Supremacy

by Doom Trot

Chapter 2: First Impressions

There's nothing quite like the pride of us unicorns. We hold high our noses while the earth ponies slowly cut back on their offerings and the pegasi create increasingly harsh storms to plague us. I can't be certain whether the problems our tribe suffers elude those who should be addressing them, or whether we are too proud to acknowledge them. It can only be said that the situation is bad, and is quickly becoming worse. The three tribes are slowly growing weaker, as they refuse to openly assist one another. The tense agreements that have held us in something resembling peace are beginning to fall apart. What our leaders can't recognize is that every rash decision they make to torment the other tribes into submission will affect them just the same. I've overheard the King's council discuss whether or not we should withhold the light of day from the land until the earth ponies and pegasi bow before us. Such tactics are a step away from outright warfare. If we created eternal night, we would have mass revolt on our hooves. Far be it for me to question the wisdom of a monarch, but how will underhoofed sabotage and blatant combat solve any of our problems? I fear that if we can't all swallow our pride and learn to work together, we'll all be frozen by the ice in our hearts.

Applejack unhitched her load and scanned the surrounding stands, noticing many a smile and friendly conversation. She began to arrange the stall, putting on display the various apple treats and apple sweets. "Seems e'erpony is just havin' a nice day today." She said, sliding a large basket of apples into view. "Here's hopin' that means they're in a buyin' mood." After speedily putting on display every last apple ware, Applejack moved to man the stand. Sure enough, many apple-loving patrons were soon browsing the stand, some offering ridiculous sums for the items, others starting idle chat with Applejack, and others standing in line, waiting for their apples. Ponies came and went at a remarkable pace, eager to stock up on apples simply because Applejack sought to sell as many as possible. In a short business hour, Applejack counted out a whopping 200 bits in profits, with crowds still pouring in. Seems it only requires a little brainwashing to get rich quick.

Above the happily busy village slept a rainbow-maned pegasus, who was content to remain in her slumber for the rest of the day. That is, until a low rumble sounded from the mare's stomach, causing her to stir and come to a groggy awakening. She stretched and yawned deeply, only to cease and listen to a second, more impressive grumble. Annoyed, Rainbow Dash glared at her stomach, saying, "I don't care how hungry you are. You don't need to wake up all of Equestria! Or, more importantly, me!" The mare's stomach growled lightly, almost apologetically in response. She rolled her eyes, pointing a hoof to her stomach and saying, "Quiet down, or no food at all!" For a long moment, she waited, finding the rumbling to have halted. Feeling a bit smug with her "triumph," Rainbow Dash stepped down from her bed, but paused as a tangle of mane fell to her face, obstructing her view. She pushed it back up with a hoof, only for the rainbow locks to fall into her eyes again. She scoffed at the stubborn mane, tossing her head to one side in an attempt to clear her face, but to no avail. The strands of mane blocked her view once more, drawing a frustrated snort from Rainbow Dash. "Okay. I'll deal with you first, then get something to eat." She glanced to her window, squinting to see past the stubborn tangle of mane, then positioned herself to dash at the window. She outstretched her wings, flexing them, then folded them, exhaling slowly. In a burst of speed that few pegasi could ever hope to achieve at takeoff, Rainbow Dash shot forward, leaping through the narrow window and spreading her wings, taking flight. Rainbow Dash dove slightly to build speed, then pointed upward, wings propelling her into the sky. She gained monumental altitude, then tucked her wings and stretched her front hooves to her sides, forming a T as she plummeted downward. The air resistance pushed against her face, her teeth bared and eyes pressed open wide. Her mane was flattened against her neck as she dropped, accelerating to the grassy fields below. Just one more second. She thought, vision blurred as the resistance was now stinging her eyes. Just one more second.....Now! Rainbow Dash suddenly spread her wings once more, catching her at the last moment and allowing her to turn upward a mere ten feet from a rather painful crash. She whooped with glee as she banked at high speeds, then looped backward as she went in for a landing. She planted her hooves on the ground with a satisfied sigh, flashing her wings proudly as she began a casual trot back to Ponyville. "Nothing like a bit of free falling to get the blood pumping!" She mused, not admitting that catching herself from such a fall was actually rather strenuous. She glanced up to her mane, which was now shaped in Rainbow's signature style. "Ha! And I even fixed my mane, to boot!"

She walked along without a care, until a rather familiar voice in the distance shouted, "Rainbow Dash! Hey! Rainbow Dash!"

Rainbow Dash turned to where the voice had come from, finding Scootaloo barreling down the meadow on her scooter. She rolled her eyes, mumbling to herself, "Great. It's my number one fan." She began to trot toward Scootaloo with as much cool as possible, but Rainbow Dash was surprised to see the young filly visibly weaken, then veer off course and fall into the grass. "Scootaloo!" Rainbow exclaimed, running to the filly, not thinking to use her wings. When she arrived to the fallen Scootaloo, she shook the filly, asking in a worried tone, "You alright, kid?"

She was only able to weakly respond with, "Head.....hurts...."

Rainbow Dash glanced about, seeing if anypony else was nearby to help, but found that she and Scootaloo were alone. A bit panicked, Rainbow Dash lowered her wing and crouched slightly, then picked up Scootaloo in something of a shoveling motion, lifting her wing and sliding the filly onto her back. "Don't worry kid! I'm gonna...I'm gonna get somepony to help you out!" She took off running, not bothering to explain that her wings were just sore enough that she didn't care to carry anypony while airborne.

Rarity exited the salon first, her mane ravishing and her features flashy. Fluttershy stepped beside her, not quite so bedazzling as her friend, but still quite beautiful.

