> Growing Up
>  by mintgreenconspiracy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight laid down on her bed sighing. It had been a long day. She and Spike had organized the library again. The CMC had tried to be librarians for the second time. It had resulted in the same way as last time. The library was a mess and the Cutie Mark Crusaders didn't get their cutie marks. After a few minutes Twilight was asleep and Spike was snoring. The door to the library creaked open and the three fillies snuck in. One had a yellow coat a red mane and a ruby bow. Another was a white unicorn with a pink mane. The last was a Pegasus with an orange coat with a magenta mane. 
"What are we looking for again?" Asked Scootaloo.
"A golden book on transformation." Replied Sweetie Belle. After a few minutes of searching someone said something.
"Over here!" Called Applebloom a bit too loudly.
"Shhh!" Shushed the Pegasus and unicorn. They went over to Applebloom and opened the book. After many pages turned the trio found what they were looking for.  The unicorn lit up her horn and cast a spell. After some bright flashes and cool noises the three crusaders found themselves asleep in the library along with Twilight and Spike.

**********************************************************************

"Ugh" Groaned Scootaloo as she slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. She glanced over to the pony laying next to her. The mare looked familiar. She had a white coat with a long pink mane and tail. A unicorn horn poked out of her head. "Sweetie Belle?" Asked Scootaloo. 
The pony presumed to be Sweetie Belle woke up. She was surprised to see an unfamiliar mare next to her. A magenta mane was laid next to two fully developed wings. The pony's body was that of an athlete. It was orange like that of her friend. "Scootaloo?" Asked the white unicorn.  
Over in a corner a yellow earth pony awoke. She had a dark red mane also. "Sweetie Belle? Scootaloo?"
"Applebloom?" Came the two shocked replies. Sweetie Belle was the first to recover from their stare session. "Yes! It worked!" The other crusaders stopped gawking at each other soon after and all three promptly checked their flanks. Still blank.
Applebloom trotted over to the book used to transform them from a filly to a mare. "Ahh. Ya see here. It says it will not provide you with a cutie mark during the transformation."
Sweetie Belle pulled the heavy book over to her and attempted to redo the spell. All that happened was a couple sparks that came out of her horn. All that came out of the CMC was an  "Uh Oh." This happened for two reasons. One: They were probably stuck as full grown mares with no cutie mark for a week or so. Two: The stairs were creaking from either Spike or Twilight coming downstairs to find that there were three mares in the library that no one has ever seen before.
> Chapter 2
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Spike blinked open his eyes and stretched his arms. He glanced at the clock and proceeded to jump right out of bed. He had overslept and had to be out on business for Twilight. She must have been as tired as he usually is to not be awake by now. He walked over to the stairs and started to descend down them. Once he had gotten down the wooden steps he saw three unfamiliar mares looking back at him. "Who are you?" Questioned the purple and green dragon.
"I'm Applebloom. This is Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle." Said a yellow pony with a bright red mane. She then gestured to the two other ponies next to her.
"Wait. What? But you are supposed to be fillies. What happened?" Asked a confused Spike.
"We snuck into the library last night and then I did a spell to make us older. We thought that if we made ourselves older we would have the cutie mark that we would get. It says it will not give you a cutie mark if you do the spell." Explained Sweetie Belle.
"The spell took so much out of Sweetie Belle we're going to be stuck like this for at least a week." Chimed in Scootaloo.
"Well Twilight could do the spell for you." Suggested Spike.
"Unless she wants to become a filly again, I don't think so." Countered Applebloom. 
"You could stay here until you can do the spell."  Offered Spike.
"My family would get worried if I wasn't around." Said Applebloom.
"My sister would be the same." Added Sweetie Belle.
"And Rainbow Dash would wonder where her number one fan is." Said Scootaloo.
"Oh." Said Spike. He was out of ideas
"I guess we could tell our family and friends. It would be for the best."  Just as Sweetie Belle had finished that sentence the stairs creaked under the weight of a pony
"Spike? Are you down here?" Called Twilight. "Who are these ponies? Are they here for a book?" Twilight's eyes lit up at the thought of her last sentence.
"Relax Twilight. It's just the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Sweetie Belle cast a spell that made them older. They had hoped it would give them cutie marks but as you see, that is not the case. They need a week to cast the spell again." Explained Spike
"Oh" The light in Twilight's eyes shrunk considerably. As they were chatting in the kitchen they heard the bell that meant there was a person coming into the library. "Stay here." Twilight told the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She walked out into the main part of the library. Standing there was Fluttershy waiting patiently.
"Hi Twilight." Said Fluttershy's nearly inaudible voice. "Could you get me Everfree Animals: A Reference Guide. I mean if you don't mind." Just then the door to the kitchen burst open with the cutie mark crusaders flying out of it.
"Oh hey Fluttershy." Said Applebloom. Twilight started staring daggers at the trio. 
"Hi... Um?" Fluttershy stuttered.
"Applebloom. And this is Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle." 



> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You stay here!" Twilight commanded the three fillies turned adult mares. "I need to see who that is," she thought to herself, feeling at least a little disappointed in the young unicorn. Didn't she tell Sweetie not to dabble in advanced magic? Especially without permission! "Fillies these days!" Twilight remarked to herself in jest. "What can you do?" She asked herself as she left the kitchen, with the smile she usually reserved for Rainbow's or Pinkie's antics.

"Hello!" Twilight exclaimed, giving her most polite smile. "Welcome to the golden oaks! How may I help you?" She asked, quickly noticing her friend Fluttershy standing around anxiously. Boy was she a sight for Twilight's sore eyes, causing her smile to quickly broaden. This was the first bit of good news she'd had all day -- and the day was just getting started! "Oh hey Fluttershy!" Twilight said eagerly to her friend. "How may I help you?" She continued asking, politely.

"Hi Twilight." Fluttershy squeaked at a level she normally reserved for strangers, tax collectors, and Iron Will. "Could you get me 'Everfree Animals: A Reference Guide', I mean if it's not too much trouble," she squeaked softly, blushing softly.

"Certainly!" Twilight responded, with a smile, trotting over to one of the reference aisles. "So What do you need it for Fluttershy?" She asked, curiously. "Everfree monsters bugging your little friends again?" Twilight asked, looking through her books -- she knew she had just the book for the pegasus, and --

"Not this time." Fluttershy responded calmly. "You see I kind of found a strange creature in the Everfree! And -- " she started saying in her kindest voice.

"Oh Fluttershy!" Twilight exclaimed in bemusement, doing a doubletake or two. "Another Everfree creature?" She stated, rolling her eyes playfully. "Do you remember what happened the last two times you brought creatures in from the Everfree?"

Fluttershy opened her mouth in denial. "Oh it couldn't have been that bad couldn't it have, Twilight?" She said, with a bemused smile.

"Well!" Twilight smiled playfully, taking a deep breath. "First there was the whole parasprite thing," she said, entering a lecturing mode. "You know: the thing who ate everything -- including the town, come to think of it!" She said, contemplatively. "I think we're still replacing some of the things they ate!" She said, remembering that day down to the point where she had, in abject panic, suggested they build the town somewhere else. "And, come to think of it, I think the cakes, just yesterday, found another pocket of them in their attic!" Twilight continued, her smile getting almost mischievous. "And then there was that time you brought in that electric -- whatever it was... Pika-something-or-another and it almost ended the world!"

Fluttershy retorted, kindly -- holding her hoof up against her mouth. "Actually, that was Sweetie Belle. And the poor thing was hurt pretty badly, and -- " She said, apologizing profusely, before stopping when she realized that her friend was simply trying to remind her to be careful of what she brought into her cottage -- and the last two times had been pretty bad, in retrospect (not that she still wouldn't do it again -- after all, they really needed her!)

"I'm sorry too Fluttershy!" She said, looking away. "I've had some trouble today myself," she said, trading her smile in for a distant stare. Sighing at the gravity of the situation.

Fluttershy turned to her friend supportively. "What happened?" She asked, eager to find a way to help -- so long as it wasn't too scary.

Twilight frowned. "I'll tell you later Fluttershy, after all losing a friend's trust is the fastest way to lose a friend -- " She said, being interrupted by a voice shouting in the distance.

"FOREVER!" Pinkie's voice shouted, booming over the horizon -- no wait! She was just outside the window! At least she was, until she vanished again -- just as mysteriously as she appeared!

**********

"Can ya hear them Scoots?" Apple Bloom asked her pegasus friend. "Aye'r they talkin' 'bout us?" She asked nervously, getting up close and personal with her friend's face. "Ah'm startin' to get nervous!" She said, starting to crowd the doorway instead -- getting so close that, at one point one could swear that she was flattening up against it.

Scootaloo shook her head. "Not really!" She said, straining her ears. "Though I thought I heard something about Sweetie Belle!" She said, giving Sweetie a teasing grin -- and jabbing the air, like she was jabbing the unicorn's shoulder.

Sweetie Belle simply froze in the corner pretending that she could still hide there. Shaking slightly, and muttering to herself nervously. She was already imagining what Rarity was going to say, and she was pretty sure it wasn't pretty.

"But Scoots!" Apple Bloom protested, turning back to her friend. "Ain't all pegasi got like super hearin' or somethin'?" She said, starting to bicker anxiously with her friend.

Scootaloo also turned belligerently to her friend -- as tensions continued to mount. "And maybe I can't hear so well when you are shouting right into my ear?!" She said, almost shouting -- her face starting to turn red.

Apple Bloom sighed -- making a motion to calm herself down. Her friend was right! But what was she going to do? She was just so nervous. What was her sister going to think when she found out that not just had she sneaked away from their 'sleepover' at the clubhouse, but that she had also been experimenting with advanced magic!? And her sister was certainly going to be unhappy when she realized that she was talking to her younger older sister now!? "What ah we gunna do?" Apple Bloom asked, waving her hooves and arms wildly. "Applejack'll ground me forever!" She shouted hysterically. "And then ah'll never be free of all of them bike helmets she has!" She said with a sigh.

Scootaloo looked at her with a quizzical expression. "Didn't she get rid of all those?" She asked, remembering Apple Bloom's little delivery adventure earlier.

Apple Bloom crossed her arms -- as best she could -- and shook her head. "Nope she only said that!" She said with disgust.  "She's still got a closet full of them things!" She started to shout at the top of her lungs.

"Quiet!" Scootaloo shouted, grabbing her muzzle, only to realize, mid rear, that her center of mass was different now -- and that her all grown up and definitely not shrimpy wings were much heavier.

"Don't worry I've got you!" Sweetie shouted heroically, grabbing Scootaloo's tail in her mouth to help prop her up -- only to realize that all three of them were a lot heavier now -- and that most of her strength was still missing from the spell she had just cast.

And just like that, one second the three were at a delicate equilibrium, and then, within a split second all three crusaders were toppling over into a roll -- rolling right into the main room.

Before them stood a very cheesed Twilight, and a very puzzled Fluttershy.

"Oh hi Fluttershy." Apple Bloom said sheepishly. Apparently, by the look on Twilight's face, she either didn't want the reveal now, or she was none too happy at them eavesdropping on her and Fluttershy's conversation. All three crusaders guessed a little bit of both.

**********

"Hi... Um?" Fluttershy stuttered, brandishing her 'I'm nervous because you are a stranger' voice, being very careful to back up uncomfortably. Which, actually, kind of hurt slightly -- especially because of the fact that she was normally so friendly to the three fillies, and now it was like she didn't even recognize them -- and to make things worse, they didn't even have a cutie mark to show for it.

Twilight sighed. She was kind of hoping to wait till she got an opportunity to talk with Rarity, the Apples, and whomever Scootaloo's guardian was before she started revealing their condition to anypony else, but that was impossible now. Twilight sighed again, this time an exasperated sigh. "Apple Bloom," she said, motioning at the yellow earth pony mare. "And this is Scootaloo -- " she said as her hoof changed direction to point at the orange pegasus mare -- whose wings had increased in size from half the normal size for her age to double the normal size for her age (making them less pegasus sized, and more alicorn sized). "And Sweetie Belle," she said, swallowing an exasperated sigh as she turned her hoof to point at Rarity's little big sister.

"Um... I don't mean to argue Twilight -- " Fluttershy said softly, backing off apologetically. "But the crusaders are cute little fillies, and these are full grown mares." Fluttershy said, correcting Twilight in the most polite possible way.

Twilight frowned. "Guess again, Fluttershy," she said, matter-of-factly -- her face looking slightly apologetic. "Take a look at their cutie marks, and tell me if you're still not convinced," she said pointing at the trio's flanks.

"Oh... Ok." Fluttershy said, looking at the marks with great attention, only to come to a sudden realization of something. "Um... Twilight? What am I supposed to be seeing?" She said, blushing in embarrassment. "None of them seem to have any cutie marks."

"And -- " Twilight said, using her lecturing voice. " -- who else do you know that doesn't have their cutie mark?" Twilight asked, hoping to connect the dots for her friend.

Upon further examination of the mares Twilight's question became obvious. "The Crusaders!" Fluttershy's exclaimed, gasping in horror. "But how did this happen?" She asked, walking around the crusaders, her eyes filled with wonder. "I mean they were fine when I saw them yesterday afternoon," she said, backing away like the three fillies were diseased or cursed.

"Well!" Twilight said, blushing slightly. "I might have accidentally left The Swirlnomicon out yesterday night by mistake... And the .... Is girls still the right word?... In any case the girls might have snuck in here and gotten a hold of it and... Kind have..." She said, thinking of how much detail she dared go into. "Cast some extremely advanced magic," she said, turning away -- her face blushing a dark red.

"Oh dear!" Fluttershy's said, with a concerned frown. "Can't you just reverse the spell or something? I mean you are an alicorn princess and the element of magic."

"Hey that's what I asked!" Exclaimed Twilight's number one assistant, sauntering in from the kitchen. "But then Apple Bloom said -- " Spike started, before getting interrupted by one of the three fillies.

"Yeah but then she would end up a filly too." Apple Bloom said, joining in the conversation.

"Not necessarily." Twilight responded, opening her mouth for a lecture. "But -- "

Scootaloo's frowned flapping her wings wistfully. "Dang it! I was hoping to see what these girls can do now that they aren't all shrimpy!" She said, sighing again. "Oh well! Maybe this means that they'll actually grow in some day."

Twilight's face grew more stern. "And you might get your wish Scootaloo," she replied. "Because, it's not so much that the casting of the reversal spell would turn us into fillies, as there's no telling what it will do!" Twilight said, frowning sadly. "I've never seen this many cantatas in a spell before, and it looks like Star Swirl weaved multiple spells together to produce this one. And if I make a mistake..." She said, as her ears started to drop. "Bad things might happen..." 

"But, why can't you just cast it?" Sweetie asked Twilight.

"It's not so much that I can't cast it, that I'm not sure I can cast it safely. Even I, as the Element of Magic, don't fully understand this spell. And add to that, that age spells are the most difficult spells that a unicorn can cast. And... well... you get the point. " 

"But you're the element of magic." Sweetie said, in shock. "You should have no trouble with this spell."

"Just because I'm the element of magic, doesn't mean I'm perfect at magic, Sweetie. And, to be frank,  I'm not sure I can even cast it correctly to begin with." Twilight said, firmly. "And Sweetie?" Twilight said, getting her student's attention -- making double sure to have it, as the point was important. "Truth be told -- " she said looking at the young unicorn with a combination of both extreme pride and bitter disappointment. "I'm surprised that you were even able to cast this spell!"

Twilight thought for a minute longer before frowning again, followed by yet more thinking, and finally nodding -- her face becoming extremely stern. "And this is why I'm so disappointed in you," she said, trying to get her point across without getting too firm. "When I started teaching you magic, in Twilight Time, I thought I explicitly told you to stay away from advanced magic! In fact, I thought I told you to stay away from any magic that I didn't explicitly condone!" She said, turning around with disappointment.

Sweetie looked down, sighing sorrowfully. "I'm sorry Twilight," she said, shaking slightly. "I kind of got over eager to get my cutie mark," she said, looking up into Twilight's eyes, her eyes leaking slightly. "I'm sorry Twilight. I knew better, but I let my enthusiasm get the best of me," she said, trying to mouth off another apology, but finding herself unable to do it -- her lip quivering instead.

"You're forgiven Sweetie." Twilight responded, with a smile, turning to the other two fillies, her face growing stirn again. "And what do you two have to say?"

"We're sorry!" The other two crusaders said, in unison -- deadpan.

Twilight sighed, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "I guess that's good enough," she thought to herself, turning back to the young unicorn in the room. "And Sweetie. I need you renew your promise  again, this time as a Pinkie Promise, and promise me that you won't be casting any more magic while under my tutelage unless I give you permission to. "What I mean to say, is that there are spells in this book -- " She said, motioning to the book, with her hoof. "That you could get into big trouble if you cast them without being really, really, sure of what you are doing," she said taking out the book Celestia had given her a short while before. "And some that you should never cast, even if you are certain of your ability."

"But... Um... Twilight..." Fluttershy responded, recognizing the book. "Isn't that the book with the spell that turned you into a princess?"

Twilight nodded slightly. "Close, but not quite -- that spell doesn't actually create princesses. For example, it would have been very bad if she had cast the spell right before it, because it's very, very, dangerous!"

Fluttershy looked at Twilight puzzled. "Very dangerous?" She said, in utter befuddlement. "You don't want her to be a princess?" She asked, doing a double and triple take.

Apple Bloom tilted her head in a thinking pose. "Princess... Eh......" She turned to Scootaloo. "'ave we tried gettin' our cutie marks as? CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS PRINCESSES!!!! YAY!!!!" All three crusaders shouted in unison, at the top of their lungs.

"Nah!" Scootaloo said, shaking her head, in disgust. "Too girly!"

Twilight looked on, for a second, before shaking her head again. "Actually neither spell makes princesses, and it's just that that particular spell -- " She said, flipping to the last page, and pointing to the page before. " -- is called 'The Unicorn Death Spell' for a reason," she said, as Fluttershy's face paled.

"Oh dear! 'Unicorn Death Spell'!" Fluttershy responded. "That sounds scary! What are we going to do Twilight?"

Twilight smiled. "Don't worry about it Fluttershy, I just need to find Rarity, the Apples, and Scootaloo's guardians," she said, with a smile. "And, at that point, hopefully, I'll have a better idea of what the best course of action should be," she said, putting the book into Fluttershy's saddlebag using magic. "But you have an animal to attend to. So why don't you go, Fluttershy --" Twilight replied politely. "And I'll deal with this," she said, using telekinesis to open the door.

Fluttershy shook her head, her expression showing resolve and conviction. "I'm sorry Twilight, but I can't just leave the crusaders like this. I mean what will they do now? Where will they go?" She asked, shaking her head, stretching out to her fullest -- normally she cowered or slumped in fear. "And I'm certain, that, all this not knowing is scary for them! And besides -- " She said, with a motherly smile. "I'm sure Angel is doing a fine job of caring for the creature," she said, volunteering her services, as she was in the habit of doing sometimes. "And you can probably use all the help you can get," she said, causing Twilight to stand there rethinking things for a minute.

Twilight smiled again. "Very well," she said, plotting their next move. "I appreciate this Fluttershy. I really do!" She said, with a thankful smile. "Why don't you go find Rainbow Dash, and ask her if she knows who Scootaloo's guardians are, and where they live? Since, I believe, she's the only one of the six of us, besides the crusaders, who's ever been to Scootaloo's house before. Meanwhile I'll go and get the -- "

Scootaloo interrupted. "Nonsense! I can find them," she lied, unconvincingly. "So, I'll just go ahead and get them for you and -- " She said, galloping straight into a door that Twilight had quickly closed with her magic.

Twilight shook her head, struggling against the desire to laugh at their piteous attempt to deceive her. "Sorry... Is girls the right word?... Girls! But you to stay here while Fluttershy and I go find Rarity, The Apples, and Scootaloo's guardians!" She said, fighting hard to keep her serious voice. "Consider this your punishment for sneaking into my library without permission and casting spells that I explicitly told you not to!"

"Awwww!" The crusaders whined in unison -- feeling defeated and at least a little deflated (don't worry, they'd be back to their old tricks soon enough.)

Twilight turned to Spike, smiling slightly. "Spike," she said, as the dragon sprung to attention, dutifully taking a military pose for extra effect. "Could you do me a favor, and make sure that the ... um... girls? ... stay here while Fluttershy and I are out?"

Spike nodded eagerly, keeping a stern military expression. "Certainly Twi! I've got it covered!" He said, eagerly. "Now how about the three of you head out while I play board games with the girls keep everything under control!"

Twilight smiled, feeling encouraged. "I knew I could count on my number one assistant," she said, gratefully, rubbing his head affectionately, before she and Fluttershy trotted out the front door closing it, carefully, behind them.

**********

"Scoots." Apple Bloom whispered, turning to her pegasus friend. "We've gotta get outta here! You know what Applejack's gunna do when she sees me like this?" She said, growing ever more hysterical. "She'll ground me for a month!"

Scootaloo joined in, commiserating with her friend. "Yeah, I agree! And if mom and dad see me like this, they'll probably ground me for an eon. I'll be as old as Celestia by the time I get out!"

Sweetie joined in. "Actually Celestia's not that old, I think you'd only be grounded for a millennia or two!" She said, correcting them innocently.

The other two looked at her with nonplussed expressions, before looking at each other. "What are you? An encyclopedia?"

"Maybe we can convince Spike to let us go." Apple Bloom said, looking at Sweetie Belle mischieviously. "Ah mean we've been able to convince him before. An' doesn't Sweetie remind you ah've somepony?"

"But just in case, we should have a backup plan." Scootaloo cautioned. "Maybe the Equestrian Foreign Legion, or, perhaps, the Griffonian Army?"

Meanwhile, upstairs.

Spike took special care to make sure that the door he barricaded remained shut. That way he would have time enough to run up to his room to pick an appropriate film reel for 'Spike Time' -- or whatever he would call it -- real fast (hey with Sweetie's magic busted for a little, he should have at least a little time, right?) Course then there was the matter of that board game, but that was something he would figure out second (why? Why because he felt like watching a film first! Naturally!)

Downstairs Spike could hear arguing -- he guessed it was because the crusaders had probably, just now, figured out that they weren't going anywhere. But, enough of that, the more important question quickly percolated to the top of his mind: Which film reel should he use? Well, maybe since they were technically adult mares now, he could show them one of the comedies that he liked to watch when Twilight wasn't home, right? Nah... Twilight would definitely get wind of that, somehow, and she'd give him no end of grief. And, then, she'd probably take his precious comedies away -- all of them! (And all while giving him the tired old line about him being 'just a baby dragon'.)

Downstairs he could hear shrieking and struggling, and possibly a little crying. Man the crusaders must have been having a heck of an argument down there -- either that or they decided to become Cutie Mark Crusaders mane artists or something.

However, he wouldn't let himself be distracted -- this was much too important! Maybe he could show them something more age appropriate? Of course, by the time they got halfway through he'd be asleep on the coach -- and the girls would probably be out the door. Nope wouldn't work!

Of course, maybe, he could always split the difference, and find a video halfway between their real ages and their current physical age -- maybe a nice action movie? Naturally, Scootaloo would love that and --

"Excuse me Spike?" Sweetie said, trotting up the stairs slowly. Her mane and tail had been both painstakingly straightened (albeit unsuccessfully, considering the amount of hair she had missing), with her mane, and her tail all carefully curled at the end (well as careful as a crusader's could be anyway.) The top of her mane had been hung over her head, just over her eye, and the back of her mane had been hung over her wither. All in all, the style looked vaguely familiar, if, albeit, poorly executed.

She stood there, bracing herself against one of the guardrails of the stairway -- using it to prop herself up -- her legs wobbling, and her knees bent almost to ninety degree angles. She panted, heavily, ready to collapse in the stairway -- apparently the large amount of magic she devoted to that spell really took it all out of her (though at the time, she thought it would be easy.) She turned to the dragon, making sure to bat her eyes (in a display that made her look like some sawdust got into them.) 

"But could you let us go?" She asked, as sweetly as she could, trying her best Rarity impression -- batting her eyes again, and holding her head at an uncomfortable angle. "I need to get back to my parents." Sweetie lied (she was visiting Rarity while her parents were out of town for the week -- again, for like the fifth time in the last month), waving her hair back and forth in an ineffectively flirty manner. 

"Pretty please!" She pleaded. "... Spikey Wikey!..." She begged, of the dragon, resisting the urge to vomit -- as she left her eyes half open (like she was either tired, or taking an experimental cold medication), and puckering her lips like she had just sucked on a lemon. "I mean, I was supposed to be home already!" She said, switching to her biggest frown, and saddest puppy dog eyes. "And I would really feel better if you were to let me go..." She said, trying to rub the underside of his lips, only to crash onto her face in front of him due to her lack of energy, and new center of mass.

"And I bet they're worried sick," she said, all while trying to look sad and pathetic, looking up at him with her face, and body still laid flat against the floor. When that didn't work, she tried the surefire method she had left: performing the dreaded squee (the crusaders instrument of horror, a look who's cuteness simply couldn't be ignored, or avoided.) Yes, the squee, the one thing that could be counted on to get them out of messes like these (how? By causing the mind of the adults to melt on sight, of course.)

"Yeah..." Spike replied, deadpan. "Doesn't really work for me," he said, with a serious expression. "Good try though!" He said, with a friendly smile. "Course maybe it would have worked, you were still eight..." He said, with a wink.

"Awwwww!!!!" Sweetie moaned -- foiled again. She sighed, scuffing her hoof. "I thought that would work for sure!" She remarked to herself, her head turned to the side -- now all she had to look forward to was her sister telling her how 'disappointed in her she was'.

"Look I'm sorry Sweetie." Spike said, sympathetically, suddenly noticing Rarity two stand before him. "But... I'll tell you what... Why don't you help me pick the reel we're going to see?" He said, hoping for a smile from the young unicorn. "Think of it as one last fun thing to do before you get put on permanent lockdown for casting 'illegal magic'," he said, sarcastically, in jest.

"Ok." Sweetie chirped -- once again, never letting her bad moods linger -- her frown quickly turning upside down, and the rest of her filling with enthusiasm.

**********

Twilight paused for a second, contemplating whom should she visit first, and, equally importantly, how fast she should get there. 

But since she didn't even know who Scootaloo's guardians are, and since Rarity would probably take it a lot easier than Applejack would. The most prudent course of action would be to go to Sweet Apple Acres and then, after she had finished there, visit Rarity at the Carousel Boutique, while Applejack cooled down slightly. 

So, with that decided, the next question was whether she should gallop or trot over? Now galloping was definitely the most expeditious way to get to Sweet Apple Acres, and she was sure that her friends would appreciate her punctuality, especially when they realized that she rushed over to give them the news -- not to mention that they would probably wish to be informed in a timely manner. 

On the other hoof, galloping might cause panic and worry -- especially for Rarity, who tended to be excitable. So taking that into careful consideration, she decided that the trot might be better. Not only would it prevent her from wearing out too quickly, it would also prevent any possible panicking that might be caused by her coming to Sweet Apple Acres huffing and puffing.

Not to mention, that she didn't want Applejack or Granny Smith to panic, or, worse still, switch into 'big sister: savior of the universe mode', which would certainly not be helpful. 

But the most important question was... Why in Tartarus name was she debating canter vs. gallop? (She guessed that she kind of got obsessed with details when under pressure -- a bad habit she learned while training at Celestia's hocks.)

In the end, she decided on a compound plan: she would gallop until she got within eyeshot of Sweet Apple Acres, and then canter most of the rest of the way! And then finish with a short trot to the farmhouse (this plan was, after all, almost entirely foolproof.)

In the end, though, the time for worrying about how she would get there was over. Because, apparently, for good or ill, Applejack was already up, and doing some apple harvesting in the early morning -- her jovial mood decried the fact that she hadn't checked up on the 'crusaders' sleepover' yet.

This realization caused Twilight to bite her lip slightly. There was only one solution: she had to figure out what she was going to say to her friend! So naturally she turned her entire intellect to carefully weighing the different possibilities. 

She could rush up to her friend, and tell her the bad news up front? Nah not a good idea! She knew full well, that Applejack might get excited (she could be as excitable as the white unicorn, just not in the same way; and, not to mention that, she could also occasionally suffer from a bad case of mother bear syndrome), and if Granny Smith was around, the old earth pony might not be able to take it. 

On the other hoof, maybe she could slowly introduce the problem, maybe even downplay it a little. Nah! Another bad idea! Applejack could, on occasion, be like a lie detector, and she would probably figure it out, eventually, and would probably be none too happy. Plus when Twilight finally got to the punchline the orange earth pony would probably be fuming, because she realized that Twilight had been hiding bad news about her sister from her; and she would probably be saying something like "Mah sister is in trouble an' y'all went and held out on mah! Thanks ah ton Twi'!" 

Ok third plan. She would introduce the problem, making sure not to bring out the fine details until she could get everypony to the Golden Oaks, and then drop the bomb, at that point. That could work, or it could, possibly, be the worst possible choice. And, to top things off, it was very indecisive.

Maybe she could do something else? She did, after all, have so many ideas percolating... And no time to execute any of them! (As Applejack got the first word!)

"Well howdy, Twilight! What brings ya here ta Sweet Apple Acres so early in the morning?" She said, stepping over from a barrel that she had put under a tree -- probably planning to fill it with apples.

"Um... Well... You see..." Twilight said, chokingly. "I have something I need to -- " She started saying solemnly, trying to think how to put it. "'Apple Bloom, and her friends managed to cast advanced magic, and are, now, full grown mares! And I don't think I can change them back!'... Nah won't work! That would be too direct! Maybe 'there's been a tiny incident with your sister, and I'd like your attention at the library -- not that it's major or anything!.' Nah that makes it sound even worse! What about 'Hey Applejack, could you come with me to the library please? Your sister's been doing some crusading behind your back, and I need you to pick her up!'? No that won't work either! Because, for one thing, It makes it sound like nothing has happened! what about?--" Twilight, carefully, swallowed a shriek. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought! In the end, though, she didn't get a chance to say anything anyways -- as Applejack was, once again, quicker on the trigger then she was.

"Hold that thought!" Applejack said, putting a hoof to Twilight's mouth, and giving a friendly smile. "Where ah're mah manners?" She said, wrapping one of her front hooves over the other. "Ah fergot ta ask ya if ya wanted somethin' to eat?" She said, looking into the distance. "'Course ah should probably wait till granny gets 'Bloom an' the others out of the clubhouse!" She said to Twilight, who's eyes went as big as saucers -- she had to wait until Granny came back from the clubhouse?

Twilight started to go pale. She had hoped (and wished) that Applejack would reprise her customary role of chaperone -- though, she should have guessed that, with the harvest, Granny Smith might brave her aching everything and pitch in. "Actually Applejack, --" Twilight said, hesitantly. "-- it's about the girls," she said, gulping noticeably. "You see -- " She started saying, laughing nervously -- while awaiting for friend's eventual reaction.

Applejack smiled, putting a hoof to Twilight's muzzle. "Hold that thought Twi'! Granny's already back," she said, her smile turning to puzzlement as Granny started coming up at canter speeds (that's fast for Granny Smith) her face filled with panic.

Applejack frowned. "What's the matter granny?" She asked, a frown starting to form. "Somethin' happen?" She asked, her voice filled with concern.

Granny started to babble uncontrollably. "It's th'eh girls!... They're gone!..." She shouted, getting (and spitting) in Applejack's face. "Ah went to the clubhouse, and they tweren't there!" She said, as Applejack used one hoof to steady her, and the other to give her a half hug. "Ah... Ah... Ah can only imagine what happened to 'em!"

Applejack frowned, turning to Twilight. "Let meh guess. Ya found the girls, an' you were hopin' to be the one ta break the bad news," she said, with a frown, to a soft nod by Twilight. 

"Well Twi..." She said, with mild frustration. "Yer a little bit late." Applejack said, the concern starting to show in her face, as she sobbing slightly -- her voice warbling with sadness. "Tell me one thing though?" She said, her voice shaking. "Ah're the girls ok?" She asked, turning to Twilight -- her voice sounding like she was pleading with the princess.

Twilight nodded. "Yeah, they're ok," she said, to relieved sighs from the two apples in attendance. "It's more that ... Well... I think I'd rather explain after we pick up Rarity, and Sweetie Belle's parents. Because, it's kind of hard to explain without showing you myself," she said, her voice far from happy -- the Apples exchanged concerned expressions themselves. "And then I have to get Scootaloo's guardians. Assuming that Fluttershy can find where Rainbow is at, so she can tell us where they live."

"That much trouble eh?" Applejack said, deadpan -- with a slight hint of concern. After a few seconds, the orange earth pony put on a resolute face. "We'll we'd best be going." Applejack said, steadfastly, even though her voice kept alternating between steadfast resolution, anger, and deep concern. "If ah found out that that girl done got herself hurt doin' some dang fool stunt! Then -- " She said, with a shaking hoof. "Ah'm gunna ground her till she's Granny Smith's age!" She said, storming off.

She didn't get far though, before Twilight stopped her with her magic. "Actually!" Twilight said. "I think we should go together! You know how Rarity is, and how fragile she can be." Twilight lied, hoping that the two's off-again-on-again quarrel over Rarity's over-attention to detail, and Applejack's lack of attention to detail would convince her not to run off.

"Ah 'suppose!" Applejack said, surrendering to the Princess of Friendship's wisdom, with a look of suspicion. "Though, I suppose we should -- "

"And ah'm a commin' too!" Announced the matriarch of the family. "Tain't no way ah'm gunna let you leave me in the dark on this one!" She said, with a scowl. "Not when somethin' happened to my grand daughter! No siree!" She said, starting to follow.

"But granny!" Applejack cautioned, trying to dissuade the stubborn old apple.. "Yer heart!" She said, with concern. "What about yer -- "

"Is fine!" Granny Smith retorted. "Good as the day ah was born!" She said, showing some of the stubbornness the apples were known for. "Now let's git goin'! This ain't gettin' any easier!"

**********

Rarity smiled merrily -- not just was this an excellent opportunity for her and Sweetie to bond over one of her passions: fashion. But it was also a once in a lifetime chance for her to produce an extremely exclusive line for the most important pony in Canterlot (well next to Celestia herself) -- her friend: Fancy Pants. 

Ohhh!!! This was just so splendid!!! She just had to squeal! This was just so... She just couldn't describe just how great it was! Oh! Sweetie and her were going to have such fun! She thought to herself, screeching into a pillow. Heck, She was in such a good mood that she might even grit her teeth and find something dirty that she and Sweetie could do together (not would, necessarily -- might just...) -- wouldn't that be so... much... fun? Rarity frowned slightly. However, she decided to press on. She did make a promise to Sweetie, just before that whole Sisterhooves Social fiasco, after all!

