The Curious Adventure of Zapple Dappleby kudzuhaikuChaptersPart OnePart TwoThe Part Where It EndsPart OneThe Cakes stood in their bakery, enjoying a quiet lull in the day. Pinkie Pie was humming to herself behind the counter, while Pound and Pumpkin played in a backroom visible through the swinging doors. It had been a good day, with brisk sales during breakfast, and quite a lunch rush as well. Tourism had brought many ponies to the town. The sugar business was always booming. The bell on the door rang and a small pegasus colt foal entered. He was dappled, his coat brown and white spots, with a few black patches. He had one white wing and one brown wing. The little colt was smiling broadly, his eyes wide with excitement. Mrs. Cake couldn’t help but notice how adorable he was, and gently nudged her husband, who was standing by her. The colt cleared his throat loudly, lifted his head, and looked at the three of them. “Stand and deliver!” The colt said. “I’ve come for cupcakes and I’m not taking no for an answer!” Mr. and Mrs. Cake stood there in shock. Was this a robbery? “So that’s what my Pinkie sense does during a robbery.” Pinkie Pie said absentmindedly. The colt reared up, snatched a cupcake from off the counter, and was out the door before anypony could react or stop him, gobbling his ill gotten gains. The Cakes stood looking at one another, disbelief etched upon their faces. “What just happened?” Mr. Cake said. “I think we were just robbed.” Mrs. Cake said. “That’s never happened before. Ever.” “He sure was cute!” Pinkie Pie chirped, causing the Cakes to glare at her with some concern. Elsewhere, and down the lane… Bon Bon stood next to her counter while watching Lyra sweep the floor. It had been a great day for sales. She was considering closing early, so she could spend some time with Lyra. Perhaps a nice walk was in order. It was too nice a day to spend all day in her shop. The door opened, causing the bell to ring. “Hello and welcome to Bon Bon’s Confectionary Shoppe.” Bon Bon greeted. Before her stood a small colt foal, dappled, grinning, and with a dollop of frosting on his nose. He was quite adorable, Bon Bon noted. He smiled at her broadly. “Stand and deliver!” The colt said. “I’ve come for candy! Now hand it over!” Lyra began to chortle to herself. Bon Bon smiled. “Is this a robbery?” Bon Bon asked. “What if I don’t give you any candy? Usually, when you rob somepony, it is because you can threaten them in some way.” The colt paused, looking thoughtful. He nodded slightly, agreeing, and began to trot through the room. He stopped when standing before Bon Bon. He reached up and booped her nose with a hoof. “Now look…” the colt said, “don’t make me boop you twice. Or three times. Hand over some candy and nopony has to be booped again.” Bon Bon nodded, smiling faintly, trying hard to hide it. “Better do as he asks Bon Bon, he looks dangerous.” Lyra said, sniggering. Bon Bon went behind the counter, took some tongs in her mouth, and selected a bon bon. She offered it to the colt foal, who smiled pleasantly at her. He gobbled it right from the tongs, and gave her a chocolate coated smile. “Thanks ma’am.” The colt said, still smiling a chocolatey smile. He then turned and was out the door in a flash, running, his tri-coloured tail streaming out behind him. “We’ve been robbed Lyra!” Bon Bon said, bursting into laughter. “He was so adorable!” Elsewhere, and down the lane… Zapple Dapple strode down the road, feeling rather pleased with himself. He hadn’t had a day this good since, well, forever. He had awoken this morning, in his bed at the orphanarium, and he decided that he was going to have a grand day of adventuring… Just like those ponies in the books he had read. Zapple Dapple was so named because of his somewhat rare ability to generate a great deal of static electricity by flapping his wings. He was one of the rare pegasi who were capable of creating storm clouds, providing them with the needed charge to jump start them. One day, when he was older, he hoped to work on the weather team. But for today, he was having fun and having an adventure. And committing robbery, just like the ponies in the books. It was all just a bit of harmless fun. Ahead of him was an apple cart and an orange mare. His mouth watered. He loved apples. He trotted forward, eager, eyeing his prize. While the orange mare wasn’t looking, he snatched an apple and ran. “Why you little hornswaggler!” the mare cried, but thankfully not giving chase. Zapple Dapple ran, lickety split, tearing through the crowd and disappearing from view, an apple held in his mouth. Elsewhere, and down the lane… It was the perfect day to be at the spa. But then again, any day was the perfect day to be in the spa, Rarity though to herself. She relaxed, soaking in a giant hot tub, Fluttershy close by. Steam rose from the water. The soothing heat relaxed tense overworked muscles. Fluttershy took a deep breath, inhaling the steam, and yawned. “Such a marvelous sensation.” Rarity said. “What did ponies do before the spa was invented I wonder. How did we survive?” Fluttershy said nothing, but continued soaking, her eyes closed. The door opened and Rarity heard hoofsteps approaching the enormous hot tub. “Oh, why, hello there.” Rarity said, spying a dappled colt climbing the stairs that rose up the side of the hot tub. “What are you doing here?” Aloe and Lotus entered the room, looking worried. They stood there, waiting, unsure. The dappled colt foal cannonballed into the hot tub, sending water everywhere, causing Rarity to begin spluttering. Fluttershy sat there, staring in complete shock, squeaking. “Why you little scoundrel!” Rarity shouted when the dappled head finally broke the surface of the water. He smiled at her warmly. He sat in the tub with two mares, grinning rakishly. “I’ve always wanted a bath with two hot mares.” He said in roguish tones. “One more thing off my checklist.” He fell silent, a look of intense concentration on his face. Rarity and Fluttershy could only sit there in shock, both silent, Aloe and Lotus standing nearby with stunned expressions on their faces. A violent stream of bubbles rose up from the water along with the sound of a distant foghorn. “I gotta go!” The dappled pegasus foal announced, climbing out the tub and running away. “HE SOILED MY BATHWATER!” Rarity shouted, a look of horror etched upon her face. Fluttershy’s nose crinkled. “And he soiled the air too.” She added. Elsewhere, and down the lane… Zapple Dapple was having the time of his young life, crossing things to do off of his to do list. Today had been the greatest day ever so far. He spied his next target ahead. Next up on the to do list was his first kiss. And he had the perfect target. Key Lime. An earth pony. She was lime green and had a creamy coloured mane with a few brown strands. She was a fellow orphan. She was a year older than him, and bossy as could be. But he was going to show her. Today was his day. He strode up bravely, catching her off guard, and threw a leg around her neck. He pulled her in for a kiss, planting a big wet smooch on her lips. He had no idea what he was doing, but that didn’t stop him or slow him down. Not knowing what else to do, he blew a raspberry while he had his lips smushed up against hers. Key Lime squealed and melted in his embrace, her backside hitting the ground with a plop. He pulled her closer, pressing both his advantage and his lips against her even more, finishing off his kiss with a wet sloppy smack. Key Lime sat there, breathless, sides heaving, a wild look in her amber eyes. “Zapple Dapple!” She said in flustered tones. Zapple Dapple took off, there was still his spree to continue. “Come back!” Key Lime cried. “You can’t kiss a filly like that and run away!” Zapple Dapple kept running. Elsewhere, and down the lane… Twilight Sparkle sat in the library, reading a book. Not much had