• Published 21st Aug 2022
  • 455 Views, 16 Comments

The Mystery of the Old Ponyville Time Capsule - GrangeDisplay



One would think that digging up an old time capsule would be an enriching opportunity to learn about the past, but maybe some things are best left buried away.

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Could You Describe The Ruckus, Ma’am?

Rarity never understood the phrase, ‘money is the root of all evil,’ until she was faced with the opportunity of a lifetime. For a young and ambitious filly such as herself, who dreamed of becoming a world-famous fashion designer, understanding the woes of this world was imperative. She wanted to know how to play the game and she wanted to win.

So, she packed up her bags and left her home, family, and friends for two years to perfect her design and business skills. They had instructed her to stay longer, but Rarity couldn’t wait anymore. Her life was passing her by, and she was sitting around creating other pony’s designs. She believed that she learned everything that she needed to know, so she left in search of her own brand and her own business.

Perhaps Rarity was a little naive to think that getting an education was the hard part. It's hard for anypony to build their own business, but the struggle is worse for somepony so young. It didn’t matter if Rarity was ambitious or intelligent. They told her that she would need a proof of concept. A little more experience in her field. A reference or a good connection. But how could Rarity prove herself if she didn’t have the money to do so, and how could she get the money if they wouldn’t give her any loans or funds? If she could simply bring her visions to fruition, then everypony would see that she wasn’t just an idealistic foal.

It was a frustrating way to live for the young unicorn made all the more irritating because her passions lay beyond money and financial gain. Rarity simply wanted to create, and she wanted to spend every moment of her time doing just that. She didn’t want her passion to be a hobby or a side job. She wanted to sustain herself off of what she loved, and she was sick and tired of waiting. It hurt her to think that nopony believed in her as much as she did. But, if they weren’t going to help her, she would help herself. If she had to work a miserable job to save a little cash to buy her own place, then she would. And if she had to keep her ear to the ground and kiss up a little, then so be it.

Knowing how to be sociable was an important skill for entrepreneurs such as Rarity. It paid to stay connected and engaged with others. That is one of the reasons why Pinkie’s friendship was so valuable because the pink filly knew tidbits about everypony. Rarity appreciated that Pinkie gave up information freely without bias or judgment. She admired the innocent outlook that Pinkie maintained, despite the hardships of this life. Much like with Fluttershy, Rarity found comfort in Pinkie’s boundless reassurance. Another thing that she admired was her friend’s ingenuity. Both ponies had a kindred desire to manifest what they were passionate about. Rarity often found inspiration in Pinkie’s willingness to entertain even the wildest ideas, and often sought to return the favor. But sometimes, Pinkie’s ideas were a bit too wild.

“So let me get this straight. You want us to make fireworks… that you designed” Rarity asked as she gaped at Pinkie.

The smile upon Pinkie’s face was impossibly wide as she presented her idea to her friends. The party pony had managed to corral Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy to Applejack’s treehouse at Sweet Apple Acres with the promise of big news. Rarity didn’t know what to expect when she agreed to come. She mainly wanted to ensure that Applejack wouldn’t step all over Pinkie’s feelings but had assumed that Pinkie was going to throw an impromptu party, not an impromptu business proposal.

Pinkie was positively glowing as she watched Rarity flip through her thirty-page proposal. “Yeppers! I’ve really been thinking hard about this girls. I’ve spent a whole bunch of nights drawing up the designs.” she confirmed.

Applejack sighed, probably pondering why she agreed to meet with Pinkie at all. “You tryna tell me that you want us to make fireworks that you designed…while sleep deprived.”

The bulky glasses on Pinkie’s face were pushed up as Pinkie replied. “N-no…well yes…but also no! I stayed up because I just…I just knew what to do. I worked really hard on them.”

Rarity could tell that Pinkie’s claim was genuine. The overall organization and execution of her plan were laid out plainly and professionally. Rarity might have doubted that Pinkie even did this, had she not recognized Pinkie’s squiggly hoofwriting. She wasn’t troubled by the nature of Pinkie’s idea, considering that it was tamer than some of her friend’s past schemes. What troubled Rarity was the level of thought put into the idea. It wasn’t something that Pinkie just came up with an hour ago, it was a meticulous and comprehensive plan. In fewer words, it was feasible.

