//------------------------------//
// Chapter 46 - Yakity-Yak 
// Story: Second Chances, Many Changes 
// by ASGeek2012 
//------------------------------//

I trotted into my work room with a sigh, having little expectation I would see anything different. The clothing I had patched looked as they had a week ago: quite obviously patched. I had done as good a job on them as any other, yet it remained quite plain that they had been damaged and subsequently repaired.

I yanked a dress off a ponyquin and frowned at it as I turned it over, trying to will it into becoming whole and perfect. Nothing happened, not even so much as a spark from my horn.

Soft hoof-falls behind me stopped at the door. "Still no change?" said Sweetie Belle.

I set the dress back on the ponyquin and plopped myself down on my haunches. "Nope."

Sweetie Belle stepped up alongside me. "I'm really sorry it's not working."

"I have no idea what I'm doing wrong," I said. "Or for that matter, what I did right those first two times."

Sweetie Belle trotted to the nearest dress. "What about that suit for Doctor Whooves?"

"Same deal. I patched it, but you could still tell it was patched. He seemed happy with the job, but I could tell he was expecting magic."

Sweetie Belle carefully folded over some of the fabric, revealing my work. "Maybe you need to cast some sort of spell on it."

I sighed. "Yeah, but what? Other than levitation, the only spells I know are related to sewing and can't do anything like this. Oh, and that reheat spell Twilight taught me, but that's it."

Sweetie Belle let the fabric fall back into place. "Maybe it just needs more time."

I frowned and glanced at the calendar. Time was not something I had in abundance. The start of the school semester was just around the corner, and Mom had enrolled me at Ponyville High School. Later that morning, I had to head to the school to take some aptitude tests so they knew where to place me. Since I had not done very well in high school back on Earth, I wasn't looking forward to it.

Of course, my sense of urgency had nothing to do with the fact that a lack of a cutie mark might make me really self-conscious like any typical teenager would be. Nope, not that at all.

"Did you ever get a chance to look at Bon Bon's dress?" Sweetie asked.

"Yes. It's perfect, just as Lyra had said."

Sweetie turned to me. "Why don't you come over to the clubhouse? Maybe the Crusaders can help you figure this out."

I smiled faintly and stood. "Maybe later. Right now, I need to head to the front of the boutique."

"Oh, are you minding the store again today?"

I stepped out of the work room, and Sweetie Belle tagged along. "Yeah, Mom had to head down to the castle. Something about helping greet some diplomats from, um, what was the place again? Yakyakistan, I think."

Sweetie giggled.

"What? I didn't think that name was funnier than any other."

"I don't mean that," said Sweetie. "I mean you calling Rarity 'Mom.' It still sounds kind of weird to me. And somehow, I'm still your little sister."

I smiled. "Yeah, and you're a great little sister, too." I looked up at the clock. "You know, she's been gone for a while now. I wonder how things are going at the castle?"

As if on cue (so many things seem to happen like that in Equestria), the back door of the boutique burst open, and Mom barreled past as she muttered, "Well, that was a disaster."

"Something wrong?" I asked.

Mom whirled around, wearing a forced smile. "Oh, nothing at all, dear," she said in a voice that suggested anything but. "Just that these diplomats -- and I use the term loosely -- are the most insufferably unpleaseable creatures in the known universe!"

Sweetie Belle leaned closer to me. "I don't think it went well at the castle."

Mom headed straight into her work room, whirling about multiple things in her magic. "Candy, I'm terribly sorry to interrupt your work, but this is something of an emergency. I need to set up an impromptu design session."

"Anything I can do to help?" I said as I stepped inside after her.

Mom shoved several ponyquins to the periphery of the room and extracted several bolts of fabric from the shelves. "I need to handle this myself due to the sensitive nature of the situation." She stopped halfway to her work table with a bolt of pale blue in her magical grip and frowned. "No, no, this will not do! Candy, you can do me one favor. Go to my rare fabric stores and get me a bolt of Crystal Empire Royal Blue."

My eyes widened. "Whoa, that's expensive stuff."

"I am well aware of that."

"Um, okay. Then what?"