"Why, look at this." Rarity said, scanning the energetic crowds that traversed the streets. "Ponyville is just teeming with friendly faces today!"

Fluttershy nodded, inching a bit closer to Rarity as she chuckled nervously. "Yeah...lot's of ponies are gathered around here..."

Rarity looked to Fluttershy, smiling gently. "Dear, you have nothing to be worried over. I know you don't like large crowds, but today isn't a day to shy away. Today is a day to show the world what you're made of!" She extended a hoof to the skies, shouting, "For today is no ordinary day! Today is," She took a deep breath.

"Please. No." Fluttershy muttered, putting a hoof on Rarity's shoulder. "No singing, i-if that's okay..."

Rarity, mouth still open, hoof still pointed skyward, glanced to Fluttershy with a puzzled expression, then dropped her hoof, looking slightly embarrassed as she pursed her lips and cleared her throat. "Fine. No singing."

Fluttershy gave a petite smile of gratitude. "Thank you."

Rarity began to trot off, Fluttershy keeping close to her side as the two moved into the cheery traffic. "Nonetheless, you really should try to be a bit more outgoing today. Everypony is just so radiant and friendly!"

Fluttershy nodded, but remained huddled against Rarity as she walked. "Yes...they are. B-but, I'm just not the most outgoing pony...oh, why do I have to be so timid?"

Rarity sighed, glancing to Fluttershy with a curt smile. "Fluttershy, you don't have to change who you are. Your shy nature is actually a good thing."

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow, confused. "It is?"

Rarity nodded, turning her focus forward again. "Certainly. It's something that proves, no matter how frightened you are by new faces, that you can still be courageous. Despite being so timid, you still have many friends to call your own."

Fluttershy watched her hooves as she trotted, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I....I guess I do. But, so many of my friends are just....the animals that I take care of. That means I'm still a fraidey-cat...."

Rarity shook her head, responding, "You're no cat, darling. You're more akin to a panther. Yes, a panther! A majestic, elusive beast of the jungle. You prowl about, silent and mysterious, ever vigilant, ever careful!"

Fluttershy looked back up at Rarity, baring a skeptical look. "Actually, I don't think I'm like that.....I'm just Fluttershy."

Rarity spun to face the yellow pegasus, startling her, then (very melodramatically) shouted, "Dear, you are no more just Fluttershy than I am just a tailor!" She raised her hoof skyward, drawing a few eyes, much to Fluttershy's apparent dismay. "For I am not just a tailor! I am an artiste! A creator of splendor!" Her horn now glowed as she shouted to the sky. "I am a fashionista!" She pointed her skyward hoof at Fluttershy, whose face was now almost as pink as her mane. "With that said, I can assure you. You are not just Fluttershy! You are the Fluttershy! Now, proclaim it to these ponies! Neigh, proclaim it to the world! You. Are! Fluttershy!"

Fluttershy didn't immediately respond. By now, her face resembled a cherry and the pressure of the large crowd, which had stopped to be enriched by Rarity's "inspiring" speech, was now causing her to tremble. She ultimately turned her gaze to the ground, then whispered in a voice that not even she could hear, "I'm Fluttershy....."

Rarity, her passionate expression now one of confusion, dropped her pointing hoof and allowed her horn's energy to dissipate. "Fluttershy, was that....was that a bit much for you?"

She nodded, weakly answering, "Uh-huh." This drew a synchronized "Awww...." from the crowd of surrounding ponies.

Rarity stepped a bit closer to her friend, whispering, "Sorry about that."

Fluttershy quelled her trembling for a moment, then sniffled, saying, "It's okay...." The crowd began applauding, causing Rarity to cast them a scornful look.

"Alright, show's over! Return to your lollygagging!" She shouted, stepping defensively in front of the quietly weeping Fluttershy. "Go on! Get out of here!"

The crowd began to disperse, many of the spectators quickly starting up chats, others laughing at Rarity's attempt at crowd control. The flow of traffic picked up again, and Rarity had quickly ushered her friend out of the bustle. Fluttershy still sniffled meekly, her head hanging.

"Deary, I am so sorry about that!" Rarity said, turning to face her friend once more. "I didn't think we would attract so much attention to ourselves! How can I ever make it up to you?"

Fluttershy responded in a hushed, almost whispering voice, "There is one thing..."

Rarity stepped closer, a pleading look in her eyes. "Oh, anything! Anything to earn your forgiveness!"

Fluttershy looked up at her, a smug smile on her face, and giggled, saying, "Try to make a few more dramatic speeches in the future, okay?"

Rarity's expression turned from concern to bewilderment. "Whaaa?"

Fluttershy shook her head, saying, "I may not be the most hooves-on pony, but that doesn't mean I can't be outgoing. In my own way, that is."

Rarity sputtered a minute before asking, "Y-you were just acting? The whole time?"

Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin, considering what to say, then answered, "Not completely. It's always scary when there are lots of eyes on you. I know that from experience." She giggled, the memories of her days with Photo Finish still fresh in her mind. "But me acting so shut off and helpless was just an act. And you certainly know how to put on a good show, Rarity."

Rarity shook her head, then sternly eyed Fluttershy. She bore her gaze into the yellow pegasus for long enough to make Fluttershy glance away uncomfortably. Suddenly, however, Rarity burst into hysterical laughter, placing a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder. After a moment, Fluttershy laughed along with her. The two laughed and laughed for a good while, earning them confused glances by many a passerby. After a minute, Rarity quelled her laughter, then panted lightly. Between breathes, she said, "Fluttershy.....you amaze me, darling....you...really do." She wiped a tear from her eye with a hoof, then smiled at the yellow pegasus, who returned the acute grin with a bright beam. "Truly, you are just filled with surprises."