Rarity gave Pinkie a skeptical look, before side-eyeing the obviously terrified Fluttershy. The poor thing wasn’t used to this particular quirk of Pinkies yet. Pinkie rubbed her neck as she determined her next move. Rarity flashed her a supportive smile despite her own doubts and watched Pinkie reach into her saddlebags and pull out a large brown pouch.

She tossed it to Rarity who tried to apprehend it with her magic. The unicorn yelped at the unexpected heft of the pouch, having to ease it to the ground instead. Her jaw dropped when she opened it and gazed upon hundreds of bits.

“See this as proof of how good my designs are.” Pinkie looked around at their startled expressions, smiling guiltily. “I might have already sold a few fireworks.”

Rarity used a hoof to dig through the bits, wanting to ensure that there was nothing else weighing the bag down. Leave it to Pinkie to defy her expectations. The bag before her equated to at least two weeks' worth of wages. She looked at Pinkie incredulously.

“And this is what you made from just a few?” she questioned.

Pinkie’s head jerked up and down in confirmation. Even Rarity could tell that the other fillies were seriously listening for the first time since the conversion started. She was trying to think of what to say next, some sort of glaring flaw that would dismantle Pinkie’s entire proposition. The only things that came to mind were the ethical and social repercussions. The consequences of being caught were devastating, but what was a little rule-bending between friends? They told Rarity that she was too young to start a business, but that wasn’t going to stop her. Why would she let this stop her either? Her thoughts were interrupted by Applejack’s proclivity to be reasonable.

“Then what do you need us for?” the young farmer murmured, she locked eyes with Rarity who was still holding the bag.

It was odd to actually look directly at Applejack without any type of animosity or malice between them. Rarity moved the opening of the money pouch to give Applejack a better view. She tried not to laugh at the young farmer’s subdued but obvious reaction. It was clear that everypony liked what they saw.

Pinkie crossed her arms as she considered Applejack’s question. Her voice sounded deeper and gruffer while she explained her reasoning, “I need help. Ponies to help me craft them and ponies to help me sell them. If your mind is exploding because of the itty-bitty amount of bits that I made alone, then just imagine what a whole team could make. We could make like a bajillion bits!”

Tartarus must have frozen over because Pinkie was making sense. Rarity didn’t know about making ‘a bajillion bits,’ but they definitely could make themselves quite comfortable. She couldn’t be the only one that was genuinely considering this idea. Fluttershy nibbled at her hoof, thinking over what she was hearing. The timid pegasus tried not to look too hard at the pouch, but Rarity knew that she saw the potential too. She needed somepony sane to tell her that she wasn’t crazy, and Fluttershy was sane and normal.

The bag jingled as Rarity tilted the opening towards Fluttershy. An odd feeling of hope and excitement was starting to fester in the young unicorn. “I’m not so sure of a bajillion bits, but a good thousand could be a blessing.” She turned to Fluttershy and spoke quieter. “With this, we could both start the next phase of our lives. I could get my boutique and you could find somewhere to stay in Ponyville.”

“Well, that might work mighty fine for y’all, but some of us have ponies that depend on them. I don’t got all the time in the world to play around with explosives and sell them to rugrats.” Applejack grumbled.

Fluttershy’s eyes grew wide as she looked at Pinkie in concern. Pinkie hadn’t specified who the target demographic would be, but that was simply good business. Rarity knew that Pinkie wanted to keep her audience engaged and listening. She knew why Applejack always had a sour mood, but that rarely excused her behavior in Rarity's eyes. When it came to dealing with Applejack, Rarity admired Pinkie’s resolve and compassion.

Pinkie held her hooves up defensively. “We won’t sell big, bad scary fireworks to little foals. Maybe cherry bombs though…I mean those aren’t bad. Remember when Firefly gave us a buttload of cherry bombs and told us to ‘go to town’ and we ended up hiding a bunch in the library to prank Miss Page Turner.”

Pinkie giggled at the memory while Rarity blushed, and Applejack snorted. Involving foals might not be a good look, but Rarity had come to learn that children were much more capable than she thought. The gang of fillies and colts that came by her toy shop proved to be competent, and even her infant sister showed signs of possessing logical restraint. And it’s not like Miss Page Turner didn’t deserve what happened to her. She was such a prude and always made Golden Oaks a total bore to visit. If anything, the memory reinforced that Pinkie had experience with fireworks. Rarity was confident that Pinkie’s designs would be safer, especially after one of those cherry bombs exploded in her face and scorched both of the pink filly’s retinas.

