The Equestrian Wildcards: Doughnut mess with the baker.

by JitteryDragon

4: The one with the gingerbread dragon.

Sparky and Cookie waited for Oracle in the wheelchair mares lounge room. Only the sound of the crackling fire held the awkward silence at bay. The two hardly traded words, Sparky unable to think of anything to say that would invite an interesting conversation, and Cookie mostly thinking about cheese.

About half an hour of silence, and finally to the relief of both ponies, was there finally a knock at the door.

Oracle stood on the welcome mat, hoof leaning on the doorway, looking as though she had just run a marathon.

Sparky placed her hooves on hips. 'Well, at least you're starting to use the proper method of entry now. Where in Equestria did you go? You kinda just left me there with your, uh... friend.’

'Hi Oracle,' came the shout of Cookie from the lounge room.

'I'm really sorry, Sparky,’ Oracle said, looking genuinely apologetic, ‘but, I had a bit of a revelation.'

'Do come in and tell me all about it,' Sparky moved back, gesturing the filly in with wave of a hoof.

She certainly did. It started with the strange red book being laid upon the lounge room floor for all three to see. 'Wow, they really do have something for everyone, don't they?' Sparky joked. 'Strange name for an author though... “D. Bakerus?”'

'Might be a fake name. At least, it would be the most sensible thing to do.'

'I suppose you really wouldn't want to give your real name on a book about evil spirits and such.'

Oracle nodded. 'Yeah, that's true.'

'So, who does it belong to anyway?’

'It belongs to Sunny.'

'How do you know that?'

Cookie raised a hoof, nervously speaking. 'I kinda borrowed it.'

Oracle nodded. 'I was skeptical, though, that it belonged to Sunny. I had to get confirmation after I started putting two and two together in my head. So, I went straight to the bakery, where Sunny had been pilfering the flour from a few days ago.'

'And?'

'Well, I got Puff Pastry to talk. She told me how she makes her special homemade flour.'

The other two waited, prompting Oracle to continue.

'It's from a rare wheat that could only be found in the Everfree Forest.'

Sparky tilted her head slightly, brow raised. 'Could? As in, you can't find it there any more?'

'Yes. Puff told me her father perfected growing it outside from the forest. He passed down the techniques on how to properly grow and harvest it at a young age. It’s called moonshade. The thing is, though, the flour Puff mixes only contains about a quarter of the stuff, since it's so hard to grow. The rest is a combination of spices and traditional sun grown wheat.'

'At least it explains why my sweet roll tasted so good,' Cookie said, the other two looking at him. 'What? It really was yummy!'

Using the tip of her nose, Oracle opened up the book. 'Look, here.' She placed a hoof on a page before turning it around to the other two.

'Oh, interesting,' Cookie said, staring blankly at the page. 'So uh... what does it say?'

'It's an index of common ingredients for the creation of various cake monsters. Moonshade is listed as one of the most important.'

'So it is,' Sparky said. 'Says here at the bottom that you can substitute it for others, but looking at the alternatives...'

'Yeah, on this page here.' Oracle flipped the page over a couple of times. 'Nightshade, witches eye, black wart...'

Sparky raised a hoof. 'I know for one that nightshade can only be gotten from the Canterlot schools on a per pony basis.'

Oracle stamped the ground. 'Yes, exactly. That’s the thing with all the alternatives. They're all hard to get, especially if you want to go about all of this without drawing attention.'

Cookie tapped his hoof on chin. 'Okay, so does this mean Sunny Nights is trying to bake up a monster?'

'Sunny Days, and yes... yes I think she is. But, why? Not to mention, how did she know where to find something like Moonshade?'

'I think I know,' Sparky said. 'One second,' and thus she disappeared in a flash of white light.

'That is so cool,' Cookie said.

A few seconds later, Sparky returned a few hooves in front of where she had left. She proceeded to throw another book on top of the first.

'Ooooh,' Cookie awed. 'What's it say?'

Sparky raised a brow at Cookie.

'He can't read,' Oracle said to the unicorn.

'Oh, I see,' replied Sparky. Her eyes glanced this way and that, then she tilted her head. 'Wait, what?'