Fluttershy sighed, brushing aside her mane, nuzzling Rarity. "Thanks, Rarity. I think today really is a special day." She turned, beginning to trot off, then paused, saying to Rarity, "I'll...uh...see you later, Rarity."

The white unicorn nodded, saying, "Fare thee well, Fluttershy." She brought a quick hoof to her face, correcting herself with, "I mean...see you around."

Fluttershy giggled, galloping off and taking flight toward her cottage. Rarity chuckled lightly, then turned toward the Carousel Boutique, happily trotting back to her home.

"Pound Cake!" Shouted the frantic Mr. Cake as he ran about the twins' bedroom. "Pound Cake, where'd you go?" He tore apart the small room, checking every container, nook, cranny, and what have you. To his dismay, he found that only Pumpkin Cake, who lay napping in her crib, still remained in the room. "Oh no. This is not good. Not good!" He shouted, quickly putting a hoof to his mouth as he glanced to Pumpkin Cake, who only yawned and stirred lightly in response. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief, then quietly exited the room, shutting the door ever so slightly. With a quiet click of the knob, he turned, finding Pinkie Pie to have been standing there the whole time.

"Hey, whatcha doin'?" She asked, giving him a start as he suddenly realized she was there.

He shook his head, then whispered, "It's Pound Cake! He's gone missing!"

Pinkie gasped, whispering back, "Oh no! That's not good! Not good at all!"

He nodded, motioning for Pinkie to follow as he walked away from the twins' bedroom and the sleeping Pumpkin Cake. "The worst part is that Mrs. Cake knows nothing about this! I can't tell her, or go looking for him myself! She's already so stressed, running the shop, I didn't want to worry her with this." He sighed, putting a hoof to his forehead. "I feel like such a bad parent for letting him sneak away like this! A bad parent, and an idiot!" He emphasized his latter statement with a stomp.

Pinkie patted his shoulder with a hoof, reassuring him with, "Don't sweat it, Mr. Cake. Just because something bad happens doesn't mean you're a bad parent! And I know for sure that you are not an idiot." She concluded with a quick nod.

Mr. Cake smiled at her reassurance, saying, "Thanks Pinkie. But right now, it doesn't matter what I am! All that matters is that Pound Cake gets returned here safe and sound! So, Pinkie, I have an important mission for you. I-"

She interrupted him with, "One step ahead of you, Mr. Cake." With a flick of her hoof, she held up a minuscule beige feather. "We have clue number one! One of Pound Cake's little feathers!" With a reverse of the previous motion, she made the feather disappear once more, then saluted Mr. Cake. "Never fear! For Pinkie Pie is here! And she's here to find that rambunctious run-off of your's!"

Mr. Cake brightened up at Pinkie's acceptance of the task at hoof, and opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off once more by a bellowing voice coming from the sweet shop. "Oh sweetieee! I need your help down here!"

Mr. Cake nodded to Pinkie as he rushed by her, departing with, "Duty calls! Good luck!"

She waved as he left, shouting, "I won't let you down, Mr. Cake!" She made her way back to the twins' bedroom, then gingerly stepped inside, donning her detective's cap and placing a bubble-emitting pipe in her lips. "Now, where to begin?" She took out and examined her first clue, the beige feather Pound Cake had discarded. "Okay....with this, I can determine....he's molting? Which means....he's growing up....oh! His birthday's right around the corner!" She hurried over to the twins' crib, dropping the feather. She leaned over the rails as if to speak with Pumpkin Cake, saying, "Which means your birthday is right around the corner! What kind of present should I get you two?"

Pinkie was answered by a quiet snore, and nothing more.

"....right." She withdrew from the rails, promptly clonking herself in the head with her hoof as she retrieved the feather, more closely examining it. "Okay, focus Pinkie....you were on the right track. You just need to think on this...." She stared more intently at the feather, as if doing so would make it present the answer. "Hmm.....think....think.....think....." She puffed a single bubble from her pipe, then growled at her clue. "I need an expert here! Somepony who does a lot of thinking! Wait....Twilight Sparkle does a lot of thinking.....and a lot of reading.....and a lot of magic!" She stopped herself, sending another smack to the side of her head. "Focus, Pinkie! Now, what would Twilight say?" She puffed at the pipe for a moment, sending upward a cascade of bubbles. She glanced about, then picked up a nearby rattle. She then proceeded to stuff the bulbous end containing the beads into her fluffy pink mane, the handle awkwardly extending to very loosely resemble a unicorn horn. She began to explain the dilemma to herself in a poor impression of Twilight Sparkle, saying, "Well Pinkie, if Pound Cake is in fact molting, then we can conclude that he will continue to discard feathers. If we search for these scattered beige feathers, they should form a trail. This trail, if I'm correct, should lead us right to the missing Pound Cake." She breathed an exhausted sigh, then tossed her head, the rattling flying loose and colliding with the wall. "I even bored myself with that....but, you're right, Twilight Pie!" She said, pointing upward to add emphasis, but her expression quickly became one of confusion. "Wait...would it be Twilight Pie?" She put her pointed hoof to her chin. "Or Pinkie Sparkle? I think Pinkie Sparkle sounds so much better...." She returned the hoof to its pointing position, continuing, "But you're right, Pinkie Sparkle! Our clue has put us on a trail! A trail that should lead us right to Pound Cake! So, the search is on!" She exploded from the room, causing Pumpkin Cake to blink awake, then, after a quiet whimper, she proceeded to burst into tears. That is, she would have, if not for Pinkie returning at the last second and rattling the rattle in front of her face. She brightened at the toy, telepathically yanking it away and fitting her mouth around the bulb. She chewed at it energetically, but was quickly tired out by it, and soon enough, her head plopped to one side of the tiny pillow, her quiet snoring resuming. Pinkie gingerly removed the rattle from the crib then tip-hooved to the door, shutting it quietly behind her. "Okay." She whispered to herself. "Now the search is on!" She turned down the hall, eyes on the lookout for the tiny beige feathers of a runaway Pound Cake.