But first she had much to pack, and very little time to pack it in. She sighed to herself. How could she possibly have ended up working until the very... last... possible... moment!? It was enough to make her shriek -- though she was too much of a lady for that. Heck, she wasn't even sure there would even be time to talk, let alone send the seventy or eighty (and I'm not exaggerating here) bags, that she absolutely positively needed, to the train station.

Rarity started over in exasperation, as a soft knocking could be heard at the door. 

Her face changed suddenly, as she recalled something very important. "Splendid!" Rarity thought, happily. "That must be Sweetie! And just in time to get going!" She thought, walking over the the door. "You can just come in Sweetie! The door is open!" She said, frowning to herself. "That filly, always showing up at the worst possible times (this time late) -- whatever shall I do with her?" She thought.

Only the ponies at the door weren't the one she was expecting. "Why hello... Applejack!" She said, greeting the orange earth pony -- coldly, feeling gypped that the wrong pony had showed up at her door when she could least afford it. "And Twilight?" She said, greeting her alicorn friend with a confused expression -- what was going on? Why was everypony here but the one she was expecting! "What brings you here at this hour?" She asked, trying to get to the root of the matter. "Is something the matter?" She asked, fearing that some kind emergency had occurred -- like another dark lord, beastly monster, college leftist, con artist duo, or insurance salesman.

Twilight and Applejack looked at each other anxiously. What would be the best way to explain this? Naturally, Twilight had insisted on taking it easy on the white primadona -- easing her into the crisis slowly -- though Applejack had opted to take the direct approach, telling her after the hellos had been dispatched. So as a result, Twilight just stood there motionless, her lower lip quivering.

"Well... Ya see Rarity -- " Applejack decided to interject, rubbing one hoof against the other -- her ears held back -- trying to formulate how to put this, only to be interrupted, mid thought, by her fashion focused friend.

"Hold that thought Applejack," she said, politely. "I apologize for the cold reception, but Sweetie and I simply must be going, and I was expecting to see her. And I do, dearly, apologize dear," she said, with an apologetic smile -- looking up at the clock. "And I don't mean to interrupt," she said, packing a bag with her magic, while taking another stare at the clock -- calculating distances and travel times. "But could you do me a favor, and bring the dear here quickly, please?" She said, motioning ostentatiously at the door.  "What I mean to say, is that, I have a train to catch in an hour, and I simply have too much to do and too little time to pick the dear up myself, right now! So, I apologize for saying this, but ... " She said, swallowing slightly -- feeling the urge to press her point. "Chop! Chop!" She said, motioning for emphasis.

Twilight responded back with a bewildered expression. "Why don't you just drop her off at her parents?" She said, to bewildered expressions from the other ponies. "I mean wouldn't it be easier?" She said, blushing slightly -- once again putting her hoof in her mouth.

Rarity sighed, sadly. "Well it would, and I don't mean to imply that that they don't love her -- they love her dearly, and would give anything to help her -- but that is the problem, because they often end up staying very busy providing for the needs of a growing filly," she said, giving a distant look. "But no more on that!" she said, cracking a fake smile -- this was a joyful occasion, not a sad one! "They're... just... away on business for ten days!" She said, flinching slightly, her ears flipping back. "So she's staying with me until then," she said, with an anxious giggle. "I consider it kind of an adventure," she said, smiling warmly. "You know family bonding time!" She said, giving an enigmatic smile -- either she was genuinely happy, she felt imposed upon, or she was upset at her folks, no pony could tell which.

Applejack frowned, holding her hat to her chest. "Rarity... We have somethin' we need ta tell you." Applejack said, solemnly. "Ya see -- " She said, up until the point where Rarity interrupted her mid sentence, with a slightly perturbed expression.

Rarity gave an impressed smile. "Well Applejack, are you actually worried about Apple Bloom? I didn't think you would react this way -- but not to worry! Sweetie is not leaving forever! She's just simply going on a trip with me to Canterlot for one week!" Rarity said, putting a reassuring hoof on her friend.  "And think of it this way," she said, giving an upbeat smile. "It'll give Apple Bloom a chance to catch up on her homework. After all, I did hear from the grapevine, that their teacher, Cheerilee, is coming to visit your brother -- or so I'm told," she said, blushing slightly. "And that means that little Apple Bloom shall, most likely, be able to get her full attention," she said, walking towards the door. "But for now, I apologize, but we simply must be going! Sweetie and I have a train to catch."

Applejack sighed, gritting her teeth -- this over attention to minutia (of fussing as she called is) is why she sometimes couldn't stand the prissy mare (she still remembered that one miserable sleep over, which is why she only did one or two others with the white mare -- usually with two, or more, of their other friends.) She turned to the white unicorn mare, making good and certain to speak louder than her. "Well yer gunna have to  get a refund on those tickets 'cause something happened to 'Bloom and Sweetie, but Twi' won't tell us -- "She said, giving a mildly perturbed expression to the purple alicorn, who blushed back. " -- so ah'm assumin' it's not good!" She said, giving Rarity a fierce stare, which caused her to freeze in place, her mouth finally shut.

"Oh dear." Rarity gasped, her face filled with horror. The poor mare looked like she was going to faint -- holding her hoof to her face. She staggered around hopelessly for a second, before she just stopped -- a mischievous smile slowly creeping up her face. "Oh Applejack!" She chuckled daintily, gesturing like the earth pony was kidding her. "You almost got me Applejack!" She said, with a catty expression. "But aren't you a little old for childish pranks like this? Did Rainbow put you up to it? -- " She said, preparing to dress her friend down.

She didn't get to finish. As Applejack's face became even more stern. "Ah'm serious!" She barked,feeling indignant at being called a liar -- an insult with no peer in her book. "Do ah look like ah'm kidding?" She said, seriously -- raising her voice slightly. "And have you ever know me ta kid around 'bout family?" She shouted, at the top of her lungs.

Rarity repeated a familiar phrase for the second time. "Oh dear!" She said, as she hit the floor, fainting dead away -- her usual fainting couch, nowhere to be seen.

Twilight frowned, looking to see if her friend's heart had failed her. She turned to Applejack. "This has to be serious!" She said, with concern -- looking at Applejack, her returned the expression. "She never faints without her couch!"

Applejack frowned herself. "Ah s'pose maybe ah got a little bit too firm," she said, looking sorry. "Ah s'pose we should get teh smellin' salts!" She said, galloping towards the door.

Twilight gave a belated smile to her friend. "That won't be necessary," she said, powering up her horn. "I've got this!" She said, giving a quick bolt of magic to her prissy friend, waking her up immediately.

And immediately sending her bolting out the door. "Don't worry Sweetie!" Rarity shouted, galloping out the door at top speeds. "I'm coming for you!"

**********

Meanwhile back in the library...

Apple Bloom grew ever more anxious, as the minutes went on, and Scootaloo's current choice in movies: Transbormers wasn't helping much -- because, let's just face it, the new Transbormers movies were pretty dang bad! (Spike tried to warn them that the new reels were no good compared to the old ones, but they wouldn't listen! He was probably wondering, by now, why he didn't burn those things while he had the chance!) And that left Apple Bloom with nothing but time to think about her predicament (and worry her tail off.) "We haffa get outta here!" She finally shouted, pacing violently -- her eyes beginning to dart around. "Ah just cain't stay here! Ah jus' cain't!" She said, looking at the door longingly. "Applejack's gunna be commin' through that door any second now! Aind she's gunna be furious!" She said, conspiratorially.

Scootaloo, however, remained the picture of calm -- smirking mischieviously, a plan slowly materializing in her mind. "Hey Spike's probably asleep already watching that lamo golem movie, -- " She said, with a malevolent smile. "we can probably just sneak past him." Scootaloo said, scoping out the scene. "Plus we're small, and he's not very attentive," she said, starting to tip-toe towards the door.

"Ya'all planned this when ya picked that movie?" Apple Bloom asked, giving a congratulatory smile to her friend.

Scootaloo nodded. "Of course? Do you think an awesome pony like me would want to watch a lame movie like that?" She said, giving Apple Bloom a hoof bump.

Halfway to Spike, Scootaloo turned around -- trying to figure out where Sweetie was, only to see her still lying belly down on the floor. "You ok Sweetie?" She said, with concern. "You know Rarity's going to have a cow when she sees us!" She said, expecting to goad Sweetie into action, as usual. Instead the unicorn mare simply lay there like a lump. Moaning quietly.

"Look guys, I'm still kind of tired," she said, like a child who didn't want to be called outside for the baseball game. "Why don't you leave, and I'll get you when they're done being mad," she said, laying on the ground -- still feeling completely spent from the spell. Why did she feel so tired? Was Twilight right, when she said Sweetie shouldn't be casting advanced magic like this? But how was she supposed to find out what her cutie mark was otherwise?

Apple Bloom frowned, looking at Scootaloo. What should they do? Should they really leave Sweetie behind? "What should weh do?" She said, thinking for a second.

Sweetie simply gave them a silent nod. Causing the other two crusaders to nod at Sweetie's brave sacrifice.

"Good ehdea!" Apple Bloom said, referring to Sweetie's original plan -- though still feeling pretty uncertain about it. "Ah hope we're makin' the right decision Scoots," she said, quietly to her pegasus friend.

Scootaloo shook her head -- changing her mind. "The crusaders don't leave a mare behind," she said, dramatically quoting a movie she had seen. "Help me lift her," she mouthed to Apple Bloom, as both galloped back to the white unicorn, hieving her onto their backs.

Oh well! This would be easy, they'd just sneak past the dragon, and then they'd be out. Even carrying Sweetie on their backs. No problem! Their small, and so is he! It should be a piece of cake. He wouldn't even notice that they were gone until they had a chance to go into hiding -- maybe camp out in the everfree.

One small problem -- they weren't small anymore, not one little bit! So instead of sneaking past the dragon -- and missing him entirely -- Scootaloo ended up hitting him in the head with her giant oversized wings, causing him to wake up with a start. And then, to make matters worse, they misjudged the height of the door -- causing them to bump Sweetie's head into the door when they tried to pass out of it, which naturally caused them to drop her when she cried out in pain (preventing them from making it out the door before the dragon could sound the alarm.)

"Dag nabit!" Apple Bloom said, swallowing the more choice words that she had floating through her head. "Ah thought we were gunna be able ta pass him!" She said, with a frown.

Scootaloo simply stood there, apparently swallowing her own collection of choice words -- stamping her hooves angrily. They were so close too! So very, very close!

Spike, however, didn't seem as upset as they thought he would be. "Good plan girls!" He said, with a mischievous smile. "I'm actually impressed!" He said, with a chuckle. "Though you probably should've taken your new sizes into account," he said, with a smirk. "Especially those oversized wings of yours, Scootaloo," he said, with a chuckle -- impressed with his own wit.

Spike immediately shuttered at his own words expecting a good smack from the flight obsessed pegasus, instead Scootaloo smiled -- proudly, fanning her wings. "Hey, don't worry about it." Scootaloo said, turning to spike. "I'm actually really proud of how these girls turned out," she said, turning her head to stare at her fanned wings. "I think I should try these babies out later!" She said, with the biggest smile that anypony had ever seen from her -- already imagining herself in the air, flapping the wings for all to see.

**********

"Hey Fluttershy!" Twilight shouted, catching the pegasus halfway between, presumably, Rainbow's house and the library. "Did you manage to locate Rainbow, by chance?" She asked her friend, earnestly -- hoping for good news. Because, maybe, just maybe, If she had found Rainbow, then she would also know where to find Scootaloo's parents, and then Twilight could tell them what's happened -- and she could get all these unpleasantries over with.

"Actually Twilight." Fluttershy said, quietly -- feeling like a failure. "I did, but I don't think -- " She said -- on the verge of tears -- before being interrupted by the raising of Twilight's voice.

"So did she know where Scootaloo's parents live?" Twilight interrupted, eagerly, barely hearing the pegasus talk. "Was she able to tell you?" Twilight said, getting ever more earnest, getting ever closer -- her smile slowly getting bigger and bigger and more eager.

"Um... Actually yes, but  -- " The pegasus continued -- anxiously, cowering backwards from the ever approaching alicorn of friendship. "They kind of  -- " She said, with a silent swallow -- Fluttershy was sure Twilight wouldn't like what she was about to say, not one little bit!

"Great!" Twilight said, with enthusiasm. "Let's go and find them!" She said, planning her banter. First, she would introduce herself to Scootaloo's guardians. "Hello. My name is Princess Twilight Sparkle -- " She would say professionally, and then she would graciously explain the situation as she had done with the others -- avoiding the nitty gritty details until they have come back to the library. "There has been a situation... No! Don't worry! Your daughter is ok; but it would be best if you saw her right now! It would be hard to explain her situation otherwise," she would say, followed by a quicky to the library.

Sadly Twilight's continued banter and her careful planning were stopped dead in their tracks, when the yellow pegasus opened her mouth. "Actually Twilight." The pegasus said, swallowing first. "They aren't home," she said, with a frown. "They're up in Canterlot on official, and apparently secret business for the crown," she said, softly -- worried about being charged with disclosing government secrets. "And I couldn't find out any more from their neighbors, but -- " She said, apologizing quietly when Twilight interrupted her.

"They just left her here? In Ponyville!?" Twilight asked, in confusion -- causing the pegasus to apologize, again, with a squeaky voice. "And why didn't I hear anything about this 'royal business'?!" She said, fuming slightly.

"Actually." Fluttershy said, with an apologetic frown. "She was supposed to go to go to the Perins today after the crusaders sleepover. She's supposed to be staying with them a few days -- because, apparently they are close friends of Scootaloo's parents," she said, backing up as Twilight's expression darkened.

Twilight frowned. "So who are these parents anyways?" She fumed, probably planning whom to mention in her call to the FPS and -- 

Fluttershy frowned. "The Sunbirds... Sorry!" She said, mistaking Twilight's agitation at Scootaloo's parents as full blown anger towards her.

Twilight swallowed hard. "You mean the Sunbirds right? AS in the Sunbirds, Sunbirds?" She asked, Fluttershy nodding repetitively. "As in the Sunbird family? The most important clan in Cloudsdale?" Twilight asked, in utter awe. The Sunbirds lived here? In Ponyville? Since when?

"Oh yes." Fluttershy said, smiling and nodding accordingly. "I met them once as a little young filly, and they seemed to be really, really, nice ponies," she said, calming down -- her father had worked for the Sunbird family, for a time, allowing her the once in  a lifetime chance to meet them.

Twilight frowned, this would make things more difficult. She figured that the Sunbirds wouldn't be quite as forgiving as the Apples or Rarity had been. And, for that matter, it meant that she wouldn't be able to get the news to the Sunbirds in a timely manner, and she was sure they wouldn't like that. Then there was the matter that Blue Perin could be just as easily driven to panic as her cousins Daisy, Lily, and Rose. And Twilight really, really, didn't want Scootaloo's condition floating into the broader community, and Twilight was certain that Blue Perin would be tempted to spread the juicy gossip to her cousins, and from there the rest of the town would know. On the other hand, they couldn't leave her in the dark! She might worry that Scootaloo had gone missing!

She turned to Fluttershy. "We can't just tell the Perins about Scootaloo's condition can we?" She said to her scared friend, getting cold hooves. "It might scare them."

Fluttershy nodded. "And being scared is no fun at all," she said, with a frown. "What will we do Twilight?"

Twilight stood around and through for a second. "I'll send a letter to the Perins after we have a chance to come up with our plan," she said, frowning apprehensively. "It's a shame that we'll have to do this without Scootaloo's parents," she said, sternly. "Maybe I should see if I can use the spell I use to send the princess letters, though I really shouldn't be using it for non official business..." She said, chastising herself for the thought.

"AND why would you want to do that?" Asked a determined voice from above. "You think the squirt's honorary sister can't represent her?" Rainbow asked, making sure to hover between all four of her friends and the sun -- for maximum effect. "I mean, she needs to know that there's no way I'd leave her hanging!" Rainbow declared, making dang sure to announce it for all to hear.

Applejack, quirked an eyebrow. "Ya think Scootaloo's folks would appreciate ya'all leavin' them out o' the loop?" She asked, impatiently. "Ah mean -- "

Rainbow frowned, raising her voice -- making dang sure to interrupt loud enough that she was heard over Applejack (there was no way she was letting the squirt down on this one.). "Well tough! 'Cause the squirt's parents aren't home!" She said, crossing her forelegs, determination growing in her voice. "So it's pretty much me or nothing! 'Cause I'm pretty sure Blue Perin is probably already out gossiping to the rose trio!" Rainbow said, sternly.

Twilight frowned, now having to bring her friends and their feelings into this -- which was something really hard for her, just like the whole ticket fiasco. Maybe she would do something uncharacteristic, and take a risk. "Fine," she said, turning to Rainbow Dash. "But I'll still see if I can contact them, at least so they know what's going on -- until we can figure out what our course of action should be."

"In the meantime." Twilight said to them, with a smile. "Why don't you two come in, and I'll show you what happened to your sisters."

"And the squirt!" Rainbow continued, interrupting Twilight, who gave Rainbow a unimpressed expression. "I mean, she's my sister too..." She said, with enthusiasm. "Well... sort of..." She said, blushing slightly.

"And you too, Rainbow Dash." Twilight responded, to her friend, deadpan -- rolling her eyes.

**********

"So... Twilight?" Rarity asked anxiously. "What horrible fate has befallen our dear Sweetie Belle?" She asked, overacting slightly. Whipping her head back dramatically -- throwing the scarf she was wearing around her shoulder with effect -- and wiping her brow with her hoof for good effect. "Don't worry Sweetie! I'm here for you !" She shouted, like her sister was in a coma or deaf.

"An' she ain't even in teh room yet!" Applejack exclaimed, rolled her eyes. "That mare!" She thought to herself. "Always oversellin' everything," she said to herself, internally, turning to Twilight. "But ah was wonderin' that mahself! What did 'Bloom go an' do to herself again?" She asked, her face betraying her anxieties.

Rainbow decided to chime in -- her bravatto showing. "Well, if you ask me -- with all this worrying and crying, the squirt better be looking something like that Mulia Mild joke!" She said folding her front legs -- a general unimpressed expression on her face. "I mean I can't be here! I have important stunts to do!" She said, making sure to float up slightly to show off her superior flying form. As everypony stared at her with terrified expressions.

"Rainbow!" Twilight shouted, in shock at how thoughtless her friend was being. "I'm surprised at you!" She said, with disappointment, her eyes looking like she had sucked on a lemon.

"Well!" Applejack replied, bluntly. "Nopony said you had ta' be here! So yah could've stayed out, an' we could'a found somepony else ta help!"

"Nonsense!" Rainbow said, bluntly -- shaking her head. "I would never leave the squirt hanging," she said, waving her hoof to the side. "Now when are you going to get to telling us Twi'?" She said steadfastly.

"Well..." Twilight said, nodding in agreement. "It might be easier to show than to tell," she said, turning slowly towards the kitchen. "Spike!" She shouted to her number one assistant. Bring in the girls!" She shouted, causing her assistant to open the door, being followed behind by three adult mares, all looking like they were marching to the gallows. First a yellow earth pony with red hair and orange eyes, followed by a orange pegasus with oversized wings, purple eyes, and a purple mane, and finally a white unicorn mare with green eyes, and a purple and pink two color mane -- who looked like she was about to collapse all the way out of the room -- and, further, looking something like she was suffering from a hair disaster and a very poor attempt to duplicate Rarity's signature style.

Rarity, however, didn't seem to notice, turning to Twilight with at least a little discomfort. "Twilight? -- " She asked, in dismay. " -- Darling. You are kidding me right?" She said, looking very confused. "Is this some kind of royal joke? Did Rainbow put you up to something -- " She said, getting a healthy cry of protest from the blue pegasus. " -- these look like perfectly healthy adult mares to me!" She said, looking over at Sweetie and blushing. "Well -- except for that one! She looks a little green under the gills," she said, looking over to Applejack. "You agree right, Applejack?"

Meanwhile, the young apple's face had seemed to lose it's orange, going pale instead. "ya'... better... look again pard'ner!" She said, struggling with the words -- making sure to grab granny, incase her legs failed her. "Ah mean, just look at 'em Rarity!" She said, with concern. "Twi?" She asked in abject panic. "They ain't gunna keep gettin' older right?" She asked, wringing her hooves.

Rarity turned to her friend, and gave her 'my friend is being silly' laugh. "Oh Applejack! Oh come now! There's nothing to see. They are perfectly healthy mares down to their ... " She said, looking down, and wobbling slightly -- her legs starting to fail. "Blank flanks..." She said, barely holding what was left of her composure.

Applejack turned to Twilight, looking very concerned for her sister's health, and future. "Ah'm gunna ask this once -- an' only once!" She said, getting serious. "What happened Twi'?" She said, looking none too happy. "Wha' happened ta mah sister? Did ya' try some magic again?"

Twilight turned to her friend, and shook her hooves and head with great gusto. "Oh no! I would never cast magic on the girls without your approval! And, if it will make you feel better, I think the spell has already aged them all it will!"

"So..." Rarity said, laughing a fake laugh. "Twilight, what, exactly happened to my sister, then?" She asked, parrotting Applejack, beginning to sound perturbed herself.

"Well you see." Twilight said, rubbing one hoof against the other. "The girls kind of snuck in last night, and found a book on super advanced magic, that I had, kind of, left out while studying it for the princesses, and kind of cast one of the spells on themselves... and well... you see the results!"

"Oh dear!" Rarity said, rushing over to her sister to feel her mane. "You can reverse this right?" Twilight. "I can't have Sweetie running around looking like this!" She said, with concern. "I mean, Just look at her mane!"

Applejack rolled her eyes again -- oh that mare. "But Rarity is right Twi'," she said, finding herself in agreement with the prissy pony. "Ya can reverse this right?" She said, putting her hooves together, in a begging position. "Ah can't imagine that magic like this would do 'Bloom any good!"

Twilight blushed. "Thank you for your confidence girls, but the spell is extremely advanced, and I don't want to try any counterspells until I'm one hundred percent sure that I can reverse it safely," she said, entering her lecturing mode. "I mean I can't risk the girls safety unless I'm very sure that it can be reversed safely."

Sweetie frowned, and chimed in, quietly, still dragging herself around. "But Twilight I said I could simply reverse it once my magic comes back!"

Twilight frowned. "I know Sweetie, but with how advanced this spell is, I'm worried that cancellation wouldn't be as easy as that, and I really don't want to risk that something bad might happen if you were to make a mistake," she said, seriously. "Tell you what Sweetie." Twilight said, reassuringly. "You can definitely try, but I want to be there when you do -- so I can intervene if there's a problem."

"But wouldn't you get caught in the spell, and become young too?" Sweetie asked, wondering if her magic mentor had thought everything through.

"Let me worry about that." Twilight responded, with a wink -- channeling her mentor, for a moment. "Besides, there's things I can do if something like that was on the verge of happening," she said, feeling sure of her abilities (and hoping that Star Swirl's old spell wasn't too complicated, for even her.)

"So why don't ya cast it now?" Bloom asked again.

"Because I'm not ready to yet Apple Bloom." Twilight responded. "I want to learn more about this spell first, before I attempt something like that! The reason I went with your suggestion, is because a week should be more then enough time for me to get the ins and outs of this spell!... I hope..."

"'Course you know Twi's right." Applejack responded to her sister, giving her a reassuring smile. "The worst thing ya' can do, girls, is cast magic ya' don't know anything 'bout," she said, turning her frown to her sister. "'Cause that's how ya got inta this mess in the first place," she said, with a scowl. "Meanwhile Twi's got more magic than she knows what ta do with," she continued, a smirk showing on her face. "Now... Twi', 'bout this whole messy business. What should teh girl's -- " She said, before the apple matriarch chimed in.

"Ah phooey Applejack!" Granny Smith responded, sternly. "Ah know them girls made a mistake an all, but they gotta make their own decisions eventually! 'Sides ain't anywhere as bad as ah was expecting," she said, firmly. 

"'Course those decisions should have consequences." Applejack continued, firmly. "Now what would be the best punishment fur ya' young lady?" She said, avoiding a smirk, as her sisters piteous condition began to become more funny than frightening.

Apple Bloom, simply stood there defiantly -- she had done what she felt she had to do in her pursuit of her mark, and she wasn't going to back down now. She scuffed her hoof -- fuming quietly, feeling indignant.

Rarity turned her gaze to her sister disapprovingly. Giving her a shortened version of her lecture, as it looked like her sister's condition wouldn't be able to handle the extended version. "Sweetie!" She said, firmly. "I am very disappointed in you! I thought, when we agreed to allow Twilight to teach you magic, that you would follow some basic rules and stipulations," she said, with a stern expression (and a thesaurus hidden right behind Sweetie's head.) "Meaning that you would only cast magic that she condoned." Rarity said, her voice containing disappointment.

Sweetie nodded silently still sobbing silently. Not just was she feeling weak and tired, but she also messed everything up again, and made everyone angry at her again. She just felt like a total failure.

After a couple of minutes Rarity's countenance began to crack. "You are forgiven Sweetie." Rarity said, her anger and disappointment beginning to falter, as well. 

After a few seconds, Rarity smiled -- feeling her sister had apologized enough. "Though I am just as proud as Twilight, of how your magic has progressed. It amazes me how much, both you, and your magic have grown!" She said, feeling legitimate pride in her sister -- maybe she was wrong about what her sister's special talent should be. "Maybe Twilight wasn't so crazy to keep teaching you magic in Twilight Time after you learned basic unicorn magic," she said, proudly, winking slightly.

"Does that mean I'm not in trouble anymore?" Sweetie squeaked, unable to jump for joy like she wanted.

"Oh no!" Rarity said, with a smile. "You are still, very much, in trouble -- but I'll figure out an appropriate punishment for you after our adventure to Canterlot!" She said, trying and failing to use a stern expression. "Does this seem fair?"

Sweetie didn't have a chance to respond before Rainbow raced up, in full rainbow colors (if she had gone much faster, than the library would've been wrecked by a sonic rainboom.) "Awesome Squirt!" She said, making sure to give an impressed whistle at Scootaloo's wings. "Just look at those wings!" She said, exuberantly. "With wings like those I should stop calling you Squirt, and maybe come up with a cool name like 'Thunderbolt', or 'Phantom wing' or 'Highflyer'... or something!" She said with enthusiasm as her number one fan gladly joined in -- herself bouncing along eagerly. "I mean, -- " She said, having to rear up to give the squirt a noogie. " -- no more platitudinous nonsense like 'you're awesome just the way you are' or 'you're you and I'm me' or any other such demeaning drivel!" Rainbow said, motioning her hoof as best she could to mimic the movement of her lips as she talked about Scootaloo 'being awesome just the way she was'. (By the by, Rainbow and Twilight were both very impressed with how well the studying for the wonderbolts exam helped her vocabulary.) 

She turned to her number one fan, putting one hoof on her side, and motioning with the other. "Nope Squirt you and I are going flying! And I won't take no for an answer! I can't wait for us to go out and break those beautiful babies in!" She said, flaring her own wings, for effect. "Maybe I could teach you some genuine pegasus only pranks; or maybe some of my signature stunts, and -- "

Twilight turned to Rainbow, with a stern expression. "RAINBOW!!!" She shouted, forcefully -- making sure that her expression and eyes said 'don't encourage her!' as clearly as possible!

"Oh sorry..." Rainbow said, with a blush. Turning to Scootaloo, she opened her mouth to mouth the harshest sentence of disapproval that had been given all day. "I'm very disappointed in you squirt... blah blah blah..." She said, deadpan (ok maybe the level of disappointment in that sentence was overrated.)

Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack rolled their eyes in unison. They were probably going to need to get the Sunbirds involved, unless they wanted Scootaloo to get into the habit of breaking and entering. (Which reminded Twilight.)

"Girls." Twilight said, as calmly and politely as she could. "Could you go back into the kitchen while the Apples, Rarity, and I discuss this matter," she said, hoping the girls would comply this time (and preparing how best to chastise Rainbow for encouraging Scootaloo's bad behavior.)

"Hey!" Rainbow shouted angrily. "I'm here too!" (Silly Rainbow! Twilight wanted to talk to the adults!)

Once again, Twilight, Rarity, and the Apples rolled their eyes.

"Ahem...." Twilight said, clearing her throat. "Could you go back into the kitchen while the Apples, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and I discuss the matter," she said, making good and sure to add emphasis to the words 'Rainbow Dash' (hopefully Rainbow was happy now!)

"Sure Twilight." Apple Bloom said, dragging the other two back into the kitchen to finish the game of Marenopoly they started with Spike. Yeah it felt bad to be banished back there, but at least she had her winning row of hotels to look forward to -- that and wiping her win in Scootaloo's face.

"Hey Spike!" Twilight said, stopping the dragon, before he could leave the room. "Take a letter," she said to her number one assistant.

"Sure Twilight!" He responded dutifully. "Who do you want me to take it out too, the princess?"

"No Spike!" Twilight responded, clearing her throat. "Dear Mr. and Mrs. Sunbird,..." She started dictating.

"Well! This definitely complicates things!" Rarity responded, sadly. "I had hoped to be in Canterlot already, and hiding Sweetie's condition is going to be very difficult," she said, with a frown.

**********

"So what  do you think they'll decide?" Scootaloo asked curiously, turning to Apple Bloom. "You think we're going to get grounded? Or do you think they will cancel Twilight Time instead or something?"

Apple Bloom shook her head. "Ah don't know! But ah worry about what mah sister will recommend -- 'cause if she slips inta 'big sister world savior mode' then ah'm finished!" she said, still smarting about that whole get to take care of her chores by herself, but not really, thing.

"I don't think it matters." Sweetie said, with a sigh, still looking really, really, tired -- laying spread out on her belly.. "It doesn't really matter to me," she said, laying her head on the ground, along with the rest of her.

Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom looked at each other, passing concerned expressions. Wondering if Sweetie was going to be ok.

"Ya ok Sweetie?" Apple Bloom asked, wondering if she should race out and get the adults. "Ya gunna be alright?"

Sweetie nodded. "I'm fine! Just really tired," she said, with a yawn. "Casting spells like the one we cast last night takes a lot of magic! And the spell took more out of me then I thought it would. Add that my magic capacity suddenly quadrupled, and you see now that I'm dealing with a quarter of nothing.

Apple Bloom still looked unconvinced, but Scootaloo had already moved on, having fallen in love with her own wings. "Ok! Will do!" She said, with obvious enthusiasm -- and being obviously distracted. "Besides!" She said, feeling like her honorary big sister was out there defending her to the last. "Did you see how much Rainbow likes my wings!?" She said, bouncing off the walls. "Maybe we'll finally be able to actually do things together as honorary sisters?" She said, buzzing her wings like she normally would -- except this time, instead of staying put, she slowly levitated higher and higher. After a few seconds she stopped, and gradually drifted down using what little she knew about flying. "Heck!" She said, eagerly. "I'm not going to wait!" She said, planning on a bold escape plan. "I want to try these babies out now!" She said, getting into the takeoff position that she had seen Rainbow use so many times.

"Ah... Scoots!" Apple Bloom said, suddenly taking notice. "Ya sure this is a good idea? Especially since we ah're indoors an -- "

"Nah!" Scootaloo said, with a wave of her hoof, and a flap of her wings. "It'll be fine! I know how my wings work!" She exclaimed, buzzing her wings as she normally would -- if not with extra vigor.

However, her wings were no longer tiny shriveled magicless tumors, instead they were now majestic wings that any pegasus would envy. And, as a result, the result was inevitable.

She shot up like a rocket, hitting her head against the room's ceiling -- her wings still flapping violently. "Ouch!!!" She exclaimed, trying to rub her head. But there was no time for that as she glanced off the ceiling -- her wings still flapping instinctively -- did a series of rolls along the pitch axis, finally hitting the ceiling on the other side of the room. "Oooch!!!!" She exclaimed, doing a corkscrew into the floor -- just missing some dangerously sharp objects, before finally sliding to the stop across the room, on the other side.

"Oh!" Pinkie said, sympathetically. "And you were doing so well too!" She said, suddenly materializing between the three little ponies (from where? Nopony could tell.) "I mean! She was all like woosh!" She said, parroting Scootaloo's motions with her hoof. "But then she was all like bam, and then pow -- " She said, hitting her hoof on invisible walls. " -- and then ouch!" She said, prattling uncontrollably.

"Huh?" All three crusaders asked in unison, turning to look over. "Pinkie?" They asked, only to find out that she was suddenly gone. Off to wherever she came from.

"Do ya think she's gone already?" Apple Bloom asked, turning to Sweetie, who shrugged as best she could.

A thought suddenly occurred to Apple Bloom -- causing her smile to drop. "Are ya ok Scoots? She asked, trotting over to her friend -- once again wondering if she should be talking to the adults.

"I'm ok!" Scootaloo said, shaking her head nautiously. "Apparently!" She said, still shaking her head. "Attempting to fly the way I always have will not work," she said, shaking her head dizzily.  "And apparently trying to fly indoors will only result in pain," she commented, insightfully.

**********

A series of loud thumps could be heard in the other room, that caused almost everypony to practically jump out of her skins.

"What in good Celestia's name was that?" Rarity asked in dismay -- turning to Twilight. "Should we check on the girls?" Rarity said, imagining that something bad had happened, like they were kidnapped by Nightmare Moon, or something.

Rainbow waved her hoof, attempting to hide her enthusiasm behind a layer of false indifference. "That, Twilight was the sound of thunderbolt (aka the squirt) rocking her new wings!" Rainbow exclaimed, proudly. "Just like her mentor!" She said, as tears of joy (aka liquid pride) started to flow, from her eyes. However it was short lived as the proud pegasus blushed -- putting up her walls again. "I mean... good for her," she said, looking back to a room full of scowls. "What?" She asked, as Applejack rolled her eyes again. "Oh!!!" She exclaimed. "I mean... I'm so disappointed in her," she said, disingenuously, putting on a fake frown. "Boo."

Fluttershy finally chimed in, herself. "Um... Maybe we should let them go," she squeaked nervously. "I mean it was just a mistake, and I think they are upset already," she said, cowering when all other turned to look at her. "Sorry..."

Twilight sighed, sternly. "Normally I would agree, but they need to learn that forbidden magic is forbidden for a reason," she said, wagging her hoof. "And Sweetie needs to understand that there's a cost to casting magic that I told her explicitly not to," she said, frowning again.

Rarity rose her hoof, and stuck it in Twilight's face, interrupting her. "Well. I, for one feel that Sweetie has suffered enough." Rarity said, calmly, her eyes glancing back at Twilight in the most down to earth, business like manner. "I think whatever the horrible fate that has befallen her is punishment enough!" She said, her face falling a little, her eyes staring downwards in a sure sign of pity. After a short while, she decided to bring up something that had been nagging at her. "By the by Twilight, should I be seeing the doctor about Sweetie? Her condition seems to be really rough." Rarity said, fidgeting noticeably -- biting her lip slightly. "I mean she looks really, really, really horrid. And I worry that she'll just keep getting tired until -- " She stopped talking, opting instead to sob quietly.

