Joke's on You

by Lychee

Rating: everyone
Tags: Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Comedy, Slice of Life
Length: 8181

Rarity falls under the influence of the Element of Laughter

While making a new dress for Pinkie Pie, Rarity falls under the influence of the Element of Laughter. Can her friends stop her before she takes her new love of comedy too far?

Published 2012-03-12 19:04:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-04-16 07:09:45 UTC

Chapter 1

Joke’s on You

Rarity tapped her chin thoughtfully, admiring her work. It was good, yes, but was it good enough? She squinted, trying to get a different perspective. Maybe a little more lace around the collar would do it. Her horn began to glow, a roll of lace rising from the nearby table, before slowly sinking back down. No, that would be tacky. Lace was out this season anyway. She was probably already pushing it as it was. Something else then. But what?

“Oh! It should be pink again! Can we make it pink again? Or wait! Maybe even MORE pink than last year!”

“Pinkie please,” Rarity sighed. “I am trying to think. Please just stand there for a moment. This needs to be perfect if we’re going to make a good showing at the Gala this year, especially after we made such foals of ourselves the last time we were invited. And besides, there’s plenty of pink on it already.”

“But—!”

Rarity held up a hoof, silencing Pinkie before she could get started again. It had taken long enough to get her calmed down to the point Rarity could get her into the dress, the last thing she needed now was for Pinkie to get overexcited and ruin all her hard work.

“No buts, Pinkie. I need everything to be just so if I am going to create the perfect dress for you, and I am determined to make the Gala a smashing success this year,” Rarity said, rubbing a hoof against her temple in an attempt to fight back the inevitable headache that working with Pinkie Pie brought on.

Rarity would liked to have been able to say her motivation was purely selfless, but even she had to admit that wasn’t true. She had never really been able to get over the sting of last year’s Gala. She just hoped her outburst wouldn’t come back to bite her. Her cheeks tinged pink at the memory of her ‘date’ with Blueblood. If she never saw him again it would be just fine.

The Gala hadn’t been a complete disaster at least. While at the donut shop, Twilight had told her that she had received several compliments on her dress. Rarity hadn’t thought too much about it at the time, but those compliments had been from very fashion-conscious and influential ponies. Another trip to the Gala would give her a chance to show off her work to Equestria’s elite. She’d just have to make sure she had realistic expectations this time.

“Pinkie Pie please hold still!” Rarity begged. “Those stitches aren’t finished yet and if you keep hopping around you’ll ruin them!”

Pinkie stopped hopping, freezing in mid air before gently landing back on the ground. “Oh, sorry Rarity, I just get super-duper-extra excited when I think about how much better this Gala is going to be than the last one! I mean, come on, how stuffy can you get? I’ve got some great ideas to show those crabby old ponies how to have a real Pinkie Pie party!”

“Yes yes, of course dear,” Rarity said absently, holding up another sheet of fabric next to Pinkie’s coat, “Now please hold still, and put your necklace back on, I need to make sure the gem doesn’t clash with the ones on the collar.”

Pinkie dug a hoof into her mane, rummaging around for a moment before pulling out the necklace that held the Element of Laughter and fasting it around her neck. After the fiasco with Discord, Princess Celestia had decided to entrust the Elements to the safekeeping of their bearers. Discord had proven that any force powerful enough to require the Elements would likely not be stopped by the countermeasures the Princess had put in place, and it would be beneficial to have them close at hoof, should the need arise.

As far as Rarity was concerned, it just meant she had the perfect accessories for this year’s gowns. Designing the dresses around the Elements gave her inspiration, as well as being a great way to display each of her friends’ character. Not to mention the fact that nopony else would have anything like them; they were sure to draw all kinds of praise. She got excited just thinking about it!

“Perfect!” she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling, “Oh this is simply marvelous! The necklace makes it all come together perfectly! I simply cannot wait for the Gala!”

“It’s great!” Pinkie squealed as she posed in front of the mirror, “It’s got everything! Balloons and frills and pink and sparklies! In something like this I bet I can have at least a hundred times more fun than last year!”

“Well I’m glad you like it Pinkie Pie, and I appreciate you modelling it for me. It certainly helps to have the client present when the dress in being made, provided they keep their creative suggestions to themselves,” Rarity said. “Now be a dear and get undressed, I need to do some more stitching before the dress will be ready for proper wear.”

“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie replied, hopping out of the dress with a single leap, “I’m gonna head back to Sugar Cube Corner, I’m babysitting Pumpkin and Pound Cake today! Mr. and Mrs. Cake said I can take them to the park, so I have to pack lunch and toys and diapers and snacks and-”

“Well then you’d better get going!” Rarity said, eager to cut off the excitable pink pony, “Maybe you can take them to visit Fluttershy after the park. She’d love to see them, and I’m sure they’d love all the animals. Just so long as they don’t bother Angel.”

“Oh my gosh!” Pinkie gasped. “That’s a great idea! I haven’t been to see Fluttershy in ages! I gotta go get ready, thanks again Rarity I’ll see you later!” Pinkie called as she dashed out the door in a pink blur.

