goodbye, before heading for a rather large pile of cushions. She took a few deep breaths as she settled down. “I’m just going to rest my eyes for a minute. Let me know when Pixie gets do...” She started, but was snoring as soon as her head hit a pillow. “Shall we go get the ball rolling, darling?” Rarity whispered to Spike, frightened of waking her exhausted sister. Spike nuzzled his wife, before whispering in her ear. “Lead the way.” *** A few days later... Applebloom and Pipsqueak were rudely awoken by a knocking on their door. A look out the bedroom window revealed it to be a delivery pony. “You expecting anything, love?” Pipsqueak, as he turned to look out the other side of the window. “Nah, why?” She asked, before turning in his direction, only for her lower jaw to hit the window sill. “Call it a hunch?” He said, looking at the large pile of lumber. “Ah’m comin’! Ah’m comin’!” Applebloom yelled as the pony started to knock again. She almost yanked the door off its hinges. “Can Ah help you?” “Delivery for you, Applebloom.” Dinky said, levitating over a clipboard and a quill. “Just need you to sign here...” “But Ah didn’ order anything...” Applebloom said, looking at the pile of lumber and... were those gears? “I know, but it’s still addressed to you.” Dinky said, raising the objects in her field an inch or two. “Sign, please?” “But Ah can’t pay fer all this...” Applebloom whined, her eyes not leaving the materials in the street. “And you don’t have to. It says right here on the forms,” The quill dotted next to a very large word. “See? ‘Prepaid’,” Dinky moved the clipboard right in front of Applebloom’s eyes. “Now can you please sign, Applebloom? I’ve got three more deliveries this morning, and it took forever to lift all of this here...” Applebloom blushed a little in embarrassment. “Sorry, Dinks,” She bit down on the quill, and signed the forms. “Ya know who did all this fer me?” “Err... There was a note with the form.” Dinky started flicking through the papers on her clipboard. “Ah, here we go.” She handed the small scrap of paper over to Applebloom. To Ma/Applebloom We’re sorry we messed things up... We hope this makes it up to you... From The Ponyville Adventuring Society (Api Apple, Pixel Bit and Echo) Applebloom dropped the note as she ran back into her house. Dinky looked from the vacant doorway to the pile of goods blocking the street, and then to her signed delivery form. She quickly decided it wasn’t her problem anymore. She also decided to get out of there quickly, before anyone decided to think otherwise... *** Inside the House... Api Apple was partly awoken by a pair of hooves wrapping around her. “Ma?” Api asked, when she had finally realised who was hugging her. When she noticed the tears, she snapped upright in her bed. “Ma, ya OK?” Applebloom nodded, before squeezing her little filly tighter. “Thank ya, Api. Ah don’t know how ya did it, but thank ya.” Api was puzzled for a few seconds before she finally realised what her mother must have been talking about. Her arms wrapped around her mother in return. “We had ta get some help...” Api’s voice grew shakier. “Ya... Ya not still mad at us, are ya?” “Ah wasn’t mad before, Api.” Applebloom sniffed. “Ah was jus’ scared.” And then she laughed a little. “Ah think Ah know how AJ musta felt back then now...” She looked her daughter in the eye. “When Ah saw that barn and press jus’... gone... Ah was scared ya might’ve been hurt real bad... An’ then when ya weren’t, Ah just wanted ta make sure ya knew how durned foolish y’all had been...” Api looked crestfallen, and stared down at her bed. “Ah’m sorry, Ma...” “Ah know...” Applebloom hugged her daughter. “An’ Ah went overboard. Fer that, Ah’m sorry. But, yer still grounded ‘til the end o’ the week.” Api opened her mouth to protest, until she did the math in her head, and saw the smile on her Mother’s face. “Ya sure?” A small wink. “Call it time off fer good behaviour,” She said, as she got off the bed, Api jumping down behind her. “An’ Ah’ll pass the message on to Scoots and Sweetie.” She walked over to the stairs. “But, since yer still grounded, ya’ve gotta help me get the things into the workshop...” Api faked a groan, before a huge smile spread across her face. “Sure, Ma...” *** Outside Carousel Boutique, A week later... “This is cruel and unusual punishment...” Echo whined, as she saw what Rarity had in store for the three fillies. “It isn’t punishment,” Rarity pointed out. “I fulfilled my end of the bargain, this is yours.” “Ain’t there somethin’ against this?” Api moaned. “Ah thought slavery weren’t allowed.” “It’s not slavery if you’re getting paid.” “But we’re not getting paid...” Pixel said, attempting to both reason with her aunt while giving her the Look. “Firstly, you are getting paid,” Rarity said, before quickly dashing the hopes of the fillies. “And you are graciously donating that pay back to me for prior services rendered. Secondly, I grew up with your Mother, Pixel Bit. I’ve been immune to the Look for at least a decade...” Pixel Bit grumbled under her breath, as she spread her field around the small wagon Rarity had revealed to her. "There's no way we can win with her, is there Uncle Spike?" Spike looked at the filly, then to his wife, before chuckling slightly. "She says no, there isn't." The three fillies rolled their eyes and gagged. “Now girls, when we get there, stay close to Mother, Father or me.” Crystal Clarity said after securing her wagon. “There are Diamond Dogs in the hills, but they wouldn’t dare approach any of us.” Api looked over the three adults of the group. “Ah can see why they’d be scared o’ Spike or Claire,” she said, turning to Rarity. “But why would they avoid y’all?” Claire and Spike sniggered a little. The small convoy started to move off out of town. “We’ll tell you the story on the way.” Spike said as he finally managed to stop laughing. “It’s an oldie, but a goodie...” *** The Ponyville Adventuring Society Clubhouse... “... And that’s why we haven't been around the last few weeks.” Pixel Bit finished, as she levitated the small note back onto the small, dusty shelf marked as ‘Quest Rewards’. She turned back to the table, and dealt out the cards. “Well, you’ve certainly had an interesting time,” Night Light responded, throwing a card into the middle of the small table, and taking another from the deck. “How’d the press work out in the end?” “Api says they were still a little short, but they think they’ll actually have extra next year.” Pixel Bit looked over her hand. “You remember what we were playing?” “No clue, but I think I’m losing...” Night Light looked at his cards from a different angle. They didn’t look any better. “Yeah, I’m losing.” “I don’t know, It’s not looking that pretty over here either...” “It must be better than that,” Night Light grinned at the other unicorn. “You’re over there...” Pixel Bit raised her cards, and rolled her eyes behind them. Well, that tells me where your holiday was... “So, you do anything fun visiting Valiant Heart?” “Nah, it was pre...” Night Light started, before doing a double take. “Hey, how’d you know that? I never said where I went...” Pixel Bit shrugged. “Lucky guess.” Night Light eyed his friend suspisciously. “Alright, fine.” He looked down at his hand. “I’ve got two pair... What have you got?” “Umm... White Sauce on the Mall with the Joker, the Bridge instructions and a Get out of Jail free card...” Pixel said, scratching her head. “Maybe we should both play from the same deck?” “That could work...” Night Light nodded sagely, as he gathered the decks in his field, sorting them out into their respective sets. He shuffled the playing deck, and began dealing them out. “So, what happened with the dragon catching? You mentioned the results, but you didn’t really go into detail...” “Oh, yeah.” Pixel said, picking up her hand. “It’s a bit late to get into it now, but I’ll tell the girls to meet up at the Library tomorrow, we can tell you then.” “Alright.” Night Light said, studying his cards. “Can’t wait.”