Looking down at the book, Oracle read the title. 'Two dozen delicious cupcakes. Huh?' Oracle glanced up at Sparky with a slightly confused face. 'What does this have to do-'

Sparky just pointed a hoof back down at the book with a grin. Oracle scanned the text, until she reached the bottom, where the authors name lay.

'Sunny Days.'

She was a baker, too.

'It's an old book,’ Sparky began, arms crossed, and looking rather pleased with herself. ‘About four or so years old now. Apparently it was a bestseller back in its day, at least if the back of the book is anything to go by.'

'Okay, so Sunny was an author of an old cookbook. That explains how she knows where to find the flour, she's an accomplished baker, and knows her stuff.'

'That's not the best part, read inside the front cover.'

Oracle did just that. Just inside the book was a short description of the author.

'Writer of many best selling cookbooks and is the proud owner of the Golden Doughnut, a well loved bakery in Canterlot.'

'Here's the thing, though. I don't know of any Golden Doughnut in Canterlot, at least not when I was there last.'

'So, maybes she's a phony,' Cookie said.

Oracle shook her head. 'No, that can't be it. Not if she's going this far. She has to have a reason for doing this. Maybe she had to close down.'

Sparky scratched her chin. 'That sounds like a motive.’

‘Maybe, I have to find out more, I need to go see her.'

Sparkys mood was suddenly deflated. 'You can't be serious,' she sighed.

'I am serious. If she's going this far, there must be a good reason, and I want to get to the bottom of it.'

'Wait just a second, champ,’ Sparky replied, holding up her front hooves. ‘There's no way I'm letting you go wandering off when I'm supposed to be looking after you.'

Oracle nodded in agreement. 'Yes, I agree. That's why you're coming with me.'

Sparky bit her lip. 'Come again?'

'Ooh! What about me?' Cookie asked Oracle excitedly, pacing on his hooves. 'I can fly you there if you wanted.'

'As much as I appreciate the offer, I've seen first hand your ability to crash into the ground at high speeds twice now.'

Cookie's head lowered. 'Oh, yeah...'

'It's okay, Cookie. I just think right now the ground is a safer approach.'

'I understand, miss Oracle.'

Sparky shook her head. 'I don't suppose you have noticed yet, but I can't use my legs and have to get around in a wheelchair.'

'That shouldn't be a problem, you said yourself that you wanted to get out more, right?'

'Yes, but this isn't what I-'

'Why not, Sparky? Here's a chance to get out and have a bit of an adventure.'

Sparky placed a hoof on her forehead, and ran it down her face. 'I don't think you quite understand.'

'Oh, don't worry. I'll let my parents know I'll be going out with you for a while. They'll understand, they always do.' That was probably a bit of a white lie, but Sparky didn't need to know that. 'I understand if you don't want to come.'

Sparky couldn’t believe that she was being entrapped by a little filly, she need a moment to get over that. 'Just... just give me a few minutes to think, okay?'

Oracle nodded, watching as Sparky closed her eyes and was once again gone in a flash of light.

Oracle turned to Cookie Crumble. 'I need to let my parents know what I'm doing, I won't be long. Tell Sparky we'll meet at the town square, okay?'

Cookie gave a little salute. 'Can't wait, I'm a little excited.' Though, that was readily obvious given the way he danced in place.

It didn't take long for Oracle to arrive at her home, and It took even less time to explain what she was going to be doing to her parents. She had formed the whole lie on the way to her house. She was going to have a sleepover at Sparky's house, and then go to school the next day from there. Her mother thought it was cute, saying that she was glad to see that Oracle had made friends so quickly. That's all the evidence she needed apparently, because she bought it without question.

Oracle felt a little bad for lying again, but this was the last time she'd have to. She was going to finally prove who she was and what she was capable of doing.

Sparky, in the meantime, sat at the edge of her bed staring across the room. Her wheelchair stared back at her. ‘Well, to be fair,’ she mumbled to herself, ‘her parents did say she could be a handful.’ On the other hand, it had been a few years since she had met a pony, young or otherwise, that didn’t just judge her by appearance. Still, this was a rather stupid idea, but in all fairness Sparky had done stupider things. She sighed, eyes looking down at the floor.