Scootaloo sped away from Sweet Apple Acres, anxious to get away from others for a while. She felt especially bad for behaving like she did toward Applebloom and Sweetie Bell, not only because Applebloom had hosted the sleepover, but because it always pained her to snap at her friends. But, her guilt would have to remain in her mind for now. At the moment, her only concern was finding a quiet, peaceful place to sit down and think. More or less, she sought to forget her entire nightmare. That would require a great deal of mental processing, and for Scootaloo, that required being completely undisturbed. She arrived at a riverbank just outside of town, then removed her helmet with a frustrated sigh. She plopped down at the river's edge, watching the flowing water, then commenced purging her brain of dark thoughts....well, she tried to. In truth, Scootaloo knew not the slightest thing about cleansing the mind through meditative techniques. She pouted, realizing that this had been a waste of time, then glared angrily at the river. Even if it didn't accomplish anything, Scootaloo, by nature, focused anger on anything and everything. Whether it was picking fights, lashing out with insults, or just sitting and glaring with rage at something, Scootaloo was good at being angry, and expressing her anger. However, when she was secluded, and her surroundings were nothing but serene, she tired out rather quickly. She softened her glare, yawning, then became bored, looking to the skies. However, she quickly perked up when she found her idol, the dare devil Rainbow Dash, climbing to unbelievable heights, then dropping like a rock. Scootaloo watched in awe as her hero fell, fell, and halted her descent at the last moment, catching herself and flying about for a bit before landing not too far from where Scootaloo was now. She ran back to her scooter and helmet, quickly geared herself up, then took off at full speed. The river that separated the two of them was no obstacle to the determined young filly as she bumped and skidded off of the stones beneath the currents, water flying every which way as the scooter sliced through the drink. Now onto the opposite bank, Scootaloo took a quick breath before shooting off once more. Nearing the casually trotting rainbow mare, Scootaloo shouted, "Rainbow Dash! Hey! Rainbow Dash!" Rainbow Dash turned at the sound of her name, much to Scootaloo's joy. She was about to shout something else, but was interrupted by a curious tint of purple to her vision and a quick pulse of pain in her head. She blinked, thinking, That was weird. Felt like a head rush, or- Suddenly, her vision was overpowered by a wall of opaque violet and her head seared with pain, causing her to swerve off course and fall from her scooter. The pain of impact went unnoticed, however, as the flare of agony in the poor filly's mind overpowered any other sense. The wall of violet seemed to linger for a moment, before it slightly disappeared, allowing her to see through a wall of transparent purple. Even if the intense flame within her skull made focusing difficult, she could see Rainbow Dash running toward her. She couldn't move, or try to shout something to her, but she could think. Why is she running? She should be flying.... The wall of violet suddenly thickened once more, the pain burning in her mind clotting out all other thoughts and feelings. She would have cried, honestly, if she could remember what tears were. What eyes were. What anything besides pain was. Her sufferous state was shaken away, however, as the wall thinned and the pain briefly alleviated. The voice that questioned her sounded as if it came from a distance when it asked, "You alright, kid?"

Scootaloo was barely able to stammer the answer, "Head.....hurts...." She could feel herself being lifted, then another black-out, or violet-out (if you will), set in. She could barely organize her muddled thoughts with the crippling pain that perforated her mind, but she was able to piece together, Something is very wrong....but Rainbow Dash is helping me....I'm going to be just fine.... She would have smiled. If she could remember what smiling was.

"And here we are," Mrs. Cake chimed, pushing a large blue box toward Twilight Sparkle over the counter. "Two dozen pink-frosted cupcakes. That'll be 40 bits, dear."

Twilight nodded, magically opening her saddlebag and removing a cluster of coins. She dropped them next to the box, then glanced back to her bag. She rearranged its contents, then levitated the box of cupcakes, gently placing it inside.

"Thank you, dear!" Mrs. Cake said, scooping up the coins. "See you later!" Twilight closed the saddlebag and gave another quick nod to Mrs. Cake, then exited the shop, the massive line behind her continuing forward.

Spike, who was now only barely awake, yawned lightly, asking Twilight, "Any reason we bought two dozen pink-frosted cupcakes?"

Twilight paused, considering an answer, then shrugged, saying, "We didn't have any, so we got some. I can't really place why."

Spike readjusted himself, glancing to the saddlebag the cupcakes had been placed in. "I'm not complaining. Just curious, is all."

Twilight nodded, continuing her trot to the fruit stands. "Right. By the way, you didn't happen to spot Pinkie Pie while we were in there, did you?"

Spike put a claw to his chin, thinking, then shook his head. "Nope. Didn't see her anywhere in there. Why?"

Twilight giggled, turning her gaze to the traffic of ponies to her left, answering, "On a day filled with this strange excitement and energy, I'm just curious as to what Pinkie will be up to."

Spike chuckled, nodding slowly. "Yeah. I'm sure she's planning some big bash to celebrate just being alive. Probably keeping it real secret, too."

Twilight smiled, always amused by Pinkie's shenanigans. Today, a party sounded absolutely wonderful, especially if she could count on so many smiling faces. She halted her trot, however, when something in the skies caught her eye. She squinted to see what is was, and smirked when she saw Rainbow Dash, climbing to the high heavens on her powerful wings. "Well, looks like Rainbow Dash finally decided to wake up. And look," Twilight pointed to the rainbow pegasus, "she's already doing something unnecessarily dangerous."

Spike glanced up at Rainbow Dash as she plummeted, then added, "That's Rainbow Dash, alright."

Twilight watched her friend drop, then chuckled when she caught herself at the last moment, landing outside of town. She continued her trot, saying, "You can say that again." After a minute, however, she halted suddenly, her smile fading. Spike waved a claw in front her face, attempting to catch her attention.

"Twilight? Twilight, what's up?" He asked, sounding confused and a bit scared.

Twilight answered with her horn, which suddenly flared with magical energy. "Something is wrong. Terribly wrong." Her tone was dire as she dashed off in the direction that Rainbow Dash had landed, nearly throwing off the startled Spike.

"Twilight!" Spike shouted, holding on for dear life. "What's wrong? Where are we going?"

She shook her head, answering with, "I don't know. I only know that I have to help."

Spike raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her answer, but said nothing else as the lavender unicorn rushed onward.

Just outside of town, Twilight was now converging on Rainbow Dash, who was galloping toward Ponyville with a filly on her back. The young pegasus tossed about as if asleep, but her eyes were clearly opened. Despite this, the pegasus didn't seem to look at anything. In fact, they didn't even appear to acknowledge that she was in motion. They seemed lifeless....Twilight, fearing the worst, flared her magic for a moment, closing the gap between her and Rainbow Dash with teleportation. The cyan pegasus halted suddenly, her expression as fearful as Twilight's.

"Twilight! We have to help Scootaloo!" She turned, giving Twilight full view of the limp pegasus as she glanced back at her. Twilight's horn seemed to brighten, the violet aura now blazing around it. She glanced to Rainbow Dash's worried face, then to the lifeless pegasus, saying, "I don't know what this will do, but I'm going to try something..." She leaned in close, a bit disturbed by how dead-faced the young pegasus looked, then gently tapped the tip of her horn to Scootaloo's forehead.

Scootaloo's revival was signaled by a blindingly brilliant light. In surprise, she flailed about, sending her off the flank of one equally startled cyan pegasus. Hitting the ground, and finding that her searing pain had been suddenly washed away, she allowed herself an annoyed groan as she lay there. After a moment, she jumped to her hooves, glancing between a beaming Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash, who wore a relieved smile.

Scootaloo put a hoof to her head, more from confusion than from pain. "What happened? Last thing I remember, I was speeding away from the river, trying to get to Rainbow Dash..."

Rainbow Dash ruffled the filly's mane, saying, "You just blacked-out for a bit, kid. Twilight here brought you back." She gestured to Twilight, who was now eyeing Scootaloo with a curious look.

"Have you, by chance, been exposed to high levels of PK energy in the past month?" She asked, her scrutinizing eye causing the young pegasus to become a bit discomforted.

"No. Not that I know of." Scootaloo answered, not sure what PK meant.

Twilight's eyes narrowed, her face moving closer to Scootaloo's, which drew a slight scowl from the filly. "Interesting. It's rare to ever experience Magic Flashes in the first place, but to suffer from them without any magical exposure is unheard of."

Scootaloo's scowl softened as she gained an expression of curiosity. "Magic Flashes? Is that what was wrong with me?"

Twilight nodded, clearing her throat before beginning with, "Magic Flashes are a symptom of Magic Poisoning, a condition that affects earth ponies and pegasi. It's only ever caused by direct exposure to massive amounts of unrestrained PKE, with no other recorded origin."

Scootaloo paled slightly, asking, "Magic Poisoning? What....what does that do? What else is gonna happen to me?"

Twilight smiled at the young pegasus, then answered, "No need to worry! Magic Poisoning's more benign side effects are typically the only things you'll suffer from, with Magic Flashes being the worst."

Scootaloo hopped slightly, shouting, "Typically?! What else could happen?!"

Twilight frowned, her intention not to have worried the already frightened filly. "Well...aside from a few flares of Magic Flash, the occasional nightmare, and short term memory loss, there is-"

"Short term memory loss?!" Scootaloo shrieked, seizing Twilight's shoulders. "I can't live with memory loss!"

Twilight patted the frantic filly's mane, saying, "It's going to be okay, Scootaloo. Magic Poisoning doesn't last that long. Don't expect to have it for more than a week. I'm sure nothing that requires you to be at your hundred percent will come up within one week."

Scootaloo dropped her hooves, still looking worried. "Okay....what was that last thing you were going to say?"

Twilight's expression darkened a bit as she answered, saying, "Well....aside from Magic Poisoning's typical signs, it does have one extremely rare side effect...."

Scootaloo fearfully asked, "What extremely rare side effect might that be?"

Twilight shook her head, saying, "It's probably best you don't know. You'd worry yourself silly over it."

Scootaloo narrowed her eyes, her tone hushed as she said, "Tell me...I can take it."

Twilight exhaled nervously, then mumbled, "Well....it sometimes causes an absolute bodily shut down. It spurs the individual into a fit of violent convulsions, rupturing blood vessels, self-destructive brains, and..." She trailed off, pitying the now horrified Scootaloo.

"Wh-wh-what? What can it do to me?" She asked disbelievingly.

"Scootaloo, the only cases that have ever become that severe are when the individual came within proximity of the unicorn that caused the Poisoning. Even then, the chances are slim." Twilight frowned as the orange pegasus began to shake with fear, her eyes glistening. Twilight put a comforting hoof to the filly's cheek, whispering, "Don't worry about it, Scootaloo. Just get home, rest until you're healed up, and have your parents take you to visit Doctor Twilight if you have any more Magic Flashes." She patted Scootaloo's shoulder, then turned and began trotting back into town. Scootaloo, now sick with worry (as well as sick with Magic Poisoning), glanced to Rainbow Dash, who had been quiet for their entire discussion. She looked half asleep, standing there. Scootaloo prodded her leg, causing her to jolt back to full consciousness.

"Who? What?" The cyan pegasus stammered, looking to Scootaloo.

Scootaloo kept herself from scowling at Rainbow Dash as she asked, "Would you mind....if I, sorta, hung out with you?"

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, returning the question with one of her own. "Aside from the obvious reasons, why would you want to hang out with me?"

Scootaloo pawed at the ground, staring at her hooves. "Um....Twilight said to have my parents bring me to her if I had another one of those 'Magic Flashes,' but I kinda doubt.....I-I kinda doubt they would do that for me."

Rainbow's expression was still of puzzlement, but she frowned sympathetically as she asked, "Why wouldn't they? They are your parents, after all."

Scootaloo's tone was that of a whimper as she responded, "Well, technically, they aren't....they're foster parents....and not very good ones, at that." She wiped at her eyes with a hoof as tears threatened to form. "They're neglectful and abusive. If I dropped to the floor while they were looking after me, they'd probably ship me off to the morgue and be glad that I was out of their manes..."

Rainbow Dash's expression softened, and she smiled as she put a hoof to Scootaloo's shoulder. "Sure, kid. You can hang out with me for the day."

Scootaloo looked up, a grateful smile on her face. "Thanks, Dash."

Rainbow Dash ruffled the young pegasus's mane once more, then turned to the town and began trotting. "C'mon! Let's go get something to eat!" The two happily began toward Ponyville, Scootaloo's worries melting away.

Arriving at the plethora of fruit and vegetable stands, Twilight glanced to Spike, who gazed into the distance without any acknowledgement of the energetic crowds that surrounded them.

"Spike?" Twilight asked the mesmerized dragon. "Spike, you haven't said a word since I helped out Scootaloo. You okay?"

He blinked, not deviating from his focus. "Yep. Just....listening."

Twilight raised an eyebrow, perking up an ear to listen past the buzz of the crowds. "To what, exactly?"

He blinked again, slowly shaking his head. "I can't place what it is....but it keeps grabbing my attention."

Twilight faced the direction that Spike's iron gaze had been fixed on, asking, "If this demands your attention, why not go check it out? I may not be able to hear whatever it is that you are, but it's probably important if it's got you hooked."

He nodded, about to say something when he was interrupted by a familiar, "Howdy, Twilight!" In unison, Spike and Twilight turned to face Applejack, who was waving them over to a barren, apple-less stand. Twilight, perplexed, trotted over to the stand, eyeing the empty containers with suspicion.

"Twilight, ya notice anything out of th' ordinary with this here cart?" Applejack asked, a smug smile on her face.

Twilight glanced about the stand for a moment longer, then answered, "Well, it would appear to be completely empty. Not a single apple at this apple cart."

Applejack nodded, knocking on the wooden counter with a hoof. "Ah sold e'ery last apple and apple treat this here cart had stocked."

Twilight blinked, her expression that of amazement. "Wow....really?"

Applejack tapped the same hoof against a bucket overflowing with golden bits, chuckling. "Reckon ah made one, maybe two thousand bits in just a short three hours! Ah've never seen more eager buyers in a workin' day than ah have today!"

Twilight smiled, admiring the bucketful of coins. "That's great, Applejack!"

Applejack trotted from around the stand, saying, "Well, ah 'spose ah can turn in early t'day. Nothin' left to sell."

Twilight nodded, beginning to turn away from the stand. "I'll see you later, then, because Spike and I have-" She halted, however, when she spotted a grandiose white carriage now rolling into town. She was enticed to move to meet it as it entered Ponyville, along with Applejack and a large portion of the ponies who crowded the streets.

Patsy Craft shifted uncomfortably in her seat, the sense of somepony's misery gnawing at the back of her mind. Opulent Majesty gave her a perplexed look, then continued looking at his window. He despised the scenery, however, and was more intently focused on the glass itself than the view on the other side. The mare who sat to his right, however, was soaking up everything. The road, the trees, the rivers, and just about anything else that caught her pink rose-colored eyes. She smiled brightly at everything, was excited by everything, and she simply loved everything. I loathe her... Thought Opulent Majesty. She doesn't speak a word, yet everypony loves her! I hate it! He proceeded to express his boundless inner rage with a slight cough. He adjusted his monocle, saying to the cerulean pony, "Aqua Grace! Are we close?"

Aqua Grace ducked inside briefly, nodding a quick yes, then stood outside once again. She behaves like a foal... Thought Opulent Majesty, who glanced back to Patsy Craft. Patsy had resumed her enigmatic expression, staring out the window with unreadable eyes. I hate her too. Not nearly as much as Grace, but I still hate her....can't quite remember why.... He cleared his throat, asking, "Something the matter, Patsy?"

Patsy seemed to awake from a trance, answering with a slow shake of the head, "Oh, nothing. Nothing's wrong."

Opulent meant to say something else, but was interrupted by Silver, who turned to Patsy with a concerned expression. "Are you sure, Patsy Craft? You seem awfully distraught."

Patsy giggled, tilting her head to one side. "Well, now that you mention it....I did get a bit of a shiver."

Silver raised an eyebrow, saying, "Oh? I didn't think it was especially cold today." He looked to the ceiling, saying, "Nonetheless, I insist that you bundle up." His horn glowed with a pure white aura, one that stung to look at directly. From outside the open window floated in a scarf, retrieved from the baggage atop the carriage. It moved to Patsy's neck and gently wrapped itself around, the white aura manipulating it disappearing once the article had been wrapped tightly around the mare's neck.

"There we are!" Silver chimed, satisfied.

Patsy brushed the scarf with a hoof, saying, "Oh, how thoughtful of you."

Opulent Majesty's eye twitched. Now I remember. It's not just Patsy, it's Silver and Patsy! 'Ooh, Silver and I did this! Oh, Silver and I did that! Dearest me, I think I'm in love with Silver Gleam!' Yes. That's it. I've now decided that I hate her a substantially greater amount more than Aqua Grace....but I still don't like Grace! He scornfully eyed Patsy's scarf, or rather Silver's scarf, then looked to his own window. With a quick magical motion, he opened it and peered outside. "Ah. We'll be arriving shortly. Game faces, team. This will be one of our most difficult missions to date." Silver and Patsy nodded, but Aqua Grace ignored his words, her expression only brightening when she saw how near they were to their destination. Opulent glanced to her once more, thinking, Oh, but of course. The mute requires no preparation. Everypony just smothers the poor thing with their pity. As of now, Patsy and Grace are tied on my list of disdain! The carriage continued along, now entering the happily bustling Ponyville.

The carriage came to a halt, its exit now surrounded by a vast crowd of curious onlookers. Despite many inquisitive individuals pestering the two earth ponies that hauled the vehicle, the pair stood solemnly, not saying a word. Twilight Sparkle and Applejack both struggled to gain a clear view of the door, their attempts to move closer often vain.

"Can you see what's going on?" Twilight asked, stretching her neck and shuffling from side to side as she tried to gain a better view.

"Nope." Applejack answered, hopping up and down in an attempt to see the carriage. "Can't see nothin' with this many ponies gathered 'round!" The first passenger to greet the curious crowd was Aqua Grace, who exploded through the carriage door, drawing a gasp from the crowds. She glanced about with an open-mouthed beam, her rosy eyes glittering with excitement. Her horn glowed pink as she leapt at the crowd, and was suddenly trotting in midair, sounds of awe escaping the spectators as she climbed an invisible set of stairs. Twilight and Applejack's jaws seemed to drop in unison at the sight, but Spike only gave a skeptical frown.

"Twilight, doesn't this seem a bit familiar?" Spike reasoned as Aqua reached the top of her invisible stairs, then turned to trot down a nonexistent walkway, moving toward the carriage. "A newcomer unicorn arrives in town, gathers a huge audience, then shows off her talent with spells. Doesn't that ring a bell?"

Twilight's awe faded as she frowned, nodding. "Good point. But, this unicorn has yet to exclaim the words 'great' or 'powerful' to her audience. That already makes her a bit less boastful than Trixie."

The cerulean unicorn stopped above the carriage, turning to the now excited crowd with a nervous smile, then made a slow sweeping motion with her horn, then slashed upward with it, causing the air around her to glow with a rose-pink liquid and burst, the glowing substance now falling to the ground as droplets of water. This trick earned her a round of applause as she bowed and hopped from her non-existent pedestal, landing atop the carriage roof.

Twilight squinted to look at the mare's cutie mark, which she found to be a simple teardrop of water. So, she uses water-based spells. She thought. But, how is she able to use that to walk on thin air like she just did? I'll have to hit her up on that question.

Seeming to have materialized from nothing, like the spray of water that Aqua Grace had summoned, Rarity stepped to Twilight's side as she asked, "Have I gone mad, or did that unicorn just walk on nothing?"

Twilight started at Rarity's sudden appearance, but quickly calmed herself, saying, "It's quite the trick. I already have some theories worked out as to how-"

Rarity placed a hoof on her friend's shoulder, cutting her off with, "Dear, I only asked if I'd gone mad. I didn't ask for your magical analysis."

Twilight pouted at Rarity's interruption, but said nothing else. Sometimes, it was lonely being talented in the academic side of magic.

As Aqua bowed to the crowds once more, her three companions stepped from out of the carriage as well.

Opulent Majesty rolled his neck, muttering, "Great. She's already warmed up the audience for me."

Patsy Craft adjusted her scarf, nudging Opulent slightly. "Lighten up, stiff. A little pep will do you some good."

He shot her a glare, then turned to the crowds with a congenial smile. Patsy just went from tying to exclusive first place. Congratulations to her... He stepped forward, gesturing to Silver Gleam. Silver nodded, then placed his horn to the ground. It blazed white, the tip releasing a beam of glowing energy that shot from Silver Gleam's horn to underneath Opulent Majesty. The energy seemed to pool under his hooves, then the ground rumbled momentarily. Much to the amazement of the spectators, a pillar of glimmering silver rose from the ground, elevating Opulent Majesty. Many eyes now darting from the smiling Silver Gleam to the now centralized Opulent Majesty, the lavender-gray unicorn tossed his somewhat messy emerald green mane about, then cleared his throat.

Opulent's horn glowed as he put a hoof to his monocle. He shouted with a volume that put to shame the Royal Canterlot Voice, saying, "Hello to everypony in Ponyville!" He paused to allow the crowd to recover from the shock of his magically enhanced voice, then continued, "We offer you greetings from our home country of New Unicornia!" This caused many confused looks to appear among the faces of the audience, several ponies quietly inquiring about this country they had never heard of. "We have traveled here, to this fair nation of Equestria, in search of many things." He lowered his hoof, glancing to the heavens with a serious expression as he began listing, "Knowledge. Understanding. Promising magicians." Twilight brightened at that item, a large grin on her lips. "Peace. Alliances. Dare I say friendship?" He looked back to the crowds with a friendly smile, saying, "We are honored to seek these things in the home of some of Equestria's most legendary heroes. I only hope that we aren't imposing by arriving so suddenly and declaring our goals with such forthright formality."

Applejack chuckled at Opulent's words, saying, "Aw, shucks. We're not legends, right Twi'?"

Twilight shook her head, saying, "I don't think we are. But, this stallion claims that we're legendary heroes. So, our names have obviously shown up somewhere outside of Ponyville." She nudged Rarity, asking, "What do you think, Rarity?"

Rarity only answered with an absent babble, then resumed staring in wonderment at the speaker. Or rather, at the speaker's solid silver stand. She couldn't halt the drool that began to drip from her chin.

Opulent Majesty glanced about the crowds, then nodded, continuing, "Allow me to introduce the embassy." He gestured to Aqua Grace. "This is a mare of particular talent, named Aqua Grace. I'm certain that she requires no further introduction." As if to concur with his certainty, Aqua Grace raised her head with a smile, the tip of her horn briefly flaring, a small burst of rosy red water exploding from it. This caused the crowds to cheer for the cerulean unicorn as she took another bow. Opulent Majesty gestured to Silver Gleam, who stepped forward, his outward machismo far outweighing Opulent's own. "This is Silver Gleam. Aside from his own impressive talent," He stomped on his perch to reiterate, "Silver Gleam is a rather outgoing and friendly pony. Believe me when I tell you that he's just too nice for his own good." Opulent Majesty's normal tone would have caused his words to sound spiteful, but the sarcasm he had utilized drew a round of laughter from the crowd and another cheer for the embassy. Silver Gleam waved a dismissive hoof, a sheepish look on his face. Opulent Majesty now gestured to Patsy Craft, who looked especially nervous when the audience turned their attention to her. "Here we have Patsy Craft. Don't let that cowardly look on her face fool you. She has potential to be more shrewd and friendly than Silver. She may be a quiet one, and she might invest all her time in reading and spell casting, but Patsy is the kind of mare that I believe everypony should work to befriend." She's also the unicorn who knows how to make a puppet out of anypony. But that wouldn't be something to include in a positive introduction, now would it? Thought Opulent Majesty as a short round of cheering passed for Patsy Craft. He then put a hoof to his chest, saying, "And last, but not least, we have your's truly. Opulent Majesty's the name. Crowd pleasing is my game." He flashed a toothy charismatic smile, his pearly whites glinting in the sunlight, causing the crowd to erupt in applause. He bowed lightly, concluding with, "Thank you all, for such a warm welcome. I only hope we don't disturb the peace any further than we already have." He ceased his Booming Voice spell, then sighed with satisfaction at the ensuing applause. The cheers were cut off, however, by another booming voice that nearly equaled the volume of Opulent Majesty's own enhanced voice.

"POUND CAKE, YOU GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!" Bellowed Pinkie Pie as she pursued the airborne Pound Cake, leaping from rooftop to rooftop in an attempt to catch up with him. Pound Cake, however, flew upwards, abandoning the rooftops, and circled tightly above Opulent Majesty. The crowd watched as he spun faster and faster, until he spiraled downward, landing lightly at Opulent's feet. His head bobbed back and forth as his dizziness overcame him, but he managed to give the smiling Opulent Majesty a puzzled glance.

Horn glowing, Opulent levitated the foal to meet his eyes, gently asking, "Are you on the run, little fella?" This caused the crowds to laugh. Opulent glanced from the spectators back to the deeply confused pegasus baby, then said to him, "We should probably keep you here, so you're mother doesn't have to chase you, you cute little colt."

Pinkie Pie, now just arriving at the edge of the building nearest to the crowd, panted heavily, her head hanging, then drew in a deep breath, looking up to see where Pound Cake had flown off to. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw the bright expression that Opulent Majesty cast her. Those....evil....golden....eyes.... She thought, lips quivering. After a moment of panic, however, Pinkie Pie shook away her fear, then allowed it be replaced by anger. She leapt to the streets below, the crowd clearing away as she dashed at the silver pedestal.

Opulent turned Pound Cake to face Pinkie Pie and levitated him slightly higher before shouting to her, "Good! You must be this adorable colt's-"

"Leave him alone!" She barked, slicing through the crowd. Opulent Majesty looked flabbergasted by her command as she sped toward the stand. She leapt a remarkable distance and height to land on the platform, then pivoted on her front hooves to bring forward her back ones, using her momentum to send a devastating kick to the stallion's head. He was knocked off his perch with a sickening crack, a yelp of pain, a cracked monocle flying from the unicorn's eye, and a shocked gasp from the crowd. Magic no longer sustaining his levitation, Pound Cake dropped, landing on Pinkie's back. She jumped down from the platform, galloping down the path that still lingered from the parting crowd. She disappeared around a corner, Opulent slowly getting back on his hooves with a groan.

"Crazy mare...." He glanced to his fractured eyepiece with disdain. "And she broke my monocle, as well!" He snatched up the eyepiece with his magic, examining it.

"Oh, quit your griping." Patsy said, much to Opulent's annoyance. "You know how to fix it."

Opulent furrowed his brow, his horn growing slightly brighter as he focused. The monocle trembled for a moment, then the crack slowly reversed itself, disappearing completely after a moment. "It's not a matter of how easily repaired it is." He turned to Patsy Craft, lowering his voice as he hissed, "This is a matter of your spell failing in some form or another!"

Patsy shrugged, walking away without a word.

Opulent Majesty replaced his monocle with a scoff, glaring at Patsy as she so casually trotted away. Definitely at the top of the list. No questions there.

Comments

[Waterpear]

Looks like Pinkie is just flat-out immune to Patsy's magic. And if these guys are relying on that for their world domination plot or whatever...

[Tygerburningbright]

I'm getting the strangest vibe off of these ponys. Are they trying to build the third reich of the unicorns?