My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic: The Stallion Six Series, Season 1

by SuperPinkBrony12

Rating: everyone
Tags: Alternate Universe
Length: 62157

The episodes of Friendship is Magic, with a cast of show canon stallions. In this first season, Shining Armor and his friends learn about the magic of friendship, all the while preparing for The Grand Galloping Gala.

WARNING: This fic is a sequel to My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic: Stallion Edition, so I advise you to read that first.

The magic of friendship helped Shining Armor to make five unforgettable friends in the form of Big Macintosh, Braeburn, Fancy Pants, Thunderlane, and Soarin.

But their adventures did not end with the defeat of Nightmare Moon. Far from it, that was just the beginning. Shining Armor and his friends had many adventures big and small.

And this is the first of what promises to be many collections of those adventures. In this collection you'll see how Shining Armor and his friends learned more about each other, and how they became so close that nothing could tear their bonds apart.

See how much of a headache an extra ticket to The Grand Galloping Gala turns out to be for Shining Armor. Hear the story of a magician, who wasn't as great and powerful as she claimed. And find out what happened when Big Macintosh and Soarin let the spirit of competetion get the best of them.

And those are only a few of the stories you'll hear.

So sit back, relax, and who knows, you might learn a thing or two.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2014-08-07 20:31:08 UTC

Chapter 13: The Extra Ticket (Ticket Master)

                A few weeks had passed since The Summer Sun Celebration, and "The Nightmare Moon Incident" as some ponies were calling it. Life had pretty much gone back to normal in the town of Ponyville.

               Shining Armor, for one, couldn't be happier. Truth be told, he had quickly gotten tired of the constant attention he and his friends had recieved when word got out that they had saved Equestria. It wasn't that he didn't like being a hero, after all he was part of the royal guard. But when everypony in town was either singing your praises, trying to do favors for you, or even trying to hit on you, it quickly got old. Not to mention, Shining Armor's heart already belonged to someone, though he kept that to himself, since he wasn't sure "she" felt the same way.

             One day, Shining Armor had stopped by Sweet Apple Acres so his sister Twilight could hang out with one of her new friends, Applejack. Shining Armor had left to go run a few errands, and when he came back he was surprised to see his friend Big Macintsoh looking rather unhappy about something.

            "What's the matter Big Macintosh?" Shining Armor asked "Why the long face?"

            Big Macintosh sighed "I lost a bet." he said grumpily.

           "So, big deal. I've lost bets hundreds of times." Shining Armor said.

           "Not a bet like this." Big Macintosh snorted.

           "What do you mean?" Shining Armor asked.

           Big Macintosh sighed again, and explained "I bet my sister that she couldn't get all the apples from today's harvest into the barn before lunch time. And because I stupidly didn't specify the terms, she was able to do it with help from your sister. And so now, as per the terms of our bet, I have to walk down Saddle Street while wearing one of Granny's girdles."

          "Wow. That... is pretty bad." Shining Armor said, now feeling sorry for Big Macintosh.

          "Eeyup." Big Macintosh said with a groan "But a deal's a deal, and I always keep my word. Just do me a favor Shining-"

          "What sort of favor?" Shining Armor asked.

          "Promise me you won't laugh." Big Macintosh continued "Knowing my luck Soarin will probably spot me. After all, with that girdle on I'll stick out like a chocolate bar at a swimming pool. And if Soarin doesn't spot, he'll probably find out about from some mare. I'll be the laughing stock of the town for weeks."

          "Come on Big Macintosh. Have a little faith in Soarin." Shining Armor replied "He IS one of our friends after all. You know, alongside Fancy Pants and Thunderlane."

          "And don't forget cousin Braeburn." Big Macintosh chimed in.

          "Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Shining Armor said "Now, whaddya say we forget about that silly little bet and get some lunch? I am kind of hungry."

          "Lunch does sound good right about now." Big Macintosh said happily. Just then, he spotted something "Say, unless my eyes are playing tricks on me it looks like your sister's coming over here."

          "You're right." Shining Armor said, looking over his shoulder "I wonder what Twily wants from me?"

          He didn't have to wait long to find out. "Hello B.B.B.F.F." Twilight said happily.

          "Hello Twily." Shining Armor replied "Is there something you wanted to speak to me about?"

          "It's like you can read my mind." Twilight said "Spike!"

          "I've got them right here Twilight." Spike said, pulling out two golden tickets.

          Shining Armor's eyes grew wider "Are those what I think they are?" he asked Twilight.

          Twilight nodded "They're tickets to The Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot!" she explained.

          "Pinch me, I must be dreaming!" Shining Armor exclaimed. He couldn't believe it, it all seemed too good to be true. And yet, there they were, two tickets to The Grand Galloping Gala.

          "Well I'll be, congratulations Shining." Big Macintosh said, congratulating his friend.

          "Thank you." Shining Armor said, then he turned his attention to Twilight "Where did you get these? And why are you giving them to me?"

          "Princess Celestia gave them to me." Twilight explained "I'd love to go, but social events like that aren't really my thing, and with only one ticket left I'd hate to single out one of my friends."

          "Well, why don't you just take Spike?" Shining Armor asked.

          "You know me. I don't really like that girly Gala junk." Spike gagged "I'd just spend the night at Donut Joe's drowning my sorrows in a cup of hot chocolate, and perhaps a few donuts."

          "I see." Shining Armor said, remembering that back when he lived in Canterlot he and Spike had payed frequent visits to Donut Joe's donut shop. And the baby dragon seemed to have quite the appetite.

          "So anyway, I was thinking you might be interested." Twilight continued "So here you are. You can invite any friend you want. Now then, I'm gonna go see if Applejack wants to join me for lunch. That farm work sure makes you hungry." And Twilight left without another word.

         "Two tickets to The Grand Galloping Gala, courtesy of Princess Celestia herself? Boy are you lucky Shining Armor!" Big Macintosh exclaimed.

         "I know." Shining Armor replied "Now I just need to figure out who I'm going to take."