She had promised her mother she would make friends, and not just sit in her house all day. So far, she had succeeded at the first task, rather quickly too. Sparky couldn’t wait to tell her mother via letter about Oracle. Now she felt compelled to go along with the little detective, and do something really crazy. That would be quite the thing to add to the end of the letter.

‘I can’t believe I’m about to do this.’ She looked over at her chair, and smiled. ‘I hope you don’t fail me, old girl.’

Cookie, meanwhile, had bought a sandwich and was in the process of finishing it off. Having pretty much completely forgot what he was supposed to be doing, he decided to go chase a cat he had seen near a house. Lying low behind a small tuft of grass, he waited for the right moment to strike. Just like the good old days, he remembered, before an eye caught the sight of Oracle wandering into view. ‘Oh, right!’ He said, leaping up and out of the bush. The nearby cat screamed, and ran into a window.

- - -

'We're supposed to be having a sleepover, huh?' Sparky said, sitting in her chair with the other two just outside of the town hall. 'Did you bring a nightlight?'

'Hilarious,' Oracle grumbled sarcastically.

Sparky won in the grumbling department, however. 'I still think this is a silly idea, just so you know.'

'It's only because you're not used to getting out. Trust me, it'll be fun, Sparks.'

'Sparks? That's real cute.'

'Just one question, Sparky. How much did you pack?'

The unicorn turned her head to the backpack saddled to the seat of her wheelchair, which looked fit to burst. 'Just the necessities.'

'Just the necessities?'

'Food, water, bandages, spare tires, a bedroll, headache tablets...'

'You're really nervous about this, aren't you?'

'Was it not obvious enough?'

Cookie Crumble looked to his little read saddle bag and back to Sparkys backpack. 'Wow. All I packed is a few sandwiches.'

'It's okay if you don't want to come,' Oracle said. 'I don't want to seem like I'm forcing you to.'

'No,' Sparky replied bluntly, with hoof raised. 'I'm committed.’ That was a lie, mostly. The last thing she wanted, however, was to let some young filly go off on her own, Cookie didn’t count as a guardian. ‘On the bright side, guess I could use some exercise, and this baby-' she patted the side of her wheelchair, '-she could use a bit of it too.'

Now the filly detective looked a little worried, eying the chair. 'It won't break or anything, will it?'

'She's a tough beast, we've been through a lot together.' She sighed, 'not really built for all terrain insanity, but I think she can handle it. I've done stuff like this before, a long time ago mind you. Still, things can happen... that's why I brought some spare parts, mind you, just in case.'

'It's good you're thinking ahead, I guess. Shall we then?' Oracle said, gesturing with a hoof to the right.

'Yes, let's... before I start getting filled with regrets.'

'We'll be fine,' Oracle said reassuringly.

- - -

When the first storm clouds gathered, Oracle wished she hadn't said anything at all. Just past the carved pathway that led into the northern mountains, there was the sign of darkness gathering from the east, ready to sweep terrible weather across all of Ponyville.

'I regret everything,' Sparky finally blurted out, with a hoof catching the first droplet of water. It felt cold to the touch, but being this high up could do that.

'The forecast said only mildly cloudy,' Oracle complained, face glancing upwards, and quite disappointed. 'This is so unfair.'

Up a few paces ahead was a call. 'Hey, guys! There's a cave up ahead!' Shouted Cookie Crumble from the air, with a wave from the distance.

'That's good enough for me,' Sparky said to herself, and begun pushing herself forwards in haste as more droplets began to fall. Oracle followed from behind, until over the hill she could see the opening that Cookie had just mentioned. Vines covered the top of the entrance, which hung close to an edge of the mountain, a small drop to the other side into a muddy gorge.

Eyes following the path, Oracle could see a fallen tree up ahead close to what had seemed to be the remains of a waterfall when the rain had been more frequent. She feared the path ahead would be worse for wear on hooves, and would hardly be suitable for Sparky, something which the young filly decided to keep to herself as she followed into the cave.