changed since becoming a princess, she reflected. Only now, she was the Princess of Books. And that was fine with her. The Princess of Books needed a fortress of books, she thought to herself. Spike was nearby, reading a comic book and grinning. The door opened. Twilight smiled as a dappled colt entered the library. He seemed pleasant enough. He smiled at her, nodding a greeting, and then stood there, looking around, as though he was trying to figure out which book he might want. The dappled foal shouted suddenly, and then ran around in a circle while still shouting and making noise, causing Twilight to gasp. This little troublemaker was shouting in the library! Unthinkable! The dappled foal continued his rampage, while Spike stared at him with open mouthed shock. Without warning, the foal halted, pulling a book from the A section, and then ran over to the Z section. He jammed the book into the Z section, selected another book at random, and then returned that book to the A section. “Why you little anarchist!” Twilight cried in horror, seeing her books out of order. The foal split, high tailing it out the door. “Spike, take a letter!” Twilight said. “We have a badly misbehaving foal!” Elsewhere, and outside of town... Today had been just perfect, the kind of day he had dreamt of since he was small... Zapple Dapple rested not too far outside town. He was tired, but refused to believe that he needed a nap. Just needed to catch his breath a bit. He sat, not too far off of the road, reliving his glorious day in his mind. And it had been a glorious day. There had been cupcakes, candy, an apple, he had gone for a swim, grossed out two mares, and kissed the filly that he liked the most. Oh, and he had also razzed a princess and made noise in the library. This was the best day ever. He would probably get a scolding when he went back to the orphanarium tonight, but it would be worth it. Zapple Dapple froze, hearing voices. Too late, he realised, he had been found. He cursed his little tired legs. “Zapple Dapple, you stay right there!” A voice said, a voice full of authority and majesty. OH NO! He thought to himself. He knew that voice. It was HER voice. Perhaps he had gone a little too far. He did the only thing a foal could do in his situation. He cowered and tried to look as pitiful as possible. She was large. Majestic. White. Graceful. Swanlike. And she was ANGRY. Celestia stared down upon the foal with a scowl. The frightened foal began to flutter his wings, trying to look as woeful as possible. His ears drooped, his lip quivered, and he squeezed his eyes shut. “Zapple Dapple, your rampage of mischievousness ends now!” Celestia commanded, striding up to him, standing over him, her wings spread, blocking out her sun. Zapple Dapple continued to cower. Or so Celestia thought… Zapple Dapple realised that he had one last thing to do before the day ended. He was going to go down in history… The greatest foal to have ever lived. They would sing his name on playgrounds everywhere. “Zapple Dapple, I do not know what you were thinking, but you have terrorised the entire town today and left my little ponies in a panic! Your behaviour was inexcusable! What do you have to say for yourself?” Celestia lowered her head, her nose inches away from Zapple Dapple’s, glaring at him. “Theft! Multiple counts of theft. Pranking ponies. Random mayhem. Soiling bathwater!” Celestia shuddered visibly. Zapple Dapple opened his eyes and shyly raised his hoof. He lightly booped Celestia on the nose, releasing his static charge. “Electro-boop!” He giggled. There was a gasp from Twilight, five mares, and several royal guard as every hair on Celestia’s pelt stood on end. Celestia stood silent for a moment before saying; “Construct some stocks at once. It has been too long since we last had a public shaming.” Celestia then grabbed him by his one black ear and begun to tug him along back to town… Later, and in the center of town... Zapple Dapple sat, his head trapped in the stocks. Most of the town was staring at him. Celestia stood nearby, still looking rather disheveled. Twilight Sparkle stood next to her, along with several royal guards. Perhaps, Zapple Dapple thought to himself, he had gone a little too far. “Zapple Dapple!” Celestia said, her voice carrying over the commotion of the crowd. “Shame on you! You are a bad foal!” Zapple Dapple hung there limply in the stocks, suddenly feeling very ashamed. “Zapple Dapple! You are a bad foal!” Somepony shouted. “For shame Zapple Dapple!” Somepony else shouted. “Shame on you Zapple Dapple, you are a bad pony!” Rarity cried. Key Lime approached him, drawing close. “Shame on you Zapple Dapple.” She said, kissing him. “You’re a bad bad foal. And I think I love you for it…” Celestia gave Key Lime a disapproving look and Key Lime scurried off. “This seems a little harsh.” Fluttershy said, her voice drowned out by the angry mob. “Shame on you Zapple Dapple, you are a bad colt!” An orange mare shouted, three apples on her backside. “STOP!” A voice shouted, loud enough to silence the whole crowd. The Cakes stood in the distance with Pinkie Pie. The three of them looked a little distressed. “Please stop!” Pinkie Pie shouted. “This is wrong.” Most of the crowd turned to look at her. “He’s just a foal. He’s an orphan. That doesn’t excuse what he did, but he wants the same things that all foals want. Candy. Treats. A nice day out. How often do you think he gets those things?” The crowd began to whisper and murmur amongst themselves. “Now, he was a bad foal, and he should be punished…” continued Pinkie Pie, “but not like this. Everything has gotten out of hoof!” “He needs to be punished!” Somepony shouted. “And we intend to punish him.” Mr. Cake said in a loud voice. Mrs. Cake nodded. “Do any of you remember how much trouble Pinkie Pie was when she came to Ponyville? All of her pranks? Her trouble making? The entire crate of soap placed into the town fountain, causing the entire town to flood with bubbles?” Pinkie Pie suddenly looked very embarrassed and her head dropped a little, as did her ears. “Yeah, everypony…” she said in a small voice, “remember when I did that?” “I got my cutie mark!” Derpy Hooves shouted. “Playing with bubbles!” “We took Pinkie Pie in to our home. We made Pinkie Pie behave.” Mrs. Cake said. “And look at her now.” A murmur traveled through the town square. Celestia gave a faint nod to a guard, who moved forward to release Zapple Dapple. “I pity you.” Celestia said softly to Zapple Dapple. “Time spent in the stocks and a public shaming were a lot nicer than whatever the Cakes have in store for you.” Zapple Dapple fought back the sudden urge to widdle as Celestia’s warning chilled him to the bone and made him shiver. A few days later... Zapple Dapple awoke in his bed. He yawned, stretched, and looked around. He had his own room now. All to himself. He couldn’t believe it. And he lived in a bakery. A bakery! The sun had not yet risen, he saw the dark through his window. He crept out of bed and began to creep down the hall, passing by Pinkie’s room. He peeked in her open door. She was sleeping, twisted up in her blankets, a big smile on her face, holding a teddy bear. He continued onward. He paused at the top of the stairs, looking downward. He had almost placed his hoof in the middle of the stairs… A big mistake. He stepped down along the edge of the stairs where it would not creak. The kitchen awaited below. He made his way down the stairs without a single creak. He turned to continue down the hall and bumped into something. “Whatcha doing?” Pinkie Pie said, yawning sleepily. “What? How? The I didn’t see you pass me on the stairs...” Zapple Dapple stammered. “How did you get down here?” “That’s not important silly.” Pinkie Pie chirped, and then kissed him on the nose. “Whatcha want for breakfast you silly pony?” Pinkie Pie asked. Zapple Dapple stood in