Rarity shook her head, her horn glowing as she levitated Pinkie’s dress and put it back on one of her mannequins. Sometimes she worried about that pony. Nothing ever seemed to stick to her, probably getting lost in that frizzy pink mane of hers. Of course, that was part of her charm, but it could get to be a bit much after awhile.

Something caught her eye and she looked down, noticing Pinkie’s Element of Laughter necklace lying on the floor. “Oh really Pinkie Pie,” she sighed, picking it up, “Only you would forget something so important. I guess I’ll have to hold onto it until you come back for it. Celestia only knows when that will be. Honestly, I almost think the Princess would have been better off keeping your element in her safekeeping given how you treat it.”

She levitated the pendant over to the small, jewel-encrusted chest she used to store her own necklace. At least it would be in good company here; she could only imagine where Pinkie Pie kept it. Most likely she just tossed it on the floor when she got home. Rarity could hardly imagine such careless handling of something so precious.

As she made to put Pinkie’s pendant away Rarity paused, admiring it. It really was beautiful. The blue gem was the perfect compliment to the pink pony’s sky blue eyes. Rarity’s necklace was the same lovely purple as her mane, but the blue of Pinkie’s was startling in its intensity.

Rarity took a furtive glance around the shop. Confident that nopony else was around, she closed the door and put on Pinkie’s necklace. There wasn’t anything wrong with admiring somepony’s jewelry, but she had her pride and it just wouldn’t do for Pinkie to come back and see Rarity wearing her necklace. She doubted the party pony would mind, but still.

“Oh my, Rarity look at you,” She said, stepping in front of the mirror, “Why the color is absolutely perfect for you! I can’t believe I never noticed it before.” She grabbed a boa of matching color and wrapped it around her neck, doing a little spin for flare.

Rarity struck a pose, batting her eyelashes at her reflection. “I can’t imagine how Pinkie Pie could leave something so beautiful behind. It’s simply criminal! I’ll have to give her a proper pranking for forgetting it.”

She blinked. Now where had that come from? She had never pranked anypony before. It wasn’t that she didn’t have a sense of humor, but she had always found such activities lacked grace and dignity. Besides, getting into a prank war with Pinkie Pie was the last thing any sane pony would want to do. She shook her head, trying to clear it of the strange thoughts. Perhaps she had been spending too much time around Pinkie Pie. Her excitable pink friend had been very helpful while she had been working on the dress, but a pony could only stand so much of the girl before they started to go a bit loony themselves.

“I know just the thing too,” She said, examining a minuscule scuff on her hoof, “A visit to Aloe and Lotus is just what I need to get myself back to being one-hundred percent fabulous.”

She had missed her regular visit to the spa with Fluttershy, and had been so busy she hadn’t managed to make a trip on her own. It would be nice to relax, and to see the twins again. She didn’t see them around Ponyville that often, but she considered the two close friends. She couldn’t wait to tell them about Pinkie’s antics over the last several days. They always got a kick out of stories about the pink pony. She would have to convince Pinkie Pie to accompany her on one of her trips someday.

Rarity giggled, her mind conjuring up images of Pinkie Pie bouncing around the spa, trying to convince the twins to party with her while they in turn tried to contain Pinkie and her boundless stores of energy. Her giggles turned into a full on laugh as she continued to conjure up images of an enthusiastic Pinkie Pie turning the quiet spa into her personal party palace, and moments later she was rolling on the floor, howling with laughter.

It wasn’t until she rolled into her work table, sending her supplies crashing to the ground around her, that she managed to stop laughing. She giggled again, wiping a tear from her eye as she crawled out from under a roll of pink fabric.

“Oh my, I haven’t laughed like that in ages!” she said, still fighting back giggles as she stood on shaky hooves, “Maybe Pinkie Pie really does have the right idea after all. Maybe I just need to loosen up a little, enjoy a joke every now and then! Why, all I do is work! That is simply no way for a pony to live, and it gets to be such a bore.”

She caught sight of herself in the mirror and gasped. Her normally perfect mane was frizzy and unkempt, random strands sticking out at odd angles and giving the impression she had just gotten a rather nasty static shock.

“Oh my, this simply won’t do at all! Where is my comb? Oh I can’t believe I let my precious mane get so...so...” She stopped, biting her lip in an attempt to stifle the laugh that she could feel coming on. Her mane just looked so funny. “Well...maybe this isn’t so bad. No, in fact I think I rather like it! A new look for the new, fun-loving Rarity! I simply cannot wait to show my friends how much fun I can be!”

A mischievous grin crept onto her face. “And I know just who to visit first.”

Applejack looked down at the picnic table, staring hard at the assortment of apples on display. Nearby, Winona chased a squirrel into the barn, barking playfully as she pursued her quarry. Applejack ignored the commotion. This was important. Every kind of apple grown on Sweet Apple Acres was displayed on the table. Slowly, her eyes drifted across the apples, each a perfect example of its kind. With a swift motion, she pointed to one of them.

