In the outskirts of Ponyville, a lone yellow pegasus was feeding her friendly animals. She stood outside her cottage nourishing the birds with freshly excavated worms, and rabbits with properly grown carrots. The critters frolicked to and fro around the gentle pony as they ravished in the clean air.
It warmed her heart to see her little friends enjoying this beautiful day.
“There you go Mr. Otter.” she said softly, “I made sure it was seasoned well, so I hope you like it.”
The small rodent feasted on his meal and squeaked in approval.
Then before she could furnish more food to the other animals, a crow was perched in a tree branch just above her. It stood high in the tree, peering down as its head jerked left and right. The pegasus has never seen this raven before, despite her mingling skills with other birds. So to maintain that topic, she decides to fly up the tree and meet this odd bird.
“Hello there.” she said. “What's your name?”
The bird did not respond, only with more twitching as its eyes absently glanced at the flying pony before it.
“Um, my name's Flutterhshy.” she continued, but the crow replied with more silence, “Do you want something to eat?”
Suddenly, the bird cawed in her face, causing her to flinch. Then it flew away from her, back down the tree.
“Oh wait!” Fluttershy said worried. “Don't go!”
She followed the crow alongside the trunk of the tree as it banked an inch from the ground. The bird led Fluttershy a few yards away, through the bushes and shrubs surrounding her abode.
The pegasus felt troubled trying to catch up to the bird. She can see know that it wasn't in the mood for a proper acquaintance.
Finally, the crow led Fluttershy to a bush not too far from her home.
She peeked her head inside the bush, but the crow ambushed her with another unexpected caw. Fluttershy squeaked and fell back on her haunches. The bird then flew away from the pegasus entirely, never to be seen again.
“Maybe he's just cranky.” Fluttershy muttered to herself.
As she stood back up on all fours, a strange looking object was left where the crow was hiding.
“What's this?” she queried. As she grabs it with her hoof to inspect it closely.
It was a bottle of some kind, made to look like a raven. Its lid represented the very crow she was chasing, and a tag was leashed against it with a picture of a silhouetted crow head. As she shook the bottle slightly, it jostled with liquid indicating it was full. The odd looking bottle peeked Fluttershy's curiosity.
But it turned to deep concern when she reads the front of the bottle, displaying Murder of Crows.
The word “murder” made Fluttershy cup her mouth while gasping.
“Oh my!” she choked.
The advertisement had the timid pony worried.
“Why would anypony want this?” she thought to herself, “I should hide this, so nopony will find it.”
Fluttershy thought it to be an effort when she takes the bottle into her house. She sets it on the table beside her couch.
“Now what should I do with this?” Fluttershy said to herself.
It became clear that if she were to hide this item, she needs to find a suitable spot to do so. She becomes more worrisome as she contemplates in her head. As she ponders, she couldn't help but feel grasped by the bottle sitting lonesomely in the center of her table. Its bird shaped top some how gazed into her eyes as she sheepishly glances it. Its ceramic eyes made Fluttershy's head throb a little, which is weird considering she hasn't been feeling sick lately.
It forced her to become curious, and she walks up to the bottle. She stiffens her as she looks carefully at the bottle.
“M-maybe... its a special medicine.” Fluttershy said slightly nervous, “And... and I do feel, a little headache.”
Without more consideration, she grabs it and pulls its top off. She gulps the beverage down her throat and starts to feel strange for some reason. Her head began to spin almost instantly, and her limbs started to grow numb. Dizziness ensues, and she drops the bottle on the floor, spilling its leftover contents all over the rug.
“Oh... my.” Fluttershy said wearily. “I don't feel so good. I need some air.”
To clear her head of this woozy feeling, she opens a nearby window to be greeted by the relaxing aroma of her window garden. Its pungent smell started to help Fluttershy reclaim her senses again.
She begins to relish at this atmosphere when another crow as similar as the first one she encountered, sits idly on her window seal.
“Oh, hello again.” she said to the bird. “What are you doing here?”
The crow stood silent once again, and instead, flew inside and rested itself on top of Fluttershy's head.
“... Well, um, you're welcomed to stay here if you like.” Fluttershy said.
Then another crow disembarked itself on the window seal.
“Oh hello. Are you friends with this little fella?” she points to the bird on her mane.