Mom turned to me. "Then I want you to take Sweetie Belle and do something else for a while. And don't forget to go for your aptitude tests."

"But wouldn't it be better if I hang out here in case you need help?"

Mom sighed. "You really don't want to be here for the, ah, fallout if this fails to please them. But do make sure you get back after your tests in case there's some, um, cleanup to do ..."





Sweetie Belle trotted just ahead of us in her excitement. "Now we can head over to the clubhouse and figure out how your special talent works!"

"If we're even sure what my talent is," I said.

"But what else could it be?" said Scootaloo, whom we had picked up along the way. "Your horn even glowed each time!"

"And the first time you said it happened on the same night Lyra and Bon Bon noticed the dress had changed," said Sweetie.

"And the second time must've been when your dress changed," said Scootaloo.

I had no proof that the glow of my horn had changed my dress, but I decided not to debate the point. "Still doesn't explain exactly how it happened. Don't I have to trigger it somehow?"

"Rarity said she was practically dragged by her horn when she first found her talent," said Sweetie. "And even then her cutie mark didn't show up until later."

Scootaloo fluttered her wings, hovering briefly. "Wouldn't it be really cool if Candy's cutie mark came out right while we're all there?"

Sweetie Belle smiled. "Yeah, that would be cool."

As we turned onto the road leading to Sweet Apple Acres, Scootaloo suddenly gasped and stopped dead, her pupils shrinking. "Wh-what is that?!"

Sweetie Belle's mouth dropped open. I stopped and stared as well. Three enormous creatures with massive antlers and swathed in furs were being led by Pinkie Pie and Applejack onto the farm. They looked like ... yaks?

Oh. Of course. Because they're from Yakyakistan. Silly me.

"I think those are the Yakyakistan diplomats," I said.

"Maaaybe we should forget about the clubhouse for now," Sweetie Belle said as she turned around.

"Are you crazy?!" cried Scootaloo. "And give up this chance to earn our diplomacy cutie marks??"

Sweetie face-hoofed. "Scootaloo ..."

"Or what about Candy? Or Cherry? Maybe we can help them earn their--"

"We're not doing a diplomacy cutie mark!" I declared. The last thing I needed was the Crusaders somehow starting a war.

Scootaloo looked down. "Aww ..."

"My sister is right," said Sweetie. "Let's just leave this one alone."

I supposed I really had been a good influence on Sweetie Belle after all. She was a little less prone to taking some of the huge risks that the Crusaders used to do on a regular basis. "Come on, let's just go for a walk. I need something to take my mind of those stupid tests later."

"What tests?" Scootaloo said. "School hasn't started yet."

"She's starting high school this year," Sweetie said. "They have to test her to figure out where to place her." She smiled at me. "I don't think you have anything to worry about. You're pretty smart."

I certainly didn't consider myself a dummy by any means. I liked learning, I just had a lot of trouble keeping up with course work when my head just wasn't in it.

We wandered around town while the Crusaders exchanged more theories about my talent from the sublime to the ridiculous. As we neared Town Hall, I struggled not to face-hoof yet again. "Honestly, Scootaloo, I'm reasonably sure I'm not channeling secret amazing latent changeling powers imbued in me by Starswirl's magic that allows me to change clothing fabric into anything I want."

"I, um, think we can cross that one off the list, too," said Sweetie Belle as she glanced to the side.

"But it would be totally cool if it happened!" said Scootaloo.

"Maybe less coolness and more practicality?" I suggested.

"You can never have too much coolness."

"And who told you that?"

"Rainbow Dash, of course."

"Hey, girls," said Sweetie Belle as she turned in the direction she was staring. "Look over there."

I turned around, and I tensed as my gaze fell on somepony I had hoped never to see again. Even from this distance, the diamond ring cutie mark was unmistakable.

"What's she doing here?" said Scootaloo.

Spoiled Rich was speaking with an older earth pony mare, one with a beige coat and two-tone gray mane and tail, spectacles perched on her muzzle. I had to strain my eyes to discern it, but she had a scroll as a cutie mark. They were too far away for us to hear what they were saying.