Twilight put a reassuring hoof on her friend's shoulder. "I wouldn't worry yet. I've noticed how weak and tired she is." Twilight said, nonchalantly. "But I believe it's just from the exhaustion. She did, after all, use a lot of magic all at once," she said, giving a reassuring smile to Rarity. "But you should probably take her in if isn't better by morning, or if it gets any worse -- they have medicines they can give a pony suffering from a lack of magic."

Rarity smiled back, nervously. "I suppose," she said, pausing to catch her breath. "Though I do think the dear has had enough," she said, pausing again, for emphasis. "I shall only give her a stern talking to, and then we shall still have our trip to Canterlot, as planned," she said, to a collective gasp from the group.

"Ya' can't just let her git away with this!" Applejack said, with a scowl. "After what she did to 'Bloom an' the others."

"I can and I will." Rarity insisted. "Though we will have to give the dear something to hide her condition. Maybe a dress, or a skirt," she said, contemplatively. "And I suppose the dear won't like it, but, I suppose that, that can probably be her punishment, as well," she said, sternly.

"That's poppycock!" Applejack said, with agitation. "There's no way she should be allowed to git away with that! Ah plan to ground bloom for a  -- " She said, before Twilight raised a hoof to interrupt her.

"Think for a second!" Twilight Cautioned. "I don't think that will work!" Twilight said, the wheels in her head turning quietly.

"An why not?" Applejack asked, feeling slightly indignant.

"Because all it will do is make her indignant." Twilight started, before being interrupted again. 

"Ah hear you Twi'! But there ain't no way she can go 'round school lookin' like that!" She said, with concern. "Then there's the whole matter of scarein' us all stiff!" She said, stamping her hoof. "There's gotta be some kind of re-pro-cussions!"

"Oh!" Twilight said, with a smirk. "There will be!" She said, her expression becoming mischievous.

"Don't tell me your plotting another one of those Mare-do-well style 'lessons'!" Rainbow said, angrily, crossing her front legs, again, -- a scowl showing across her face. "I hated Mare-do-well!" She said, remembering how long it took for her to get her confidence back after that little 'lesson'. She continued. "I mean is it so hard to just ask me to knock it down slightly? Or to tell me I'm taking something too far?" She asked, to embarrassed expressions from the other ponies.

"Sorry about that." Twilight said, with a frown. "I was worried that you wouldn't listen, especially after you interrupted Applejack -- and I kind of over thought things," she said, with a blush.

"Apology accepted." Rainbow replied. "Now what scheme were you up to?"

"Well!" Twilight said, regaining her mirth. "I was thinking that since she's an adult now, that she should be helping with the adult chores."

Granny Smith smiled back, herself looking mischievous. "Sounds like a fair plan ta me! Though ah still think she might need to spend the night in her room ta think 'bout things!" She said, transition from mischievous to stern.

Twilight nodded. "So girls. Any idea what we plan to do about Scootaloo?"

"Why the squirt thunderbolt can stay with me for a few days!" Rainbow said, with confidence. "And I can think of some appropriate punishment," she said, making sure to look responsible -- in a cool way.

Twilight shook her head. "Rainbow! We talked about this!" She said, sternly. "And if I condoned this, we'd have to ask Scootaloo's folks first! And they would almost certainly -- "

"Already have!" Rainbow responded.

"Say what?" Twilight said, her face showing obvious confusion. "What do you mean you already have?"

"Already have!" Rainbow said, repeating herself, for effect. "I had Spike send a letter to them, just after you sent yours."

"Rainbow!" Twilight said, her voice getting louder. "That's an abuse of dragon fire! And I neither I nor them gave you permission to send them mail without permission."

"Relax Twilight!" Rainbow said, getting serious. "I'm the element of loyalty! And I wouldn't feel right about myself if I didn't help Scoots out in any way I could!" She said, standing firm.

"Fine." Twilight sighed, still feeling like her friend had acted out of turn. "But ... I hope, for your sake, that they won't mind!"

"Twilight! Twilight!" Spike shouted, exuberantly. "A letter from the sunbirds!" He said, unrolling the scroll.

"All hail princess Twilight, the Princess of Friendship, the Duchess of Ponyville, owner of the golden oaks, head of the ponyville library, and princess of equestria,"

"Wow!" Twilight responded. "They are laying it on really thick aren't they.

"We are deeply upset to hear what has happened to our dearest Scootaloo -- but we feel that, sometimes, these kinds of mistakes can't be avoided. And, though it goes against our better judgement, we feel that it would be prudent to accept Rainbow's offer -- after all our daughter is now -- "

Twilight looked at the paper, and noticed moisture from, what she assumed to be, tears.

" -- old enough to care for herself.
Please tell her that she will find her way in Ponyville now that she's an adult.
In due awe, and reverence, Royal Sunbird, Countess of East Cloudsdale, Mistress to the mayor of Cloudsdale."

Rainbow stood there puzzling for a second. "Ok Twilight! I think she's confused!" Rainbow said, bristling slightly. "Shouldn't we send her a letter telling her that Sweetie is simply going to reverse the spell in one week?"

"Actually Rainbow..." Twilight responded, somberly. "She might not be able to... It really depends on the nature of this spell..."

> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Sweetie," Rarity said, calling up to her sister, her face covered in dismay. "Do you need me to help you get to bed?" she asked, already holding her hooves under her sister as she slowly, and clumsily, ascended the stairs.

Sweetie nodded sadly - hanging her head. What use was it to be a full grown mare now if she couldn't even walk up a flight of stairs under her own power? And why did she think that stupid spell was going to work anyway? And now, to make matters worse, not just was she going to be grounded, but she was weak, and sore all over - especially in her tummy. How in the heck did she pull a muscle down in there? Was it possible there was something wrong with that hay burger that she managed to choke down for dinner? Except it didn't feel like that, more like cramping, and not all the time. But to add to it all, she was now Equestria's biggest, and oldest, blank flank!

"Here," Rarity said, using her magic to steady her sister during her long trek up the stairs. "Let me help you, Sweetie," she said, giving a motherly smile as she sighed on the inside. Why couldn't Sweetie have had parents that weren't busy all the bucking time!? 

Nevertheless, every once in awhile, she felt almost like she should have had the job of being Sweetie's parent, instead of her own parents; That was, when the dear wasn't driving her stark raving batty!

Sweetie sighed, her strength just about exhausted from praying to Celestia and Faust that, hopefully, this would all be better by morning! She slowly trotted through the door into her room, sweat dripping down her brow the whole way.

Rarity frowned, starting to close the door. "Do you think you'll be able to sleep ok, Sweetie darling?" Rarity asked, in concern. "If you need, I could try my hoof at a sleeping spell or-"

Sweetie shook her head, trying, desperately, to choke out the words she wanted to shout at the top of her lungs. Great! Now even speaking was hard! "Just leave," she said, her tone coming out a hushed whisper instead of the loud shriek she was trying to accomplish.

Rarity nodded, with a frown. It was moments like these where she wished that they had a mother that wasn't desperately trying to stay solvent...

Meanwhile, sleep for Sweetie came quickly, as her mind began to wander.

**********

"Oh Sweetie, honey!" Sweetie's mom shouted from downstairs, giving the eight year old unicorn a start. "It's time to get up, don't cha know! Today's your eighth birthday party, and your father's bought the most beautiful flowers!" she shouted, cheerfully. "And wouldn't you know it!" she shouted, pausing for a second. "All your little friends are here too!" The little unicorn fluttered her eyes against the light that was seeping through the window shades.

"Oh goody!" Sweetie exclaimed, being extra careful to apply her makeup in such a way, as to look really beautiful! Yeah, not like the last time she tried this, you know - the last time, she kind of looked like she had tried to eat the lipstick instead of using it...

"Oh my! Doesn't my little girl look like a charmer!" Hondo exclaimed, trotting up behind Sweetie as she painstakingly stood tippy-hoof to try to get up to where she could see herself in the mirror. "Do you need me to help you with your make-up, dear?" he asked in a tender hush. "Because I would absolutely love to help my-"

Sweetie frowned. "Get out of here!" She shouted at her father, a giggle beginning to creep into her voice. "You're ruining the surprise!" she exclaimed, as her angry shouting started to turn into full on laughing. When was the last time her parents had actually managed to make one of her birthdays? And how much better would that fifth birthday have been if her mother had actually been there instead of working extra shifts to try to work her way out of debt!

"Well, sorry about that pumpkin!" Sweetie's father said, bashfully. "But I just had to make sure everything was perfect for you!" He put a hoof on her back. "You are my daughter after all!"

Sweetie smiled and nodded - her eyes tearing slightly. Both her parents around for one of her birthdays! Oh this almost never happened - and she couldn't be happier.

"Oh, and look!" her father exclaimed, looking out the door and downstairs. "All your little friends showed up!"

"You mean?" Sweetie asked, already listing the names in her head: Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Twist, Berry Pinch, Button Mash, Pipsqueak, Coronet, Snips, Snails, Dinky Doo, Button Mash ... Wait, did she mention that loser Button Twice?

She shook her head, why was she blushing anyways? And why the special attention to Snips, and Snails? And why was Button even on her mind? None of them were exactly what her idea of what a dream stallion would be... Yeah Pipsqueak she could see - he was an awfully handsome young colt, and with a charming accent to boot; but the other three? All horrible choices in a stallion!

"Oh yes! And they're out there waiting for you!" he said playfully, giving her a nudge. "So why don't you go on down there and meet them!" He tried to give her a slight push with his hoof.

"Even the colts?" she asked, feeling her face flush again. Was it just her or did she feel her tail raising for some weird reason? And why was she feeling so nervous about talking to the colts?

"Oh! Of course!" Her mother said, lovingly, giving her an affectionate nuzzle as she took great pains to help her with her hair. "Do you really think any of your young colt friends would miss this opportunity to meet a nice young pony like you?"

Sweetie shook her head, eagerly, guessing they wouldn't. She thought to herself, as that traitor tail raised itself even higher. And was it her, or was she blushing again?

Her father tilted his head, a concerned expression forming. "You okay, honey?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"Yeah! I'm fine!" she said with a smile. "I guess I'm just eager for my party!" she exclaimed, bouncing along. What else would explain all this weirdness?

Sweetie Belle took careful pains to keep herself looking good, as she slowly descended the steps. "I'm here everypony!" she squeaked, as she stopped at the top of the last flight to strike a few poses.

"Oh my gosh!" Coronet shouted eagerly. "It's Sweetie Belle!" she exclaimed, holding her hooves against her muzzle, an exuberant fanfilly expression on her face.

"Sweetie Belle!" Dinky replied, hopping eagerly.

"Hey Dinky!" Sweetie replied with a smile. All her friends were there and they were all very impressed by her posing! She really was just like her big sister Rarity!

Oh it was everything she dreamed it would be! Her eighth birthday party was going so swimmingly. And what was better! She was beautiful, just like her sister! Heck, she was the center of attention for a change, not Rarity! And all the colts were paying such careful attention to her!

Wait... why did that matter? Why did it matter that the colts were looking at her? And why did it make her feel all bubbly inside?

All of a sudden she found herself galloping to the bottom of the stairs, casting all caution to the wind to be in the center of the gaggle of colts.

'Oh wow! This feels great!' she thought to herself, as she felt her tail raise again.

And there they all were! Snips! Snails!... Snips!? Snails!? Wait... what in the hay was she thinking!?... Pipsqueak! Featherweight! Button Mash!... Wait... Button Mash? Why was he important?

Oh this felt so wonderful! And they were all saying hi! And greeting themselves like true gentlecolts! Each one coming up, and bowing in turn, causing her to titter to herself, quietly.

"Why hello there, Sweetie!" Pipsqueak said gallantly, in his dreamy Trottingham accent. "I apologize for the interruption," he announced valiantly, with the dreamiest bow. "But I just wanted to tell you how smashing you looked!" He kissed her hoof.

Sweetie tittered to herself again, silently. "Smashing!" she said, feeling the blush coming back. Was it just her, or was it hot in here? And was it just her, or was she ecstatic that the most eligible colt in school paying attention to her?

Button rushed to the front. "Please Sweetie! Be mine!" he shouted. "I'll give up my Joy Boy!" He threw his most prized possession out the window, causing it to smash against the sidewalk. "I'll take everything you said into account!" he begged, falling on hooves and knees. "Please! Just be my special somepony!" he pleaded.

'Wow!' Sweetie thought to herself! Just absorbing the situation, she couldn't even describe the feelings she was going through! It just felt wonderful!... Well... Except for where she was looking... It was hard to remind herself that a proper lady always looks a stallion in the eyes! Not in the.... Ehem.... Wait... why was she fawning over that loser Button? Remember! The future of unemployment and type two diabetes! The smell of cheesy puffs!

"Duh! Please be my special somepony!" Snails chimed in, obliviously pushing Button out of his way as he pulled a very ridiculous, lint based, caricature of Sweetie out with his magic.

"No!" Snips shouted, violently pushing his friend Snails, out of the way. "Sweetie! Be mine!"

Sweetie just felt herself blushing! And oh the wonder of it all! All the love and adoration! And the stallions and the cold wet feeling...

COLD WET FEELING?

Sweetie woke up with a start... What just happened? Why was her bed wet? She hadn't wet her bed in years! And why was it... ew!!! It was icky to the touch... and it felt nasty... And why just in one place? Ohh... she didn't even want to think about it!

"Rarity!" she shouted in fright, galloping full bore into her sister's room! "Rarity!"

"Who... what... where?" Rarity shouted, with a start, having awoken from the most splendid dream involving that giant red apple, and she wasn't dreaming about the fruit either... Of course, it could have also been the one where Trenderhoof finally took note of her instead of Applejack - but she wouldn't say either way.

"Rarity..." the adult mare sniffled like a little filly. "Do you have any sheets I can borrow?"

"Really, Sweetie?" Rarity asked softly - though inside she was shouting in contempt. "You... again?" She shivered slightly.

She nodded, her face blushing, her head tilted downward in shame.

Rarity dropped her head to apologize, this was no way for her to treat her sister. "I'm sorry Sweetie," she said, getting up slowly and putting a hoof on her sister's withers. "Let's see what we can find while I get those old sheets off," she remarked, returning to Sweetie's room.

Yeah, it looked like the poor dear had done it again, and for the first time in years... Rarity sighed, it was a shame the poor dear was going through all this, if only their parents were here! Well best get those off and - 

She stopped, having put her hoof in something on the sheet. What possessed her to use her hoof like a bedraggled earth pony instead of using her magic? Maybe it was the fact that she was woken up from the best possible dream at two in the morning!

Wait, this didn't feel or smell anything like what she had expected. Could it be?... Oh dear... maybe she would need to give Sweetie... The Talk... a few years earlier then she would have hoped, and once again... her, and not her parents!

No, surely it could wait till she was older... after all, how much trouble could she get in, anyway? It was only for a week! And then Sweetie wouldn't need 'the talk' for a year or three!

**********

Sweetie woke up feeling a lot stronger than yesterday, and a little less gross. Maybe the worst of it was over! Maybe all she needed was some rest and relaxation, though she really did wonder what that dream from last night was all about!? It's not that she hadn't had crushes on colts before, she had more than a few, but nothing on the level that she experienced in last night's dream - let alone where her eyes and mind kept drawing themselves in her dream.

But, oh well! Today was a new day! And it was so very bright and sunny and cheerful! And just look at the sun! It was so much bigger, and warmer, and brighter than yesterday, she thought with a quick stretch. In fact, if anything, she was no longer feeling tired, or depressed, and was feeling positively frisky.

Had the weather changed? Not that she had heard. It was supposed to be the same weather as yesterday... And yet, it seemed so different, like yesterday was the dead of winter, and today was spring. It was just so warm and wonderful! And she just felt like warming her mane and tail... Well... after she took care of something... she thought, suddenly noticing something. Why was she still feeling wet and icky down there? Didn't she take a quick shower last night to rid herself of the ick?

She gave a quick humph... the sun would have to wait until after her shower! You know what? Scrap that idea! This called for a bath! And she knew where Rarity kept the bubble bath mixture!

Sweetie took one of the towels out of the closet, and carefully dried off her... rather too sensitive spot. The poor towel became mysteriously wet from the liquid that seemed to be moistening that specific spot. And she didn't want to think of that any further! So she opted instead to get everything cleaned as quick as she could!

Sweetie Belle frowned as she felt the spot slowly moisten, yet again. How did Rarity put up with adulthood?

Her tummy hurt. She kept getting distracted. She had mood swings. Her body was painful to the touch in places. And, for the icing on the cake, her behind kept wetting itself, for no reason, and with absolutely no provocation whatsoever!

Why the hay was her behind wet? And did she even want to know? She meant, that she, like Rarity, didn't really have a fondness for gross things! Though, as a crusader, she tended to be in contact with dirt and grime a lot more than other ponies, including her sister. And why, for that matter, was her mind constantly wandering? Hither and yon, here and there! It was annoying! She was trying to feel sorry for herself over here! And she kept thinking about ... well she didn't want to talk about what she was thinking about!

'Maybe a quick bath will fix this up? ' she thought hopefully, as she hastily poured water into the bath bucket, not paying any attention to how hot or cold the water was.

Sweetie Belle shivered as the bath water ran unexpectedly cold... She guessed that she should have checked the water's temperature level first, but she wanted to get the grossness off as quickly as she could! The horrible water reminded her how cold and moist her behind was... Whatever that moisture was, it wasn't the one time slip that she had hoped it was. And now, apparently, she had used cold water for her bath... what else could go wrong?

'Please, Celestia, let this go away soon,' she pleaded. Her foreleg reaching out for a soft scrubbing brush to her lather herself with soap, and hoped to Faust that this never happened again!

After a few minutes Rarity could be heard from below. "Oh Sweetie, dear!" she called in her kindest voice. "Breakfast is ready! Please come down quickly!" she announced with urgency. "We simply don't have much time before the train leaves for Canterlot!"

Sweetie frowned. Hopefully she got it all, as there was no more time to think about it, though she still wondered why she was feeling so sore today? Was her body still sore from a lack of magic?

**********

After a few minutes, hoofsteps could be heard as Sweetie came bolting down the stairs. Her posterior was covered modestly with a lovely pink skirt that Rarity had provided, for the purpose of hiding her blank flank. "Hello Rarity!" she exclaimed with a smile. "How are you doing?" she chirped eagerly.

"Ahh Sweetie!" Rarity said, returning the smile. "You seem to be feeling better today," she remarked, her mood finally improving.

Sweetie nodded. "Well, mostly..." she said, gulping slightly. "Except for this pain -" she said, her hoof reaching down to point at her - 

Rarity put her hoof up... "too much information, Sweetie darling!" she remarked, her countenance giving off an uncomfortable vibe. "That was probably more then I wished to know," she croaked, waving her hoof a bit.

Rarity frowned, looking away for a moment. This was not the best way to act after her sister's rough day yesterday - let alone her rough night last night. "But worry not Sweetie! You seem to be feeling better today, and I see no reason that you won't continue to do so!" she said with confidence, giving her sister a reassuring wink.

Sweetie nodded vigorously, as Rarity gave her a motherly smile. It looked like the dear was feeling better today! So, maybe her fears from yesterday were for naught! Sweetie did seem to be feeling better, after all! Maybe all she needed was a good night's sleep?

In fact, if anything, she was looking positively frisky - despite the evening's little accident; throwing her attention to her food, which she ate with great enthusiasm - probably to make up for not eating the day before!

Oh it was all good news! They would most assuredly make it to Canterlot on time today! Well... assuming that she finished her meal on time. And then, after she had dropped off that dress, they could live on the top of the town... well... assuming that there were no more distractions like- 

"Hello!" came a stallion's voice piercing through the silence of the early morning, causing a less than subtle shake from the fussy unicorn mare, as the stallion continued to rap his hoof on the door frame again. "Hello!? Is anypony there!?" He called out, loudly.

"Just ignore them and maybe they will go away," Rarity cautioned sternly. "I shall not miss the train again, for we simply must get to Canterlot on time today!" She announced, unwilling to miss the train again. Now it wasn't so much that Rarity didn't want to help, it was more that this was her absolute last chance! She absolutely, positively, had to catch this train, or it might be the end of her business! Okay... that was an exaggeration... but it still wasn't going to be pretty if she didn't make it on time!

The rapping became even louder, changing into a banging, as the stallion called desperately. "Hello!? Is anypony there!" the voice begged. "Please! It's urgent."

Rarity frowned for a moment, gnashing her teeth, she would have to answer this, wouldn't she?

"Hello!?" the voice called again, refusing to leave. "I really need to speak to the owner of this establishment!"

Rarity sighed, nodding in defeat, as she rose up from the table. "I shall be right back, Sweetie," she said, to her sister, who replied with a nod, as she started to trot towards the door. "One moment please gentlecolts!" Rarity announced politely as she grasped the door handle in her magic. 

"May I help you gentlecolts with something?" she asked with a reluctant smile as she cracked open the door.

"Oh thank goodness! We were worried that you weren't even here!" a blue unicorn said gratefully. He had a white and pale blue two color mane and a safety pin cutie mark. "Furthermore, I thought that you might have been closed."

Rarity frowned. "We actually were," she said, rubbing her hooves together reluctantly. "Nevertheless!" she exclaimed, giving them a forced smile. "What can I help you gentle colts with?" She turned to the second unicorn stallion, a bluish-grey unicorn with a dark grey mane and a trio of stars for a cutie mark. "And haven't we met before?"

"Oi can't say we 'ave," said the bluish grey unicorn. "Oi've come down from Canterlot, just this weekend 'ta foind somethin' special for me wife," he said, giving her a wink. "Boit oi heard from moi froind's that ya went an' you did such a roit smashin' job fer yer friend Twoilight's dress, ya did!"

Rarity gave a sigh, and her best fake smile. "Of course!" she said, her facade cracking as she turned to the other unicorn. "And you sir?"

"Well actually I was looking for something extra special to give my fillyfriend," he said, his face reddening in a blush. "It's our three month anniversary tomorrow, and I felt like I should get her something special."

Rarity frowned. This was exactly why she was in business! To help stallions like these! But if she helped them then she and Sweetie might never make it to Canterlot in time for her delivery! And the pony on the other end of the delivery was extremely important! Not just as a customer, but as a friend.

Rarity sighed, trying one more time to make her case. "I'd really love to help you gentlecolts," she explained with a frown. "But the shop is closed for a few days, and Sweetie and I must be leaving for the train station," she remarked hesitantly, looking at the time. "Now if you gentlecolts will excuse me -"

"Please, Rarity!" the grey colt said, on the verge of begging, as Sweetie staggered slowly into the room. "If oi don't get somthin' right smashin' fer me woif then you can kiss me ploit goodboi!" he said, dropping on all fours to a begging position, as Rarity stood there, her resolve starting to falter. Maybe she should help anyway? After all-

Meanwhile Sweetie looked on from the corner with a kind of distant expression, her eyes twinkling earnestly, as a goofy smile crept onto her face.

"Well..." Rarity said, with a sigh, and high hopes that she wasn't setting herself up for failure. "I suppose I could - "

"I'll help!" Sweetie cooed with a different kind of enthusiasm than normal.

"Why thank you!" exclaimed the darker blue of the two stallions. "I would be an honor if you two charming mares assisted me in finding the perfect gift for my fillyfriend," he continued with a fake gallantry.

'Oh brother,' thought Rarity to herself, resisting the urge to show her disdain. 'Yes Pokey, it would be a fine honor. And what would Pinkie say if she heard you talking this way to Sweetie and I?' Though maybe if Pinkie knew, she might reconsider that Cheese Sandwich stallion... They kind of had a falling out due to a streak of jealousy between the two of them, due to each other's skills.

"Please come this way, gentlecolts," she remarked with her normal enthusiasm as she started to motion towards one of Rarity's racks. And was it just Rarity, or was she wearing a blush, and what was with her tail? She could swear the filly's mare's tail was raised slightly...

Maybe she should stop Sweetie before it was too late! The dear was normally kind of a klutz, especially when it came to being helpful, let alone whenever she was trying to impress somepony.

"Actually, Sweetie!" Rarity cautioned, as the filly mare began to lead the duo towards the display racks. Normally Rarity preferred to give her customers the personal touch, but that didn't mean that she didn't keep some of her leftovers, unsold outfits, and concept pieces on hoof - in case a customer without the money, or time, needed one urgently. "I'm not sure that - "

Sweetie didn't seem to hear her, as she went around, showing the two unicorn stallions to the various designs - working diligently to be extra helpful. "I think this one would look perfect on Pinkie!" she cooed, showing the stallion one of Rarity's more unique outfits. Wasn't that the one she made the day she was suffering from that head cold? On the other hoof, it did seem to fit Pinkie's unique style.

Rarity stood there, in utter surprise. Her mouth would be gaping, wide open, if it wasn't for pure force of will. Was it just her, or was Sweetie being extra special helpful today? She meant, it wasn't that Sweetie wasn't helpful at times, she tried to be very helpful. No, the problem was, though, how obsessively she was helping. Rarity could usually get her to sit quietly with a simple "no."

Instead, she seemed to be utterly intent, her focus steeled, and her mind clear. And where was the normal little klutz? Instead, the Sweetie in front of her was driven, focused, and seemed to be on the top of her game - making decisions, and giving recommendations that, even Rarity, would be impressed with.

Rarity shrugged and figured Sweetie must have cared as much about this trip as she did! Either that, or a few years was a good thing on her! But she did wonder to herself, though... why was the mare's tail still raised at that angle, wasn't that an uncomfortable position for it?

**********

Button groaned to himself, the tears quietly coming down his cheeks. "Blah Blah Blah! Scent of stale Cheezy Puffs and unchecked body odor!" he said, taking one hoof off the controller to make a false talking motion with it, bending his wrist up and down. "I'll show her!"

"Wow!" exclaimed Button's brother, sneaking up behind him. "It sounds like you're having mare problems!" His voice sounded slightly demeaning.

"You don't know the half of it, Gibson!" Button replied, having reached round three of his epic battle against the monstrous final boss of his current project: Destrier's Quest. "At least I can take my frustrations out on Dull Green!" he said, casting the only spell, or so the game's manual claimed, that worked on the behemoth monster, and preparing as many curative items as he could on the other members of the party. "If only this game used magic points like any other normal game! Instead it's blah! Blah! Blah! You can't use magic points! You have to use hit points instead!" He waved his hooves in the air. "And whenever I look at you I see a future of type two diabetes and unemployment checks! Blah Blah! Blah!"

His brother clicked his tongue a few times. "Tut! Tut! Tut! You still sulking about Sweetie?" he asked, his face giving a mischievous expression.

"And what if I am?" Button replied angrily, ranting in Humgonian as the giant monster on screen obliterated his whole party using one quick spell - causing him to toss down the controller with some force. "I almost had him that time till you showed up!" he exclaimed, pointing his hoof at his brother.

"Wow!" Gibson replied, unfazed. "Sounds like you and Sweetie must have had a falling out!"

"Falling out?" Button replied, in frustration. "She was lecturing me like she was Harmony: Interdimensional Ninja or something!" he shouted, closing his mouth in a scowl, his hooves crossed. "She basically told me that she'd sooner date a rock then me!"

"Oh too bad," Button's brother remarked, looking down sadly - desperate to hide the mischievous glimmer that he seemed to have in his eyes.

"Yeah!" Button replied, his ears down, and his face somber. "How could she say mean things like that," he said to himself, quietly, the tears flowing again. "Blah! Blah! Blah! Get a NeighStation!"

"But you know what?" Gibson replied, looking around wearily. "Maybe I know of something that can help?"

"You do?" Button asked, his curiosity overcoming the sensible disbelief that swirled through his head.

"Of course!" Button's brother said, waving his hoof. "But I'm not sure that I can really tell you..." he continued, turned around, as though to go away. "It's kind of a cheat code..."

"Cheat code?" Button replied, rushing in front of his brother, his brain turning off. "I like cheat codes!"

"Well..." Button's brother replied, with an uncertain expression. "I don't know! It's kind of a cheat code to love, and didn't you hear Princess Twilight? Friendship isn't something we should be taking shortcuts with!"

"Please!" Button pleaded with his brother. "Tell me! I have to know!"

"Well, I don't know..." reiterated Gibson reluctantly, as he pushed Button aside with his hoof. "We shouldn't cheat friendship!"

"I'll do anything!" Button said, wrapping his hooves around his brother's back leg. "Please!"

"Well..." Button's brother said, his face uncertain. "I suppose I can tell you! But only if you do me a favor later. And only then if you don't tell mom and dad that I showed you!" he said slyly, lowering his volume level to a whisper.

"Of course!" Button replied, rebounding to his hooves.

"So tell me! -" Button said, as his brother put his hoof on Button's muzzle, at least until their mother walked back out of earshot.

"Come to my room... alone..." Button's brother said melodramatically, his hoof still on Button's muzzle, looking around suspiciously.

**********

Gibson motioned his brother in discreetly, as he sat on his bed - holding an odd looking bottle of something. "Come in, Button," he said quietly, looking around to see if his mother or father were listening. "And close the door behind you."

Button nodded, as he slowly did so. "So what is this cheat code?"

"The cheat code, my dear brother," Button's older brother replied with a sly smile, "Is attached to the magic in my hoof.

"A bottle of weird looking liquid?" Button replied, feeling gypped. His brother was going to give him colored water? Button shook his head, turning around to leave. Hadn't he learned by now to never trust his brother?

"Oh, I wouldn't do that yet!" Button's brother replied with a smirk, having never left his bed. "Otherwise you stand no chance with Sweetie!"

"And how is colored food dye supposed to fix that?" Button replied, angrily. He was not about to allow himself to be tricked here!

"Why Button!" his brother replied nonchalantly. "Food dye can't do anything about your love problems!" he said, causing Button to freeze in place. What the hay was his brother going on about then?

"But the number one cologne in father's secret stash most definitely will!" Button's brother replied, nonchalantly, as he rose from the bed, carrying the liquid with him. "But if you don't believe me, then I'm fine to keep it all to myself!" he said with a smirk. "After all, I've been meaning to score myself a date with Flitter."

Button waved his hoof. "Oh come on! Gibson! You know that she's out of your league!"

Gibson gave a catty smile and a wink. "She would be! If I hadn't managed to sneak into father's locked cabinet and get out the best stuff! It is, after all, designed to work on any mare, any time! And... I could probably use it on myself but - "

"Even Sweetie?" Button asked, his curiosity, again, peaked.

"Why yes, little brother! Even Sweetie!" Button's brother replied, pointing the bottle towards his little brother. "Especially Sweetie!... But if you don't want any then I can - "

"Hold it, Gibson!" Button replied anxiously. "It wouldn't hurt to try a little!"

Gibson gave a smirk. "Well then! Take a whiff!" he said, opening the bottle towards his little brother.

Button gave a good sniff, as his face turned green, and he fell over, his hooves wrapped against the sides of his head as he rotated, screaming in terror; this was much worse than the time he got that horrible brain freeze during his one and only date with Sweetie Belle!

Gibson gave a sly smile, as his brother slowly rose.

"Yuck!" Button exclaimed, horrified by the odor that he was just exposed to. "It smells like orc guts mixed with Lutefisk!" he exclaimed in terror, promptly turning around to race out of the room, for fear of his life. "Or even..." he stated, his body shaking violently as his face was covered in abject terror. "Surströmming!!" he exclaimed, as a voice could be heard shrieking in otherworldly terror over the otherwise quiet Ponyville morning.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't run out of here right now and tell mom you're trying to poison me!" Button exclaimed, taking a belligerent stance.

"Relax, little brother!" Gibson exclaimed, with a smile. "It stinks because of all the pheromones packed into it!" he exclaimed with a sly smile.

"Pheromones?" Button asked, a perplexed expression coming onto his face. "What's a pheromone?"

"What, you don't remember that part of your classes?" his brother asked, scoffing slightly. "Wow, you really are a slacker!"

"Fine... I wasn't paying attention!" Button replied, his hooves crossed. "But tell me anyway... What are those?"

"Well... I can't do Cheerilee's job for her," Gibson replied sarcastically. "But suffice it to say, our father's cologne has twenty-seven different kinds of pheromones scientifically designed to drive a mare crazy!"

"But you still haven't told me what a pheromone is!" Button whined. "And why would I want to make Sweetie crazy?"

"Not normal crazy, stupid!" Gibson exclaimed, scoffing at his little brother. "Crazy with love!"

"You mean she'll finally love me?" Button replied. Was it just him or did was his brother overselling something again? Maybe he should tell mother...

"Hey!" Button's brother replied nonchalantly, reaching up to put the bottle back into the top shelf of his closet. "If you don't believe me then you can read the bottle!"

"Ok!" Button said reluctantly, as his brother showed him the back of the bottle. "Blah blah blah..." he said, skimming down the writing on the back. "Twenty-seven different kinds of pheromones... Blah blah blah! Scientifically designed to drive the mares crazy for you!..." he read, his eyes opening wide. "Designed to make the mares crazy for you! Please Gibson! Let me try some out!"

"Of course!" Gibson said nonchalantly. "But only if you don't tell mom and dad, and I still want that favor! After all, without this, it'll be just that much harder for me to get that date with Flitter."

"Ok..." Button said, still feeling the pangs of suspicion. "If it works..." he continued, cautiously, as he reached out for the bottle.

"Don't worry, little bro!" Gibson said with a smile. "Of course it will work! How else do you think dad scored mom?"

Button nodded reluctantly. "Yeah..." he said, feeling like this was the answer to a question he had been asking himself a lot. How did his dumpy old nerd dad pick up a nice looking mare like his mother? He guessed that this was his answer! And it was about to be his answer to HIS romance problems!

His brother nodded with his most fervent smile. "Of course! And think, little brother: would I lead you astray!" he exclaimed, proclaiming his honesty to the world.

"Well..." Button replied, his voice trailing off. "There was that one time when you - "

"Nonsense, little brother!" Gibson said with a smile. "I'm not leading you astray this time! Trust me!" he said, sounding a little bit belligerent. He sighed, breathing in for a second. "Besides," he said, cattily. "Do you want to score Sweetie or not?"

"Well..." Button said, grabbing the bottle and pulling it in. "I do want to score Sweetie!"

"Then why don't you take my sage advice, and use my cheat code here," he said, tapping the top of the bottle.

Button nodded as he struggled to remove the stopper from the foul smelling liquid, grunting and groaning all the way as he did tried to do so.

"You really need to work on that upper body strength," Gibson said with a deep sigh.

Button nodded, blushing slightly.

"Now remember to use a lot!" he said with enthusiasm, helping his brother as the little Mash struggled to lift the one or two pound bottle. 'I can't wait to see him get shot down in flames...' he thought to himself, a smirk starting to cross his face.