There was a beam of light, a globe hovered from Sparkys horn. Gently, it floated upwards into the air, until it hung over them like the sun itself.

'Full of surprises, aren't we?' Cookie said.

Sparky rolled her eyes. 'Well, I don't see you carrying a lantern, smarty pants.'

'Point taken.'

Their words echoed down a long cavernous hallway, silencing as it reached into the darkness. Where the globe now hovered, it provided light to the nearby area surrounding the group, but did not reach far into the distance. It gave the feeling they were on a stage, with a spotlight on them. Thankfully, no eery red eyes stared from the shadows, which was a good start.

'Do you think it goes all the way, to another exit?' Cookie asked Oracle, his voice sounding somewhat nervous.

'Maybe,' Oracle replied. She trotted over to the nearby wall and brushed it. 'I'm no cave explorer, but these walls look carved.'

'A passage way from back in the ye old days,' Sparky said, in a slightly mocking accent. Eyes were constantly glancing around, expecting bats at any moment.

'Wide enough to handle a wagon, could it be early explorers?'

'Most likely, but we're not here for archeology, are we?'

'Certainly not, let's keep moving.'

'I'll go first,' Sparky pushed ahead of Oracle. 'I have the light source, and I'm bigger.'

Oracle gave a little disgruntled snort, of course a grown up would think a filly to be a poor leader. Just let Sparky have her way, she thought, no point getting into an argument when she already looks like she would rather be at home.

Cookie Crumble, on the other hand, was a little less brave but soldiered on from the tail end, constantly watching his behind.

'Does it actually end?' Sparky asked, to herself mostly. She leaned back in her chair, letting the other two move ahead of her. The climb hadn’t done her front legs any favors. The passage had widened into a circular cavern, large stalagmites reached out from the ground nearly hugging the walls. Small drops of water fell from the roof, flowing down from mossy stalactite tips.

'We have to be close,' Oracle said with her ears picking up. 'I think I can hear the rain again, means we're close to an exit.'

Cookie's ears also shot up. 'Anyone else hear that?'

'Yes, it's rain... that's what I just said.'

He thought he could hear a thumping sound from the rear. It sounded a lot like a more frequent thunder. 'I hope it’s not thunder. I don't like thunder,' Cookie continued.

'Oh don't be such a baby,' Sparky said, waving a foreleg in good humor.

His eyes fell on Sparky, but quickly moved up to the growing shadow on the wall. 'Uh, guys?'

'It's down this way, I think,' Oracle said, tapping her chin. 'The exit.'

'That's all well and good,' Sparky began, 'but it's still raining, yes?'

'We can wait here for some time if that pleases you?'

'I'd rather be at home by my fire, but inside this cave is good enough.'

'Uh.... guys?' Cookie said with a stutter.

The other two turned to him with annoyance written all over their faces. 'What?'

That's about the time when all three of them sighted the giant gingerbread dragon towering over them with gleaming sugar teeth showing from an open mouth. The creature breathed deeply, watching them with biscuit eyes in return as they could only stare completely frozen in place.

'I think I found something,' Cookie said, a little too late.

Though it would have been better suited lying motionless upon the table of a local baking competition, before the three adventurous ponies stood a house sized monstrosity made entirely out of pastry... living and breathing before their very eyes as if it were the perfectly normal thing to do.

Oracle had taken the initiative and begun to back away, only to find herself grouped with the other two. She stared into what she thought to be the eyes of the dragon, and her mind began to sharpen. Any fear in her heart would have to wait for later, now was not the time to be afraid. Time to be smart.

'It can't see us,' she said from the side of her mouth to the others. 'The eyes are just biscuits, it must have been using sound to find us.'

'Great,' Sparky snapped, though quietly to suit the mood, 'so we just sit here like statues until it decides to eat us?'

'If we stay still, it can't find us. If we run, it'll know where we are.'

'Well thank goodness I don't do running,' Sparky replied, filled with that same bitter sarcasm that Oracle was beginning to love.

'Just back away, slowly. It's the best we can do.'

'Well, lucky I brought my stealth chair.'