The pink filly looked directly at Applejack. “And Applejack, I understand that you’re super-duper busy with the farm. Which is why I need you to do a small, but incredibly important job.” She turned around and broadly gestured to the treehouse behind them. “The Cakes are a bit suspicious of me when it comes to building stuff, so I need a space. A nice, secluded space with plenty of room to build, and I need a pony to cover for me. No work, just words.”

Applejack looked doubtful. “You’d pay me just to use this old shack?”

“Yeppers! Just keep any outside nosy wosies out of our operation.”

Pinkie clapped her hooves and studied the more neutral expressions. It was a welcomed contrast from the earlier reception. “So, what do you think? Do we got a deal, partners!”

The idea of Applejack getting an equal share was unsavory to Rarity, but certain concessions had to be made when it came to business. It paid to be generous, and Rarity trusted that she would be fairly compensated. Despite rarely ever agreeing on anything, Rarity and Applejack eyed each other to ensure that they had undergone the same experience. They had known Pinkie for a few years now, and the idea was oddly coherent. They probably would have agreed then and there, but Fluttershy was another factor that needed to be accounted for. Rarity looked at her new friend and offered an encouraging smile.

The pegasus looked nauseous as she hunched over. The others weren’t sure if she was going to say anything until she blurted out her concerns.

“I-I-I don’t know! Oh…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…It’s just. Fireworks are so dangerous, what if somepony gets hurt? That would be just awful! And even if we give little ones cherry bombs, what if they cause trouble…o-or make a mess? What if they leave the bombs sitting around and a little critter eats it! And fireworks are s-scary. They frighten little animals because they’re too loud and sudden.”

In a rare turn of events, Pinkie was genuinely flabbergasted as she stared at Fluttershy. The pink filly was taken aback, and she was stumped. She tapped her chin a few times and stuck out her tongue. For a few minutes, it appeared that Fluttershy had successfully defused Pinkie’s outrageous plan. The pegasus began to quiver as she mentally outlined an apology. Rarity couldn’t believe how swiftly Fluttershy shut the operation down. She silently prayed that Pinkie might pull off the impossible.

Pinkie’s expression never hardened, nor did her voice spike with irritation. After a moment of pondering, she actually beamed. She pulled a blueprint out from nowhere and started scribbling. Then she perked up and hopped around the other fillies.

“Fluttershy, you genius! That’s exactly what I need. Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!” she squealed.

“Oh um…you’re welcome…What did I do?” Fluttershy sank to the grass and hid behind her mane.

Pinkie stopped in her tracks and faced her friends. “You, my brilliant filly, showed why I need each and every one of you. I can only hit so many nails on so many heads. I need more hoovsies, so I can hit even more nails on even more heads. And you all are more hooves!”

Rarity considered herself well versed in Pinklish, but this claim was lost on her. She exchanged confused looks with the other two. Seeing the lackluster response to her explanation, Pinkie licked her lips and tried again.

“Working together helps me come up with better ideas. A better firework that works better for more ponies. See Fluttershy, what if I designed biodegradable and less loud fireworks? If you had to choose between regular messy, loud ones and less messy, less loud ones, which would you pick?”

“Um…the less messy, less loud ones.” she whimpered from the ground.

“Yes! And if we can get more ponies to buy our better fireworks, then fewer ponies and critters can get hurt by fireworks that aren’t ours.”

Genius! Pinkie was succeeding where so many had failed; she was extinguishing Fluttershy’s concerns while building up her confidence. This was business negotiation 101, and Pinkie was playing the game perfectly. Rarity initially feared that she would have to question Pinkie leniently, but she was confident that Pinkie could handle one last question.

She cleared her throat and raised a hoof. “But Pinkie darling, if your fireworks are as good as you say, why not just find a legitimate avenue of selling.”

“Because, I’m not really old enough. And old me doesn’t need bits like the now me. Anyways, there are much more ponies who want to purchase fireworks than those who actually can.”

“This can’t possibly be the same filly that went to the hospital for eatin’ 150 cans of cheezewhiz in one sittin’ is it?” Applejack murmured as she rubbed her forehead. Rarity smiled at the absence of negativity or complaint.

Pinkie giggled and reveled in the lack of further questions. “It sounds like we have a deal?”