And then another black bird stands beside the other then caw together.
“Um, I don't think I have room for two more of you.”
Then without warning, four more of the ravens descend in front of her. This many unexpected visits, causes her to back up with the first crow still nestled on her soft pink mane. More crows double every second, and begin to fly inside her home. Then before she knows it, a whole swarm circles the interior as Fluttershy scrunches her head at the colossal amount of black birds, overrunning her cottage.
“I can't make homes for all of you!” Fluttershy squeaks, as she looks around the room being covered by black.
By the end of the scuffle, there are hundreds of crows everywhere. Perched on the rafters, nestled in her couch, and some even took the liberty to sit on Fluttershy's back, cawing excessively. All of these crows overwhelmed her greatly.
She tried to think fast, until somepony was calling her name from outside.
“Fluttershy!” a raspy female voice called as she knocks on the door, "What's going on in there? You alright?"
Whoever was outside, she must've heard what was going on and came to see if the house's residence was okay. Even though not a lot of ponies reside next door to the cottage.
Fluttershy responds to answer the front door.
“Excuse me, pardon me, sorry about that, please excuse me.” Fluttershy, excuses herself past each and every bird.
She reaches the door and opens it, revealing Rainbow Dash looking rather concerned about her friend.
“Oh hi Rainbow.” Fluttershy said quietly.
“Uhhh... why do you have a crow on your head?” Rainbow replied with a raised eyebrow.
It jogged Fluttershy's memory, that the starting raven was still sitting on her scalp, peering down on the rainbow-maned pegasus before it.
“I've uh... been having trouble with some birds, and I need them to leave.”
“You want birds to leave your house?” The cyan pegasus questioned, seeing how her friend is all about caring for animals rather than kicking them out.
“If you could Rainbow Dash, could you perhaps help me here?”
“No problem,” Rainbow accepted proudly, with a challenging grin, “I'll have those birds out of your house in no time.”
“Thank you Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy smiled, “Oh but please be careful not to hurt them.”
“Oh relax, Flutters.” Rainbow replied with a scoff as she flew inside to see billions of black birds surrounding her. “Whoa! I can see why you need them out. Not a problem.”
She flew up to a nearby batch of crows.
“Listen up you little feather brains!” Rainbow commanded at the crows, “Flutters here wants you all out of her house! So move your little tail feathers and take a hike!”
They however replied the same as they did with Fluttershy, mere silence and constant twitching of the head.
“Out of the house bird brain!” Rainbow ignores Fluttershy's plea as she continues to bark at each of the birds.
“Rainbow please, I-”
“Are you deaf or something!? I said get out!”
“Rainbow stop-”
“If you little jerks don't high tail it outta here, I'm gonna force you to go on the count of three! One... Two... Th-”
“STOP IT!” Fluttershy's bellowing screech, freezes Rainbow on the spot, “Rainbow, leave them alone!”
The pegasus was astonished by her friend's sudden anger.
But then, all the crows in Fluttershy's house caw loudly simultaneously. They stare at Rainbow with menacing glares and suddenly, then swarm Rainbow Dash, constantly pecking her with their beaks.
“Ow! Hey knock it- Ouch that... stop it!” Rainbow cried over the towering swarm.
Rainbow was covered in black as more crows attack her ferociously. Fluttershy couldn't help but watch her friend being beaten by these evil birds. Every bellow from Rainbow, made Fluttershy tear up a little as she just stood their helplessly.
“Ugh that's it!” Rainbow shouts over the scuffle, “I'm outta here! Sorry Fluttershy!”
Rainbow breaks free of the band of crows , and dashes out the door, with all the crows following behind her. They whoosh past Fluttershy, causing her mane the flow in their forceful wind, as well as remove the crow that was on her head the whole time.
As soon as the house was clear of black, Fluttershy runs outside and looks up to see a ball of feathery black trailing behind Rainbow as she tries to evade their furious pecking.
“Oh my!” Flutterhsy squeaked as she galloped towards town, “I've got to find Twilight!”
On the other end of town, resides a large farm that bustled with apple trees. Its vast crop expanded for miles and miles until it links to the horizon. Many Ponyvillians rely on this fruit, but more importantly, rely on the very pony who grows and harvests them. She would pick out the apples, use them for various treats and goods, and sell them for everypony to eat.