"What are you smirking at!" Button said, his face turning red in frustration. "I'd like to see you lift this bottle! It must weigh a ton!" he whined as his brother effortlessly positioned the bottle over Button's head.

'That'll teach him to hoard the Mini Joyboy!' Gibson thought, with a sneer. 'I can't wait till Sweetie gets a whiff of the nasty stench coming off him! She'll probably call the guard on him!'

"Well you're a doo-doo head!" Button retorted, as he started to drizzle the bottle which promptly emptied itself out all over him.

"Gakk!!!" he shrieked, feeling the stink lines wafting off of himself already. "I smell awful!" Button whined, feeling and smelling like the bad end of a skunk attack!"

"Nonsense, Button!" Gibson replied with a fake smile, surreptitiously holding his nose. "You stink of... success!... And love!..." He said with a smile, motioning his brother out of his room. "You'll drive Sweetie crazy for you!"

"Really?" Button replied, his hopes renewed, and his confidence restored.

"Certainly!" Gibson replied, using his most confident tone. He did, after all, 'have full faith in his brother and his chances!'

Button stopped halfway out the door. "But what should I say to her when I see her?" he asked, not sure if he should be himself, like his mom recommended, or be somepony else, like his father always cautioned.

"Don't worry about it, little bro!" Gibson replied with a smile. "Just be yourself!" he said as his brother galloped down the hall. 'That'll really work for you...' he thought to himself with a sinister chuckle. 'That'll really work for you!'

Gibson raised his voice, as his brother galloped out of earshot. "You are ready tiger! Just believe in yourself!" he said, snickering slightly. "Level eight is just over that hill! So go out there and meet your princess!" he shouted, as his brother galloped again. 'Yeah! And she's in another castle!'

"Is everything ok in here Gibson?" their mom asked, trotting into the room. "I heard a shout from in here. Did you hurt yourself or something?" she asked with concern, just before noticing the cologne bottle in his hoof and the smell of death in his room. "Dear!" she said sternly to the young Mash. "I thought I told you to throw away this stinky old stuff!" she exclaimed, already planning the lazy colt's punishment. "It stinks to high heaven."

"Stinky!?" Button's dad said as he trotted in himself, having heard the conversation from below - and was, just now, noticing the bottle. "That's my finest cologne and..." he said, stopping for a second, the wheels in his head turning. "Elaina, Gibson, why is my cologne bottle empty?" he asked, turning to Gibson. "And why is it in your room?" 

"Umm... hey dad, how did you and mom meet?" Gibson hedged.

"Oh, I love this story! Haven't I told you this one before?" he asked, his face lighting up.

"No dad, I don't believe you have," Gibson said with a fake innocence.

"Well it was eighteen years ago... just a bit before you were born. There she was, thirteen and drop dead gorgeous... and I was nerdy and boring... but I had one thing on my side: PONG!" he shouted. Everypony rolled their eyes at his sudden change of mood.

**********

"Oh dear!" replied Rarity, looking at the contents of the cart that she had been forced to pull. Normally Sweetie would be the one to pull the cart, but the dear was still weak, and desperate times called for desperate measures. Maybe she could borrow one of the stallions from next door to help again? It didn't take long for her to notice something: the most important bag of all was missing - the one with the dress! How could she have possibly forgotten THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING EVER!!!

This simply wouldn't do! She would have to go back and get it! "Oh Sweetie, could you do me a favor, and watch my bags while I go back to the boutique to pick up the dress?" She asked her sister hesitantly, hoping she would come back, and wouldn't find them on fire. Maybe she'd ask one of those nice stallions next door to help, while she was at it?

Sweetie nodded, eagerly. "Sure thing Rarity!"

"Excellent!" Rarity said, with a smile, galloping off. Hopefully she could get this done quickly! Since there simply was no time to lose!

Sweetie stood there for a while, hopefully Rarity would be quick. She was experiencing that horrible pain again, and she wanted to get back on the road... And why did it always bug her the most when wasn't busy? And then there was the fact that she had to be going to the bathroom all the time! And now was no exception! Hopefully Rarity would be back soon! Because she had to use it again! And why did she have the insatiable desire to be around the stallions? Yeah, she'd always been a little friendly around the stallions (a habit picked up from her sister) but never to this level! And then - 

"Hey Sweetie!" Said a young colt's voice, approaching her from behind. "I - " He started saying, still some distance off, as Rarity cantered up, returning from the boutique. 

"Sorry about that, it took longer than I expected and ... " Rarity said, with surprise, as a young colt stood behind Sweetie. "Oh!" She exclaimed to herself, with a catty smile. "Do I smell love in the air?" Rarity asked, with a smile. "How romantic!"

"Rarity!" Sweetie said, in shock, and humiliation. "No! It's just button!" she said, causing a slight wince from the colt. "He's a colt I bumped into while trying to find Cheerilee's very special somepony, for hearts and hooves day, and now he won't leave me alone!!!" She shouted loudly, causing the colt's ears to drop.

Button frowned, this was a bust. Did he even dare get any closer? No! He must! His brother couldn't be lying to him! He just had to get close enough for her to get a whiff of his new cologne!

"And he smells of Cheese Puffs, and unchecked body odor!" She shouted, in embarrassment. "... Oh! And corn chips!" She exclaimed loudly. "Don't forget the corn chips!"

"Sweetie!" Rarity stated sternly. "That's no way to talk about one of your little friends!"

"But he isn't my friend! He's some colt that - " Sweetie exclaimed, causing the colt's ears and face, along with his mood, to drop yet further.

Nevertheless, Button swallowed hard as he approached yet closer, still desperate to impress her. He still had to do this! It would work! His brother wouldn't lie to him! He wasn't some failure doomed to a future of type two diabetes and unemployment checks! He wouldn't spend his waning years in his mother's basement! He was a stallion! He was a winner! He was a game master! Ok he was lying to himself, but you have to give the kid props for sticktoitiveness! "Heya Sweetie!"

"Hey Button," Sweetie replied deadpan. Did she smell something? Wierd... whatever it was it smelled nice... It made her feel weird, and bubbly inside...

"Yeah..." he said, desperately. "I know you hate me, and said that I should give up my Joyboy because they haven't made a new game in decades, but ..." he said, taking a moment to catch his breath, before showing his Super Joy Boy cartridge. "Guess who just finally finished Destrier's quest on their super joy boy?" he said, enthusiastically shaking the cartridge, in some futile attempt to impress the mare. "ME!"

Sweetie scoffed - this was not the way to convince her that he was worth dating! And - 

"Ok..." Button admitted, honestly. "I didn't quite finish," he said, turning away, rubbing his legs together anxiously. "But I ALMOST did!" he said, his face perking up, his ears and tail sitting straight up.

Sweetie stood there, frozen in place. Was it just her, or did something smell good? All she could smell was something weird! And was it just her, or was the sun higher in the sky, and warmer on her coat?

"Hmm... " Rarity said to herself, sniffing around. "Does something smell like it lost a battle with a skunk?" She asked, sniffing her bags. "Hopefully nothing bad happened to my bags!"

Sweetie stood there, frozen, her body hesitating slightly. Her mind beginning to be lost in that intoxicating aroma. It smelled like lilacs, and raw testosterone.

"Is it just me, or does something smell like death around here?" Rarity asked, holding her nose discretely.

Was it just Sweetie, or was there a really desirable stallion around here? Wait... what was she thinking? She shook her head. "And like I was saying - " She started saying futile before the words just vanished. Was she in love?

Rarity waved a hoof in front of her sister. "Oh dear... that's odd..." Rarity said to herself, as the filly stood there motionless, trying to process what was happening to the little dear. It didn't help that she, herself, was utterly frozen by that foul odor that lingered around in the air. What was that detestable stench, anyway?

Button, however, remained clueless, wondering why the mare stopped ranting, and was now standing there motionless. And was it just him, or was she looking different today?

The young colt took a moment or three to look up and down the mare. "Sweetie?," he asked, curiously.

"Yes?" She asked, with a spacey tone.

The colt took another pass, looking at the mare from horn to tail. "Did you do something with your mane?," he asked curiously, trying to figure out what he, himself, was so interested in.

Sweetie stood there stunned. That could possibly be... "that's the nicest thing any stallion has ever said to me!" She said, amorously, approaching the young colt. "Come here you big handsome stallion you!" She said, nuzzling his face with vigor.

"Umm... Sweetie?" Button said, backing away slowly. The mare rapidly approached, taking two steps forward for every single step back he took. "But I thought you said that I smelled of failure... and Cheezy Puffs! And that you would never be my special somepony if I was the last colt in Equestria, and the future of ponykind depended on us!" He whined, backing away slowly, as she approached him again, nuzzling his side. "You made me cry!" He sniffed, remembering the wound that still festered within.

"Why would I ever say anything so horrible and mean like that to a -" Sweetie said, swishing her tail about behind her, as she circled the shivering colt, as she purred like a kitten. "big strong - " she said, licking his propeller beanie, with great vigor.

"Um... Sweetie.. I know my beanie tastes good, and all, but ... " he asked wondering if he was in over his head.

" - and eligible colt like you!" Sweetie said, laughing a weird and manic laugh. "Ha! HaHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaHA!"

Button gulped. Uh oh! Maybe his brother's cologne worked too well! He thought, trying to find a way out, as the mare started licking his face.

"And those big handsome orange eyes!" she said, staring off into his eyes, before nuzzling his face again.

"But..." he said, backing away again. "I thought you said my eyes were ugly! You said they looked like the eyes of a stallion who never slept, instead wasting his time on - "

"Oh silly!" Sweetie said, with a spacey tone, as she went back to nuzzling his face. "You big handsome stallion you!"

"Oh and just look at that physique, and those muscles!" She announced, trying to touch the muscles in his foreleg with her hooves. "Don't you just want to squeeze them!"

"Umm Sweetie?" Button asked, uncomfortably, as it became more and more obvious that the mare was definitely smitten - and not in a good way.

Sweetie's tail stuck straight up, as she circled the stallion, brushing her tail against him.

"Umm... Sweetie... my - " he stated, unable to finish, as the mare ended up practically sticking her plot in his face, resting her tail on his beanie.

"Um... yeah... " Button stated desperately, his eyes crying out for any help he could get.

"Oh dear... " Rarity remarked to herself. "Perhaps this has gotten out of hoof..."

"My mom is calling me!" He announced, cutting to gallop away - his face filled with utter panic - with Sweetie in hot pursuit!

Of course, she didn't get far before Rarity grabbed her in her magic. 'Maybe I should give Sweetie... The talk... NOW!!!' Rarity thought to herself, looking like she would be ill - this was not the topic of discussion she was hoping to have.

Rarity shook her head. No! That simply wouldn't be necessary! Remember! Only a week! Then she'd be back to normal! Except... on the other hoof... Sweetie's parents probably wouldn't be happy if they were forced to come back early to pay bail to get their foal out of jail... No! She would have to swallow her pride and give her...

Rarity gave a belated grunted, her face looking very uneasy as, the thoughts even causing her to gag... She'd have to give Sweetie Belle... she gagged again... 'The Talk'!

**********

The front door of the small house flew open, and then quickly slammed shut, as somepony quickly stomped up the stairs, and bashed open the doors to his brother's room.

"So how'd it go?" Button's brother asked, with a smirk - and a fair amount of snickering.

"You denkalith!!!" Button shouted, tossing a half drunk paper milk carton at his brother. 

"Hey!" Gibson shouted, having barely dodged the projectile. "What was that for!?," he asked, fully knowing the answer, as he swallowing the desire to snicker, again.

"YOUR COLOGNE WORKED TOO WELL!!!" He shouted, stomping around violently.

"Say what!?" Button's brother said to himself, doing double and triple takes. "What do you mean 'worked too well'?" He stopped frozen in place, his face falling rapidly, and his mood along with it. 'It wasn't supposed to work at all!' He thought to himself, shaking slightly.

"What's with the shaking thing?" Button asked, angrily. "You weren't the one who was chased by a love crazed mare!"

"Love crazed mare?" Gibson asked, wondering if he should have tried some of that stinky cologne on?

"Yeah!" Button replied, enraged. "You said it'll drive her crazy!" he said, stopping for effect. "And it did!" He shouted, racing to the other side of the bed to throw the carton again.

"It did?" Button's brother asked, in both shock and awe.

"Yeah!" Button replied, hopping up on the bed to do something he didn't think himself capable of - he hit his brother.

"Wow!" Gibson said, it all finally sinking in. Gibson's face changed, his expression growing catty. "So, little brother - " he said, putting one hoof on the withers of 'the conquering hero'. "Did you score?," he asked, his face looking like a young fillies, when she hears of her friend's first crush.

"Score?" Button asked, in utter rage. "I'm lucky to be alive!" he said, starting to calm down. "I almost lost all of my lives running away in mortal terror! And even then I practically had to use a continue!" He shouted, leaving the room in a huff.

Last time he took any advice on love from his brother Gibson! EVER!!!

**********

"What happened?" Sweetie Belle asked, her hoof on the side of her head, her eyes half closed, as she staggered around like a drunken pony, the bubbles hovering around the side of her head. "One minute I was smelling Button's stinky cologne, and the next minute, I'm standing here," she chirped uncomfortably. "Wait... cologne! He put something into that cologne didn't he!" She exclaimed belligerently. "Just wait till I get my hooves - "

"I don't believe that's the case, Sweetie dear." Rarity replied, hesitantly.

"Then what happened then?" Sweetie replied, argumentatively.

"Well..." Rarity said, gulping noticeably, as one hoof holding her chest tightly. "Um..." she said trying to put the words together.

"And?" Sweetie asked, getting within an inch of her sister.

'How do I put this politely?' Rarity asked herself, steeling her nerves. "Well... um... you kind of went stallion crazy there for a second..." she said, practically fainting at her own words. "It... kind of... happens sometimes, Sweetie darling, during the spring and summer, when a mare comes into... well... um..." Rarity said, literally choking on her own words.

"Stallion crazy? And when a mare comes into what?" Sweetie asked, in confusion. What was her sister talking about? And why would that explain what just happened with Button?

"We'll discuss it on the train, dear," Rarity said, with discomfort. "We've lost too much time already, and we simply have to make this first train!" Rarity said, with urgency, not just because of her deadline, but also because of the fact that she really didn't want to be explaining this.

"Ok!" Sweetie said, with exuberance.

Rarity gave a sigh, as the two of them rushed off to the train station. She would have to explain things eventually, but what she was left wondering how everything could have gone so wrong? Well... she did suppose that the early ones were always the worst, and her family did always tend to be more friendly around the stallions and Rarity, herself, was no exception, having fawned after Tumbleweed, the good King Sombra (not the bad one so much, but the good one definitely) and that punce Blueblood. But this... well this... this was a whole new level of bad!

It's not to say that Rarity didn't tend to get slightly stallion crazy - she did, especially during some of her early springs. But she never! Ever! EVER!!! Had it anywhere near this bad! She stopped for a second, a look of shock and panic creeping up her face. Could this have been a side effect of the spell Sweetie cast? And, more importantly, was it permanent?

"You ok Rarity?" Sweetie asked, with concern. "You look like I'm under the effects of bad magic..."

"Oh no!" Rarity lied, uncomfortably. "You're... fine... never better!" she said, with a fake smile.

"You're lying!" Sweetie hissed, in disdain. "What happened back there with button?" She asked, her face showing panic.

Rarity sighed. 'How do I put this, politely?' She thought, motioning towards the platform, her tickets already held in your magic.

"Thank you ma'am!" The employee said, holding his hoof up. "The Twelve Twenty Four has been delayed an additional hour due to issues in Dodge Junction."

Rarity face hooved... she guessed this was good... she got her train! But not so good that she was going to be delayed even longer!

She turned back to her sister. "You... well how shall I put this dear?..," she said, rubbing her right front hoof against her left front hoof.

"I kind of what?" Sweetie chirped, curiously, drawing nearer to her sister.

"Well... you... kind of... rubbed you... well... you... um..." Rarity said, trying to figure out if there was an out to this question.

"Yes?" Sweetie asked, getting within a foot of her sister's face.

"Rubbed your..." Rarity said, staggering slightly, her face turning white.

"YES!!!" Sweetie chirped, getting right into her sister's face.

"You kind of rubbed your... tail... in his face!" Rarity said, her face turning a weird shade of green.

A faint shriek could be heard carrying over the air of an otherwise quiet Ponyville afternoon. "EWWWWW!!!"

"Rarity blushed, putting a hoof on her sister's wither. "I'm sure that's what he's kind of thinking now, dear, I think," Rarity said, her face changing from greens to a simply blush.

"I wonder if he's ever going to talk to me again?" Sweetie asked in shame, Yeah she didn't want to date the colt, but it didn't mean that she hated his guts and never wanted to talk to him again. And even if she didn't want to talk to him again, there was still a certain amount of stigma in the whole affair that she didn't like!

Rarity resisted the urge to shrug her withers, instead giving her sister a reassuring smile."It's hard to say dear, but I'm sure he shall recover," she said, nuzzling her sister slightly. "But there's one thing I can tell you for sure: that colt shan't be asking you for a date for a loooonnng while," she said, with a wink. "A long, long, long, while!"

Sweetie smiled, her chipper mood returning, and a smile creeping up her face. "I guess that's ok then..." she said, with a smile. "But... I wonder if anything horrible like that is happening to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo?" She asked, her face dropping in fear.
> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The train merrily clattered along its way. Leaving Sweetie with nothing but time to think, think about everything that was wrong today. The unfortunate thing about trains was there was so very little to do on them. Heck! Even Rarity was in on it, sighing to herself, silently. Was she trying to avoid the conversation too? She guessed she'd probably be trying to avoid the situation too, if it wasn't actively happening to her.

And it was embarrassing too! And nothing made sense anymore! It was like her body had changed around her and mutated into something nasty! Like how her behind was moist, yet again. Or that pain that just wouldn't quit... If anything, the pain was drawing more attention to itself, than that drafty spot she didn't want to think about.

Sweetie thought as she squirmed in place. The momentary boredom giving that pain in her tummy a chance to remind her that it was still there. Curses! She should never have cast that stupid spell!

"Sweetie? Are you ok? I've noticed you've been rubbing your barrel every so often, all day," Rarity said in concern, her eyes looking down at the filly mare. "Do you need me to get a doctor?"

"I don't know," replied Sweetie, with some concern. "I don't know what it is! All I know is that I've had pain in my tummy since last night. And it won't go away," Sweetie admitted, her voice whining a little. "I've been wondering if we should've seen the nurse?

"What does the pain feel like?" Rarity asked, with concern, a guilty frown forming on her face, her countenance being decidedly queasy. Maybe she'd have to tell the poor thing?

"It hurts... It's like a cramp, but different," Sweetie hesitantly explained. It was difficult to think how to explain her pain to Rarity. "I don't know how to explain it! It kind of feels like pressure... like somepony is on the inside of my tummy, and they are trying to push their way out," Sweetie Belle stated, her mind struggling as she looked for the right words.

Rarity took a deep sigh, she would need to discuss this with her sister eventually. But, Faust help her, she was not telling Sweetie everything. Of course was she sure this was the best thing to do? Was she sure she even wanted to.

The question answered itself as the mare clenched herself again, a pained look on her face.

Rarity sighed! Sweetie needed an answer! Especially after that whole Button thing! "Well, that pain would be your... body... growing, getting ready to release an egg. It will stop in a couple of days, or a week at the most, and you won't have to deal with it again until next month. Unless we can get you back to normal, that is." Rarity said calmly.

'I hope we can get back to normal. This wasn't nearly as much fun as I had hoped.' Sweetie Belle thought glumly.

"Now Sweetie, since it came up. I suppose you and I need to talk about -" Rarity swallowed hard. " - Adult hood," Rarity finished with a shudder.

"You see Sweetie there are birds. And then there are bees..." Rarity said slowly and deliberately.

***********

"Are you telling me that baby ponies don't come from the stork?" Asked Sweetie in horror. "And that after - "

Rarity nodded yes, she'd rather not hear that word spoken. "Yes... and after the special dance, if it occurs during a certain... um... time of year... Then, the mare, will become fat as a foal grows within her."

"So why was I acting all weird with button earlier?" Sweetie asked, in horror. "Could - "

Rarity nodded, sadly. "Sorry Sweetie..."

"EWWW!!!!!" Sweetie shrieked in horror, as her muzzle was slammed shut by Rarity's magic.

"There's no need to let the world know of your issues dear," Rarity said, with a blush and a sigh.

"With him! I told him I'd never be his special somepony even if he was the last stallion in Equestria and the future of ponykind depended on it! And I almost just - " She exclaimed, burying her head in her forelegs. "I'm just so embarrassed."

"Well how do you think Button felt dear?" Rarity asked, calmly. "I'm sure he's mortified as well."

"I suppose," Sweetie said, with a sigh. 

"I'm pretty sure he wasn't ready to be a daddy dear, - " Rarity said, with a frown. "And I'm pretty sure, all he wanted was to be your colt friend, or maybe your regular friend, I suspect that that colt doesn't have all that many friends of his own, not your 'foal-daddy'."

Sweetie opened her mouth, only to have rarity stick her hoof on it.

"I understand dear, the colt would be a terrible father! I didn't disagree with that," Rarity said, with a reassuring smile. "And that is why it is so important I explain how things work. No matter how much I don't want to," she said, sternly. "Lest you end up with some pony much worse than that Button colt."

"Like? Sweetie asked.

"Oh most of the ones I've dated," Rarity said, feeling defeated. "... Blueblood, for instance..."

***********

Rarity sighed, sorely, having been the one to drag all of her bags to the hotel. Why was she the one that had to drag all those big heavy bags, all the way from the train station to - 

Oh that was right... Sweetie's strength, along with her magic, were still depleted from callously casting spells that were well above her current skill level, though Rarity wondered how the filly mare had somehow managed to succeed. But oh well! There was no time for that! She had to finish the final touches on this dress as fast as she could so she could get it to its owner.

"Oh Sweetie!" Rarity said, turning to her sister as the younger Unicorn child slowly closed the door behind her. "I shan't ask you for any favors today, as you are still feeling weak. Instead, I shall simply inform you of the rules," she said, firmly. "First of all, you are not to leave the room, except to visit the little filly's room, unless I, personally, accompany you!"

Sweetie frowned, angrily. "Why?" She whined, in frustration. "Can't I see the sites without you! Can't I go down and get food?" she said, walking over to the door. "Rarity! I'm a full grown mare now, and - " Sweetie protested to her sister, her brow furling in frustration, and a protesting whine in her voice.

"I'm sorry young mare," Rarity said calmly, in fact she was trying to be more calm when chastising her sister then she ever had before. "But I can't have you wondering off!"

"Why!?" Sweetie retorted, not understanding why her sister was treating her this way.

"For one thing," Rarity said, tapping the side of her hoof, with the other. "You are grounded for using forbidden magic without either my or Twilight's permission, and - "

"AND!? WHAT ELSE ARE YOU GOING TO UNFAIRLY CRITICIZE ME - " She shouted, feeling like her sister was being unfair, and instituting a draconian punishment on her.

"And for another," Rarity said, fighting to remain calm, and continuing to hide her growing frustration perfectly. "There's that whole stallion craziness thing..." she said, calmly.

Sweetie sighed, looking down; her face turning red in utter humiliation. She begged rarity to tell her what she did while under the effects of... 'the season'... until the mare begrudgingly acquiesced and told her, and it made her feel really, really, really, bad and dirty...

"And for the third thing," Rarity said, tapping her hoof again. "You may have the body of a full grown mare, but you aren't one, and, believe you me, you can get in big trouble if you wander off alone in Canterlot, especially if you don't know what's safe, and what isn't," Rarity said, with a sigh. Canterlot may be the crowning achievement in Celestia's kingdom - it definitely was in Princess Platina's, but the city had a dangerous underbelly that tended to feed off of unprotected mares and foals.

Sweetie sighed, looking down; Rarity was right, as much as she hated to admit it - and that probably she and her mutant body would have to stay in the hotel, where it was safe. Not to mention that she might be mortified if somepony saw under her skirt, and noticed that she was a full grown adult mare with no cutie mark. "Ok Rarity..." she said, acquiescing. "I won't leave the room without your permission."

Rarity frowned, looking down, maybe she had been sterner with Sweetie then she should have been - and the two were supposed to be enjoying Canterlot, not being cooped up in the hotel with Rarity's work. Nevertheless, Rarity had to put her hoof down, she was acting as the mother for this trip, and she couldn't let her sister get away with whatever she wanted. "Oh, come on Sweetie!" Rarity said, with a reassuring smile and voice, desperately trying to improve her sister's mood. "I promise you that I will spend as little time here as I conceivably can! That we will only be here while we sleep, or until I put the finishing touches on this outfit," she said, taking a short break from her outfit to put a hoof on her sister's shoulder.

"Really?" Sweetie asked, her eyes beginning to stop watering, and a the beginnings of a smile forming. "Pinkie promise?" She asked desperately.

Rarity nodded, a reassuring smile on her face. "Pinkie Promise!" Rarity said, nodding her head. "Though I shan't go through those motions - they are unladylike," she said, with a wink.

"Ok," Sweetie responded, with a playful smile of her own.

***********

"Oh Sweetie!" Rarity cautioned, as the two mares cantered through downtown Canterlot. "We need to hurry, for we simply must drop this off at Fancy Pants' place before his wife returns this afternoon, and we've already been greatly delayed, " she announced with urgency.

Sweetie frowned, already moving as fast as she was able to in her current condition - and she wasn't going to be moving much faster until her magic returned more. Though, now that her magic had returned some, she was beginning to feel slighted that they hadn't had a chance to see anything in Canterlot yet! Rarity had promised to show her the castle, and that school Twilight kept talking about already, and she hadn't done it yet!

"Oh don't worry Sweetie," Rarity said, with a smile, looking back at her sister's frown. "Once we've done that we shall have all of Canterlot to ourselves," she said, with a smile, as Sweetie craned her head towards one of the stallions trotting by.

"Oh Sweetie." Rarity cautioned. "Don't be distracted!" She said, knowing that a sad side effect of her condition was distractibility, and stallions tended to be the biggest cause.

Sweetie shook her head, focusing her mind on the task at hoof, and clearing the odd thoughts that seemed to be floating into her head. Sadly this didn't bring much relief, instead it brought a frustrated grunt. This wouldn't be quick! It would take all day!

Rarity gave her a smile, guessing what was going through her head. "Oh Sweetie!" she said, with as much confidence as she could muster. "Don't think that! It shall take no time at all!" she said, with a chuckle.

Sweetie grunted, angrily. She knew that chuckle! It was the kind of chuckle she used whenever she was trying to reassure Sweetie of something that wasn't true. Basically it meant that this was going to take for - 

Who was that huge, and handsome stallion? Sweetie asked herself, as she wandered off after a rather large, and well build blue stallion with a white mane, a rather large horn, and a compass rose cutie mark, which was one of the royal cutie marks. And that, of course, meant that he came from one of the higher unicorn families.

The stallion lugged along a rather large bag with his horn. Her eyes started to grow large! That bag must have weighed a ton, as he was having some trouble lifting it all by himself.

Meanwhile, Rarity continued to canter along, probably unaware that her sister had wondered off, mainly because she was now feverishly staring at a nearby clock - one of the large clocks that existed in the royal city to tell time, and to schedule astrological events like eclipses, and planetary alignments.

"Hey mr!" Sweetie exclaimed, trotting alongside, that distant expression returning to her face - her tail raising slowly but surely. "Do you need some help? Because if so then I'd love to help out," she said, barely resisting the urge to nuzzle the stallion.

The stallion rolled his eyes... 'great! Another crazy mare!' He thought to himself, in disgust. 'However do I attract them?' He thought, finally giving a sigh, and a friendly smile to the mare. "Oh that won't be necessary, sweetie," he said, with a smile, giving extra effort into moving the bag.

"Oh please sir!" Sweetie said, with her best smile. "Please let me can help!" she said, giving her best squee.

The stallion rolled his eyes. What was that all about? Did this mare think she was still eight or something? The squee stops working after about thirteen.. Oh well! Maybe he could let the crazy mare help him carry the bag, at least as far as his door.

"Fine..." he said, defeated. "Why don't you help me carry this up the stairs to my front door, it's right over there," he said, motioning to a nearby building.

"Oh thank you sir!" Sweetie replied, amorously, lugging the bag on her back.

"Wouldn't it be easier if you'd used your magic?" he said, in confusion, wondering why this mare was using the absolute hardest way to get the bag from point a to point b.

"Oh I'm not very magical yet!" she said, with a smile.

'What does she think she is?,' he asked himself, with a frown, as the two of them lugged the bag up the stairs. 'Eight?'

"I wish to thank you for your help ma'am," he said, motioning for her to put the bag down on his doorstep. "But worry not, for I can take it from here," he said, with an honest smile. Best not upset her, crazy mares like this attack stallions that they are upset with. "This is for my wife, after all," he said, with a smile - diligently making sure to close the door behind him, so as not to give her ideas.

"Ok!" Sweetie said, with a smile, as she wondered off, her trance starting to wear off again. "Where was I?" She asked herself, with a smile. "Oh that's right! I was going to help Rarity with her dress!" She exclaimed to herself, rushing back to the square.

Meanwhile, Rarity remained focused entirely on the clock as she began to judge the hours and minutes she had remaining, as well as the time required to reach Fancy Pants' estate. 'I wonder why Sweetie is being so quiet?' She asked herself, as she cantered along. 'I hope that she isn't giving me the silent treatment.' She thought, with concern. That had to be the case! Sweetie had to be giving her the silent treatment! She decided, continuing to stare at the dial. "Oh Sweetie! It's not really necessary to give me the silent treatment!" she said, with a chuckle. "I promise you that, as soon - " The clock began to strike. "Oh dear! We only have fifteen minutes, Sweetie!" she said, glancing to see if the white pony was still there. She must have been, because a white horn was still visible in her peripheral vision. Ok! Sweetie was still there "I apologize for this, but we simply must get the lead out, so to speak!" She exclaimed, breaking into a gallop, thinking that Sweetie was still behind her.

After a few minutes, Sweetie returned, her mind finally clearing up again. "Oh Rarity!" She announced, looking all around the square for her sister. "Sorry for falling behind!" She shouted, now realizing her sister had left. "Rarity! Oh Rarity!" She shouted, in utter panic. Where could her sister have gone?

**********

"Excuse me sir," Rarity exclaimed, as the rather large, and surly, unicorn stallion came to the door. "My name is Rarity Unicorn, sir, and I'm here to deliver this dress to Fancy Pants," she announced, as politely as possible.

The stallion gave a growl, as he closed the door behind him, and loud hoofsteps could be heard behind the door.

"Do you suppose the dear didn't believe me?" Rarity asked herself, apprehensively. "It certainly would be horrible if I couldn't deliver this to Fancy Pants on time, and - "

The door began to open again, revealing a smiling Fancy Pants. "Ahh! Miss Rarity!" he said, with a subdued smile. "I'm assuming that you came to deliver the dress that I ordered?," he asked, placing his monocle back onto his left eye.

"Of course, Fancy," Rarity said, with a smile, and a nervous chuckle. What would happen if he didn't like it? She asked herself, in horror.

"Oh relax, ms. Rarity," he said, with a confident smile. "Why don't you come in, so that I can take a look at it?"

"Oh! Of course!" Rarity replied, with a nervous smile, as she trotted forward, forgetting to even look back behind her. "Now remember, Sweetie!" She commanded the sister that wasn't behind her, as she trotted in. "Please try to be on your best behavior, and don't embarrass me in front of mr. Fancy Pants," she said, with a smile as the stallion closed the door behind her.

"So, ms. Rarity," Fancy said, with a smile - having ensured that his wife had not yet returned. "May I see the dress?"

"Of course!" Rarity exclaimed, enthusiastically. "It's right here!" she said, bringing out the mannequin she had brought with her that currently wore the dress. "I made it according to your exact specifications," she said, with a smile.

"Very well..." the stallion said, as he slowly circled the mannequin, taking note of every fine detail, as well as the stitching, and model, as Rarity stood there, biting her nails.

"So what do you think?" Rarity asked, apprehensively, her body sweating bullets.

"It looks splendid," the older unicorn said, with a smile. "I knew that you would come through for me!" he said, with enthusiasm, motioning for the guard to hide the mannequin somewhere private.

"Thank you, Fancy Pants!" Rarity replied, with a smile. "But I really do want to get some measurements for Fleur Dis Lee so that I can tailor the dress to her body, as best as I can," Rarity asked, with a pleading smile.

Fancy thought for a second, an unsure look on his face, before nodding, with a smile. "I suppose it makes sense," he said, conceding to Rarity's wisdom. "After all, I want my anniversary gift to her to be positively perfect," he said, calmly. "But do you think you can get the exact measurements without letting her know?," he asked, with curiosity. "Fleur is very perceptive, after all."

"Oh fancy!" Rarity restored, dismissively waving her hoof. "I'll come up with something," she tittered nervously. "After all! I am a top notch designer."

Fancy Pants shook his head, his expression growing stern. "Oh Rarity!" he said, with a fair amount of disgust. "If you don't think that - "

"Oh please!" Rarity begged him. "I can do this Fancy Pants! I promise!" She begged."

He shook his head, deciding not to follow this argument any further. She had done excellent work for him over the past year since they first met, and she was a close friend of both him and Fleur Dis Lee. "Very well," he said, with a smile. "I'll see if I can schedule an opportunity for your sister and you to join us for dinner, so that we might 'discuss Fleur's dress for the Grand Galloping Gala'," he said, his voice becoming as mischievous as it was able - which wasn't very.

"Thanks Fancy Pants!" Rarity replied, with relief. "Worry not, for I shall - " she said, stopping when she noticed a confused expression on the white unicorn's face.

"Speaking of which," replied Fancy Pants, with a smile. "Where is the bundle of joy that you promised to bring along?," he asked, in an inquisitive tone. "Didn't you say you were going to bring along that sister you keep talking about, a ms. Sweetie Belle?," he asked, taking a quick peek behind Rarity.

"You don't see her?" Rarity asked, in dismay. "But Fancy Pants, she's right - " She started saying, looking behind her, only to find that the mare was completely missing.

"Oh dear!" She exclaimed, an expression of pure terror appearing on her face. 'SWEETIE BELLE!!!' She shouted to herself, surreptitiously gnashing her teeth, a tear coming to her eye as she finally started to calm down. Disparaging her sister in front of Fancy Pants was probably not going to be terribly productive.

"Oh dear..." Fancy Pants said, a concerned expression appearing on his face. "You didn't lose her did you?," he asked, in dismay.

"I'm terribly sorry, Fancy Pants, but I seem to have misplaced her," Rarity said, trying to play down the situation that now had her quite concerned. "But worry not! I for I shall find Sweetie, as fast as I am able."

