Chapter 5: Nailed It!

Best Pony took a bucket of nails in her mouth and flapped her way to the roof of the little house. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom went off to grab the first few planks, leaving Sweetie Belle to supervise Best Pony. Before anything could be done, the peppy pink pony started hammering nails into the roof. The sharp, silver tips poked out from the ceiling, causing Sweetie Belle to run outside to see what Best Pony was doing.

“What are you doing?” Sweetie Belle shouted to the roof. “Why are you hammering nails into the roof?”

“I'm putting down a base coat.” Best Pony smiled broadly over the side of the little roof, still hammering away at nails with her hooves.

“You don't put a base coat down with nails!” Sweetie Belle shook her head madly. “That's with hoof polish or paints.”

“Obviously you aren't an Apple.” Best Pony giggled. “Every Apple knows that when working on a house, you need a good foundation.”

“Well, I'm not an Apple.” Sweetie Belle sighed. “But it still doesn't seem like-”

“Everything will be fine!” Best Pony grinned. “Now, pass me the glue. I'm all out of nails.”

“So, have y'all figured out a way to talk to Best Pony?” Applejack asked.

Twilight had her face buried in a book about conflict resolution. Fluttershy was in the woods, tending to her little furry friends. Rarity had returned to the boutique to mend and restart her dresses, and Rainbow Dash was lying on a cloud she had dragged into the library and barricaded behind stacks of encyclopedias. She was curled up with the old Daring Do books held tight to her chest.

“It's okay.” She whispered to herself. “It's not true. It's a made up spoiler from a made up pony. It's not true.” Rainbow Dash willed herself to open up the first book that she saw and flipped to a random page. “Aah! It was him!” Rainbow screamed to the sky as she threw her favourite book against the wall of her encyclopedia fortress.

The pile of heavy old books toppled to the ground, leaving Rainbow Dash blushing at her two friends who were staring back at her. One of the books Rainbow had been using slid over to Twilight, who picked it up.

“Why were you using my encyclopedias as a barricade?” Twilight enquired, reading the cover of the heavy book.

“Because encyclopedias are big and heavy.” Rainbow shrugged. “And nopony ever uses them for anything else.”

“Yeah, sugar cube.” Applejack looked down at the piles of books now all over the floor. “But I think she was asking why you were using them specifically as a wall.”

“Last time I found a cloud as perfect as this,” Rainbow Dash explained, “Best Pony came out of nowhere and blew a hole in it. I want to keep this one safe.”

“And you think books can keep her out?” Applejack shook her head. “Rainbow, she can fly, jump, and sing her way into almost anything. I wouldn't be surprised if she could shoot laser beams that turn things into cotton candy. Books have nothing on her.”

Twilight interrupted. “I think I may have found a way to convince Best Pony that she isn't as perfect as she thinks.”

“Well?” Applejack asked. “What is it, sugar cube, don't leave us hanging.”

“I just put it all together, I think.” Twilight hummed. “It was in one of the books I put-” She looked down at the floor now covered in books about facts and history thanks to Rainbow. “Over there... I think...”

Applejack sighed. “Well, let's get digging.”

The three mares began sifting through the pile of various texts, hoping to find the right one. Twilight would occasionally find one she thought was right, and turn through the pages. Unsatisfied, she would close up the book and stack it neatly next to her. While Applejack was pulling up book after book, she suddenly felt a catch. Not being one to give up without a fight, she tugged hard on whatever was stuck under the books. Eventually, whatever had been holding itself down came flying out of the stack of books. Something pink.

“It's her!” Rainbow immediately ran over to her cloud and began trying to hide it behind the fallen books.

“Hey guys!” The pink pony giggled. “What's up?”

“Not another one!” Rainbow Dash growled. “You are not putting a hole in another one of my favourite clouds. No way, no- Pinkie Pie?”

“Yup!” Pinkie bounced like a spring towards the ceiling.

“We thought you weren't coming back until tomorrow.” Twilight scratched her head. “What brought you back.”

“A plot device.” Pinkie shrugged, looking around at the pile of books. “Are we having a book fort building contest?” Pinkie Pie asked excitedly. “Ooh! Ooh! I wanna play!” She buzzed around the room, picking up books and piling them up in an odd shape. Eventually, it came together into a beautiful castle made out of books. “I win!” Pinkie declared, panting from the run.

“That's...” Applejack though of what to say. “That's real nice, sugar cube.”

“Thanks!” Pinkie squealed.

“Pinkie, thank Celestia you are back.” Twilight said, walking over to greet her pink friend. “There's been some stuff going on, and we think that you can help.”

“Let me guess.” Pinkie took a deep breath. “There's an OC who just so happens to be perfect in every way, and she's going around town trying to do things that she really can't in a hilarious and silly ways that end up getting people mad at her, but they don't want to say anything because they don't want to offend her. Am I close?”

Twilight gave Pinkie a startled look.

“Drat, let me try again.” Pinkie took a deeper breath. “There's a cabbage, a fire hose, and an assortment of assorted fruit baskets with a goat whose allergic to-”

“Hold up, there.” Applejack put a hoof over Pinkie's mouth. “You had it the first time.”

“Cool!” Pinkie bounced. “So, what's the matter?”

“Well, you hit the OC problem on the head.” Twilight nodded. “She really wants to see you again. But again is actually the first time, unless you listen to her bio which says she's either related to, or knows us somehow. She's been making some pretty big claims and assumptions that just aren't true.”

“So, what do you want me to do?” Pinkie cocked her head, her messy mane flopping to one side.

“Well, I'd like you to meet with her, first of all.” Twilight began, pacing back and forth as she always did. “I want you to just be yourself. Afterwards, I want to talk to you and find out what she says.”

“How will that help, though?” Applejack asked.

“She may say some things you know aren't true.” Twilight stated. “I just want you to smile and nod at the claims. I want to find out the last few details so we have her complete story. Then I can assess what we can do from there. But first...” Twilight looked around at the messy state of the library. “We need to find that book.”

“I was afraid you were gonna say that.” Applejack groaned, moving back into the landslide of books.

“I'm gonna go find the OC.” Pinkie Pie bounced towards the door. “What did you say her name was?”

“Let her tell you that.” Twilight smirked. “It's part of the surprise.”

Author's Note

Oooooooooh, here we go! Pinkie's right in the thick of it! Can't wait to see what happens next!
-Cog out.