Chapter 3

"Hey, don't make me have tuh use these!"

Around the perimeter of the containment site, Applejack was busy keeping an earth pony from crossing the yellow ticker tape by threatening to use her world-famous bucking legs. The colt kept yelling about how Equestria was under attack by aliens, and was going hysterical. She needed to get this situation under control, and fast before other ponies joined the panic.

"You're never gonna shut down the revolution! Down with the system, down wi-"

The colt flew back, sent sprawling back away from the crowd. Applejack bucked him away from the crowd, knocking him out but not seriously injuring him. She yelled for some guards, who promptly came over and carried him away. Rainbow Dash was flying overhead when she saw what happened. She was keeping watch over the crowd, keeping pegasi from flying near the entity site, and saw Applejack buck the colt. Racing over, she dropped down next to Applejack who was staring down nearby ponies, daring them to try something else.

"Hey, AJ, what just happened?" she said hesitantly.

Applejack was still glaring at the ponies, when she said quietly, "C'mon Rainbow, we need ta talk somewhere else. Ah can't stand this anymore." Rainbow raised her eyebrows in surprise. Applejack usually wasn't the pony who quivered at the thought of doing what's needed to get done.

The two mares went off together into an alley between a shop and house. The alley had some trash cans and grime covering the ground, and most importantly they were alone, which is what Applejack wanted. She didn't want somepony eavesdropping on what she was about to say.

"Rainbow, have you ever thought that maybe whut's going on is too much for us to handle?" she said hesitantly.

"Well, you did buck that colt back over there. What was that all about?"

Applejack frowned and looked at the ground. "I don't know, ah just couldn't stop that pony from causing a ruckus. I panicked..."

Rainbow sighed. She wasn't expecting this from Applejack, and even more Applejack coming to her in the first place. The orange pony wasn't the type to doubt herself. She was the type of pony who made a plan and stuck with it. "AJ, I'm not really the best sort of pony to talk about sappy stuff like this. What I can do is tell you that I believe that you have the guts to do what's right."

“I know Rainbow, Ah just need somepony I trust to talk to right now. What we’re doing here…it…it just doesn’t feel right,” Applejack said. “In fact, nothing here feels right. What in the hay are those science ponies doing to Ponyville? They just come here, givin’ orders to whoever they feel like ‘cause they think they own the place! Ah can tell you, if they come even a foal step near Sweet Apple Acres, they got another thing comin’ to them.”

“I don’t like what they’re doing to Ponyville either, but they came with orders from Celestia herself. I think it would be best if we just stuck to their plan and help out, y’know?”

Applejack snorted and hoofed at some litter on the ground. “Ah don’t remember this alleyway being this dirty. Those Canterlot folk and ponies from out of town sure leave a mess.”

“Since Spike is out of town, I vote that we tell the Crusaders that they could get their Cutie Marks in community service,” Rainbow said with a devious smile.

Applejack gasped in faux horror. “Oh, Rainbow! That would be terrible! Abusing those poor fillies like that! In fact, why didn’t ah think of that before?”

“Imagine if they actually did get their Cutie Marks for cleaning. What would they be?” Rainbow giggled.

“Ah bet they would get dirt smudges!” she giggled back.

Both mares burst into laughter in the dark alley. From anypony walking by, they would hear high pitched evil laughter coming from a dark foreboding alleyway, as if Ponyville didn’t already have enough of the crazies going on already. Rarity happened to be walking by at that moment, searching for the rest of the Elements.

“Oh my Celestia, how dreadful! There’s an evil villain loose in Ponyville! I must gather the others at once, and tell Twilight!” Rarity moaned with wide eyes. She broke into a gallop, speeding away from the ponies she was trying to find in the first place.

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In another part of Ponyville, Pinkamena Diane Pie, or Pinkie Pie for short was doing what she does best. Making others smile, and being Pinkie Pie. It’s a long story, but Pinkie is one of those cases that you want to devote another slot to, and right now we’re focusing on the peril of Ponyville. So let’s get to it, shall we? No, we need to continue on with the story, I can’t make a break for this. No, please, don’t make me explain Pinkie Pie right now, I’m not prepared for it. I can’t. As the writer, what I say goes and I’m saying we move on over Pinkie. If you want to learn about Pinkie Pie right now then Google her for Celestia’s sake! Moving on!

Pinkie Pie was singing to a little-oh for luna’s sake, you’re never going to stop poking me until you get what you want, aren’t you…This is what kills writing these days, the need to please everybody.

*The author sighs*

You get your wish. Now shut up and sit down.

