The Prompt: The circumstances leading to, following, or surrounding somepony uttering the question, “How could Twilight Sparkle be so stupid?”
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“How could Twilight Sparkle be so stupid? She’s supposed to be so clever – all those problems and spells and…and…” The Pegasus trailed off, halting her haphazard pacing around the table. She whirled on her friend, fire in her eyes and a scowl on her face, “Help me out here, Fluttershy! I’m running out of words!”
Fluttershy blinked up at her oldest friend, shrinking away from her just a little. When she spoke her voice was quavering, just a little. “Um….well….it might help if you’d stop drinking for a little while? Maybe then you’d be able to think of something?”
Rainbow Dash stared at her flatly for a long moment before she answered, sarcasm dripping from each word. “Yeah. Because drinking less of this non-alcoholic cider will definitely help me think more clearly. Great thinking, Fluttershy!” She pointed a hoof to Rarity, not even bothering to look at the unicorn. “You! Words, now!”
With a toss of her mane and a demure, restrained smile Rarity rose from the table and made her way over to the agitated Pegasus. She leaned against her slowly and, as her grin grew wider, slightly more manic, she began to speak.
“Personally I think it’s atrocious the way she threw poor Pinkie out like that. One would think that a pony so well versed in careful study would be something other than completely blind. Pinkie took her flowers, darlings! Did you know that? Honestly, flowers! Not chocolate flowers, or peppermint flowers, or squirting flowers! It was a big bouquet! I never get flowers!” Here she cast a pointed look over at Rainbow Dash, but the Pegasus had her eyes closed, nodding along in agreement.
“I know! Nopony ever gets me flowers either. Not that I want flowers!” She added quickly, glaring around the room , daring anypony to offer her flowers. “But come on! Pinkie wore a dress! A dress! And it wasn’t food stained or anything!” Dash snorted in disgust, “I mean I’m not exactly the smartest pony in the world but even I would’ve gotten that!”
“It is true that you’re not the the most brilliant diamond in the bunch.” Rarity mused, shooting a sideways glance and a smirk at Rainbow Dash. “But there are some things you’re better at than anypony else here. I never even would’ve guessed what she was up to but you spotted it a mile off! I just wish we’d followed her to a successful wooing.” The unicorn sighed, then suddenly stopped and turned to stare wide eyed at Fluttershy. “Not…not that we followed her or anything. We just so happened to be going the same way, that’s all and –“
The bakery door flew open and in trotted Applejack, face set in a stony expression and a slight frown on her face. She moved slowly to the table and collapsed down next to Fluttershy, burying her face in her forelegs with a sigh.
The other three ponies stared at her, waiting with baited breath. Applejack said nothing. This continued for several minutes before Fluttershy let out a pained whine. “What happened? It’s not nice to keep us all in suspense like this!”
“Three hours.” The earth pony sounded drained, exhausted. “Three. Hours. Three hours to explain to that darn egghead that maybe Pinkie Pie wasn’t prankin’ her. This time.” She raised her head, glaring at her friends. “Next time, y’all can march your flanks over there an’ argue romantic type stuff with the girl. I’ve heard enough about statistical impossibility to last me a lifetime.”
Then she grinned. “Last I saw, Twilight had a whole bunch o’ balloons tied to a cake – don’t worry, she didn’t make it – and was floating it over here. I reckon it might be nice if the rest of us were to skedaddle. Let her be the one to wake up sleepin’ beauty.”
Dash grinned, and threw her arms around Rarity, who had tears in her eyes. “Beautifully done, darling. I knew you had it in you.” Then she sniffed. “Somewhere. Deep within you.” This won a chuckle from Dash, which sounded ever so slightly choked – almost like she was fighting tears.
Fluttershy just smiled, glancing up at the door, to Pinkie’s room. It had opened, just a little – nopony else had noticed, but she had. “Come on girls.” She whispered gently. “Lets go – I think Pinkie deserves some time with her special somepony.” She giggled “No matter how stupid she is.”