She poked her hoof out, hoping that the other three would do the same and seal their bond. Rarity smiled at the gesture; it was nice to be on the other side of the negotiation. Pinkie had proof of concept, experience, and enough money to equal a proper reference. Rarity couldn’t offer her friend any loans or funds, but she could offer her time and support. She took pleasure in being the first to take the plunge.

“I don’t know how you do it darling…but I’m in.” Said the first regal voice.

“I-I guess I c-could give it a try if it nopony gets hurt.” Said the second voice quite timidly.

“As long as I ain’t gotta do too much I’m in.” Stated the third voice contently.

“This is gonna be so awesome! Let’s build some explosives.” Squealed the fourth voice in anticipation.

Rarity did a double take as she realized that the final voice wasn’t Pinkie’s. She peeked at the huddle of hooves and noticed a blue hoof at the top of the pile. The four fillies looked up at the uninvited guest hovering above them, as Dash simply smirked back. The unicorn sighed; it was only a matter of time before Fluttershy’s shadow reared her prismatic head.

Fluttershy slid back a few feet and tumbled over. “O-oh my, Rainbow Dash! W-what are you doing here…if you don’t mind me asking?”

Rainbow Dash nonchalantly studied her hoof. “Oh, you know, just hanging around, flying about. Listening to this crazy scheme you all got going.”

Applejack grunted and spit at the ground. “This ain’t concern you feather brain, buzz off.”

“What, hey! It’s not my fault that you crazies are so easy to snoop on. Anyways, I’m not gonna snitch, just cut me in on the deal.”

“And why the hay would we do that! Everypony’s got a place in Pinkie’s plan but you. Why don’t you return to your cloud house or whatever.” Applejack refused to look at Rainbow Dash as she chided her.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and huffed. “Oh, come on! Your only role is letting them stay on this massive farm. They probably could have done that without even asking, it’s not like you’d even notice. And I can help out a lot! I know tons of ponies that would buy fireworks. You need sellers, right? Well, Rainbow Dash is the best seller in all of Equestria!”

Rarity didn’t know what to do and she assumed that it wasn’t her job to decide. All eyes fell upon Pinkie to determine the next move, and the Premiere Ponyville Party Pony didn’t need to deliberate. She spoke quickly and authentically.

“Wowzers, for real! Well, I guess Rainbow can join too, the more the merrier.” she chirped, happy to gain a new friend.

“Now hold on, one doggone minute. That ain’t fair! Pinkie, you know half the whole town! If they wanted to join, would you let them? I can’t deal with that chaos. Anyways, now we gotta split the money five ways instead of four!” Applejack sputtered.

There goes Applejack again, being reasonable. Rarity had hoped that the collective had abandoned their senses in pursuit of a crazy criminal enterprise, but Applejack held steadfast to her last shreds of decency. Rainbow Dash was the only pony present that Rarity didn’t know well. Granted, she had learned quite a bit about Rainbow’s athleticism and accomplishments from Fluttershy and Rainbow herself, but she lacked experience with the blue pegasus.

It was apparent to her that Rainbow was a tad arrogant and prideful, but she could detect a cover-up from a mile away. Despite being so amazing, Rainbow always found her way back to Fluttershy. Even if Rainbow did most of the talking and the talking was mostly about Rainbow, the pegasi flocked together. Perhaps having Rainbow around would make Fluttershy more comfortable and establishing connections with all types of ponies is a fundamental aspect of good business.

Rarity gave Pinkie a nudge and a wink to assure her that she was okay with the rearrangement. She knew that Pinkie wanted Applejack to join more than anything and respected that decision. Pinkie gently grabbed Applejack and led her away from the others. They stood behind a tree and spoke in hushed voices. She kind of liked the sight of it, the two of them talking civilly. It reminded her of simpler times before everything became so complicated.

Strangely enough, she trusted that Pinkie knew what she was doing. One could say what they want about Pinkamena Diane Pie but saying that she was a bad friend was inconceivable. Nopony loved their friends like Pinkie did and nopony believed in their friends like Pinkie did. Pinkie didn’t have a vitriolic bone in her entire body. She always had others' best interests in mind and was willing to go to great lengths to make those she loves happy. It worried Rarity sick and she didn’t always understand it, but she knew that Pinkie’s pride wouldn’t allow her to live any other way. That’s why Rarity felt confident that this was going to be okay, and it's why she wasn’t surprised when Applejack left their conversation and addressed the group.