"Very well." Fancy Pants nodded, kindly, his concerned expression remaining. "But do try to be quick! The gilded city can frequently be dangerous for a young unaccompanied filly or mare, especially a young filly like her. Do you still believe that we shall be able to have our - "

"Oh Fancy!" Rarity said, with a hollow and very forced sounding laugh, again. "I'll find her long before that! I'm sure of it!" she said, with a face smile, and false bravado - a lesson learned both from her work, and her exposure to Rainbow Dash.

"Quite..." Fancy Pants said, shaking his head, quietly; he supposed it was best if he stayed out of this hairy business, after all, it was none of his. Nevertheless, as Rarity raced out of the estate, he turned to one of his guards.

"Yes sir?" The guard asked.

"Oh steel shield?" The aging white unicorn asked his guard. "Could you do me a favor and see if you can assist Ms. Rarity in locating her sister?"

"Of course sir!" The guard said, obediently.

**********

Sweetie Belle's voice grew more and more desperate as she galloped up and down the streets of Canterlot. Not just had she lost Rarity, but she also didn't know which way to the hotel! And every time she stopped to ask a question: BAM! Something distracted her! Now she didn't see anyone around except for the seedy buildings she passed as she galloped through. "Rarity?" She shouted, hoping her sister would hear. "Rarity!?" She shouted, more desperately.

She galloped forward, no longer knowing where she was. "RARITY!?" She shouted, bumping into a very large, and very dangerous looking stallion.

The large mottled brown unicorn stallion with a dark brown mane, and chisel cutie mark, looked down at her, a sinister expression forming on his face.

"Sorry about that," Sweetie said, nervously. Was it just her, or did something about these stallions make her uncomfortable? "I seem to have lost my sister and."

"Why no worries," replied the stallion disingenuously. "We can help you, right Strong Strike?" he said, turning to a grey earth pony stallion, with a light blue mane, and a hammer for a cutie mark.

"Yeah! We could never be mad at a nice - " he started saying, giving Sweetie a good sniff. " - mare like you!" he said, giving his companion a playful tap with his hoof. "Ain't that right Final Touches?"

"Umm... well that's nice, but I simply must be leaving now - " Sweetie said, starting to back off slowly, her mane and tail standing on end, for the first time all day, her body was in agreement with her, and it was agreeing that these stallions were bad news.

"Going somewhere?" Asked a purple pegasus stallion, with a grey mane, and a nail for a cutie mark, who approached her from behind. "I mean, we'd hate for you to wander off again," he said, with a eerie, almost sadistic chuckle, one that kind of sounded like 'eh eh eh'.

"Yeah..." Sweetie said, uncomfortably, trying to sidestep the three stallions, only to find herself slowly backing into a wall. "You see, I kind of lost my sister, and I'm trying - "

"Well don't worry!" Final Touches said, with a devious smirk, giving her a good sniff. "We'll help you find 'your baby sister', isn't that right boys?"

"Yeah boss!" Replied the other two in unison. "Find your baby sister!"

Sweetie gulped, as her plot bumped into a wall. "Actually, she's my older sister and - " she said, nervously, looking around desperately for anything that could help.

"Boys?" Said, the first stallion courteously, stamping his hoof, as he started to breathe a little bit heavier.

The stallions circled her, all three of their faces showing a devious intent. In the poor lighting of the alleyway, they seemed to loom over her.

"PLEASE STAY AWAY!!!" Sweetie shouted at the top of her lungs, desperately, and futilely asking them to go away.

Behind the three stallions a voice could be heard shouting something. "STOP THE CHARIOT!" The voice called out valiantly. Had Sweetie's knight in shining armor just shown up? She asked herself, a blush appearing on her face.

"Excuse me gents!" Shouted a, rather large, white unicorn stallion, with an exceptionally large horn, and a blond mane.

"What ya want?" Coffin Nail asked, turning to the stallion. "We have business with the mare, and we don't think it's none of your business!" The pegasus said, turning to the other two. "Right Finishing Touches? Right Strong Strike?"

"But I believe the young mare said no!" He commanded, tossing the pegasus into the other two using a quick flick from his horn.

"Hey!" Shouted the mottled brown unicorn stallion. "I don't appreciate you using your magic on me!"

"Yeah!" Commented the grey earth pony stallion. "And I just think you punched your departure ticket!" Shouted the earth pony stallion, as he raced forward, only to be tossed by a single movement of the unicorn's head - this time without any magic, other than the magic of physics and the conservation of momentum.

"That's it! It's time for pretty boy over here to go home!" The mottled brown unicorn stallion said, pointing at Sweetie's hero's blue eyes.

"Yeah! I'm actually surprised he can fight!" The purple pegasus said, stamping his hooves, and snorting. "But I still think we can take him and - "

The three stallions raced forward, converging on the white unicorn, only to be stopped when both of the rather large pegasi that drove the unicorn's chariot came forward, their grey armor showing faintly in the afternoon sun.

What could be heard next sounded like a bar fight, and looked like a hurricane, leaving all three of Sweetie's attackers on the ground in various states of disrepair.

"Please take them away gentlecolts," the white stallion said, with a smile. "I shall escort this ravishing young lady home," he said, gallantly, holding his hoof up so she could wrap hers around it.

Sweetie gave him an enamored smile. "Oh thank you sir!" she said, with an amorous smile. "I don't know what would have happened if you didn't show up!" She announced, barely containing an almost uncontrollable urge to nuzzle the stallion. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

The stallion gave a smile. "Well.." Said the stallion with a proud smile. "A pri- " he said, stopping himself, shaking his head. 

"A pretty pony?" Sweetie asked, completing his sentence.

He looked back with a baffled expression, like he expected her to have met him before.

"Is everything ok? You look at me like you've met me before?" Sweetie asked, in utter confusion.

"Oh no, ms. I was just admiring your beautiful mane," he replied suavely, as he motioned her back towards the main road.

"So how did you learn to fight like that?" She asked, now very much interested in the stallion.

"Well..." he said, chivalrously. "I learned a few self defense methods over the years..." he said, with a smile. "... you know, with how dangerous the streets can be," he lied, smoothly.

"Why thank you, my knight in shining armor," Sweetie said, wondering what the hay she was talking about. "May I at least get your name?"

"Call me... Vladímir," the stallion replied back, leading her back to the main street, holding her hoof, like a true gentlecolt.

"Oh wow!" Sweetie said, with a smile. "What's a dreamy - " she shook her head, what was this nonsense she was spewing? Had she been around Rarity too long? "I mean, what's your family name? Or do you just want to go by the name Vladímir?"

"Oh my lady," he said, amorously. "A pretty mare like yourself needn't concern yourself with frivolous information like that," he said, making sure that his glowing white smile glistened in the sunlight.

"Ok!" Sweetie squeaked, trying to excuse herself, that weird feeling, from earlier, rearing its head again... Didn't Rarity say that her condition would make her want to stay nearby stallions at all times? She had better get going before she lost control again, because she desperately didn't want another Button incident. "But I should probably be going," she said, trying to escape from his grasp.

The stallion nodded, listening his grasp to let her free. "I understand, but could you at least do me the honor of letting me ask you for your name?"

"It's Sweetie..." she replied, staring at his big, beautiful blue eyes, and sniffing slightly at his scent... Shoot! Why was she doing that again!? And, once again, the urge to lick him was starting to materialize, despite her best attempts to swallow it for now...

"Ahh Sweetie!" The stallion said, sounding amorous himself. "What a fine name, and for such a fine mare!" he said, winking both of his eyes slightly, and giving her the cutest smile. "But what brings an unaccompanied mare like you out here into the most dangerous part of Canterlot, all alone?" he said, his face turning serious, and his voice stern. "You know how dangerous these streets can be!"

Sweetie protested, stamping her hoof. "I'm a full grown mare now! I don't need to be babysat!"

The stallion's eyes twinkled for a second. "Ahh an innocent mare!" he said to himself, under his breath. "But I'm sorry, my dear! But these streets are dangerous! Especially for unaccompanied adult mares!" he said, sternly. "So what brings you out here?," he asked, again.

Sweetie frowned, she really needed to get away before she went stallion crazy again, but he was right! She was lost, and had no idea where to go!

Sweetie opened her mouth, as she looked down, the tears starting to flow. "I've lost my sister, and I don't know where to find her!" she said softly, her countenance dropping.

Vladímir's countenance cracked, and became much more soft. "What's her name, my dear?," he asked, chivalrously. "Maybe I can help you find her?"

"It's Rarity!" Sweetie said softly, feeling like a failure. She hadn't been lost from her sister in a while, and it felt even worse, now that she was an adult.

"Hmm... that's an uncommon name..." Vladímir said to himself, under his breath. "But worry not, fair Sweetie!" he said, with a gleam in his eyes and a gleaming smile, giving the unicorn mare a bow. "For I, pr - Vladímir, shall send my brave stallions here, and they shall endeavor, on their lives, to search every last dark corner of Canterlot, until they locate your little lost sister!" he said, stepping in a little closer. "And we won't stop until we find her."

"Well..." Sweetie said, blushing slightly. "She's actually my - "

Vladímir gave her smile, and put one hoof on her muzzle. "Sh. Sh. Sh... " he gave her a smile, and a wink. "Don't worry about it! We'll find her anyway!"

"Really!" Sweetie said, her voice chirping, the relief quite apparent. "Oh thank you sir! I was so lost, and I didn't know where anything was, and - "

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," he said, with a smile, stopping for a second to think, tapping the side of his muzzle with his hoof. "Maybe I can help with that..," he said, under his breath.

"Yeah..." Sweetie said, looking down, not really looking forward to finding her way in the dark back to the hotel, as she rubbed her hooves together.

"Excuse me Sweetie," Vladímir said, walking between her and the road. "But could you do me the honor of allowing me to escort you back to your room?," he asked, giving her a gallant bow.

"Could you?" She asked, exuberantly.

"Of course!" He remarked, looking into her eyes, and looking over his shoulder, an idea occurring to him. "Would you wait here just a second?," he asked, sniffing something in the air, his expression softening for a second.

"Excuse me ma'am!" he said, trotting over to a nearby table in the bazaar, and pulling one of the roses from the table. "But could I purchase this?," he asked, looking the flower seller in the eyes.

"Really, pr - " She started saying before he shushed her, putting a hoof to his muzzle. "... I mean, really?"

"Of course! It's for a very special friend of mine," he said, plopping down a six bits on the table. "I believe, that that should be enough," he said, giving the flower seller a smile.

"Thank you sir!" She replied, with relief, as she was actually selling the roses for two bits, and he gave her a full six.

Turning back around, and walking back towards Sweetie, Vladímir gave a smile, and levitated the rose in front of her. "Oh, and Sweetie..." he said, with a smile, levitating the rose where she could smell it. "Do you mind?," he asked, making a motion with the rose.

"Really?" She asked, in utter surprise, her face turning red.

"Of course!" he said, with a smile, smelling something in the air. "I believe... that this..." he said, slowly placing the rose into her mane. "Belongs to you..."

"Oh wow! You're so kind!" She chirped. Where was this mushy stuff coming from? "But wouldn't it look better in your coat?"

"Sh. Sh. Sh..." he responded, plopping a couple of bits on the table for himself. "See! No harm, no foul!" he said, giving her a fatherly smile. "And besides, a beautiful rose belongs in a beautiful mare's mane, don't you think?"

Sweetie laughed, amorously, barely resisting the stallion madness again. Was it just her, or was it getting worse by the moment... And there was that pain again...

"By the way, while my men go and search for your sister, would you like something to eat?," he asked, with a smile. "I'm sure that after your horrible endeavor, you could use something to eat!"

"But I really should get back to the hotel! Rarity - " Sweetie started saying, worried about how Rarity would feel if she didn't find her promptly.

"Worry not!" he said, with a smile. "We shall find her! Please just something small! And then we shall return to your hotel."

"Ok!" she said, giving him the biggest smile.

"See!" he said, returning her smile. "Much Better! So do you accept my offer?," he asked, looking her straight in the eyes.

Sweetie gave him an exuberant smile, drawn to him like a moth to the flame. "Ok!" she said, nodding her head. "But I was kind of hoping for some apple pie," she chirped, hopping slightly.

Vladímir took a few steps back, a disgusted look appearing on his face, as he gulped violently, before shaking his head. "Remember Vladímir... even if the beautiful mare requests common carnival fare, then I shall comply! And besides, just because she asked for pie does not mean I cannot get it done the right way," he said, with a smile, being drawn in by whatever it was he was smelling. Hmm... maybe she should ask Rarity about that perfume that she gave Sweetie that morning, because all the stallions seemed particularly interested in sniffing it.

Vladímir gave her a pleasant smile, as an idea came to mind. "I believe I have the perfect place to get that," he said, with a smile, motioning down the street. "Even if it is just common carnival fare, perhaps I know of one griffon that can do it," he said to himself under his breath. "My father's old friend Gustave Le Grand..." he said to himself, under his breath. "Have you heard of tortes? They are just like apple pies, but better," he said, with a wink. "Would you mind if we tried something slightly different?"

"Ok!" Sweetie chirped, as she hopped along, Vladímir in the lead. "That sounds tasty!" she said, rubbing her tummy. Had it been that long since breakfast, already? She asked herself, already thinking about all the wonderful things she would be eating.

***************

At this point, Rarity was beginning to become frantic. She simply had to find Sweetie before it was too late! But where could the dear have run off to? She asked herself, with a sigh. She really should have been paying more attention to the dear, instead of running around watching clocks. She could, after all, find another Fancy Pants, but another Sweetie was probably not going to be coming any time soon.

And to make matters worse, the busy streets of the capital made it extraordinarily difficult to find anypony - making her wish that she had had Twilight put a tracking spell on the filly mare, or had at least given her some assertive perfume! Rarity gave a sigh... Sweetie was a perfectly able filly, there was no reason for her to be treating her like a baby. There was no way she was going to do anything silly like that, it sounded like something that Applejack would do!

Of course it made it no easier. This must have been the twenty or thirtieth pony she asked, and the answer was always the same: they had no idea.

Ok... what was she going to do now! Who was she going to ask now, and ...

A middle aged white unicorn guard passed her by, dressed in silver armor. Maybe this was good news! Maybe the guard were going to help, after all! She shook her head. Couldn't be! When she had asked them a minute ago, they told her no, because they said she, as an adult mare, had to be missing a full day before she could file a report.

"Excuse me, sir!" She asked, passing by a rather large blue unicorn, with a white mane, and a compass rose cutie mark. "But have you seen my sister? She a white unicorn mare, with a curly twin color light purple and light pink mane and tail, about my age, with green eyes," she asked, putting her hooves together in a begging pose."

The unicorn stallion rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I saw her," he said, with disdain. "Your crazy mare sister, attempted to 'help me with my package', " he continued, a sour expression growing on his face.

"I apologize sir," Rarity said, getting stern. "But you are speaking of my little sister, and I don't appreciate - "

He sighed, looking down. "I saw her go that way - " he said, pointing down a road. "But I don't know where she went after that."

"And?" Rarity asked, with a small amount of hidden frustration.

"I'm sorry about insulting your sister," he said, with a frown.

"You are forgiven," Rarity replied, with a smile. "I'll tell you what, next time you need something for your wife, look me up," she replied, levitating a business card into his hoof.

"Now I have a sister to find!" Rarity announced to herself, trotting off, and - 

Was it just her, or did that guard go down that road too? Strange? Maybe they were helping her out?... Except, he wasn't wearing a Canterlot guard uniform. So who were these ponies, and who were they looking for?

***************

Sweetie looked around, giving an impressed whistle. Was she standing outside a restaurant, or a cathedral? It just was so big... and fancy... and so huge! It was the kind of place, that, the restaurants Rarity always visited, wanted to become when they grew up.

Vladímir gave a smile, as he walked alongside her, putting a hoof on her wither. "So, what do you think?" he said, with a self reassured smile. "Do you like it?"

Sweetie nodded, just taking it all in. "Wow! It's so beautiful... and big!" She chirped, taking it all in.

"Why of course..." Vladímir said, with a chuckle. "Nothing but the best for you, my dear!" he said, giving a discrete sniff, and looking her straight in the eyes, a corny smile growing on his face.

"But isn't this place a little bit big and expensive?" Sweetie asked in concern, hesitating slightly. "Wouldn't there be cheaper places we could eat at?"

Pri - Vladímir smirked slightly, chuckling on the inside. "And what fun would that be, my dear?" he said, trotting towards the door. "Besides, a mare like you, deserves something nice! Especially after the day you had!" he said, standing to the side of the door.

Sweetie nodded reluctantly, why was he acting so weird? And why was that nonsense making her feel really weird inside, like she was tied up in knots. She asked herself, as she reached out towards the door, with her magic, like she'd been doing during Twilight Time. The problem? Her magic was still too weak, and she couldn't even seem to reach the door, let alone open it.

She struggled for a period of time, the sweat starting to flow down her brow.

The unicorn stallion returned a concerned expression. "Are you ok, my dear?"

"Yeah! I'm fine!" she said, feeling like a total goof, her cheeks going red. "I've got this!" she said, grunting at the door. Why wouldn't it open!? And why in front of this nice stallion!? Though she wondered why it mattered to her so much, he was just a colt, after all... Why was she feeling so eager to please him? "I can do it!" She shrieked, feeling like she was going to have a migraine, the green sparks just now starting to form.

"Having trouble, my dear?," he asked, in concern. "Are you feeling well?" he said, putting a hoof on her wither, his face hardening slightly, his eyes beginning to show the concern that showed in his voice.

Sweetie shook her head, in defeat. "I'm sorry..." she said, lowering her head, in utter shame. Why now? "I'm terribly sorry!" She frowned, turning away from him, the tears starting to flow. "I used a lot of magic yesterday, and ... "

Vladímir gave a gallant smile. "Well worry not, my dear!" he said, chivalrously, sniffing something, in the air. What did he keep sniffing at? Did something smell good? No, not like those weird ponies that Rarity talked about! It was more like he kept smelling perfume or something. "For I shall open this door for you!" he said, grasping the handle, in his magic, as he slowly opened the door, motioning in with his hoof. "Ladies first!"

"Oh wow!" Exclaimed Sweetie, feeling like a princess now. "Why thank you, sir!"

Vladímir gave a nod, motioning again, with his hoof. "Why of course!" he said, showing his teeth. "A beautiful mare, like you, should expect nothing less!"

"Oh wow!" Exclaimed Sweetie, feeling utterly amorous. "So gallant!"

Vladímir just gave a chuckle, as the mare walked in front of him, looking extremely confident.

"So where is this?" Sweetie asked, as the rather large white unicorn stallion closed the doors behind him, and motioned for the pony that managed the reservations. 

"Why this is Gustave's, my dear," he said, with a smile, holding up his hoof to the wait pony. "Two please, for Vladímir."

The wait pony nodded, a strange expression on their face, motioning at the blond haired unicorn, who simply motioned back.

Vladímir returned to Sweetie. "A fancy Prench-Griffon fusion run by an old friend of my dearly departed father's, and a personal friend of mine, Gustave Le Grand."

"Huh..." Sweetie said, stopping for a second, to tilt her head in a thinking position. Where had she heard that name before? Sounded like somepony that Rarity had mentioned once..

"A problem, my dear?" Vladímir asked, with concern. "Does this place displease you, m'lady?"

"Oh no!" Sweetie said, with a smile, shaking the thoughts out of her head. "It looks really swanky!" She remarked, causing a proud nod from the unicorn stallion. "It's just the name is familiar, but I can't place where I've heard of it.. Maybe it's something Rarity has told me about?"

"Ahh..." he said, with a twinkle in his eye. "Then you are in luck, my dear," he said, with glee. "Gustave's a wizard in the bakery!" He exclaimed with a smile. "Though it's a shame that your little sister has heard of him, but you haven't," he said, a sad expression appearing on his face.

"Sorry..." Sweetie said, with a frown. "I didn't mean to - "

"Oh no no!" The stallion said, shaking his hoof from side to side. "Nothing to be ashamed of, my dear! It might even be a blessing?" he said, giving her a wink.

"Why?" She asked, with curiosity.

"Because it grants me the prime opportunity to introduce you to Gustave's fine cuisine," he said, as the waiter approached, motioning them to one of the restaurant's prime back tables.

"Thank you, by the way, Vladímir," Sweetie said, with a smile. "But shouldn't I be paying some of? - "

Vladímir shook his head vigorously, and motioned with his hooves, sniffing surreptitiously. "Never! A beautiful mare like you should NEVER be expected to pay for the bill on her dat- assuagement meal with a stallion," he said, with confidence.

"But wouldn't that put a strain on your - " Sweetie asked, curiously.

Vladímir shook his head, interrupting the mare's self doubt. "Oh no, Sweetie! Besides, my roya- my salary from last week, should be more than enough to handle this."

"Besides Sweetie," he said, with a curious smile. "I don't want to talk about me! I want to talk about you!" he said, sternly. "So Sweetie tell me about - " Vladímir asked, stopping as the mare started to look around uncomfortably, suddenly aware of all the pointing and whispering that was happening around her.

"Why's everypony whispering and pointing?" She asked, starting to get concerned again. "Is there something in my teeth?" She asked, in concern. "Is my tail a mess again?" She asked, wondering if whatever made her wet and icky this morning, was coming back.

"Oh no!" Vladímir lied. "They are simply discussing how cute a couple we are," he lied smoothly, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Oh thank goodness!" Sweetie exclaimed, tilting her head down, and holding her chest, with her hoof. Meanwhile Vladímir shot death glares at the couples that sat around, gossiping about him and his date, muttering something about him getting gold bricks if somepony he was dating heard his name, or something. "I was really worried!"

Vladímir gave her a pleasant smile, telling her not to worry, but, nevertheless, after a few minutes, Vladímir had had enough. "Oh garcon!" He shouted, getting the young griffon's attention. "Could you get us a bottle of your best wine, and a couple of menus please!" he said, with a smile, making angry pointing gestures at the couple next door.

"Oui, monsieur Blue-! " The garcon replied, enthusiastically, stopping when Vladímir started making a waving motion against his neck, with his hoof.

"What's that about?" Asked Sweetie, with a smile.

"Oh that?" Vladímir replied, smoothly. "It's a secret handshake between me and the staff, basically me and him belong to a secret club together..." he lied, smoothly, a fake smile glued to his face.

"Oh great!" Sweetie said, enthusiastically. "Just like me and the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" She practically shouted. "Oh! We should get together once before I leave, so we can schedule a chance for you and your club to get together with the CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!!!" She shouted, at the top of her lungs.

The stallion returned an amorous look. "Oh a wild one!" he said, secretly to himself. "I have a feeling this might be the one!" he said to himself, this time take a whiff of his flower.

Sweetie smiled, with relief! Oh his flower! That must have been what he was sniffing this whole time! For some reason, she thought he was sniffing her. Silly wasn't it? "But are you sure I'm old enough to be drinking?" She asked, in confusion. "After all, I am only - "

"An adult mare?," he asked, curiously. "Whatever gave you that idea, my dear?" She truly was an innocent one, a wild flower, waiting to be picked.

She shrugged her withers, she forgot that she was a full grown mare now.

"And besides!" he said, confidently. "You'll love it my dear! Gustave carries some of the best wines in the Equestria, imported directly from Prance," he said, wistfully. "And then there are his scones," he said, with a wink. "That riff-raff Gruff thinks that it is he makes the best Griffon Scones, but it is in fact Gustave who actually produces the best Griffon Scones," he said, with a wink. "Don't believe me?" he said, with a smile. "Just try one, and you will agree!"

"Ok! - " Sweetie chirped, being interrupted as an old graying griffon tiercel said, approaching from behind slowly, having been told of the white stallion's presence by the garcon..

"Ahh! Monsieur Blue- " he said, stopping when Vladímir began to shake his head surreptitiously, pointing at something, under the table.

The old tiercel nodded, a catty smile forming on his beak. "Sorry, Vladímir! I had believed you to be somepony else, but no longer!" He chirped, joyfully. "So Vladímir, what brings you to my restaurant? Don't you normally eat with your ... at the castle with the other ... castle staff?," he asked, curiously, though he still looked quite flattered.

"Oh Gustave!" Vladímir said, with a playful smile. "Can't I take my dat- friend Sweetie Belle somewhere different for a change?," he asked, the old griffon, whose hair, both bird and feline, had long since gone grey. "After all, isn't this the finest restaurant in Canterlot?"

"But of course!" Gustave said, with pride, puffing out his chest. "But I thought that I would never see you, pr- " he said, stopping himself. "Vladímir, of all ponies, taking a real mare on a da- ... to lunch!" he said, his eyes starting to leak liquid pride. "You normally don't take mares on real dat- ... to meals - well unless you are forced! You're normally so picky, monsieur!"

"Well, I suppose," he said, surreptitiously to the griffon, in hushed words. "But, I think ms. Sweetie might be the one," he said to the griffon, who nodded, joyously. "She might be the future ms. Bl-," he gulped, looking at Sweetie, who had been distracted by a hippogriff that walked by. "Urrr... Ms. Vladímir!"

The griffon held his chest, with his claws. "Oh your father, he must look down at you from the Elysian fields, so happy!" Gustave said, whispering in the stallion's ears, the tears starting to flow. "He always worried that you would never find mrs. right," he exclaimed, loudly enough for Sweetie to turn to the two of them, wondering what they were talking about. "He always worried that you would end up with another s-" he said, choking on the last word, as he narrowly avoided the last dagger that shot from the stallion's eyes. "urrr... die alone!"

"What are you guys talking about?" Sweetie asked, quietly, as another old griffon walked in, a belligerent look on their face.

Vladímir frowned, looking down. "I'm sorry Sweetie, I should have been more upfront with you," he said, with a frown. "I was hoping to take you on a date, and Gustave here was speaking for my dearly departed father," he said, a tear flowing. "He never thought I would find somepony like you, but I always had faith," he said, with a glint in his eye. "I knew that all I had to do was be patient, and wait for the right mare to show up," he said, bowing to Sweetie Belle. 

The old griffon looked around, finally noticing Gustave, his eyes shooting daggers as he sprinted up.

"Oh!" Sweetie said, blushing, and feeling hot. "You're so sweet!"

"Why thank you Sweetie, for understanding," Vladímir replied, with relief. "I was worried that - " he said, being over shouted by a rather large, and angry, griffon.

"GUSTAVE!!!" Shouted the older griffon, at the top of his lungs, loud enough to be heard from the street. "HOW DARE YOU FIRE YOUR OWN BROTHER!!!" He shouted, stamping his hooves, and letting out a ferocious roar. "ME! YOUR BROTHER: LE BLANC DE NICOLAŸ!"

Gustave took a break, and calmly opened his beak. "I'm sorry, Nicolaÿ," he said, looking away, with a frown. "But I had to downsize you. You were lazy, and you coming into the restaurant fully drunk... well it was not good for the business!" he said, sternly. "I can't allow anygriffon, even my own brother to belittle and attack the customers, " he said calmly, turning to leave.

"Silence!" The older of the two griffon's roared, picking up a half eaten piece of cake from a nearby table. The pony that was supposed to be eating it, immediately giving him a truly sour expression. "How do you make such slander against me, and besmirch my good name!" The old bird crowed, beginning to wave the cake up and down. "How would you like it if I besmirched you!" He shouted, bringing the cake back, for a good fling.

"Sweetie!" Vladímir shouted sternly. "Get behind me!" he said gallantly, pushing her behind him, with his magic, as he puffed out his chest, standing between the filly mare, and the angry griffon

"And this is what you get for spouting slander against your own brother!" Nicolaÿ shouted, to the tune of a rock guitar in the background, as he gave the cake a good toss. Apparently Nicolaÿ's aim was as bad as anyone could have guessed, and Vladímir was probably as unlucky, as the cake exploded against his face and coat, splattering both in frosting and crumbs.

"Oh dear!" Sweetie said, in deep concern, holding the sides of her muzzle with her hooves. "Are you ok!?" She asked, in horror, like the unicorn stallion had been hit by a spear.

"Of course!" Vladímir replied, brushing the cake off with his magic. "Do you think that a little cake could harm me in the slightest?" He crowed, trying desperately to clean off his coat with a nearby glass of water.

"But your shirt!" Sweetie said, in horror, seeing the staining already, and imaging what Rarity would say, were she here. "If my sister saw this then she'd - "

Vladímir motioned with his hoof. "No harm! No foul!" He replied, coolly, as he managed to clean off the worst of the mess between magic, and the glass of water. "You see! All gone!" he said, motioning at his coat.

"But weren't you worried about - " Sweetie said, being shushed by the stallion again, who simply motioned with his hoof, her face still looking resolute.

"Have more faith in yourself, my dear," he said, doing his best Fancy Pants. "You have to have more confidence! I would do anything to help you, and keep you safe!" he said, with a wink. "I protected you from those monsters didn't I?"

"I suppose you did!" Sweetie said, giving him a smile, and getting lost in his eyes for a second...

"Now! We should engage in small talk, " he said, with a smile. 'After all, I'm terribly sorry for the interruption," he said, making pointing noises at Nicolaÿ, as the guard quickly filtered into the restaurant. "Remind me to send Nicolaÿ to the stockades for this, later... but for now..." he said, wiggling his eyelashes. "My date!"

Sweetie gave a smile as their meal continued on into the early afternoon. At one point, the question came up of what Vladímir would have been doing, if Sweetie's little predicament hadn't gotten in the way.

"Look, Vladímir," Sweetie said, with a frown, having taken her second glass of the strange bubbly stuff. "I really didn't mean to put you out of your way," she said, with a frown. "I hope I didn't put your day off too much."

"Oh don't worry about that," Vladímir said, with a smile. "This is much more interesting than what I had planned."

"Oh what did you have planned today?" The unicorn mare asked, her words a little bit slurred, and her mind a hair hazy.

"Oh nothing too interesting," he lied, carefully, choosing his words with care.

"Nothing?" She asked curiously. "But you look like you're such an important, and busy stallion."

Vladímir just waved his hoof. "Nothing that you need concern your pretty little head over."

"Really?" Sweetie asked, with concern. "You're not just saying that are you?"

Vladímir looked down, a stern frown on his face. "I was supposed to be on a date with the duchess of pomp, high lady of house Silver Swirl," he said, with a distant frown, an angry expression appearing on his face.

Sweete looked down, she wasn't sure why, but she wasn't sure if she was sorry, or jealous, but she shouldn't be getting in the way of love, Rarity taught her that. "I'm terribly sorry, Vladímir. I didn't mean to get between you too, it's just that I was feeling so jealous."

Vladímir gave a chuckle. "Well I wouldn't be sorry! You are a much better girl for me!"

Sweetie frowned. "But she sounds like such a nice filly."

Vladímir frowned back. "One would think that, and from what I hear the family's founder, Princess Silver Swirl - the princess of Lower Unicornia - was a guardian angel of sorts," he said, pushing his hoof hard against the counter. "The lady, however... "

Sweetie frowned, though, on the inside she felt relieved, for some reason. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that."

"Oh don't worry about that!" he said, with a chuckle. "I'm with a much better mare right now!" he said, giving her a wink. "But enough of that!"

"Ok!" She chirped, with a nod. "Though I'm still glad you came to my rescue - despite missing out on your date."

Vladímir gave a healthy chuckle. "Well, I think, 'twas a good turn of fortune," he said, with a smile. "Because, I think if my guards hadn't gotten confused and went down the wrong road, then I wouldn't have met you," he said, holding her hoof, with his. "And I would never have had a chance to come to your rescue," he replied, gallantly. "And I almost never get a chance to do anything chivalrous anymore."

"Chivalrous?" Sweetie asked, curiously. "Are you a knight or something?"

"Oh no!" he said, waving his hoof. "Though, if you wanted, I could be your knight in shining armor," he said, resurrecting one of the corny lines he had left in his mind.

"Oh you!" she said, with a chuckle. Why did she even like that line? That was the stupidest thing she ever heard from a colt! And Button had told her a few humdingers!

As the meal drew to a close, Vladímir gave her a pleasant smile, as she finished another cup of bubbly, and staggered to her hooves (and staggered is the right word.) "We should get going, Vladímir," she said, holding her head.

"Yes, I suppose we should," he said, with a smirk. "But do you think you can get to your hotel all by yourself?"

She shrugged. "But Rarity?" She asked, her words slurring slightly. "Uggg..." she groaned, feeling wobbly. "I feel weird," she said, her voice slurring, slightly.

"Hmm..." he said, pondering things. "Let's get you back to your room, it looks like you had one or two too many, " he said, with a guilty frown. "I'm terribly sorry about that, let's get you back, and then I'll see if my stallions have located your sister yet."

"Ok!" Sweetie said, getting a strong urge to lick the stallion's face. She almost nuzzled his face, before he stopped her. 

"Not yet, " he said, with a wink. "Maybe once some of that bubbly wears off, but not before."

"Ok," she said, giving him a warm smile. "I wanted to thank you for a fantastic meal."

"Of course!" he said, with a nod, and a warm smile. He felt himself beaming on the inside, she had such a warm and beautiful smile. Or was it just her scent talking?

Sweetie smiled, staggering out as Vladímir opened the door with his magic. "I had a wonderful time."

"Of course, my dear," Vladímir replied, with a smile. "So tell me, my dear, where were you staying again?," he asked, cooking something up, in his head.

"Why do you ask?" She asked, curiously. "So you can lead me back to it?"

He smiled, enigmatically. "That's part of it," he said, a mischievous tone carrying in his voice.

"Well..." she said, blushing slightly. "We're staying at the Hay and Stay Canterlot," she confessed, worried about what this high class stallion was going to think about their bare bones hotel. Rarity had hoped to stay at the castle again, but it wasn't possible with the delegation from Unicornia staying for a couple of weeks, followed by the delegation from Yakyakistan - where ever that was.

He gave a stern frown, as he shaking his head, a furious expression growing on his face. "that simply won't do!" he said, sternly, the wheels in his head turning. "There's no way that you will stay in that wretched roach motel any longer!" he said, sternly.

"Why?" She asked curiously, looking at his beautiful eyes, that became more beautiful by the second.

"Because," he said, firmly. "You shall be staying in a room provided by me at the castle!"

"Really!" She squeaked, bobbing slightly. Yeah she'd be bouncing, but not with that much bubbly in her. "I always wanted to stay in the castle!" She announced, eagerly, not asking how he could pull that lumber.

"Well, then consider it another gift from me, to you," he announced, taking her by the hoof. "We shall return to your room to grab your things, then the two of us shall head to the castle, at which point, I shall instruct my men to escort your little sister Rarity, once we find her, to the castle!"

"Oh wow!" She shouted, amorously. "That's so kind of you! I really don't know what to say!"

He gave a smile. "Well I know what you can say!" He announced, kindly. "But we shall talk about it after I show you your new room!"

"Ok thank you sir!" Sweetie said, repeating herself.

"No thank you!" he said, leading her off towards The Hay and Stay Canterlot.

