Chapter 13
Clarity gently petted Honeydew’s head. “Honeydew, you can get up now. He’s gone.”
Honeydew gradually stopped shivering and cautiously removed her forehooves from her eyes. “D-Dinky scared him off?” she asked.
“Uh… sorta,” Dinky said, swishing her tail uncertainly. “I got him to leave, anyway.”
Clarity tried once again to reignite the illumination orb, and this time it flickered back on. For a few moments, the four foals sat quietly in the hollow, wondering what to do.
“…We’ve got to tell somepony about this,” Honeydew said finally.
Scuffle nodded, but Dinky looked skeptical.
“Tell who?” the purple filly asked. “The dean won’t believe us. Bringing this up to her or Sparkler won’t do a thing to stop Sunbeam; it’ll just get us in more trouble.”
“Well, what’re we supposed to do, then?” Scuffle asked loudly, glancing around the room in the hopes that somepony could provide a sensible answer.
“Notify one of the princesses, I think,” Clarity cut in. “Even if they can’t prove Sunbeam’s around, they’re actually willing to listen to us. If we tell them what we saw, hopefully they can give the guards a lead on actually catching him.”
“That hasn’t done a whole lot of good so far,” Dinky pointed out. “Nopony’s seen any evidence of Sunbeam at all until just now.”
“It’s better than nothing,” Clarity countered. “Let’s just leave a note for Princess Luna or something, and then disappear to Whinnychester for a week and hope the princesses take care of it while we’re safely relaxing far, far away.”
“Yeah, um, about that,” Scuffle said, his head and tail sagging a bit. “In light of what just happened, I was thinking maybe, you know…”
Clarity smirked. “What, you’d rather come with us than stay here in a nearly empty school all week with a dark magic user sneaking around?”
Scuffle straightened up. “Ha, no way! I, um… I think I’d better just come along for… protection! These are dangerous times, right? You’re gonna need a big, strong colt like me hanging around, just in case Sunbeam’s got, uh, agents in Whinnychester or something!”
Dinky and Clarity exchanged a mirthful glance. “Ok, mister big, brave Scuffle, you can come along,” Clarity laughed.
Scuffle tried not to appear too excited, but his relief was obvious. “Alright, count me in then,” he announced. “That’s ok with you, right Honeydew?”
“I’m not the boss of you,” Honeydew mumbled, looking at the floor. “You can go where you want.”
“Um… ok,” Scuffle replied awkwardly. “Let’s get inside. It’s almost curfew, and I don’t wanna be out here after dark with that freak hanging out nearby.”
“Agreed,” Dinky said, leading the group out of the hollow. She looked around nervously, assured herself that Sunbeam was no longer nearby, and quickly made her way through the brush back towards the castle, with the others following closely behind.
“I just realized,” Dinky said, coming to a sudden stop. “That eerie feeling right before Sunbeam arrived… I’ve felt it before. It’s not Nester who’s been watching me from the forest. Sunbeam’s been spying on me all year!”
“I never could quite bring myself to believe Nester was the culprit,” Clarity admitted. “When he gets off probation, you should talk to him about that.”
Dinky nodded. “But y‘know, something else isn’t adding up here,” she said quietly. “Even if Sunbeam really does have a backup plan, and he really thinks he can still use me to enact it somehow… why’d he go and reveal himself to you three?”
“I don’t know, but I wish he hadn’t…” Honeydew whined, flattening her ears against her head. “Now he knows who we are, and we know who he is. Maybe we’re also part of his grand plan, somehow.”
“Maybe he’s just being overconfident,” Clarity suggested. “He knows that the dean and Sparkler won’t believe a word we say, and he has been doing an awfully good job avoiding the guards searching for him, even though they’ve been using surveillance spells that should have detected him by now.”
“Either way, the fact that he seems so sure of himself is only putting me even more on-edge,” Dinky admitted. “What do you think he’s up to, Scuffle?”
There was no reply.
“Scuffle?” Dinky turned around, but the colt that had been following along at the rear of the group had vanished.
“W-where’d he go?” Honeydew stuttered, looking wildly in all directions. “You don’t think Sunbeam got him, do you?”
“Calm down, Honeydew,” Clarity said soothingly. “I bet he just went to a different entrance to the castle. Probably the one that’s closer to the ramp leading to his residence tower. I’m sure we just didn’t notice because we were having a discussion.”
“Besides, Sunbeam doesn’t have any reason to be interested in Scuffle, does he?” Dinky added. “Scuffle’s never used any dark magic either, after all.”
“Come on, we don’t have any more time to waste,” Clarity said. “Let’s get inside before curfew, or we’re all gonna be in hot water.”
Under the last light of the setting sun, the three fillies hurried inside.
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Scuffle tasted dirt. Disoriented, he tried to lift his head, but found it forced back to the ground by a large hoof.
“Man, did you see that?” a voice asked. “He just dropped right when you hit ‘im! Probably knocked a couple screws loose.”
“None of them ever saw it coming, either,” another voice laughed. “Those fillies just kept right on walking. They never heard a thing!”
Scuffle’s brain, though still reeling from the heavy blow, was able to recognize the voices. He growled.
“Scorch, get off me,” he tried to say, but his words were muffled by the ground.
“Aw, what’s wrong, Scuff? Uncomfortable?” Scorch sneered, continuing to hold Scuffle’s head to the ground.
“I gotta admit, bro, you’ve been doin’ pretty good,” Frosty said, pacing slowly around to the front of Scuffle’s body so the colt could hear him better. “You’ve been sticking to groups and crowded areas, and with those wards ol’ Presto put up around your room, I was beginning to think we’d never get a second alone to ‘chat.’”
“So, did I knock some sense into ya yet?” Scorch chuckled, before dropping to a low growl. “Or are you still planning to run off and play dolls with those fillies you’ve been hanging out with?”
“None of your business,” Scuffle managed, forcing his head up for a few seconds. “Now get your Celestia-damned hoof off my head!”
“Ooh, what language!” Frosty mocked. “Sounds like somepony needs a time out. Keep holding him there, Scorch. I’ll take care of the rest.”
Scuffle struggled, but his brother’s strength was more than enough to hold him down. Frosty trotted off and returned a moment later with a long vine from the forest. With a few moments of magical dexterity, he made sure Scuffle was tightly bound with it.
“There we go. That’ll hold him until he learns to watch his mouth,” Frosty laughed.
Scorch’s horn lit up, and Scuffle gasped as he found himself rolling. He tumbled into the shade of the trees before coming to a stop rather roughly against a gnarled trunk.
“There, that looks like a good spot,” Scorch said, admiring his handiwork. “Shall we leave him there?”
“That’s the plan!” Frosty announced. “Enjoy your night in the forest, Scuff. We’ll come back tomorrow morning and let you out before we hop on the train and get away from this stupid place. If we can find the time, that is!”
The twins laughed, and ignoring Scuffle’s yells, they trotted off toward the castle. Within moments, they were out of earshot.
Well, horseapples! Now what? Scuffle thought to himself, thrashing fruitlessly against the tightly wrapped vine. The ends are tucked in so tightly I can’t get them loose, even with magic. I’m gonna be stuck here all night!
He swallowed. With nopony but Sunbeam to keep me company…
The last light disappeared, plunging the forest into near-total darkness. A cricket chirped loudly near Scuffle’s ear, causing him to twitch in surprise.
A half hour passed. Scuffle tried rolling around between the roots and nudging himself against the tree, but nothing helped. Defeated, the colt sighed and took a rest.
Nothin’ left to do but wait until somepony finds me, he thought bitterly. I guess I’ll try to get some sleep.
Scuffle had only closed his eyes for a second when the sound of movement in the brush caused them to pop open again. Tensing, the restrained colt struggled to crane his neck toward the sound.
“Th-that better not be you, Sunbeam,” he warned. “Dinky’s gone. Go away!”
The rustling continued for a moment, and then a small orange creature that was definitely not Sunbeam emerged from the bushes.
Scuffle breathed a long sigh. “Oh, Trouble, it’s just you,” he said as the fox came over to sniff him curiously. “At least there’s one friendly face lurking in this forest.”
Trouble blinked, and began to wander around the tree. Scuffle watched him for a moment. The colt’s ears remained alert for the sound of any other unexpected visitors.
“Trouble, I don’t suppose you can help me out?” he asked hopefully. “I don’t wanna be trapped here all night.”
As expected, Trouble showed no sign of understanding. He ambled over and sat down next to the bound pony.
Scuffle made a chewing motion with his teeth. “Come on, like this! If you can just chew through one vine, I can do the rest with magic.”
Trouble cocked his head as Scuffle continued to open and close his jaw. And then, to the colt’s great surprise, the fox took a portion of the vine between his teeth and nipped cleanly through it.
“Awesome!” Scuffle cried, grabbing the frayed end with magic and rapidly unwinding the vine. “Good boy, Trouble! You’re a smarter critter than I thought.”
The colt stood up and stretched his cramped legs. “I don’t suppose you have any other bright ideas?” he asked Trouble. “It’s past curfew. If I try to go inside now, the guards will catch me and I’ll be in hot water for sure.”
Trouble gazed at Scuffle a few moments more and then turned and wandered away into the trees.
