The Everfree Forest on the edge of Ponyville was known for its strange plants, and it’s even stranger creatures. Ponies left it well enough alone, unless one of their own was in trouble or they wanted to pay the reclusive Zecora a visit.
But deep in the forest wandered the strangest creature of all: a little brown mouse named Jerry.
Jerry wasn’t like most mice. He walked upright as he strolled through the forest, flinching at every little sound coming from the brush. He’d managed to find himself a little path towards what he hoped was civilization.
What he didn’t know, however, was a dangerous predator was following close behind.
A shadow ducked behind trees and into bushes as it followed Jerry, making sure to keep just out of sight of the cautious mouse. Its yellow eyes were wide with hunger, its irises green with greed.
And then, it pounced!
Jerry narrowly dodged the clutches of a blueish-grey tomcat – named Tom of all things. He too walked upright, but for the sake of keeping pace with his nimble foe, he ran on all fours. He chased Jerry around a tree…
Only for a branch the clever mouse had held back to swing and smack him in the face. Jerry only got a few paces head start before the cat shook off the blow and continued his pursuit.
The trees grew sparser until they found themselves on the edge of the wood line. A wooden fence lay ahead of them. Jerry ducked under the lowest bar, while Tom vaulted over the top.
Their chase continued on into the endless rows of apple trees past the fence.
Pinkie Pie hummed merrily as she bounced into Twilight’s castle, a tray of freshly baked cupcakes bouncing along with her, perched precariously on top of her muzzle.
“Hey, Twilight,” she said in a singsong voice as she bounced into the Cutie Map room. Twilight was seated at her usual seat – after all, it was marked with her cutie mark. “I brought you some fresh cupcakes.”
Twilight set down the book she was reading. “Oh, thanks Pinkie. I could use a snack right about now.”
“Why are you reading in the map room? Don’t you have an entire library to read in?” Pinkie asked, her dexterous hair set the tray on the Cutie Map.
Twilight watched it, but out of experience with such Pinkie-related things said nothing. “Well, I figured I’d read in here in case there was an emergency.”
Pinkie tilted her head and popped an entire cupcake in her mouth. “Like what?”
There came a faint humming from the map as it activated, creating a holographic map of Equestria. A trio of party balloons and a trio of pink butterflies flickered into existence over Ponyville – the same party balloons glowed on Pinkie’s flank.
“Oh hey, a friendship emergency!” Pinkie remarked, glancing back at her backside.
“It looks like… you and Fluttershy. In Ponyville?” Twilight grunted as she slouched back in her seat. “Drat.”
“Don’t worry, Twilight. I’m sure the map will call you to a mission soon. Now where is—”
The door opened with a slam as a panting, flustered Pegasus flew into the room. “I-I’m here!” Fluttershy gasped. “Where’s the emergency?”
“Right here in Ponyville!” Pinkie chirped.
“Oh. That’s a relief.” Fluttershy landed next to Pinkie, quickly flushing with embarrassment. “I-I mean that it’s in town and not… abroad…” She trailed off into quiet muttering.
“Good luck you two. I’m sure you’ll be able to find it and solve it, wherever it is,” Twilight said with a reassuring smile.
As Pinkie and Fluttershy exited the room, Twilight returned to her book with a sigh. “I wonder who it could be…” she muttered to herself, glancing at the map.
Jerry slowed to a stop underneath one of the apple trees in the orchard. He peeked around the trunk, looking this way and that for the pursuing Tom. The blueish-grey cat was nowhere in sight.
With a sigh of relief, Jerry slumped against the base of the tree and slid to the ground, fanning himself with one hand. He panted as he began to take in his surroundings. Jerry didn’t recognize the orchard, nor the forest he had been in, and he wondered—
Jerry let out a startled squeak and leapt to his feet and the sudden bark right next to him.
He whirled around to find Winona standing there, eyes fixated on him. Her tail wagged excitedly at her new discovery, and she panted happily.
Cautiously, Jerry stepped forward and patted Winona on the tip of her muzzle. Winona let out another happy bark and rolled over on her back. Jerry’s shoulders relaxed as he watched the farm dog, walking over to give her a tiny belly rub.
The respite was brief as Jerry was tossed aside when Winona abruptly rolled to her paws, growling at something nearby. Jerry picked himself up and dusted himself off, peering around the tree to see what had caught her attention.
There was Tom, panting from the chase and looking around for that darn mouse. He leaned against one of the apple trees with one hand – and that slight motion was enough for a ripe red apple to dislodge and conk him on the head.