         "Well, what about me?" Big Macintosh asked.

         "Oh, do you wanna go to The Gala?" Shining Armor asked, a bit surprised. From what little he knew, he knew The Gala was an event that only the most elite of Canterlot attended. It was an extremly high class event. And Big Macintosh struck him as a stallion who prefered life on the simple side.

         "You're darn tootin I do!" Big Macintosh shouted, before calming himself down "If I went to that Gala and set up a stand to sell some homemade treats, I bet a ton of those Canterlot hot shots would be lining up to buy em. I'd make a ton of money from all the sales, and with it, I could do a lot of fixing up around here."

         "Like what?" Shining Armor asked.

         "Well, for starters. I could probably get the barn all spruced up. Because it's clearly seen better days." Big Macintosh fantasized "I could also probably finally get around to getting rid of that saggy old plow. I'd be able to buy a new one that could do the job much better. And most importantly, I could finally pay money for Granny Smith to get that saggy old hip of hers fixed up. After all, hip replacement surgery doesn't come cheap. And that's only the tip of the iceberg!"

        "Sounds like a good reason to go, at least to me." Shining Armor said.

        "Then what are you waiting for?! Give me the ticket already so I can start planing!" Big Macintosh said "After all, I'll need someone to help Applejack pick up the slack while I'm gone. And I hate waiting til the last minute to get hired help. Pa always told me, never put off til tomorrow what you can do today."

        Before Shining Armor could hoof over the ticket however, a familiar voice shouted out "Incoming!"

        Shining Armor and Big Macintosh looked up, and they instantly saw the figure of their friend Soarin. Who seemed to be spiraling out of control. The two of them ducked for cover, as Soarin crash landed right in front of them.

        Luckly, Soarin wasn't hurt. "I thought I had it that time." he muttered to himself "Oh well, I guess third time's the charm."

       "Soarin! What are you doing here?" Big Macintosh asked.

       "Oh, I was just practicing a few of my tricks in preparation for the upcoming Grand Galloping Gala." Soarin explained "If I don't want Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and the others to make me look a fool again I've got to get these tricks down pat."

       "You're going to The Grand Galloping Gala too?" Shining Armor asked.

       "Yup. As Wonderbolt Co-Captain I was a guranteed guest from the moment it was announced." Soarin explained "But what do you mean I'm going too?"

       "Shining Armor has an extra ticket to The Grand Galloping Gala." Big Macintosh explained "And he was just about to give it to me."

       "Really? Well that's a darn sharm." Soarin said.

       "And uh, why is that?" Shining Armor asked "You're already going to The Gala."

       "Yeah, but I was hoping you might be willing to let me have the extra ticket so I can invite Rainbow Dash." Soarin explained.

       "Why? Because you have a crush on her?" Big Macintosh teased, chuckling a little.

       Soarin's face turned bright red "N-no" he stuttered "She's completely annoying, and the worst stalker fan girl I've ever met. But Spitfire sees 'something' in her, and at least Rainbow Dash will keep the other fan girls off my back. I don't have any feelings for her at all."

      "Oh really? Then why's your face turning reder than my coat?" Big Macintosh teased.

      "What are you talking about? My face is perfectly fine." Soarin lied.

      Shining Armor couldn't resist joining in on the teasing "Soarin and Rainbow Dash sitting in a tree. K.I.S.S.I.N.G." he said. He and Big Macintosh quickly started laughing.

     "Shut up! It's not funny!" Soarin snapped.

     "Oh lighten up Soarin, we were only joking." Big Macintosh said.

     "That's so funny I forgot to laugh." Soarin said crossly.

     "Okay, okay. No need to get so wound up." Shining Armor said, defusing the situation.

     "So how bout it Shining Armor?" Soarin asked "You gonna give me that extra ticket?"

     "Hey, wait a minute!" Big Macintosh shouted "Shining Armor was going to give the extra ticket to me!"

     "Really? I didn't hear you call dibs on it." Soarin replied "So that ticket is fair game."

     "Oh, so you wanna do this the hard way huh?" Big Macintosh asked "Fine then, let's hoof wrestle! Winner gets the extra ticket!"

     "Bring it on! You're going down!" Soarin boasted. He and Big Macintosh quickly began to hoof wrestle to decide who would get the extra ticket.

     Shining Armor hated to see his friends fighting, and quickly put a stop to it. "Alright, alright. Break it up you two!" he scolded "Need I remind you that this is MY extra ticket? I'll decide who gets it, thank you very much!"

    "So, who's it gonna be?" Big Macintosh asked.

    "Whoever has the better reason for wanting to go I guess." Shining Armor said. Truth be told he hated having to choose, and he quickly regretted what he'd just said.

    "That's gotta be me obviously." Big Macintosh spoke up.

    "No! It's me!" Soarin argued.

    "You're already going to The Gala!" Big Macintosh snorted.

    "And you're just going to sell a few treats!" Soarin argued.

    "To help earn money for my family!" Big Macintosh shouted.

    "And leave me to deal with the fan girls?! That's real humble of you!" Soarin said angrily.

    "Will the both of you shut up?!" Shining Armor snapped "All this arguing isn't helping me make up my mind."

    "Just tell us already!" Big Macintosh and Soarin shouted.

    "Is it gonna be me?" Big Macintosh asked.

    "Or is it gonna be me?" Soarin asked.

    At that moment, Shining Armor's stomach began to rumble. "I don't know." Shining Armor said "And I can't make up my mind on an empty stomach. So I'll tell you what. I'll think about it over lunch, and get back to you on the subject." Before either Big Macintosh or Soarin could protest Shining Armor slipped away.

   "Man oh man is that extra ticket starting to become a pain in my rump." Shining Armor thought to himself, as he arrived in town. "If I didn't know better I'd say that Princess Celestia sent those two tickets on purpose, just to mess with me. But she'd never do something like that, would she?"

   Shining Armor was so distracted by this that he forgot to watch where he was going. He bumped right into Braeburn, and dropped the tickets.