shock. How? “You can’t sneak past my Pinkie sense.” Pinkie Pie said, giggling and wiping sleepy from her eye with her foreleg. “We better get you fed. We have a long day of work ahead of us. So responsible of you to wake up early to get started.” Zapple Dapple groaned, remembering Celestia’s warning. Author's Note A little trouble I cooked up... Part TwoCelestia settled her swanlike body upon her throne, trying to get settled, easing into the cushions. She fluttered her wings for a moment, trying to smooth her feathers. Her serene features were gone, her face now one of agitation. “What makes good ponies go bad?” She honked, her voice echoing through the room, causing the guards to jump slightly at the sound the swan-like princess had made. “An ordinary foal just waking up one day and going off on a spree of mayhem.” Celestia trumpeted. It puzzled her. Celestia simply could not figure out why otherwise good ponies sometimes went bad. Ponies, were, for the most part, harmonious creatures. Sturdy members of the equine race. Content to cluster together in sociable herds. But every now and then, one pony just had to go and get the whole herd riled up. And on the rare occasion that it happened, it always left Celestia rather depressed. Like now. She heaved a sigh and looked around her, realising there were no answers to be found here. The guards were remarkably silent. None had even tried to answer her. The guard were certainly no help at all. They were practically cardboard cutouts. Standing around, tails occasionally flicking, never once engaging the princess in philosophical discussions. It was infuriating being a princess sometimes, Celestia thought. Oppressive silence filled the hall. At least Discord could be counted on for lively debate. It was so silent that even the crickets had split. There were no answers to be found here, but perhaps elsewhere… Elsewhere, on the edge of Ponyville… A small unicorn filly trotted down the lane. She was a sunny yellow colour, with soft pastel blue, green, and pink mane and tail, and she had a flashlight for a cutie mark. She smiled broadly, seeing the town, looking at the many ponies. She smiled and waved, and the ponies smiled and waved back, being the friendly equines that they were. She continued into the town, her eyes wide in wonder, her stubby little horn twinkling with the occasional spark. Elsewhere, and down the lane… The Cakes stood in their bakery. It was another one of those sorts of days. Beautiful. Perfect. The kind of day that brought many customers. Breakfast had been busy, and lunch had been almost overwhelming. Zapple Dapple was in the back, washing dishes. Pinkie Pie was playing with the twins. Mrs. Cake snuck a kiss from her husband, which was interrupted by the bell ringing as the door opened. A little yellow filly foal stood in the bakery. “What makes good ponies go bad?” She asked, her wide eyes blinking. Mr. Cake stood there, baffled. Mrs. Cake struggled to find words. “A few days ago…” the filly said sweetly, “a colt was very naughty. He came in here and stole a cupcake. I’d like to know why.” The filly questioned. “Would you like a cupcake?” Mr. Cake asked. “You would give me a cupcake?” The filly questioned. “Yes.” Mr. Cake said. “If you said please, I think I would.” The filly nodded, thoughtful, her mane slipping into her eyes. “What about the naughty colt? If he had come and said please, would you have given him a cupcake?” Mrs. Cake moued. “I don’t know.” Mrs. Cake said, her words honest. “I suppose so, had he been polite. Or if he seemed distressed, as you are now.” “So…” the filly said, “his theft was unnecessary. He could have asked politely and probably received a treat.” “You have a remarkable vocabulary dear.” Mrs. Cake said. “Thank you!” The filly nodded. “But that is beside the point. I am trying to determine why good ponies go bad. The theft did not need to happen, most likely, but he still robbed you. I want to know why.” “Would you like to ask him?” Mr. Cake asked. “No!” The filly replied, rubbing her nose and scowling. “I was hoping some sensible adults might tell me a good reason.” “We don’t know dear.” Mrs. Cake said. “We do know that he is a fine kitchen helper.” The filly nodded. “Thank you.” She said, smiling broadly. “I must be going.” “Would you like a cupcake dear, before you go?” Mrs. Cake said, looking hopeful. “Oh yes please!” The filly said. “You are very kind to offer.” Mrs. Cake moved to fetch a cupcake for the fine mannered filly… Elsewhere, and down the lane… Bon Bon was wiping a window of her shop when she noticed a sunny yellow filly approaching. She backed away, moving away from the door and the window, and set down her cloth upon a table. “Welcome to my shop!” Bon Bon said cheerfully. Lyra poked her head out the door from the kitchen. “Hi.” Lyra said. “Do you want some candy?” Bon Bon asked. “No.” The filly replied. “I’d like to ask a question if I may.” Bon Bon stood there, slightly confused. “Okay.” She said, her voice wavering. Things were a little weird lately. Why, there had just been a robbery. “Who do good ponies go bad?” The filly asked. “Why do otherwise good foals decide to do bad things?” “I don’t know.” Bon Bon said, looking concerned. Lyra emerged from the kitchen and joined them. “Why did that naughty colt rob you?” The filly questioned. Lyra scratched her nose and looked thoughtful. “I suppose he wanted what every other foal wanted.” Bon Bon said. “And he just didn’t have a way of getting it otherwise.” “If he would have asked politely for a candy, do you think you might have given him one?” The filly asked, her wide eyes full of questions not asked. “Maybe.” Bon Bon said. “Most likely. I think I could spare a piece of candy now and then.” “What if the whole orphanarium came in here and asked for candy?” The filly asked. “Well, I couldn’t do that.” Bon Bon said, scowling. “That’s a lot of foals all at once.” Bon Bon suddenly looked very sad. “But I would want too.” Bon Bon kicked a hoof into the ground and squirmed. “That seems very unfair somehow.” Lyra said. “How does one decide who gets candy and who doesn’t? Suddenly, it seems a bit wrong to give candy away to one foal and not give it away to all foals.” Lyra protested. “Would you like a piece of candy?” Bon Bon asked. The filly shook her head no. “Not until all foals can have a piece of candy.” She said, looking upwards at Bon Bon, her mane spilling away from her face. “That is very noble of you.” Lyra said. “What is your name?” “My name…” the filly said slowly, “is Spot Light.” “It is a pleasure to have met you Spot Light.” Lyra said. “Likewise.” The filly nodded. “And I really must be going.” Elsewhere, and down the lane… Spot Light strode down the road feeling very unsure of herself. She hadn’t had a day this troubling, since, well, a long long time. Nopony seemed to know why good ponies went bad. So far, this troublesome day had only brought more questions. Why give a foal a piece of candy if you couldn’t give candy to all foals? Spot Light’s brow furrowed and her ears drooped. She looked rather cranky. She sat down in the grass, pondering, silently, alone. No answers seemed forthcoming. Not too far away, there was an apple cart and an orange mare. An honest orange mare, the filly reflected. Maybe she would know. Spot Light rose and strode forward, walking over to the orange mare, and tugging gently on her tail. “What makes good ponies go bad?” Spot Light asked. The orange mare pushed her hat back on her head, revealing her face. “I don’t rightly know.” The orange mare said. “I wonder that myself.” The filly nodded. “Would you like an apple?” The orange mare asked. The filly shook her head no. “No thank you.” The filly said politely. “I must be going.” “You sure are awful sweet.” The orange mare said. “Shucks.” The filly trotted away, looking for answers elsewhere. Elsewhere, and down the lane… It was the