Scuffle sighed. Well that was a bust. If only there was some unguarded entrance to the castle, I might be able to sneak in instead of camping out here in the woods.
Scuffle blinked, and knocked himself on the noggin with a hoof.
Oh, duh. There is a way.
Keeping a sharp eye out for any movement, Scuffle cautiously made his way deeper into the blanketing darkness of the forest. Even with the light of his horn, it took a few moments to find the entrance to the hideout. The colt parted the roots and slid down the tunnel, and then, with a combination of a levitation spell and a powerful pull with his forehooves, yanked back the huge boulder covering the concealed drainage shaft.
Time to find out where this old tunnel really goes…
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Ten minutes later, Scuffle found himself at the vertical portion of the drain shaft. He quickly initiated his gravity cancellation spell and trotted briskly up the wall, until he was just inches from the metal drain cover.
Alright, all I have to do is get the cover off, and I’m home free.
Scuffle was unable to apply any force in his current gravity state, so he quickly modified the spell to reverse his gravity completely, allowing him to stand on the underside of the drain cover. He pushed with all his might, but the cover, slightly rusted though it was, was far too strong.
I’m gonna have to try to use one of those spells Scorch and Frosty can do, he realized. I can’t do anything with elemental magic, but… maybe I can pull off a focused force spell or something…”
Scuffle modified his gravity again and returned to the wall. He crouched against the stones and squeezed his eyes shut as he mustered up the strongest burst of energy he could. There was a flash, and a ball of energy launched from his horn and hit the drain cover. It rattled loudly but did not budge.
Scuffle swore under his breath. “I am not letting a stupid drain cover be the only thing that keeps me from getting away unpunished tonight!” he announced, as if expecting the metal plate to be intimidated.
The colt focused his magic again, the blue light casting shadows all throughout the shaft. With a grunt, he swung his head for extra oomph and let loose a still stronger spell.
There was an earsplitting clang as the energy collided with the cover, wrenching the bolts free and sending it hurtling into the air. It clattered to the stone floor a moment later, creating quite a racket.
“Ha!” Scuffle laughed as he clambered up into the basement and restored his gravity to normal. “Take that! I may not be an expert on attack spells, but I’m more than good enough to take on a silly—”
“Who’s down there?” a harsh, familiar voice called from the top of a nearby staircase. “You know the cellar is off limits!”
Scuffle froze. Horseapples, is that Sparkler? Of all the rotten luck…
Hoofsteps sounded on the staircase, so Scuffle did the only thing he could think of on such short notice: reversed his gravity again. He gasped as the ceiling came flying toward him, but there was no time to prepare for impact; the colt crashed against the stone ceiling and bit down on his tongue to stifle a pained cry.
Sparkler appeared in the doorway a moment later. She glanced around the room, and immediately noticed the dislodged drain cover. Scuffle watched from the ceiling as the overseer moved to investigate the opening. Although it was too small for her to climb down, she did stick her head into the darkness.
Seeing his chance, Scuffle made his way silently across the ceiling. The top of the doorframe was far below his position, however, meaning he had to return to the floor before he could escape up the stairs. Restoring his gravity much more carefully this time, he slowly sank back to the floor. He glanced at Sparkler for a second, assuring she was still occupied, and then bolted up the steps.
Sparkler lifted her head out of the drain immediately. “I hear that! Get back here or you’re in big trouble!”
Scuffle panted hard as he ran up the long stone staircase. He needed someplace to hide, or all the trouble he’d gone through breaking back into the castle would be for nothing. A moment later, he burst through the trapdoor at the top of the stairs and into a familiar room.
The Residence Tower! Yes!
Wasting no time, the colt turned and dashed up the carpeted stairs, still aware of the sound of Sparkler’s hooves pounding along behind him. Several stories up, he spied a bedroom with the door slightly ajar, and dove inside. He wasn’t sure which ponies lived here, but it was obvious by the darkness that they were asleep. The space beneath one of their beds would make an excellent obstruction to hide under until Sparkler disappeared.
Scuffle slipped beneath the bed and watched smugly as Sparkler’s hooves continued past the room and down the hall. Piece of cake, he thought smugly.
After a few seconds, the triumphant smirk on his face was replaced with confusion. Hang on, what’s Sparkler doing in the residence tower in the first place? She’s a filly; she shouldn’t be able to get past the barrier.
Realization started to dawn on the colt. He grimaced.
Unless there was no magic barrier over the drain, in which case… maybe it’s not Sparkler who’s in the wrong residence tower…
Almost fearfully, Scuffle crept out from beneath the bed and struggled to see in the darkness. There were ponies in both of the bunks and in the single bed, but the lack of light made them impossible to identify. Scuffle crept closer to the biggest bed and allowed just a tiny glimmer of light to shine from his horn. A pink and green filly he knew all too well mumbled in her sleep and shifted beneath the covers, turning away from the light.
Oh, Celestia, no…
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Dinky felt a pair of forehooves shaking her. She struggled to open her sleep-filled eyes, and cringed when she realized it was just after dawn. Blinking, she turned her head to peer up at Honeydew.
“Honeydew, it’s so early…”
“I know,” Honeydew replied in a strained whisper. “You have to get up, though. Right now.”
Dinky used a bit of magic to yank the blanket over her head. “No I don’t. I know we have to catch the train to Whinnychester today, but that doesn’t leave for hours yet.”
“It’s not that,” Honeydew insisted, the whisper sounding more urgent as she shook Dinky even harder. “Please get up right now, it’s an emergency!”
Dinky grudgingly pushed off the blanket and got to her hooves. “Alright, what is it?” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.
“We have an intruder!” Honeydew squeaked, her ears flattened and tail tucked as if she was trying to shrink until she was out of sight.
Dinky stared blankly at her friend. “A what?”
“Just look!” Honeydew insisted, pointing toward the window.
Dinky’s mind had not quite kicked into gear yet, but the last of the sleep was shaken from it pretty quickly when she looked where Honeydew was pointing. A brown colt was curled up on the rug in front of the window bench, snoring softly.
“S-Scuffle!?” Dinky shrieked, backpedaling so fast she nearly tripped over her own tail.
“Quiet!” Honeydew urged, covering Dinky’s muzzle with a hoof. “Don’t wake anypony else up, or we’ll be in big trouble!”
“What about Scuffle?” Clarity asked sleepily from her bunk.
“He’s… he’s here,” Dinky stammered, pulling Honeydew’s hoof off her snout.
Scuffle snorted and sat up. “Wha? Who’s callin’ me?”
Clarity gasped softly and leapt down from the bunk to join her friends. “But… how?” she asked. “The tower’s got a protective enchantment around it.”
Scuffle squinted in the early morning sunlight. “Oh, right,” he mumbled. “I forgot that I wound up in here last night. I guess I owe you three an explanation.”
“You think?” Dinky asked, giving one of her ears an irate twitch. “How did you even get in to the fillies’ tower in the first place? And why were you sleeping in our bedroom?”
“Whoa, whoa, calm down, I can explain!” Scuffle said quickly, jumping to his hooves and looking nervously between the three angry fillies. “My brothers caught me last night and tied me up in the forest. By the time I got free, it was way past curfew, so I decided to sneak back into the castle through that old tunnel we found in the hideout.”
“That was clever, actually,” Clarity admitted, nodding and causing her tangled mane to bounce. “I never stopped to think about it, but that might be the one entrance to the castle that’s not watched by the guards.”
“It was a good idea,” Scuffle grumbled, “until I found out that the drain led to the basement of the fillies’ residence tower. Sparkler heard me break in, so I ran to an open bedroom. I couldn’t escape with her on patrol, so I stuck it out here and… I guess I dozed off…”
“Well now what’re we supposed to do?” Dinky asked, giving her tail a few nervous flicks. “If anypony finds Scuffle in here, we’ll all be in a load of trouble!”
“Maybe we can just sneak him out if we hurry,” Clarity said quickly. “After all, it’s the crack of dawn. Nopony except Honeydew gets up at this ungodly hour.”
“Um… Sparkler does…” Honeydew mumbled, hiding behind her still-ungroomed mane as if she was ashamed to bear the bad news. “I’ve been downstairs in the early mornings, and she’s usually already up and about.”
Dinky stamped a hoof. “Well, how do we smuggle Scuffle out of here then? It’s not like we can just march down the stairs and out the front door. Even if Sparkler didn’t know Scuffle personally, it’s easy enough to spot a colt among a bunch of fillies.”
“Totally true,” Scuffle said, smirking. “You’d have to be blind to mistake this colt for a filly!”
Dinky rolled her eyes, but Clarity’s expression became intrigued.
“Mistake him for a filly?” the grey filly repeated, smiling. “Girls, I think I just might know how to get Scuffle out of here after all…”
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“I for one think this is a stupid idea,” Scuffle said, shifting uncomfortably as Dinky and Clarity circled him like sharks.
“And I for one don’t care,” Clarity replied, giving Scuffle’s flank a playful poke as she trotted by. “We can’t possibly sneak a colt out of the tower without getting caught, but we can sneak a filly out.”
“Or at least, somepony disguised as a filly,” Dinky added, smirking devilishly.
“I told you, a disguise wouldn’t do you any good!” Scuffle argued, sounding more nervous than frustrated. “I don’t exactly have the figure of a filly, if you haven’t noticed. I’m bigger than all of you!”