'Way ahead of you,' Cookie said from behind the other two, having managed a fair bit of distance between him and prey. Several previous encounters with horrifically large monstrosities had built into him the ability to back away slowly with a grace you normally would find in an activity that was a little braver. However, with eyes staring directly at the creature, his rear end met with the cold stone of a wall, and he let out a cry like that of a suddenly frightened dog.

Sparky Scamper slapped her forehead with a hoof. So much for stealth.

As if it were given life anew, the dragon raised it's head and hissed. The smell of cinnamon filled the air with it's breath. It faced the brown pegasus, and jaws opened wide.

Cookie's ears flattened, and his eyes opened fully. 'Uh... oh,' he managed in a slightly higher pitched tone.

Like an arrow made of gingerbread, the dragon homed in on Cookie with a roar, claws tearing across the floor and kicking up dirt. The unfortunate target looked up, planning his escape, but saw the sharp spikes of the ceiling and knew it was too much of a risk.

A brilliant ball of green. The dragon seemed to angle sideways to Cookies left, stumbling into a wall and crashing with full force. Water began to spill from the ceiling, flowing through newly formed cracks.

Sparkys horn glowed green and steamed slightly, pointed at where the creature was once standing. 'That's my other trick, for dealing with big nuisances like you.' She turned to the others, her face becoming less serious. 'Right, let's get moving, before it-'

The delicious dragon reared its head, uncoiling from it's previous impact and seemingly with renewed vigor.

The grey unicorn sighed. 'Oh, come on.'

Knowing her usefulness in a confrontation like this was minimal, Oracle made for the exit. 'This way!' She cried, only to realize it had fallen on deaf ears. No pony was behind her, prompting her to groan. 'So much for teamwork.'

It didn't matter, for now she set her mind on ideas. Any idea would be great right about now, just had to have one pop into her head. From what she could see of the slowly growing light of an exterior, it seemed to her the way out would be too small for the dragon. She begun to form a plan, feeling not so useless after all.

Sparky brushed her front hooves together, and grinned. 'Alright, you wanna do this, dragon?'

The gingerbread dragon roared once more, a new target for its teeth and claws had made itself known with the sound of its voice.

'You really want to do this?'

With strength enough to shake the very foundations of the cave, the creature launched forward.

Forelegs shot out. 'Bring it on!'

As it charged towards her and gave a great leap into the air with front sugary claws reaching out, Sparky flashed white. Where she once sat, there was now nothing but thin air, and thus the massive baked monster ate dirt.

Its launch into the air had torn several stalactites off the roof, and sent them soaring in all directions. Cookie split his rear legs apart as one speared into the ground right in front of him, and then tumbled backwards when another landed the other way up where he had been just a second ago. With a moment to finally breathe, he let out a little whimper and very nearly fainted.

Sparky emerged from the shadows of the other side of the cavern, and laughed. 'You tangled with an angry unicorn. Not so bright, are we?'

Having picked itself up, the dragon wheeled around to face the unicorn once again.

'Want another try, sweetie? I can do this all day.' Truth be told she probably could only go a few more times, but it didn't really need to know that.

Ripping up part of the ground beneath it, the creature charged Sparky with vengeance in its mind, and just as before she disappeared with flash of white. A split second later, Sparky appeared behind the dragon.

This time, the creature stopped instead of meeting with an immovable object, and Sparkys eyes widened when its tail lashed out, straight for her.

'Smarty pants-' she managed just as she was struck with an uppercut from the very end of the tail. The force of the whip like blow was enough to send her soaring out of wheelchair and almost high enough to meet face to face with the pointy end of a stalactite.

She took a breath of relief, and then realized she was falling.

No, not again...

Sparky closed her eyes.

Feeling the embrace of hooves, she opened her eyes to see Cookie Crumble with front legs wrapped around her, and wings open wide.

'I got ya, Sparksie,' he shouted, just as they both crashed into the ground. Cookie took the full brunt of the impact, and groaned. 'No I don't.'

'That hurt a lot lot less than expected,' Sparky groaned, lying on the floor, staring at the roof.

Cookie opened his mouth to speak as he dusted himself off, but turned away to the right. 'Uh oh, here it comes again!'