perfect day to be having lunch at the cafe. But then again, any day was the perfect day to be having lunch at the cafe, Rarity thought to herself. She sat, relaxing, on a comfortable cushion on a patio, sitting near a table, Fluttershy close by. Steam rose from their tea. The soothing scent relaxed the two mares. Fluttershy was devouring a cucumber and watercress sandwich with dainty bites. “Such a marvelous way to pass the time.” Rarity said. “What did ponies do before there were cafes? How did we pass the afternoon?” Fluttershy said nothing but continued nibbling. “Excuse me ma’am…” a small filly said, “but may I trouble you with a question?” “I suppose so.” Rarity said, charmed by the filly’s grace. “What makes good ponies go bad?” The filly asked, looking ever so hopeful. “Why, I do not know.” Rarity said, looking shocked. “I am not sure if there are bad ponies.” Fluttershy said. “Just ponies that sometimes make mistakes.” Rarity nodded at Fluttershy. “But then explain Blueblood.” Rarity said, thoughtful. “Blueblood is a mistake.” Fluttershy squeaked in a tiny voice. “And maybe a bad pony.” The filly cleared her throat. “Yes dear?” Rarity asked. “What makes a foal do bad things?” The filly asked. “I suppose they are just naughty.” Rarity said. “Full of mischief. Most of the time, it is harmless.” “Like soiling bathwater?” The filly asked. Rarity eyed the filly suspiciously. “I think I should be going. Thank you for your time.” The filly said. Elsewhere, and down the lane… Spot Light approached a green earth pony, who was sitting and sunning herself on a large rock. “Hi!” Said Key Lime, seeing the filly. “Hello.” The filly said. “My name is Spot Light.” “And my name is Key Lime.” “Key Lime?” Spot Light asked. “What makes a good pony go bad?” Key Lime paused, looking thoughtful, scratching an ear with her hoof. “I dunno.” She said, after some time. “I’ve thought about doing bad things, but I haven’t. I’m afraid of being in trouble.” “So fear keeps you from being a bad pony?” Spot Light asked. “Maybe?” Key Lime answered. “So why do good foals do bad things?” Spot Light answered. “Maybe they stop being afraid?” Key Lime replied. “Maybe.” Spot Light agreed. “Zapple Dapple went bad.” Key Lime said. “And I am glad he did.” Key Lime smiled broadly. “Why?” Spot Light asked. “Because he kissed me. And now he has a home. And one day, we’re going to have a home together. I just know it. He was naughty, but it all worked out okay in the end.” Key Lime said, smiling. Spot Light suddenly felt a brief pang in her heart. “So good things can come from a pony going bad?” Spot Light asked. Key Lime nodded enthusiastically. “I see.” Said Spot Light. “I must be going. If you go into the bakery, and ask politely, they will probably give you a cupcake and you may be able to see Zapple Dapple.” “Really?” Key Lime asked. Spot Light nodded and took her leave. Elsewhere, and down the lane… Twilight Sparkle sat in her library, watching the door warily. Weird things were happening in Ponyville. There had been a spree of mayhem and now there was word of a filly asking troubling philosophical questions from the townsponies. Twilight felt her heart in her throat when the door opened and a yellow filly entered, a flashlight for a cutie mark. “Let me guess,” said Twilight Sparkle, “what makes good ponies go bad?” The filly looked shocked, and nodded. “I don’t know.” Twilight said. “What makes innocent fillies ask such philosophical questions?” Twilight asked. The filly’s eyes went wide with surprise, her ears drooping backwards against her head, her mouth open in a alarm. “Can’t a filly ask questions?” The filly asked. “You certainly did.” She added. Too late, Spot Light realised she had said too much. She turned tail and split, hightailing it from the library. Elsewhere, and outside of town… Spot Light sat, watching the sun set in the distance. She looked sad, puzzled, and more than a little frustrated. Nopony had a good answer for her questions. In fact, the day had only brought more questions. Painful questions. The troubling thing was, nopony seemed overly concerned about a filly out and about on her own, as the sun began to set. Ponies passed by her, nodding, saying hello occasionally, but nopony asked if she was alright, if she was alone, where were her parents. She was rather hungry and her belly growled. She sat there, ignoring it, watching the orange clouds settle into purple. She rose, and began to walk back through Ponyville, the darkness settling over the town. Elsewhere, and down the lane… Nopony had stopped to ask her if she should be out this late. She had walked through the entire town, to the other side, and nopony seemed concerned at all about a filly out alone. She stood in front of the orphanarium, looking up at the stone building, feeling a little humbled and frightened. She entered. She stood in the main hall, shivering slightly from the chill of the evening. A mare saw her and clucked her tongue. “Another one.” The unicorn mare said, gesturing to Spot Light, and leading her along. Spot Light followed. “You’re late! Bad foal!” Spot Light cringed. What an awful thing to come home to. She was led to a long hall full of beds. She hadn’t had dinner she had noted. Just taken to a bed. The mare pointed, indicating for her to get in, which she did. She bed was rather lumpy, a sack stuffed with straw for a mattress. It was cold in here. She had one thin ratty blanket with holes in it. Her stomach rumbled alarmingly. The lights went out, leaving the room in total darkness, a creeping blackness that made her feel afraid for some reason. She squirmed in the bed, miserable and feeling very alone, every lump and pokey bit of straw irritating her side. The bed and the blanket smelled awful. Spot Light took a long shuddering breath and began to weep. After a few moments, she realised she was not alone, hearing the sounds of those around her, also weeping. Cries filled the dark room. There was no comfort to be found. She trembled in the darkness, suddenly feeling very ashamed of herself. Shame on you, she thought. You’re a very naughty foal. The tears became a flood as she cried herself to sleep in the darkness. Author's Note Do not spoil this in the comments! But please, do leave comments. They are very much appreciated. And for the Celestia group that said this story wasn't a fitting story about Celestia, you are a very naughty foal, and you should be ashamed. And yes, Spot Light is Celestia. Since there seems to be some confusion. The Part Where It EndsCelestia sat in her throne room, looking pensive, thoughtful, reading through a letter. She scowled as she read, her eyes narrowing, her lips pursed. She shook her head in disgust. This continued for quite some time, and the guard stood silent and still. “What is this world coming to?” Celestia asked. “I don’t know, but I don’t like it.” One guard said, breaking the usual stony silence. Celestia leaned forward, looking down at her guard. “Things have been going so well, everything in life is peaceful, and then suddenly there is all manner of trouble in the world, without warning.” Celestia said, her voice troubled. “Tell me about it. I know exactly what you mean. Life was going great and everything was wonderful, and then, suddenly, it wasn’t.” The guard said. “Care to explain?” Celestia asked, glad to have found a chatty guard. “Well…” he said slowly, “my mare is pregnant again. Our firstborn is the perfect foal. But our second born… Well, she was so perfect to start with, but now… Sheesh. Crankier than a constipated manticore.” Celestia chuckled. “Your Majesty?” The guard asked. “Yes?” Celestia said. “What makes a good foal go bad?” “Zapple Dapple, I once asked myself that question. Tell me, how is Key Lime doing? She was so queasy the last time we spoke.” The end. For now. Possibly. We’ll see. Author's Note And another bites the dust. I'm kinda sad. I don't like it when a good story ends.