   "Hey! Watch where you're-" Braeburn said, but he stopped mid sentence when he saw what lay on the ground in front of him "Tickets to The Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot?! Sweet! I've always wanted to go, especially since we don't get a lot of parties out in APPPPLELOOSA!"

   "Well as a matter of fact, those are my tickets." Shining Armor explained. Scooping them up with his magic.

   "So you're going too huh? Well why didn't you say so?" Braeburn asked "The two of us would have a grand time. We'd paint the town red. Not literally of course."

   "What? But I haven't-" Shining Armor protested.

   "No need to be modest. You're a real friend Shining Armor. A stallion like you only comes once in a great while." Braeburn interrupted, bouncing all around "Wait til the boys back home here about this! And just wait til I tell cousin Big Mac, boy will he be surprised!"

   "Braeburn wait I haven't-" Shining Armor shouted.

    "Decided if you want to go?" Braeburn asked "That's alright, if you don't want to go I can give your extra ticket to Pinkie Pie. After all, a girl like her seems to know how to have a good time. And if her parties are anything to go by, she's a master of entertainment."

    "Do my eyes decieve me?" a familiar voice called out. Shining Armor knew at once who it was. "Oh no, not him too!" Shining

Armor thought.

   Unfortunately, it was. None other than Fancy Pants, who seemed most upset. "Shining Armor, I can't believe you." Fancy Pants scolded "You're going to give away your extra ticket to The Gala to Braeburn so he can party! I've never been so insulted in all my life!"

   "But I haven't actually given Braeburn the ticket yet!" Shining Armor protested "And besides, aren't you already going to The Gala?"

   "That may be true, but my invitation only me and me dear wife Fluer. And I can't just simply stick Miss. Rarity with watching over the business while we're away." Fancy Pants explained "Especially not when she's been fantasizing about going to The Gala to meet 'him'."

   "Him?" Shining Armor asked. Completely confused as to who Fancy Pants was talking about.

   "You know. Prince Blueblood, Princess Celestia's adopted nephew." Fancy Pants explained "They say he's quite the talk of the town."

   "I see." Shining Armor nodded. Unfortunately, from what little he'd heard of Prince Blueblood he knew that most ponies, at least among the royal guard, did not think highly of him. Some said he was anything but a prince charming. He didn't dare say that out loud however.

   "Of course, since you're not giving that extra ticket to Braeburn just yet, how's about you be a good lad and give it to me?" Fancy Pants asked "I'll make sure to tell Miss. Rarity that you were the one who gave it to me."

   At that moment however, Rumble raced onto the scene.

  "Rumble, come back here this instant!" Thuderlane shouted "What have I told you about running off on me like that?"

  Rumble didn't answer, he was too busy looking at the tickets that Shining Armor was holding in his magic. "Hey big brother, look!" Rumble called "Shining Armor's got tickets of some kind!"

  "What?!" Thunderlane gasped, and raced over to join Rumble. Sure enough, he saw the two golden tickets clear as day. He was shocked.

  Shining Armor turned around upon hearing the gasp, and found himself starring face to face with Thunderlane. He sighed "Let me guess" he asked "You want this extra ticket to The Grand Galloping Gala as well."

  "Well. I wasn't going to at first. But now that you mention it, yes." Thunderlane said "If you're not giving the ticket to someone else that is."

  "And why do you want to go to The Grand Galloping Gala so badly? Wouldn't you need someone to look after Rumble?" Shining Armor asked.

  "I could easily find a foalsitter for him." Thunderlane explained "And the reason why I want to go, well Fluttershy told me that on the night The Grand Galloping Gala takes place ,there will be a wide variety of rare and exotic animals out in the palace garden. If that's true, then I have to see them for myself, and for Fluttershy's sake. Heck, maybe I should even bring along a camera so I can take pictures of them to show to Fluttershy, and Rumble."

"Well, that's very sweet and heartwarming, but Shining Armor is already giving the ticket to me." Fancy Pants said "Move along."

"Not so fast Shining Armor! Don't even think about giving the ticket to Fancy Pants!" Soarin shouted.

"Great. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse." Shining Armor thought, as both Soarin and Big Macintosh approached.

"You should listen to your own advice!" Big Macintosh said to Soarin "I know what you're trying to pull! You just want that extra ticket, and you don't want Shining Armor to give it to anyone else!"

"Don't act like you're above that Big Macintosh!" Soarin snapped "You and I both know that you want the ticket as badly as everyone else!"

"That may be so, but at least I'm conducting my self with dignity!" Big Macintosh replied "Too bad I can't say the same to you!"

  "Sorry guys, but Shining Armor's giving the ticket to me! After all, I know him better than I know myself!" Braeburn interrupted.

  "And what makes you think you deserve to go cousin Braeburn?" Big Macintosh asked.

  "What about me?" Thunderlane asked.

  Suddenly, all five of Shining Armor's friends started arguing at once. All of them trying to argue why they deserved to go with Shining Armor to The Grand Galloping Gala, or why they deserved the extra ticket. The noise was awful, and Shining Armor could barely stand it. At last he lost patience. "SHUT UP!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs. All five of his friends fell silent, except for Braeburn.

"And so then she said, oatmeal? Are you crazy?" Braeburn asked, before noticing that everyone else had stopped talking "Oh."

  "Seriously, all five of you are giving me a headache!" Shining Armor said crossly "You're all acting like a bunch of little colts!"

  "Hey! I resemble that remark!" Rumble shouted.

  "I meant no offense." Shining Armor apologized "Anyway, I haven't made up my mind on who I want to give the extra ticket to. But let me make one thing perfectly clear. Fighting about it isn't going to help me make up my mind any faster!"

  "But Shining" Soarin pleaded.

  "No buts!" Shining Armor shouted "If any of you want to see that extra ticket again I suggest you all get out of here right now, before I say something I'll regret later!"

  Not one of Shining Armor's friends thought the extra ticket was worth ticking Shining Armor off, so they all quickly left.