The quaint little farm of Sweet Apple Acres, has had high demand for new crops and its owner had to get busy. She bucked individual trees, to shake down every last apple that hung above her.
Meanwhile, in the distance, Rainbow Dash was flying at an incredible speed. Trying her hardest to shake off the tailing flock of crows she recently befriended. And by befriend, she prefers anger and wind up with half the world's birds pecking out her eye.
The rainbow-maned pegasus gave her wings all she got in order to avoid those crazy crows. While Fluttershy was in hot pursuit, trying to ease the violent swarm.
“Oh please, stop!” Fluttershy cried from behind as the crows continued to chase Rainbow.
But her bellowing plea only encouraged the birds to attack.
“It's not working Fluttershy!” Rainbow called above. “You need to find Twilight! I bet she knows about this!”
The yellow pegasus obeyed as the flock was inching closer to Rainbow's tail. But then she looked down to see the Apple farm, providing Fluttershy an idea while she tries and tames these wild ravens.
“I'll be right back!” Fluttershy said, as she dived towards the farm.
“Wait! Where are you going!?” Rainbow shouted, “I said Twilight not Applejack!” She wanted to stop to retrieve her and get her to fix this mess, but the cawing of the flock reminded her that she need to pick up the pace.
So Rainbow was left to handle this on her own, while Fluttershy raced to the farm.
***
Deep in the orchard, Applejack was making her morning rounds with the apple harvesting. Her and her brother kicked tree after tree to bring down the load of clean red apples.
“Whew! We're workin' faster than a beaver, eh Big Mac?” Applejack smirked as she kept her pace going.
“Eeyup.” her brother replied, unfazed by the overwhelming work progress.
Applejack bucks another tree. She assumes that more apples would fall, but something else decided to substitute.
As she bucks the trunk, something falls and hits Applejack on top of her head.
“Ow! Pony Feathers!” Applejack yelped, rubbing the throbbing pain on her frontal lobe.
“Ya alright AJ?” Big Mac halted his apple bucking to aid his sister.
“Yeah Ah'm fine, something just knocked me on mah...”
Applejack paused for a moment when she finds the source of her ache. A yellowish bottle with a bronze horse on top, with a funny looking thing on its back.
“... noggin.” Applejack finishes her sentence.
The two work ponies stop what they're doing and analyze the bottle with the words “Bucking Bronco” written on its cover.
“What in tarnation is that?” Applejack questioned.
Big Mac was about to answer when a voice echoed from a distant.
“It's not working Fluttershy!” The voice indicated it was Rainbow shouting.
They look up to see Rainbow being chased by a flock of crows, that cawed loudly from afar.
Applejack adorns her face with a curious expression.
“What in the name of Celestia.” Applejack mumbles to herself.
Suddenly, the big red stallion next to her, was knocked off his hooves with an audible grunt.
But it turns out it was Fluttershy who crashed into Big Mac. He lied on his back while she stood above him, dazed by her premature landing.
“Fluttershy!” Applejack exclaimed.
Fluttershy groaned wearily as she boosts herself off Big Mac's chest. She opens her eyes and sees AJ's brother looking up at her with dizzily eyes.
“Oh, I'm sorry Big Mac!” Fluttershy babbled in shock as she gets off of the stallion, “Are you okay?”
Big Mac tried his best to lift himself up a bit.
“... Eeyup.” he said wobbly, with his head still spinning, before plopping his head back on the ground.
“Fluttershy!” Applejack caught the pegasus's attention, making her flinch with a squeak, “What in all of the world of Equestria were y'all doin'?”
“Oh um...” Fluttershy uttered, “I-I was just... trying to help Rainbow with, um, those crows.” She points up into the sky.
Applejack follows her direction to still see Rainbow flying like her life depends on it. And with the murderous swarm behind her, that left AJ guessing that that must be what she's running from.
“Well how did she git a whole bunch a crows to folla her like bait on a hook?” Applejack said with a raised eyebrow.
“I don't know, they wouldn’t leave my house when they came in and-”
“Wait, you've had those crows in yer house? But why?”
“Well only one came over and then a bunch of them followed after.”
Applejack is even more confused when all these answers don't seem to provide a clear cut answer.
She sighed while pinching the bridge of her snout. “Okay, Fluttershy. What were y'all doin' before those crows came?”