Part OneThe Cakes stood in their bakery, enjoying a quiet lull in the day. Pinkie Pie was humming to herself behind the counter, while Pound and Pumpkin played in a backroom visible through the swinging doors. It had been a good day, with brisk sales during breakfast, and quite a lunch rush as well. Tourism had brought many ponies to the town. The sugar business was always booming. The bell on the door rang and a small pegasus colt foal entered. He was dappled, his coat brown and white spots, with a few black patches. He had one white wing and one brown wing. The little colt was smiling broadly, his eyes wide with excitement. Mrs. Cake couldn’t help but notice how adorable he was, and gently nudged her husband, who was standing by her. The colt cleared his throat loudly, lifted his head, and looked at the three of them. “Stand and deliver!” The colt said. “I’ve come for cupcakes and I’m not taking no for an answer!” Mr. and Mrs. Cake stood there in shock. Was this a robbery? “So that’s what my Pinkie sense does during a robbery.” Pinkie Pie said absentmindedly. The colt reared up, snatched a cupcake from off the counter, and was out the door before anypony could react or stop him, gobbling his ill gotten gains. The Cakes stood looking at one another, disbelief etched upon their faces. “What just happened?” Mr. Cake said. “I think we were just robbed.” Mrs. Cake said. “That’s never happened before. Ever.” “He sure was cute!” Pinkie Pie chirped, causing the Cakes to glare at her with some concern. Elsewhere, and down the lane… Bon Bon stood next to her counter while watching Lyra sweep the floor. It had been a great day for sales. She was considering closing early, so she could spend some time with Lyra. Perhaps a nice walk was in order. It was too nice a day to spend all day in her shop. The door opened, causing the bell to ring. “Hello and welcome to Bon Bon’s Confectionary Shoppe.” Bon Bon greeted. Before her stood a small colt foal, dappled, grinning, and with a dollop of frosting on his nose. He was quite adorable, Bon Bon noted. He smiled at her broadly. “Stand and deliver!” The colt said. “I’ve come for candy! Now hand it over!” Lyra began to chortle to herself. Bon Bon smiled. “Is this a robbery?” Bon Bon asked. “What if I don’t give you any candy? Usually, when you rob somepony, it is because you can threaten them in some way.” The colt paused, looking thoughtful. He nodded slightly, agreeing, and began to trot through the room. He stopped when standing before Bon Bon. He reached up and booped her nose with a hoof. “Now look…” the colt said, “don’t make me boop you twice. Or three times. Hand over some candy and nopony has to be booped again.” Bon Bon nodded, smiling faintly, trying hard to hide it. “Better do as he asks Bon Bon, he looks dangerous.” Lyra said, sniggering. Bon Bon went behind the counter, took some tongs in her mouth, and selected a bon bon. She offered it to the colt foal, who smiled pleasantly at her. He gobbled it right from the tongs, and gave her a chocolate coated smile. “Thanks ma’am.” The colt said, still smiling a chocolatey smile. He then turned and was out the door in a flash, running, his tri-coloured tail streaming out behind him. “We’ve been robbed Lyra!” Bon Bon said, bursting into laughter. “He was so adorable!” Elsewhere, and down the lane… Zapple Dapple strode down the road, feeling rather pleased with himself. He hadn’t had a day this good since, well, forever. He had awoken this morning, in his bed at the orphanarium, and he decided that he was going to have a grand day of adventuring… Just like those ponies in the books he had read. Zapple Dapple was so named because of his somewhat rare ability to generate a great deal of static electricity by flapping his wings. He was one of the rare pegasi who were capable of creating storm clouds, providing them with the needed charge to jump start them. One day, when he was older, he hoped to work on the weather team. But for today, he was having fun and having an adventure. And committing robbery, just like the ponies in the books. It was all just a bit of harmless fun. Ahead of him was an apple cart and an orange mare. His mouth watered. He loved apples. He trotted forward, eager, eyeing his prize. While the orange mare wasn’t looking, he snatched an apple and ran. “Why you little hornswaggler!” the mare cried, but thankfully not giving chase. Zapple Dapple ran, lickety split, tearing through the crowd and disappearing from view, an apple held in his mouth. Elsewhere, and down the lane… It was the perfect day to be at the spa. But then again, any day was the perfect day to be in the spa, Rarity though to herself. She relaxed, soaking in a giant hot tub, Fluttershy close by. Steam rose from the water. The soothing heat relaxed tense overworked muscles. Fluttershy took a deep breath, inhaling the steam, and yawned. “Such a marvelous sensation.” Rarity said. “What did ponies do before the spa was invented I wonder. How did we survive?” Fluttershy said nothing, but continued soaking, her eyes closed. The door opened and Rarity heard hoofsteps approaching the enormous hot tub. “Oh, why, hello there.” Rarity said, spying a dappled colt climbing the stairs that rose up the side of the hot tub. “What are you doing here?” Aloe and Lotus entered the room, looking worried. They stood there, waiting, unsure. The dappled colt foal cannonballed into the hot tub, sending water everywhere, causing Rarity to begin spluttering. Fluttershy sat there, staring in complete shock, squeaking. “Why you little scoundrel!” Rarity shouted when the dappled head finally broke the surface of the water. He smiled at her warmly. He sat in the tub with two mares, grinning rakishly. “I’ve always wanted a bath with two hot mares.” He said in roguish tones. “One more thing off my checklist.” He fell silent, a look of intense concentration on his face. Rarity and Fluttershy could only sit there in shock, both silent, Aloe and Lotus standing nearby with stunned expressions on their faces. A violent stream of bubbles rose up from the water along with the sound of a distant foghorn. “I gotta go!” The dappled pegasus foal announced, climbing out the tub and running away. “HE SOILED MY BATHWATER!” Rarity shouted, a look of horror etched upon her face. Fluttershy’s nose crinkled. “And he soiled the air too.” She added. Elsewhere, and down the lane… Zapple Dapple was having the time of his young life, crossing things to do off of his to do list. Today had been the greatest day ever so far. He spied his next target ahead. Next up on the to do list was his first kiss. And he had the perfect target. Key Lime. An earth pony. She was lime green and had a creamy coloured mane with a few brown strands. She was a fellow orphan. She was a year older than him, and bossy as could be. But he was going to show her. Today was his day. He strode up bravely, catching her off guard, and threw a leg around her neck. He pulled her in for a kiss, planting a big wet smooch on her lips. He had no idea what he was doing, but that didn’t stop him or slow him down. Not knowing what else to do, he blew a raspberry while he had his lips smushed up against hers. Key Lime squealed and melted in his embrace, her backside hitting the ground with a plop. He pulled her closer, pressing both his advantage and his lips against her even more, finishing off his kiss with a wet sloppy smack. Key Lime sat there, breathless, sides heaving, a wild look in her amber eyes. “Zapple Dapple!” She said in flustered tones. Zapple Dapple took off, there was still his spree to continue. “Come back!” Key Lime cried. “You can’t kiss a filly like that and run away!” Zapple Dapple kept running. Elsewhere, and down the lane… Twilight Sparkle sat in the library, reading a book. Not much had changed since becoming a princess, she reflected. Only now, she was the Princess of Books. And that was fine with her. The Princess of Books needed a fortress of books, she thought to herself. Spike was nearby, reading a comic book and grinning. The door opened. Twilight smiled as a dappled colt entered the library. He seemed pleasant enough. He smiled at her, nodding a greeting, and then stood there, looking around, as though he was trying to figure out which book he might want. The dappled foal shouted suddenly, and then ran around in a circle while still shouting and making noise, causing Twilight to gasp. This little troublemaker was shouting in the library! Unthinkable! The dappled foal continued his rampage, while Spike stared at him with open mouthed shock. Without warning, the foal halted, pulling a book from the A section, and then ran over to the Z section. He jammed the book into the Z section, selected another book at random, and then returned that book to the A section. “Why you little anarchist!” Twilight cried in horror, seeing her books out of order. The foal split, high tailing it out the door. “Spike, take a letter!” Twilight said. “We have a badly misbehaving foal!” Elsewhere, and outside of town... Today had been just perfect, the kind of day he had dreamt of since he was small... Zapple Dapple rested not too far outside town. He was tired, but refused to believe that he needed a nap. Just needed to catch his breath a bit. He sat, not too far off of the road, reliving his glorious day in his mind. And it had been a glorious day. There had been cupcakes, candy, an apple, he had gone for a swim, grossed out two mares, and kissed the filly that he liked the most. Oh, and he had also razzed a princess and made noise in the library. This was the best day ever. He would probably get a scolding when he went back to the orphanarium tonight, but it would be worth it. Zapple Dapple froze, hearing voices. Too late, he realised, he had been found. He cursed his little tired legs. “Zapple Dapple, you stay right there!” A voice said, a voice full of authority and majesty. OH NO! He thought to himself. He knew that voice. It was HER voice. Perhaps he had gone a little too far. He did the only thing a foal could do in his situation. He cowered and tried to look as pitiful as possible. She was large. Majestic. White. Graceful. Swanlike. And she was ANGRY. Celestia stared down upon the foal with a scowl. The frightened foal began to flutter his wings, trying to look as woeful as possible. His ears drooped, his lip quivered, and he squeezed his eyes shut. “Zapple Dapple, your rampage of mischievousness ends now!” Celestia commanded, striding up to him, standing over him, her wings spread, blocking out her sun. Zapple Dapple continued to cower. Or so Celestia thought… Zapple Dapple realised that he had one last thing to do before the day ended. He was going to go down in history… The greatest foal to have ever lived. They would sing his name on playgrounds everywhere. “Zapple Dapple, I do not know what you were thinking, but you have terrorised the entire town today and left my little ponies in a panic! Your behaviour was inexcusable! What do you have to say for yourself?” Celestia lowered her head, her nose inches away from Zapple Dapple’s, glaring at him. “Theft! Multiple counts of theft. Pranking ponies. Random mayhem. Soiling bathwater!” Celestia shuddered visibly. Zapple Dapple opened his eyes and shyly raised his hoof. He lightly booped Celestia on the nose, releasing his static charge. “Electro-boop!” He giggled. There was a gasp from Twilight, five mares, and several royal guard as every hair on Celestia’s pelt stood on end. Celestia stood silent for a moment before saying; “Construct some stocks at once. It has been too long since we last had a public shaming.” Celestia then grabbed him by his one black ear and begun to tug him along back to town… Later, and in the center of town... Zapple Dapple sat, his head trapped in the stocks. Most of the town was staring at him. Celestia stood nearby, still looking rather disheveled. Twilight Sparkle stood next to her, along with several royal guards. Perhaps, Zapple Dapple thought to himself, he had gone a little too far. “Zapple Dapple!” Celestia said, her voice carrying over the commotion of the crowd. “Shame on you! You are a bad foal!” Zapple Dapple hung there limply in the stocks, suddenly feeling very ashamed. “Zapple Dapple! You are a bad foal!” Somepony shouted. “For shame Zapple Dapple!” Somepony else shouted. “Shame on you Zapple Dapple, you are a bad pony!” Rarity cried. Key Lime approached him, drawing close. “Shame on you Zapple Dapple.” She said, kissing him. “You’re a bad bad foal. And I think I love you for it…” Celestia gave Key Lime a disapproving look and Key Lime scurried off. “This seems a little harsh.” Fluttershy said, her voice drowned out by the angry mob. “Shame on you Zapple Dapple, you are a bad colt!” An orange mare shouted, three apples on her backside. “STOP!” A voice shouted, loud enough to silence the whole crowd. The Cakes stood in the distance with Pinkie Pie. The three of them looked a little distressed. “Please stop!” Pinkie Pie shouted. “This is wrong.” Most of the crowd turned to look at her. “He’s just a foal. He’s an orphan. That doesn’t excuse what he did, but he wants the same things that all foals want. Candy. Treats. A nice day out. How often do you think he gets those things?” The crowd began to whisper and murmur amongst themselves. “Now, he was a bad foal, and he should be punished…” continued Pinkie Pie, “but not like this. Everything has gotten out of hoof!” “He needs to be punished!” Somepony shouted. “And we intend to punish him.” Mr. Cake said in a loud voice. Mrs. Cake nodded. “Do any of you remember how much trouble Pinkie Pie was when she came to Ponyville? All of her pranks? Her trouble making? The entire crate of soap placed into the town fountain, causing the entire town to flood with bubbles?” Pinkie Pie suddenly looked very embarrassed and her head dropped a little, as did her ears. “Yeah, everypony…” she said in a small voice, “remember when I did that?” “I got my cutie mark!” Derpy Hooves shouted. “Playing with bubbles!” “We took Pinkie Pie in to our home. We made Pinkie Pie behave.” Mrs. Cake said. “And look at her now.” A murmur traveled through the town square. Celestia gave a faint nod to a guard, who moved forward to release Zapple Dapple. “I pity you.” Celestia said softly to Zapple Dapple. “Time spent in the stocks and a public shaming were a lot nicer than whatever the Cakes have in store for you.” Zapple Dapple fought back the sudden urge to widdle as Celestia’s warning chilled him to the bone and made him shiver. A few days later... Zapple Dapple awoke in his bed. He yawned, stretched, and looked around. He had his own room now. All to himself. He couldn’t believe it. And he lived in a bakery. A bakery! The sun had not yet risen, he saw the dark through his window. He crept out of bed and began to creep down the hall, passing by Pinkie’s room. He peeked in her open door. She was sleeping, twisted up in her blankets, a big smile on her face, holding a teddy bear. He continued onward. He paused at the top of the stairs, looking downward. He had almost placed his hoof in the middle of the stairs… A big mistake. He stepped down along the edge of the stairs where it would not creak. The kitchen awaited below. He made his way down the stairs without a single creak. He turned to continue down the hall and bumped into something. “Whatcha doing?” Pinkie Pie said, yawning sleepily. “What? How? The I didn’t see you pass me on the stairs...” Zapple Dapple stammered. “How did you get down here?” “That’s not important silly.” Pinkie Pie chirped, and then kissed him on the nose. “Whatcha want for breakfast you silly pony?” Pinkie Pie asked. Zapple Dapple stood in shock. How? “You can’t sneak past my Pinkie sense.” Pinkie Pie said, giggling and wiping sleepy from her eye with her foreleg. “We better get you fed. We have a long day of work ahead of us. So responsible of you to wake up early to get started.” Zapple Dapple groaned, remembering Celestia’s warning. Author's Note A little trouble I cooked up...