“Gala!” A tiny voice cried out, eliciting a small smile from Applejack. Quickly, she pointed to another. Then another, speeding up as the answers came.

“Red Delicious!”

“Braeburn!”

“Granny Smith!”

“Golden Delicious!”

“Honey cris- wait, no, Cripps Pink!”

Applejack smiled widely. “Well shucks Applebloom,” she said, walking around the table and messing up her little sister’s hair, “You sure do know yer apples! I bet you’ll be a shoo-in fer the foal games at this year’s reunion!”

“Ah can’t wait!” Applebloom said, a wide smile on her face as she hopped up and down in excitement, “Ah can’t wait to show the whole family what Ah can do!”

Applejack couldn’t help but chuckle. Applebloom always looked forward to the Apple family reunions, especially now that she was old enough to participate in the games they held for some of the younger ponies. Truth be told, the games were less of a way to test the youngster’s skills and knowledge, and more of a way to keep them busy while the older ponies caught up and talked apples. But they always seemed to enjoy them, and Applebloom was certainly taking the competition seriously.

“Well Ah’m sure they’ll all be as proud of you as Ah am,” Applejack said. “Now why don’t you head on into Ponyville and do some crusadin’ with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle? I got some work left to do gettin’ the barn ready.”

“Sure thing sis!” Applebloom called as she took off down the dirt road leading into town.

“Make sure yer back in time fer dinner!” Applejack shouted after her. She heard a distant ‘Okay!’ and shook her head, still smiling. She didn’t remember having that much energy when she was a filly.

She set back to work cleaning the barn. She had considered asking Applebloom to help, but she had been working so hard on getting ready for the Apple Games that Applejack didn’t think it would be fair to ask the filly to spend her afternoon cleaning out a dusty old barn. Of course, the fact that Applebloom was more of a hindrance than a help when it came to cleaning certainly contributed to her decision. Much as she loved her, that filly couldn’t keep focused long enough to clean her plate, let alone the whole barn.

Besides, it wasn’t like cleaning the barn was an exceptionally difficult task, especially not for a pony as hardworking as she was. Why, she had harvested fully half of Sweet Apple Acres all by herself when Big Macintosh had been too injured to help. Of course, she had been forced to accept the help of her friends in the end to finish the job, but still. She may have learned a lesson about asking for help, but she wasn’t about to bother her friends over something this small.

It was past midday when she finally finished, leaving the barn practically good as new. It had taken a little longer than she had thought. There had been a sizable amount of confetti in the corners of the barn; remnants of one of Pinkie’s parties no doubt. Stepping outside, Applejack let out a sigh of relief as a breeze hit her, the air cool against her sweaty coat. She was no stranger to hard work, but that barn could get mighty stuffy in the middle of a hot day, and she was relieved to be back outside.

She was just about to head out to the orchard to help Big Macintosh when something caught her eye around the edge of the barn. She turned her head, trying to catch it. She thought she saw something duck around the corner, but she wasn’t sure.

“Is anypony there?” Applejack asked, walking over to peer around the corner. Nothing.

“Huh,” she said, scratching the back of her head with a hoof, “Ah coulda sworn Ah saw somethin’.”

Applejack dismissed it with a shrug. It was probably nothing. Squinting up at the beating sun, she walked over to the nearest apple tree and took a seat in its shade, heaving a contented sigh. It sure felt good to get out of the sun. She yawned, her eyes heavy. She felt strangely tired. Most days she could buck apples from dawn ‘til dusk and still be ready for a romp through the Everfree Forest, but for whatever reason, she was feeling exhausted already. Maybe it was the stifling heat of the barn, but a nap was sounding like a mighty fine idea.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, a voice rattled on about all the work that was left to be done. How could she even be thinking about sleeping? But the voice was distant and fading fast, a mere whisper. Applejack yawned again. It was becoming nearly impossible to keep her eyes open, and the nagging voice from before had been replaced by a new, much more insistent voice, urging her to sleep, to rest. She thought she heard soft giggling somewhere nearby, but then sleep took her, and she was lost in dreams.

There were few things Twilight Sparkle enjoyed more than immersing herself in a good book. Back when she lived in Canterlot, she had done little else, much to the chagrin of Princess Celestia. Her other instructors at Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns hadn’t had any complaints, though Twilight suspected that had more to do with her results in class than with their support of her lifestyle choices. Princess Celestia had been the only one to actively encourage her to get out and make friends, advice she had ignored until it had been forced upon her.

A furious scratching sound filled the room as she took notes, her quill floating in the precise grip of her magic as she studied the pages of an old and dusty tome. Twilight narrowed her eyes, the quill pausing as she inspected a faded passage. There was always so much to learn. She no longer attended any formal lectures; the responsibility of her education fell entirely on her own shoulders. It was a responsibility she accepted gladly, and took very seriously. Her special talent was magic after all, and she was the bearer of the Element of Magic, it simply wouldn’t do for her to be lax in her studies.

A pounding at the door interrupted her train of thought. There were times she missed the peace and quiet of her room in Canterlot. Nopony ever came knocking there, and she was free to read to her heart’s content.