“I was just talking to one of them in a tree, when it flew off into a bush with... “ Fluttershy's mind jolted with the last image she had seen: That odd looking bottle shaped like a crow.
“With what?” Applejack questioned.
“... I... kind of found a bottle. And... I drank it.”
All these ludicrous stories of Fluttershy weren't getting any clearer. But the word bottle suddenly springs to mind.
“Wait, did you say bottle?” Applejack asked Fluttershy, who nodded slightly, “Ya mean like this?”
She points to the yellow bottle on the ground. Its shape was nothing like the other one Fluttershy encountered.
“Well, no.” Fluttershy shook her head, “It wasn't like that one. It was shaped like a bird. What is that anyway?”
Applejack picked up the sloshing bottle to inspect it.
“Ah ain't too sure.” AJ mused, “Ah found it in Bloomberg Jr here.” She gestures to the tree the bottle tumbled down from, apparently a relative of her prized tree she took to Appleloosa.
The trinket's origin puzzled Fluttershy greatly, for when she found that Murder of Crows bottle, it too was coincidentaly located at random.
The two mares gaze upon the eerie bottle as its fluids jiggled inside. The words “Bucking Bronco” barely made sense to Applejack.
But somehow, she started pondering on what it actually meant. And just like Fluttershy, her curiosity got the best of her.
“Well whatever it is, it must be good.” Applejack produced a sly smile, “Maybe this 'Bucking Bronco' stuff is an energy drink.”
That shocked Fluttershy all too much when she remembered the somewhat similar assumption she made. She watches in horror as Applejack pops the bronze stallion off the top with her mouth, spits it out, and begins to raise the bottle up to her slowly opening lips.
But is was already too late when the tip of the bottle connects to her lips and she starts chugging its contents down her gullet.
It tasted somewhat between bitter and quenching. The sour concentration played with Applejack's taste buds while the overall deluge soothed her dry throat from all that apple bucking. Finally, she finishes the last gram of yellow juice and pulls it out of her mouth with a loud pop.
“Ahhh...” Applejack sighed with relief, “That's sure is mighty tasty. A bit sour like lemons but purty good in mah book.”
Fluttershy was expecting some sort of after effect just like hers, but she saw no signs of nausea or dizziness amongst the cowmare.
“How do you feel?” Fluttershy asked.
“Not bad, but now that you mention it,” Applejack said as she touches her forehead, “Ah do feel kinda funny.”
Then the inevitable finally happened. Applejack starts feeling a bizarre sensation coming from her fore hooves. As if her coat was being pulled off by an unseen force. She raises a fore hoof in front of her face, and instantly witness with wide eyes that her orange hoof was levitating off its bones. Veins from underneath gush slightly with blood as the blunt limb began to glow a bright yellow color. And she could swear she heard a horse winy every time more fur tried to pull itself apart.
Fluttershy was appalled by the gruesome process her friend was enduring. While AJ could only stand there in horrendous shock as her hooves glow brighter and brighter until both mares are blinded by a sudden flash.
Once the light cleared, Applejack looked at her hooves to see that the appendages remained intact. As if nothing ever happened to them.
“Land sakes!” Applejack shouted, “What the hay was that!?”
She glares at Fluttershy as if she knew the answer, but sadly she didn't.
“I... I don't know.” Fluttershy floundered, scared out of her wits.
It wanted to click in Applejack's mind when she looks back at what she just saw. However, she doesn't feel unusual after that freak show. No stomach aches, no head throbbing, no pain what so ever.
Applejack began to calm down.
“Well, whatever that was, it's gone now.” Applejack assured.
The terrifying effect of that beverage, blew past her mind like dust. She forgot about it rather quickly in Fluttershy's perspective.
Then the stunned mares were interrupted by Big Mac's groggy moaning. He begins to retain consciousness, lifting himself of the ground and rubbing his aching head.
“Ow,” Big Mac groaned, “What happened?”
His tired eyes open up to see Fluttershy and his oldest sister standing in front of him looking worrisome at him. But it was mostly Fluttershy who was most concerned since she knocked him to the ground.
"I um, sort of hit you when I wanted to ask Applejack something. Sorry about that." Fluttershy replied apologetically.
"No big deal." Big Mac muttered as he kept groaning in pain.
Applejack trots towards her big brother.
“Ya alright big bro?” she asked as she lends a hoof for him to pull himself up.
“Ah'm fine.” Big Mac replied. “How 'bout you, are you alright?”
“Ah... ah think so.”
“She drank that bottle you two found.” Fluttershy interjects, pointing at the now empty bottle with the bronze horse separated from its top.
Big Mac looks back at Applejack with a serious expression.
“Why did ya drink that?” Big Mac interrogated.
“Ah thought it was some rejuvenatin' liquid er somethin'.” Applejack defended.
“Well what if it isn't?”
“Ah wantin' to find out, okay?”
“What if it coulda been poisoned er somethin'? Y'all could've been killed!” Big Mac raises his voice.
Applejack copies his shouting.
“Well Ah'm still standing ain't Ah!? So quit yer worryin'!” she shot back.
Fluttershy on the other hoof, watched the two farm ponies argue.
“Um, guys?” Fluttershy tried to stop their yelling, but was ignored when they continued to bark at each other.
“Ah worry a lot 'bout ya AJ!” Big Mac spat.
“Ah ain't a lil' filly, ya know that right?”
“Then how do ya explain drinkin' that weird potion!?”
That sent Applejack in an infuriated fuss.
“Would ya kindly...” she raises her fore hooves, and stomps them hard on the ground, “Shut yer trap!”
Unfortunately, she had the right to worry, for her furious trample suddenly caused chunks of the ground in front of her to rise into the air. Which traveled up to Big Mac, also levitating him at the sound of an invisible horse's cry.
“WHA-WHOA! WHAT THE HAY!!!???”
Applejack gasped in astonishment when she sees her sibling floating five feet off the ground.
“Oh mah stars and garters!” Applejack yelled, “Ah-Ah'm so sorry Big Mac!”
The red stallion screamed in the air as he gyrated uncontrollably.
“No time fer apologizing!” Big Mac replied, “Git me down!”
“Ah don't know how!”
This constant yelling was too much for the shaky cream yellow pony.
“Stop it!” Flutteshy screamed louder than the two bickerers, “We need to get Twilight. She'll know what to do.”
Applejack agreed with a nod of her head.
“Good idea.” She turns back to Big Mac, still hovering above her. “Hang in there Big Mac. We'll git help. Just stay where ya are.”
The two mares gallop straight towards town, leaving Big Mac to himself.
“Well it's not like Ah'm gonna go anywhere!” Big Mac calls with sarcasm as the ponies race into town, “Just hurry back if ya can, Ah don't wanna be here ferever!”
Though it was unexpected, the universe proved him wrong when he suddenly feels the cowmare's powers ware off. The aura around him vanishes and he falls flat to the ground.
"Oof!" Big Mac muffles when his head is buried into the ground.
He then pulls himself out of the dirt.
“Er maybe, Ah don't have to be.” he grumbled to himself, with bits of earth stuck in his mane.
Even though it was miraculous that the stallion was no longer suspended in mid-air, the mares were already far from the Apple farm, on the trail of solving this unusual phenomenon with the help of a magic-wise unicorn.
“Come on Flutters, we gotta find Twilight! Can't ya fly?”
“... but I'm afraid those crows will find me.”
“Land sakes, Flutters! Yer an expert on animals! Why would crows follow ya like that?”
The two ponies galloped through the streets of Ponyville in search of their trusted friend, to hopefully find a cure for these odd powers they had recently obtained. Fluttershy was the most hasty about this for every minute or so, more of her black-feathered friends would continuously seek her. For every corner she turned, there were always three or more crows waiting. It puzzled her greatly, but she still felt fear when gazing into those birds' murderous eyes.
While it was a top priority to fix all of this, Applejack raced past ponies who commuted within the streets. Her new-found levitation power seemed to benefit in the current situation and could possibly help to increase apple bucking productivity. But if its side effect could lift one-ton stallions into the air, then she was determined to rid herself of such an ability.
Fluttershy ran along side the farm pony to keep up, but they pass the home and business of another unfortunate pony.
***
At Sugarcube Corner, Mrs. Cake was in the midst of trying to fulfil the orders of several hungry ponies. The line snaked out of the door while she worked as diligently as she could.
"Okay, so you would like a dozen chocolate chip muffins and two peanut butter cupcakes." the blue mare hummed as she wrote down the customer's order, "That will be 13 bits."