Part TwoCelestia settled her swanlike body upon her throne, trying to get settled, easing into the cushions. She fluttered her wings for a moment, trying to smooth her feathers. Her serene features were gone, her face now one of agitation. “What makes good ponies go bad?” She honked, her voice echoing through the room, causing the guards to jump slightly at the sound the swan-like princess had made. “An ordinary foal just waking up one day and going off on a spree of mayhem.” Celestia trumpeted. It puzzled her. Celestia simply could not figure out why otherwise good ponies sometimes went bad. Ponies, were, for the most part, harmonious creatures. Sturdy members of the equine race. Content to cluster together in sociable herds. But every now and then, one pony just had to go and get the whole herd riled up. And on the rare occasion that it happened, it always left Celestia rather depressed. Like now. She heaved a sigh and looked around her, realising there were no answers to be found here. The guards were remarkably silent. None had even tried to answer her. The guard were certainly no help at all. They were practically cardboard cutouts. Standing around, tails occasionally flicking, never once engaging the princess in philosophical discussions. It was infuriating being a princess sometimes, Celestia thought. Oppressive silence filled the hall. At least Discord could be counted on for lively debate. It was so silent that even the crickets had split. There were no answers to be found here, but perhaps elsewhere… Elsewhere, on the edge of Ponyville… A small unicorn filly trotted down the lane. She was a sunny yellow colour, with soft pastel blue, green, and pink mane and tail, and she had a flashlight for a cutie mark. She smiled broadly, seeing the town, looking at the many ponies. She smiled and waved, and the ponies smiled and waved back, being the friendly equines that they were. She continued into the town, her eyes wide in wonder, her stubby little horn twinkling with the occasional spark. Elsewhere, and down the lane… The Cakes stood in their bakery. It was another one of those sorts of days. Beautiful. Perfect. The kind of day that brought many customers. Breakfast had been busy, and lunch had been almost overwhelming. Zapple Dapple was in the back, washing dishes. Pinkie Pie was playing with the twins. Mrs. Cake snuck a kiss from her husband, which was interrupted by the bell ringing as the door opened. A little yellow filly foal stood in the bakery. “What makes good ponies go bad?” She asked, her wide eyes blinking. Mr. Cake stood there, baffled. Mrs. Cake struggled to find words. “A few days ago…” the filly said sweetly, “a colt was very naughty. He came in here and stole a cupcake. I’d like to know why.” The filly questioned. “Would you like a cupcake?” Mr. Cake asked. “You would give me a cupcake?” The filly questioned. “Yes.” Mr. Cake said. “If you said please, I think I would.” The filly nodded, thoughtful, her mane slipping into her eyes. “What about the naughty colt? If he had come and said please, would you have given him a cupcake?” Mrs. Cake moued. “I don’t know.” Mrs. Cake said, her words honest. “I suppose so, had he been polite. Or if he seemed distressed, as you are now.” “So…” the filly said, “his theft was unnecessary. He could have asked politely and probably received a treat.” “You have a remarkable vocabulary dear.” Mrs. Cake said. “Thank you!” The filly nodded. “But that is beside the point. I am trying to determine why good ponies go bad. The theft did not need to happen, most likely, but he still robbed you. I want to know why.” “Would you like to ask him?” Mr. Cake asked. “No!” The filly replied, rubbing her nose and scowling. “I was hoping some sensible adults might tell me a good reason.” “We don’t know dear.” Mrs. Cake said. “We do know that he is a fine kitchen helper.” The filly nodded. “Thank you.” She said, smiling broadly. “I must be going.” “Would you like a cupcake dear, before you go?” Mrs. Cake said, looking hopeful. “Oh yes please!” The filly said. “You are very kind to offer.” Mrs. Cake moved to fetch a cupcake for the fine mannered filly… Elsewhere, and down the lane… Bon Bon was wiping a window of her shop when she noticed a sunny yellow filly approaching. She backed away, moving away from the door and the window, and set down her cloth upon a table. “Welcome to my shop!” Bon Bon said cheerfully. Lyra poked her head out the door from the kitchen. “Hi.” Lyra said. “Do you want some candy?” Bon Bon asked. “No.” The filly replied. “I’d like to ask a question if I may.” Bon Bon stood there, slightly confused. “Okay.” She said, her voice wavering. Things were a little weird lately. Why, there had just been a robbery. “Who do good ponies go bad?” The filly asked. “Why do otherwise good foals decide to do bad things?” “I don’t know.” Bon Bon said, looking concerned. Lyra emerged from the kitchen and joined them. “Why did that naughty colt rob you?” The filly questioned. Lyra scratched her nose and looked thoughtful. “I suppose he wanted what every other foal wanted.” Bon Bon said. “And he just didn’t have a way of getting it otherwise.” “If he would have asked politely for a candy, do you think you might have given him one?” The filly asked, her wide eyes full of questions not asked. “Maybe.” Bon Bon said. “Most likely. I think I could spare a piece of candy now and then.” “What if the whole orphanarium came in here and asked for candy?” The filly asked. “Well, I couldn’t do that.” Bon Bon said, scowling. “That’s a lot of foals all at once.” Bon Bon suddenly looked very sad. “But I would want too.” Bon Bon kicked a hoof into the ground and squirmed. “That seems very unfair somehow.” Lyra said. “How does one decide who gets candy and who doesn’t? Suddenly, it seems a bit wrong to give candy away to one foal and not give it away to all foals.” Lyra protested. “Would you like a piece of candy?” Bon Bon asked. The filly shook her head no. “Not until all foals can have a piece of candy.” She said, looking upwards at Bon Bon, her mane spilling away from her face. “That is very noble of you.” Lyra said. “What is your name?” “My name…” the filly said slowly, “is Spot Light.” “It is a pleasure to have met you Spot Light.” Lyra said. “Likewise.” The filly nodded. “And I really must be going.” Elsewhere, and down the lane… Spot Light strode down the road feeling very unsure of herself. She hadn’t had a day this troubling, since, well, a long long time. Nopony seemed to know why good ponies went bad. So far, this troublesome day had only brought more questions. Why give a foal a piece of candy if you couldn’t give candy to all foals? Spot Light’s brow furrowed and her ears drooped. She looked rather cranky. She sat down in the grass, pondering, silently, alone. No answers seemed forthcoming. Not too far away, there was an apple cart and an orange mare. An honest orange mare, the filly reflected. Maybe she would know. Spot Light rose and strode forward, walking over to the orange mare, and tugging gently on her tail. “What makes good ponies go bad?” Spot Light asked. The orange mare pushed her hat back on her head, revealing her face. “I don’t rightly know.” The orange mare said. “I wonder that myself.” The filly nodded. “Would you like an apple?” The orange mare asked. The filly shook her head no. “No thank you.” The filly said politely. “I must be going.” “You sure are awful sweet.” The orange mare said. “Shucks.” The filly trotted away, looking for answers elsewhere. Elsewhere, and down the lane… It was the perfect day to be having lunch at the cafe. But