“Spike!” she called, trying to tune out the knocking, “Can you get the door please?”

Her only answer was a loud snore coming from the direction of Spike’s bed. Twilight rolled her eyes. Spike certainly didn’t seem to have any trouble keeping to his old lifestyle.

The pounding came again, more insistent this time. Twilight sighed and closed her book.

“Coming, coming,” she said, hurrying to the door, “Can I help you-”

She stopped, her eyes widening as she took in the sight of her visitor. It was Applejack, or at least she thought it was Applejack. She had an orange coat like Applejack, and she was wearing a hat just like Applejack’s hat. But Applejack didn’t usually look so, well, girly. Her mane was done up in several small pigtails, each tied off with a different color of bow. Her eyelashes were curled enough to give Rarity a run for her money. She was sporting a thick layer of bright pink lipstick, and the amount of eyeshadow she was wearing was almost comical.

“Oh, hi Applejack,” Twilight said, eventually finding her voice and letting her friend in, “That’s a, uh, interesting look for you. What’s the occasion?”

Applejack’s cheeks flushed, the pink hue accentuated by the copious amounts of blush already on her cheeks. “Ah’ll tell ya what the occasion is,” she said, stamping her hoof on the floor, “This is mah two-prankster-mares-are-about-to-get-a-whuppin’ makeup!”

“So Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash are up to their old tricks again? I guess that would make much more sense. I must admit, I didn’t think I’d ever see you of all ponies looking like this,” Twilight said with a smile.

“Well believe me it ain’t by choice.” Applejack took a seat on the library floor and began fiddling with her new hair ties. “Now don’ get me wrong, Ah enjoy a good joke as much as the next pony, but this here is goin’ too far. Ah got work to do, and Ah can’t be runnin’ around Ponyville lookin’ like this!”

“Well you know those two. They may pull a prank here and there, but it’s all in good fun. Really, there’s no sense in getting yourself so worked up over a harmless prank,” Twilight said. Applejack was usually one of the most sensible ponies she knew. It wasn’t like her to get upset over a little joke, even if it was at her expense.

“Harmless nothin’,” Applejack snorted. “Ah thought it was just another one of their usual pranks ‘til I tried to wash it off. Dang stuff won’t come off! Ah tried everythin’ I could think of, and Ah ain’t had any luck at all. Hay, I can’t even get the dang bows out of mah mane!”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, taking a closer look at Applejack’s cosmetics, “They look like regular bows to me.”

“Well they ain’t, at least so far as Ah can tell. That’s why Ah came here, Ah thought you could use some of your magic to get them undone. Ah’m all out of ideas. It don’t help none that Ah’ve never worn ‘em before either. Ah’d have gone to Rarity, seein’ as how fru-fru stuff like this is her thing, but Ah don’t think Ah could stand her reaction if she saw me like this.”

“Hmm, well let me take a look,” Twilight said. She took a seat behind the farmer, enveloping one of the bows in her magic aura. Basic item manipulation was one of the first skills any unicorn learned. Untying a knot was a task any young unicorn could do. Focusing, Twilight attempted to undo the bow. However, no matter how she pulled at it, it refused to come undone.

She released the bow, rubbing a hoof on her chin thoughtfully. Well it was certainly not attached in the conventional manner. There was definitely something off about it, but something else was nagging at her. There was something so familiar feeling about it, something she couldn’t quite place.

Applejack shifted uncomfortably. “Anythin’?” she asked, craning her neck to look at Twilight.

“Hmm, maybe,” Twilight said, a sudden thought occurring to her, “Let me try something else.”

Her horn began to glow again. A thin ribbon of light leapt from the tip of her horn and enveloped the bow she had attempted to untie before. The light settled, and after a moment flashed pink before disappearing. Twilight smiled.

“Well?” Applejack asked, tense, “Did ya figure it out?”

“I think so,” Twilight said with a chuckle, “I’ve seen this before, but it’s been a long time. It looks like the ‘stay-stuck’ spell. I used to see it a lot when I was a filly in school. It’s certainly not the most mature spell, but a lot of the unicorns liked to use it to get back at each other.”

“Spell?” Applejack asked with obvious confusion, “But only unicorns can use magic. Ah know Pinkie Pie’s a little off, but even she can’t use magic.”

“True,” Twilight said. “It’s certainly odd that you would be the victim of a prank involving magic.”

“So, what?” Applejack asked, frowning, “You think it was somepony besides those two?”

“Well I wouldn’t rule it out,” Twilight said, tapping a hoof to her chin thoughtfully, “Pinkie Pie’s pranks have always been harmless, she’d never do something she didn’t think you’d find funny. But I wouldn’t put it past Rainbow Dash to up the ante, so to speak, especially where you’re concerned. You two have always had a bit of rivalry and she might have thought this was a good way to get back at you for something. She’d have had to recruit a unicorn though, and I can’t think of any in Ponyville that would be willing to pull a prank on you.”