“Oh, just relax, you big crybaby,” Clarity said, giving Scuffle a few humiliating pats on the head. “You’re forgetting that we have magic on our side! I can’t modify your shape, but I can probably forge an illusion that should fake it well enough, provided we move quickly and don’t give anypony a good look.”
Scuffle rocked nervously in place. “But uh… but even you can’t do an illusion complicated enough to get the little details right, can you?” he asked. “Body shape is one thing, but if you try to change, say, my mane style with an illusion, it’s gonna look like a refracted mess of broken spell. No offense.”
“You’re right,” Dinky admitted. “Neither of us could pull that off.”
“Exactly!” Scuffle cheered. “I guess we’d better start thinking of another pla—”
“But,” Dinky cut in, grinning, “we don’t need to use an illusion for that. Honeydew is perfectly capable of giving you a proper filly’s grooming.”
“I am?” squeaked Honeydew, who had been sitting by herself on the side of the room furthest from Scuffle.
“W-what?!” Scuffle stuttered. “Look, girls, this is a bad idea. You’re not seriously gonna disguise me as a filly!”
“If you have a better idea for getting out of here, we’d love to hear it,” Dinky said. “Otherwise, sit still so we can get started before the rest of the tower wakes up.”
Scuffle groaned. Ears and tail drooping, he sunk to the carpet and waited.
“But um… you two don’t really need my help, right?” Honeydew asked, taking a few steps closer to her friends.
“Yes we do!” Dinky insisted. “I mean, have you seen Clarity and me? We both just kind of let our manes and tails lie in their natural style. You’re the only one with the grooming expertise to make a colt’s mane look like a filly’s one.”
“B-but,” Honeydew tried to reply. “It’s… I mean, he’s…”
“He’s in the same boat as we are,” Clarity said. “Honeydew, I know how you feel, but please. We can’t do this without your help!”
Honeydew hesitated. She chanced a glance at Scuffle, who met her gaze for the first time in weeks.
“Fine,” she said in defeat. “I’ll go get my supplies.”
Honeydew disappeared into the washroom and returned a moment later with a little box of grooming supplies. “I’ll work on his mane while Clarity does her illusions,” she announced, sounding slightly more confident. “Dinky, I know he doesn’t have much tail to work with, but just take one of the brushes and smooth it out, then see if you can make it arc a bit and come to a point. That’s about the best we can do with it I think.”
The three fillies got right to work. Dinky had the easiest job, so she watched her friends work as she used magic to run the brush through Scuffle’s stubby tail.
Scuffle remained quiet as he allowed himself to be subjected to the fillies’ efforts. Dinky had expected him to be sulking, but instead the colt seemed to be watching Honeydew with marked curiosity as she shuffled through her supplies and made adjustments to his mane.
“So, you’re an expert at this, huh?” he asked finally.
“Not really,” Honeydew answered curtly, not taking her eyes off the brush she was tugging through Scuffle’s messy mane.
“Well, you’ve gotta have some skill,” Scuffle commented. “I’ve never seen you with your mane down like this. It must take a lot of work to bundle it all up the way you usually have it.”
“Never seen me with my—” Honeydew started, before her look of confusion turned to one of panic. “Oh! My mane is down. I’m so sorry, I should go, um, take care of that…”
“Why?” Scuffle asked. “Looks fine how it is. Nice change of pace, actually.”
Honeydew turned away. “Sorry, I know it’s not a big deal here,” she mumbled. “At home, fillies are always taught to keep their hair tied except when they’re asleep. It’s… considered kind of indecent not to, I think. Most of Equestria’s not like that, but it’s still a little, um…”
She trailed off. “I-it doesn’t matter,” she said finally. “We’ve got work to do.”
Dinky and Clarity both smiled as Honeydew picked up the brush again and returned to her task.
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By the time the trio had nearly finished with Scuffle’s makeover, the sun had climbed fully over the horizon. There were sounds in the adjacent rooms of students talking and packing for the impending week off.
“Are you three done yet?” Scuffle whined.
“Just one more quick adjustment,” Honeydew mumbled, stretching a hair band with magic and setting to work on one final unruly bit of Scuffle’s mane.
Dinky, who had long since finished on Scuffle’s tail, sat back and grinned at the now quite unrecognizable pony before her. Clarity’s illusions had worked wonders; in reality, Scuffle’s size hadn’t changed at all, but the illusion made his figure appear almost as delicate as Honeydew’s. His snout was equally modified, with the original one replaced with the small, rounded snout of a filly. Even his colors had changed thanks to Clarity’s spells; his brown coat had turned white with just a faint hint of blue, like newly frozen ice, and his mane was now the same shade of pale pink as Honeydew’s coat. His cutie mark had been replaced with the most girly thing Clarity could think of: a lacy doily.
Honeydew’s work had an impact as well. She’d somehow managed to tame Scuffle’s wild mane, and though it wasn’t long enough to be put into ponytails or braids, she had succeeded in giving it a smooth, slick appearance, with straight bangs in the front and a small bun in the back. She’d even taken a moment to apply some makeup to make his eyelashes look longer and thicker. Combined with the simple changes Dinky had made to the colt’s tail, there was basically no evidence that the pony standing before them was in fact a colt and not a very well-groomed filly.
“And one last change,” Clarity said, casting a spell that switched Scuffle’s eye color from slate blue to dazzling yellow-orange. “There. Nopony could possibly tell that’s Scuffle.”
“Let me see!” Scuffle insisted, turning in a circle and scanning the room for a mirror
Dinky bit her lip, trying not to laugh as she levitated a mirror from her grooming kit. Scuffle took one look and his mouth dropped open.
“I…” he started.
“I know, it’s a little over-the-top girly,” Clarity admitted, stifling a giggle. “I just wanted to make sure nopony could possibly suspect you were really a colt.”
Scuffle responded by turning around and looking over his shoulder smugly as he waggled his deceptively dainty rump.
“Who cares about that? I am smokin’ hot!”
He grinned as Dinky and Clarity finally lost their composure and burst out laughing so hard that they had to clutch the bedposts for support. Honeydew blushed profusely and tried to hide her own smile.
“Al… alright,” Dinky managed as soon as she could speak again. “No more wasting time. Let’s just get outside as nonchalantly as possible. With any luck, nopony will even notice anything out of the ordinary.”
“Just stay quiet,” Clarity warned. “Your voice is the only thing we can’t change. Don’t let it give you away.”
“Got it,” Scuffle said. “Let’s go.”
He stepped aside, allowing the three fillies to lead the way out of the room. All four of them made their way down flight after flight of steps. Scuffle caught the eye of a few fillies, each of whom paused for an instant, looking confused. Scuffle, wisely, didn’t make eye-contact, and the onlookers decided not to question the appearance of an unexpected filly.
It only took about a minute to get to the base of the tower, but to Dinky it felt like ages, and she expected it felt even longer to Scuffle. The colt was trying his best to take the swagger out of his step for once as he slunk along behind the fillies.
The lounge area was busy; a number of fillies had stacked their luggage near the stairs, creating a mountain of bags not unlike the one that had stood there the night the new term began. Sparkler stood near the exit, holding a clipboard in her aura.
“She’s guarding the door,” Clarity whispered. “Just act natural.”
The four ponies made their way across the room. Sparkler, busy checking off names on the clipboard, didn’t notice them until they were almost right in front of her.
“You have to sign out before you leave for break,” she said, not looking up from her checklist.
“We know,” Dinky replied. “We’re just going to breakfast. We’ll be back to get our bags a little later.”
Sparkler nodded. “Alright, just—”
She stopped, and looked up from her clipboard, confused. “Hang on, who is this?”
Dinky swallowed hard as Sparkler turned her gaze to Scuffle. The colt looked to his friends desperately.
“Oh, her?” Dinky asked, realizing in a panic that they’d completely forgotten to create a false identity for Scuffle. “She’s, uh—”
“My sister,” Honeydew announced, much to the surprise of the rest of the foals. “Her name’s Rosy Lace. She came in on last night’s train to help me with my stuff today.”
Sparkler scowled. “Why wasn’t I informed? Non-students that want to stay overnight need to be signed in with an overseer.”
“Or a professor,” said Honeydew calmly. “Professor Chestnut knows Rosy is here.”
The overseer snorted. “Is this true, Rosy?”
Scuffle nodded very gently, trying his best not to let the illusion falter while Sparkler was watching.
“Fine then,” Sparkler huffed. “I would have preferred you had told me when she arrived, but whatever. I’m too busy today to worry about it.”
Sparkler waved a hoof dismissively and turned back to her clipboard. The four ponies scurried outside, and quickly made their way to the relative privacy behind the tower.
“Where did that come from?” Scuffle asked, his wide-eyed expression only exaggerated by the makeup. “You were so sure of yourself, I would have believed you if I wasn’t the subject of the lie!”
Honeydew blushed. “I-I dunno… we needed an excuse, so I just… it wasn’t a perfect lie, either! Speaking of which, can someone lend me a quill and a sheet of paper? I need to send a note to Professor Chestnut.”
Clarity gave Honeydew the requested items, and then lit her horn and removed the illusions surrounding Scuffle. Dinky giggled; the poor colt now looked just like he always did, but with a feminine mane style and a bit of makeup.
