> Cutie Mark Crusaders Pranksters ll > by RebelNarrator45 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > More Pranks, Please > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "This is so awesome!!! I missed being with you guys here!" Scootaloo cried. The three fillies were in thier clubhouse. Scootaloo had good reason to be excited. After the failed prank attempts on the princesses, or rather, the distastrous prank attempts, the three of them had been forced to clean up the mess said pranks caused, and then they had been grounded for the next two weeks. "I'm so glad we're finally able to get together like this!" Sweetie Belle said. "It was awful to not do any crusading!" "Yeah!" Apple Bloom agreed. She frowned. "Ah hardly think it was fair to get grounded on top of havin' to clean up Ponyville." "Considering the damage we did," Sweetie Belle stated, "We're lucky that's all we got." "Yeah, seriously." Scootaloo said, shaking her head. "Rainbow Dash was so mad! Impressed, but mad. I expected worse punishment than getting grounded." "Ugh, no thanks!" Apple Bloom said. "Gettin' grounded, cleanin' up the town...that was enough." She shuddered. "Plus Ah have to live knowin' that Ah failed as a prankster. Ah got pride, ya know. It hurts to know Ah failed." Something clicked in Scootaloo's head, and she sat up with a broad grin. "So...lets get back our pride!" She said. "Huh??" said the other two, puzzled. "Lets try again! Only this time, we make sure we don't fail!" Scootaloo said eagerly. "Uh, Scootaloo?" Apple Bloom said, frowning. "Ah don't think that's a good plan. Applejack made it clear last time if Ah ever do somethin' like that again, I ain't gonna sit for a week." "Yeah." Sweetie Belle said. "And Rarity told me that the next time I do something so foalish, she wouldn't hesitate to take her hoof to my flank. So I side with A.B. Bad idea." "Eh, so?" Scootaloo said, shrugging. "Rainbow Dash told me she'd tan my flank too, but this is important! Our reputations as pranksters are at stake! And I say we do this and do it right!" The other two stared at each other for several minutes before finally nodding. "Ok, Scoots, we're in!" Apple Bloom said. "But, uh, Ah ain't hankering to get spanked, so if we could pick a mild prank..." "Oh ho no!" Scootaloo said with an almost evil chuckle. "If we go down for this, we are going down in a blaze of glory!!" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle stared hard at her and she chuckled nervously. "Sorry. Read that in a book. It...sounded impressive?" "Well, the point is, we have to be careful." Sweetie Belle said. "We cause too much trouble with our pranks, and the princesses are liable to tan our flanks before our sisters do!" "Eh, I doubt it." Scootaloo said with confidence. "Now, same pranks as last time?" "No way!" Apple Bloom burst out. "No pepper sauce and no itching powder and absolutely NO LOVE POTIONS!" "Ok, ok! Relax!" Scootaloo said, wide eyed. "Then I guess we need some new pranks." After doing some thinking, they finally came up with a plan. Princess Celestia was going to get her favourite cake...with a substitute ingredient: salt, not sugar. Princess Cadance was going to get hearts, lots and lots of them. Drawn on with permanent ink. Princess Luna was going to get a rude awakening with a large amount of bright orange dye dumped on her head. And as for Princess Twilight Sparkle... "Ah don't think we should get her again." Apple Bloom said worriedly. "She didn't appreciate that itching powder." "Oh, that wasn't epic." Scootaloo said, grinning. "Lemme ask you: what's her favourite thing in all of Equestria?" "Uh, Princess Celestia?" Sweetie Belle said. "Eh, true." Scootaloo said. "Ok, so...second favourite?" "Her friends!" Apple Bloom said triumphantly. Scootaloo face hooved. "Ok, ok, never mind! ONE of her favourites things in Equestria is what?" Her two friends frowned and gave her a confused look. "Her BOOKS!" Scootaloo shouted. "Come on! That was SO easy!" "Uh, you're not gonna tear up her books, are you?" Sweetie Belle asked worriedly. "Cause she really WILL get mad and banish us!" "Nope!" Scootaloo said, smirking. "We're gonna take them and hide them. Her whole library!" Seeing thier horrified expressions, she said with a huff,"Ok, fine. Just two shelves full." "Well, I guess these pranks are harmless enough." Sweetie Belle said