then again, any day was the perfect day to be having lunch at the cafe, Rarity thought to herself. She sat, relaxing, on a comfortable cushion on a patio, sitting near a table, Fluttershy close by. Steam rose from their tea. The soothing scent relaxed the two mares. Fluttershy was devouring a cucumber and watercress sandwich with dainty bites. “Such a marvelous way to pass the time.” Rarity said. “What did ponies do before there were cafes? How did we pass the afternoon?” Fluttershy said nothing but continued nibbling. “Excuse me ma’am…” a small filly said, “but may I trouble you with a question?” “I suppose so.” Rarity said, charmed by the filly’s grace. “What makes good ponies go bad?” The filly asked, looking ever so hopeful. “Why, I do not know.” Rarity said, looking shocked. “I am not sure if there are bad ponies.” Fluttershy said. “Just ponies that sometimes make mistakes.” Rarity nodded at Fluttershy. “But then explain Blueblood.” Rarity said, thoughtful. “Blueblood is a mistake.” Fluttershy squeaked in a tiny voice. “And maybe a bad pony.” The filly cleared her throat. “Yes dear?” Rarity asked. “What makes a foal do bad things?” The filly asked. “I suppose they are just naughty.” Rarity said. “Full of mischief. Most of the time, it is harmless.” “Like soiling bathwater?” The filly asked. Rarity eyed the filly suspiciously. “I think I should be going. Thank you for your time.” The filly said. Elsewhere, and down the lane… Spot Light approached a green earth pony, who was sitting and sunning herself on a large rock. “Hi!” Said Key Lime, seeing the filly. “Hello.” The filly said. “My name is Spot Light.” “And my name is Key Lime.” “Key Lime?” Spot Light asked. “What makes a good pony go bad?” Key Lime paused, looking thoughtful, scratching an ear with her hoof. “I dunno.” She said, after some time. “I’ve thought about doing bad things, but I haven’t. I’m afraid of being in trouble.” “So fear keeps you from being a bad pony?” Spot Light asked. “Maybe?” Key Lime answered. “So why do good foals do bad things?” Spot Light answered. “Maybe they stop being afraid?” Key Lime replied. “Maybe.” Spot Light agreed. “Zapple Dapple went bad.” Key Lime said. “And I am glad he did.” Key Lime smiled broadly. “Why?” Spot Light asked. “Because he kissed me. And now he has a home. And one day, we’re going to have a home together. I just know it. He was naughty, but it all worked out okay in the end.” Key Lime said, smiling. Spot Light suddenly felt a brief pang in her heart. “So good things can come from a pony going bad?” Spot Light asked. Key Lime nodded enthusiastically. “I see.” Said Spot Light. “I must be going. If you go into the bakery, and ask politely, they will probably give you a cupcake and you may be able to see Zapple Dapple.” “Really?” Key Lime asked. Spot Light nodded and took her leave. Elsewhere, and down the lane… Twilight Sparkle sat in her library, watching the door warily. Weird things were happening in Ponyville. There had been a spree of mayhem and now there was word of a filly asking troubling philosophical questions from the townsponies. Twilight felt her heart in her throat when the door opened and a yellow filly entered, a flashlight for a cutie mark. “Let me guess,” said Twilight Sparkle, “what makes good ponies go bad?” The filly looked shocked, and nodded. “I don’t know.” Twilight said. “What makes innocent fillies ask such philosophical questions?” Twilight asked. The filly’s eyes went wide with surprise, her ears drooping backwards against her head, her mouth open in a alarm. “Can’t a filly ask questions?” The filly asked. “You certainly did.” She added. Too late, Spot Light realised she had said too much. She turned tail and split, hightailing it from the library. Elsewhere, and outside of town… Spot Light sat, watching the sun set in the distance. She looked sad, puzzled, and more than a little frustrated. Nopony had a good answer for her questions. In fact, the day had only brought more questions. Painful questions. The troubling thing was, nopony seemed overly concerned about a filly out and about on her own, as the sun began to set. Ponies passed by her, nodding, saying hello occasionally, but nopony asked if she was alright, if she was alone, where were her parents. She was rather hungry and her belly growled. She sat there, ignoring it, watching the orange clouds settle into purple. She rose, and began to walk back through Ponyville, the darkness settling over the town. Elsewhere, and down the lane… Nopony had stopped to ask her if she should be out this late. She had walked through the entire town, to the other side, and nopony seemed concerned at all about a filly out alone. She stood in front of the orphanarium, looking up at the stone building, feeling a little humbled and frightened. She entered. She stood in the main hall, shivering slightly from the chill of the evening. A mare saw her and clucked her tongue. “Another one.” The unicorn mare said, gesturing to Spot Light, and leading her along. Spot Light followed. “You’re late! Bad foal!” Spot Light cringed. What an awful thing to come home to. She was led to a long hall full of beds. She hadn’t had dinner she had noted. Just taken to a bed. The mare pointed, indicating for her to get in, which she did. She bed was rather lumpy, a sack stuffed with straw for a mattress. It was cold in here. She had one thin ratty blanket with holes in it. Her stomach rumbled alarmingly. The lights went out, leaving the room in total darkness, a creeping blackness that made her feel afraid for some reason. She squirmed in the bed, miserable and feeling very alone, every lump and pokey bit of straw irritating her side. The bed and the blanket smelled awful. Spot Light took a long shuddering breath and began to weep. After a few moments, she realised she was not alone, hearing the sounds of those around her, also weeping. Cries filled the dark room. There was no comfort to be found. She trembled in the darkness, suddenly feeling very ashamed of herself. Shame on you, she thought. You’re a very naughty foal. The tears became a flood as she cried herself to sleep in the darkness. Author's Note Do not spoil this in the comments! But please, do leave comments. They are very much appreciated. And for the Celestia group that said this story wasn't a fitting story about Celestia, you are a very naughty foal, and you should be ashamed. And yes, Spot Light is Celestia. Since there seems to be some confusion.
The Part Where It EndsCelestia sat in her throne room, looking pensive, thoughtful, reading through a letter. She scowled as she read, her eyes narrowing, her lips pursed. She shook her head in disgust. This continued for quite some time, and the guard stood silent and still. “What is this world coming to?” Celestia asked. “I don’t know, but I don’t like it.” One guard said, breaking the usual stony silence. Celestia leaned forward, looking down at her guard. “Things have been going so well, everything in life is peaceful, and then suddenly there is all manner of trouble in the world, without warning.” Celestia said, her voice troubled. “Tell me about it. I know exactly what you mean. Life was going great and everything was wonderful, and then, suddenly, it wasn’t.” The guard said. “Care to explain?” Celestia asked, glad to have found a chatty guard. “Well…” he said slowly, “my mare is pregnant again. Our firstborn is the perfect foal. But our second born… Well, she was so perfect to start with, but now… Sheesh. Crankier than a constipated manticore.” Celestia chuckled. “Your Majesty?” The guard asked. “Yes?” Celestia said. “What makes a good foal go bad?” “Zapple Dapple, I once asked myself that question. Tell me, how is Key Lime doing? She was so queasy the last time we spoke.” The end. For now. Possibly. We’ll see. Author's Note And another bites the dust. I'm kinda sad. I don't like it when a good story ends.
