“Golly, you sure got a lot of blood in ya!”

“E-excuse me?”

“Aw, don't you worry none. Ain't nothin' a couple leeches can't fix.”

“Leeches? Doctor, I'm here about my spleen!”

“You sayin' you don't want this jar of leeches?”

“Please no.”

“Hmph. Nopony ever wants the leeches.”

…

“...Doctor?”

“Right, your spleen. Don't you fret, sugarcube. We'll have you walkin' out of here healthy as a horse. Just as soon as I find the gol-dang thing. Now let's see here... nope, that's the liver... kidney... two kidneys? That seems a mite excessive... Sweet Celestia!”

“What? What is it?”

“Hon, I ain't quite sure how to tell you this, but... I found a lump.”

“A... a lump?”

“Now, I can run some tests on it to be sure, but somethin' that size... wait a minute... shoot, nevermind. That's just your gal bladder! Don't I feel silly! Good thing they got all these anatomy posters on the wall, huh?”

“I think I want a different doctor.”

The prompt: Choose one or more of the following:

Doctor Applejack,
Rarity the carnival worker,
Senator Pinkie Pie,
Fluttershy, gun for hire,
Rainbow Dash, accountant,
Twilight Sparkle, unemployed,
or Spike, CEO of Spikecorp.

This is a thirty minute writing prompt, meaning you have thirty minutes to finish your story from the time you start writing. You may take as much time as you wish to think, plan, or outline before you begin, but once the first word is on the page, the timer begins. When you are finished, post your story to this thread, and, in the tradition of the TMP mods of yore, I will read and give it a comment when I can.

Traditionally, TMP prompts would have a six to eight-hour window in which to submit, but for these legacy prompts, there will be no limit after the prompt is up. Go ahead and post something a year from now, if you like. Just bear in mind that I'm less likely to respond with feedback to anything submitted more than a week or so after the prompt. Good luck!

4097470

Prompt: (among others) Senator Pinkie Pie

This is a bit shorter than usual and a silly format, but I wanted to do it this way so nyah.

Just a note, all the senatorial names and bills/motions here are entirely fabricated, any resemblance to real legislators, alive or dead, is entirely coincidental. Also I don't really know all the procedures for the floor and I'm just sort of winging it.

Congressional Record
128th Congress

The Senate convened at 9:30 AM and was called to order by the President pro tempore (Ms. Collins)

9:30 AM - Morning Prayer, Chaplain Dr. Henry Morgan.

9:32 AM - Pledge of Allegiance

9:33 AM - (Interruption) Sen. Pie (I - EQ) makes a request that "A bunch more stars and maybe some stickers" be added to the Flag of the United States of America. As Senator Pie has not been recognized, the motion is ignored.

9:35 AM - Recognition of Majority Leader Sen. Hermann (D - CA) as presiding officer.

9:37 AM - Floor is open for Morning Business, senators permitted to speak for 10 minutes, Republican party controlling the first half and majority controlling the final.

9:38 AM - Chair recognizes Sen. Hammond (R - TX).

9:45 AM - (Interruption) Sen. Pie (I - EQ) requests Sen. Hammond to "stop being boring and smile more". After returning to order, Sen. Pie requests that the record show that Sen. Hammond of Texas did not, in fact, smile.

9:49 AM - Chair recognizes Sen. Pie (I - EQ).

9:50 AM - Sen. Pie declares the end of "this lawyer stuff" and the beginning of the 128th Congressional Hula-Dancing and Pineapple Upside-down Cake Party

9:51 AM - Let the record show that the report of a cannon was heard on the senate floor, fired by Sen. Pie

10:28 AM - Floor has come to order, Sen. Pie (I - EQ) reminded that no ordnance of any variety (including 'party') is allowed on the Senate floor, nor, in fact, held above the floor by "some ropes or something". Police response to the noise and commotion filed separately. Sen. Pie's request to let the record show that "nopony[sic] in here is any fun at all" allowed for the sake of expediency.