slowly. "Although, how exactly do we cover Princess Luna in orange dye?" "A bucket over a door, duh!" Scootaloo said. "Ok." Apple Bloom frowned. "But how, and when?" "Don't you remember our sisters talking?" Scootaloo asked. "The princesses were invited back here for a...what did Pinkie call it?...a make up party, or something. Anyway, they'll be here tomorrow. So tonight we go steal Twilight's books, and tomorrow we set the traps for the others. Apple Bloom, can you make the salt cake and swap it with the one Pinkie will make?" The farm filly nodded in the affirmative. "Ok!" Scootaloo said. "We'll help you. Tonight. At your house. Then in the morning we'll swap em at the bakery!" "Yeah, but Applejack'll find out!" Apple Bloom said worriedly. Scootaloo froze. That thought had occurred to her. She started pacing and muttering to herself, all the while trying to come up with a solution. Finally she stomped a hoof. "I got it!" She said. "You bake that cake, Apple Bloom! And we'll let Applejack find out!" "WHAT?!" her friends shrieked, clearly shocked. "Are you nuts?!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "Ah don't want Applejack to find out! That's the point in my askin' ya!" "No, A.B." Scootaloo said with a grin. "See, you let her find out. Let her taste it. We'll taste it. And we'll all 'discover' we 'accidentally' used salt instead of sugar! Then we'll make a big show of getting rid of it...only we won't. And we'll take a slice and swap it out with Celestia's piece tomorrow." Her friends gaped at her brilliant and devious plan. "Sold!" Sweetie Belle yelled. "Now, how bout Cadence?" "Easy!" Scootaloo said smirking. "One of us'll sneak up while they're eating and draw on as many hearts as we dare. Just a few will do. And that ink will last for days! Oh, and Twilight's books? It'll be easy to get those and hide them tonight. She always goes to her library in the morning." "How do you know that?" Sweetie Belle asked. Scootaloo shrugged. "Spike told me." "And Luna?" "Well, that's also easy. I heard Dash say that Luna is going to be going to Sugarcube Corner in the morning at ten. We'll make sure to rig up the bucket right before then." Her companions were once again awed at her awesome suggestion. "Wow, we are SO much better at planning this stuff than we thought!" Sweetie Belle said. "Definitely more than last time!" "Yeah! This is gonna be so much fun!" Apple Bloom said eagerly. The three fillies exchanged grins and put thier hooves together. "Cutie Mark Crusaders Pranksters...again! Yay!!!!" > Prank Plans in Motion > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thump. "Sweetie Belle!" Two voices hissed, as Scootaloo and Apple Bloom glared at thier friend. She winced. "Sorry!" She whispered back. The trio was outside the door to Twilight's castle. It was dark, except for a light in one upper window. Twilight's room, most likely. Scootaloo tried the door and found it unbolted. She pushed it open noiselessly and the three fillies crept inside. They made thier way to the library, which was empty and moon lit. "Ok, lets do this!" Scootaloo whispered, pulling bags out of her black sweater. They set to work quickly and quietly, and in no time they had accomplished thier task. "Gosh, Scoots!" Apple Bloom whispered. She and Scootaloo were straining under the weight of thier bags, and even Sweetie's magic was almost too weak to lift the three bags she had filled. Scootaloo looked about. They had emptied four shelves of books, rather than two. "Oh well. Lets go!" It took some doing, but they got out of the castle with thier loads. They somehow got them to the clubhouse, where they would be safe from weather or other things that might damage them. For good measure, they laid them on a bed of blankets and then laid another blanket on top. "There!" Scootaloo said. "That ought to keep them safe!" "Yeah!" Apple Bloom said with a shiver. "Ah hate to think what Twilight would do if we actually hurt her books!" The other two shuddered. They didn't want to think about that, either! "Ok. So, Twilight will find these missing first thing in the morning." Scootaloo said. "And she'll have a fit!" "This should be good!" giggled Sweetie Belle. "Alright, girls, Ah think we should get to bed!" Apple Bloom said. "It was genius, askin' to have a sleepover at my house!" They returned to said house and got into bed. They had already