“Nah, Ah don’t think so,” Applejack said, shaking her head and causing her pigtails to bob, “Ah’ve known Rainbow a long time, and she ain’t one to beat around the bush if she’s got a problem. And she’d for sure have trouble getting anyone besides Pinkie Pie to help her with something like this. But if it wasn’t them, then who? Ah gotta say, if some stranger thinks they can get away with doin’ this then they’ve got another thing comin’.”

“Well how did it happen?” Twilight asked, “Was it there when you woke up this morning? If you don’t know who did it then it must have happened while you were asleep.”

“Well I was workin’ on cleanin’ up the barn,” Applejack said, rubbing her chin in thought, “We’ve got the Apple family reunion comin’ up next week. It’s actually cousin Braeburn’s turn to host, but most of the family can’t make it all the way out to Appleoosa, so we offered to host again.”

“So what happened, did you fall asleep in the barn?”

“Nah, I finished up and went outside to get some fresh air,” Applejack said. “It gets mighty hot in that barn when the sun’s out. Now let’s see. Ah remember feelin’ tired, more tired’n usual. Ah think Ah mighta saw somethin’ around the barn, but Ah ain’t sure. Ah was supposed to go do some other work, helpin’ out Big Macintosh, but Ah was so tired Ah think Ah fell asleep under one of the apple trees. When Ah woke up mah face felt funny, so I went to check in one of the water barrels, an’ that’s when Ah saw all this.” Applejack gestured to her face.

“Hmm, well it sounds like whoever you think you saw by the barn might have done it. And you’ve just described the classic symptoms of a sleep spell, which would lend more credence to the theory that we’re looking for a unicorn,” Twilight reasoned. “I suspect Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were probably not involved, given the nature of the prank. They also probably would have admitted to it by now if it was them. But I’m afraid I have no idea who it would be. I think we should go find Pinkie Pie. She knows every pony in Ponyville, she might know if any other ponies are notorious pranksters.”

“Uh, can’t you fix this first?” Applejack asked hopefully, “Ah ain’t too keen on wanderin’ around Ponyville lookin’ like a rodeo clown.”

Twilight shook her head. “I’m afraid not Applejack, but don’t worry about it. The spell is timed. It’ll disappear on its own soon and you’ll be good as new. It’s a harmless spell, just a little embarrassing.”

“Dang,” Applejack sighed, “Ah was afraid you were gonna say that. Good to know Ah ain’t gonna have to live with this forever though; Ah wasn’t relishin’ the thought of explain’ this to the family. We better get on over to Sugar Cube Corner and talk to Pinkie. Course, if she did have somethin’ to do with this Ah might have to give her a ride in her taffy machine.”

The sun glittered off of the blue gem of the Element of Laughter. The dazzling light of the gem sparkled in Rarity’s eyes as she admired it, comfortably seated in the boughs of one of Applejack’s apple trees. It really did shine magnificently. It was a wonder Pinkie Pie could have ever forgotten something so beautiful, but then again, Pinkie Pie had never had much taste. She certainly couldn’t understand beauty like Rarity could. It was hard to hold that against her though, few ponies understood the subtle nature of aesthetics as well as she did.

Comedy though, there was something! Rarity had never really considered it before, but pranks were quite fun. Certainly much more so than she had ever imagined. To think, she had spent all that time turning her nose up at the antics of Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. She could remember getting very worked up about some of their pranks, but it was getting harder and harder to remember why.

“I used to be such a fuddy duddy,” she said, putting the necklace back around her neck, “But no more! From now on, Rarity will be the one laughing!”

She giggled, thinking about her first prank. The execution had gone far better than she had hoped. It was unfortunate that Applejack hadn’t been able to see the humor in it. It was a shame, really. She had put a lot of work into that prank. She hadn’t used the stay-stuck spell since she was a filly, and it had been ages since she had used a sleep spell. Just like Applejack to completely overreact.

That didn’t mean it hadn’t been worth it though. Rarity couldn’t contain her laughter at the memory of Applejack’s face when she had seen her reflection. It was too much! Rarity had been afraid she’d give away her hiding place, she’d been laughing so hard. Fortunately, Applejack had been too preoccupied trying to get the makeup off to notice her.

“Haha! Oh my Applejack, but you do make such a fine lady!” Rarity cackled. She tumbled out of the tree and landed in a heap, her eyes spinning as she chuckled. The contents of her saddle bags spilled out around her. Lip stick, mane clips, hoof polish, eye shadow; everything she had thought she might need. She bit her lip, trying to stifle the laughter. Her sides hurt she’d been laughing so hard. She ignored the leaves in her mane, and levitated the items back into her bag as carefully as she could. Her magic was behaving a bit more erratic than usual, and one of her tubes of lipstick rocketed out of her grip, soaring high into the air.

“Oh my, I guess I don’t know my own strength,” she said, watching as the lipstick disappeared into the sky.

When it showed no signs of returning to earth, she turned her attention back to her things, her eyes settling on a bottle of mane dye. Strange, she didn’t remember packing that. Slowly, a smile crept its way onto her face and her eyes shone with mirth. Well, maybe it was time to pay a visit to another one of her friends.