***********

"So are you concerned about your sister?" Vladímir asked, a frown covering his face, as he looked at the frown on Sweetie Belle's.

Sweetie simply nodded. "I'm worried sick, because - "

"Well worry not," Vladímir reassured her. "My men will find her, and return you to her unhurt," he said, with gallant smile. "So tell me, how do you two get along?"

"Oh we get along just fine," Sweetie replied, with a smile. "Though she sometimes drives me nuts with how dang finicky she can be! And she's always overshadowing me.

Vladímir gave a chuckle. "Reminds me of my cousin Léon," he said, with a smile. "Cele- my aunt prefers him over me because of how much he reminders her of herself," he said, with a sad expression. "Though I can't blame her, I'm kind of the picky one in my family, whereas Léon tends to be a little more innocent and noble," he said, scuffing his hoof.

"I'm sorry," Sweetie said, with a frown. "I didn't mean to remind you of - "

"Oh it's ok my dear!" he said, with a chuckle. "It's water under the bridge now, besides, if I got upset about how often he upstaged me, I'd be neck deep in tears."

"Oh..." Sweetie said, with a frown. "It reminds me of Rarity, back at my fifth birthday, she - "

He gave a confused expression. 'Fifth birthday? She has to be older than that, maybe she's still confused from that bubbly.' He thought with a smile. "Ahh yes!" he said, with a chuckle. "Like when Léon was born," he said, wistfully. "The poor unicorn has a couple of tiny undeveloped pegasus wings, a birth defect from some distant point in our shared heritage. The poor thing will probably have them his whole life, but will never have the chance to actually use them," he said, looking away. "But, regardless, it caused a fair amount of interest in the nobility, overshadowing my coming of age ceremony," he said, with a frown. "But nevertheless we should be there soon," he said, inspecting the street signs.

After a few minutes, a familiar building began to loom over the streets. "There it is!" Sweetie replied, with an eager smile, as she motioned at the moderately priced hotel in front of them. "The Hay and Stay Canterlot!" She exclaimed, with a smile.

"Quite," Vladímir replied, his ears dropping, along with his forehead and horn. "What a ... splendid... location," he said, hesitantly.

"You don't like it?" Sweetie said, with a sad frown. "And I thought it was such a nice place too," she said, her ears dropping, along with her face; a tear forming in her eye. Was she about to embarrass herself in front of the nicest pony she ever met? Wait... that couldn't be the case, could it? Or was it the hormones talking.

Vladímir shook his head, a frown coming to his face. "I'm sorry, my dear, but after staying at the castle, for as long as I have, places like this just seem to be sorry, and quaint," he commented with a frown.

"You still going to show me in?" Sweetie replied, suddenly worried that the stallion would just walk again, as she took steps to hover well within a foot or two of the stallion.

Vladímir smiled, his expression bucking up. "Of course, my dear!" He exclaimed. "And after we get your things, you shall see why I think of this place as arrangements for the common- ... those who aren't as blessed as I am," he said, with a blush, having realized that he tripped over his own words.

"Ok!" She exclaimed, giving him a nuzzle, a goofy laugh coming from her mouth... oh dear! It was happening again, and worse than before! And if that wasn't bad enough, that pain was back, and it demanded her attention! Badly!

"Do be careful, my dear!" he said, with a smile, as he separated her head from his chest, using his magic. "You're still under the effects of that bubbly, and it has you rushing more than you need to," he commented gallantly, motioning towards the doors.

"Ok!" Sweetie replied, deliriously... Oh she just enjoyed hearing him talk, so much! 

So much... that she almost stepped into a puddle. Ok... well she would have if Vladímir hadn't stopped her, with his magic.

"What's up Vladímir?" She asked curiously. "Did you see something?"

He gave a frown. "Some inconsiderate roube has left a mess here!" he said, with that goofy gleaming smile of his, as he pointing at a rather small puddle on the sidewalk. A smile that Sweetie found dashing, daring, gallant, and overall, chivalrous ...

"We can just walk around it," Sweetie commented, coolly. "I mean it's not - " she said, as he stopped her, putting a hoof in front of her face, a belligerent expression coming across his face.

"And force a lady to go out of her way?" He commented zealously, taking a sniff of that flower again. Strangely enough, it didn't smell like much anymore, was it possible that it was the flower he was sniffing? "This simply I won't do!" He commented like the true knight he was, tossing his cake splattered coat on top of the puddle. "After you, my lady," he commented, motioning, with his hoof, for Sweetie to walk on top of the coat, and over the puddle.

"Are you sure that's ok, though?" Sweetie asked, with concern. "Won't it ruin your coat?" She asked, turning to him, anxiously.

"Oh! Worry not about that!" Vladímir replied, calmly. "It can't possibly make things any worse than that cake already did, and better my coat then your beautify," he said, with a wink. "It seems better to me to ruin my outfit, then to muddy your beauty with grime and dirt."

"Thank you!" She replied, tittering hopelessly. "You're so chivalrous, Vladímir!" she said, walking over the coat, almost on autopilot, as she looked back at him, taking careful mental note of every inch of his... What in the heck was she starting at? He's just a colt!

She shook her head after a moment. What was she doing? "I'm terribly sorry, Vladímir!" She exclaimed, with a deep frown. "What was I thinking? Your coat!" She moaned, shifting her attention from the bizarre thoughts going through her head to her poor date's jacket.

Vladímir gave a healthy chuckle. "You worry too much my dear," he replied, with a smile. "It's fine, see!" he said, cleaning his coat in his magic, as he levitated it back onto his body, taking another whiff of something. "Why am I doing this again?," he asked himself, quietly. "I guess it's because there's something slightly intoxicating about that scent of hers, though I can't quite put my hoof on what..." he said, contemplatively. "Oh well! I suspect what I smell is love! And she is, rather different than the gold bricks and status seekers I normally end up dating," he said, to himself, with a chuckle.

Meanwhile, Sweetie tried again, unsuccessfully to budge the door with her magic, a frown forming on her face. 'I can do this!' She thought to herself. 'Remember what Twilight taught you in Twilight Time!' She thought, concentrating all her magic on the door handle, only to find that her magic wouldn't respond. Curses! Her magic was still running on empty! And at its current rate of restoration, however would she cast the reversal spell? Was she ever going to be able to cast the reversal spell?

"Couldn't wait my dear?" Vladímir said, with a playful chuckle, as he approaching her from behind. "Allow me!" he said, motioning at the door with his hoof.

Sweetie gave an amorous giggle. "Why thank you, gentle stallion!" she said, amorously. Oh he always made things feel better!

"Of course!" replied Vladímir, a sly smirk beginning to grow on his face. Maybe there was something in this for him, after all, he thought, motioning for her to enter the door.

Meanwhile, Sweetie continued to drift up to her room, carried along by young love, and a lot of hormones. She just couldn't wait for Vladímir to get a good look at all her stuff, and .. Wait a minute! She hated colts looking at all her stuff! So why then was she suddenly so interested?

Vladímir, meanwhile, practically hopped up, seeming to be in good spirits himself, though he took great cares to be first to the door, this time, so that he could open it before the mare arrived. "After you, " he said, an odd expression growing on his face. 

"Why thank you!" Sweetie said, again, as she entered the door. "I'm so glad you're here Vladímir!"

The stallion gave a mischievous smile. "Me too," Vladímir commented to himself, as he walked behind her, saying a bishop's move from her head. "Now, " he commented amorously. "Before you pack your things, and we leave, " he said, taking a breath to steady himself. "Could I ask you for one thing?" he said, gulping anxiously.

"What's that?" Sweetie asked, with an amorous giggle, the stallion's scent was now pretty intoxicating to her as well. She just wanted him around forever! Dang it! Why was her tail raising like that again! She, most definitely, didn't want another Button incident...

"How shall I put this?" The stallion said, tilting his head back, his lip curled up, a low grinding sound coming from his throat. "How about a kiss?," he asked, being very careful to choose his words.

"Ok!" she said, leaning over to give him a kiss, and barely avoiding a nuzzling session, her tail sticking up uncomfortably, as her front legs bent slightly more than she meant them too.

Vladímir gave an amorous chuckle. "Such an innocent mare!" he said to himself again, a pleased expression growing on his face. "But I was thinking something more like - "

"Sweetie!" Rarity shouted, in horror, flinging open the door. "I am so pleased to have found you! For a minute, I was so worried that I had lost you forever, and - " she said, making an ostentatious gesture, before finally noticing her ex date Blueblood. Her face turned whiter than normal, as she shouted an unpony shriek at her punce of an ex date, her face turning a beet read, and not with embarrassment.

The stallion's head was tilted back, his lip curled, and that grinding noise was coming from his throat again!

"Blueblood!" She shouted angrily. "You get away from Sweetie this instant, you punce!" She shouted angrily, tossing the first object she could lay her magic on at the horse.

"Ms... Rarity..." he announced in horror. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing," Rarity responded, angrily. "And what, exactly, were you plotting on doing with my innocent little sister, Sweetie Belle?" She asked, sounding like a mother bear ready to attack.

"Mrs. Rarity," Vladímir Blueblood said, in dismay. "I wasn't doing anything, honest," he said, his head tilted up, his lip curled, there was that grinding sound again. Rarity was well aware of the gesture that he was making, but was that racket a normal part of the procedure?

Rarity gave a chagrinned sigh. "I have seen a lot of nothing in my day, Blueblood, but this, certainly, looks nothing like it," she replied, slightly more calmly.

"But Rarity!" Sweetie protested. "Vladímir here was just helping me get my things so that we could stay in the castle."

"Stay in the castle, eh?" Rarity said, getting her serious voice, as she calmly trotted to within inches of the white unicorn stallion, making good and sure that her face was as close to his as she could go. "Sweetie, let me tell you something about 'Vladímir' here! - " she said, with a frown.

"But Rarity!" Sweetie protested. "He's - " she said, about to extol his virtues.

Rarity motioned with her hoof. She would hear no more of this. "Sweetie!" she said sternly, you are still my little sister, and I need you to listen to this," she said, holding her hoof over her sister's muzzle while she turned to the prince. "Once again, Blueblood, what were you plotting to do to my little sister?"

"Little sister?," he asked, his ears flattening. This must be 'the sister' that Sweetie was talking about all night. He suddenly had a sense that he was about to be leaving in a hurry. He gulped, collecting his words. "I can explain, ms. Rarity," he said, with a frown. Maybe he could show Rarity his dedication to her beautiful sister, and that he would 'treat her like the princess she really was'.

Sweetie gave a sigh, as she raised her voice to her sister. "But Rarity!" She whined, he was really, really nice!" She exclaimed, now fighting for her date.

"Yes! See!!!, Ms. Rarity!" Sweetie's date announced, with a relieved look on his face, kind of like he just got away with something.

"Yes, and do you know how he treated me, when I asked for his company at the Grand Galloping Gala?" She asked sternly, sticking her head further forward, forcing the white stallion to bend back slightly.

"But Rarity!" Sweetie protested. "He gave me this beautiful flower!" she said, pointing at the flower in her head, with her hoof. "And he carefully placed it in my mane, so that it would look perfect on me!"

"A flower, huh?" Rarity stated, in indignation. "So she was worthy of a flower, but I wasn't?"

Blueblood simply gave a nervous expression.

"And he showed me this place where we could get this wonderful Apple Pie thing!" Sweetie commented. "By somepony named Gustave, and it was perfect! Nice and tasty, and flaky, and - "

"Oh and did he have a problem with eating 'common carnival fare'?" Rarity commented, causing the stallion to close his eyes uncomfortably.

"And he let me try this tasty bubbly stuff, that make me really dizzy, but in a good way!" Sweetie said, wistfully, liking the Blueblood's nice and dry choice, in bubbly.

"Uh huh..." Commented Rarity, a belligerent expression growing on her face. "And what, do you suppose, he might have been intending to do with it?"

"Uh... Rarity.. I can explain..." Blueblood responded, the sweat dripping down his brow.

"An he used his own body to stop cake from splattering into me!" she said, her expression growing distant. " And he allowed me to step on his coat so I wouldn't get my hooves dirty in a puddle," she said, giving an amorous sigh, as she squatted down, into a weird position, her tail raised.

"Oh really!?" Rarity responded, her face expressing a mix of sadism, and sarcasm. "And I wonder why I wasn't good enough to get this treatment?"

"Well... I thought you might... " Blueblood responded, not getting very far, before Rarity interrupted him again.

"Not right now mister," Rarity responded, coldly. "Let me wait until Sweetie has finished.

"And he opened all kinds of doors for me! Including this one!" she said, with glee. "He's just the nicest stallion that I have ever - " she said, as Rarity's expression grew more and more agitated.

Finally, the prissy unicorn took a very deep breath, and opened her mouth. "HE DID WHAT!!!" Rarity shouted, bursting into flames, and more resembling a Rapidash. And everypony thought that Twilight and the princess were the only ones that could perform that trick?

Blueblood gulped nervously, starting to back away from the furious unicorn. "Temper!... Temper!!!..." He exclaimed, backing into a wall. "Ms.. Rarity... I can explain!"

Rarity gave a sigh, counting to ten. "Very well..." she said, more cooly. "But you'd better start doing so!" she said, sticking a hoof into his chest. "Because I want to know, for one thing, why I wasn't good enough to get even a free flower from you, or why you couldn't be bothered to open even the smallest of doors for me?" She asked, in frustration. "But my sister did! I suspect that you had other intentions with her! Intentions that I can't abide!"

"Well..." Blueblood said, scooting up against the wall, till he was practically at a rear.

"Oh... any why my friend's food was not good enough for you, but you were fine taking my sister out to a restaurant for the very same thing!"

Bloodblood's brow now looked like he'd just taken a shower, his face contorted into a single point. "Well... I... kind of thought that you were just dating me for my status..." he admitted, his facade beginning to crack.

"Oh... and you used my shawl to step on, instead of simply going around that tiny little puddle!" She exclaimed, furiously. "Oh... and let's not forget that you used me as a pony cake shield!"

"Well..." he commented, honestly. "I didn't want to upset my hooficure, and I thought you were just another goldbrick like all the other's I've dated."

Rarity gave an angry sigh, the tears starting to come down her eyes. "You feel that I - The Element of Generosity - am just a worthless gold brick?" She exclaimed, the tears flowing fully now.

"I suppose that wasn't right of me," he said, with a frown. "But it would have never worked.. you awfully plain after all..."

Rarity's expression turned sour, her face contorting like a prune, as she exploded into flame, again. "SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT?" She shouted, at the TOP OF HER LUNGS. "YOU FELT THAT I WAS TOO PLAIN FOR YOU, BUT MY LITTLE SISTER WAS BEAUTIFUL!!!" She shouted, raising a hoof to give him a good buck in the fact. She did, however, resist at the last minute, a lady doesn't use violence, after all.

Blueblood gave a sigh. He wasn't being fair, again. "Well.. I like her because she's an untapped natural beauty, while you are just the same over made ... "

Rarity stamped her hoof violently. "And what are you saying, Blueblood?" She asked, her fury dying down again. "Are you saying that my sister is a pony you can work with? Are you proposing exploiting my darling little sister?"

"But... Ms. Rarity..." he said, nervously, finding himself starting to get belligerent. "She's a full grown mare! And you are only in your late teens, there is no possible way that she could be you - " He announced, putting this broodmare back into her place.

Rarity scoffed violently. "'Vladímir'!" she said, getting back into his face. "She's only seven! She doesn't even have a cutie mark!" she said, coolly. Was he paying any attention at all?

"Preposterous!" Blueblood announced to everypony, angrily. 'Why is she being so possessive anyway?' He thought to himself, his face growing ever more sour. 'Is she really still mad about that, admittedly clumsy date between the two of us?' He asked himself, internally. 'It has to be! It's the only logical explanation.'

Blueblood scoffed, forcing himself back down out of a rear. "Why are you acting this way! It's highly uncouth!"

"Do you need me to prove why?" Rarity asked, calmly.

Blueblood nodded his head. He had won this argument! No doubt. There was no possibly proof that she could give that would change his mind!

Rarity angrily ripped the skirt her sister had been wearing off her sister's flank. Revealing a blank flank unicorn.

Blueblood recoiled in horror, as he discovered that Rarity had been right - her sister was a blank flank! An adult blank flank! And that could mean only one thing... black magic! And not blank magic, because that would be some other pony's thing!

Blueblood was on the verge of vomiting. Had he just been ogling a filly all afternoon? Had he just solicited a seven year old filly? He would be lucky if he didn't get sent to the tower! Or worse!... Banishment to the moon! Well... maybe he could push a few strings and end up in Unicornia instead, though he probably wouldn't be well liked there.

"Ms. Rarity!" he said, falling onto his hooves to beg. "Um... I can explain!" he said, the sweat dipping as his face became more and more desperate.

Rarity gave a sigh, her better nature getting the better of you. "Blueblood," she said, pointing to the door. "I don't need you to explain anything!" She announced, causing a sigh of relief from the unicorn stallion. "I just need you to leave!" She shouted, grabbing him with her magic, and tossing him out the door.

"But Rarity!" Sweetie protested. "Vladímir just wanted to help me! And he was going to show me the castle."

Rarity sighed, putting a hoof on her sister's wither. "It isn't Vladímir, it's Blueblood - Prince Blueblood! And he wasn't interested in you as a pony..." she said, with a frown. "He only was interested in you for your..." Rarity gave a sign, starting to choke on her own words. "Well... he was only interested in your... body..." she said, as quietly as she could, her eyes darting around violently.

Sweetie gave her sister a confused look. "What do you mean 'my body'? What could he possibly want with my body?"

Rarity gave a frown, looking away sadly. "Do you recall the our conversation this morning, back on the train?"

Sweetie Belle gave a nod. "You mean the one after that horrible Button incident?"

Rarity gave a frown... that's another thing she would have to describe...

***********

"Oh!" Sweetie said, looking at little peaked at the horrible secret that was just revealed to her. "So that's what a 'date' means," she said, dropping to her knees.

Rarity simply nodded her head knowingly. "Indeed..."

"EWWW!!!!!" Sweetie shrieked in horror and disgust. "What was I thinking?"

Rarity gave her a smile. "Actually what you were thinking and feeling was perfectly normal... for a mare your current physical age... But much too young for you," she said, with a frown.

"What do you mean?" Sweetie asked, in curiosity. 

Rarity gave a smile. "You'll understand when you get older... Suffice it to say, nature's telling you that it's ready..." she said, looking away, a frown showing on her face. "But you're much too young for that now!"

"But I'm older than you now!" Sweetie announced, in dismay. "Will I ever be ready?"

Rarity frowned, her face growing serious. "You may be physically, but you aren't old enough, where it matters, and it's a kind of a shame that you had to lose so much of your innocence to that spell. Let us hope for Star Swirl's sake that I never have the opportunity to run into him in the Elysian Fields!"

"Oh the other hoof," Sweetie chirped. "I did have a lot of fun."

Rarity gave her a smile back. "And you shall have even more, once you are old enough to really appreciate it," she announced, starting to trot towards the door. "Hopefully you left yourself some room Sweetie, because Fancy Pants and Fleur Dis Lee request our presence tonight at the Red Rose Bistro," she said with a wink. "You know, to discuss Fleur's 'gala dress'."

"Ok!" Sweetie chirped. "But do you mind if I don't eat anything? I'm still pretty full after my dinner with Vladímir," she asked, burping quietly.

"Of course, Sweetie!" Rarity said, with a chuckle. "You'll understand when you are older."

******************

"Ahh, Rarity!" Fancy Pants said, with a chuckle. "So good of you to join us," he said, with a smile. "I was hoping we could resolve this back at my château, but you know how the misses is when it comes these kinds of things," he said, giving Rarity a hidden nod. "So, shall we get your dress measured now, or after the meal?" He asked his wife, his poker face unbroken.

"Tut tut tut Fancy Pants," she said, with a chuckle. "You only act that chummy when you are up to something, so I suggest you either spill your secret, or kindly knock it off," she suggested playfully.

"Of course, dear," he replied, putting on a fake frown. "I was hoping to have my good friend Rarity here introduce her sister: Sweetie Belle," he said, giving Rarity an invisible nudge.

"Oh of course!" Rarity said, with a fake smile. "And she's right over here," she said, pointing at her adult sister.

"But Rarity," Fancy said, putting his monocle in his eye, a confused expression on his countenance. "Your sister is eight, is she not?"

Rarity gave a pained sigh, looking over at her sister, who wore an embarrassed expression. "Can you keep a secret Fancy?" She asked quietly, causing her sister to wave her hooves in dismay, her face begging Rarity not to tell. 

"Why Rarity," Fancy Pants replied, in disgust. "Must you even ask?" he said, his face looking concerned. "Certainly you and I have known each other long enough to know that I keep secrets well."

"Yes, I suppose," Rarity said, rubbing her hooves together. How should she put this so that she didn't sound like a mad mare?

Rarity gulped slightly, walking over, and picking up her sister's skirt with her magic, making a motion towards the filly's flank.

"Yes Rarity," Fleur replied, in disgust. "Your friend has a very nice flank."

"No..." Rarity replied calmly. "Don't look at her flank, look at her cutie mark."

"Very well..." Fancy replied, not sure where Rarity was going with this. "I see..." he exclaimed, his monocle dropped as the stallion froze for a second.

"Let me see," demanded Fleur in disgust, as she quickly rose, and firmly pushed her husband to one side. "If you are trying to take Fancy away from me Rarity, you can for-... WHERE'S HER CUTIE MARK!?!?!?" She cried loudly, fainting on her feet, and careening into the floor.

"Oh dear.." Fancy asked, in concern. "Whatever happened Rarity?"

Rarity gave a sign. "Sweetie somehow managed to cast a spell from the single most forbidden book of magic in all of Equestria."

"The Swirlnomicon?" Fancy asked, in fear. "That certainly can't be good," he continued, picking up his monocle from the floor. "I hear there's spells in that book that can end a unicorn's life immediately..." he said, as he started to rub off the worst of the dust using a cloth that he kept in his pocket.

Rarity smiled slightly. "Perhaps... but she, obviously, didn't cast any of them, fortunately enough."

"But let me guess..." Fancy asked. "She managed to find an age spell so simple even a filly can cast it?"

Rarity nodded.

"But one must wonder what the side effects will be," Fancy asked, contemplatively. "A spell that is both as simple and as powerful as that one certainly must have some very severe side effects."

Rarity shrugged. "Twilight doesn't think so, but I'm not so certain. In the end, though, it's hard to say."

Fancy frowned. "Let's wake Fleur, hopefully she'll be in better spirits about the development once she's awakened from her nap."

Meanwhile a couple sat at the table next door. 

"Did you hear that Regal Sunbird?" The male pegasus exclaimed quietly, turning to his wife, as he spoke in a low whisper.

"Yes, I did Southern Cross! What an extremely odd turn of events," the female unicorn replied, turning to her husband. "What do you think will come out of it?"

"I thought that when that Rainboom Doosh wrote that crazy letter that she was either boasting. lying, or utterly mad, but apparently..." the male replied, a giddy expression on his face.

"She was telling the truth all along..." she replied, turning to her husband. "What do you think this means?

He shrugged his withers. "Let's go back to our room, and discuss matters further," he said, raising his hoof to motion for the wait staff.

> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Psssttt... " Rainbow Dash whispered quietly, into her fan's ears. When the orange pegasus didn't immediately respond, she raised her voice slightly. "Hey, kid Squirt Thunderbolt!" The cyan pony whispered louder, her voice slightly hissing as she tried to get Scootaloo's attention without waking the turtle who slept on the floor nearby. Sometimes her cloudominium could feel a wee bit small, especially with Scoots, and her impressive new set of wings (Of course, her wings weren't as awesome as Rainbow's, but they were still really, really, nice.)

"What is it, and why are we doing it at five in the morning..." Scootaloo asked as she woke with a start. She quickly stopped herself, when she remembered where she was and who was talking to her -- this was The Rainbow Dash! Cloudsdale's number one flier! The best young fliers champion! Wonderbolts reserve, and soon to be official Wonderbolt Rainbow Dash! Her idol Rainbow Dash. "I mean!... What's up, Dash! What cool things have we got planned at... five in the morning..." She said, her ears slightly drooping as she said 'five in the morning.'

"Not much squirt whirlwind..." Rainbow replied, nonchalantly, using her powerful wings to float around, upright, as she examined one of her hooves -- for maximum effect. "We're going to have to leave early if we're going to get to Cloudsdale in time for... Wait for it..."

"For what?" Scootaloo asked, getting excited. What kind of fun had Rainbow planned for their first day in this marvelous week of 'grounding'? Flight lessons? A trip to Cloudsdale? A chance to see the ancient sites of old Pegastopholis? The old pegasus tribal pantheon? Ohh!!! Rainbow was going to take her flying with the Wonderbolts!

"Oh don't worry squirt east wind..." Rainbow said, with a wink. "I have a decent idea of what you're currently imagining, and we'll get to all that stuff this week -- and more. But today I thought we'd take it easy, and get you accustomed to things slowly." She said, softly, as she walked away.

Scootaloo's ears lowered, maybe her hopes did get a little inflated.

"Because today we're only doing one thing: -- " she explained nonchalantly, earning the young pegasus' attention. "Heck yeah! We're going to the one-and-only original Wonderbolts derby!" She exclaimed, turning around -- with tickets.

Scootaloo gave an excited squeal, her wings buzzing, like a bumble bee -- her normal way of 'flying' or 'hovering.' Unfortunately, her new, not lame, wings didn't respond quite as her old lame ones did and promptly sent her careening into the ceiling and embedding her head, in the next floor.

"Woah there, Rainbow Jr" Rainbow said, with a chuckle. "Not so fast! Otherwise, I'm going to have to give you high altitude flight training," she said, with a giggle as Scootaloo attempted to free herself from the ceiling, with her front hooves. "Here, kiddo, let me help you out," Rainbow said, giving Scootaloo's leg a firm tug to free her from the ceiling.

After a few hard tugs, Scootaloo's head finally came free.

"Thanks, Rainbow," the filly mare said, trying to keep her cool. "But I could've taken care of it eventually," Scootaloo said, her face cracking slightly.

"Sure thing, wild wings," Rainbow replied, with a silent chuckle, as she turned away. Hey, the squirt was too big now for Rainbow to scruff her mane now. Oh well! She was sure she'd come up with something else quick enough. "Ok, get ready, we need to be heading out to Cloudsdale soon, consider that your first flying lesson."

"Sure thing, Dash!" Scootaloo chirped, buzzing her wings again, which sent her, once again, crashing into the ceiling, creating a second hole.

"Oh squirt..." Rainbow muttered, rolling her eyes. "I'm pretty sure you don't fly that way..."

**********

"All right Scoots, are you ready for your first flight lesson from The One, The Only, Rainbow Dash?" Rainbow asked her number one fan, who stood just next to her, wings extended, on the cloud just outside her cloudominium -- ready for her first official take off.

"Am I!?" Scootaloo asked eagerly, buzzing her wings again. "Watch this stunt, Rainbow Dash!" She exclaimed, attempting one of the moves that she had seen her father perform, on occasion, to impress his 'very important' friends. "I can do this even without lessons," she said, swallowing the sinking feeling, inside of her, that made her think she'd look bad in front of The Rainbow Dash, as she flared her wings and shot up at a high arc.

"Good for you, steel wing," Rainbow replied, with a proud expression. Her 'honorary sister' reminded her a lot of herself, whether she cared to admit it, or not, right down to the habit of being too proud to ask for help, even when she desperately needed it -- a trait that both she and Applejack shared. 

The orange pegasus proceeded into a loop and began to corkscrew in a tight angle, starting at the apex as of her loop.

"Oh... but wait, we need to take care of something first, " Rainbow replied, interrupting the other pegasus a quarter of the way into her second, even higher loop, having, just now, remembered something that Twilight had demanded she do before they got to Cloudsdale.

"What's that?" The orange pegasus said, swallowing a squeal, as she shook her head and tried to recover from the nausea of her aborted loop. Something awesome, she bet! Like Wonderbolts jackets from Rainbow Dash's secret stash of Wonderbolt memorabilia, or maybe one of Rainbow's trophies, or the inside dirt on her mysterious parents, or --

Rainbow drug out a very girly looking makeup kit from inside the cloudominium that looked like it had been shoplifted directly from the -- ugh -- 'feminine' part of Rarity's little shop of horrors...

"Makeup?" Scootaloo asked, in horror, her ears dropping fast. "But Dash! You know I hate that girly stuff!" She protested angrily, staggering backward at fairly impressive speeds.

"Relax Scoots, " Rainbow replied calmly. "I'm not going to pull a Rarity on you squirt," she said, holding her hoof up in the Pinkie Promise position. "Trust me!"

"Phew!" Scootaloo replied, wiping the sweat from her brow in relief. She froze suddenly, for a second, giving a startled expression. "... I mean.. " She said, her eyes darting slightly, her smile forced. "I wasn't worried... even for a minute! Because... I knew you wouldn't let me down, 'Dash!" The filly said, gesturing 'nonchalantly,' with her hoof. "So what's the makeup for, Rainbow?" She asked curiously. "Are we going to tag Rarity's place or something?"

"Maybe later..." Rainbow replied, with a healthy chuckle, having already considered the designs that 'Thunderlane' was going to draw on Rarity's shop. You know, with the makeup 'he stole.' "And the makeup kit?" Rainbow replied boastfully. "It's so you can 'have a mark' during our little trip!" She replied, dragging out an array of colored coat paints. "BAM!!!" She exclaimed, holding them out, in her hooves. "Instant cutie mark!"

The orange pegasus mare gave a loud squeal. "So what's it going to be?" She asked, eagerly, as she began to hop up and down. "A fireball? A thunderbolt? A bad *buy more apples* sword? A flaming skull?" She asked, the words coming ever, and ever faster, as she hopped around Rainbow Dash. After all, with Dash at the helm, she was sure that her 'mark' was going to probably be at least 20% cooler than whatever her real mark was even going to be.

The answer came in the form of a very basic design, which Twilight had supplied, of course.

"A pink butterfly?" She asked, in utter terror, as she turned tail to run. "Why did it have to be something girly, and cheesy like that?" She asked, falling to a pleading position. "Please don't make me wear something stupid like that! I'll look like a dork!"

"Sorry squirt," Rainbow said, with a dismayed frown. "Twilight's orders."

"Awwww..." Scootaloo sighed in defeat, looking down. She scuffed her hoof, knowing, full well, that Rainbow would probably go through, with this one.

"'Sides squirt Whirlwind, my ability to draw flaming skulls is kind of..." she paused, looking around anxiously, "less awesome... then my butterflies, ok?" She said, twiddling her hooves nervously. Of the many things, including being awesome, that Rainbow excelled at, art wasn't one of them. "And we kind of need this mark to be convincing, ok? Besides, " Rainbow said, shaking her hoof nonchalantly, "swords, skulls, and flaming... well anything... cutie marks aren't that common this side of The Commander..."

"Ok..." Scootaloo replied, in defeat.

"Besides, this can be your punishment, ok?" Rainbow replied, trying to soften the blow.

Scootaloo nodded, sadly.

"Alright squirt Cumulus." Rainbow said, dipping the brush in some paint, a serious expression gracing her face. "Let's get this over with...." She said, her tongue resting firmly against her upper lip, her eyes squinted in focus.

**********

"There, we're done." Rainbow Dash plainly stated as she tossed the brush over her withers, and gave it a quick buck into the waiting bucket of paint.

"Great, I can't wait to --" Scootaloo started only for her to stop suddenly, her eyes dilating and her wings standing flared out, as a blur slowly flew by underneath.

"Scootaloo?" Rainbow Dash asked with a deep curiosity as she stared deeply into the orange pegasus' now distant eyes, and began waving one foreleg in front of the orange mare's face. That's... unusual... Rainbow Dash pondered.

"Wha!" Scootaloo shouted as she jumped a few inches in the air, her wings now both flared and jittering. "Sorry, Rainbow Dash." Scootaloo apologized with a large, and very noticeable blush, "I was just a bit distracted... "

Rainbow Dash's began to show a small amount of concern, as she curiously looked over her withers, to try to see what could have distracted Scootaloo so thoroughly. "What was that all about?" She asked, curiously.

"What's, what?" Scootaloo asked again as she vigorously shook her head with her cheeks turning red in embarrassment. How could she have spaced out right in front of Rainbow Dash? The one and only Rainbow Dash! Apparently, Rainbow Dash had managed to catch her in another moment of distraction.

A stallion and a colt walking down the street, on the other side of the cloud, quickly seemed to answer Rainbow Dash's question. "Ah! I think I see." Rainbow Dash hummed, her lips curling into a mischievous grin, as a catty smirk crossing her lips. "You're just now noticing Stallions, aren't you." Rainbow Dash added as she made sure to poke Scootaloo, a little, with her left foreleg's knee.

"I am not!" Scootaloo protested, loudly, with a huge blush, her whole face turning almost entirely red. "It's just hard to focus today!" The orange pegasus foal mare objected, her mind already starting to fade as her eyes seemed to be pulled magnetically towards a passing Thunderlane. "You know... because of all your awesome, 'Dash!" She said, violently shaking her head to get it back into the game.

"It's ok Squirt." Rainbow Dash said with a gentle smile, and a pat on Scootaloo's withers. "A mare is more easily distractible when she's in heat." She continued, sympathetically.

"When a mare's in what?" Scootaloo asked, curiously. She couldn't remember ever hearing that before. Then again, that might have been one of Cheerilee's lectures that she'd slept through.

"Don't worry about it Squirt." Rainbow Dash said with a shrug. "It's one of those adult things that you won't need to worry about until you're older," she pointed out, calmly. "At least that's what I'm hoping, anyways..."

"But, I am older!" Scootaloo whined, quickly causing Rainbow Dash to regret her last words.

"I know, Scoots," Rainbow Dash admitted with a sigh. "But, you don't want to know the gory details of what heat is... Believe me!...  Let's just say: you'd better watch yourself around stallions, or you might do something you'll regret later." Rainbow Dash cautioned, ominously.

"Why's that?" Scootaloo puzzled, her mind currently unable to grasp what Rainbow Dash was warning her about.

"Kid!" Rainbow exclaimed. "You do not want to grow up too fast!" Rainbow Dash stated sternly, causing Scootaloo's ears to drop, in a visible sign of regret. "Let's just say that you've got new urges to go with your new body... and move on from there."

"Urges?" Scootaloo gulped with a panicked look on her face.

"Urges -- you know -- like, the kind you feel when you are hungry or need to sleep. But, these can be a bit more powerful..." Rainbow Dash stated with the utmost seriousness, her usual cockiness suddenly missing.

"A-Are they that bad?" Scootaloo couldn't help but ask, a deep anxiety growing in her chest. What had she inadvertently unleashed on herself?