10:30 AM - Morning Business concluded. Sen. Gambino (D - NY) moves to consider the bill S. 1209 - "To expedite the citizenship of one Sunset Shimmer, native to Equestria, as a citizen in good standing of the United States of America, considering her service in the defense of the nation from outside forces"

10:31 AM - Motion passed, floor open for comment

10:32 AM - Sen. Pie (I - EQ) recognized. Request to be referred to as "Pinkie Pie" rather than "Senator Pinkamena Diane Pie of Equestria" noted, overruled by presiding officer. Upon insistence, granted for the period of one day, for the sake of expediency.

10:38 AM - Bill S.1209 passed without preamble, by majority vote.

10:38 AM - Chair recognizes Pinkie Pie (Sen. Pie (I - EQ)). Pinkie Pie moves to adjourn for the day. Motion overruled by presiding officer.

10:40 AM - Chair recognizes Sen. Roberts (R - AL). Sen. Roberts moves to consider the bill S. 1227 - "To disallow further consideration of equine animals (not from Equestria) as citizens, for the period of one year. The record shows an objection by Pinkie Pie (Sen. Pie (I - EQ)). Voted by yeas and nays, bill passed without addendum or preamble by majority vote. (101-1)

10:59 AM - Chair recognizes Sen. Apple (I - EQ). Sen. Apple moves to consider the bill S. 1224 - "To allow the sale and distribution of natural produce and foodstuffs between the state of Equestria and the remaining states of the United States of America."

11:02 AM - (Interruption) Pinkie Pie (Sen. Pie (I - EQ)) seizes the floor. Let the record show that the senator was repeatedly asked to come to order and cede the floor, but ignored all warnings.

11:12 AM - Order restored, Chair recognizes Sen. Apple (I - EQ). Sen. Apple moves to expel Pinkie Pie (Sen. Pie (I - EQ)) from the floor for the remainder of the current day. Vote held by yeas and nays, motion passed by majority vote (101-1).

11:15 AM - Objection by Sen. Pie (I - EQ) that she would "be the most well-behaved pony here" and could be referred to as "Senator Pinkamena 'Serious' Diane Pie" noted.

11:15 AM - Sen. Pie (I - EQ) removed from Senate floor by security.

Senator Pinkamena 'Serious' Diane Pie trudged down the very official-looking and expensively decorated hallway. Nopony had told her this would be so boring! Even with one of Applejack's relatives on the staff, no one EVER took the time to just have fun! What was the point of being a super-powerful senator pony if you never even bothered partying? What better time to throw a party than when you're all gathered in a big, stuffy room full of over a hundred people already? Pinkie didn't even have to send invitations!

By the end of the hallway, however, Pinkie Pie was trotting happily again. Outside of the building a small crowd of reporters were waiting, as usual, but she passed them without comment. Just as a favor to Applejack and Twilight, of course! As her driver started the car and they began rolling toward her temporary home here in Washington, Pinkie Pie pulled a pen from the holder and started jotting down ideas for tomorrow. The fact that most, or maybe all, of her fellow senators were boring sticks-in-the-mud wouldn't stop her from trying her best to make the next political party a party to remember!

4097470

Prompt: Doctor Applejack

Maybe a jarring shift in tone from the previous.

"Now make sure you're lined up right. That looks alright. Lean forward, an' then kick out back with your hind legs."

Twilight Sparkle looked back toward the tree and felt just a bit silly as she wiggled her hindquarters a little to set herself in better position. "Thank you for teaching me how to buck apples, Applejack. I know you think it's dangerous, but I really want to see how do you your work."

Applejack sighed and then shook her head. "Don't you worry. If you listen to what I say and do it careful at first, you'll have it all figured out in no time."

"Right, so, I just kick back against the trunk?"

Applejack nodded, and placed a hoof on Twilight's back, pushing her front half a little lower. "Yep, just stay lined up right like that, and kick back. But start gentle, there ain't any need to buck hard as you can on the first try."