Chapter 2

Joke’s on You

chapter two

Rarity whistled a jaunty tune to herself as she hopped down the road that led away from Sweet Apple Acres and back towards Ponyville. Having determined her next course of action, she took a fork in the road, one that would lead her around the outskirts of the the town rather than through it. She didn’t want her friends to find her and spoil the surprise after all.

Besides, Rainbow Dash was a creature of habit. It was early afternoon now, the perfect time to catch her napping. Rarity couldn’t help but roll her eyes and giggle at the thought of Rainbow Dash sprawled out and snoring on a cloud somewhere. Getting to Applejack had at least taken a little finesse; casting a sleep spell on the farmer unnoticed had been no easy task. But Rarity Suspected Rainbow Dash would be a much easier target. It was simply a matter of timing.

Halfway around Ponyville, Rarity spotted a tuft of rainbow hair poking out over the edge of a cloud not too far off the trail. Grinning, she carefully made her way over to it. It certainly looked like Rainbow Dash was sleeping. The cloud hadn’t moved for a few minutes; much longer than Rarity had ever known Rainbow Dash to stay in one place without fidgeting. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to be sure.

“Oh Rainbow, Rainbow Daaash,” Rarity called in a singsong voice, careful to keep her voice just loud enough to be heard but not loud enough to wake a sleeping pony, “Are you up there?”

There was no reply. Rarity waited for a moment before calling again.

“I know you’re there Rainbow Dash. I just thought I would stop by and let you know that the Wonderbolts have absolutely atrocious fashion sense, and their flying is nothing special either.”

Rarity tensed, ready to flee at the first sign of a reaction. But besides a twitch of the rainbow tail hanging off the cloud, there was none. Well that settled it, she thought, letting out a breath. If that hadn’t gotten the pegasus’ attention then she was sleeping soundly indeed. Good thing too. She didn’t exactly want to get into a physical confrontation with Rainbow.

Rummaging through her saddle bags, Rarity withdrew the bottle of mane dye she had discovered earlier. As soon as she had seen it she knew who it would be perfect for. She squinted up at the cloud Rainbow Dash was sleeping on. That just left the problem of getting to her. She couldn’t just fly up there, she didn’t have wings. Not anymore at least.

She scratched her chin with a hoof, thinking carefully. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her and she let out an excited gasp. If she couldn’t go up to Rainbow Dash, then she’d just have to bring Rainbow Dash down to her. She began to focus her magic, her horn glowing brightly. She winced as her horn sparked and the magic fizzled.

“Oh really now horn, I know you can do better than that,” Rarity said with a huff. She took a deep breath and tried again, doing her best to focus. This time, she managed to grasp the cloud with her magic. She gave it a gentle tug and the cloud rocketed down towards the ground, leaving Rainbow Dash behind for a moment before she began to fall. Rarity barely managed to contain a cry as Rainbow Dash fell, landing on the cloud with a muted thud.

Rarity’s heart hammered in her chest as she waited for Rainbow Dash to wake up. However, the pegasus merely grumbled in her sleep and rolled over. Rarity let out a sigh of relief. That had been too close. But why had the spell reacted so violently? Telekinesis was so basic every unicorn could do it, so what had happened?

She tried picking up a nearby stone and tested her grip. The stone vibrated as though under tremendous pressure. Strange, she thought, releasing the stone and letting it fall to the ground. Normally when she performed that spell, it felt as if whatever she held was being cradled by a silk pillow, guided carefully by her skilled touch. But for whatever reason, the spell she had just performed felt as though she had gripped the stone in a steel vice and pulled it with all her might.

It was odd, but she shrugged it off. These sorts of things tended to sort themselves out, and she had more pressing matters to attend to. Looking down at the sleeping Rainbow Dash, her eyes shined and her smile spread from ear to ear.

“Rainbow Dash, you are simply going to love your new look.”

Applejack pulled her hat down and stared at her hooves as she and Twilight walked through Ponyville, trying to hide the blush spreading across her powdered cheeks. She could hear the giggles of the other ponies as they walked by, and it was all she could do to keep herself from hightailing it back to the farm.

“Twilight, are ya’ll sure you can’t just do some of your hocus pocus and at least get it so Ah can walk around town without other ponies laughin’ at me?” she asked. Applejack wasn’t normally one to be embarrassed about her appearance, but she wasn’t usually made up like a filly’s doll either.

“It’s not ‘hocus pocus,’ Applejack,” Twilight replied. “Unicorn magic is an incredibly delicate and complicated science. The stay-stuck spell is designed to dissipate after a certain amount of time. I’m sure a counterspell exists, but it would take longer for me to find and learn it than for us to just wait for the effects to wear off.”

“Alright, Ah get it,” Applejack said with a resigned sigh, “Ah’ll just have to show a little patience Ah guess. Ah’m used to being covered in dirt and mud; that kinda thing comes with bein’ a farmer and there ain’t no shame in it. But Ah ain’t had much experience with this make-up business, and Ah would’ve preferred to keep it that way.”