Tom let out a yelp and grumbled as he rubbed the sore spot, bending down to pick up the apple. Seeing as he lacked a mouse to eat, or anything else for that matter, Tom shrugged and polished the apple with his forearm.
Winona growled louder, bounding over and barking at the cat – who, unlike other cats, stood twice her size at least. Tom raised an eyebrow at the barking dog, holding a hand just over his head and then comparatively holding it over Winona’s, laughing at the size difference. Not caring, he went to bite the apple…
And there were two audible chomps – Tom bit the apple, and Winona bit his tail.
At the surge of pain, Tom let out a painful howl, tossing aside the apple to try and dislodge the belligerent canine.
Jerry, meanwhile, doubled over with laughter at the spectacle.
Tom overcame his pain enough to realize his nemesis was close at hand. Finally wrenching Winona off his tail, he made a beeline straight for the cackling mouse.
Jerry stopped laughing long enough to see Tom’s hateful glare bearing down on him. With a squeak of surprise, Jerry took off, with Tom close behind him and a still barking Winona close behind Tom.
The chase led towards the Apple’s barn, where Jerry saw a rake leaning up against the side. Knocking it over, Jerry rounded the corner and ducked inside the barn. Tom, taking his focus off Jerry to keep an eye on Winona, stepped on the rake’s stakes and crashed headlong into the pole.
Briefly stunned, he was just able to shake the blow off and pull his tail out of Winona’s chomping jaws before fleeing. He took a hard turn and ducked into the barn, hiding flat against the wall by the door. Winona went racing past, barking up a storm until it faded off into the distance.
Tom wiped his brow, before scowling as he scanned the barn. He swore he’d seen that mouse run in here – now where was he hiding?
Spotting a haystack nearby, Tom went over to investigate. Jerry poked his head out from under an overturned bucket. He was about to sneak out while Tom was distracted, but a tantalizing scent crossed his nose.
Nearby was a mousetrap, its trigger laden with a small chunk of cheese. Jerry smirked devilishly back towards Tom, rubbing his hands together.
After carefully plucking the cheese from the trap’s trigger and popping it into his mouth, Jerry picked up one end of the trap and dragged it over to Tom. Jerry lined up the trap with the end of Tom’s tail.
It didn’t take long before there was a resounding smack – punctuated by another howl of agony.
Tom pulled his twice-sore tail out of the mousetrap’s steely grip, growling at the giggling mouse fleeing the scene. Flaring his nostrils and clenching his fists, Tom once again chased the little cheese thief.
As they raced from the barn, they passed by Applejack and Winona – the latter barking at the retreating cat.
“Easy there, Winona,” Applejack said, tipping her hat up to better observe the chase. “Huh… how strange.”
“I wonder if Applejack has seen anything,” Pinkie remarked as she bounced up the path to Sweet Apple Acres. Fluttershy followed close behind. “Might as well start outside town and work our way in.”
Applejack was petting Winona by the fence line when she noticed the two approaching. “Howdy Pinkie, Fluttershy!” she called with a wave.
“Howdy!” Pinkie chirped.
“Hey Applejack,” Fluttershy replied. “Pinkie and I are on a Friendship Mission in town and we were wondering if you’d seen anything.”
Applejack scratched her head under her hat with a forehoof. “Enope, not that I can think of. Just a cat chasin’ a mouse. Maybe try in town?”
“Great idea, Applejack! We’ll check there next. C’mon Fluttershy!” Pinkie waved to Applejack as she turned about-face and bounced back towards town. Fluttershy gave a briefer wave before rushing to catch up to Pinkie.
Applejack waved after them until they were out of sight, then hummed in thought. “Was that cat walkin’ upright or was I seein’ things?”
Looking to Winona, her faithful dog only barked in reply.
Entering town, Jerry noticed a round building sitting all by its lonesome that vaguely reminded him of a carousel. Figuring he might be able to shake Tom inside, Jerry headed around back to the backdoor.
Fortunately, it was partially ajar, allowing him to duck inside – and allowing Tom to follow him.
Jerry ran through a kitchen area and into a room full of fabric rolls, pony-shaped mannequins, and a sewing machine. The frantic mouse was so focused on finding a hiding spot in the room that he ran into a velvet cushion – with something heavy sitting on top of it.
Just as Jerry pulled himself free, he let out a squeak of terror and quickly fled. Upon the cushion sat Opalescence, who frowned down at the mouse but didn’t bother to get up. It was too much work to chase a mouse, after all.
Tom burst into the room just as Jerry had ducked behind some rolls of fabric. His scowling eyes scanned the room before falling on Opalescence – and his pupils quickly turned into hearts.
Opalescence watched him with a raised eyebrow as he looked around the room for something to give to her, Jerry long forgotten. He quickly exited the room, and Jerry poked his head out of his hiding spot.
Tom returned with a bouquet of flowers, freshly picked from Rarity’s flowerbeds. Jerry scowled as he promptly dropped down on one knee and offered them to Opalescence – what was he, chopped liver?
Fortunately, Jerry wasn’t the only one annoyed by the gesture. Opalescence raised one paw, extended her claws, and promptly slashed Tom across the face with them.
The flowers scattered as Tom stumbled back against the rolls of fabric Jerry was hiding behind. Smirking, Jerry climbed on top of the stack and pushed the topmost roll off onto Tom – which proceeded to bury him under an avalanche of fabric.
With much scratching and clawing, Tom freed himself. His focus once again on Jerry, he chased him over to a cabinet of small drawers. The mouse ducked into one of the lower drawers, leaving Tom to search through it.
Jerry peeked out of one of the higher drawers and threw some buttons at Tom, getting his attention. As Tom looked through that drawer, Jerry hopped out of one of the lower drawers, sewing needle in hand, and promptly lodged it into Tom’s backside.
With a howl of agony, Tom leapt into the air. Grasping for something to catch, he caught the top of the cabinet – which made it fall forward. Jerry gasped and quickly ran to get clear. Tom leapt off just as it crashed to the ground, spilling some of its contents – he wound up tangled in some of the spilled fabric.
“What is going on in here?” came Rarity’s voice from another room.
Opalescence’s eyes widened and she quickly made herself scarce, leaving the dazed Tom behind.
As Rarity opened the door to her work room, she let out a shrill scream, one that caught Tom and Jerry’s attention.
“What have you done to my work room?” she said in a hoarse shriek. “Out! Out! Shoo, get out of here!”
Seeing her horn light up, Tom and Jerry quickly fled for the kitchen and out the backdoor they had come in from. Opalescence stuck her tongue out at the fleeing Tom as he passed her new seat on the kitchen table.
“Oh, what have those creatures done?” Rarity huffed, quickly using her magic to try and right some of the rolls of fabric.
“Rarity might know something,” Fluttershy said, knocking on the front door of Carousel Boutique.
Pinkie nodded next to her. “She does listen to a lot of grapevines.”
It took an unusual minute or so before Rarity opened the door. Her mane and coat seemed rather disheveled, which surprised her two friends.
“Are you alright, Rarity?” Fluttershy asked.
“Yeah, you’re looking a hair away from frazzled,” Pinkie remarked.
“Oh, I’m sorry darlings. A dreadful cat and mouse made a mess of my work room. Took me a while to set things straight,” Rarity said, flashing a tired smile. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“We’re on a Friendship Mission here in town. Seen or heard anything about anypony needing friendship?” Pinkie asked.
Rarity shook her head. “Afraid not. I’ve been rather busy as of late – and right now, I could stand to lie down. I don’t mean to be rude, but if that’s all, I think my chaise lounge is calling my name.”
“You take it easy, Rarity,” Fluttershy said with a soft smile. “We can find the friendship problem.”
Rarity nodded and quickly shut the door. As Pinkie and Fluttershy turned to leave, the former hummed with thought.
“Fluttershy, that’s the second time somepony around town has seen a cat and mouse,” Pinkie pointed out. “Do you think they’re the friendship problem?”
“Could be,” Fluttershy said. “Cats and mice don’t exactly get along very well. I guess the only way to know is to try and find them.”
“Hopefully before they trash any other boutiques.”
Pinkie and Fluttershy arrived at the Ponyville Marketplace to find it already a mess. Stalls were collapsed or knocked over, and ponies were scattering from the source of all the chaos.
Tom was chasing Jerry with a piece of firewood, swinging and smashing at the mouse, who nimbly and narrowly dodged his blows – stalls they ran past were less fortunate. Jerry, meanwhile, was carrying a piece of cheese he had pilfered from one of the stalls.
Jerry knocked a barrel full of shovels over, scattering them in Tom’s path. Pinkie and Fluttershy winced as Tom stepped onto shovel after shovel, the blade driving the handle up to smack him in the face until he was dizzy.
“You think this is the cat and mouse Applejack and Rarity mentioned?” Pinkie asked.
“Only one way to find out,” Fluttershy said. She took a deep, steadying breath, let it out, and moved forward with a stern look on her face.
As she approached the two, Tom finally managed to swoop in and snare Jerry in his paw, smirking malevolently as he brought the mouse up so they were face-to-face. He was just starting to raise the piece of firewood to smash him when—
“Hey!”
Tom and Jerry both looked at the source of the shout – Fluttershy, looking as sternly as she could muster between the two. Any ponies left knew that look in her eyes, and promptly made themselves scarce. Even Pinkie averted her eyes.
“Stop it this instant!” Fluttershy demanded. Then her eyes widened, and her teal irises focused in on the two with an overwhelming intensity.
Tom dropped Jerry out of shock, only for the little mouse to cling to his leg with a startled look on his face.
Fluttershy dropped the Stare with a huff. “Thank you.”
Pinkie walked over, looking Tom and Jerry up and down. “Fluttershy… I’ve never seen a cat and mouse like them before,” she stage whispered.
Fluttershy blinked in surprise before getting a good look at the two. “You’re right, Pinkie. But we should move this somewhere… safer.”
As a few more stalls collapsed around them, Pinkie nodded. “Good idea.”
Jerry munched happily on a piece of cheese on Fluttershy’s couch while Tom lapped at a saucer of cream greedily. Pinkie and Fluttershy stood off to the side, watching the two cautiously lest more chaos break out.
“How do you want to handle this? Good cop, bad cop?” Pinkie asked. “I’ve been working on my bad cop routine.”
“I’ll try and talk to them,” Fluttershy said, flashing her friend a smile before approaching the couch.
“Um, hello. My name is Fluttershy, and this is my Pinkie Pie.” She gestured to Pinkie, who waved at the two. “What are your names?”
Tom and Jerry looked between each other, then to Fluttershy. The Pegasus frowned as she looked between them.
“Um… I don’t think they can talk,” Fluttershy remarked.
“I got you covered!” To Fluttershy’s surprise, Pinkie rolled over a chalkboard and produced a box of chalk sticks from her mane.
“Where did you… never mind.” Fluttershy cleared her throat, turning back to Tom and Jerry. “Please, feel free to write your names on the chalkboard and tell us what happened today.”
Pinkie gave Tom and Jerry a piece of chalk and she and Fluttershy sat down on the couch as the two got up and began to write.
“So, Tom and Jerry wound up in the Everfree, went to Sweet Apple Acres, then Carousel Boutique, then the Marketplace, then here,” Pinkie said, tracking the two’s drawings and scribbles.
“And they were each really mean to each other,” Fluttershy said, rubbing her chin. “I don’t get it… wait a minute. They both came from the Everfree Forest.”
“And neither remembers how they got here,” Pinkie added with a nod.
“I think I know.” Fluttershy huffed, walking out the door. Pinkie glanced at Tom and Jerry, who both shrugged at her and the three followed her outside.
Fluttershy looked to the sky, inhaled, and shouted as loud as she could:
“Discord!”
There was a snap, and the draconequus himself appeared floating in the air, a television set floating in front of him. He glanced down at the group and huffed, snapping away the television.
“Show’s over, I suppose,” he huffed.
“Discord, did you bring Tom and Jerry here?” Fluttershy asked.
Discord floated down to her height, looking past her to the cat and mouse who awkwardly waved. He smiled back down at Fluttershy. “Why yes, I did. Things were getting a little dull around here, and ponies aren’t exactly known for their slapstick.”
“You brought them here for laughs?” Pinkie asked incredulously. “What am I, diced birthday cake?”
“Please send them back to where they came from,” Fluttershy said firmly.
“Oh… very well.” And with another snap of his fingers, Tom and Jerry vanished away.
Pinkie and Fluttershy looked to their cutie marks… only for nothing to happen.
“Wait, they weren’t the friendship problem?” Pinkie exclaimed.
“Tom and Jerry? Why no, they’re quite close friends,” Discord said, reclining back with his hands behind his head.
“But they were chasing each other, and mean to each other,” Fluttershy said with a frown.
“That’s just how they are. They’re like… dragons, I suppose. Rough and tumble, but it’s all in good fun. In fact, I’d say one wouldn’t be themselves without the other.” Discord polished his nails on his chest and examined them. “Quite enjoyable to watch, too.”
“So wait… do you know where the friendship problem is then?” Fluttershy asked.
“I think I saw Bon Bon and Lyra arguing earlier,” Discord said. “Might want to look in on it.” “We’d better get there quick!” Pinkie exclaimed, running back towards town. Fluttershy shot Discord a frown before following after her.
Discord chuckled, waving goodbye to them. “Happy hunting.”