  Shining Armor sighed. This extra ticket was really starting to become more trouble than it was worth. And on top of that, he still hadn't eaten lunch yet. Something that his stomach quickly reminded him of. "And to think the day started off so peacefully, I should've known it was too good to last." he thought to himself.

  A little while later Shining Armor's thoughts were still drifiting back to the extra ticket as he, Twilight, and Spike, had lunch together at a small restaurant. "Are you really sure you don't want to go to the Gala Twilight?" he asked.

  "Yes, I'm sure." Twilight said "Why did you ask?"

  "Because the instant my friends all learned about the ticket they started arguing over who should get it." Shining Armor explained "Even Braeburn and Thunderlane. And the two of them are usually so cheerful and friendly."

  "Well that's a darn shame really." Spike commented "What are you gonna do about it?"

  "I don't know Spike." Shining Armor said with a sigh "As much as they argue all of my friends have a good reason for wanting to go, or getting that extra ticket. I mean, I could technically give away my own ticket if I really wanted to. But that would still leave three disappointed friends. And no matter who I take, the others will chew me out for it. What would you do in a situation like that?"

  "I'm not sure. But if it was me personally, I'd send the tickets back." Spike suggested "From where I stand they're just not worth the trouble they cause."

  "I really don't want it to come to that." Shining Armor said "Saying that because all of us can't go, none of us get to go sounds like I'd be treating them like children. There's gotta be an easier solution, I just haven't thought of it yet."

  "Well, looks like our food is here." Twilight said, as a waiter approached their table "Why don't you just relax and take your mind off the ticket for a little while?"

  Shining Armor was just about to take a bite out of his sandwich, when suddenly Twilight called out "Say, is that Soarin?"

  "I think it is." Spike commented "What's he doing?"

  Shining Armor looked off to his left, and saw Soarin performing some incredibly risky (yet fairly impressive) ariel stunts. Everyone had their eyes on him, and couldn't take them off him if they tried. It wasn't every day you saw a Wonderbolt putting on a solo performance for all to see. The Wonderbolt Co-Captain no less.

  "That's amazing!" one pony exclaimed "I've never seen anything like this before!"

  "Me neither, but I'm glad I'm seeing it now." another pony commented.

  Shining Armor however, wasn't impressed. He could easily see through Soarin's little "act". And this little butter up attempt was NOT the kind of treatment he expected to get from his friends. Especially not when it wasn't a very subtle attempt to begin with. It pained him to do this, but as soon as Soarin finished with his "show" he was going to have a little talk with his friend.

  The moment came sooner than expected, at least for Shining Armor. Almost before he realized it, Soarin had finished his performance, and was now basking in the audience's praise.

  "Thank you, thank you all. You're just too kind." Soarin said, soaking up the glory and admiration like a sponge.

  "What the hay is wrong with you Soarin?!" Shining Armor asked.

  Soarin took no notice of Shining Armor's mood (or perhaps he did but didn't care), and simply asked "What are you talking about? I'm perfectly fine."

  "Do I have to spell it out for you?!" Shining Armor asked angrily "That little flight display you just put on! You were trying to get the extra ticket from me! Don't deny it, I'm aware of your little game! And it won't work!"

  "Oh relax, you worry too much." Soarin said, shrugging off Shining Armor's accusations "I was just practicing my moves for The Grand Galloping Gala and I figured you deserved to see them. After all, you are my friend. And you know the old saying, you scratch my back, I scratch yours."

  "Ah-ha! So you admit it!" Shining Armor shouted.

  "What? Oh-no no no, of course not. You misunderstand." Soarin explained "This was just my way of saying 'Thanks for being such a good friend'. Plus, you can consider those stunts a way of making up for the whole 'Nightmare Moon Incident'. We didn't exactly start off on the right hoof."

  "Is that so?" Shining Armor asked. He was pretty sure Soarin was just making up an excuse, and he wasn't going to fall for it.

  "Yeah." Soarin said, nodding his head.

  "Look Soarin, I know you're not trying to be mean or anything. But I'm not comfortable with accepting favors that I didn't ask for." Shining Armor said firmly.

  "But I" Soarin protested.

  "No buts!" Shining Armor interrupted "I was given that extra ticket, and I'm gonna be the one who decides who gets it. And trying to butter me up just so you can get the ticket isn't going to work. So please leave me alone and let me make up my mind. Do you understand?"

  Soarin sighed "Yes sir." he said, and quickly flew away.

  "Well, that was just annoying." Shining Armor said "Oh well, at least now I can finally enjoy lunch." But just as he sat down at the table, and prepared to eat his sandwich, there was a clap of thunder and it started to rain.

  "Oops. Sorry about that Shining Armor." Rainbow Dash apologized "I thought everyone had already gone inside."

  "That's alright." Shining Armor sighed "I wasn't really hungry anyway."

  "Good heavens Shining Armor, you're soaking wet!" Fancy Pants exclaimed. His suit was protected by an umbrella that he held firmly with his magic.

  "Really? I had no idea." Shining Armor said sarcastically.

  "Well, at least you haven't lost your sense of humor." Fancy Pants replied "Now come on, let's get you inside and out of the rain before you catch a cold."

  A few minutes later Shining Armor was inside the warm walls of Carousel Boutique. Rarity offered him a towel to dry off, which he gladly accepted.

  "Oh, there you are B.B.B.F.F." Twilight said with relief "I was beginning to worry about you." Rarity had invited her over to Carousel Boutique just before the rain started. Rarity hadn't explained why.

  "Say, Shining Armor. Would you be willing to help me out here?" Fancy Pants asked.

  "What do you want me to do?" Shining Armor asked, having just finished drying himself off.

  "I just happen to have this special suit that Miss Rarity designed. I need somepony to model it for me, and you look like you're just the sort of stallion I've been looking for." Fancy Pants explained.

  Shining Armor, seeing nothing suspicious about Fancy Pant's request, agreed. The suit was extremly stylish, with a small jewel attached to the collar. And Shining Armor had to admit, that upon looking at himself in the mirror, he looked rather handsome.

  "Well? Do you like it?" Fancy Pants asked.

