Pipsqueak awoke with a yawn and looked around the fort. He wasn't quite the last one awaken, but none of the others who were awake were in the Fort.
It didn't take him long to find the giant sign sticking out of the floor.
Breakfast will be served at sugar cube corner today. We are having pancakes and waffles.
"Hmm," he said to himself. "I wonder why we have to walk all the way to sugar cube corner."
"Probably because nopony wants syrup stains on our sofa cushions," answered Featherweight's voice.
Pipsqueak looked up and saw Featherweight sitting on one of the clouds that they kept in the fort and looking down at him.
"How long have you been up?" asked Pipsqueak.
"I don't know. Not that long. Want to go grab breakfast together?"
"Sure thing."
"Alright," said Featherweight, gliding down. "Just let me grab something."
Featherweight approached a shelf and grabbed one of the cameras that Twilight had acquired for her experiment.
"What are you going to do with that?" asked Pipsqueak.
"I just thought I would take a few pictures of some things. And I'm definitely going to take a photograph of that giant mess in the town square!" answered Featherweight.
The door to Sugar Cube Corner opened and Featherweight and Pipsqueak came in. The other colts and fillies already seated at booths gave them both a greeting.
"We're not late, are we?" asked Pipsqueak.
"Noperoni!" cried Pinkie Pie from behind the counter. "You're just in time! Will you be having waffles or pancakes?"
"Pancakes," answered Featherweight.
"I'd rather have a couple of waffles," answered Pipsqueak.
"Comin' riiiiight up!"
Twenty seconds later, two plates of pancakes and waffles were placed in front of them.
"Enjoy!" cried Pinkie.
Pipsqueak grabbed his plate in his mouth, recoiling slightly at the unexpected heat it gave off. It was far from unbearable however, and he turned to find a place to sit.
As he was scanning the room, he noticed Rumble waving at him. Strangely, Rumble was sitting in a booth opposite of Twilight, and there was nopony else at their table.
Pipsqueak approached the table and put his plate down so he could speak.
"Hey Rumble."
"Hey Pip," answered Rumble. "Hey, I don't suppose you've seen that hat that Discord gave to me for my birthday?"
"Ufgbh," moaned Twilight, her mouth full of pancakes. "Diphcorb..." She rested a front leg on the table and leaned her head into her hoof.
"You're still upset about yesterday?" asked Pipsqueak.
Twilight nodded.
"Sorry Rumble, I haven't seen your hat," Pipsqueak continued.
"That's okay," answered Rumble. "You two want to sit here?"
Pipsqueak looked beside him and realized that Featherweight was still following him.
"These seats aren't taken?" he asked Rumble.
"Nah."
"Well, okay."
Pipsqueak took a seat next to Rumble. Featherweight hesitated, but then took the only remaining spot next to Twilight.
"Where are your friends?" asked Pipsqueak to Twilight. "Don't you want to sit with them?"
"Rainbow Dash inhaled her breakfast and is outside taking care of today's weather," answered Twilight. "Everypony else is over there." Twilight pointed to another booth. "They keep talking about Discord. I have had just about enough of Discord. What's with the camera, Featherweight?"
Featherweight didn't respond for a moment. Then he realized that Twilight had suddenly spoken to him.
"Hmm?" he murmured, swallowing his food. "Camera? I was taking some pictures of the town square. I've never seen anything like that, and that's saying something."
"It really is something, isn't it?" agreed Twilight. "I can't decide whether or not I should thank Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo for getting rid of Discord-
"Argh! We're talking about Discord again!" Twilight complained.
"Sorry, we can talk about something else," said Featherweight.
"No, it's fine. I'm the one who steered it toward Discord again," assured Twilight. "Anyway, I can't decide whether to thank them for getting Discord to leave us alone, or to be mad at them for doing something dangerous and creating such a giant mess!"
"Well, this version of Ponyville technically belongs to Discord," said Rumble. "Consider it to be his problem."
"He doesn't think it's a problem," Twilight pointed out. "He loves it."
"Well, it's not really a problem for us either," said Rumble. "Nopony is going to make us clean it up, anyway."
"I suppose..." said Twilight with a sigh. "I just can't believe that those three were able to cause that much chaos in so little time!"
"Believe it," said Featherweight. "I go to school with those three. You should see how much chaos they cause when they're not trying. I've always wondered what it would be like if they ever did try. Now I know."
"At least we were able to have some fun after all that," said Twilight. "Fluttershy started doing much worse of course. Discord was cheating and making sure that she scored a strike every time, no matter how badly she tossed the ball. Once he was gone, that all stopped. She still won the first game though."
"Is she mad at him?" asked Pipsqueak.
"Fluttershy? No. She's convinced that Discord's cheering her on was actually helping her somehow. She thinks that that's the reason she started doing worse."
Twilight put a hoof to her face.
"Fluttershy insists that Discord means well. I suppose I have to accept that he honestly does, but he sure has a strange way of showing it."
"He must be getting lonely," offered Featherweight. "Everypony knows that Fluttershy is his best friend. The grown-up Fluttershy, that is. I mean, we all know. I don't know if you know. Do you know? Stop giving me that look!" he cried at Twilight.