Twilight chuckled. “Well I can’t say I’ve ever been much for getting all dressed up either. As Princess Celestia’s protege, I had to attend a fair number of functions in Canterlot requiring formal dress. I never really enjoyed doing it though. It seemed like a lot of effort to go through just for the sake of appearances. But tradition is tradition I suppose, and I wouldn’t have wanted to bring shame to the Princess.

“Well Ah ain’t sayin’ it don’t have its place,” Applejack said as the pair made their way through Ponyville square, “Even Ah can see that. Rarity gets enough business that it’s obviously somethin’ some folks are lookin’ for. Ah just ain’t comfortable with it, never have been.”

Nearby, a passing earth pony did a doubletake when he caught sight of Applejack, tripping over his hooves and tumbling to the ground. Applejack scowled and pulled her hat down as tightly as she could. She kept a sharp eye out as they headed towards Sugar Cube Corner. As embarrassing as it was to walk around town looking as ridiculous as she did, she knew most ponies respected her enough not to say anything. She could hardly blame them for being surprised or for letting out the occasional chuckle. But the last thing she wanted was for Applebloom to see her looking like this. That filly would never let her hear the end of it, and if she was out crusading with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo there was no telling where she was now.

The pair rounded a bend and the welcome sight of Sugar Cube Corner’s candy cane arches and frosted windows came into view. The bell over the door rang as they entered and the colorful earth pony behind the counter looked up from frosting a tray of cupcakes, a warm smile gracing her face.

“Well hello Twilight, Applejack! It’s good to see you...” Mrs. Cake trailed off, catching sight of Applejack, “Oh my. What happened to you dear?”

“It’s a long story,” Twilight cut in before Applejack could reply, “We were actually looking for Pinkie Pie. Is she around?”

“No, I’m afraid Pinkie Pie is out with the little ones today,” Mrs. Cake said. “I must admit, we were more than a little apprehensive the first time we let her look after Pound and Pumpkin, but Pinkie has proven herself to be a quite wonderful babysitter. We had a large catering order come in today and Pinkie took took the children to the park. She said something about taking them to visit Fluttershy afterwards, but who knows when that will be. You know Pinkie Pie; she’s so excitable she could get distracted by anything.”

“Thank you,” Twilight said with a smile, “We’ll get out of your mane and let you get back to work. Hopefully we’ll be able to find Pinkie at Fluttershy’s cottage.”

Mrs. Cake looked back to Applejack, whose displeasure with the situation was evident on her face. “I’m sorry if Pinkie has caused you any trouble Applejack, you know how she can be. I know that girl can get a little carried away, but she doesn’t mean any harm by it.”

“Ah don’t think Pinkie’s behind this one Mrs. Cake,” Applejack replied. “Ah thought it mighta been her and Rainbow Dash, but it looks like we’re lookin’ for somepony else. A unicorn, accordin’ to Twilight.”

“Oh my,” Mrs. Cake said, her eyes wide, “A unicorn prankster could be trouble. Those two can cause enough mischief on their own. I can’t imagine what they might get up to if they had a unicorn with them.”

“Well, hopefully Pinkie can give us some answers,” Twilight said. “I’m not too crazy about that prospect either, but it looks like we might have someone troublesome on the loose.”

Just as the pair turned to leave, a violent crash sounded from behind them and the door flew open to reveal a blue-white streak hurtling towards them through the air. Twilight shouted, scrambling to get out of the way but was bowled over and crashed into Applejack, sending the whole lot of them tumbling to the ground in a heap. The room spun as she looked up to see the concerned face of Mrs. Cake looking down at her.

“I’m okay,” Twilight said in a slurred voice, her eyes spinning, “Gonna be just fine. Gimme a second.”

“Aw man,” a familiar voice groaned. “When are ponies gonna learn not to stand so close to doors?”

Applejack stood shakily to her feet. She shook her head, trying to clear the fuzziness left over from the collision. “Ah’ll have you know we were standin’ just as far from the door as we could be Rainbow Dash. Y’all just need to learn how to control your flyin’ before you wreck the whole of Ponyville.” She turned to glare at her friend, but her eyes widened as they landed on the cyan pegasus standing and dusting herself off. “Landsakes! What in the hay happened to you Rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow Dash’s normally vibrant rainbow mane was nowhere to be found. In its place was a mane of the purest white. Twilight stood, her mouth agape. Rainbow Dash placed almost as much pride in her characteristic colors as she did in her flying skills. Twilight never would have come out and said it, but Rainbow Dash’s vanity could rival Rarity’s at times.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight exclaimed, rushing to her friend’s side, “What happened to you? Your mane is white!”

“Yeah, I noticed,” Rainbow Dash replied, rolling her eyes, “Now where’s Pinkie Pie? I need her to tell me how to get my mane back to normal. Oh, I’m gonna get her good for this one. I didn’t think she had the guts to pull something like this.”

“Well Ah hate to be the bearer of bad news,” Applejack said, getting over her initial surprise, “But Pinkie ain’t here, and if Ah had to wager Ah’d bet that she weren’t the one to make your mane look like chicken feathers.”