  "Indeed I do." Shining Armor replied.

  "Well good, I'm glad." Fancy Pants said with a smile.

  "And it just so happens that I have a dress that's similar to your suit!" Rarity exclaimed happily "Just imagine what would happen if you, Fancy Pants, Fluer, and I, all went to The Gala together! We'd be the toast of Canterlot!"

  "So that's it huh?!" Shining Armor exclaimed "This is your attempt to try and charm the extra ticket out of me! Fancy Pants, I thought you all of ponies would be better than that!"

  "This is no such thing!" Fancy Pants protested.

  "Do you deny it?!" Shining Armor asked. Fancy Pants reluctantly shook his head "Then it's true!" Shining Armor said "Well if that's the case, you can keep the suit because I don't want it! Favors like these aren't going to help me make up my mind! Come on Twilight, we're leaving!"

  "Okay." Twilight said "Come on Spike."

  "Ah man, but I wanted to stay and help Rarity." Spike protested.

  "There'll be plently of time for that once this whole ticket mess is sorted out." Shining Armor said firmly "Now come on."

  "Well hello Shining, fancy running into you here." Big Macintosh said, greeting Shining Armor when he came out of Carousel Boutique. (The rain had long since stopped).

  "Please tell me he's not hopping on the buttering up bandwagon too." Shining Armor thought to himself. His thoughts were soon interrupted by his stomach grumbling loudly. Reminding him that he still had yet to eat lunch.

  "Hungry?" Big Macintosh asked "Cause I've got a whole cart load of tasty homemade Apple family treats. Might I recommend my sister Applejack's famous apple brown betties? The food, not our actual Aunt Brown Betty."

  "An apple brown betty does sound good." Twilight said,

  "Yeah." Spike said, licking his lips.

  "Well good, cause all these delicious treats are on the house!" Big Macintosh said happily "It won't cost you a single bit."

  "Really?" Spike asked.

  "Eeyup." Big Macintosh said with a smile "Go ahead, help yourselves."

  "Free food huh?" Shining Armor asked "Oh come on Big Macintosh, could you be any more obvious?"

  "What are you talking about?" Big Macintosh asked "This isn't a joke."

  "Free food for me, when I just so happen to have an extra ticket to The Grand Galloping Gala. Anyone with half a brain can see how obvious this favor is." Shining Armor explained.

  "I never said anything about that ticket. I just thought you might like a bite to eat." Big Macintosh said.

  "Then go ahead, take my money. I'm not going to accept the food if its free." Shining Armor said sternly.

  Big Macintosh sighed "Sorry Shining, I'm afraid I can't do that."

  "Then I'm not accepting anything you have to offer. I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told Soarin." Shining Armor said crossly "I'm not comfortable accepting favors that I didn't ask for. And things like this aren't going to help me make up my mind." And he left, yanking Twilight and Spike away before they had a chance to protest.

  "First Soarin, then Fancy Pants, and now Big Macintosh." Shining Armor complained as he neared The Golden Oaks Library "All of them trying to get my extra ticket to The Grand Galloping Gala. Who else is going to possibly try and butter me up today?"

  The answer came, sooner than expected. The moment Shining Armor opened the door, he was greated with a sight he would've been happy to see on any other day, But not today.

  Thunderlane, and his brother Rumble, were busy cleaning up the library. Thunderlane was even humming a little tune "La la la la la. La la la la la. La la la la." he sang happily.

  "Oh no" Shining Armor groaned "Not you too Thunderlane."

  Thunderlane didn't seem to notice Shining Armor's statement, and happily flew down to greet him. "Oh, hello there Shining Armor. It's so good to see you." he said happily "Rumble and I thought the library could do with a little bit of sprucing up. So that's what we're doing."

  Shining Armor sighed, he really didn't want to have to do this. "This has nothing to do with the fact, that I just so happen to have an extra ticket to The Grand Galloping Gala, that I know you want to go. Does it?"

  "Oh no." Thunderlane replied happily "Rumble and I are doing this because we knew it would make you happy. I don't even know what ticket you're talking about."

  "But big brother, didn't you say earlier that the whole point of this was to make Mr. Shining Armor give you his extra ticket?" Rumble asked innocently.

  "What?!" Shining Armor gasped.

  "Yeah." Rumble went on "He said we were going to" The rest of his sentence was suddenly cut off when Thunderlane flew down and put a hoof in his mouth.

  "Rumble, you have quite the imagination." Thunderlane said, trying to cover up his tracks.

  "I'm only gonna say this once. Get it, unless you want to see me really angry." Shining Armor said, trying to keep his temper in check. He didn't want to snap at Thunderlane.

  "But Shining Armor I-" Thunderlane protested.

  "Get out!" Shining Armor ordered.

  "Okay, okay." Thunderlane said "Come on Rumble."

  "There, now was that so hard?" Shining Armor asked, as he opened the door. But upon doing so, he was greated by the sound of party favors. Before he had a chance to react, he was suddenly grabbed by a pair of hooves, and flung into the air.

  "Hit it Pinkie!" Braeburn shouted.

  "With pleasure." Pinkie Pie said happily, and she began to sing:

Shining is Brae's bestest friend.

Whoopie! Whoopie!

  Shining Armor was not amused "Braeburn." he scolded "This isn't funny." Braeburn took no notice, and neither did Pinkie Pie. She just kept singing:

Cause he's the cutest, smartest, all around best pony, pony!

  "Braeburn!" Shining Armor shouted, his anger rising. Once again Braeburn and Pinkie Pie took no notice, and Pinkie Pie continued to sing:

So I bet if I throw a super-duper fun party, party!

  "Braeburn! I know you can hear me!" Shining Armor shouted, feeling like he was about to explode with anger. Still, neither Pinkie Pie or Braeburn took notice. Now it was Braeburn's turn to sing, and he did so:

He'll give his extra ticket to The Gala to me!