Pinkie Pie is an extraordinary Earth Pony. She boggles the minds of intellectual ponies everywhere, constantly breaking physics and foreseeing the near future with her mysterious ‘Pinkie Sense’. She can hide anywhere, undetected, waiting to spring out of her hiding place to frighten somepony. Getting the edge on Pinkie is useless, because she can see you coming seconds before you’re even there. Ask Pinkie how she does it, and she’ll talk about something else entirely, completely avoiding the subject. She’s gifted with the ability to make anypony talk about anything, even their deepest, darkest secrets. You want to know how she does it? She never shuts up, driving the victim into insanity. She’s the epitome of blabber mouths, a shoe in for the ‘Most Mentally Unstable Pony in Ponyville’ award, a blasted curse that crept out of Tartarus itself. She carries weaponry with her everywhere she goes, known as the ‘Party Cannon’. Who knows what will set her off these days. You could get blasted with lethal doses of confetti if you utter anything that conflict’s with the Law of Pink. In essence, she is the most dangerous pony who’s ever lived. Never let those big cute blue eyes and adorable bouncy pink mane throw you off. She will kill you, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Oh shit, where did my readers go? No, come back! You guys took that seriously?!? I was kidding, of course Pinkie isn’t a psychotic killer! She’s just an annoying character!

What? Whaddya mean ‘I’m losing the trust of my readers’? Pinkie IS the worst character in MLP! Only a simpleton would enjoy that disgusting song “Smile”. In fact, I’m done with My Little Pony: Friendship is Stupid! I don’t need this! I DON’T NEED THIS!

*The author screams and runs away, leaving the desk in a strange, freaky  marionette fashion*

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Up above in the star-filled Void, Discord giggles to himself and pulls on the threads controlling the author, making him paint his house in hot pink and tear his bills into shreds.

“It’s time I made some sweet chaos, it’s been far too long.”

Chortling now, Discord was now making our author use butter skates to slide on the sidewalk outside his house. He was tunnel-visioned on what he was doing that he didn’t notice Celestia clear her throat behind him. She cleared her throat and little louder and when he still didn’t hear her, she stamped her hoof and shouted, “DISCORD!’

Jumping, Discord let go of our author, leaving him eating the grass on his neighbor’s lawn in front of gawking children.

“C-Celestia! How did you find me?” he stammered.

“You didn’t think you could hide from me in the very domain I created to watch over alternate universes, did you?”

Discord gasped. “YOU made the Void? I thought it was something leftover from the Titans destroyed domain.”

“Yes, it was necessary to ensure the safety of Equestria. Nopony else knows it, but we have almost been annihilated by species seeking to conquer this planet many times, and I have recruited many powerful beings to help Equestria in it’s time of need.”

“Wow, I’m impressed actually. I didn’t know you had it in you to use innocent people to your liking, ‘Tia,” Discord said in a teasing tone.

“First of all Discord, they all agreed to help and second of all why are you abusing a poor human? I thought I told you to not create chaos! That’s what this reforming process is all about.”

“But you didn’t say I couldn’t mess with non-ponies.”

“I wasn’t being literal, and you know it. You know what the punishment is, Discord.”

Discord again gasped, only this time he did it with a whine as well. “But I hate helping the homeless!

“That’s why it’s perfect for you. It also builds character, Discord, which is something you sorely need.”

He grumbled, closing the portal to Earth. Then, something clicked in Discord. He was there this morning while Twilight ran in and gave the castle a scare with her ‘scary’ science. Celestia didn’t know it, but Discord liked to disguise himself as a Guard in the castle to fool around, and he overheard everything that went on in the throne room.

“Wait, Celestia, didn’t you say you had no idea what was going on this morning? You can’t possibly not know what that thing is that appeared in Ponyville.”

Celestia closed her eyes and said, ‘Luna knows too. That’s why I sent her along with Twilight, to make sure she can contain whatever comes next.”

“But Luna sounded even more shocked than you did. There’s no way she knew.”

“We knew what to do before Twilight came to us. It was only a matter of time, but we have been expecting this to happen. It’s important that Twilight learn how to deal with this on her own if she expects to become a full Princess, with some help from Luna. This is too dangerous of a test for her to handle on her own."

Discord slowly nodded his head. “Fascinating…can I help Twilight too?”

“No, you may not. You are being punished.”

Discord sighed. He snapped his fingers and started slowly fading into nothing. He re-appeared into a room in Canterlot Castle in a flash, followed by Celestia in a lighter flash. Looking around the room, Discord saw that it was the same dusty, dark, old room in the basement filled with bookshelves and candle. He lingered for a moment, and caught Celestia’s piercing gaze of her eyes.

“Fine, fine, I’ll get right on helping the…ugh, homeless. I don’t have to wear that silly apron again, do I?”

She nodded. Discord groaned and snapped his fingers, teleporting to the homeless shelter in a flash. Celestia grinned and cast a spell, illuminating the room in a gold glow.

Far away on Earth, our author was being arrested for disturbing the peace when he teleported back to his desk. Everything Discord did was undone, moving it back to normal. Our author felt woozy, like he was getting a head rush and shook his head. Thinking to himself about how weird that was considering he was just sitting down he made a mental note to lay off the stale Fun-Yuns and got back to work.

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Pinkie Pie was singing to a crying filly about sunshine and cupcakes in a corner of Ponyville. Eariler she was keeping Rarity company when she noticed a mother having a hard time calming her foal with all of the commotion going on. Soon the filly was asleep, sucking on a pacifier.

The mother was amazed and grateful. "Wow, thank you so much Pinkie! I don't know what went wrong, and it was driving me crazy because nothing I was doing was working. Being a first time mom is tough, y'know?"

"You said it! When I was foalsitting for the Cakes, it was a battle keeping them happy! Nothing I did first worked either, but I guess it's something that comes to you eventually."

Off in the distance, Pinkie heard somepony calling her name.

"Well, I got to go. I hope everything works out later!"

"Bye Pinkie! Thanks again!"

Pinkie smiled ear to ear and hopped away. The voice called again, and Pinkie realized that it was Rarity calling. Something sounded off in her voice, like something was wrong. Knowing Rarity, it could be that her hoof has been scratched or her eyelashes became mussed up, something silly like that. Pinkie giggled to herself and kept hopping.

Rarity met Pinkie halfway and spoke in a hurried voice, "Pinkie have you seen Fluttershy anywhere? I can't find her with the animals, and she was supposed to be there!"

"Whoa Rarity, what's the deal? I'm sure Fluttershy is perfectly safe, nothing to worry about!"

"That's not it, Pinkie. Did you know that Twilight and Luna are here in Ponyville?" Rarity queried.

Pinkie screamed in delight and bounced around Rarity. "Twilights here?!?! We should throw a welcome back party!"

"No darling, there's no time for that I'm afraid. This is serious business," Rarity said in a stern voice.

Pinkie stopped bouncing. "Geez Rarity, what's going on?"

Rarity frowned. "I think it would be best if it were explained at the library, but Twilight said to gather Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. We should split up and have them go to the library as soon as possible."

"Okie dokie Rarity! I'll find the others in no time at all!" Pinkie gave a salute with her hoof and sped off in a pink blur.

"Now, where should I start.... Maybe I should try Town Hall first," Rarity wondered out loud to herself. "Yes, Town Hall it is."

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It was 25 minutes later, and Rarity couldn't find any of the others. "Where the Tartarus did they run off to..." she grumbled. Huffing, she stomped around a corner and found Applejack and Rainbow Dash trotting away, talking to each other.

"There you are! I have been looking everywhere for you two!" she shouted.

Rainbow grunted in surprise while Applejack narrowed her brow in confusion. "Say what now? You've been looking for us? Why, what did we do?" Rainbow asked.

"You didn't do anything. Twilight's back in Ponyville, along with Luna, and they asked that we all meet at the library. It's very important we go there at once. There's somethings we all need to discuss."

"You're saying that Twilight's back, along with Princess Luna, and we didn't hear about it until now? Wow, things really are jumbled up," Applejack stated. "Did we miss anything important?"

"Yeah, I could have missed something awesome, and that's unacceptable to me!" Rainbow said with enthusiasm. "C'mon, lets go before we miss anything cool!" Rainbow started to fly off, but unfortunately a fast moving object was coming around the corner and smacked into Rainbow Dash, causing her and the large object to go sprawling on the ground.

"You really should watch where you fly darling, you could hurt somepony" said Rarity.

Rainbow was flattened underneath it. "Haha, Rarity, thanks for that helpful advice," she said in a muffled sarcastic voice.

The object turned out to be three well known filles, one of them wearing a helmet with a scooter nearby, and two of them in a wagon. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, AKA the Cutie Mark Crusaders have just collided with the best flyer in all of Equestria to Scootaloo's horror.

"Ohmygosh, Rainbow Dash, I'm so so so so sorry! I didn't see you coming!" Scootaloo apologized in a panicked voice.

"You should be apologizing to me! I think I broke my leg! I can't move it! No, wait, you're sitting on it Applebloom," Sweetie Belle groaned.

"Sorry Sweetie Belle, Ah just flew on top of it. Physics can do that, y'know," said Applebloom.

Underneath the wagon, the cyan pegasus grunted and wiggled her hooves. "Girls, I would greatly appreciate it if you could get this off me....ow..."

"Applebloom! Help me get this wagon off of Rainbow," Applejack ordered her sister.

"'Kay sis." The two Earth ponies moved the wagon off of Rainbow, freeing her from it's crushing weight. Getting up, Rainbow nursed her bruises and said, "What are you guys doing? Don't you know that it's not exactly safe right now?"

Applebloom spoke up. "We were just trying to see whatever's causing the ruckus."

"Well, you girls should head on home. Sweetie, I want no shortcuts or distractions, you go straight home," said Rarity.

The three Crusaders awwww'ed. "We want to know what's going on! We're tired of being left out!" Scootaloo whined.

"Yeah! We wanna get to do stuff! Pleeasseeee?" Sweetie Belle used her eyes of persuasion.

Rarity shook her head. "You're just not old enough. I don't think it would be safe for you to go to the site."

"I dunno Rarity, you know what these fillies are like. They'll just go ahead and go there anyway. Maybe we should being them with us to the library. To make sure they stay safe," Applejack offered.

"What? We don't want that, we wanna go to the crash site!" Applebloom exclaimed.

"That sounds like an excellent idea Applejack. Ok, new plan, you girls will come with us to Twilight's library," said Rarity.

"But-"

"No buts, you three are coming with us and that's final."

"Finally. Now c'mon, we need to get to the library right now, so I don't want you three to lag behind," Rainbow said with gusto.

The three fillies had no choice. Their powers of cuteness could not win the three mares over, and they trudged along to the library.