"And why is she talking to Mayor Mare?" said Sweetie Belle.

"More like arguing with her," said Scootaloo.

Scootaloo was right; Spoiled Rich was browbeating the mayor, who appeared like she wasn't getting a word in edgewise. Spoiled Rich raised a hoof and pointed towards the west, then brought it down with a stomp. Mayor Mare frowned and jabbed a hoof towards Town Hall and appeared to say some equally heated words in return.

"What do you suppose that's all about?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"I'll tell you what it's all about, you stupid blank-flanks," a voice rang out from yet another pony I could have joyfully never seen again. We turned around as a grinning Diamond Tiara stepped up to us. "She's stopping yet another dangerous vagabond from entering this town."

"You mean like she tried to do with Candy?" Sweetie Belle said in a bored voice.

"We all saw how successful she was that time," I deadpanned.

Scootaloo giggled.

Diamond frowned and lifted her muzzle. "This time they're not going to listen to whatever sob story Candy's silly friends came up with for her. No way is the mayor going to allow a changeling to stay in town!"

"What?!" Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo cried in unison.

My stomach twisted, and I very nearly blurted out Cherry's name in denial of what I feared that stupid mare believed of her. Sweetie Belle had obviously come to the same conclusion, as she shared a nervous look with me before turning back to Diamond and saying, "Sooo, who's supposed to be the changeling?"

"I don't know its name," said Diamond in an imperious voice. "And, frankly, I don't care. Neither does my mother. She simply wants it to stay far away from Ponyville. Can you believe they actually allowed that thing to attend an event recently where almost the entirety of Ponyville was in attendance, not to mention the princesses? If that's not a gross threat to public safety, I don't know what is."

"Candy, I think she's talking about Kevin, the one who was at the wedding," said Sweetie Belle in a relieved voice. "Not ... anypony else."

Diamond raised an eyebrow. "Of course the one at the wedding. What else would I be talking about?"

Twilight had kept most of the details about Cherry in confidence to better smooth her transition. With immense relief, I could dispel the horrible vision of her being run out of town because Spoiled Rich had convinced everypony that Cherry was really a changeling.

"Kevin?" Scootaloo said. "That was the changeling's name?"

"Yeah, Candy told me about him," said Sweetie.

"Well, he didn't seem so bad. He just sorta sat there. He disappeared after that."

Diamond sneered. "Apparently somepony wants to see him stay here permanently."

And I had an idea who. I wished Matilda would leave things well enough alone.

"And that's insane if you ask me," said Diamond.

"Good thing I wasn't asking you," Scootaloo retorted.

Diamond frowned. "You actually want that changeling in town?"

Scootaloo's pupils shrank. "Er, well ... I didn't say that. I mean--"

Sweetie Belle sighed. "Not helping."

Scootaloo frowned. "Hey, I'm sorry! This is all happening kinda fast, okay?"

Diamond snickered. "Yes, let's not go too fast for your tiny brain to keep up."

Scootaloo flared her wings. "You know what? I think we should let the changeling stay, if only because it's something you don't want!"

Diamond narrowed her eyes at Sweetie Belle. "I suppose you want the changeling to stay, too?"

Sweetie's eyes darted. "Well, um, I mean ... if he's not hurting anypony, then, uh, why not?" She looked up at me. "Right?"

I had to commend the girls. Obviously they were trying to overcome a lot of lingering negative feelings. Sweetie Belle doubly so, considering what she went through; I suspected she was more trying to please me than express her real feelings.

Before I could form a response, Spoiled Rich trotted in our direction. "Diamond Tiara! What are you doing associating with these low-lifes?"

Diamond gave us a smug look before physically pushing Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle to either side (and specifically avoiding touching me; yeah, she knew exactly who would push back). "Sorry, mother, but it was for a good cause. Can you believe these ponies actually want that changeling to stay?"

Spoiled Rich's gaze locked with mine, and I narrowed my eyes, one fore-hoof scraping the ground. Yeah, just try to pick a fight with me now. After staring down a fucking would-be changeling queen, this would be nothing. One wrong word to me, and it is so on.

Yet, like her daughter, she was too shrewd for that (dammit). She gave me no more than a supercilious look and a faint snort before her gaze shifted off me and to her daughter. "Very good, Diamond. Best we sniff out these changeling sympathizers now rather than later."

Diamond smirked as she glanced back at us. "I'll bet that country hick Apple Bloom is another one. Wouldn't be surprised if all their families are, too."

I couldn't stand being silent anymore. "And that matters ... how? Last I looked, there weren't any laws against liking changelings."

Spoiled Rich peered down her muzzle at me. "But there are most certainly laws against harboring dangerous creatures or known criminals."

I frowned. "Then it's a good thing none of us know anypony like that!"

"Hmph. You obviously still don't know your proper place, and you're still an insolent, irritating teenager."

"Well, pardon me for not instantly growing up."

Spoiled Rich sneered. "Come along, Diamond. We have better things to do than waste time with low-life blank-flank changeling sympathizers."

Diamond Tiara gave us all one last imperious look. "Coming, mother."

Scootaloo frowned. "I don't get what that was all about, other than Diamond Tiara is gonna be even more annoying than ever this semester."

Sweetie Belle sighed. "Yeah. Suddenly I'm not looking forward to going back to school."

I gasped. "School! What time is it?!"

"I think it's almost ten," said Scootaloo.

"Girls, I have to go! If I don't head over to the high school right now, I'm going to be late."

Sweetie Belle smiled. "Good luck, Candy!"

"Yeah, hope you do great," said Scootaloo.

"Thanks, I hope so too." I took off at full gallop.





I sat alone at the center of a sea of antique wooden desks, trying not to make a sound. Whenever my stomach gurgled, the scratching of the instructor's quill would stop, and he would raise a single eyebrow for a second. I wished I had bothered to ask how long the examinations would take. Apparently I had been expected to bring lunch, and I had not been allowed to leave once the exams started.

It didn't help that the instructor -- an older, stern-voiced unicorn stallion with a rust-red coat and dark brown mane, and a cutie mark that was a single quill lying atop a desk -- had a name that did little to inspire confidence: Red Quill.

Finally, after several eternities, he put his namesake down. I craned my neck and wanted to cringe when I saw the propensity of red marks on my test papers. He regarded me for a moment before saying, "Not bad, Miss Swirl."

I blinked. "Um ... really?"

He placed his fore-hooves together. "Really. In fact, better than expected."

I managed a tiny smile.

Red Quill stepped off his chair and approached me. "Given what I was told of your background, Miss Swirl, I expected you to need much more remedial work. Instead, the only area in which you did below average was science."

At least he took my origins in stride. "Yeah, the laws of physics kind of work a little differently here. I actually did well in science in grade school in my own world." I paused. "How did I do in history?"

"Reasonably well. Again, considering your origins."

Thank you, Twilight. "I've been reading a lot."

"Please continue to do so." Red Quill turned away. He levitated my test papers and tapped their bottom edge against his desk a few times to straighten them. "I'll recommend approving your enrollment. A filly your age, if you were a true transfer from another Equestrian school, would normally come in as a second year, but I think it would be better if you start at first year level."

"That's fine, Professor." I preferred that, as it was less pressure on me, and just maybe a better chance that there would be other ponies in my class without cutie marks yet.

"Enjoy the rest of your day, Miss Swirl," said Red Quill as he headed towards the door.

I climbed out of my chair. "Thank you, Professor."

He gave me a single, curt nod and left. I let out a huge, windy sigh of relief, tempered by the loud growl from my stomach. I glanced at the clock. It was nearly three in the afternoon, too late for a full lunch, but I needed something to tide me over.

Now that was a fine excuse for dropping by Sugarcube Corner. All I needed was a snack, and I deserved to treat myself.

When I arrived, I expected to see Pinkie Pie, as she was supposed to be preparing for some party being thrown for the diplomats that evening. Mom had said I was welcome to attend. I considered it, if for no other reason than to have a chance to see Princess Celestia again.

Instead, I found Mrs. Cake looking worriedly at a rather tall cake that smelled strongly of vanilla. "I really hope I didn't put in too much," she murmured before giving me a nervous smile. "Hello, dear."

"Hi, Mrs. Cake," I said. "Um, have I come at a bad time?"

Mrs. Cake sighed but maintained her smile. "No need to worry about it, Candy. What can I do for you?"

"Just a chocolate milkshake, please. Extra thick."

"Of course." She glanced towards the window, and her pupils shrank slightly. "C-Coming right up."

As she scurried off, I turned towards the window and nearly did a double-take. Twilight was leading the three hulking yak diplomats towards the store. I stepped towards the window as I watched Twilight stop and turn to them. She was talking, but I couldn't hear what was being said. I blinked when she abruptly teleported away.

"Here you go, dear," said Mrs. Cake.

I turned and eagerly snatched the confection in my magic, levitating some bits onto the counter at the same time. I took a long pull on the straw, letting out a contented sigh as the sweet, heavy, cold concoction slid down my throat. "You're a life-saver, Mrs. Cake, thank you." I glanced out the window. "Um, does this place have a back door by any chance?"

Before Mrs. Cake could reply, Twilight popped into existence right next to me, almost making me choke on my next swallow of the milkshake. I drew back a step when I saw how frantic she looked.

"Candy, have you seen Pinkie Pie?!" Twilight cried.

"Er, no. I only just got back from my aptitude tests," I smiled. "You'll be glad to know I did pretty good in history thanks to your books."

Twilight smiled. "Wow, really? That's great! I ... " She shook her head violently and snapped back into frantic mode. "You'll have to tell me about that later. Right now I've got a disaster on my hooves!" She landed a fore-hoof heavily on my shoulder. "Candy, please! Go get your mother. Tell her to get the other girls. Tell them to look everywhere for Pinkie Pie!"

"Okay." I glanced out the window again. "Should I be worried?"

Twilight forced her muzzle to twist into a trembling, terrible smile. "No, of course not! Everything's under control. Why would you think you should be worried?"

"Maybe the bit about a disaster on your hooves?"

Her smile faded. "Oh, that. Well, have no fear! Soon as we find Pinkie Pie, everything will be perfect." She swallowed hard. "I hope."

She vanished in a pop of teleportation magic.





The boutique happened to be the closest place I could think of, so I cantered right over to it. I entered through the back, still slurping on my milkshake. "Mom, you there?"

"In here," came the resigned voices of both Mom and Sweetie Belle from up ahead.

"Twilight sent me to find you," I said as I started down the hallway. I turned into Mom's work room. "She said you and your friends need to look for ..."

I trailed off and nearly dropped my milkshake. The work room was a complete wreck. Pieces of shattered ponyquins littered the floor. Bits of blue fabric lay in wet tangles. Shelves were broken or hung at odd angles from their bent fasteners. Both Mom and Sweetie Belle levitated brooms to sweep up the detritus of destruction.

"What the hay happened in here?!" I cried.

"Yaks happened, that's what," Sweetie Belle grumbled.

"A-are you serious??"

Mom sighed and trotted up to me. "Unfortunately, yes. They apparently did not care for the fabric I selected."

I stared at her, dumbfounded. "They didn't like something, so they trashed the place?"

"That's about the size of it, yes. Rest assured, nopony has been hurt in these incidents."

"Incidents? Plural? There were more??"

"Please, Candy, it's nothing for you to worry about," said Mom. "Now, what was it Twilight wanted?"

Okay, maybe this was a crisis, but it wasn't my crisis. I promptly filed it in the Not My Problem folder, if for no other reason than to protect my sanity. "She wants you and the others to find Pinkie Pie."

Mom's pupils shrank. "Find her? Isn't she at Sugarcube Corner planning the party?!"

"Apparently not."

"Oh, dear! Yes, I'll go at once." Mom started past me. "Candy, please, come with me. Sweetie, do as much as you can with the cleanup until I return."

As we headed out the door, Sweetie Belle bellowed, "I'm not touching that yak slobber!"

Mom turned to me as we rushed out the back. "First of all, did you take your tests?"

I took a slurp of my milkshake. "Yeah, and I did pretty well. I just need help with science, and they want to start me at first year."

"I wondered if they might."

I tossed my head when some strands of hair dropped over my eyes. "Suits me fine, really. So, you need my help after all?"

Mom nodded. "I need you to head over to Sweet Apple Acres and tell Applejack what you told me. I'll find Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Then ..."

She trailed off into the sound of another slurp from my self-awarded treat. She came to a dead stop in view of Sugarcube Corner and narrowed her eyes.

I blinked innocently at her. "What?"

"Candy, honestly, a sugary drink this late in the afternoon?"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, give me a break. I was starving! They never told me I had to bring lunch."

Mom frowned. "And I suppose every store in Ponyville that sells healthy food all just happened to be closed?"

I face-hoofed. "Ugh! I do not believe we are having this conversation!"

"Well, we are having it, young lady, and--"

"Look, if you're worried about me keeping my girlish figure or something, then--"

"It has nothing to do with that," Mom declared. "You're still new to being a pony, and I only want to make sure you remain healthy."

I stomped a hoof. "For crying out loud, one milkshake is not--"

"And the hayburger grease-fest you indulged in last week--"

"Which you let me do!"

"Against my better judgment, I might add."

I raised an eyebrow. "Well, at least I wasn't the mare who once ate a dozen pints of vanilla oat swirl ice cream when she was upset over having one of her creations criticized."

Mom gasped. "Wh-who told you about that?! I mean ... that's beside the point! The point is ... er ... oh, heavens, we're supposed to be looking for Pinkie Pie!"

"Well, duh, yeah!"

Mom frowned. "We'll talk about this later -- and we will talk about it."

I sighed dramatically. "Yes, mother."

"Now get over to the farm, and be quick about it!" Mom said as she galloped off.

I shook my head. I wasn't sure why I had flown off the handle like that, or why she got so upset. Maybe my run-in with Spoiled Rich and Diamond Tiara had irritated me more than I had thought. Mom looked under a lot of pressure, too, and I probably hadn't helped. The least I could do was get over to the farm as quickly as possible.

I whirled around, about to take off at full gallop ...

... and nearly ran into a phalanx of yaks.

I stumbled back a few steps and swallowed hard. I stared at them, and they simply stared back. Or at least I assumed they were; it was hard to tell with all that hair over their faces.

"Um ... excuse me," I mumbled.

I turned away and started to take a step.

"You! Little pony teenage girl!"

I nearly jumped out of my fur at the sound of that loud and gruff voice. I slowly turned around to see the middle yak looking directly at me. My heart hammered. "Uh ... y-yes?"

"You always talk back to adult ponies that way?" the yak demanded.

My mind raced and went nowhere fast. "Um ... I ... uh ... m-maybe?"

The yak stared at me for another few terrifying moments before his mouth slowly turned into a smile. To my further amazement, he chortled. "You remind yaks of teenagers in Yakyakistan. Always talking back and arguing with yak adults. You first thing we see that is just perfect and remind yaks of home."

The two yaks on either side of him nodded and grunted in agreement.

I stared, too dumbfounded to speak at first. Only when an unnerving silence threatened to settle over us did it finally prompt me to speak. "Um, well ... that's good, right?"

"Indeed, little pony, it is very good," said the yak.

"Okay ... well ... glad we had this little talk, then." I started to back away. "Um ... bye!"

I took off as fast as I could.

So maybe I should have let the Crusaders try their hoof at diplomacy after all. An even crazier thought entered my head, forcing me to stop and glance at my flank. Nope, still blank.

Just checking.





Upon fetching Applejack, I decided to catch up with Cherry, but I was told she was in the marketplace. The Apple family had encouraged her to get out and meet other ponies. I found her chatting with the ponies who ran the flower shop. She turned at my approach and smiled. "Hello, Candy. I was hoping to run into you today."

I smiled and gave her a hug. "You were?"

"Did you not have your aptitude tests today?"

I scratched my head. "Had I even told you about that?"

Cherry bid her goodbyes to the other ponies before stepping up to me. "Rarity mentioned it to Applejack, and she mentioned it to me."

I smiled faintly. "I guess stuff like that gets around fast in a small town like this."

Cherry gave me a wry grin. "You were not going to keep it from me, were you?"

As we headed away from the marketplace, my gaze darted about in case those yaks were still lurking about. "Well, I didn't want to worry you."

"Did everything go okay?"

"Uh, sure. Better than I expected, actually. Why?"

"You seem a bit tense."

"It's been one of those days." I said. "But ... you don't want to hear all that. I, um ..."

I stopped as Sugarcube Corner came into view in the distance. We stood at the opposite end of the street that led right to it. To my relief, the yaks were gone.

"Something is upsetting you, Candy," said Cherry.

I sighed. "Yeah, okay, maybe, but you're not supposed to be helping me with this stuff anymore."

"I know, but--" Cherry began.

"No buts, Cherry." I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and started to turn my head. "I don't want to go back to -- LOOK OUT!!"

"What--??"

I lunged at Cherry, pushing her out of the way just scant seconds before--

"--nooooooOOOOOOOOoooooo--!"

Only the cry that rose and fell clued me in as to the identity of the pink pony that blurred past. I watched as her conveyance shot like a missile towards the entrance to Sugarcube corner, bumped up the stairs, and disappeared inside.

I turned to Cherry. "You okay?"

Cherry let out a ragged breath. "Y-yes, I believe I am."

I nodded. "Anyway, as I was saying, I don't want to go back to the way it was, with me depending on you for--"

Cherry stared, pupils shrinking.

I blinked. "What?"

"Are you not the least bit perturbed by what just happened??"

"You mean Pinkie Pie riding on a snow sled backwards at breakneck speed in late summer when there's no snow in sight and somehow managed to be perfectly aimed at the front entrance of Sugarcube Corner, and her sled handled the stairs without simply crashing into them?"

Cherry nodded slowly.

I smirked. "Cherry, let me tell you something about living in Equestria. When you see something bizarre happen -- well, more bizarre than usual -- and Pinkie Pie is in the middle of it, just don't try to make any sense of it."

Cherry glanced at Sugarcube Corner. "I do hope she's all right."

"I wouldn't worry about it, and don't worry about me, either. Really, I'm making a big deal out of nothing." I hesitated. "If you must know, I had a run in with Spoiled Rich and her bratty daughter again."

Cherry tilted her head. "Was she not the pony who tried to block Rarity's foster application?"

"Yeah, and she's not even going after me this time, she just kinda got under my fur. You remember Kevin, right? She's got a stick up her tail about him trying to move to Ponyville."

Cherry let out a soft, sad sigh and averted her eyes.

I raised an eyebrow. "Um, Cherry?"

"Yes?" she said without meeting my gaze.

"What are you thinking?"

"Nothing, really."

"I know that tone of voice."

Cherry said nothing, still not meeting my eyes.

I frowned. "Cherry, don't. Just don't."

She finally met my eyes. "Don't what?"

"Don't get involved."

She gave me a tiny smile. "Now who is trying to tell who what to do?"

"All right, fine, then consider it some advice. Please, I know you, er ..." I lowered my voice, "... sympathize with the changelings, but you need to focus on yourself. Trust me, it takes a while to get used to hooves and dealing with four times as much body hair."

"I guess it is hard not to want to help, given my, um, unique insight," said Cherry.

"Well, you might want to keep that kinda low key, too, until Spoiled Rich runs out of hot air about this."

Cherry nodded once, but that could have meant anything.

I wanted to buck myself for even telling her in the first place. "Come on, let's just walk back to Sweet Apple Acres and enjoy the rest of the day."

"All right," said Cherry in a subdued voice.

As we turned, I heard a noise off to my right. I shifted my gaze in time to see an empty cart by the side of the road roll forward slightly. At the same time, movement flickered out of the corner of my eye. I jerked my head around, but too late to see what it was. It looked like it had come from the corner of a building.

Cherry turned to me. "Something the matter?"

As I watched, an earth pony stallion trotted up the cart, nodding to us in greeting. He hitched himself to the cart and pulled it away. My gaze fell to the dirt. Small hoof-prints lay just behind the shallow ruts left by the cart's wheels.

"There better not be," I grumbled.