  "BRRRRRRRRRAEBURRRRRRRRRN!" Shining Armor bellowed at the top of his lungs, having lost what little patience he had left. The shout was so loud, and so fearful, that it made the ponies who had been throwing him up into the air stop. Shining Armor hit the ground with a thud. He wasn't hurt, but boy was he mad!

  "Yes, Shining Armor?" Braeburn asked "You got somethin' you wanna say?"

  Shining Armor was still furious "You know, at the very least the others TRIED to be subtle about the ticket. Not that it make a difference." he said sternly.

  "Wait, what ticket?" a pony asked.

  "Oh, didn't you hear?" Pinkie Pie asked "Shining Armor's got an extra ticket to The Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot!"

  Braeburn facehoofed "You weren't suppose to blurt that out to the whole town Pinkie." he said.

  "Oh, oopsie." Pinkie Pie said sheepishly "Uh, you can all just pretend you didn't hear that. Right?"

  Unfortunately, once that information had been heard it could not be unheard. And Pinkie Pie and Braeburn could only watch as a crowd started to form around Shining Armor.

  "I'm getting out of here!" Shining Armor shouted, and ran away as fast as his legs could carry him. He didn't realize until the chase began, that Spike had somehow been dragged into it.

  Shining Armor and Spike tried everything they could think of to ditch the crowd. They hid in various store windows. Disguised themselves as a mare with a baby (despite Spike's protests about having to play the baby). They even tried to hide underneath the bridge above the pond. Nothing worked. No matter what they did, the crowd somehow managed to catch up to them.

  Eventually the two of them found themselves trapped in an alleyway with no way out. The crowd was closing in fast. All of them shouting out various favors they would offer in exchange for the extra ticket.

  "What are we gonna do now Shining Armor?" Spike asked.

  "There's only one thing I can think of that'll get us out of this mess." Shining Armor said "But it's risky. I don't think I've ever been able to pull it off before."

  "I don't care! Anything's better than this!" Spike shouted "Do it, do it now!"

  "Okay!" Shining Armor said, and lit up his horn as quickly as he could "Hold tight Spike, and don't let go!" There was a sudden bright flash of light, and Shining Armor and Spike disappeared. Much to the surprise of the crowd.

  Twilight was surprised when she saw Spike, and her older brother suddenly teleport right into the center of the library's main floor. The two of them were a bit singed, but otherwise they were unharmed.

  "You're lucky I've got natural immunity to fire." Spike said, stumbling around a bit "Just warn me the next time you're gonna do that!"

  "Sorry about that Spike." Shining Armor apologized "But that was the first time I've ever teleported. It's not as easy as it looks. If you're not careful, you can get stuck in a wall, or worse."

  "Hey B.B.B.F.F" Twilight called "What's going on?"

  "There's no time to explain!" Shining Armor said frantically, as he raced around to close all the doors and windows. Once he was certain he was safe, he breathed a sigh of relief "You would not believe the day I've been having." he said to Twilight.

  "Ahem." called a familiar voice.

  "Please tell me that's not who I think it is." Shining Armor thought, as he turned towards the source of the noise. But, sure enough, when he turned to look. There, much to his surprise (not to mention dissatisfaction), were all five of his friends. Shining Armor couldn't take it anymore, and let out a scream.

  "Well?" all five of his friends asked.

  "I can't decide! I just can't!" Shining Armor said "All of you have a good reason to want to go, or to get the extra ticket. I can't choose, it isn't fair. Not even if you reassure me it is. And even if it was, just look at what it's done to you. To all of you. You've all been arguing and fighting, and trying to charm the ticket out of me. Maybe I'm just new to friendship, but I thought friendship was about virtues like honesty and kindness. Not lying and manipulation."

  "Wow. I had no idea you felt that way Shining Armor." Big Macintosh said, trying to calm his friend down "I guess we all got carried away with ourselves. Some more then others."

  "Yeah, and we just wanna say. We're sorry." Thunderlane apologized "We never intended to put so much pressure on you."

  "If it makes you feel any better" Big Macintosh continued "I've decided that I don't want that extra ticket after all. Not if means turning into something I'm not."

  "I feel the same way." Thunderlane confessed "And I'm suppose to be a role model for Rumble. After how I acted today, it'll be a miracle if Mom and Dad ever trust me to look after him again. If that ticket is only going to make me do things I know I shouldn't do, then it's better off in the hooves of somepony else."

  "I don't really want that extra ticket either now that I think about," Braeburn said "I was acting pretty selfish. If I want to attend a party I've got Pinkie Pie's parties that I can go to on a daily basis. That Gala may sound inviting, but after how I acted today I certainly don't deserve the chance to go."

  "So it all comes down to me" Fancy Pants said, as the mood shifted.

  "Or me." Soarin finished "And to be honest, if you decide to give to Fancy Pants, I'll understand. There'll be plently of other opportunities to see just how good Rainbow Dash is. The Best Young Flyers Competetion in Cloudsdale is coming up, and I'm gonna be a celebrity judge."

  "Guess my decision has been made for me." Shining Armor said, sighing with relief "Congratulations Fancy Pants, you've earned the ticket."

  "As much as I am honored by your offer I'm afraid I must decline." Fancy Pants said.

  "What?!" everyone gasped.

  "I'm not joking." Fancy Pants went on "Just like Big Macintosh, Thunderlane, Braeburn, and Soarin, I behaved poorly today. And I do not deserve the ticket after the way I acted. It just wouldn't be right. I am a gentlecolt, and I must strive to conduct myself as one."

  "Well then, there's only one thing to do." Shining Armor said, turning to Spike.

  "Spike, take a letter please." Twilight instructed.

  "Okay." Spike said, retriving a quill and a blank scroll on which to write "Ready and waiting."

  Twilight proceeded to narrate her letter:

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I've learned that one of the many joys of friendship is sharing your blessings. However, when there aren't enough blessings to go around, having more than your friends can make you feel pretty bad. And so, while Shining Armor and I appreciate the invitation greatly, I will offically be returning both tickets to The Grand Galloping Gala. If none of our friends can go, then we don't want to go either.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

  "You know what to do Spike." Twilight said with a wink.