"They're manageable." Rainbow Dash pointed out, her voice growing cooler and less stern. "You just need to keep your head about you. And act like an adult -- you know, be responsible." Rainbow Dash added, nonchalantly. "And whatever you do. Do not allow yourself to be alone with a stallion!" Rainbow Dash said with finality, although she knew that wasn't entirely accurate.

"But..." Scootaloo asked, curiously tilting her head. "Why wouldn't I want to be alone with a stallion? Haven't you been to Mr. Breezy's shop, all alone?" Scootaloo asked, her eyes going crooked, as her mind boggled out this paradox.

'Stop asking questions, ' Rainbow Dash thought bitterly with a huff... This conversation was starting to become uncomfortable. "Listen, Squirt. I'll say this once, and only once." Rainbow Dash grumbled with a long sigh, "You, me, most mares." She said, one hoof gesturing at the other, repeatedly, in a counting gesture. "We all find Stallion's attractive. And, during heat, our bodies tell us to go to mate with them. But do not do that!" Rainbow Dash explained with a stern voice, and a stomp of her right hind leg. "Champions do not sleep around." Rainbow Dash said with one final huff. "And we... are champions!"

"What's mating? What do you mean sleep around?" Scootaloo pondered, her young juvenile mind, still not grokking the adult subject matter.

Rainbow Dash groaned. "We're going to make a stop by Twilight before we go." Rainbow Dash said with a long sigh. "'Cause I am not going to tell you about the birds and the bees." Rainbow Dash said with utter, total, and complete finality.

**********

And after some more time, and more than a few boring lectures from Twilight -- with colorful pamphlets, they were off. And, was it just Scootaloo, or did Rainbow's face turn various shades of green, at different points during the lecture.

"How are you doing back there, Thunderbolt?" Rainbow asked, taking a quick glance over her wither, as Scootaloo shot forward to catch up, her wing control still resulting in her shooting forward, like a rocket, at random times, and places, while flying. 

Not that Rainbow could complain, though. The squirt's new crazy wings caused her to either fly at full speed, or not all, which allowed Rainbow, in turn, to use her full speed, as well -- something she much preferred to having to take frequent breaks, as she did with some of other pegasi. *cough cough* Like Fluttershy *cough cough*, who's legendary flying problems tended to drive the cyan pegasus to madness some days.

"You need to take a break, squirt?" Rainbow asked, having taken too long a break, as the squirt now rocketed ahead of her.

"I'm good Rainbow Dash!" She shouted, quickly shooting out of hearing range.

"Good for you squirt!" Rainbow shouted, as loud, as she could, for the squirt to hear, as she sped forward, at top speeds. This trip might be fun. Though she really should warn Lightning Bolt to be careful in Cloudsdale. The place still harbored its own set of troublemakers, ne'er do wells and pegasi supremacists.

"Hey, Squirt!" Rainbow shouted, as she finally started to catch back up. "We need to talk for a minute!" She shouted finally catching back up to Scootaloo's side.

"What is it you wanna discuss Rainbow Dash?" The younger older pegasus asked, still suffering from a bad case of fandom, her view of her idol still, very much, unmarred by reality. "How awesome I am as a flier?"

"Oh Steel Wing, you don't need me to tell you that!" She shouted to the orange pegasus, a proud expression on her face. "But I do need you to be careful and stick with me, in Cloudsdale. You may look like a full grown mare, but you don't think like one yet, ok!" She asked, with a smile, as she shot ahead of her number one fan apprentice. "And Cloudsdale can be a very dangerous place if you don't know what you're doing..."

**********

And just like that the gleaming white pillars of 'The Jewel of the Skies' began to come into view...

"And here we are half pint Sky Rocket -- your ancestral second capital: Cloudsdale," Rainbow announced, waving her hoof, as the extravagant gleaming city slowly came into view over the cloud line. 

"Wow!" Scootaloo gasped, turning her head towards her mentor. "It's everything I imagined it would be!" She said, into her hooves, as her eyes slowly filled with wonder.

"What?" Rainbow asked, in dismay. "Your folks never took you to visit Cloudsdale before?" she continued, the disappointment apparent in her voice.

Scootaloo shook her head. "My folks have always been too busy building their political empire, " she said, tilting her head down. "And then there was the 'small matter' of my 'flying problems,' " she said, her eyes starting to 'sweat' a little. 

"Ahh squirt!" Rainbow said, putting a hoof on her number one fan's withers. "I'm sorry to hear that!" She said, with pity, her face turning away -- her hoof shaking slightly. "But not to worry!" Rainbow said, vehemently, her bravado returning, in a flash. "You'll get to see it with me now!" She said, confidently. "And we're going to see everything! From our ancestral shrines to the Wonderbolts!"

Yeah, the cyan pegasus may have had an ego, but her boasting had the desired effect this time, as Scootaloo's mood quickly perked up. "So what are we going to do first?" She asked, with enthusiasm. "See the ancient shrines? The old capital? Oooh! Oooh!" She shouted, starting to get more, and more enthusiastic.

"Whoa, half pint!" Rainbow explained, waving her hooves. "We have a Wonderbolts rally to see, first!" She said, waving her two tickets. "Remember!" She announced, with a smile.

"And at the biggest stadium of all!" Scootaloo chirped. "And I bet you scored the tickets because of how awesome you were!" She exclaimed proudly.

"Of course, " Rainbow boasted proudly. "How else?" She asked, puffing out her chest. 'And Rapidfire being such a fan of my 'hard work,' 'diligence,' 'persistence,' and 'dedication to the team' didn't hurt either, ' she thought, her cheeks blushing, an almost imperceptible light red. 'Soarin better be careful, because he has competition...'

**********

"Wow, newbie!" Shouted a bemused Spitfire, who was, just then, trying to get Rainbow's attention. "You here to see Soarin, and Rapidfire perform at the Derby?" She asked, with a catty grin. 

"Who me?" Rainbow asked, her cyan cheeks turning a bright red. "Of course not!" She exclaimed looking away. "I'm not here to watch the squirt or anything! I'm here to show the stallions the famous original Wonderbolts Derby!" She blurted out, immediately facehoofing, mentally, at what she had said. Unfortunately, it was already too late seeing as she had already said it.

"Uh huh..." Replied, Spitfire, calmly. "What you do with your own time is fine by me, " Spitfire replied, formally. "Just remember that the Wonderbolts have a strict morality code... " She said, using her captain's speech. "Oh and Dash... " She said, getting close to the other mare's ear. "You can have Rapidfire, but stay away from Soarin, he's mine!"

Rainbow Dash nodded, rolling her eyes. Spitfire had lost a lot of respect, in the eyes of the cyan pegasus, after that whole Rainbow Falls/Equestria Games fiasco. But the two had remained close friends, though Rainbow tended only to follow her orders only to the point that it was required her as a proper Wonderbolt, not in an attempt to impress the other mare, any longer. "So what brings you here captain?" Rainbow asked, curiously. "You here on official Wonderbolts business?" She asked, with a smile.

"Oh no, rookie, " Spitfire said, with a proud smile. "I'm here to show my little cousin the show... maybe instill some pegasus pride in her, " Spitfire announced, proudly. "So you're here to show that fan, of yours, around?" Spitfire asked, dismantling Rainbow's Freudian slip from earlier. "Where's the little tyke?" She asked, looking around.

"Right here!" Rainbow said, ostentatiously motioning to her side.

"Um... Rookie?" Spitfire asked, with a perplexed expression. "That mare is older than you are!" She asked, looking around, scratching her mane periodically. "Have you been performing unauthorized stunts, again?" She asked, take a not so discreet look at Rainbow's head.

"Dang it!" Rainbow exclaimed, to herself, stamping her hoof. "I forgot about that..." She said, looking around to see if anypony other than the three of them heard that.

They didn't appear too.

"Hey squirt, feel free to mingle for a second while I have a conversation with the captain here, " she said, putting a hoof on the Wonderbolt captain to take her off to the side somewhere. "You know... Official Wonderbolt business. I'll be back in a flash, " She exclaimed, waving her hoof confidently, as she forcefully drug the Wonderbolt captain around the corner. "Just don't wander too far, ok?" She said, peeking her head around the corner one last time, with a wallpapered smile.

A brightly colored red pegasus filly, with an orange mane, and a red shooting star for a cutie mark came around the corner, popcorn in hoof. "Ok cap -- " She started saying, stopping suddenly to look around for a second, a look of confusion, on her face. 

After a few laps around Scootaloo, the red pegasus frowned. "I swear I was supposed to meet the captain back here at this time," she said, with dismay. "I'll get a demerit on my record if I'm not back at my post on time."

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "You looking for Spitfire?" She asked, curiously.

"Affirmative, " the little pegasus replied, snapping to attention. "Have you seen her cadet?"

"CADET?" The older pegasus asked, snorting angrily. "I'll have you know kid, that -- " She stopped herself. She didn't want to get into another brawl, not after the last time, when Cheerilee gave her a strict warning of the implications if she did. And though she didn't know what those 'implications' could be, she suspected that, by Cheerilee's tone, Scootaloo probably didn't want to find out (though she still thought Archer had it coming for mocking her, and her 'flying problems.') She sighed, best leave it be.

"Sorry!" The red filly replied. "I forgot that you weren't in uniform, " she replied, losing her formality. "So how'd you get stuck with that lame purple butterfly mark?" She asked, eating some of the popcorn that she had brought back, from a nearby vendor. 

"Lame?" The orange pegasus asked, her tail covering her mark, a motion learned by instinct (mostly to avert the prying eyes of snooping stallions.).

"I'd cover that mark too, civilian." The pegasus replied, haughtily. "It looks like a bad child's drawing, " she replied, puffing her chest out, and, at the same time, unknowingly mocking Equestria's best pegasus. "I'd be mortified if that had been my mark, " she replied.

"Mortified?" Scootaloo replied, looking around at the very basic purple butterfly mark on her flank. Could she be too lame for Rainbow Dash?

"Oh yeah, it's the most emb-- Ahh!" The pegasus replied, with a smile, as Spitfire, and Rainbow Dash returned from around the corner. "The captain's returning," she said, to herself, as she returned to attention. "Looks like she's bringing that new reserve with her."

**********

"Ok squirt..." Rainbow said, stamping her hoof. "What's got you concerned?" She asked, sternly. The kid had been jittery all show so far like a spider had jumped into her saddle or something! And it was time to get to the bottom of this!

"Nothing, Rainbow," Scootaloo lied, trying to hide the sweat that was now dripping down her brow. "Everything's fine."

"Ok, squirt, " Rainbow replied, rolling her eyes. The pegasus had been nervous all rally, and it showed, but she was an honorary sister, and she knew the orange pegasus would just dig in her hooves if she felt her mentor was meddling. "But feel free to let me know if something comes up," she replied, giving Rapidfire her best nod, as she turned her attention back to the game. Rapidfire had been trying his dangdest to get her attention, and she felt that she should probably give him something, in return. After all, he had purchased such excellent tickets for her, 'and one guest' (yeah, like her father, or her mother, or a close friend, or her boyfriend, or...)

"What makes you think anything's wrong, Dash?" The orange pegasus replied, with a cold sweat, as she, waving around her hoof. 

"Well, for one thing, you're doing that thing you did back at Winsome Falls," Rainbow replied nonchalantly.

'Oh no!' Scootaloo thought to herself, in dismay.'Rainbow thinks I'm a total tool!' She thought to herself, her eyes darting around to find something.'I need to demonstrate to her that I'm cool, like her!'

An opportunity quickly presented itself, in the form of a challenge.

"Now is the point in the show where -- " The announcer started saying, immediately drawing the young orange pegasus mare's attention, with an frightening awesome obstacle course.

This would be a terrific opportunity, she thought, barely keeping herself from shooting up from her eagerly flapping wings.

She stopped herself, but her parents would never permit this 'uncouth, unbecoming, and downright dangerous behavior,' and that even that rebel Dash would probably agree with them...

Unless, of course, she could find a distraction that would last long enough to get her in the air.

Like Rapidfire. She thought to herself, with a smirk, waving to the pegasus, as he slowly trotted back to the benches, and quickly shouted his name. "Hey, Rapidfire!!!"

"What did you do that for?" Rainbow asked, her cyan face getting a slight crimson tone. 

"Well, I -- " Scootaloo replied, unable to finish her sentence before she got bumped out of the way by the absently minded pegasus stallion with a very goofy expression on his face.

"Why hello there Rainbow!" Rapidfire announced, with a cocky smile. "I'm glad to see that you were able to make it, " he said, borrowing those lines in that book his mother had given on that strange 'etiquette' thing. You know, that thing she had admonished him to use when talking to the mares, instead of his customary chauvinism dialogue.

The cyan pegasus wings quickly snapped to attention hitting Scootaloo's empty seat, and the face of a nearby pink pegasus mare with a light blue mane, and two large lightning bolts, for a cutie mark, who responded by giving the cyan pegasus a furious scowl.

Rainbow didn't even need a moment to hesitate as she fluidly transitioned into full face-saving mode, bursting into riotous laughter. "You should just see the look on your face, " she shouted, pointing to the pink pegasus, who's face was now a very violent shade of red, and who now looked like she wanted to give the cyan pegasus a quick hoof to the mouth

**********

Scootaloo gulped, maybe she should leave now.

Yeah, she loved the thrill of a dangerous stunt, but this Wonderbolt training course looked like something different entirely, with all its sharp turns, and pointy edges. And that was ignoring the fact that she had to fly this course, and she had just flown for the first time last night...

She shook her head. Focus! This death trap obstacle course was just like any of her stunts! She couldn't let it get into her head! Especially not in front of Rainbow Dash! Remember! It was perfectly safe! She was up for this, after all, from what she could tell, it was just some kind of obstacle course! This was her territory; she'd done it hundreds of times before. 

...

...

Except this one was HUGE! And, it contained all kinds of dangerous looking equipment, like flaming hoops, giant crushing pistons, and pools of mysterious bubbling liquids. And Scootaloo couldn't help but leave her mouth wide agape at the pure, unadulterated, awesomeness before her. If she could pull off some amazing stunt here, she would prove herself worthy of a day with Rainbow Dash. 

On the other hoof, she was pretty sure that neither Rainbow nor Scootaloo's parents, for that matter, would approve of her pancaking herself against solid granite, a mile above Cloudsdale.

Luckily that little stuck up pegasus-Tiara's voice began to boom in her head, encouraging her to continue. "I'd cover that mark too, civilian... It looks like a bad child's drawing, I'd be mortified if that had been my mark, " the runt's echo continued, mercilessly mocking Rainbow's protegé.

She shook her head. She needed to do this. After all, all she needed to do was figure out how to control her new wings, and then pull an amazing stunt or three -- all while avoiding the endless collection of doomsday weapons obstacles! Easy! Right!? She quickly breezed by a sign that screamed:


Welcome to everypony who's Super Tremendously Ultra phenomenally incredibly daring. Are you awesome enough to run the Daring, Electrifyingly Awesome, Dangerously L33t, Yonder obstacle course? 
If you are, then prove how awesome you are!. 

No Minors allowed.


'Oh horseapples!' Scootaloo thought bitterly, as she came to a screeching halt, and a frustrating realization. This course was for adults only! And she was only 7, which meant that she wouldn't even be able to look at it for several more years. If only she were --

Scootaloo's attention was drawn away from her frustration, as a rather large orange wing slapped her side... 'Duh!' Scootaloo thought, slapping her forehead with one of her hooves. 'I am an adult, now!' Scootaloo thought eagerly, as she continued, full throttle, towards the big sign that read "Admissions" "Awesome-issions". 

Scootaloo drew closer, and couldn't help but gasp. The closer she got, the more impressive the whole course seemed! 'There's no way that Rainbow Dash could be ashamed of me once I ace this course.' Scootaloo giddily thought as she pulled up to the Admissions Awesome-issions counter. 'Heck, I bet she's run this one a ton of times.' Scootaloo added merrily.

"I'd like to apply to run the Daring, Electrifyingly Awesome, Dangerously L33t, Yonder obstacle course, please, " Scootaloo shouted out, as she dropped three months of allowance on the counter... a total of 3 bits. Patiently she waited for somepony to pull up to the counter. Her hopes not being dashed, as a stallion with a greasy mane and earrings slowly trotted up to the counter. His eyes seemed magnetically attracted to Scootaloo's wings as he finally noticed her existence.

"What, do you want?" The stallion asked, his eyes still, strangely, staring at Scootaloo's wings. Was he judging whether or not she'd be able to carry out the course? His words coming out somewhat mumbled as he chewed on a stick of gum. Scootaloo couldn't help but feel both mystified, and a bit agitated, at the stallion's obsession with her wings, and not her eyes. She just couldn't fathom why he was staring at them in the first place. Did he not think she was capable of doing this?

"I'd like a to run the Daring, Electrifyingly Awesome, Dangerously L33t, Yonder obstacle course, please." Scootaloo reiterated herself, her temper fraying. "And I'm assuming that I need to pay to run it, so -- "

He remained motionless, his eyes still firmly magnetically attracted to her wings.

Scootaloo blushed, nervously, was she doing something wrong? Why wasn't he saying anything? And why was he still staring at her wings?

The stallion gave her a strange look, his eyes only briefly leaving her wings so that he could stare at her in agitation, which diminished as he shrugged and looked at the money that Scootaloo had just plopped on the table. He seemed to stare at the money for a nerve-rackingly long time.

'Oh no! I don't have enough; he's going to laugh at me.' Scootaloo thought with a nervous smile crossing her face. She carefully resisted the urge to stare down at the table. Instead, she stared at the stallion, just waiting for his response.

"What's the money for?" The stallion finally asked, with a quirk of his eyebrow, his voice breaking the awkward silence. His eyes slowly wandered back towards Scootaloo's wings. Scootaloo couldn't help but feel uneasy returning. She knew her wings were bigger than normal but were they that freakish that he needed to stare at them?

"Oh, you want me to get you change... Sorry, but we don't do change." The stallion said with a bland voice.

"Uhh, I wanted to pay for a run of the course," Scootaloo said with a nervous grin. Her mind desperately trying to shake off the unease that she felt from the stallion's obsession with staring at her wings.

The stallion shrugged. "Listen... The course is free," The stallion stated in the most condescending manner possible, his eyes rolled, and his face turned into a frown. At which point, he finally gave her eye contact. But, they were filled with a certain level of arrogance, like he felt like she was below him. "It's for supremely super 'fantab-ulish-ish' Wonderbolts fans who are willing to risk the gravity defying, mind wrenching excitement, " he said, robotically. Why did these events always bring out the stupidest ponies to attempt the course?

"Then what are you here for?" Scootaloo asked, hiding her embarrassment behind a veil of agitation.

"I'm here to keep an eye on all of the participants, in case I need to call the hospital." The stallion casually said as if it was the most obvious answer. "or something." He continued, waving his hoof around like talking to her was a chore. "Just go ahead." He continued, with a wave of his hoof. Scootaloo gave a nod, grabbed her bits, and took off for the course. Scootaloo didn't see the stallion's eyes wander towards her tail as she hastily trotted away. The stallion's eyes did not leave her wings until she was a bit down the path. At which point, the stallion shook his head and groaned. "Dumb bimbo, all wings and no brains..." He grumbled, before he pulled out a magazine, and began to read it intently.

Scootaloo trotted forward, and took another look, and immediately froze as a flaming mace flew within inches of her head, followed immediately behind by an oversized battleax.

Scootaloo had been excited a few moment ago, but now that she was about to take off, she felt her heart stop. All of the jagged spikes and dangerous objects were looking a bit intimidating. 'Don't wimp out now Scootaloo...' Scootaloo encouraged herself. 'Adults do stuff like this all the time.'

Scootaloo whimpered a little, and then she lowered herself into a take-off position. She then buzzed her wings, mostly out of habit, and not because it was the proper flight method. 

"Well, " a stern voice shouted, drawing her back to attention. "Are you going to do this or not?" A very stern looking pegasus stallion asked, his eyes only briefly veering towards her wings again -- why did nopony believe that she was capable of doing this? Was there something wrong with her wings? "There are ponies behind you, so if you are going to do this, civilian, then you should start now..."

Scootaloo looked down again her mind crippled with self-doubt. If she didn't go, then Rainbow might think she was lame, and disown her, not just as an 'honorary sister,' but as a fan too. On the other hoof, she liked living too much to go on. Besides, this was not just for Rainbow Dash! No! This was for her! Stunts were her thing! She was cool! She was awesome! She wasn't going to --

A flaming club came whizzing by, mere inches from her muzzle...

Maybe she should go!

"We have a choker!" Shouted the stallion, with a facehoof, to a rather large white pegasus stallion, with a blond mane, and comically small wings.

"Yyyeeeaah!!!" The large white stallion shouted eagerly, startling the orange pegasus clear off the cloud.

"I only needed you to move her out of the way, " his boss said, with exasperation, turning to his muscle-bound friend.

"Oops... sorry..." The pegasus replied, in a much quieter tone.

And, just like that, without warning, and with only a quick scream, Scootaloo rocketed up towards the sky her head slamming into a cloud above her head.

And if the situation wasn't bad enough already, and much to Scootaloo's frustration, her magic seemed to be kicking into overdrive, making the white puffy cloud into a rock hard block, entombing her in the white cotton candy looking cloud. 'Hey let go!' Scootaloo bitterly thought as she tugged and struggled to free herself from the cloud.

'This is embarrassing.' Scootaloo finally thought with a hint of surrender. 'I can't get out... I hope Rainbow Dash doesn't see me --' Scootaloo's thoughts were interrupted as her white tomb suddenly disappeared in a puff of white.

**********

A few moments earlier...

"Well, I best be going, " Rapidfire replied with a rather stuck up wink, significantly lowering his eligibility, in Rainbow's eyes. "I'm in the next race, and I best be there early, " he said, turning around to leave. "You know how Spitfire is, Dash," he said, with a smile, as he started to trot off.

After about a dozen steps, he turned around. "By the way, Dash," he said, with a sincere smile. "If you ever need a reference, let me know," he continued.

Dash gave him a nod, not she'd ever need one of those, she thought to herself, with a curt eye roll. But she should give him at least a little break, after all, he did give her and Scoots these sweet spots, right next to the --

...

...

'Scoots!!!!!' Rainbow thought to herself, with dismay.

'Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!' She thought to herself, stomping up and down, in dismay. Scoots' parents would never forgive her if their bundle of joy disappeared. Heck, she would never forgive herself if the twirp got squished, impaled, smashed with a flaming mace, or any number of a hundred horrifying possibilities, which came to mind as she contemplated that death trap obstacle course!

She couldn't have attempted the obstacle course. She wouldn't try the obstacle course. Rainbow thought, stomping up and down.

'Would she attempt the obstacle? --' She asked herself. Of course she would...

"SCOOTS!" Rainbow announced, quickly taking flight. The answer was, very much, obvious, at this point.

**********

"I'm coming squirt!" Rainbow Dash shouted, flying at full bore. A flaming mace attempted to sideswipe her, but she effortlessly evaded it -- she wasn't Cloudsdale's self-proclaimed fastest pegasus for nothing. The flaming mace, which followed from behind, however, not so much. The collision of steel against the pegasus sending her spiraling downwards

After a quick dive, she shook her head, and quickly recovered, shooting upwards at high speeds, effortlessly dodging a fleet of flaming clubs, but completely failing to notice the fleet of flaming bricks that hid right behind them.

"Oh come on!" She moaned, spinning to avoid. "For Celestia's sake! I swear these death traps obstacle courses get more overwrought every day!" She shouted, shaking her hoof for a second in frustration, as she turned downwards to face Ponyville. "Stop making me learn things I don't care about!" She screamed angrily below, shaking her hoof at her friends, and their 'innovative' ways of teaching her things she didn't need to know...

Whoops! She waited too long and was forced to dodge around a flock of flaming birds in an aerobatic wide arc. 

Somewhere Fluttershy cried.

Rainbow needed to talk to Spitfire about turning down the difficulty on this obstacle course she meant -- 

Whump... She got bashed by a flaming hammer.

'Yeah!' She thought, brushing herself off as she spun to wake herself, flapped her mighty wings, got the lead out, and shot up to the cloud Scootaloo was embedded in, reaching speeds just short of her legendary rain-boom. Why the rush? It was all she could do to dodge all the flaming *buy more apples*! What in the hay were Spitfire and the upper brass thinking? This deathtrap was going to get somepony killed someday!

The pegasus legs and wings flailed futilely on the underside of the cloud as she pushed against the cloud with her front legs. Soft whimpers came from her mouth.

"Don't worry --" A flaming hammer bashed Rainbow in the rear. "Ooof! Kid -- " A flaming flail batted her to the side. "Oof! I'm here to -- " The flaming birds made another pass. "Oof! Help -- " Rainbow wasn't sure what hit her that time, but knowing this death trap, she was pretty sure it was on fire, "Ooof!" She grunted, finally losing her nerves, as she began to pull, trying to tug the other pegasus free from the cloud, getting bashed the whole time, in the plot, by what she could only describe as 'flaming giant q-tips.' "WHY DOES EVERYTHING HAVE TO BE ON FIRE!" Rainbow screamed, angrily, thinking about all the singed wings, fur, and hair. She just knew that she was going to have to pull, and cut a bunch of them later. And she was sure Rarity would probably be happy to redo her mane style completely. But she was also sure that she was probably going to be not as happy.

After a few moments, some tugging to get Scootaloo free from the cloud, and a lot of Rainbow being smashed around by flaming maces, and the occasional flaming flail. The younger pegasus was free.

And Rainbow looked none too happy...

"What the heck are you doing?!" the rather angry voice of Scootaloo's long time idol sternly shouted. And, despite her better efforts, Scootaloo couldn't help but look up to see a very peeved looking Rainbow Dash, flying a bit over her head, wearing her hooves on her hips, motherly stance, occasionally taking a moment to put out her wingtips with her hooves, which now smoked slightly.

"Don't tell me you were going to run the obstacle course." Rainbow Dash said, slapping the side of her head with her hoof. Scootaloo could only nervously nod in an admission of guilt. "Who boy, I got here just in time... Scootaloo, look at me! You aren't S.T.U.P.I.D. enough to run the D.E.A.D.L.Y. obstacle course." Rainbow Dash said with a chastising voice.

Scootaloo looked down a sad expression on her face. 

"Look kid! That obstacle course is dangerous! You need to have years of experience, like me, to run that thing." Rainbow Dash said with a raised voice, her shouting, at least, marginally decreased.

"But --" The other pegasus protested. "I just -- "

"No 'but's squirt, " Rainbow replied, putting on her serious face. "You need to know what your limits are before you act." Rainbow Dash chastised her, despite the fact that Rainbow Dash was equally known to do just that, act without thinking. Her own words echoed in her head as she remembered the dozens of times that she had done the exact same kind of thing...

Maybe she should express her fears to Rainbow as she did back at Winsome Falls. Scootaloo slapped herself, internally, at this point, she swore Rainbow was glaring at her -- maybe now wasn't the right time to bug her.

"Hey Scoots," Rainbow said, finally calming down. "Let's finish the show, "she said, finally softening. "But I'm going to need you to stop doing dangerous stunts, ok..."

Scootaloo nodded. 'Dang it! Now I'm going to need to do something twice as awesome to prove myself!' She thought, covering her false mark, with her tail.

**********

"That... was... AWESOME!!!" The orange pegasus exclaimed, buzzing her wings exuberantly, as she hovered in place, held in place, like a balloon, by her tail, which Rainbow Dash held firmly in her mouth.

"See, didn't I tell you, kid?" Rainbow replied, self-assuredly, accidentally letting go of the other pegasus' tail. "See! Isn't this a lot better now, when you aren't trying to do whatever it was you were trying to do earlier!?" She asked, with a smirk.

Scootaloo blushed slightly and nodded. Yeah, she was feeling a little small now. She guessed it was kind of silly to think that she wasn't cool enough, for Rainbow Dash, right? A bead of sweat glistened against her head, as she contemplated matters further.

"Hey 'Dash!" Shouted a steel blue stallion with a dark blue mane, still dressed in his uniform, as he flew in slowly. "I didn't know you were going to be in Cloudsdale this week!"

Rainbow Dash shrugged slightly. "I wasn't originally planning to, but I thought since Rapidfire gave me these primo tickets, -- " Rainbow said nonchalantly.

"Yeah.. he would..." The pegasus stallion growled, between clenched lips.

"I thought I'd go ahead and take my..." Rainbow said, taking a discrete look at her number one fan, who was frantically shaking her head back and forth and violently waving her hooves. " ... Apprentice here to the Wonderbolts show..." she said, nonchalantly. "You know... so she can see some of the other pegasi in action!" She said, raising one hoof to the other Wonderbolt, unwilling to reveal too much of her real reason for being there.

"'Other pegasi' in action..." He hissed, back.

"Say something!?" Rainbow asked back, a catty expression on her face.

"Nothing, " he replied back, pausing for a moment or seven. "Say! How do you like wrestling, because I was just wondering if your apprentice, and you, would be interested in seeing the Griffon Wrestling exhibition at The Paradise Estate bar?" He said, sweating only slightly. "On me!"

Rainbow tapped her muzzle with her hoof, as she slowly opened her mouth to --

"We'd love !" Scootaloo squeaked deciding that this might be an excellent way to prove how adult she was.

"But Wave Chill -- " Rainbow protested, being interrupted by the pegasus stallion.

"Great!" He exclaimed, eagerly. "See you there!" He said, with a rather creepy smile, his eyes continuously darting to the left, for some reason.

Was it just Scootaloo, or did his eyes seem drawn to her wings like the ticket sellers were?

**********

"Nice work 'Chill! This is some really choice seating," she said, testing the seat by softly bouncing from leg to leg. "You buy this in advance for us?" She asked, shooting him a snide expression, her lip curled under the other in a catty expression.

"... I called on some... favors," the stallion replied, playing with his collar with his hoof. "So..." the stallion replied, with a nervous cough, turning to Rainbow's young protégé. "You're Rainbow Dash's apprentice?" asked the Blue Wonderbolt, as he looked Scootaloo up and down with his scrutinizing glare. 

"I sure am!" Scootaloo said with a proud grin, as she made sure to stand tall, eager to enhance the overall image that she was projecting. "She's promised to teach me all of her best stunts," Scootaloo added, although that wasn't entirely true. Rainbow Dash had, indeed, promised flight lessons, but she never promised to teach her any stunts.

The stallion returned an intrigued expression, his eyes shooting over to her wings again. What was with everypony and her wings? "You must have a tremendous amount of talent for her even to consider you worth her time." He added, his gaze never wondering from Scootaloo. The more the stallion talked, and the more he looked, the more Scootaloo felt like the stallion was judging her very worth. And Scootaloo was beginning to wonder if her value amounted to much at all.

"Well, I do have some amazing Scooter stunts," Scootaloo said, as she desperately swallowed the bitter taste of fear in her throat.

The stallion puckered his lips and broke out into boisterous laughter. "Scooter stunts?" The stallion asked, laughing harder. "What are you a filly?" The stallion croaked, with tears streaming down his face, as he seemed to laugh longer and harder with each passing second. "That's a good one," he said as he wiped a tear from his eye, "You do seem to have Rainbow Dash's sense of humor."

An outside observer could swear that a dagger passed within inches of the stallion's heart, originating somewhere from the roundabouts of Rainbow's eyes.

"Well, if Rainbow has that much faith in you, " he said, his voice softening (though it might have been hoarse from all the laughing, one can never tell.) "I can't wait to see how you progress, newbie." The stallion said with an approving nod, as he began to trot away. "Scooter stunts." The stallion added with one final laugh as he slowly exited earshot.

Scootaloo stared back blankly. She'd never thought about that before... 'Maybe he's right.' Scootaloo thought, shivering slightly. 'Maybe Scooter stunts aren't awesome enough for Rainbow Dash!' Scootaloo thought, to herself, the uncertainty's tendrils grasping at her heart. 'She's probably already interested in ditching me after that... I need something to put me more over the top. Something to prove I have some worth, that makes me worth tutoring by THE Rainbow Dash ™ © ®.' Scootaloo thought, as she desperately looked around for something that would fit her needs.

What did rainbow say they were doing today? Maybe there was something on the docket that -- 

"And, squirt Sonic Boom, " Rainbow said, getting the filly's mare's attention. "After the ball game, and our trip to the museum -- "

Scootaloo returned a horrified expression at the word museum.

Rainbow shrugged. Twilight had required Rainbow to insert some 'grounding approved activities' on their list of activities, under threat of some ancient unicorn curse. Some superstitious gobbledygook about what the punishment inflicted on the ancient unicorns, by the gods, if they didn't finish some pointless rainbow ritual on time -- something about her turning into 'Grey-bow Dash,' a name that Spike had interjected, with a chuckle. "Besides, kid, we have to pace out the awesome, so we don't burn ourselves out on awesome!" (oh.. that and the fact that she was still trying to get the charred bits off her wings after that little death trap obstacle course a few minutes ago...)

Scootaloo nodded, good point. Cloudsdale couldn't handle Rainbow's full blown awesome for very long! And if they continued at full speed, something bad might happen, like Cloudsdale blowing up, or something!

"And then..." she said, bringing out the Griffon Wrestling tickets that dork Wave Chill forgot all about on his way out... (She was already planning the pranks she would be pulling on the jerk afterward to get back, at him, for mocking the squirt's scooter stunts!)

A smile, practically, exploded on Scootaloo's face as she saw it. The most awesome thing next to that obstacle course -- Griffon Wrestling!

**********

A few hours later...

Scootaloo gave a mischievous chuckle, as she turned back to Rainbow Dash, feeling particularly proud of herself. "Nice job getting away from that crowd of angry ponies, 'Dash!" She said, feeling like she'd finally managed to sneak her way into Rainbow Dash' circle of pranksters with that last stunt.

Rainbow gave a returned a hearty laugh, seeming not too upset with the whole situation herself. Though she supposed, that, she should probably chastise her protégé for her weird behavior again. But she found it hard to do so considering that the game was probably the most fun she'd had since the Wonderbolts show, just before, and decided that she'd probably just let it slide this time. "Yeah, but there was no way those slow pokes were going to keep up with us Rain-bolt!" She said, a satisfied expression gracing her face like she was a cat that just ate the family canary.

"I know right!" Scootaloo said, already considering how she'd follow up on that last stunt. She was finally in! She just needed to do a little more; maybe she could prove that she was worthy of Rainbow Dash!

An usher passed by, and gave them both a murderous expression, as he slowly, and quietly, trotted off towards a phone booth -- probably to alert the angry mob of Rainbow's whereabouts.

Rainbow looked back, just for a moment, before returning her focus to the discussion at hoof. "Word to the wise though, half pint, " Rainbow said, her expression going stern, and her voice turning cold. "Don't turn a pop-fly into a home run!" She cautioned, her eyes growing narrow. "Especially when it gives the Alpacas the win, " she said, without a trace of jest in her voice. "Ok, kid?" She asked, her cheerful tone returning.

