Chapter 10: Pinkie Pie, Super Spy

Scootaloo bounded up to Rainbow Dash, who was sitting quietly at a cafe. Upon seeing her hero, Scootaloo could not help herself but run up and say hello. Strangely, Rainbow Dash did not move at all in the time it took for Scootaloo to come over.

“Hi, Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo cheered, coming to a stop in front of the rainbow maned mare.

“Huh?” Rainbow looked up from the table. She had a pen in her mouth and a notebook on the table. “Whazzat?”

“I said, hi.” Scootaloo repeated, looking at the chair across from Rainbow Dash. “Can I sit with you?”

“Oh, sure.” Rainbow reached a hoof across the table and kicked the chair out a bit before staring back down at her notebook.

“Whatcha working on?” Scootaloo tried to peer over the table to see what was written on the page. “Is it a new trick? A design for a cool new uniform?” When Rainbow did not respond, Scootaloo lowered her voice. “Daring Do fan-fiction?”

“What?” Rainbow Dash looked up, surprised.

“It's okay, I've written one or two before.” Scootaloo shrugged. “They aren't very good, but it's fun.” Scootaloo winked at her hero. “I won't tell.”

“What?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Oh! No. I'm not working on one of those, that's for weekends and lazy work days.”

“Then, what are you doing?” Scootaloo tried again to look at what Rainbow Dash was writing.

“Can you keep a secret?” Rainbow whispered, to which Scootaloo nodded vigorously. “It's a revenge plan.”

“Revenge?” Scootaloo murmured nervously. “That doesn't seem like you.”

“Scoots.” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “When you're older, you'll see that not everything can be solved with friendship.”

Scootaloo looked confused. “Isn't that the whole point of-”

“Squirt.” Rainbow Dash put a hoof down on the table, rattling the silverware. “Have you met a mare named Best Pony?”

Scootaloo winced at the pain she still felt in her head and touched her mane, half expecting it to be glued again. “Unfortunately.”

“Then you know why I'm doing what I'm doing.” Rainbow Dash got a thousand-yard stare. “She... She came. And she took... Sir Cloudington the second. He was so young. So fluffy. So tender in all the right ways.” Rainbow tossed her head back. “Why! Why him!”

“Sir Cloudington?” Scootaloo got a confused look again.

“The second.” Rainbow Dash added. “The first was taken brutally from me this morning when she first came around. I thought the second would be safe in the library, because no pony goes to the library. But she did. She came. And... Sir Cloudington the second...”

“It's okay, Rainbow Dash.” Scootaloo reached across the table and patted one of Rainbow Dash's hooves. “I understand.”

“No.” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “You don't. Not yet, anyway. But you can help me.”

“How?” Scootaloo got a little excited.

“You're just what I need to make this whole plot go over without a hitch.” Rainbow began rubbing hr hooves together. “You think you can do that?”

“Boy, can I!” Scootaloo bounced in her chair.

“Good.” Rainbow Dash smiled. “Here's what we do...”

Applejack finally had everything sorted outside of the barn. She had to admit, getting everything outside of the barn was a good way to organize and keep everything catalogued. Best Pony had demanded that the doors to the barn were to remain closed unless official party business was knocking. Applejack looked up to the sky, where the sun hung close to the western sky. Not quite the evening, but certainly late afternoon, Applejack decided she would give the tree in the orchard she had missed before a good bucking. It did not take long to find, the groove from where her face had met dirt was still apparent. Applejack sized up the tree and made sure no one was coming. Applejack ran up and bucked the tree with all of her might.

The apples fell as properly as they could, and Applejack felt good to have finally cleared that tree. Once all of the apples had fallen, a pink mare toppled out of the tree.

“Best Pony.” Applejack groaned. “What is it-Pinkie Pie?”

“Shhh.” Pinkie Pie put a hoof on Applejack's mouth. “Don't let her know I'm here.”

“What are you doing here?” Applejack asked.

“Trying to see what she has planned.” Pinkie whispered.

“I thought you wanted it to be a surprise.” Applejack cocked her head.

“I did.” Pinkie nodded. “But just one itsy bitsy, teenie weenie, itty bitty peek won't ruin it.”

“Fine.” Applejack sighed as she moved over to collect the apples.

“Yes!” Pinkie squealed as she charged over to the barn to get a peek.

Pinkie Pie sneaked around outside of the barn, hoping that Best Pony would not see her. That could lead to a conversation, and Celestia knows how that could end. Pinkie began to climb the walls, because she can, and peered in through one of the barn windows. She saw Best Pony digging into the dirt floor with her hooves, marking out where everything would go. The barn was completely empty at this point, except for a massive chunk of cloud sitting in the corner next to some paint. Pinkie's heart began to race as she felt as if she were a super spy on a secret mission. No pony knew she was there, and she could get away with anything.

Pinkie decided she needed a closer look and climbed through the window, hoping she could find a notebook or something with a party plan on it.

“Just a little peek.” Pinkie said to herself.

“Peek at what?” Best Pony asked, causing Pinkie Pie to jump nearly out of her fur.

“Best Pony?” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

“I'm prepping for a party.” Best Pony giggled. “Yours! What are you doing here, cousin?”

“I was just-um...” Pinkie tried to think of something clever to say. “I was looking for my... Contact lens. See, my eyes get all dry if I don't have them in, and I can't see, and I have no control over my heat vision. So, you should probably stay out of my way while I look for them, I don't want to-um, burn you?”

“I know how that feels.” Best Pony nodded. “I struggled with heat vision for a few years. You can borrow a pair of my old ones!” Best Pony used her magic to summon a pair of contacts which she gave to Pinkie Pie. “You should probably go. I don't want to ruin your big surprise.”

“Yeah.” Pinkie nodded, holding one eye shut. “I had better get these contacts in so I don't... Laser the place up.”

“See ya later, cousin.” Best Pony waved, holding a notebook labelled 'PAR-T's'.

Pinkie Pie walked out of the barn slowly and quietly. Just as she was leaving, Rarity passed her with a bundle of fabric floating above her head.

“What's that for?” Pinkie Pie asked, bouncing to see what the colours were.

“It's for the party.” Rarity sighed. “You have no idea how hard these colours are to find.”

“Oh! Oh!” Pinkie bounced higher and higher. “Is that some o' dat Fiery Red? That's my favourite least known colour!”

“Your...” Rarity's mouth hung open as Pinkie bounced away. “I never will understand any of this. But I'm sure I will one day look back on this day and laugh.”

Author's Note

-This was mostly exposition. Next chapter gets juicy!