Draconicus Incognito

by zztfox

~CHAPTER FIVE: Auctioning Off Your Troubles~

“Step right up! Get your OFFICIAL Princess Twilight Approved Books!”

The words were still ringing in Princess Discord's ears. Pinkie had made good on her promise that she was QUITE an auctioneer. Fortunately for him, she had become too obsessed with the role and all it took for him to slip away had been to put a cardboard cutout of Twilight beside her auctioneer stand. You know, the cheesy kind with the waving hoof and voice box that spouted hilarious one-liners. Of course, she was so absorbed in getting the best out of her trade that he could have put army of penguins break dancing behind her and she would have failed to notice (which he would HAVE to try sometime in the future)

One pony down, four to go. Princess Discord was making rather nice progress, if he had to say so himself. Which he did. And so did all the lamps at a stall he had just passed by as he trotted, confusing and startling the ponies at said stall. This was going to be a grand day indeed. Now onto Rarity and Applejack...

Rarity had split up with Applejack for the moment after the two had decided on a meeting point should one or the other have found something they wanted. Rarity had taken, of course, to the side of the Exchange that dealt in antique jewelry.

As she browsed stall after stall, she noticed it was getting close to the hour agreed upon to go check up on Princes Discord and Pinkie Pie. Having not found what she wanted and slightly disappointed by the fact, she was just turning away from the last stall when saw IT. The item in question being a jeweled amulet that looked just like the other five she had at home. For reasons she had trouble placing, this one just seemed to call out to her like it was something she desired, nay, REQUIRED. It was the perfect choice, even though she could not pinpoint why. She became so entranced by the amulet, she could think of nothing else. Yes, this would be HER trade. Oddly enough even the furniture around her seemed to agree, startling a couple of ponies in the process. That did not matter, however, as all she required was her own trade and that of Applejack's. She knew the farm pony would just have to agree with her once she had been shown this one of a kind amulet.

As Rarity darted off in the direction she intended to meet Applejack, a purple alicorn could be heard (not by Rarity, unfortunately) snickering off in the background...

Applejack had an experience that was quite the opposite. She had happened across what she was after almost as soon as she separated from Rarity. It was a rusty old pie pan most would have dismissed as just that, a rusty old pie pan. Applejack being the cook that she was knew better. As it turned out, this particular pie pan was made of a metal that made pie backing slightly faster than with any other metal. Quite useful indeed, and the stallion running the stall seemed quite oblivious to this fact. Maybe she would not need Rarity’s trading leverage after all...

“I’ll trade ya these for that rusty old pie pan ya got there” stated Applejack as she tossed a few items out of her pack onto the table for the owner to look at. He examined them for a moment before shrugging in agreement. Applejack was THIS close to closing the deal she could almost taste all the pies she could make. That was before another mare appeared as if inexplicably draw to the spot by a magnet and practically tossed twice what the farmer had at the stall owner, DEMANDING he give her the pie tin instead. Oh, it is ON, thought Applejack.

Applejack had countered with twice what the other mare had bid, and was again this close to winning her well earned reward. Then another pony seemingly appeared out of thin air, demanding the pie tin and out bidding poor Applejack by twofold. She was now out of the lead and had no way to out do this new offer, that would be unless...

“I've got TWICE what she just offered back at my booth, and I AIN'T AFRAID TO USE IT!' Shouted the orange farm pony. The stallion running the booth was beside himself with glee at his luck of having such a sought after item, and agreed to let her run back and gather the rest of her stuff to close the deal. As Applejack blazed off into the distance, all the other ponies that had almost magically appear with the sole purpose to out bid Applejack, disappeared in quite the same manner. The slightly startled owner of the booth soon shook it off, as the idea of such a trade in his favor soon took its hold back over him. Though he thought he heard the unmistakable sound of someone laughing at the expense of someone else off in the distance.

“Applejack, so glad to see you here!” Rarity said gleefully.

“Rarity, I just found the best thing!” Applejack skidded to a halt at the meeting place.

'So did I, dear Applejack!” Rarity met Applejack at about the same spot.

“And it is only going to cost us all of our stuff!”chimed both unicorn and earth pony in an ironic bit of unison.

“Uh-oh” spouted Applejack.

“I guess we should have seen this coming...” stated Rarity with more than a bit of chagrin in her voice.

“So NOW what?” Applejack questioned. She knew the answer. It had been setting at the front of her mind since the realization had happened. She was the better friend and thus, would give in to her friend and let her get what she wanted.

Unfortunately Rarity's own conscious had the same idea. “Really Applejack, you should just take our stuff and go get what you want.” Quite a coincidence indeed.

“NOPE, you go get what you were after.” Applejack was GOING to be the best friend, not Rarity.

“I INSIST you get what you want!” Rarity would not go quietly.

Soon the two friends were entangled in one of the worst cases of out doing each other Equestria would ever see. An argument that would last for AT LEAST the rest of the day. Long enough for a chaotic being disguised as a certain purple Alicorn to have his way without their interruption.

It was all Princess Discord could do to keep from bursting into laughter. So he let the flora and fauna (ponies included) around him laugh for him. Uncontrollably so.

Now all he had to do was find a suiting diversion for the final two ponies. Or rather the last two Pegasus.