"Yes, I am well aware of the fact that Discord and Fluttershy are such great friends in the real world. But he's not dealing with that same Fluttershy right now. He probably is lonely, and he's letting his emotions cloud his judgment," muttered Twilight. "I'm sorry, can we discuss something else now?"
"Sure," said Pipsqueak. "So, um... Pinkie Pie seems to be back to normal. Did she get over the whole cake thing then?"
"Not exactly," said Twilight. "But apparently the only differences between cakes and pancakes is that one doesn't require milk and is cooked in a pan instead of a sheet. Far from the truth, but I didn't argue."
"Hey, Rumble?"
The ponies turned their heads up to look at the newcomer. It was Pinkie Pie.
"Pinkie!" said Twilight in surprise. "We were just talking about you."
"Rumble, I have something to tell you."
"You do?" said Rumble in confusion.
"Yes. I'm soooo sorry."
"Erm... Sorry for what, exactly?"
"I just discovered that I have been using your hat to make waffle mix."
Pinkie held up a top hat. There was batter lining the interior.
"Aw no, Pinkie!" cried Rumble.
"I'm sooo sorry! It looked like a regular cooking pot at first and I'm sorry, sorry, sorry!"
"No, it's fine. If we just wash it out, it will be fine. I'm just glad I know where it is now. Pip, can you stand up for a sec'?"
"Sure," answered Pipsqueak, who stood up and let Rumble pass.
Rumble took the hat from Pinkie's outstretched hoof and grimaced.
"I'll be back in a while," he said. "I have to go take care of this..."
A little while later, the door to Sugar Cube Corner opened once more and in walked Rainbow Dash.
"Hey Twilight!" she said as she approached her table.
"Hello Rainbow. How are those clouds looking?"
"I made them turn invisible."
"Is that all?" asked Twilight sarcastically. "Well, if we get snowed in by invisible snow, I'll know who to blame."
"Discord?"
Twilight paused. "I didn't think of that. But yes, actually. If that really does happen, Discord would almost certainly be the one to blame."
"Good, just so long as my good name is in the clear," said Rainbow Dash. She flew up into the air and landed again in Rumble's seat.
"Rumble was sitting there," Pipsqueak said.
"Really now?" asked Rainbow, intrigued. "I'll give it back to him if he comes back. So Twi, what are you doing sitting at this table surrounded by colts?"
"Nothing!" said Twilight in annoyance. "We're just having a conversation."
"Were you talking about me?"
"You wish."
"Well, whatever you were talking about wasn't important then," said Rainbow with a smirk.
"So the town square getting coated in tree sap isn't important?"
"Eh, maybe a little."
Twilight sighed. "I'm going to go get something to drink." Featherweight stood up and let Twilight out of the booth.
"You want to grab me something too?" asked Rainbow.
"No. Go get your own drink," said Twilight as she walked away.
"I'm good."
There was a few moments of silence.
"Sooo... Rainbow Dash," began Pipsqueak.
"Yeah?"
"I've been wondering something."
"No, I don't like you in that way."
"What?"
Rainbow burst out laughing.
"I'm just messing with you," she huffed out. "But seriously, what did you want to ask?"
"Um... I was just wondering. Are you nervous about the last day at all?"
"Nervous about the last day?" asked Rainbow in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"I mean, Discord said that after day thirty, most of us will find ourselves back in Ponyville exactly where we were before we came here. But for you, it will be like you've suddenly turned into an adult. Does that make you nervous?"
"I see what you mean," said Twilight, who had returned. She didn't attempt to return to her seat. Instead, she set her glass of apple juice on the top of the seat, keeping a hoof on it to hold it in place. "I've been thinking about that a lot actually. And I am rather nervous about that, to tell you the truth. What if my adult self suddenly starts acting really immature for her age? And what if she feels like I, me, the filly Twilight, am a totally different pony than she is, and that I was the one who did all of these things here, and not her?"
"Why would we do that?" asked Rainbow Dash. "I'm definitely not nervous or scared or anything. I'll just wake up one day and know all kinds of stuff and be able to do stuff without ponies telling me what to do, and I'll be even more awesome. Can't wait, really."
"Well, that's one way of looking at it," said Twilight uncertainly. "But do you know what's really annoying?"
"Me?" suggested Rainbow smugly.
Twilight froze and stared off into space.
Rainbow Dash burst out laughing once again.
"You should see your face right now!" she exclaimed. "Priceless! But really, what is so annoying, other than me?"
"I don't remember," said Twilight, who appeared to be staring at something several hundred feet away.
"You don't remember?"
"It's like my whole brain shut down the moment you said that," said Twilight. "I honestly can't remember what I was just thinking at all."
"Something about waking up as an adult or something?"
"No, I don't remember. You made my mind just stop functioning."
"Um, sorry?"
"I am sure it was on the tip of my tongue just a few seconds ago," continued Twilight. "It's going to drive me nuts all day if I can't remember what it was. This is your fault, Rainbow Dash."
"Hey, I said I was sorry."
"But do you really mean it?"
Rainbow cracked a giggle. "Not really."
Featherweight and Pipsqueak exchanged glances, and then finally burst out laughing themselves.