Trading Places, Conclusion!

Trading Places, Conclusion!

Cheerilee looked around at the chaos her new saddle had wrought at the Rainbow Falls trading bazaar, trying to find a solution that would restore everyone- and everything- around her, to a semblance of what ponies would consider normal.

"Oh dear... ummm... gee, what can I.... maybe I could- no that wouldn't work... perhaps I could..." She thought aloud frantically, as the sun sank slowly in the west behind Rainbow Falls. "Oh no! Time is really starting to run out now! What the hay am I going to do?!"

Even as the pink pony paced the trading grounds, two humans came out of the background, and stood behind the mare, gloating at her misery.

"Awww, look at that, is the poor widdle pony out of ideas?" The fat human with a pot on her head gloated. "Looks like  all of your widdle pony friends are gonna be stuck like this, forever!"

"Ha ha!, yeah! your friends are really and totally doomed!" Her skinny sister goaded the pink pony. "How does it feel to be responsible for all the horrible things that have befallen your fellow ponies?"

"Reeka! Draggle! Stop wasting your time, talking to that useless equine!" Hydia barked hopping up on her broomstick. "Now, go get your brooms, and let's fly on outta here!"

Reeka... and Draggle? Hydia's two stupid daughters? Cheerilee thought to herself, as a small smile slowly began to creep across her face. Maybe there is a way out of this, after all...

"Yeah, yeah, we're comin'!" Reeka grumbled, as the two began to walk away. "We were just havin a little fun. Hold onto your horses, mom!"

"I said MOVE IT, you two! RIGHT NOW!" The old hag roared, firing a lightning bolt on who two daughters, who immediately dove for cover. "And I've told you never to called me MOTHER!"

"Hey, why do you two put up with that kind of treatment from her?" Cheerilee asked the two, as they crawled out from their hiding spots. "A mother shouldn't treat her daughters like punching bags, just because she gets mad!"

"Yeah, why do we put up with Hyida's crud?" Draggle growled, as she and her sister looked up at their mother angrily. "We do all the hard work in these stupid schemes, and all she does is bully us!"

"What?! Why, how dare you talk back to your mother like that!" Hydia barked, shaking her fist at the two younger women on the ground. "You two brats are so incorrigible! How I wish you were both more like me!"

"Oh yeah? Well, I wish you'd just turn into a big, ugly old toad!" Reeka snapped back, pointing a finger at her mother. "I'd trade anything to make that happen!"

"All right then, I trade you both of your desires, in exchange for all these trades being declared null and void!" Cheerilee blurted out quickly, just as the last rays of the sun vanished over the horizon. "So long, Hydia!"

What? NOOOOOOOOO!" The witch wailed, as she realized she and her daughters had been outsmarted. "Damn you, you blasted ponyyyyyyyyyyyyyy-!"

*POOF!*

Suddenly, every pony present was restored to normal- Surprise ceased to be a pizza,  Hollywood was restored to her flutter pony self.  All of the ponies looked around, thankful the chaos was finally over.

"I never wanna be that close to fireworks again!"  Locket sighed, looking down to make sure she was still all there.

As all the ponies celebrated their return to normal, three ugly toads tried to hop away from the scene, but were intercepted by a trio of angry mares.

"So... Hydia and her two brats." Surprise grumbled angrily, stepping into the three escaping amphibians' path. "Looking a little green around the gills, aren't we?"

"You really went over the edge this time witches, torturing us like that with your little cursed saddle." Buttons snorted, her eyes filled with rage. "And it occurs to me, that an artifact like that probably drained nearly all of your magical energy- meaning, you're powerless."

"You've killed hundreds of ponies, Hydia... you murdered Princess Cadence, tried to turn Flutter Valley into a lifeless wasteland, and unleashed the smooze on Ponyland and Grundeland." Locket's jewel eyes looked down on the three toads with the coldness of an executioner. "This time there will be no forgiveness, this time there will be no escape!"

"Urrrrrrrrkkkkkkk!"

STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP!!

The three ponies leaped on the toads, trampling them into a gooey mess beneath their hooves. At long last, the witches of the volcano of gloom, the terrors of Dream Valley for so many years, were finally gone.

"Well, that was certainly an interesting day of trading!" Cheerilee said with a nervous laugh, as the last of the magical power flowed out of her saddle, and it crumbled to dust. "But I think I'm ready to go home to Dream Valley now!"

"Yeahhhh, but we'll be back again to trade next year!" Surprise replied with a laugh, flying up next to Cheerilee.  "Let's just hope things don't get as crazy next time!"

The pink pony smiled at her friend. "Now that's a hope I'm willing to trade for!"