  "How is that letter gonna make it to Princess Celestia?" Soarin asked "Even if you put in the mail box now it'll take a day to reach her."

  "Just watch." Shining Armor replied "You're about to see something you've never seen before."

  "What are you talking about?" Big Macintosh asked.

  Before everyone's eyes, Spike took a deep breath, and set fire to the scroll. To everyone's surprise (except for Twilight and Shining Armor, who had already seen this several times before), the scroll became enveloped in a magical purple swirl. Said swirl then took off through an open window, bound for Canterlot.

  "How did you do that?" Braeburn asked Spike "You should've burned the scroll to a crisp."

  "It's a little magic trick that Princess Celestia taught me." Spike explained "If I concentrate on sending a message to her, my flames can automatically do so when I light it up. Of course, I need to be very careful. Because if I don't concentrate hard enough, then I can actually burn something if I'm not thinking about sending it somewhere. The same holds true in reverse, so when I'm actually trying to burn or melt something, I have to make sure I'm not thinking of sending it to Princess Celestia."

  "I see." Braeburn said "That's incredible!"

  "You didn't have to do that you know." Thunderlane asked "Just because you didn't want to give the ticket to us doesn't mean you had to send it back."

  "That's alright." Shining Armor reassured his friends "I would rather not go, then go without all of you."

  Spike suddenly began to lurch, as if he were going to hurl.

  "Oh come on Spike, it's not THAT mushy." Big Macintosh said. Spike didn't answer, he suddenly let out a loud belch. Big Macintosh ducked as a purple swirl similar to the one from a few minutes ago narrowly missed his head. "Watch where you aim that flame breath there Spike, you almost torched my mane!"

  "Sorry about that. Couldn't help it," Spike apologized, as a scroll suddenly materialized on the floor.

  "A letter from the princess?" Twilight exclaimed, upon seeing the scroll "Wow, that didn't take long at all. Can you read that for me Spike?"

  "Of course." Spike said, and unfurled the scroll:

My faithful student Twilight,

First and foremost, congratulations on passing this secret test of friendship. I had hoped you and Shining Armor would not show favoritism.

But, in all seriousness, why didn't you just say so in the first place? I'm more than happy to provide extra tickets if need be.

I have taken the liberty of not only giving you six tickets, so that you can invite your friends. But I have also provided four extra tickets for Shining Armor, and his three friends that are not already guranteed to go.

Your kind and loving teacher,

Princess Celestia

  "So then, we all get to go?" Soarin asked.

  "Apparently so." Shining Armor said.

  "Alright!" his friends all cheered. Suddenly, Shining Armor's stomach began to rumble and growl.

  "Why don't we treat you to dinner?" Fancy Pants asked "Consider it our way of making up for our behavior today."

  "Sounds good to me." Shining Armor said "You coming Twily?"

  "In a moment." Twilight replied "You and your friends go on ahead, I'll catch up with you later."

  "Okay then." Shining Armor said "Let's go guys!"

  "Follow me!" Braeburn shouted "I know the perfect place, Sugarcube Corner!"

  "It's like you read my mind." Shining Armor said happily, as he and his friends set off.

  Meanwhile, when Spike was sure no one looking he said to himself "Why didn't I get invited? I would've loved to go, if only because everyone else is going." He suddenly let out a belch, as another scroll materialized:

P.S. And one for you too Spike, sorry I forgot to send it with the rest.

  Spike was delighted, and giggled to himself as he held the ticket in his claws. When he stepped outside and saw Big Macintosh however, he quickly tried to save face "Uh, I mean, ew, gross. Now I have to go too?"

  Big Macintosh said nothing, and simply chuckled.

Chapter 14: Big Mac's Injury (Applebuck Season)

                "Can't believe I let this happen to me." Big Macintosh groaned, as Granny Smith bandaged his wounds. Not long ago he had been unfortunate enough to be pined by a falling tree. And when it was finally lifted off of him, his back and torso had been badly injured. Now, he was laying on the couch inside Sweet Apple Acres, feeling very sorry for himself.

               "Oh come now Big Macintosh, no need to beat yourself up." Granny Smith reassured him "It was an honest mistake. Could've happened to anypony."

               "I wish that were true Granny." Big Macintosh sighed "But the only reason this happened is because I let my pride get the best of me. I was trying to prove a point and I got careless."

               "Nonsense. That tree was going to give way eventually. You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time." Granny Smith explained.

               "Even if that was the case, there's still the fact that I can't possibly get any applebucking done in this condition." Big Macintosh said crossly "I know you're too old to do it, and Apple Bloom isn't old enough."

               "I know that too Big Macintosh." Granny Smith said with a sigh "But I can't possibly send you out to work like this. I may not be a doctor, but I can safely say you're not fit for any kind of intense physical activity. You'll just have to rest and hope that Applejack get the applebucking process done on her own."

               "Oh great." Big Macintosh thought "And knowing her, she's gonna work herself to the bone before she accepts help. Oh well, I guess she was bound to learn this lesson sooner or later. Just wish it was at a more opportune time."

              About two weeks had passed since Big Macintosh's injury, and he now felt well enough to go out and about. He wanted to get back to applebucking, but Granny Smith wouldn't let him. She told him it would be at least another week before he'd be well enough to resume his daily chores around Sweet Apple Acres.

             During that timespan, Big Macintosh had pulled Applejack aside and tried to warn her that she wouldn't be able to harvest the entire apple orchard on her. But Applejack wouldn't listen, and vowed to complete the harvest even if it killed her.

             Now, his sister had gone and saved Ponyville from a stampede of cows. And she was to be the guest of honor at a hero party, in addition to various favors she had agreed to help her friends with. Including, helping Rainbow Dash impress The Wonderbolts, helping Pinkie Pie run Sugarcube Corner while The Cakes were away, and helping Fluttershy with the upcoming bunny census. It didn't take a genius to figure out, that Applejack had clearly taken on more work than she could possibly handle.