Princess Celestia had met all of Twilight's friends, of course. Though only a few times in the short while she had lived in Ponyville, so she hadn't exactly had time to sit down and tell stories of teaching Twilight Sparkle as a filly, and later as a young mare. So Applejack didn't know that 'moderation' was a concept that Twilight never really seemed to understand. Twilight Sparkle looked back to make sure she was lined up properly, and then turned around straight again, and stuck her tongue out a little in concentration. She made a little hop with her hind legs before leaning onto her forelegs to buck backward.

Applejack's eyes widened. "Hold on, you moved, don't-"

Twilight bucked as hard as she could back with her hind legs. One hoof struck square in the center of the apple tree's trunk, with a resounding crack that actually sounded quite nice. Her other hoof missed entirely, and shot out behind her to full extension, and then quite a bit further.

It took Twilight Sparkle a few seconds to realize who it was that was screaming. When she finally recognized that it was her, she didn't feel any better. Still, slowly the shock and panic faded, and she managed to bite back her yelling. She opened her eyes again, and found Applejack looking into her eyes. Applejack's mouth moved, but it took a moment for Twilight to listen. "... be alright, Sugar. Just calm down, and don't move your legs."

Twilight took a deep breath, and tried to let it out slowly. It almost worked. "My... my right hind leg hurts. I think I missed the tree, but.."

Applejack shook her head, and shuffled around a bit. Twilight didn't dare move a muscle. Applejack's hooves lightly pressed along her coat, and then even more lightly over her flank. Twilight yelped as Applejack's hoof brushed over the sore side of her hips. After Applejack pulled her hoof back, the sharp stabbing turned into more of a low, constant throb. Applejack sighed, and shook her head again. "Alright, I figured that's what it was. Y' threw your hip out a' joint. I told you not to kick so durn hard."

Twilight wiped her tears away with one foreleg, sniffling miserably. "I'm... I'm sorry, I..."

Applejack's expression softened immediately. "Nah, I'm sorry, Sugar. This ain't the time for I-told-you-so. But we need to get you to the hospital. No, don't try to stand."

Twilight nodded and stopped immediately this time. "You can't carry me like this either! Even just touching it..."

"I know, Sugar. I got an idea. Do you trust me, Twilight?"

She looked up into Applejack's eyes, and then nodded slowly. Applejack nodded back, and trotted over to another tree, reaching up and breaking off a small stick with her teeth. She passed it to Twilight, and moved back to the unicorn's side. "Now, bite down on that stick. You'll feel a whole heap better in just a second."

Scared, hurt, and embarrassed as she was, Twilight Sparkle was still not an unlearned pony. She knew full well that chewing on apple wood was not going to give any sort of help with pain. Still, she had said she trusted her friend, and she bit down on the stick, chewing the bitter and gross-tasting wood for only a second before Applejack responded.

Applejack pressed her hooves firmly and quickly. With a horrible grating feeling and then a sudden, gut-wrenching pop, Twilight's leg bone slipped back into joint with her hips. Twilight grunted out a loud, harsh noise of pain against the stick in her mouth, but that stick kept her teeth from grinding and muffled the noise. She whipped her head around to yell at Applejack in a panic, but before she could say anything, she realized that her hip didn't hurt nearly as much as before. "Applejack! What... that HURT!"

"But you had to get it back in place, or you'd never be able to move it right. Won't hurt as much, but you can't go walkin' on it for a few weeks at least. Come on, I'll pick you up and take you over to the hospital. Don't put any weight on that leg, use the other one, there you go."

Inside of a minute, Twilight found herself draped over Applejack's back in a very uncomfortable and embarrassing manner. Her muzzled was buried in Applejack's withers, but she still felt like she would be able to see everypony staring as they went through town. Every slow, careful step by Applejack still sent a jolt of pain through her leg, and Twilight soon found that she had to talk to get through this. "Applejack, how did... ow, how did you know all that stuff?"

"What, how to tell a hurt leg? Shoot, Twilight, I live an hour's trot from the hospital and my family does hard work every day. You don't get along too good out there if you don't know the basics." Applejack's gait changed a little, and Twilight's leg stopped shaking quite so much. "Listen, Sugar. I'm sorry about fussin' at you earlier. Being honest you had me scared half out of my wits. It ain't your fault you missed, and I shoulda been more careful about teaching you."