"Ok 'Dash!" The younger pegasus replied eagerly.

"Now then, squirt!" She said, reading the tickets. "Apparently Black Wind, Iron Claw, and Lead Bottom -- the one with the dumb name -- are about to take on the champ, Vigo the Destroyer, in a three on one match for the ultra-heavyweight griffon wrestling belt!" Rainbow said, partially forgiving Wave Chill for giving Scootaloo a hard time earlier (this was, after all, an almost impossible event to get into, and it wasn't every day that somepony got to see The -- capital T -- Big Match!)

And, like that, without even so much as a section break, the match was over -- although it was, as much as it pained Rainbow to admit it, the most awesome five minutes in the history of sports...

And the crowd went crazy.

"Dangs it!" A fat canary griffon exclaimed from the back of the lounge where they kept all the dirty mob money. "That there match was too good!" He squawked, at one of his lieutenants subordinates. "Now they'ves gots them the taste of blood in their mouth-es and wants them an encore!" He cawed.

"But what are we gunna do, boss?" The lieutenant goon subordinate lackey employee, asked, turning back to his boss. "They only lasted five minutes, and the champ's already flat-in-ed -- "

"I don'ts care!" The boss crowed. "Gives 'em a chance at the champ!" He squawked, as a loud thump, most likely the sound of a chair, that was no longer bolted to the floor, hitting the wall, with excessive force.

"Roight boss!" The lieutenant subordinate, replied, rushing to the announcer.

"Goid luck Mug-say..." The boss said, quietly as the goon rushed out the door. "Yoir goin' ta need oit..."

Meanwhile, back at the stage, the announcer held tightly to the hanging microphone, as he barely held back the bloodthirsty crowd with the only thing he had on talon -- a half-eaten churro.

A young gray griffon pushed his way through the crowd of onlookers, and whispered something into the announcer's ear -- you know, moments before a mob of ponies grabbed him and promptly pulled him into the teeming crowd of angry wrestling fans -- probably for a stiff beating.

"Good news ponies!" The announcer shouted, at the top of his lungs, for all to hear.

The crowd stopped rioting, at least for a moment.

"This is the part of the show where we... um..." he said, rubbing the churro against his collar. "Give you your chance at the champ!" He squeaked, into the crowd.

A grand cheer went up from the crowd, as ponies lined up for their chance at the champ! Even many members of the angry band of stadium goers that just, moments before, burst their way in through the front door, complete with torches, and pitchforks joined in -- carefully, placing them, at the torch and pitchfork racks, for later retrieval.

Rainbow Dash, gave a hearty laugh. "Do you hear that, squirt!?" She asked, the tears streaming down her cheeks, as she talked to the empty seat. "Like there's anyone stupid to take on the -- "

And, like that, Rainbow noticed that she now sat next to an empty seat.

"Of course..." Rainbow said, with a sigh. "She did it again!"

**********

'I have to get to the stage before Rainbow notices I'm gone!' Scootaloo thought to herself, as she galloped as fast as she could to get into the short line coming out of the ring. 'It's the only thing awesome enough to follow up on that hoofball 'prank'!' She thought, excitedly -- she knew Rainbow wouldn't take long. Besides, she was an adult now, and had finally decided to do something cool and adult like wrestle full grown griffons!

Thankfully, there were only a few ponies in front of her. Though she could have sworn there were a bunch, just a moment ago. Although Scootaloo couldn't help but notice that almost all of the ponies in line were super tough ponies like weight lifters, bikers, and lumberjacks. and malpractice lawyers...

The line was, fortunately -- and strangely -- quick moving, and now there was only one pony in front of Scootaloo. It was at about this point that Scootaloo could hear the next pony in line standing by the ring. 

"Are you an adult?" Asked the pony with the clipboard to the pony in front of Scootaloo. Scootaloo couldn't help but perk an ear in curiosity.

The burly pony returned a belligerent expression. "Do I look like a FOAL to you!?" He exclaimed, looking like he might take on the pony with the clipboard instead of the monstrous griffon.

The pony, with the clipboard, played with his collar, nervously. "Doe...doe...does th..th..that m-m-m-m-m-m-mean you want to take on the champ?" He stammered, a few octaves higher, bending his back-back at an impossible angle, in an attempt to avoid the angry daggers flying from the challenger's eyes.

The burly pony nodded eagerly. "What do you think?" He asked, bending forward for every inch the bureaucrat bent backward. 

The bureaucrat chewed on his clipboard, the words not quite coming.

Finally, the challenger relaxed, having made his point. "I'm ready to beat Vigo the Destroyer and earn that million bits!" The pony added with a loud, and strong shout.

"O-o-o-o-o-o.k., " the bureaucrat stammered. "P-p-p-p-please sign this waiver removing all responsibility for any harm that might occur during the match with Vigo the Destroyer." The pony with the clipboard said blandly, his hooves, and clipboard, quivering as he spoke. Scootaloo couldn't help but wonder how many times this pony had said stuff like this before.

Hastily the large pony in the front of the line signed on the dotted line with an outrageously large 'X,' and began to crawl into the ring. "Now remember." The pony in the suit explained, suddenly sounding a lot calmer. "Griffon Wrestling is the standard rules as regular wrestling, except: You are allowed to use anything as a weapon as long as it's within reaching distance of the ring, and you didn't bring it into the ring with you. Kicks and punches are allowed as long as --"

"I know the rules!" The stallion interrupted, with a huff, as he started pushing the manager to the side so that he could get into the ring. "Sheesh! Stupid pencil pusher thinks I'm a foal!" He grumbled, taking a moment to size up the mountain champion in the center of the ring.

And with the count of three, the match was on. The burly pony that had been in front of the line was standing off against a griffon that must have been a hundred times bigger than any Scootaloo had ever seen, and that was hard considering how tall he had appeared in the match earlier. And to make matters worse, the griffon had to have been as at least as tall, or even taller, than Big McIntosh. Scratch that, he must have been taller than Mac, and that was saying a lot, especially considering how big Mac was! And, that was ignoring the fact that the griffon looked like he was at least as bulky as Bulk Biceps himself, if not bulkier, making his shorts and shirt seem, almost, comically small.

Meanwhile, back at the head of the line, Scootaloo began to wonder if this was such a smart idea. The feeling only became stronger, as the pony in front of her, in line, quickly reached out and grabbed one of the folding chairs -- with a pony still in it, from the audience and swung it at the massive griffon.

The improvised chair-bat, however, didn't get very far before the griffon punched said stallion with one of his tree trunk-sized arms, knocking the pony off balance with an earth shattering punch. Scootaloo could feel her tail and ears drop as she suddenly had a bad case of cold hooves. Perhaps because of the growing sense that she might be in trouble.

While the large stallion remained on his feet, somehow, he didn't seem to be moving very fast. The griffon, however, wasn't showing any mercy, as he jumped up into the air, slamming into the stallion with both hind legs, in the most powerful jump kick Scootaloo had ever seen. While Scootaloo wasn't sure the bulky stallion could even get up after such a devastating attack, the griffon zoomed in to mercilessly pin the stallion in a hold that Scootaloo doubted was even natural, and proceeded to tie every part of the unfortunate stallion into hideous knots. Several of the stallion's joints seemed to be bent in odd directions -- and appeared to be making some very disturbing noises.

"Next." Said the pony in front of the ring, telling Scootaloo the match was over.. practically before it started.

Scootaloo looked back, Rainbow hadn't noticed her stunt yet, but she was probably on her way... maybe she should turn -- 

Heck no! This was her chance to prove to Rainbow just how awesome she was! 'It's now or never'. Scootaloo thought with a gulp. She could either wimp out now proving she wasn't worthy of Rainbow Dash's time, or she could -- Now it was!

The pony in the suit opened their mouth, only to be interrupted by Scootaloo. "Yes, I heard all that stuff, just get me in the ring before I have cold hooves," Scootaloo snarled, her voice hiding the tremble she felt all the way from her hooves to her mane. 'Maybe this is not -- ' "SHUT UP VOICE!" She shouted mentally trying to silence the traitorous 'voice of reason' in her head.

"Don't get snippy." The suited pony blandly said as she pulled the ropes up to allow Scootaloo quick entry.

"1," said a booming voice. Scootaloo gulped.

"2," the voice continued. Scootaloo felt her tail drop between her legs.

"3," The voice finished. Scootaloo felts her ears pin, and her eyes look upwards towards the griffon, who seemed even more impossibly large in person.

The griffon started laughing maniacally. "YOU'RE MINE!" He growled in a monstrous octave. No, wait! That was just in Scootaloo's head.

"G--" the voice started only to be interrupted as a cyan blur blew into the ring, and whisked Scootaloo out of the ring in its grasp, faster then the announcer could say the two letter word.

"Stop the match!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she flew off with Scootaloo in tow. "She gives up!"

"But Rainbow -- " Scootaloo protested, seemingly unheard by the cyan pegasus, who now wore the most severe expression Scootaloo had ever seen.

Within moments Rainbow Dash had landed some distance from the ring and put her hooves to her sides.

"Thunderbolt, what were you thinking?!" Rainbow Dash chastised Scootaloo. "Griffon Wrestling is a sport with barely any rules. You need to be the most awesome of the most awesome to even hope to survive it!" Rainbow Dash said with a hint of frustration in her voice.

"But Rainbow, I wanted to try it out." Scootaloo lied, her heart unable to take the rejection from Rainbow Dash, that she knew would happen if she admitted that she wasn't good enough yet. Not to mention the fact that she was so close to finally making it into Rainbow's inner circle after that epic baseball 'prank' earlier...

"Listen, Awesome junior. You're not there yet. You're only junior awesome right now." Rainbow Dash blustered. Scootaloo couldn't be sure if Rainbow Dash meant that, but she had her doubts. "You need more awesome experience before you've leveled up enough to be ready for that." Rainbow Dash continued. "Plus Griffon Wrestling is stupid dangerous..." she said, whispering in Scootaloo's ear...

"But -- "

"No 'but's squirt!" Rainbow retorted. "I don't know what's been into you today, but it smacks of Winsome Falls, and I don't like it!"

Scootaloo looked away, sadly.

**********

Sometime later...

"Ok, squirt!" Rainbow said, turning to her young apprentice. "No weird stunts! Ok, kiddo!" She said, sternly. "I don't know what rat got into your stable, but you've been off all day! So knock it off, ok?" She said to her young apprentice, whose eyes now seemed distracted on a pony that Rainbow could have sworn, was a winged version of that weird doctor that maintained all the clocks back in Ponyville.

"Yeah... sure..." The filly mare said, her eyes following the stallion as he slowly left her field of vision.

"Great!" Rainbow said, feeling distracted herself as she sized up the unbearably long line she would have to deal with. 'Why did I want to see something stupid, and boring, like die Feder des königlichen Prunks again?' She asked herself, her eyes noticeably flopping as she looked at the entire endless horde standing in front of her in line (there must have been a good ten or twenty ponies there to see the opera! This was going to take FOREVER!!!!) 

Meanwhile, the younger foal wondered off, unnoticed in search of the adventure. (After all, that line of five to nine ponies was going to take FOREVER to clear out! She'd be back long before Rainbow even noticed she was gone!)

Ahead of her, she noticed one of Cloudsdale's more amazing, and adult, activities. In this case, a steam powered race. And Scootaloo couldn't help but hold a massive grin. Unlike her previous misguided attempts to impress Rainbow Dash, this was right down her alley. Heck! Rainbow would be pleased! This race didn't look dangerous or unsafe at all. Instead, it just looked like good clean adult fun. Heck, they even had a sign saying "any racer welcome."

As she trotted closer to the event, her excitement only seemed to grow as she got a look at the various karts. They were so cool looking. From the Double Zero, a sleek and pointy kart with wings and some giant firecrackers that had been sloppily carefully strapped on the back. To a kart that looked like it was a haunted barn on wheels. And even a the kart made of dense clouds, that almost resembled stone. Heck, it reminded her, distantly, of the Applewood Derby back in Ponyville -- maybe this year Cheerilee would finally let her join.

Her smile only grew like a garden weed as she looked in awe of the awe-inspiring sight before her, to the point where she failed to notice a granite wall right in front of her, and promptly bumped into it. "Ooff" she whimpered as she stumbled backward, her foreleg now covering her now sore nose, as she stumbled backward, tripping on a sign that somepony had left on the ground, and promptly landed on her back.

"Stupid sign!" Scootaloo grunted quietly, to herself, as she gave the sign a good kick with her right foreleg, and couldn't help but smile, proudly, as the sign wobbled back and forth. However, her mirth was short when, much to her surprise, she noticed the writing on the sign.

Yup! It was definitely writing!

Ok, It looked like important writing!

"Race sign up, over there ->" It proudly read. "Any kart is welcome, anything you can provide," the sign read, continuing where it left off. 

And, just like that, Scootaloo's smile quickly dissolved, and she could only shake her head in disappointment. She just realized that she didn't have a kart. And there was no way that she'd --

"What do you mean the Gravel Sisters can't make the race?!" screamed somepony, from just off screen.

Find... a cart...

Scratch that! She just thought she'd found it.

"Feather Flu?!" The voice angrily shouted to somepony else, off camera. "I thought I told them to get immunized!" He screamed, in retort to somepony Scootaloo couldn't hear. "I mean, -- "

"Yes, I know, but they listen to that stallion on the radio. That and they're afraid of needles!" The pony said, responding to something he heard. "But -- "

"Yes, I know that they were frozen, in ice, for 30,000 years! But come on, they need to get with the times! It's just an itsy, bitsy needle." The pony continued to rant. "I mean, who are we going to get to drive their kart, on such short notice?" The stallion continued to shriek, his voice getting louder as he approached Scootaloo's current location.

'I might get to do this after all!' Scootaloo beamed as she quickly got to her feet, and took a quick hop into the stone car, and started to drive.

...

...

...

Um... or rather tried to. Scootaloo kind of didn't know how to drive those things!

And then there was the matter of --

'Wait, does stone float on clouds?' Scootaloo asked herself. Her question quickly being answered as she noticed that the ground seemed to be growing higher and higher around the car, all of a sudden like she was --

Uh oh!

Scootaloo only had enough time to scream, as the stone car slowly sank through the clouds, on its inevitable date with the ground below... 'Why did I have to think about it.' Scootaloo thought, bitterly, as she panicked -- and promptly forgot that she could fly now.

"Gotcha!" Rainbow Dash shouted, as she swooped out of the sky, and caught the falling mare -- all while hoping that that rock car didn't fall on anything important. "Thunderbolt! What was I telling you earlier about crazy stunts?" Rainbow Dash chastised her, as she flew towards the nearest cloud.

Scootaloo blushed. She didn't want to tell her mentor that she'd kind of not noticed due to being distracted by that handsome specimen of a -- uck!!! Why was she all of a sudden thinking of... Stupid spell!!!

"Let me jog your memory, " Rainbow continued, sternly. "I said not to try any crazy stunts!" She said, pointing at the cart, which continued to fall further and further from their field of vision.

"Oops... " Scootaloo replied. "But at least I wasn't trying to impress -- " She said, quickly stopping herself.

"What's that squirt?" Rainbow asked, panning her ear, maybe this was the opportunity she'd been waiting for all day!

**********

Rainbow sighed, contemplating hog-tieing the troublesome filly, she was sure that's what Applejack would do! Ok! She guessed that's what she imagined Applejack would do. 

Sheesh! She needed a drink. She just couldn't figure out what could have possibly possessed the squirt to think that she belonged in a reenactment of The Battle of Cloudsdale, or that real live tornado exercise. It was like she was trying to impre-- nah! They'd already covered that ground a couple of times now! 

On the other hoof, maybe she should -- 

"Hello Rainbow!" A prissy male voice announced from somewhere in another section of the bar. "I was not aware you were visiting Cloudsdale this beautiful day!" The voice said, sounding like a bad mix of the worst parts of both Rarity and Prince Blueblood.

"Well hiya, Firefly, " Rainbow chirped.

"Firefly?" Scootaloo asked, becoming immediately giddy at the name. "Like -- "

"Sorry squirt firebolt, " Rainbow said, letting her apprentice down lightly. "Different Firefly, old Golden Firefly's here's not related to that Firefly," Rainbow said, nonchalantly.

"He's from the line of 'royal' Firefly's, " a regal looking purple pegasus stallion said, cantering in 'majestically.'

The pegasus and his mane were both almost entirely purple, except for the light purple, and chartreuse highlights in his mane that 'came from poor family decisions over the centuries.' His tail was almost entirely chartreuse, another result of 'poor family decisions.' He was sleeker than most ponies, almost matching the build of that unicorn mare that kept dropping by Rarity's shop, along with her Husband -- Fleur Dis something. And was a good head above most of the adults she had seen over the course of her life.

"'Royal'?" Scootaloo said, with an exuberant chirp. "You mean, like a prince."

"Well..." Rainbow said, with a smirk. "That was our nickname for him back in Flight Camp, squirt but -- "

"That was long ago, my lady, " he replied, politely. "The family hasn't been quite the same since The Commander took control of the pegasi tribes many centuries ago..." he said, with a nervous chuckle. "So what brings you here, this day, Rainbow?" The stallion asked, giving the mare a polite bow.

"I've brought my... um.... Number one fan... urr... apprentice, Scootaloo, " Rainbow said, motioning to her number one fan.

"Ahh yes, but the tyke seems a fair amount older than you described her, Rainbow, " he said, in his usual snooty tone.

"Long story, Golden," Rainbow shrugged nonchalantly. "But, first, I want to know what the current standing 'Prince Firefly' is doing in a place like this, " she said, motioning over to the wall of passed out drunks.

"Working... Same as always, " the purple pegasus stallion said, with a painted on smile. 

Rainbow, once again, waved her hoof around an incredulous expression that just screamed 'Oh really!' 

The purple pegasus sighed, looking down. "Father has, once again, spent the family... ehem... 'fortune' on one of his ... urm... 'business ventures' again..."

"Ouch..." Rainbow said, sucking on her bottom lip. Golden's father was legendary for his 'creative investment schemes,' and that usually left Golden to pick up the pieces... "Tell you what, Golden, first drink's on me, " she said as she pointed to the bar.

"Hey Scootaloo, " Rainbow said, turning to her fan, and tossing a couple of bits at her, with her mouth. "Can I trust you to grab something nonalcoholic while 'The Prince' and I catch back up?"

Scootaloo nodded eagerly, as she was halfway to the bar. Rainbow had finally given her 'responsibilities'!

"But kid Scootaloo!" Rainbow said, sternly, getting her apprentices' attention. "I want you to come right back when you grab it, ok!

Scootaloo nodded, eagerly, having already reached the bar multiple times, in her head, already. But what's good here? Maybe the mare behind the counter would know?

**********

"Do you see that fine filly over there." Wandering Eyes said to his friends, as he pointed lustfully at Scootaloo.

"You mean the one with the big flappers?" The gray stallion asked his mottled brown friend, pointing not so discretely at Scootaloo's wings, and giving off a loud wolf whistle, and a perverted laugh.

"Shh!" Wandering Eyes responded, looking around to see if the mare, or her friend heard them. When it became apparent that nopony noticed, he leaned over his friend's ear. "I'm going to go score her!" he whispered quietly, to his friend, as he set his drink down and pushed his seat away from the table.

"Heh heh, good luck with that!" The gray stallion replied, with a chuckle. "She's with Rainbow Dash... That means she's... one of those!" The gray stallion said as he raised his foreleg, but drooped his hoof.

"Don't be so sure yet, Spade!" The mottled stallion replied back, still feeling very confident in his abilities. "I'm pretty sure I saw her giving 'the goo-goo eyes' to that stallion from the Wonderbolts," Wandering Eye retorted. "So, I think I've still got a good chance." He continued, braggadociously.

"Yo so sure 'bout that, bro -- " Spade responded back, incredulously. "I pretty sure, if anypony, Rainbow Dash was the only one giving any goo-goo -- " Spade asked with a bemused face.

"You wish! As far as I can tell, " Wandering Eyes replied back. "Both of them were busy fawning over the same guy! Weren't you paying any attention, Spade?" Wandering Eye said gruffly, as he scowled at his drinking buddy.

"I think you're full of it, bro -- " Spade responded back.

"Well, I think you're clueless." Wandering Eye relented with a long sigh, and a shake of his head, as he took one final sip from his glass. "Well then, if you're so sure of it, how about a wager, then, Mr. Smarty Hooves?" 

"Sounds like a plan, bro -- " Spade replied back, confidently. "The usual?"

The mottled stallion nodded back, looking more confident than ever. "Now, if you don't mind I'm about to show off my moves." He added jumping out of his chair, onto his four hooves, and confidently trotted down to the other side of the bar where Scootaloo currently sat, her head woozily bobbing, as she fought to not pass out from the effects of a few of 'the recommended beverages' she had already consumed. "If you watch carefully, you might learn something." He whispered.

"Well, if you happen to score her, send her my way! I'd like a piece of that action." Spades agreed with an immature cackle, just before his friend left whispering range.

The mottled brown stallion slowly snuck up to his pray... And pounced! "Hey babe, wanna let me show you how to use those wings of yours?" Wandering Eyes said gleefully, as he recited his favorite pickup line.

The orange mare barely responded back, as she clumsily turned her head in a haze. "Ahhhmmmm Fiiinnnne T'anks... Rainbow Dasssshhhh ish gunna shooow me Flight shtuff." Scootaloo hiccuped, her head bobbing as she began to lose the struggle to stay conscious.

"Oh, you know! You wanna go home and play twister." Wandering Eye said with a flirtatious blink of his eye, this was his chance! She was putty in his hooves! Heck! It looked like she'd had more than enough drinks to make her sufficiently 'pliable'! He thought, feeling quite good about himself.

"Noooo T'ankz. Mommmmz gunna kill me if Ahhhmmm naught home by Eight --" Scootaloo slurred, finally losing consciousness, her head slamming into the bar table.

Wandering Eye looked around nervously, and carefully, and 'subtly' lifted Scootaloo's head with one wing, and raised it back and forth to make it look like she was nodding. 

"Don't worry, babe! I'll give you a ride over to my place!" Wandering Eye announced, rather loudly, as he carefully picked her up, and put her on his back. 

I hope Spades buys this. He thought nervously, as he carefully shot his friend a forced grin. I'd hate for him to think I blew it. Wandering Eye silently added. And then, some --

"And, what are you doing!?" Asked a rather cold and angry feminine voice.

Was this bi*buy more apples* talking to him? And was she back sassing him!? "Why I'm just giving my date a ride to my house! You have a problem with that?" Wandering Eye grumbled as he looked over his shoulder. His anger quickly turned to frozen fear as he looked Rainbow Dash square in the eyes. The cyan mare's face spoke volumes about her plans. She was going to skin him, and then kill him, and then have her freaky princess friend bring him back to life, just so that she could kill him again! Heck, from how well her cyan fur was turning red, Wandering Eye suspected that Rainbow Dash would kill him seven times.

"Because she said no." Rainbow Dash said, as she grabbed Scootaloo with one hoof, and punched the stallion in the face sending him flying, with the other. Wandering Eye went tumbling backward until his head hit the floor. "And for crying out loud! She's only seven!" Rainbow Dash shouted into the downed stallion's face.

"Wha' cha' mean by --" The stallion replied back, pretending that he still had this... He could B.S. His way out of this! He could B.S. his way out of --

"Excellent we are fortunate to have you nearby!" Golden Firefly announced, to five guards from the corner of Rainbow's eye. "Could you please arrest this stallion, good sirs, " he said, pointing to the now downed mottled brown stallion. "I'll explain the charges in a moment!"

The guards nodded and quickly pounced on the grounded pegasus, what came next can only be described as a cloud of dust, and flailing white hooves. And a mix of odd tapping sounds and high-pitched grunts.

-10 rupees

-20 rupees

-15 rupees

-700 rupees

Halfway into the scuffle a rather rotund green pegasus with a white stocking cap, which covered his eyes, and the most obnoxious giant necklace anypony had ever seen jumped into the fray -- literally landing on top of the cloud of dust.

Meanwhile Rainbow carefully placed the unconscious mare onto her back, and furiously stormed out of the bar. 'Ok, I need a place to let the kid rest this off,' she thought to herself waving at Golden Firefly, who waved back, an apologetic look on his face. 'Much as I think this trip has gone on long enough, I'd have trouble getting her all the way back to Ponyville in this condition, and we don't have enough bits for a hotel...' She thought, to herself, weighing her options. 'Well, we were going to visit my folks later on, but maybe now's as good a time for her to meet them, as any. So long as I can keep her from talking about the Wonderbolts...' She thought, looking around nervously as she thought about her folks. 

She took a moment and made her smoothest takeoff -- hating every moment of the slow and arduous process, preferring to shoot herself up in the air, like a rocket. The foal filly on her back barely noticed as she mumbled something incoherent silently.

"Oh, kid... we're going to have to do some talking back at my folk's place..."

"Mmmmm... Kah... Rainbow Dasch...."

**********

"That must have been the best party ever!" Rainbow's dad, Bow Hothoof, exclaimed eagerly, ripping his shirt to reveal a white shirt with Rainbow's cutie mark on it.

"How long have you been -- ?" Rainbow started asked, shaking her head mid-sentence -- she probably really didn't want to know.

"Our daughter sure knows how to party!" Rainbow's mom, Windy Whistles, interjected, waving a flag with Rainbow's symbol ever.

"Oh yeah! Best party ever!" Rainbow's dad replied back.

"That's nice mom, and dad!" Rainbow grumbled under her breath. Sheesh! Did her parents ever stop making fools of themselves? She meant, why couldn't they just shut up! Embarrassing her was one thing, but driving all her friends off with their 'enthusiasm' were another...

"Oh!" Rainbow's mother said, paring back on her usual facade as she looked at the sleeping pegasus. "She reminds me of you when you were young!" She exclaimed, waxing nostalgic.

"You have a point, dear!" Her husband said, with a chuckle.

"And what do you mean by that!?" Rainbow replied back, turning her head at a funny angle.

"Why dear, you were always doing crazy stunts just like that!" Windy Whistles said, with a smile.

"Best stunts ever!" Bow Hothoof continued, waving his hoof eagerly.

"Crazy stunts!" Rainbow snorted, stifling a laugh. "My stunts -- "

"I went ahead and laminated the hole in the wall you left after your BEST STUNT EVER!" Bow exclaimed, moving a family portrait to one side to reveal a giant gaping hole in their wall.

"We even left the portrait where you left it!" Windy Whistles continued, waving her hoof over the hole.

"You knew about -- ?" Rainbow asked, feeling small for a moment. 

"We are your biggest fans after all!" Both parents said, in unison.

"You mean except for the kid, you mean, right?" Rainbow asked, looking down at her number one fan apprentice.

Her parents shook their heads in disagreement.

Rainbow didn't get a chance to reply before the mare on the floor began to stir. "Ahh, squirt, you're waking up!" Rainbow said, sounding relieved.

"Yeah you were always doing crazy things to try to impress your peers.." Rainbow's mother continued, where she left off.

"Yeah! Extreme stunts!" Rainbow's dad said, interjecting, again.

"You awake, squirt?" Rainbow asked, turning to her fan.

The kid nodded back clumsily.

"Here's some water, squirt, " Rainbow said, carefully handing her a glass of water.

"Thanksch" Scootaloo replied back, taking a moment, to slowly sip the liquid down. After a few precious moments, she began to look around the room. "W-Where are we?" Scootaloo moaned, between her throbbing headache. "And, what happened?" Scootaloo continued, as she rubbed the ridge of her muzzle in a futile attempt to rub away her migraine. It was all of a blur to her. She remembered drinking that cider that the nice bartender had recommended saying it was his best 'adults only drink' (it had sounded so good at the time! Some more adults-only fun!) Followed by everything becoming fuzzy. Then she could vaguely remember her head hitting the table. Nothing else came to mind. She vaguely thought she remembered somepony talking to her, but she hadn't understood what he was saying at the time. At least she didn't think she understood him.

Rainbow shook her head and turned to face the crusader as her face grew cold and stern. "Were you trying to impress me again, kid?" She asked, point blank to her fan, her voice sounding more stern than angry. "You've been off all day! Life-threatening stunts, Griffon Wrestling, dangerous races, and now drinking. What's going on with you?"

"Spitfire's niece called me a foal..." Scootaloo said, averting her gaze away from her biggest mentor and hero. "I didn't want to look bad in front of you, and then I got carried away with all the cool adult things I could do..."

"Ahh, kid!" Rainbow said. "We can do those adult things together, but not if you get yourself killed. And as for needing to impress me: you don't need to, kid! I'm impressed enough already!" She said, putting a hoof on her fan's withers.

"BEST PEP TALK EVER!" Bow Hothoof exclaimed, jumping into the air, for a moment, his mini Rainbow Dash head visor, and rainbow vest, and waving his favorite flag with Rainbow Dash's cutie mark on it.

"YEAH!!!!" Windy Whistles cheered eagerly, wearing her creepy Rainbow Dash hat, and rainbow vest.

Rainbow put one hoof on the bridge of her muzzle and shook her head. Not in front of her number one fan 'apprentice'...

"But seriously kid, " Rainbow continued. "Did you think about what could have happened? Any of those stunts could have killed you." Rainbow Dash pressed, the anger in her voice giving way to a more sympathetic warmth. "And don't get me started on what was about to happen to you! Some stallions like to take advantage of drunken mares, and you're in season. You would have been very lucky not to have ended up a single mother." Rainbow Dash continued to press, her eyes not failing to notice as some tears began to pull in Scootaloo's eyes.

Scootaloo looked down.

"Look, kid, I'm done being mad, ok?" Rainbow asked, her frown turning to a smile. "I just want to make sure you stay safe, ok!?"

Scootaloo nodded.

"Ok, kid, " Rainbow said, with a smile. "No more reason to try to impress me."

"Can I still do adult stuff?" The orange pegasus asked back.

"Sure, kid, " Rainbow replied. "I'm sorry that I didn't let you join me in some adult fun..." She continued. "And I promise that we'll do some, together, but you need to stick with me when we do, ok?" She said, with a smile. "Deal?"

"Deal!"

**********

"Spike!" Twilight shouted, over the calm of the day. "Bring over a copy of Magic Star's almanac!" She announced, hoping for a rare tomb that she'd managed to scrounge up from the Sister's old castle. The book choreographed the research of a semi-legendary earth pony magic scholar, from the first age, who happened to share a special talent for magic.

"Where do you want it?" Spike asked, taking the long way around the towering stacks of books that Twilight had stacked in the center of her library during her long week of continuous research.

"Put it over there!" Twilight said, to a corner near the base of the stairs, with a yawn.

Spike nodded dutifully, carefully placing the ancient book in the prescribed corner.

"Thanks -- " Twilight said, giving another yawn. "Spike!" She shrieked, remembering that she needed to cross reference Magic Star's almanac against Twilight the Great's Tomb of Magical Insights.

"Twilight, you need a break, why don't you take a rest?" Spike asked, looking at his mother/sister's vacant expression.

"Can't Spike!" She said, closing her eyes for a moment. "Sweetie Belle's going to be looking to cast that counterspell in the next couple of days, and I still haven't fully figured Starswirl's spell out yet!"

"It can't hurt if you -- " Spike started saying, only to be interrupted by a bell, as the door slowly opened, and a unicorn with a pristine white coat, 'the mark of a unicorn of the highest breeding,' and an elaborately groomed fuchsia mane slowly trotted in.

"I can't help but agree with your assis -- " the unicorn mare said, returning a subtle sour expression when she was interrupted by the young drake.

"Brother -- " The drake replied back, as he stepped out the front door.

"Oh, terribly sorry about that!" The mare replied back, bowing her head apologetically. "I hope you weren't too offended at my mistake, " she said, to Twilight.

"So, " Twilight said, swallowing a yawn. "What brings you here to the Golden Oaks today?"

"Oh, I'm looking for a gift for my daughter, " the unicorn said, politely. "She's out of -- "

"Wait!" Spike said, returning with a copy of Deep Magical Insights, that Twilight had rush ordered from the Trottingham library two days before. "You're Scootaloo's mom!" He said looking the mare up and down.

"Guilty as charged!" The mare said, a sweat drop glistening on her brow.

"Oh, " Twilight said, apologetically. "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you, Mrs. Sunbird."

"Oh no worries, dear!" The mare replied back, with a sweet tone. "By the looks of things you've been very busy, Twilight!"

Twilight nodded back tiredly. Maybe she should take a few?

"But first dear, " the white unicorn continued, I was hoping you could help me find a book I can send my daughter, while she's in Cloudsdale."

"Certainly!" Twilight replied back, hobbling towards the far shelves. "Like the newest Daring --"

"I was thinking more like -- " the white unicorn replied, grabbing a book from the middle of a particularly mountainous stack of research books.

"No! Mrs. Sunbird!" Twilight shrieked, teleporting between the white unicorn and the collapsing pile of books. 

Twilight felt a thud as the books collapsed onto her head.

Twilight awoke an hour later, in a sea of books, with a book jammed onto her horn, and a dozen nurses nearby, who had, apparently, been contacted by a frantic Mrs. Sunbird.

'Dang it!' She thought to herself. 'I must have forgotten to deploy a shield.' she thought, shaking her head. How could she possibly have forgotten something so basic? It was basic instinct to put a barrier up! Maybe Spike was right! She probably needed a good night's rest after all.

**********

"Ready to go, Wonderbolt junior!?" Rainbow asked, putting a bag around her shoulder.

Scootaloo nodded, the trip had been an awful lot of fun since she'd stopped trying to impress Rainbow, and started just enjoyed herself. Too bad it was coming to an en--

"Congratulations, Rainbow!" Rainbow's mom said, foam finger firmly in hoof. "Your first letter from a Very Important Pony (VIP)!" She said, taking a snapshot of the letter.

"Can we keep it after you read it?" Her dad begged, on hoof and wither, his eyes fixated on the letter, a new trophy already in hoof to immortalize it in.

Rainbow rolled her eyes.

"Who's it from?" Scootaloo asked eagerly. "Princess Celestia? Princess Luna? The King of -- "

"It's from your folks!" Rainbow said, her eyes darting back and forth over the letter.

"What do they want?" Scootaloo asked, sounding suddenly less enthused.

"They apparently want us to spend another week in Cloudsdale!" She said with an obvious confusion in her voice. "They gave us a large check for -- " She said, as a check with a surprising number of zeros slowly drifted down. "Wow! That's a lot of zeros!"

"Oh dear! Can we gold plate it?" Rainbow's mom exclaimed, looking at the check.

Scootaloo looked down sadly.

"Don't be upset, " Rainbow said, confidently. "They don't want you gone forever, or anything. They apparently heard we were having fun and wanted to give us another week, ok."

Scootaloo looked back, sadly, feeling significantly unconvinced.