set up the cake plan. Applejack had fallen for the innocent "Oh my gosh, we accidentally used salt!" thing, and laughed. "Ah' pay attention next time if Ah was you!" She'd teased. The fillies slept well that night, and were up bright and early and headed for town, slice of cake carefully packed in thier new and improved prank kit. They made sure to be on hoof when the princesses made thier entrance to Ponyville. The three princesses had no sooner stepped down from thier chariot when the Canterlot Voice of Twilight rang over the town. "WHO STOLE MY BOOKS??!! YOU WILL PAY!!! OH, YOU WILL PAY!!!!!!" Everypony winced, and Luna said with a slight smile,"Sister, I believe your former student is having a tantrum." Celestia sighed, then yelped as Twilight appeared in front of her, looking quite frazzled and steaming at the ears. "Somepony stole my books!" She shouted. Her wild eyes scanned those gathered. "I WILL find out who did it, and when I do...GAAAAAHHHH!" She let out a scream. Nopony moved. She took a deep breath and then welcomed the princesses calmly. It was then that Scootaloo snuck away and rigged up the orange dye at the bakery. Her friends joined her in her hiding spot outside and they waited with excitement as Luna strode into view. The dark alicorn approached the door, opened it, stepped in, and called,"Greetings, my loyal sub..." That was as far as she got. There was a loud clatter, a massive splash, and the stunned princess stood there with a bucket over her head and orange goo running down her neck. It was all the Crusaders could do to keep from laughing as they silently hoof bumped. That prank had gone remarkably well! Luna was attempting to dislodge the pail from her head. "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!!!" Pinkie cried as she ran to the rescue. In minutes she had the bucket off Luna's head and was getting towels and napkins and clothes...anything to clean the goo off. Luna was chuckling now. "Somepony knows how to play a very good prank." She said in amusement. "Yes!" Scootaloo whispered excitedly, and the other two grinned. Pinkie stood staring for a moment before giggling. "They sure do! That was the best and funniest fun prank ever!!" She bounced in place. Luna laughed at that. "Yes indeed." She said. "Now if you perchance have a place where I might clean up...?" Pinkie hastily hurried her all the way inside. The Crusaders waited for what seemed hours. Then the door opened and Luna stepped outside again. She looked cleaner, but her dark coat had a very distinctive orange hue. Apparently the dye was very, very good. "Thank you for the wash and the cupcake." She said. Pinkie bounced outside and giggled. "You look so funny, Princess!" She said. "Like a big orange!" Luna couldn't help but chuckle. "I do indeed." She said. "Perhaps it will start a new fashion, as your friend Rarity would say." The Crusaders were about to pass out from trying so hard not to laugh, and they quickly made thier getaway. Pinkie giggled and bounced back inside, and Luna turned to walk away. After a few steps, she heard a noise, and saw a flash of white, orange, and yellow. 'Hmmmm.' She thought, a slow smile forming. 'I believe I know who the culprits are. And they certainly are bold to try it again!' She chuckled and continued walking. Meantime, the Crusaders had arrived unnoticed at the town center. They hid next a building at one corner, behind a big bush. Celestia, Cadance and Twilight were already making thier way to the large table set up for dining. Luna had yet to show up. "I don't know, Scoots." Sweetie Belle said worriedly. "Its gonna take alot of effort to slip up there and draw on Cadance and switch Celestia's cake slice." "Maybe." Scootaloo returned. "But for the sake of our mission, we must not fail! This time, we will pull this off! And without destroying the town." "Duck!" Apple Bloom hissed. They did, just in time to avoid being spotted by Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. "It looks real good, Rarity." Applejack was saying. "Why, thank you, darling! Pinkie assisted with the decor...although her assistance was not much more than blasting streamers up with her cannon." Rarity shook her head. "Well, um, it looks really nice." Fluttershy said. "Totally awesome!" Dash added. "And at least this time our sisters won't be crashing the party...literally." They all laughed. "Ah think those young'uns made a right good choice, playin' away from here til dinner." Applejack said, smirking. The older ponies passed along. "They're in for a shock!" Sweetie Belle whispered. "Indeed, they ALL are." The new voice, the one that should not have been there, made them go completely still. Thier blood even seemed to freeze. Slowly, as one, they turned thier heads to look upon the smirking face of Princess Luna. "So, my little fillies," she said. "You got me earlier. What pranks are you up to now?" Sweetie Belle, taking after her dramatic older sister, promptly fainted, while the other two shared a look of complete horror, the same thought running through thier heads. 'We are so dead.' > Unexpected Ally > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- P....P....Princess Luna!" Scootaloo gasped in terror. "What...why...how...you're not supposed to be over here!" Luna laughed. "I spied you at the bakery and followed. I must say that was a very fine prank!" "Huh??!" Apple Bloom squeaked, while Scootaloo seemed to have lost her powers of speech. Luna sat. "Perhaps we should awaken your friend first. Then talk." She suggested. "Oh, right." Scootaloo turned. "Sweetie Belle?" After several minutes, they succeeded in rousing the filly. Once she was fully alert, she blinked at Luna. "Are you gonna turn us in?" She asked. Luna smiled. "Before I answer, suppose you explain to me why you are daring to do this again." The fillies told her the whole story. How they had had their pride and reputations injured and wanted to fix it. Hence, more pranks. "I see." Luna said. Her eyes twinkled. "Besides the orange dye, what have you done?" They sheepishly told her about Twilight's books. Her eyes widened in shock. "That was you?!" She said. "Do you not know how seriously Twilight takes her books? If any harm should befall them, Equestria would not survive her wrath." "We know." Scootaloo said. "That's why they're at our clubhouse. Wrapped in blankets. They're safe." Luna smiled again. "And what, pray, have you planned for my niece and my sister?" Sweetie Belle showed her the cake slice and explained it. Then Apple Bloom explained the permanent ink hearts they planned to draw on Cadence. Luna fell into a fit of giggles, much to thier dismay. Finally, she caught her breath and looked at them, eyes twinkling. "I wish to join in this prank." She said, amused. "What?!" The three fillies gasped. "I will provide the distraction you need so that my sister and niece do not see you." Luna said, smirking. "I have not had a chance to enjoy a good prank for a while. So will you let me join you in your mission?" The Crusaders exchanged amazed looks. They had expected to be scolded, turned over to thier sisters...anything but asked to let Luna join in. Finally, Scootaloo nodded. "Alright, Princess. You're in!" Luna clapped her hooves. "Very good!" She said. "I assume Cadence is your first target?" At thier nods, she rose. "I will take my place." She said. "What signal would you like?" "Uh, how about a wink?" Scootaloo asked. Luna smiled. "Very well." She said. "Wait for my wink." She strode off. The Crusaders watched as Luna went and sat down, apologising for her lateness. "Not to worry, sister!" Celestia said. And gasped. "Lulu! What happened to your coat?! You're orange!!" "Only a prank, sister. It will wear off." Luna replied casually. Everypony fell to eating,(after the shock of Luna's orange coat wore off), and talking, and at last Luna looked to where her young prankster friends waited. She winked. "I'll go!" Scootaloo whispered. She made for her target. She slid under the table unnoticed and slipped behind Cadence. Luna kept her niece and the others distracted while Scootaloo carefully set to work drawing on as many red hearts as she could. She managed six before Cadence suddenly noticed something pushing at her. Scootaloo barely had time to duck under the table before the princess swatted at where she had been. Elated, the filly hastily scrambled back to her friends. "Nice going, Scootaloo!" Sweetie said proudly. "Now we wait to switch the cake!" Apple Bloom added. It was a long wait, but well worth it. At last Pinkie brought the cake out and cut the first slice for Celestia...it being Celestia's favourite. Sweetie Belle acted this time, rushing in unnoticed and swapping the plate before returning to hiding with the original cake. Which the fillies ate. "This looks delicious, Pinkie Pie!" Twilight said approvingly, smiling. All the princesses picked up thier forks and took a bite. And they all had different reactions. While Twilight, Cadence, and Luna all exclaimed in pleasure, Celestia made a terrifically ridiculous face before gagging and spitting the cake out forcefully. Pinkie's eyes went wide. "S..saltyyyyy..." Celestia gasped, grabbing for her punch. Luna studied the cake and took a teeny taste, knowing full well what to expect. "Oh my, sister!" She said in mock dismay. "Somepony gave you a salted piece of cake!" All eyes went to Pinkie Pie, who looked completely horrified. "Oh, nonono!" She said hastily. "I would never! I mean, sure, its a fun funny prank but I would never do it to you, Princess!" "Then who...?" Twilight's question was cut short by a dramatic shriek from Rarity, who pointed at Cadence. "Cadence, you have a heart! No, six! Oh how dreadful! They aren't even straight! And red clashes horribly with your coat! Twilight let out her own shriek and Cadence's mouth dropped open at the six bright red hearts. "Who did it?!" Twilight yelled. "Wait, you don't think...?" Dash started. "Don't even say it!" Applejack said. "Why, they wouldn't!" Rarity exclaimed. At that precise moment, the Crusaders lost all control and exploded into laughter, falling out of the bush they had been hiding behind. They were laughing so hard they failed to noticed the outraged looks on thier older sisters' faces. Suddenly, they were caught up in a purple glow of magic, carried several feet, and suspended in mid air in front of a very angry Twilight. "You three again!" She said furiously. "Apple Bloom, what did Ah tell you?!" Applejack demanded, marching forward and yanking her sibling down from Twilight's magic hold. Rarity caught Sweetie Belle in her own magic, seperating her from Twilight's, and shook her. "Sweetie Belle, how could you?!" She seethed. "Oh! You and I will have more than words when we arrive home, young filly!!!" Dash came and held out her hooves. Twilight huffed and dropped Scootaloo into them. Dash scowled. "Scoots, I warned you!" She said sternly. "And you did it again! I'm gonna have to keep my promise to tan your flank." "Rainbow Dash, no!" Scootaloo gasped. Dash sighed. "Sorry, kid." She said, setting the filly down. "You knew what to expect." Scootaloo locked eyes with her friends in silent communication. "Well, before ya'll drag us off to tan our flanks," Apple Bloom said. "Yeah. We did everythin'. Includin' dropping orange dye on Princess Luna and emptying four of Twilight's bookshelves." "You WHAT??!" Twilight shrieked. "You stole my books?!" "Yeah, as a prank!" Scootaloo said. Twilight stood there, visibly shaking, eyes blazing. "If any harm has come to ONE SINGLE PAGE of any book...YOU WILL BE SORRY!" she yelled. The Crusaders exchanged looks. "They're fine, Twilight." Sweetie Belle said. "We took real special care cause we know how much they mean to you." Twilight drew a breath and calmed down, and the fillies relaxed a bit. "Ah reackon we best get these fillies home." Applejack said. The fillies in question looked like they would rather go to the moon. Cadence now spoke up. "The hearts were a nice touch." She said. "Me being the Princess of Love." They giggled. And then everypony realised they weren't the only ones. Luna was in a fit of hysterical giggles as she made her way forward. "Wait, I pray." She managed. "I...I aided these fillies in thier final pranks. And I must say they were glorious!" "Sister!" Celestia sputtered. "You...you encouraged them?!" "Ah, sister." The younger of the two giggled. "They were foalish and harmless pranks. At least nothong was destroyed." "That IS true." Dash admitted. She grinned. "Aw, who am I kidding! Scoots, that...was...AWESOME!!!" She grabbed her up in a hug. "Well, I must confess it was amusing." Rarity said, with a chuckle, foreleg around Sweetie Belle. Applejack snorted and rubbed Apple Bloom's head. "Aw, shucks. Ah guess it was pretty funny." Twilight blinked and then slowly began to smile. Then laugh. Before long, even Celestia was shaking with laughter. The Crusaders looked at each other and grinned. They had successfully pulled off thier pranks, and restored thier pride and reputation. One more look at each other, and they, too, collapsed in howls of laughter.