“Good luck getting back into the colts’ tower looking like that,” Clarity said, smirking.
As Scuffle frantically ruffled his mane and rubbed the makeup off his face, Honeydew finished writing her note. She then walked to the edge of the plateau and gave a series of sharp whistles.
“What was that for?” Dinky asked.
“Just making sure this note gets to Professor Chestnut before Sparkler does,” Honeydew said.
Dinky’s ears drooped. “That doesn’t answer my question at all.”
Honeydew was about to say more, but Dinky’s question quickly answered itself. A bright green bird shot out of the sky and perched at a strange angle on Honeydew’s horn.
“You called?” Cornelius asked.
“Yes,” Honeydew said, lifting the rolled paper up to the bird’s beak. “Can you deliver this to Professor Chestnut, please?”
“What’s in it for me?” the bird asked.
“How about a nice hoofful of birdseed the next time I drop by to do research with the professor.”
“Deal.”
Cornelius snatched up the paper and took off.
“There, now everything’s taken care of,” Honeydew said, before turning and giving Scuffle a serious state. “Now, please don’t ever break into our tower again, Scuffle.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice!” Scuffle announced as he cantered off. “Thanks for the help! I gotta go pack my stuff. See you girls on the train.”
“We should probably get packing too,” Dinky pointed out.
“Not till after breakfast!” Clarity argued.
Dinky laughed. “Oh, fine. Let’s go.”
Relieved to have escaped the sticky situation, the three friends cantered off to the castle.
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After the mishap with Scuffle, the rest of the morning went surprisingly smooth. Dinky took a short detour to Princess Luna’s office after breakfast. As expected, the princess herself wasn’t around, but Dinky left her a note regarding Sunbeam’s latest appearance. By late morning, the trio had packed their bags for vacation.
“The train leaves at noon,” Sparkler said as the girls trotted by with their bags in tow. “Make sure you don’t miss it, or you’ll be staying here during break.”
With no further agenda, Dinky and her friends made their way to the station a little early.
“So, how far is Whinnychester, anyway?” the purple filly asked her friend.
Clarity chuckled. “It’s certainly not just a few hours away like Ponyville,” she said. “The train leaves here at noon, so we’ll probably be arriving in Whinnychester at about nine.”
“Nine hours?” Honeydew asked. “That’s not so bad.”
Clarity shook her head. “Nuh-uh, I mean nine tomorrow morning.”
“Oh,” Honeydew said, ears drooping a bit. “That’s… quite a bit longer.”
“We’ll just sleep on the train,” Dinky said, shrugging. “I’m sure more than half of the ponies will have already gotten off by the time night falls.”
“Alright, as long as I don’t have to sit with Scuffle,” Honeydew mumbled.
Dinky laughed. “Don’t worry, you two can sit together. I’ll sit with Scuffle across the aisle.”
“Did I hear my name?”
Scuffle came galloping up behind the fillies, oblivious to the other colts ducking out of the way as his levitating luggage haphazardly flew through the air behind him. Dinky noticed he’d managed to do a suspiciously good job restoring his appearance exactly as it was before his little makeover. She silently wondered if Scuffle secretly spent a lot of time on his appearance, specifically to make it look like he spent no time on it at all.
“Oh look, it’s Rosy,” Clarity teased. “Did you remember to pack all your makeup and hairbrushes?”
Scuffle flicked his tail indignantly. “Yeah, yeah, go ahead and laugh,” he grunted, rolling his eyes. “At least we made it out of there without getting caught. Now let’s get on the train so we can focus on spending some time away from this place.”
Dinky gestured toward the cabin door with a forehoof. “Ladies first, Rosy,” she snickered.
Scuffle narrowed his eyes for a moment, but then he smirked and hopped into the train, with the fillies following close behind.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As promised, Dinky sat with Scuffle for the first part of the ride home. Honeydew and Clarity sat just across the aisle, so even in the noisy train, they were able to hold a conversation with their friends. Between discussions of recent events at school, and planning out the upcoming days of break, it seemed to take no time at all for the train to make it to Ponyville. Dinky gazed out the windows as the train came to a stop in the familiar station.
“So, this is where you live, huh?” Scuffle asked, standing on his hind legs get a better view out the window. “We don’t have any little towns like this out where I live. It’s more urban.”
“Where are you from, anyway?” Dinky asked.
“Fillydelphia,” Scuffle replied, slumping back down to his seat. “It’s way out in eastern Equestria. To get there, you have to get off the Academy train line another town south of here and board a separate one. It makes travel kind of a hassle, so I just stay at school most of the time.”
He looked outside again. “It doesn’t look like a bad place to live, though. It’s probably peaceful, at least.”
Dinky chuckled. “Trust me, despite how it looks, Ponyville sees its share of excitement.”
Scuffle grinned. “You could probably say that about anyplace in Equestria, though.”
A few more minutes passed before the train finally sprang back into motion and continued its journey south.
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At each stop, the train became emptier. By the time dusk arrived, nopony remained in Dinky’s carriage except for the four friends. With each of them able to take a pair of seats to themselves, it was easy to spread out and get some sleep once night fell.
At least, it should have been. Dinky tried to get some sleep, but a combination of excitement about the upcoming trip and concern about recent goings-on at the academy left her so distracted that she seemed to barely slip into a light doze before the jarring of the train woke her again.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the restless filly sat up and quietly stepped into the aisle of the dim train car. She smiled at Clarity, passed out in a ridiculous position on the seat across from her, snoring as usual. Scuffle didn’t look much better; slumped against the wall of the carriage, he was drooling slightly.
When Dinky turned to look at Honeydew’s seat, however, she was surprised to find her friend awake. The pink filly lay there facing away from the aisle, staring out at the moon and rubbing the notch in her horn, as she often did when she was lost in thought.
“Can’t sleep?” Dinky whispered, walking up next to her friend.
“Not really,” Honeydew admitted. “I’ve never been a heavy sleeper like Clarity, though.”
Dinky gave an amused snort. “This train could drive right off a cliff and Clarity probably wouldn’t wake up,” she joked.
Honeydew smiled faintly, but then turned back to the window and became pensive once again.
“Dinky, I’m worried about this vacation,” she admitted, flattening her ears back nervously. “We’re all going to be together for most of the time. It’s been weeks since, um… since Scuffle and I stopped really talking. I tried to make up for it a little by helping him escape the tower this morning, but I think we’re finally gonna have to address that, one way or the other.”
Dinky nuzzled her friend gently. “Is that such a bad thing?” she asked quietly. “I can tell you and Scuffle are both sick of trying to ignore one another.”
“That… that’s true…” Honeydew admitted. “But why is he so…”
She trailed off. Dinky didn’t press her for more.
“Forget it. It’s not something to bother you with. But I will talk to Scuffle this week, whether I want to or not.”
Dinky nodded slowly. “Well, if you need some more support, I’m here for you,” she said, meeting the other filly’s gaze. “But for now, we should probably both try to get some sleep. We’ll be in Whinnychester in a few hours.”
Honeydew rolled over so she was facing away from the windows. “I guess so. Night, Dinky.”
“Night,” Dinky replied as she returned to her own seat. Taking her own advice, she tried to push her buzzing thoughts aside for a bit, and finally slipped into deeper sleep.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next time Dinky’s eyes fluttered open, she found herself staring into a pair of cinnamon ones, hovering an inch from her own.
“Waugh!”
The filly flailed and almost toppled off the seat. Clarity backed up, laughing.
“Wake up, sleepyhead. We’re almost there!”
Dinky blinked in the bright light and sat up. The train was making its way down a winding track between dozens of grassy hills dotting a wide, rolling plain. A small town was just starting to come into view on the left.
“Finally,” Scuffle said, as he splayed out on the seat and stretched his legs. “I thought we’d never get here.”
The train’s long journey finally came to an end as it pulled into a station not unlike Ponyville’s. Clarity was the first to hop out into the bright morning sunlight, and her other friends followed close after. Dinky finally got her first look at her best friend’s home town.
The station was at the end of a long main roadway, which bisected the little village. Quaint wooden houses, much like the one Dinky was used to seeing in Ponyville, lined either side of the street all the way down to the end. The most remarkable thing, however, was not the town itself, but what lay beyond it. Situated entirely on a hillside, Whinnychester was the last settlement before the border of Equestria. Beyond it was nothing but the sea, a blue expanse that stretched on far beyond the horizon.
“Wow,” Honeydew breathed. “I’ve never seen the sea before.”
Clarity nodded proudly. “Yep, Whinnychester is one of the only coastal towns in all of Equestria! Which reminds me, we all have to go down to the beach later. The water should be pretty warm this time of year.”
She glanced at the mountain of bags behind them. “But first things first. We need to head home and drop off our stuff. Mom will be expecting us.”
“Lead the way,” Dinky said.
Cheerfully, Clarity directed the band of foals to a house about halfway between the station and the ocean. She pushed open the door, and motioned for her friends to follow.
The house immediately appeared inviting, with comfortable-looking furniture and wide windows that let in lots of light. A skinny green unicorn mare with an orange mane trotted from the kitchen when the girls entered. She smiled broadly when she saw them.