The customer happily paid and received in exchange a large box of muffins, topped with two medium-sized cupcakes.
"Thank you," Mrs. Cake called as the customer left, "come again!"
In the kitchen of this bustling business is where the next bizarre event shall occur, depending if it satisfies her rather than frightens her.
"Making cakes, making cakes, making scrumpdelicious cupity cakes." a pink mare with a poofy cotton-candy like mane sang a perky little song as she stirred a batch of batter, "Sweet and sour, add some flour, and maybe a dash of sprinkles!"
She snorted a laugh at her amusing melody.
"Pinkie Pie!" a stallion called as he poked his head into the room. Pinkie halted her song and turned to face him.
"We have a big order for super fudge brownies," he said, "could you get started on them?"
"Yes sir, Mr. Cake sir!" Pinkie saluted.
Mr. Cake nodded and left to help his wife handle the crowd while Pinkie trotted happily to the pantry. It was mildly dark with one light shining above her and the wide variety of ingredients. She scrolled through all the best of the bakery to cook up a batch of brownies.
"Let's see," she said as she analyzed the inventory, "chocolate mix, chocolate chips... A-HA! Here it is."
She grabbed a box of brownie mix from the back of the shelves. But as she removed it from the shelf it revealed a strange red object.
"Oooh," Pinkie said as she dropped the brownie mix and picked up the item, "what's this?"
She inspected it eagerly. Its top half was shaped like some sort of devil creature, and a red liquid inside sloshed around at every toss and turn.
"... Devil's Kiss." Pinkie read the label on its front, "Wow a new hot sauce!"
Mistaking it for her favorite topping she carried the bottle out of the pantry, making sure to grab the designated pastry mix before leaving.
The perky pink mare quickly got started on the first batch of delectable fudge brownies. She combined the ingredients with practiced speed before pouring the mixture into a baking pan and placing it into the oven.
When the ovens timer chimed a while later, Pinkie immediately decorated them with gooey white frosting and rainbow colored sprinkles.
"Order up!" Pinkie shouted as she placed the stack of freshly baked goods.
The Cakes were still busy managing the to-ing and fro-ing outside, but that wasn't going to stop Pinkie from performing her traditional 'taste testing' of her creation.
"I'd better see if these brownies are fit enough to eat. I wouldn't want anypony to eat 'Baked Bads' again." she said to herself, remembering the tainted muffin epidemic.
As flamboyant as she was, she lassoed her tongue around the treats and gobbled down three of the six brownies on the plate.
"Yep," she said with her mouth full, "these are definitely not bad."
Her sweet tooth just couldn't get enough, but she froze on her next brownie when she saw that the bottle still stood on the table. Deciding that it these treats needed some spice to go with them she grabbed the bottle, pulled the devil's head off, and poured a generous portion of the liquid onto a brownie. It smelled spicy, but the consistency was much more liquified than pasty. More sauce splotched onto the chocolate goodness, replacing the white frosting with red juices. Pinkie then threw what was left of the bottle behind her, shattering it in the distance.
"Time for the real test." she said as she licked her lips.
She then ate the whole spicy brownie with one swift bite, humming with euphoria at the mixture of sweet and spicy before swallowing.
"Even better with hot sauce!" she said gleefully.
With her taste testing duty achieved it was time for Pinkie to concoct another batch since her last one had been approved to eat, so to speak. She cooked them up in a split second without a hassle before carrying the finished brownies into the lobby and placing them in front of the Cakes.
"All done!" she said.
"Thank you very much Pinkie Pie." Mr. Cake smiled at the assorted chocolate confections, "Yessire, these are the most delicious brownies I've ever... seen."
He trailed off as he looked up at Pinkie's mane. Unbeknownst to the party pony, her cotton-candy mane had been replaced with a blazing fire that danced on top of her head.
"The most scrum-delicious fudgarific brownies yours truly can bake." Pinkie smiled, oblivious to the miniature inferno raging atop her head.
Suddenly, both of the Cakes screamed in terror, as well as the customers who also bore witness to the party mare's wild mane. They scrambled for the exits with the proprietors and their children following behind.
Pinkie just stood there, tilting her head in confusion.
"What was all that about?" she questioned, "Was it something I said?"