'Hey you, big ugly thing,' came a shout from down the cavern. The dragons head shot sideways, baring down at the little filly that stood there. 'Yeah, I'm talking to you, ya big over sized piece of poorly prepared pastry!'

Said pastry snorted, and gave a roar in Oracles direction.

Oracle blew a raspberry at the creature, complete with unnecessary tongue poking out. This was seemingly enough to insult the dragon, or at least get it's attention. Oracle knew that as long as the other two kept quiet, it would stay on her.

With this in mind, she turned tail and fled, making as much noise as her hooves could on the way out. The filly need not turn her head, for she could hear the monster right on her rear, right up until its head met with the top of the cave exit.

The dragon lurched backwards, letting out a cry of agony as it tried to recover from the sudden blow. Pieces of gingerbread and icing fell to the ground, like the crust of a flaky pastry.

Standing outside in the drizzling rain, Oracle let out a hearty laugh. 'Ha! Didn't expect that, did you?'

What Oracle herself probably didn't expect was the part where the dragon then proceeded to try and tear through the cavern exit, sending stone flying outwards as it did.

'Oh, that's not fair,' Oracle said with ears flattening.

'You hear that?' Cookie asked, trotting over to Sparky. He was covered in dust, and feathers splayed out in all the wrong directions. It was almost as if he'd been tossed about in a cave.

'The sound of an angry dragon trying to get at the filly I'm supposed to be looking after? Yes, yes I do. Now help me back into my chair.'

Cookie tilted his head. 'Are you alright?'

'No, I can't feel feel my legs,' Sparky replied sarcastically.

'I'll take that as a yes,' the pegasus replied as he paired Sparky back with her wheelchair. It took some effort on the admittedly not quite strong Cookie, but hauling her on his back was enough to get the job done in record time. Well, record time considering it was the first time he had ever needed to do that.

'Thanks, I appreciate it,' Sparky replied, checking herself over. 'Go on ahead, get to Oracle.'

'On it,' Cookie said with a salute, and he shot off towards the exit. Sparky took in a deep breath of relief, and let her magic fade from her horn. The magic light dimmed until the room became close to dark, and she rubbed her forehead. 'Best day, ever.'

She joined Cookie Crumble at the light of the caverns end. 'I thought I told you to... oh.'

The exit looked as though a dragon had decided it needed to be larger, and had succeeded in doing so. All around her was broken flakes of gingerbread, and a trace of icing ran along the floor and also around the edges of the exit combined with slivers of freshly torn away stone. The trail led outside, slightly washed away with the dying rain where it continued out towards a small trail.

Sparkys hooves tightened against the armrests of her chair. 'It didn't...'

'I couldn't find her, Sparks. I'm sorry.'

The unicorn took another deep breath, any more and she might hyperventilate. 'Smart girl, but she got way in over her head.' She faced Cookie. 'You know the way, yes?'

Cookie nodded.

'Then go ahead of me. That monster more than likely belongs to Sunny, and if so Oracle’s going to be in trouble if we don't move quickly.'

'What... what about you?'

'It's Oracle who's in danger, not me. Go, now... I'll catch up.'

'But you don't know where to go, and-'

'Now, Cookie!'

Cookie took a step back, unnerved a little. 'I'll do my best.' With those words, he shot into the air, and started to fly away into the distance with only one short glance back at Sparky.

She sat there in the droplets of rain. Rocking back and forth in her chair, her ears picked up. A slight creaking sound, she concluded rather quickly that the wheelchair had taken the blow of the dragons tail for her, and had likely paid the price.

'Definitely my best day ever,' she said with a groan.

- - -

'What a pleasant surprise seeing you here,' Sunny Days said, just a little bitterly. 'Like some tea?'

Oracle glanced around the room, anywhere but directly at Sunny. The room she was in was not what she had expected for a shack out in the wilderness. The walls well decorated with paintings, most of which were typical landscapes one might find in market level art, though a few stood out with good detail and high quality frames.

There was a lot of the same building, painted in black and white. A two story rounded brick building that stood out amongst several others in a street. A street filled with carts pulled by colts, and bustling with well mustached individuals and dainty dressed mares.