Twilight shook her head, even though it must have looked like she was nuzzling Applejack's mane to anypony around them. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ignored you, and... well, we can't both apologize. We can just call it an accident. Those happen. Besides, now I'll have an excuse to sit around reading all day."

Applejack chuckled warmly, and the sound broke the somewhat morose mood that had fallen over the two. "Don't you run Spike too ragged helping out. Tell you what, to make up for lettin' you hurt yourself, I'll come by as often as I can. You can teach me somethin' about how you do your own work, too. Hopefully I won't go hurtin' my head that way."

Twilight Sparkle smiled, and hugged Applejack tightly around the barrel as she was carried through Ponyville. Somehow, the stares she knew they were getting didn't seem to bother her anymore.

4098783 I see one glaring inaccuracy here: this senate appears to actually do things on occasion. That totally breaks my suspension of disbelief.

Pinkie's hijinks are pretty fun. I cracked up at the line, 'nor, in fact, held above the floor by "some ropes or something."' I wonder just how Equestria became a state, though. The reference to Sunset Shimmer would seem to imply that the mirror portal to Canterlot High has something to do with it, but that doesn't really explain how a parallel universe full of magic talking ponies gets inducted into the Union before Puerto Rico does.

4098783
But just which Apple was Equestria's other senator?

4102553
Maybe we just didn't hear from the senators from Puerto Rico.

4102552
A nice bit o' friendshipping and exploration of the Apples' world. :)

4102552 Yeowch. Twilight, girl, you need to be careful!

I like the take on the prompt here. Applejack's years of experience on the farm leave her more knowledgeable with first aid than the average pony.

Also, do I sense a hint of Twijack near the end, there, or is that just my overactive shipping imagination?

4102574 Every time Pinkie was out-voted, it was 101-1. With two senators per state, that makes Equestria the 51st state.

Unless Florida sank into the ocean, of course.

4102621
Oh ... yeah. I'd forgotten about that.

Well, we can just say some of the smaller New England states merged or something.

4102553
4102574
4102682
4102621

Puerto Rico

Well to be honest I didn't even think about other territories trying to become states. Whoops!

4102578
4102606
I had a little fun with it. Though real life horse hip dislocation is no joke. I'm not sure if that was Twijack at the end or not. It is a mystery!

4097470
Legacy Prompt No.23, Work Harder, by KwirkyJ

Twilight Sparkle gasped as she stepped out of Spikecorp Magnifique.

“Princess Celestia!” She ran forward and embraced her mentor, which was eagerly reciprocated. “I’m glad you made it! It feels like forever since I saw you last, things have been so busy!”

“Not at all, my most faithful student. It is alway a pleasure to –”

“Walk with me? I’m on my way out to Spike Apple Acres, Applejack might be overworking herself again. Gotta get there!”

“I – Of course, Twilight.”

“Great!”

She set off at a quick trot, Celeestia shortly behind.

“Gosh, it’s been a while since you were here last, things have changed so much! Everything’s so much bigger and grander and more productive –” The ponies within earshot chorused ‘Spikecorp!’ at that “– since we got that extra rail service! Rarity’s boutique is now a fully-fledged workshop, Spikecube Corner – that is, what used to be Sugar Cube Corner is now a name known across the entire province… it’s amazing!”

“I certainly am surprised to find it so urbane,” offered Celestia. “And so… full of pennants.”

“What? Oh, you mean the directive banners!”

“‘Rawr’?” said Celestia.

“RAWR!” cheered everypony in the street.

“Oh, it’s Spikecorp slogan, really. They all mean something different. Like that one,” Twilight pointed a wing, “means, ‘Be more productive: Spikecorp!’ And that one over there, ‘Do everything you can today: Spikecorp!’ Over there is probably my favorite, ‘You are the sum of your labor potential: Spikecorp!’ And to think it used to just mean ‘I love you!’ Now it means that and more besides!”

“Hi Twilight and Celestia!” yelled Rainbow Dash, zooming overhead with a massive cloud. “Bye Twilight and Celestia!”

“Hi Rainbow Dash!”

“I… see,” said Celestia, frowning slightly.

“Is something wrong? This is all so amazing, it’s glorious to be part of something so constructive. Excuse me – hi, Fluttershy! Hope your chickens are meeting their laying quotas!” Twilight waved to a blushing Fluttershy. “Sorry, I know keeping ponies’ spirits up is Pinkies job, but I chip in when I can.”

“Oh?”

“I know, I’m the only one here without an official job, so I just make sure everything keeps running smoothly. I love it! Just ticked off Rarity, got Fluttershy on the way, and now we’re about to meet Applejack and the rest of the Apples. I love seeing my friends working so hard – Spiiii…” she trailed off before coughing. “Sorry, bit of a verbal tick we’ve seemed to pick up around the town. Don’t know where it came from.”

“Hey Twilight, do you ever feel like some days –!” Rainbow yelled again, then she was gone.

“Don’t worry, she’ll pass by a few more times to finish whatever she was about to say. She’s moving a lot of water to the Spicarrot Expanse today, I checked her schedule. See? Here she comes.”

“– That everything you do just goes –”

Twilight and Celestia continued walking quickly between the trees, the occasional lavender and emerald pennant dangling from the branches.

“– To benefit a dragon at the top –”

Really, it felt rather awkward. Why was it feeling so awkward to walk with her mentor in companionate silence.

“I don’t even miss my crown, Pri – er, Celestia!”

“Oh?”

“– Of some giant corporate mountain?” Rainbow Dash finished, zooming by, above the branches.

“Right. Spike took it first. Definitely for the best.” She looked up just as Rainbow made another pass. “Some days, Rainbow! Some days!”

Author's Note:
This was silly and fun to write. Didn't fit in some things I had originally planned, but so it goes. Definite callbacks to Welcome to Night Vale's Strex Corp.

4102552
Hmm. Interesting take on the prompt – it makes a great deal of sense.

The tone however fell a bit flat to me. Part of it, but not all, can be traced to:

"Listen, Sugar. I'm sorry about fussin' at you earlier. Being honest you had me scared half out of my wits. …"

…being at odds with what we see before. Applejack is disengagingly cool during the process, and the window where Twilight is not (capable of) listening seems too brief and out of synch with the aforementioned 'fussing'.

4097470
And that was pretty silly. I am particularly fond of the initial vignette: everything up to and including "Hmph, nopony ever wants the leeches."

4106039
Yeah, i could see that. The 'fussing' i meant was the i-told-you-so. But I suppose it doesn't really line up right.

4105987 Spikecorp. Something, something, smiling god.

You are very good at getting the tone just right with your referential pieces. This feels very much akin to a WTNV sketch. I love the Rainbow Dash bit at the end there.

4097470

Legacy Prompt 23: Free Shot

“O-Oh! I’m sorry, sir, you startled me! Please forgive my rudeness. My name is Fluttershy; please, come in.”

Blueblood looked down, to where the butter-yellow pegasus mare who’d opened the door had drawn back. She seemed vaguely familiar from somewhere, although he couldn’t immediately place it. “I don’t particularly care,” he said. “I’m a busy stallion, so let’s get to the point. Is your husband home?”

She blinked at him. “Husband?” Then, after a few more seconds, “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m not married.”

“Your brother, then.”

She shook her head. “My family lives in Cloudsdale, sir.”

Blueblood felt his teeth beginning to grind together as his anger grew. His time was precious; if Lady Blossom had sent him on a wild goose chase, he would have serious words with her on his return to Canterlot. “I was sent here,” he growled out, “to seek out someone named ‘Free Shot’. If I was given this location in error, I will-”

Blueblood broke off, stepping back involuntarily. The mare in front of him was changing. There wasn’t any actual physical difference, but as she rose to her full height her posture was shifting, her wings folding back to a sleek, streamlined shape, and a look of determination in her eye mixed with a sudden aura of sheer confidence, and possibly a touch of anger. “Where did you hear that name?” she snapped.

“L,lady Elegant Blossom, in Canterlot!” Blueblood cursed himself for showing even a second’s weakness, but the sudden transformation in his host's demeanor had shaken him to the core.

He also wasn’t much helped when she took a step toward him. “I see. So you’re here on business, then.”

Blueblood’s eyes went wide. “You? You’re Free Shot? But you’re so-”

She gave him a look of disdain. “Timid? Weak, maybe? Makes a great cover, doesn’t it? Now, if my lady sent you, she’ll have given you a token to prove yourself. Do you have anything like that on you?” Her expression made it clear he wouldn’t like the results if he didn’t.

Frantically, Blueblood pulled at his saddlebag, fumbling out a small carved wooden rod resembling a set of six stacked acorns hammered into one another. Both ends were stamped with Elegant Blossom’s house seal. Once it was in the open, Blueblood all but threw it at Fluttershy, who snatched it out of the air with her wing. After inspecting it, she bit down, snapping one of the segments off at the taper, then tossed the rest back to Blueblood, who had to fumble it a bit with his hooves before he remembered to grasp it telekinetically. “I see,” Fluttershy said, “you were telling the truth.” She bowed down low, a formal sweep Blueblood had seen many times before from Elegant Blossom’s house servants. “By my acceptance of this token and in accordance with my lady’s commands, I pledge myself to your service until my mission may be finished. So,” she said, rising to her hooves once more, “tell me - who do you want me to kill?”

Blueblood gaped. “No one,” he squeaked out, “exact opposite!” As Fluttershy - or, perhaps, Free Shot - lifted her exposed eyebrow, he continued his babbling. “They’re coming after me, and I need someone to stop them!”

“Go on.”

Blueblood nodded nervously. “There have been attempts on my life recently! They only happen when my guards are away, but they can’t stay by my side at all times! I asked some of the other nobles for advice, and Lady Blossom sent me to find you!”

Fluttershy blinked, a slow grin growing across her face. “I think I begin to see. Tell me, mister Blueblood, do you have any big social events coming up?” The grin turned sly, and she moved so as to view him sidelong. “The kind where you, personally, might take, oh, a trophy date with you when you went?”

Blueblood felt his head bouncing as he nodded, and a small part of him wondered exactly how he’d lost control of the situation. The rest answered her question. “Opera production; I’m the composer’s patron. There’s supposed to be a big feast after the first showing.”

“Mmm… I’ll have to get something to wear, then.” She looked over at him again as his jaw dropped even further. “I spent about a week or so as a fashion model, mister Blueblood. Surely that’s the kind of mare a big social figure like yourself would take with you?”

“I’m terribly sorry, your highness! I don’t know how this could have happened!”

Blueblood looked the Maitre'd straight in the eyes. “I see,” he said coldly, “then I suppose you’d better find out.” Then, turning to his date, “are you all right, m’dear?”

“Y,yes,” Fluttershy said, “just a bit shaken.”

“Of course.” Blueblood didn’t believe it for an instant, although he had to admit she was an excellent actress. The assassin had come disguised as one of the waitresses; only the brief narrowing of Fluttershy’s eyes had given Blueblood any sign something was up. Fluttershy then had, seemingly quite innocently and by accident, managed to toss her soup in the mare’s face and her salad dish into the mare’s throat. Then, under the guise of apologizing, she’d done… something. Blueblood wasn’t quite sure exactly what had happened, but he did note that at the same time the killer’s eyes had bugged out while Fluttershy flustered at her, the sharp melon-cutting knife had vanished from Fluttershy’s place set. That, of course, had been the point the ‘waitress’s’ panniers had slipped sideways, spilling the cleverly concealed vials of… something toxic, he didn’t know what, only that it had started to eat away not only the tablecloth, but the table underneath and even the silverware.

It had also left a hellish odor, still lingering even though the entire table had been carted away by the Royal Guards summoned by the Maitre’d in the aftermath. Blueblood turned to Fluttershy. “My dear. Would you care to take in the night air?”

Time Limit

“I, I think I would,” she said, and Blueblood helped her off her bench, heading for the Opera House courtyard.

Once outside, Fluttershy’s projection of confusion and fluster vanished, replaced by the same cold calmness she’d shown Blueblood before. “I don’t think you’ll have any problem with them tonight; they’ll be too busy trying to stay out of the Royal Guard’s gaze now that that acid dropped out of that one’s things.”

The words stopped Blueblood short as he pictured the consequences if she were wrong. “Please,” he squeaked out, “don’t leave me alone! What if she does have friends?”

Fluttershy glanced over at him. “Fellow travelers, you mean. Her kind don’t make friends easily. And don’t be such a baby; I told you when I accepted your shot that I’d follow your orders until the mission ended.” A sly smile crept over her face as she continued. “Besides, even if I were inclined to call it finished, you’ve still got five more of them you could expend. Either my lady sees something in you, or she’s decided to give you enough rope to hang yourself with. Better hope its the former, mister Blueblood. Otherwise, she might just decide to send me after you.”

Blueblood thought about that for a second. Only a second; that’s all he could take before his legs gave way and he keeled over onto the grass. The last thing to go through his head before the darkness hit was the phrase ‘Dead Stallion Walking.’

4097470

Legacy Prompt #23: Pronunciation

“Oh my gosh, Twilight, Rarity is doing carnival!” cried Pinkie Pie, “this is huge!”

“She’s doing A carnival, Pinkie,” said Twilight, not looking up from her book. “I had heard that a travelling company would be in town. Maybe we should go and see it. It would make for a nice day out.”

“No, Twilight, Rarity is working for carnival! She’s doing some of the outfits!”

“Pinkie,” sighed Twilight, looking up from her book and straight at Pinkie, “it should be ‘Rarity is working for A carnival. Using the correct grammar is important. It prevents misunderstandings. In fact, Mister Cake wanted me to talk to you about your hoof-writing on the order forms.”

“Well,” said Pinkie, her eyes darting from side to side, “Oh my gosh, an obvious distraction!”

Despite herself, Twilight turned to face the direction that Pinkie had pointed to. Pinkie took advantage of the opportunity and dashed out of the Library.

*****

Twilight stared at the extravaganza that was displayed before her eyes.

“Pinkie,” asked Twilight, “when you said that Rarity was working for carnival, did you actually mean she was working for Carnivale?”

“Oooh, is that how you say it?” said Pinkie, “I’ve always just said it was carnival.”

“Pinkie,” said Twilight, “Carnivale is one of the biggest parties all around the world. Its pronunciation is kind of important.”

“Whatever,” said Pinkie, having somehow acquired a full costume and a cream pie. She slammed the pie into Twilight’s face, and then danced off to join the parade.

“Party Senator Pinkie Pie from Ponyville is here!” she sang. By the time that Twilight had somewhat cleared her face of the whipped cream, Pinkie had managed to climb to the top of a float.

“The Party recognises Party Senator Pinkie Pie,” came a cry from a few floats ahead, “may your Party be blessed with Balloons and noise.”

Twilight shook her head, and decided that she was going to go and find Fluttershy. The poor pegasus was probably freaking out around all the other ponies.

(A/N: Rather short, but I really couldn't make it any longer.)

4110242 Fluttershy's demeanor really does make for the perfect cover for an assassin. A quiet mare who keeps to herself out in her cottage by the edge of the woods? Who would ever expect her to be a threat?

I wonder who wants Blueblood dead, though? Well... badly enough to do something about it, that is.

4110862 I am quite pleased that almost all of the sub-prompts were used in one story or another this week. No sign of Rainbow's mad fiscal skills.

This is short, but I like the joke. Twilight repeatedly correcting Pinkie on what she thinks is incorrect grammar, only to find that Pinkie was saying it wrong in an entirely different way. It feels like a gag they would have in the show.

I suppose I would have liked to see exactly what Rarity was doing for Carnivale. The outfits involved do seem right up her alley.