With her curiosity triggered Pinkie walked outside in time to see the ponies from the bakery as faint dots on the horizon. It was then that she began to smell something. It smelled like baked goods from her perspective, but to the passing ponies who lingered near the building, they smelled burning hair.
"FIRE!!!" somepony shouted, causing the whole street corner to scamper like roaches.
By this time Pinkie was very confused, because she couldn't see a fire for miles. She smelled something that was burning, but in her mind there was no sign of any fire.
"What?" Pinkie asked as some of the ponies nearby ran off, "There's no fire."
"Ma'am!" one pony called, "Your tail is on fire!"
Pinkie craned her head behind her to see that her puffy pink tail was ablaze.
"Oh yeah, it is on fire." Pinkie seemed calm for a moment until her pupils suddenly shrank into pinpricks and she screamed, "My tail is on fire!"”
It an effort to douse her fiery mane and tail she ran to the square not too far from Sugarcube Corner, where there was a fountain. She ran at a very high speed, higher than normal, leaving behind a burning trail past the scattering crowd. Her mane was getting more furious in its blaze as she galloped straight to the fountain. Without a thought she jumped in, creating a minor tidal wave which splashed the ponies nearby. They murmured with anger, their manes and tails flattened by the sudden cascade of water, which sizzled like eggs on a frying pan before Pinkie Pie finally emerged.
"Whew!" she said as she hung her upper body over the edge of the fountain, "That was close."
Relieved that her spontaneous combustion was finally over, Pinkie jumped out of the fountain with a flattened mane and tail that were back to their original pink colors. The nearby ponies started to shake themselves dry, but Pinkie shook hers more vigorously, causing all the water in it to rain down on the ponies. Their manes were once again ruined while Pinkie's exploded back into its puffy shape. They tossed harsh glares at Pinkie, who smiled sheepishly.
"Heh," she chirped, "sorry everypony!"
"Pinkie Pie!" Roseluck yelled, "What was all that about?"
"About what?" Pinkie asked in confusion.
"The fire in your mane." Roseluck replied.
Pinkie began to panic.
"What?" she yelped, "My mane's on fire again?!"
She attempted to jump back into the fountain but was stopped by Roseluck.
"No, Pinkie, wait!" Pinkie froze in mid-air over the water and Roseluck continued talking, "I mean the fire that just happened."
"Oh that." Pinkie said as she landed on the ground, "I don't know. I was just eating brownies, when the whole store screamed like 'AHHH!'. And then I was like 'What's wrong?', then I noticed my tail was on fire and then I zoomed over to this fountain and jumped in, like this."
She then jumped into the fountain for a second time, causing another splurge of water to hit the ponies nearby. Pinkie burst out of the fountain with a flourish.
"And that's what happened." she finished, her mane once again wet.
"Uh huh..." Roseluck said dully as she shook her mane dry, "And what did you do before that?"
"I was just baking the goods," Pinkie replied as she climbed out of the fountain, "and ate them with a new hot sauce Mrs. Cake bought."
"I never bought any hot sauce." Mrs. Cake said within the crowd, now back from their evacuation. Mr. Cake and the twins also returned, completely unharmed by the fire. Pinkie tilted her head in confusion.
"So if you didn't buy that hot sauce," Pinkie replied, "then what did I..."
She gasped as the realisation caught up with her.
"The hot sauce caused my mane to catch on fire!!" she exclaimed, "Wow, I knew it was spicy but not THAT spicy."
"You're feeling okay now though?" Roseluck asked, "... right?"
"Oh sure," Pinkie answered cheerfully, "I'm fit as Fiddlestick's fiddle. But I do feel kind of funny after I drank that sauce."
Suddenly Pinkie belched up a large fireball, flying threw the air towards a nearby wooden wagon and catches fire instantaneously.
Everypony gasped in shock.
"Oh no... I'VE BECOME A DRAGON!" Pinkie shouted, "I've got to find Twilight and get her to help me with this!"
She then dashed towards the library, leaving the crowds very much confused at what just occurred.
"That mare is just full of surprises." Bon Bon muttered.
"Yeah," Lyra said from beside her, "but I hope that's just one problem."
Just then their attention was caught by a raspy scream above them. They looked up to see Rainbow Dash flying for her life from a murder of crows, which were cawing with savage determination.