The young farmer quirked an eyebrow and smiled a bit as she condemned them to their fate. “Alrighty then. Okay, everypony let’s do this thing. This oughta be the stupidest thing to happen in Ponyville in some time.”

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A sense of deja vu washed over Mayor Mare as she scrutinized the five mares seated before her. Years prior, they had met in a similar fashion under similar conditions, and it was surprising to see what had changed and what had stayed exactly the same.

Rarity maintained good posture and handled the proceedings professionally. The only break from her serious demeanor was the occasional check-up on Fluttershy. The unicorn was also graceful and poised back then, but age had refined her craft, turning it from a mere imitation to the real deal.

The pegasus sitting beside Rarity shivered in her seat, clearly distressed by the unfortunate news that she received earlier this morning. But Fluttershy was showing great growth as well. Before, she was almost inconsolable, a bundle of nerves and hysteria. Now, Fluttershy’s anxiety primarily manifested in more subtle ways. A bite of the hoof, a quick glance around the room, or a mumble of self-motivation under her breath.

Applejack looked roughly the same in terms of posture and receptiveness, but she also lacked the edge that she had before. The old Applejack was quick-tempered and hard to wrangle in. She and the mayor practically wanted the same thing, but the young mare had little patience to talk it out. Mayor Mare trusted that Applejack still shared a common end goal and was happy to see that the current Applejack’s face had softened considerably over the years.

Pinkie was still fidgeting in her seat, and she was even wearing the same glasses for some reason. She was still uncomfortable with sitting for extended periods or having serious conversations. She quietly tapped on the chair and hummed a melody that Mayor Mare didn’t recognize.

And Rainbow Dash still looked bored as she slumped in her chair, but there were flashes of genuine worry in her eyes. Before, the blue pegasus had less at stake, which explained why she practically slept through the entire agreement. But now, she had a reputation to uphold as a member of Twilight’s entourage and a Wonderbolt.

“I appreciate that all of you made the time to speak with me today. I assume that we all understand that this meeting is of the utmost importance if we wish to maintain our mutual interest.”

Mayor Mare paused to look at each mare and ensured that they were listening. She waited to see each of them nod before continuing.

“It is to my understanding, that Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, and Trixie Lulamoon have become aware of the ‘Star incident.’ In my brief discussion with the three, I learned that they are aware of Al Capony and are actively seeking them out. Even worse, it appears that Starlight and Trixie are wary of Pinkie Pie. I do not think that Twilight suspects you Pinkie, which we could use to our benefit. I have already convinced her to look elsewhere for culprits.”

The others looked to Pinkie in concern, fearing what the news might do to her vulnerable heart. Pinkie didn’t react to the news, her disposition remained neutral. They all knew that this was off brand for the vivacious mare.

Seeing that there was no response, Mayor Mare leaned back in her chair.

“I have informed Princess Twilight that she must turn over the firework to me by tomorrow, or I will have my own ponies take over the case. Since that firework is in Pinkie’s possession, I will take over the investigation, and pin the theft on an outside organization. Then I will strongly advise that she and her proteges stay out of the town’s old affairs. The five of you might want to keep your ears to the ground in the meantime. Guide Twilight in directions that lead far away from you, and if you can’t bear the guilt, just lay low.”

“Now that I have given you my report, I open the floor to all of you. For the sake of transparency, I hope you all would tell me any pivotal information that I might not be aware of.” She turned to Applejack. “Tell me Applejack, is there any important information that I should be aware of?”

Applejack wanted to scream. Her eyes widened as it got hotter in the room. She fanned herself with her hat and tried not to think of the ponies in trench coats hiding in alleyways around town. Every eye in the room was on her as she failed to keep her cool. There were still some discrepancies among the group that were never addressed. Certain information that each mare swore they would take to their grave.

“Well…em.” she sputtered out, trying to ignore Rarity and Rainbow staring daggers at her.

She was about to give up when Pinkie launched backward out of her chair. The party pony’s limbs began ticking and twitching. “Oh, oh, oooooh. Blinky eye! Stiff elbow! Stuffy right nostril! It’s Twilight! Twilight’s doing something sciencey!”

Mayor Mare stood up in alarm. “Twilight’s doing something sciencey? Sweet Celestia! You girls need to go and stop her. I feared that Twilight might take drastic measures to study the crime scene. Go. Go!”

The mayor began showing the five out, ushering them out into the street and slamming the door shut behind them. Applejack stood in shock before regaining her senses and hurtled toward Twilight’s castle. The others followed closely behind as the crystal monolith came into view. Her journey came to an abrupt end when Pinkie caught up and tackled her to the ground. They rolled around in the grass as their momentum slowed.

“Now, what in the sam hill! We gotta get to Twi’s and stop her from doin’ something sciencey!” Applejack sputtered as she gripped her sore shoulder.

Pinkie blew blades of grass and dirt off of her glasses as she sat up. “Twilight’s not doing anything sciencey, you silly filly. We just needed to get out of there before you blew the whistle. A blinky eye, stiff elbow, and stuffy right nostril combo means that the mayonnaise mare is coming to deliver mayonnaise to Sugarcube Corner!”

Panting could be heard as Fluttershy and Rarity caught up, they hunched over and struggled to catch their breath. Rainbow Dash descended from above and hovered over the earth ponies, offering each a hoof to help them stand up.

“Nice thinking Pinks! AJ was totally about to spill.” Rainbow said, squeezing the hoof holding Applejack’s a little tighter than the other.

The farmer sullenly picked up her hat and put it on with a huff. “Well excuse me for wanting to be honest. I’m the Element of Honesty for a reason. It was so much easier to lie when I was a youngin, but now I just can’t do it. This whole mess started because we were bein’ deceitful, and it keeps gettin’ worse. What’s the worst that could happen if we spoke to Twilight?”

The other four eyed each other before Rainbow snorted and glared at Applejack. “Are you serious? Why don’t you go ahead and tell Celestia!”

Rarity interposed herself between the Rainbow and Applejack, rubbing her aching head with a hoof. “And we must account for the other ponies involved in this, not just ourselves. Mayor Mare stuck her neck out for us. Had she not buried this scandal, who knows what might have happened.”

Rainbow groaned. “I don’t know what might have happened to us, but I know for sure that Swing Vote would have probably been mayor to this day. Mayor Mare only won that election because she blackmailed us into carrying her whole campaign on our backs!”

“Dash keep your voice down! We don’t know that for certain…Mayor Mare is a fine leader. She might have not won that particular term, but all the other terms were hers. She just needed a little support and a youthful spin on her campaign. It was a good use of our time as opposed to breakin’ the law!” Applejack argued.

Rarity looked at Rainbow Dash and pleaded with her eyes. “Applejack is right darling, the campaign really helped us all build a good reputation in this town. We have to look out for Mayor Mare. We might be able to coast by on our youth and inexperience at the time, but a fully grown politician manipulating juvenile delinquents into spearheading her campaign is… a bad look.”

All parties seemed to agree as they sulked over the reality of their situation. It was still early enough in the day that the sun hadn’t reached its midpoint. Ponies went about their day, oblivious to the impending firefight kindling in the darkest alleyways and corners of Ponyville.

Applejack bit her lip and kneaded the ground with her hooves. “This just don’t feel right! There’s gotta be a way to make this right!”

Rarity sighed as she placed a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder. “I’m certain that in a few years when the statute of limitations is up, we can absolve ourselves of this particular sin. But in the meantime, let’s focus on the more pressing matter. Outsiders are plotting to destroy Al Capony, and they want to take out Ponyville with it.”

“T-there are outsiders t-trying to destroy town?” Fluttershy whimpered as all of her friends remembered that she was present as well. There was one aspect of the situation that Rarity had failed to inform the pegasus of, but now that mistake was rectified.

Fluttershy swallowed and straightened her posture. She tried to look assertive and bold. “Applejack does this…um…have anything to do with how nervous you got at Town Hall?”

The orange pony pulled off her hat and pressed it to her chest. She looked apologetic as she slowly nodded at Fluttershy. She wanted to spare the yellow pegasus from turmoil, but ignorance was no longer an option. As Applejack prepared to tell the truth, she felt rather proud of Fluttershy’s resilience.

“Yes, sugarcube. We’ve got some no-good miscreants comin’ to town…and I’m sad to say that it’s my fault.”

Author's Note:

Dang, this turned out to be one of the longest chapters, I was not expecting that. I tweaked it to be more Rarity-centric after it was already written. I even deliberated on changing the title to something like "The Wolf of Carousel Boutique" but the Breakfast Club reference won out.:twilightsmile:

Either way, thanks to everybody who has taken the time to read this story!
I hope you all have a great day! 👋