“Mom!” Clarity cried, as she dashed forward and hugged the mare. “Boy, it feels like I haven’t seen you in forever! I’ve missed you and Lucid so much!”
“I’ve missed you too,” Clarity’s mother replied, patting her daughter on the head. “Are these the friends you’ve been writing to me about?”
“Yeah!” Clarity responded, running back to her friends. “These are my roommates, Dinky and Honeydew. And we also brought Scuffle, like I said in my letter yesterday.”
“Well, I’m just tickled pink to finally meet you three!” Clarity’s mother cooed. “There are some snacks in the kitchen for the four of you. Help yourselves!”
The mare stepped aside as the foals ran to the kitchen. A bowl of fresh fruit and a plate of still-warm cookies were sitting on the table, and the ponies immediately sat down and began to eat.
“Your mom seems very hospitable,” Honeydew remarked, biting into a cookie. “More than my parents would be, anyway.”
“She was just happy to hear I made some good friends,” Clarity said. “She was a little worried about me when I left, of course, since Lucid wasn’t around to show me the ropes.”
“That reminds me, are we gonna get to meet your sister?” Dinky asked.
“Oh, sorry dear,” Clarity’s mom said, trotting into the kitchen. “Lucid is out of town on business. I’m afraid she might not be back in time to meet you.”
Clarity chuckled. “It doesn’t make much difference. She spends so much time in her room studying magic she might as well not be here, some days.”
“You know how your sister can be,” Clarity’s mother said. “She’s brilliant, but she’s not as outgoing as you.”
Clarity nodded, and turned back to her friends. “We don’t need Lucid here anyway,” she declared. “Let’s go put our stuff in my room, and then I’ll show you guys around town.”
The foals grabbed a few more cookies for the road, and once again let Clarity lead the way.
“Oh, by the way,” Clarity’s mom called after them, “the annual summer festival is on Saturday. Looks like you’re not going to miss it after all, Clarity.”
“Oh, that’s awesome!” Clarity cheered.
“What happens at the summer festival?” Scuffle asked.
“I’m not gonna ruin the surprise,” Clarity said, giving Scuffle a catlike grin. “Now drop your stuff in my room, and let’s go! We’ve got lots to do!”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Within minutes, Dinky and her friends were back on the sunny thoroughfare through Whinnychester. Clarity began to lead them down the slope toward the ocean.
“Anypony want to go to the beach?” she asked. “It’s a warm day; we could go swimming.”
“I’ve never been to the beach,” Dinky admitted. “Ponyville is near the center of the continent.”
“Same for where I live,” Honeydew said, nodding.
“You two don’t know what you’ve been missing then,” Clarity told them, wagging her tail excitedly. “Come on, let’s go there right now!”
It took only a few minutes to reach the shore. The foals walked past a line of seaside shops and stepped onto the sand.
Dinky had never stopped to think about the concept of a nearly endless expanse of water surrounding the continent, and only now did she realize just how vast it was. Other foals from town laughed and yelled to one another as they played in the sand or in the waves just offshore.
A wave broke on the shoreline, and the froth burbled up the sandy slope, licking the tips of Dinky’s hooves. She smiled as the water slowed, and then retreated back from whence it came.
“So, who’s up for a dip?” Clarity asked, trotting in place and leaving deep hoofprints in the sand.
“I am!” Scuffle declared. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the ocean.”
“I’ll just stay here and get some sun,” Honeydew said, lying down and stretching out on the sand. “I’ll join in later.”
“Suit yourself,” Scuffle said, shrugging. “Come on, Dinks, let’s see who’s better at jumping over the waves.”
“I want to make a sand castle, so I’ll stay here with Honeydew,” Clarity said. “You two go ahead.”
Scuffle nodded and rushed out into the water. Tentatively, Dinky dipped a hoof in. Realizing it was quite comfortable, she charged in after Scuffle. After several pony-lengths, the water deepened until it was up to her neck. She kicked off, and began to swim. She bobbed up and down on the waves as she made her way out to Scuffle. The colt was treading water, staring back at the beach.
“I wonder if Honeydew only decided to stay on the beach to keep away from me,” he said a bit sadly as the filly approached.
“Not necessarily,” Dinky said, following Scuffle’s gaze. “You know Honeydew; she likes to take things slow. Maybe she just wants to relax for a while.”
Scuffle nodded as he kicked a bit harder to keep himself afloat despite the efforts of another large wave. “Maybe. I still think she’d be more comfortable if I wasn’t here at all, though,” he admitted, ears drooping. “After all, I was gonna stay behind before the whole Sunbeam thing happened. I must have really messed up, if she gets so upset just from being near me.”
“Honeydew’s just very sensitive,” Dinky explained, swimming over to pat Scuffle’s shoulder. “But she’s also intelligent and rational. If you would just talk to her, I don’t think it would be as hard to work this out as you think it is. Both of you clearly want to apologize.”
“But neither of us have the guts,” Scuffle replied with a sheepish smile.
Dinky smirked. She dove beneath the waves and surfaced again right in front of the colt. “That’s because you’re as big a softy as she is,” she teased, giving Scuffle a playful bop on the nose. “Maybe delicate little Rosy Lace wasn’t as far from the truth as we thought.”
Scuffle snorted indignantly, and used his magic to splash a wave of seawater over Dinky. The filly shook the water from her head and pulled her sopping mane out of her eyes. She laughed, and Scuffle followed suit.
“Don’t worry, you’ll figure something out,” she assured him. “Your heart's in the right place. When you finally do talk to her, or when she talks to you, it will all work out. You’ll see.”
Scuffle watched the fillies on the beach. “Yeah. Yeah, it will. I hope…”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Honeydew watched as Clarity ran a hoof gingerly across the damp walls of the sand castle. Neither filly spoke for a few minutes.
“Clarity,” Honeydew said finally, switching the sand about with a few nervous flicks of her tail, “you’re very, um… confident, right?”
Clarity looked up, surprised by the question. “I guess I usually am,” she admitted, bewildered. “Why?”
Honeydew rolled onto her stomach and ran a hoof tip through the sand. “Because I have to end this silly little grudge between me and Scuffle, and I still have no idea how.”
“Are you still mad at him?” Clarity asked, ceasing her construction efforts for a moment.
“Not really,” Honeydew sighed, idly picking up a hunk of sand with her magic and letting it fall a few grains at a time as if in an hourglass. “And I’m no better than he is right now. I’m the one who attacked him, remember?”
Clarity snickered. “To be fair, he did kind of deserve that.”
Honeydew frowned. “You’re not helping,” she mumbled, disappointed. “I want to apologize, not to be justified.”
Clarity’s grin melted away. “You’re right. I was trying to lighten the mood, but I guess this isn’t really the time.”
Honeydew shifted on the warm sand. “So can you help me, or not?”
Clarity wrapped a bit of seaweed around a twig to make a makeshift flag, and stuck it in the turret of her castle. “I’m not sure what kind of help to give,” she admitted. “It’s obvious Scuffle doesn’t like this any more than you do. The only reason you still have to worry about it is because neither of you have spoken up!”
“But I can’t speak up,” Honeydew whined.
“Why?”
“Because this is about more than just that one afternoon!” Honeydew wailed. “It’s everything about Scuffle! His actions, his attitude, all of it. Even if he really is on our side now, I’m still… I’m still scared of him…”
Honeydew shoved her face in the sand and lay there, both ears twitching, waiting for Clarity’s response. The grey filly was silent for a while.
“Why don’t you just tell him that?”
Honeydew looked up. “Because, well, um…”
“If you don’t tell Scuffle what’s bothering you, he can’t do his part to try to stop it,” Clarity pointed out. “He can’t do much to make amends if you never give him the chance.”
“But if I try to make things better, I could just as easily make them worse!” Honeydew countered. “What if I say something that alienates him further, or lose my temper again, or—”
A large wave suddenly crashed onto the beach, destroying Clarity’s sand castle, and briefly submerging Honeydew entirely. When the water receded, the filly was still lying on the sand, soaked and blinking in shock.
“I think the ocean wants you to chill out,” Clarity laughed, glancing the mound that was a sand castle a few moments before. “You can do this. Scuffle will understand.”
Honeydew shook the stray seaweed out of her mane, and used a forehoof to flick a tiny sand crab off her nose. “I guess I have to,” she mumbled. “I told Dinky I would. And I suppose if I keep ignoring it, it’s only going to get harder.”
She glanced at Scuffle and Dinky, still playing in the waves. “I need to wait for the right moment,” she muttered. “I just hope it comes soon.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Despite their resolve, both Honeydew and Scuffle failed to speak up that day. Or for the next few days, for that matter. Again and again, it looked like one or the other was about to try, but each time, they’d make eye contact for only a moment and then hastily look away.
Clarity, luckily for all of them, refused to let the stubborn foals’ unspoken conflict drive a wedge into their vacation fun. She managed to find a host of entertaining activities for them around Whinnychester, and it was only in the lulls in excitement that Dinky found her thoughts returning to her friends’ predicament.
One fine afternoon in the middle of the week, the four friends went to the marketplace in the center of town for some shopping. As usual, Honeydew and Scuffle stayed far apart, keeping Dinky and Clarity between them.
“This is getting a little ridiculous,” Dinky whispered to her best friend as they trotted. “Maybe we need to help them along somehow.”
“Do you have some kind of plan?” Clarity whispered back.
“I think so. Just follow my lead,” Dinky muttered as they approached the marketplace.
For a few minutes, the group stayed together, wandering in the out of stores and around the market stalls. After a while, the four of them wound up in a bookstore. Dinky waited until Honeydew and Scuffle were not in the same aisle as Clarity and herself, and then hastily explained the plan.
A few moments later, the group gathered near the entrance to move on to the next store, but Clarity stayed behind.
“There’re a few books over here about illusions I haven’t had a chance to look at,” she said. “You three can keep going; I’ll catch up.”
“Okay, try not to take too long,” Dinky said, attempting to make her rehearsed response sound as natural as possible.
“I’ll be quick,” Clarity promised, waving to her friends as they trotted out.
Dinky led her other friends to a few more stores. Clarity failed to reappear, and soon Honeydew spoke up. “Where is she? Do you think she can’t find us?”
“I’ll go back to the bookstore and check,” Dinky volunteered. “Stay right here, you two. I’ll be right back.”
“Gotcha,” Scuffle said, as he and Honeydew nodded in unison.
Dinky took off, but not back to the bookstore. Once she was out of sight, she ducked behind a building, where Clarity was waiting for her.
“Did you get them alone?” the grey filly asked.
Dinky nodded eagerly. “It’s just the two of them, standing right next to each other. Maybe they’ll finally try to make up.”
The fillies snuck around the other side of the building, and peered cautiously around the corner into the plaza where Honeydew and Scuffle were standing. Both ponies were resolutely staring in opposite directions.
“Nothing,” Dinky mumbled.
“Give them time,” Clarity suggested. “Eventually, one of them might open up just to break the awkward silence.”
The two spies waited for several minutes. Eventually, Scuffle turned slightly, and chanced a glance in Honeydew’s direction. The filly was staring at the ground, but soon she looked at him too. This time, neither pony looked away.
“Hey, um, Scuffle…” Honeydew began. “We need to… I should, um…”
Dinky grinned. “This is it, any second now!”
“We should probably—”
“Oh, hello you two!”
Dinky and Clarity both let out a groan as Clarity’s mom, on a chance shopping trip of her own, trotted up to the foals. Honeydew, relief obvious in her face, turned to the mare, and Scuffle did as well.
“Good morning Honeydew, Scuffle,” she greeted. “Where are Clarity and Dinky? Lagging behind somewhere, I suppose?”
Clarity sighed. “It’s over,” she grumbled. “Come on, let’s go back over there.”
“Here they come now,” Scuffle said, noticing the approaching fillies.
“Oh, good,” Clarity’s mom said. “I hope you all aren’t spending too many bits. You’ll probably want to save a few for games at the festival on Saturday.”
“Don’t worry, we are,” Clarity said, her voice tinged with a faint hint of disappointment. “But thanks for the reminder, mom.”
“No problem!” Clarity’s mom replied, either not noticing or not acknowledging her daughter’s tone. “I just saw your friends here on my way to get some fresh tomatoes for pasta sauce, and thought I’d say hello. Enjoy the rest of the day, you four!”
The mare trotted off, leaving the foals standing together. Scuffle turned back to Honeydew.
“You were saying?”
“Nothing,” Honeydew said quickly. “Let’s go, shall we? Plenty more shops to visit!”
The pink filly trotted away. Dinky and Clarity exchanged an exasperated glance and chased after their friend.
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Soon enough, it was Saturday morning: the last day of Midsummer Holiday and the day of Whinnychester’s annual festival. The foals, all tired from days of activity, slept in for a while. Late morning sunlight had flooded Clarity’s bedroom by the time Dinky awoke. Finding the room deserted, she trotted downstairs to find Clarity, Honeydew, and Scuffle were already seated, watching hungrily as Clarity’s mom levitated a plate of grass pancakes to the table.
“Hi, Dinky!” Clarity called, waving. “The festival starts in about an hour. You ready?”
“Of course,” Dinky said, sitting down. “What’s the festival like, anyway?”
“It’s just a fair, to celebrate the middle of summer,” Clarity somehow managed to explain through a huge mouthful of pancake. “There are shops and games and live shows, and even fireworks once it gets dark!”
“Just don’t stay out too late,” Clarity’s mom recommended. “You all need to catch the train tomorrow to be back at the Academy by the next day, so come home after the fireworks show."
“We will,” Clarity promised.
“I’m not looking forward to that train ride back, though,” Scuffle mumbled. “It’s gonna take forever to get back to Canterlot.”
“Oh, worry about that later,” Dinky scolded. “At least we’ve got one more day of fun before we have to sit through that again.”
“Right,” Clarity agreed. “Now come on! I want to be there as soon as the festival starts!”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clarity’s excitement had not been unfounded. The usually quiet streets of Whinnychester had been transformed into a bustling amalgamation of stands and events, even more spectacular than Ponyville’s county fair.
Later in the afternoon, Dinky and Scuffle emerged from the carnival game tent to find Honeydew and Clarity outside, returning with snacks.
“Hi, Dinky,” Clarity greeted, levitating a few extra treats in the filly’s direction. “Want some cotton candy?”
Dinky stared at the sugary treat for a moment, unresponsive. Clarity raised an eyebrow.
“Dinky?”
…
“Hi, Pip.”
“Oh, hi Dinky. Um… want some cotton candy?”
“I… uh… sure. Thanks, Pip.”
“It’s nothing.”
“So, Pip, the rest of my friends aren’t here yet. Want to walk around the fair with me for a while?”
…
Scuffle waved a hoof in front of Dinky’s face. “Yo, Dinks, you okay?”
Dinky blinked. “Yeah,” she replied, slowly moving a hoof to the pendant resting on her chest. “Clarity just reminded me of last summer. I talked to Pip one on one for the first time at a fair just like this one.”
Dinky’s pendant glowed faintly and warmed up. She smiled, knowing her favorite colt, halfway across Equestria, was thinking of her.
“Aww, this fair must bring back some great memories,” Honeydew cooed, her ears perking up as she stared at the glowing gem in Dinky’s accessory. “That’s so sweet.”
“So is this stuff,” Scuffle said through a huge mouthful of cotton candy.
Clarity blinked, realized half her cotton candy was gone, and glared at Scuffle. “You know, if you wanted some, you could have asked,” she said indignantly.
Scuffle shrugged as he swallowed the sweets. “I figured I’d better not interrupt you,” he chuckled. “Gotta give fillies their space when they’re going all goo-goo eyed about mushy stuff.”
Dinky giggled, shaking her head. “You are hopeless sometimes, you know that?”
“Yeah, I know,” Scuffle said calmly, turning and leading the group toward the next attraction.
Clarity slowed her pace, falling back past Honeydew until she was next to Dinky. “You think he’s gonna be able to be a little more serious when he finally talks to Honeydew?” she whispered, flattening her ears nervously.
“He’s just putting on a show,” Dinky replied comfortingly. “When I talk to Scuffle in private, he can actually be really serious and meaningful. Hopefully that side of him is the one we see when the time comes.”
“I sure hope so,” Clarity mumbled. “There’s not much left for us to say to them. Now it’s in their hooves.”
“And those are capable hooves,” Dinky assured her. “You’ll see.”
“Hey, what are you two mumbling about back there?” Scuffle called, glancing over his shoulder.
“Nothing,” Dinky replied. “And hey, how about we head to the circus tent and watch the acrobat ponies.”
“Sounds like a plan!” Scuffle answered. “Which way?”
Clarity moved to the front of the group, and the four foals set off again.
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The festival remained a bustling center of activity all day long. At sunset, most ponies began to make their way to the grandstands set up for the fireworks show, so Dinky was understandably concerned when Clarity lead them in a different direction.
“Clarity, where are we going? The bleachers are the other way.”
“The bleachers?” Clarity laughed. “Who wants to sit on cold, cramped metal benches with a thousand other ponies, anyway? I know of a much better spot for us.”
The four ponies trotted up the hill, almost all the way back to the train station. Clarity made a left turn, and led them off the road and up the side of a steep, grassy hill.
“See, this spot is much better,” the grey filly said when she and her friends reached the peak of the knoll. “It has a great view, soft grass, and all the room we want!”
Dinky looked back the way they had come and was able to see the grandstands where the other ponies had congregated. Clarity was right; from this elevated perspective, there was a great view of the open sky.
Scuffle flopped down on the grass and sighed contently. “Good on ya, Clarity!” he congratulated. “This is a great spot.”
“Agreed,” Honeydew added, sitting down. “This is much better than sitting in the stands.”
“Told you,” Clarity bragged. “I’ve been coming to this spot every year for as long as I can remember. No place in town is better.”
The foals waited as the last light of the sun vanished from the sky. There were a few moments of shivering silence, and then the first rocket zipped into the air and burst in a ring of color and light.
The vantage point was perfect. Dinky and her friends had an excellent view of the whole show. For the next quarter-hour, the ponies sat in silence, watching the fireworks.
“This was a lovely week,” Dinky said finally. “I forgot how nice it was to get away from classes and overseers and crazy, dark magic wielding foals for a while.”
Clarity laughed nervously. “To be fair, Dinky, that third one isn’t part of the usual Celestia’s Academy experience.”
“I know, right?” Dinky laughed ironically. “Lucky us, huh?”
She turned toward her other friends. “And what about you two? Did you have fun?”
Scuffle nodded. “Sure beats sitting around in an empty school. Thanks for letting us tag along, Clarity.”
“Yes, thank you,” Honeydew agreed. “Whinnychester is a beautiful place. I was able to relax a little, and you know how hard that is for me.”
“Yeah, it was relaxing, for the most part,” Scuffle said. “There were a couple, you know, small things…”
“Some little, insignificant worries…” Honeydew added.
Both foals lapsed into silence. Dinky watched, breath held, as Scuffle’s pupils drifted to the corners of his eyes and discreetly stared at Honeydew. The pink filly shut her eyes for a moment and chewed her lip. They sat frozen for a good twenty seconds.
Dinky let one ear lower and tilted her head, staring at her two stone still friends. “So, um—”
All at once, Honeydew and Scuffle both made a move.
“That’s it, we need to—”
“Alright already, can we just—”
And suddenly, they were almost nose to nose. There was another second of tense silence, and then both foals backed off several paces, each looking equally shocked. Dinky sat down next to Clarity and waited for the rest to play out.
“Y-you first,” Honeydew mumbled.
Scuffle swallowed. “Look, we haven’t said two words to each other directly in like a month. I know I made you really upset the last time we, er, really interacted. You probably still think I’m out to get you, and Dinky and Clarity too, but I’m not!”
Honeydew shook her head. “You aren’t the only one at fault. I could have killed you with those roots if Clarity hadn’t stopped me. And I owe you an apology for that, no matter what I think of you.”
Scuffle flinched. “Oh, that,” he mumbled. “Truth be told, I got over the thing with the roots pretty fast, so apology accepted. I just… I don’t want to spend time with a pony who thinks I’m a monster. It’s hard on me, and it’s hard on you. All four of us can’t spend time together without a lot of tension, and that’s not how it should be when we’re hanging out together. It’s uncomfortable and forced.”
Honeydew narrowed her eyes. “You tried to sell Dinky out for the sake of your own reputation. Even if you changed your mind, why should I trust you?”
“I did do that,” Scuffle admitted. “Do you know why I was thinking that way, Honeydew?”
Honeydew looked away. “I assumed it was because you were selfish and… you know, didn’t really care what happened to us. I know you keep denying it, but then I keep seeing it proven true. That was just the most recent instance.”
She turned away. “That’s why I feel so… conflicted, I guess,” she continued. “Some ponies say everypony deserves a chance, and only a friend can give them that chance. But when it seems like a pony is only going to take advantage of the chance you give them and use it to cause more harm… does the rule still apply? Dinky and Clarity seem to think you won’t abuse that chance, and they’re the first ponies I’ve trusted in a long, long time…”
Dinky smiled a bit at the compliment, but Honeydew still looked miserable. Scuffle slowly approached her, and she looked over her shoulder at him warily.
“Can I at least try to explain myself?” he asked hesitantly.
Honeydew nodded, still facing away, and remained silent. Scuffle walked up next to the filly, and for once, she didn’t retreat. Standing her ground, she turned and stared blankly at Scuffle, as if daring him to justify himself.
“I did do everything you said, and I’ll take the responsibility for it,” Scuffle began. “But there is one thing you’re wrong about. I wasn’t a bully out of selfishness, or spite, or because I didn’t care about other ponies.”
Honeydew wrinkled her nose. “Then why?”
Scuffle squeezed his eyes shut. “Because… because I’m a coward.”
“Huh?”
“You heard me,” Scuffle grumbled, failing to meet her gaze again. “I’m a coward. A spineless colt who’s too afraid to do what’s right. So afraid, in fact, that I put the feelings of other ponies aside to save my own skin. And I got so used to doing that that the guilt started to dull. At least until I met you three, that is.”
Honeydew took a slow breath. “Your brothers again, I guess?” she said haltingly.
“Not just them,” Scuffle replied. “I grew up in Fillydelphia. It’s a rough town. Kinda the opposite of Whinnychester. My brothers adapted to it, and the fights and danger that come with it. Scorch and Frosty, as you probably noticed, get in a lot of fights. Sometimes they win. Other times, they get beaten up pretty bad. They tough it out, though, and go back with revenge in mind the next time. When they leave the tough streets of Fillydelphia and come to school, they’re the toughest colts around, and neither of them have a problem taking advantage of that at the expense of everypony else.”
The colt glanced at the iron cage on his flank. “I’m not the same, though,” he continued, ears drooping. “My blood’s not boiling with fighting spirit. I’m just as afraid of getting picked on by the older colts as you are. Even my special talent reflects that; I don’t have a knack for spells I can use to fight. All I can do is shield my sorry rump as I scramble out of the range of attack, tail tucked between my legs.”
Honeydew’s expression was difficult to read. “I see,” she said, sounding a bit skeptical. “I know you blamed your brothers for your actions before, but you’re still crass and intimidating, even when they aren’t around.”
Scuffle smiled sheepishly. “Hey, I’m just playin’ around, most of the time,” he admitted. “Acting tough is how I hide how cowardly I really am. It’s just become a habit.”
Honeydew pouted. “If you haven’t noticed, Scuffle, I’m a coward too. I didn’t have any more comfortable of a foalhood than you did, and a lot of times I feel like everypony’s out to get me. Dinky and Clarity are friendly and understanding all the time, but you’re… different…”
Scuffle worked his jaw thoughtfully. “I guess I didn’t realize how much it bothered you,” he admitted. “Sometimes I try to lighten the mood a little, but I guess I have a special kind of humor. Dinky and Clarity think it’s funny, at least.”
“Most of the time,” Clarity cut in, grinning. “Sometimes you’re just a dork.”
“Yeah, see?” Scuffle chuckled. “I’m just kidding around with you three a lot of the time. I’ve never meant any harm with those jokes, I swear. You three are the only real friends I’ve made at the Academy, so I want to hang onto that!”
Honeydew stared off in another direction for a few moments. Eventually, she turned to meet Scuffle’s gaze again. “Alright,” she said slowly. “I’m scared to trust anypony fully, but… well, I do trust Dinky and Clarity’s judgment, and I think I can believe what you say.”
She pawed at the grass nervously. “Besides, we’ve both seen what our nerves do to us. I can’t begrudge you for making some bad choices when I was equally bad that day in the hideout. The last thing I'd ever want is to be seen as a bully myself, even if it was to put another bully in his place. I guess... sometimes its easier to accidentally be a bad pony than I thought...”
"I know how you feel," Scuffle said, nodding.
There was a short pause. “Whaddya say, then?” he continued, raising his ears hopefully. “Can we sweep all this under the rug and start fresh?”
Honeydew thought it over. “Start fresh isn’t the right word,” she said finally. “Both of us have done things we’d rather not have, and both of us need to remember that if we want to be better.”
Scuffle cocked his head. Honeydew gave a shuddering sigh and continued.
“I’ll give you one more chance. I’ll trust you enough to try to treat you how Dinky and Clarity do. But if you betray that trust again, we’re done. Okay?”
“A trial run?” Scuffle asked. “I’ll agree to that, but only if you agree to something for me.”
It was Honeydew’s turn to tilt her head. “And what’s that?”
“I need you to be honest,” Scuffle answered. “If I’m doing something that makes you uncomfortable, tell me. And if I’m making a decision that could affect you, Dinky, and Clarity, I’ll ask you all about it first, and if it’s not okay, just tell me why and I’ll reconsider. Does that sound fair?”
Honeydew nodded. Scuffle gave a relieved sigh and held out a hoof.
“So, friends?”
“…Something like that…” Honeydew said, returning the hoofshake.
Scuffle smirked. “Good enough for now, at least.”
“See,” Dinky said, standing up again. “I knew you two could find a way to work this out.”
“I guess we should have gotten around to that earlier,” Honeydew admitted, pursing her lips.
Scuffle smirked. “Well, we are both cowards. What did you expect?”
To Dinky’s surprise, Honeydew cracked a smile. She turned away so Scuffle wouldn’t comment on it.
Clarity lit her horn. “Alright, follow me!” she announced. “Mom will get worried if we don’t get home soon. Cast some light and let’s go!”
Yellow, blue, and green beams joined Clarity’s reddish one, and the four foals, walking all together like a group of close friends for the first time all week, made their way back home.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Looks like you four had fun!” Clarity’s mom observed as the four fairly exhausted foals wandered into Clarity’s kitchen. “I take it the festival was as lively as usual?”
“Of course,” Clarity laughed. “Especially since the four of us got to check it out together this year.”
“I guess we should get ready for bed now, though,” Dinky pointed out. “We still have to pack our stuff tomorrow morning before the train comes.”
“Well, before you all turn in, there’s one more surprise waiting upstairs,” Clarity’s mom said, giggling.
Clarity raised an eyebrow. “What are you up to, mom?”
“Me? Nothing,” the mare sang, turning back to the sink. “Have a good night, you four.”
Clarity led the troupe up the stairs, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary when they reached her bedroom.
“I don’t get it,” Scuffle announced, glancing around. “What’s the surprise?”