            But stubborness was a trait that ran strong in the Apple Family, and Applejack had a stubborn streak about a mile wide. Once she set her mind to something, there was no way to talk her out of it. He could only hope she would come to her senses before she damaged her credibility.

           "Watcha doing Big Macintosh?" Shining Armor asked. He had stopped by Sweet Apple Acres earlier to see if Applejack was around. Apparently she had not shown up for her own hero party, having dosed off while working. Shining Armor, suspecting something was wrong, had tried to ask if she needed help. But Applejack had refused, and after Shining Armor explained why he had stopped by, she took off. Before leaving, Shining Armor had noticed Big Macintosh watching from a distance, and he was quite curious as to what his friend was doing.

          "Nothing much, just keeping an eye on my sister." Big Macintosh explained.

          "So then, you knew she was asleep this whole time?" Shining Armor asked "Why didn't you do something? You can't let her go on like that."

          "Believe me Shining Armor, if I could stop her I would've done so by now." Big Macintosh said firmly "I outright told Applejack she was bitting off more than she could chew. But all she said was 'I'm gonna get every last apple harvested all by myself.' and that was that."

          "But how can you possibly let her go off to help other ponies when she's probably going to do more harm than good? Doesn't it occur to you that somepony might get hurt?!" Shining Armor asked, failing to see any sort of logic behind Big Macintosh's statements.

          "I'm well aware of that possibility, and I don't like the fact that such a thing could happen." Big Macintosh acknowledged "But I'm afraid Applejack is as stubborn as they come. She's gonna have to learn her lesson about not taking more work than you can handle, and she's probably going to have to learn it the hard way. Just like me."

          "What do you mean?" Shining Armor asked.

          "Well, surely by now you've noticed my injury." Big Macintosh said.

          "Oh yes. I just didn't want to say or imply anything that might hurt your feelings." Shining Armor replied "But, if you don't mind me asking. What happened to you to cause that injury? Must've been something really painful."

          Big Macintosh sighed "It's kind of a long story." he said.

          "Well, I've got time." Shining Armor replied "There really wasn't much for me to do today anyway. Let's hear it."

          "Alright." Big Macintosh sighed "First thing's first though, there's something you need to know. This time of year happens to be what we like to call 'Applebuck Season'."

          "'Applebuck Season'?" Shining Armor asked.

          "Eeyup. It's another way of saying harvesting season." Big Macintosh explained "Now, I'm sure you're wondering why Applejack's doing this all on her own when you saw all those relatives during The Summer Sun Celebration. Well, all of them were just gathered together for our annual Apple Family Reunion. They use to be a very rare thing, but lately we've been trying to have one every other year or so. Anyways, after the reunion, all our relatives go back to their own farms and orchards. Or in cousin Braeburn's case, back to their own towns."

         "Ah, so that's why I haven't seen Braeburn around since the whole 'Extra Ticket Fiasco'. I was wondering why he'd left so soon." Shining Armor said.

         "It's just like cousin Braeburn to up and leave without saying goodbye. He really hates those." Big Macintosh stated "Anyway, it use to be that Granny Smith would take care of the harvestin all on her own. At least for the first couple of years after Ma and Pa passed away."

         "I'm sorry to hear that." Shining Armor said somberly.

         "It's alright really. we've moved on. But I appreciate your sympathy all the same." Big Macintosh replied "Over time I started to take on some of the responsibilites once I was old enough. And the same happened for Applejack. And now we kind of share the workload, though I'm a bit stronger than my sister, so I tend to take on the more 'heavy duty' chores."

         "And what does all of this have to do with your injury?" Shining Armor asked.

         "Not much really, but you have to understand that this applebucking process takes a long time. And it's very demanding." Big Macintosh explained "Now, as for my injury, it all started about two weeks ago. You know, after that storm that came because the machine at the weather factory malfunctioned?"

         "I remember that well." Shining Armor acknowledged. He could well remember the howling winds knocking on the windows and door of the library, the intense downpour that soaked the ground as if there was no tomorrow, and the constant lightning and accompanying thunder that was so loud, it frightened even the bravest of hearts.

        "That storm blew through and afterwards everything was a mess. Applejack and I, as usual, had to do most of the cleaning up around Sweet Apple Acres. But Apple Bloom and Granny Smith pitched in as well." Big Macintosh went on "And as I'm pretty sure you know my sister tends to be rather 'competetive'. Always looking for a way to challenge herself, and prove just how strong she is. She'll never admit it, but she's just as much as of a sports mare as Rainbow Dash, I guess that's kind of why the two of them hit it off so well."

        "I understand." Shining Armor nodded, remembering the fact that most of his sisters friends at least knew each other or had heard about each other prior to meeting Twilight. And with the exception of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, who were childhood friends, Applejack and Rainbow Dash had been paling around for as long as anyone could remember.

        "Well, after I went and made a fool of myself with that last bet, Applejack started teasing me. Just a little bit mind you, about the fact that I wasn't as 'manly' as I claimed to be." Big Macintosh continued "I kept telling her it wasn't true, and tried to shut her out. But she kept teasing me over and over again. I know she wasn't trying to hurt my feelings, but I was just wasn't thinking straight at the time. If I had been I never would've agreed to do what I did next."

        "You did something really stupid didn't you?" Shining Armor asked.

        "Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied "And as much as it pains me to talk about it again, I'm hopeful you at least won't bash me too much for being so thickheaded."

        "Oh come on Big Mac, we've all our embarassing moments we'd rather not talk about. It can't be THAT bad." Shining Armor said innocently.

         "Maybe it really wasn't, but then again maybe it was. You'll have to be the judge of that." Big Macintosh said, a hint of both embarassment and shame in his voice "So I decided to prove a point to my sister, and I did it in the most stupid way possible. By personally testing the sturdiness of the tress, with my back legs. And when I kicked one of the trees, the trunk ended up falling on top of me, and I was completely pined."

         "Ouch! That must've hurt!" Shining Armor commented.

         "Indeed it did. And once Applejack was able to get it lifted off of me my back and torso had were hurting like crazy. