Ponyville: Business Quarter, Housing District
Applejack approached the home residence of Mister Musty Price, carrying her rather large and cumbersome load of reporters tools upon her back. The home was an old yet quaint brownstone home with a nice white painted wooden fence around it.
With a neighboring home on either side, the poor mare thought she must be out of luck for she could see nobody in either yard. Whether by providence or by sheer dumb luck, the door to Mister Price's home opened. Reacting quickly Applejack turned on her camcorder and prepared to interview the light brown and blue haired unicorn leaving the building. Pulling out her notes so as not to forget the questions she was to ask.
"Excuse me miss, might I have a moment of you time?" She asked the Unicorn, as she walked down the well maintained path to the gate of the small enclosed lawn.
The pony in question walked right up to the gate across from where Applejack was standing, and put her front hooves over it. Then asked in a slightly tired yet jovial manner "Ello, I'm Mrs Price what can I help you with miss?"
Applejack smiled and turned on her recorder before beginning the interview itself. And in a professional tone asked "Mah name is Applejack, Reporter on the case of the ponies turning into Goats ma'am. I am here to interview you about one Mister Musty Price the first victim, do you know him?"
Mrs. Price's face took on a worried look "Well of course I know him, he's been my husband since we married ten years back. Right good old chap, always looking after me. When I heard the news I just bout cried me eyes out that I did".
Applejack nodded "So he's your husband?"
Mrs Price nodded "Yes, yes he is."
Applejack glanced at her notes quickly, "Has your husband ever shown any inclination towards being a Goat prior to what happened earlier today?' In her mind she can't help but wonder what was going through Big Story's head when he wrote these.
Mrs Price paused for a moment before shaking her head, causing her mane to shift slightly over her right eye. "No no, he wasn't that sort of pony. Just an ordinary hard working earth pony chap, no inclination towards being goatish in any way."
Applejack refers to the questions, which at this point look rather silly but continues on with her interview. "He didn't have an obsession with plaid clothing, or Ruminian music?"
Mrs Price pursed her lips before saying "No not at all, he rather quite disliked plaid, and much preferred those Zebra alternative pieces when it came to exotic music."
Applejack continues "He didn't get himself hoofed on Ruminian drinks, or bring home any sort of fraggus or food like that at night?"
As she questions this mare she gets the feeling that Big Story might be just a little off in the head.
Mrs Price shakes her head "No no he never did that, in fact he refused to partake in those sort of drinks altogether. He wasn't much a fan of food from Ruminia either, and nopony likes Fraggus anyway. Rather nasty stuff that."
Applejack looks at the next question, stares for a moment, before improvising because it's a horrible question. "He didn't have any issues with bits or finances? "
Mrs Price blinks her blue eyes in thought before saying "Why no he was a genius with money really, never had any problems at all. If anything living in this town has garnered him quite a nice account. We are not in financial trouble at all."
Applejack nods, "So you are saying Mister Price was a perfectly normal pony with no goatish inclinations whatsoever?"
Unbeknownst to her a shadow is hidden behind the bush in the neighboring garden, watching them talk and preparing.
Mrs Price smiles and taps her right hoof, "Yes, absolutely. Though he did have a tendency to watch Miss Ramsleton on weekends on the telly"
As Applejack opens her mouth to reply, the shadow moves faster than a pony can blink, and shoots out of it's hiding spot, and over the fence in one bound.
Landing besides Applejack it points it's dark grey hoof at Mrs Price before shouting "Aha that's how it starts"
Mrs Price stares at the dark grey Pegasus colt with a white and black two tone mane and a reporters hat in front of her. And in a confused manner asks "I beg your pardon?"
Applejack just stares at this colt that came out of nowhere, and looks suspiciously like a certain unicorn newspony.
As this happens triangular craft above seems to let loose an ethereal beam aimed at one of the three below, blissfully unaware of it's presence.
The Pegasus rubs it's chin with it's hoof, adjusting it's reporters hat with a shake of it's head. "Sorry the names Perfect Scoop, and you see the thing about Goatishness. It begins with small things like watching Miss Ramsleton and just builds up over time. A pony doesn't just turn into a billy goat for no reason out of the blue now does he?"
As these words leave his mouth an odd buzzing fills the air around him as a light shimmer hits his coat. He suddenly stands straight as a board, shakes back and forth a bit saying "For the good GMC" in a goatish way. Then for seemingly no reason turns into a billy goat like the others, spins around hoof out; and makes a pony line for Ruminia through the streets and out of the town in the most goatish manner.
As he disappears from sight Applejack and Mrs Price just stare before looking at each other a bit shocked. Unaware of the triangular object hovering over them in the sky, the orange mare says a bit shaken, "Well ah guess a pony really can turn into a billy goat for no reason Miss Price."
Mrs Price nods numbly before replying "It would seem that way."
Applejack adjusts her hat still in shock, noting the camcorder caught everything. "Well ah best be going then, got to go talk to Divine Joke's folks too yet. Have a good day Mrs Price."
The unicorn takes her hooves off the gate before saying "Yes you too Miss Applejack, have a good..."
All of a sudden the buzzing starts again and she stands up stiff as wood, shakes a bit before saying quite briskly "Fer Fraggus".
Applejack seeing what is coming, quickly backs away to the border wall on the other side of the street as Mrs Price like her husband before her turns into a billy goat. Hoof out she pushes the gate open with her other cloven hoof, before she too takes off towards Ruminia. And oddly enough seems to have some minor ability to ignore the laws of physics like one Pinkie Pie.
The triangular object moves slowly away towards a a different section of town.
Applejack just stares dumbstruck, then checks herself for any goat features breathing a sigh of relief when there are none. In a slightly panicked voice she says "Well ah'll be, better hurry on over to that poor colt's house to talk to his folks before they go an turn into goats too. Never thought I'd see the day when ponies would turn into goats for no reason, I hope Twilight is on this."
She keeps the recorder and camcorder running in case, and promptly moves her hooves faster down the street quick as she can in the direction of the home of the colt Divine Joke.
On her way she sees some ponies waiting at a very basic carriage stop. A fair amount of business ponies all lined up one checking his watch, the other looking at the schedule, yet one more just staring at the sky, and one reading the paper. Turning to get a better look she then sees one after another freeze up and shake before turning into billy goats and running off towards Ruminia. Realizing it is probably better not to stop at all lest she risk becoming a goat herself, she hurries to the home of the family of one Divine Joke.