Clarity looked around the room, equally confused, but then she stopped, her gaze fixed on an empty corner of the room.
“Nice try,” she said aloud, wagging a forehoof. “I don’t care how good your invisibility spells get; you’re not hiding from me!”
“Dang, I thought I had you this time,” a disembodied female voice replied. “Still sharp as ever, Clarity.”
A brilliant red light like a neon sign filled the room. At first, Dinky thought it was Clarity’s magic, but quickly realized the color was too bright, unlike the cinnamon red she expected.
The red ball energy hung in the air for a moment, and then split into a dozen or so pinpoints of light, each of which began to trace a line through the air. It only took a few seconds for Dinky to realize they were drawing a three-dimensional outline of a pony.
A moment later, they completed their task, and returned to the tip of the outlined mare’s horn. They glowed brighter for a second, and solid color washed through the empty space between the lines.
Dinky was a bit shocked when the pony came fully into view. She looked quite like Clarity, with the same grey coat and same voluminous mane and reddish eyes. The only major differences were the purple color of her mane, the red-rimmed glasses balanced on her snout, and her stature; she was a full grown mare.
Clarity was unfazed. “That was a flashy entrance.”
“Is this who I think it is?” Dinky asked, looking back and forth repeatedly between Clarity and the older pony.
“Yup,” Clarity answered matter-of-factly. “Dinky, Honeydew, Scuffle, this is the unicorn you’ve all heard so much about: my sister, Lucid.”
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Just what the doctor ordered....a nice little breather episode before we get back to figuring out what is actually going on.
You forgot to un-italicize
So, it's the Summer Sun Fair, then.
3738985
Thanks, I'll fix that.
3738390 And to top it off Honeydew and Scuffle managed to patch things up.
A nice midsummer calm before the next campaign... hopefully this week off allowed some heads to cool and reason to prevail.
Can we just have this for a while?.. This is nice
I can only think "calm before the storm" with this chapter...but it was am excellent chapter! Keep up the good work!
I can't help but think they should have done more regarding Sunbeam than just leave a note for Luna and hope it doesn't get misplaced before the Princess sees it. They had a whole week, so a letter to Twilight and/or the Royal Palace would long since have arrived.
3739003
Well, the actual canon Summer Sun Celebration happens on the first day of summer, not the middle of summer. So this is just a random fair.
*Watches Honeydew and Scuffle*
NOW KISS!
I hope Sparkler or the Dean don't find that note instead of Luna.
3741010 I thought the same thing.
ScuffleDew. I ship it xP
This chapter was a little too... fanficcy for my tastes. Not the best way to put it, but many parts were either really cheesy or silly, which just didnt sit well with me. Hopefully I'll get back into it in the next chapter.
3742759
I'm too busy laughing at you calling a fanfic "too fanficcy" to be upset.
Regardless, I'm going back to the main plot in Chapter 14, so with any luck the problem will be resolved next time.
3742692 Who doesn't?
Lovethis chapter. And yes honydew and scuffle, I can see a relationship forming. Dont let us down!
Wow, Scuffle's brothers are asshats. Even with the backstory, there is really no call for treating their brother like that.
3741010
Hee hee.
3742692
Like FedEx.
3741010 3741936 3742692 3743806 3744010 3744118 3744122
WHY MUST WE ALWAYS SHIP EVERYTHING?!
But yeah, I ship it like an overnight package... of twoo wuv.
Also, why do I get the feeling that Trouble is a great deal more than he/she lets on? Equestria's more intelligent than normal animals aside, Trouble is really good at being right where he/she needs to be at right time... I'm thinking there's either one more form of "Sunbeam" than we've identified, or someone's actually trying to do something about the dark magic problem.
Scuffle might get a bit of street cred with the colts if they know he spent the night in the girls dorms, as long as he doesn't mention how he got out again.
3744581 Because shipping is fun! Also, I wonder if Scuffle is a closet crossdresser?
3747492
Nah, he just looks smokin' as a mare.
Just a point int he favor of putting everything through a Rule 63 filter, and getting an On a Cross and Arrow version of every story ever.
Which, I think, would be kinda funny, but not likely at all.
3744581 because shpping is magic
Heheh. Scuffle's such a hipster.
3742692
3743806
3744122
3741010
denver.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/rsz/mlfw10515_small.jpg
3749214
&
as heavy Cargo ships, 
&
as Yachts, and 
&
as either hoverboats or patrol boats.
I need to see a 'My Little Ships, Shipping is Magic' picture now, with
I must see this now.
3749431 ... I have failed you Lord Shift.
The best I could find is this. http://cdn.derpiboo.ru/media/BAhbBlsHOgZmSSIBhzIwMTIvMTEvMTgvMTZfNDdfMDhfMjQ4XzE1NjMwOF9fVU5PUFRfX3NhZmVfdHdpbGlnaHRfc3BhcmtsZV9yYWluYm93X2Rhc2hfc2hpcHBpbmdfZGVycHlfaG9vdmVzX2x5cmFfbWVtZV9kb2N0b3Jfd2hvb3Zlc19ib25fYm9uX3h6aWJpdAY6BkVU/156308__safe_twilight-sparkle_rainbow-dash_shipping_derpy-hooves_lyra_bonbon_meme_doctor-whooves_twidash_ponies-in-real-life_lyrabon_fluttermac_doctorderpy_xzibit.png
3742692 I ship it like UPS overnight delivery. The entire time they've been doing this love/hate thing I've been waiting for one of them to just grab the other's face and start kissing. And I think we all agree that Honeydew starts it, there's gonna be some tongue action. Mmmmhmmm~!
Besides my shipping preferences, I have two things to ask/point out.
The dormitory shield is one way, eh? You can get out, but not back in?
And, when are we gonna get more Pipsqueak in this thing? I wanna see some cutesy, childish, lovey dovey stuff, but Scuffle and Honeydew are taking too long.
3750183
Pip isn't a major character in this story, unfortunately.
Don't worry, he's got a big moment coming up before the end, though.
3750320 then I'm gonna wait for a swashbuckling pinto pony to swoop in to save his fair maiden somehow.
3749892
It will do for now, peon.
BACK TO THE STORY
And thus began Scuffle's career as a crossdressing call-colt.
3740450
Just a random fair?
Just!?
I come from a very large, very hospitable family (think My Big Fat Greek Wedding).
) in the clan and all live in relatively close proximity. Any excuse to get together and have a random celebration is a good excuse! 
We have a disproportionally large number of professional chefs (and brewers!
Woo! the elusive Lucid shows her face at last!
3753088
Hah, good, someone finally commented on that Scuffle line. I was hoping that joke wouldn't be wasted.
3756045
I believe the Hub created the Zodiac ponies for New Years 2013, a year ago.
I haven't heard any evidence of them ever being connected to the show, and I work for Equestria Daily, so I think it's safe to assume there isn't any evidence right now. Maybe at a later date, who knows?
Well, the hideout's off-limits now. Even if the hideout itself isn't strictly against rules, Sparkler's going to connect the drain access to the break-in at the girls' dorm, and probably stake it out.
Sunbeam had pretty much every reason to see Scuffle get in hot water, so Trouble is probably Nester.
3759934
Sparkler doesn't know where that drain goes, though, nor can she fit down it and find out. There are also very few ponies who even COULD use it to break in, since most ponies don't have Scuffle's ability to manipulate gravity.
Sparkler may have assumed the drain was busted from somepony within the tower, and then that same pony somehow escaped detection and ran back to their room. Even if not, she has no idea the drain ends up at the hideout, so I think it's probably still safe to use.
And, at least, we've come full-circle! A little predictable, pacing-wise, but that isn't much of a complaint, really – Especially how you handled the resolution, in that it's not one-hundred percent solved yet, though still solved to a degree. A very enjoyable chapter.
I feel like the gag of sneaking Scuffle out of the fillies' residence tower was a little forced. I feel like Scuffle could have just used the gravity spell he had just recently used to get in for climbing down out of the building. Of course, there's a few excuses available for why he didn't – somepony seeing him, the window not being able to be opened, fear – but it would have at least been nice to address those reasons to make the comedy setup less obvious.
3742692 Don't we all? o3o
3760561
So Sparkler thinks it's vandalism instead of a break-in?
3762297
Probably. It's technically irrelevant though. She can't get down there, and she has no reason to believe it's a useful way in and out of the castle. In fact, it shouldn't even be a useful way: the foals got lucky in that the end of the drainage shaft happened to be built very close to a naturally occurring hollow, which they use as the hideout. Once that boulder was loosened, a pathway between them that was not intentionally designed was created.
ahh yes
another long awaited chapter that satisfies my soul, great work as always
Essentially a charitor development chapter.
Nice one (took a extra day to read mind you) but no further insightful comments at this time.
Couldnt wait for the next part so I thought I'd write a fan fic on how I think it could end in my mind it's my only fic it's called the big boom please check it out and I can't wait for chap 14
Ps my fic is still being approved
3776527
That's okay, they'll get to it soon.
They got back to me and there were a few diouloug issues such as placement prb when it gets approved ill comment and can you check it out it might be tomorrow afternoon
3742692 yes
This fic needs more dragons.
I'm dovah brony I killed all but two spike,and twinkletoes rar