“I think you’re right Applejack,” Twilight said. “It looks like whoever is responsible for your condition got to Rainbow Dash too.”

“Eh? What are you guys talking about?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking from Twilight to Applejack. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers and her body began to shake with barely contained laughter. She collapsed on the floor in hysterics, tears pouring from her eyes. “Haha! Oh man Applejack, what the hay happened to you? Did you lose a bet with Rarity or something?”

Applejack just sighed, shaking her head. Just like Rainbow Dash to find time to poke fun at her despite her own situation. She waited nearly a full minute for Rainbow’s fit of laughter to subside before responding.

“Yeah it’s very funny Rainbow Dash, but if ya’ll think you can manage to get a hold of yourself we need to find out who did this to us. Ain’t no way Ah’m letting some upstart unicorn get away with doing this to me and mah friends.”

Rainbow Dash managed to calm herself enough to stand again, though she couldn’t help the occasional snicker. “So, what? It wasn’t Pinkie Pie? But we always prank each other! I mean, yeah this is a little extreme, but what makes you think it was a unicorn?”

“Applejack woke up with these cosmetics applied to her face and mane, and has so far been unable to remove them,” Twilight said. Mrs. Cake, who had managed to duck behind the counter to avoid getting caught up in Rainbow Dash’s entrance, shot the pegasus an exasperated look as she reset the door in place, “It’s a spell I’ve seen before, but only a unicorn is capable of casting it. Whatever else she may be, Pinkie is no unicorn.”

“Really?” Rainbow Dash asked, narrowing her eyes and leaning in close towards Applejack. Slowly, she raised a hoof before poking Applejack sharply in the cheek. Applejack blinked. “That’s so weird. Wait! Does that mean I might be stuck like this too?! But I’m Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash, not White Dash! That name sounds super lame. And besides, the Wonderbolts already have a white-maned member, what if this hurts my chances with them?”

“Calm down Rainbow Dash!” Twilight urged. “It’ll be alright. I’m sure it’s only temporary. But in the meantime we need to find the pony responsible.”

“Well c’mon, if there’s a new prankster in town we need to get out there and find them! There’s no way I’m gonna let myself get outdone by some unicorn, and I need to get my colors back!” Rainbow Dash blasted out the front door, leaving the door hanging off its hinges and an irate Mrs. Cake in her wake.

“Aw dangit!” Applejack cursed. “Ah better get after her. You know how Rainbow can get when she’s on a mission. She’ll hound every unicorn in Ponyville if she thinks it’ll help. Ah’ll chase her down and meet you at Fluttershy’s Twilight.” With that, Applejack took off after the blur of a pegasus, shouting after her.

“Sorry about all that Mrs. Cake, “Twilight said, resetting the door in a flash of violet light, “I’m sure Rainbow Dash didn’t mean any harm.”

“Oh, she never does I’m sure, “Mrs. Cake replied with a smile, “But she really should learn to slow down a little every now and then.”

Twilight bid the baker goodbye before starting off towards Fluttershy’s cottage. Now that she was alone, she’d hopefully have a chance to think. She couldn’t help but feel there was something she was missing, some piece of the puzzle lying just out of reach.

She smiled in reply to the greetings she received as she walked leisurely through Ponyville. It would take awhile for Applejack to catch up with Rainbow Dash and get her to Fluttershy’s. Besides, she could think more clearly if she didn’t hurry.

So far, this new prankster had gotten both Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Twilight couldn’t help but wonder if there was something significant about the two of them being targeted. Another thing to consider was the nature of the pranks themselves. She didn’t know much about pranks, but these seemed a little out of the ordinary. Wouldn’t a bucket of water over a door or some sneezing powder have been more common for a first-time prankster? But both of the pranks had been similar in nature. That led to two possible conclusions: Either the prankster was no amateur, or there was something about cosmetic pranks that suited them.

At that last thought, Twilight’s eyes widened. A unicorn, skilled enough to perform a sleep spell, that knew both Rainbow Dash and Applejack and had an affinity for cosmetics? There was only one pony Twilight knew that fit all of those criteria. But that couldn’t be right. Rarity was the last pony that would go out and play jokes on her friends.

But Twilight couldn’t shake the feeling. Maybe it would be best to check in on Rarity before meeting the others. If nothing else, the current trend seemed to suggest that Rarity might soon become the target of this mysterious prankster. She might also be able to help Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Rarity wasn’t as skilled magically as Twilight, but her knowledge of all things related to fashion was second to none.

Twilight changed direction, heading for Carousel Boutique. She felt a sudden chill down the back of her neck, like somepony was watching her. She looked around carefully, but there was nopony to be found. She broke into a slow gallop, eager to get to Rarity’s as quickly as possible. Something told her the unicorn was somehow involved in all this.

In a nearby alleyway, Rarity watched as Twilight ran off. The Element of Laughter glowed softly around her neck as she stroked it lovingly. She chuckled, rubbing her hooves together in anticipation. Leave it to Twilight to put two and two together quicker than the others, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t still have her fun. She watched the retreating form of her friend before setting off after her, careful to stay out of sight.