They weren't paintings, Oracle realized, they were photos.

Sunny smiled, facing the wall. 'Do you like it? That was my great grandfathers bakehouse, located in Canterlot. It's a little funny how much that place has changed over the decades.' Sunny gave a sigh, and turned to Oracle. 'Now, about you.'

'What about me?' Oracle asked.

'Well, there's the fact you've been a nuisance, and not just the childish kind that goes around nosing around in business that doesn't concern her. No, you're a little beyond that.'

'It is my business, Sunny, if it threatens the safety of other ponies.'

'How charming. You still think you're a little detective, don't you?' Sunny, trotting up to Oracle, gave her a little pat on the head. 'You did pretty good, admittedly. Right up until you got caught by the dragon, that is.'

Said dragons gave a purr at the mention of its namesake.

'Yes, you're a very good dragon, dear. Well, except for all the damage you've done to yourself.' Sunny clicked her tongue. 'It’ll take hours for you to fix yourself up, could you maybe try and be a little more careful?'

Oracle could see the smile on her face, even if she wasn't even facing the young detective. Well, right up until she did, with said smile on her face.

'It's quite a creation, isn't it? But I suppose you know all about it, hm?'

'I read every last sentence of that book, so yes... yes I do.' Oracle grinned in return. 'I also know that the recipe is quite complicated. So many rare ingredients, and rituals, too.'

'Indeed, little filly, you are right. It's a shame that some pony broke into my house and took the one thing I needed to remember how to make these things. Did you know that breaking into other ponies houses is a naughty thing to do?'

'That didn't stop you, did it? Several times, I might add.'

'True, very true. So I guess I can say I deserved to have it done to me in return. Unfortunately there is just one little problem. Your friend is good, I'll give him that, but he's not too bright.'

'How so?'

'Well, considering how far I've come with my plan, you didn't think I would... oh... I don't know, keep a spare book handy?'

'Ah.'

'It was a two for one deal at the bookstore that week. Quite lucky, who would have thought such a small shop would have two copies of this incredibly hard to find book. I couldn't turn down such a great deal, and it certainly has paid itself off. Mind you, I had both locked away and sealed. I still have no idea how he did it.'

'Who did?'

Sunny moved face to face with Oracle. 'Don't bother trying to lie, you know just as well as I that it was that crazy brown pegasus that did it. The way he moves, I saw it with my own eyes. No pony should be able to do the things he does.'

'Like what? You need to be more specific.'

'The way he...' she paused, and chuckled to herself. 'So, I guess you don't know either?'

'If I did, would I be asking?'

'Funny, that you think you are in a position to be asking questions. All I know is that he is trouble, just like you are. And that's why I need to have him dealt with.'

Oracle raised a brow. 'Dealt with?'

'Oh, I forgot you were so young... but I didn't think you were so naive.' She leaned close to Oracles ear and whispered. 'I'm going to make your pegasus friend kick the bucket.’

Oracles blood ran cold. 'What? You would never even-'

‘No, no I wouldn’t,’ she replied, laughing, which didn’t make Oracle feel much better. ‘I have more important things to worry about, but I at least want him where I can see him.’ Sunny raised hoof, and turned to face her dragon. 'Dear, I have a task for you.'

The dragon responded with a growl.

'You need a rest, but fetch the others. They have a mission.'

Others. Oracle suspected there would be more than one. But why only send one in the first place then? Maybe she was being cautious, not trying to raise any alarms.

'How many are there?' Oracle asked.

'Only one dragon, the rest are merely smaller copies I quickly baked up. However, I am in the process of creating a second large dragon, and once that is done I think I'll be ready for the next phase. And no, before you even ask, I'm not going to tell you what I mean by “ready”... that would be spoiling the fun.'

‘Besides,’ she continued, ‘you are such a great detective, which means you should figure it out yourself. By the way, did you still want some tea?’

Author's Note:

Weeeeeeeeeee, dragons!

Comments

[Shadowshame]

Then the gingerbread dragon accidentally stumbled apon a real wild dragon and became dessert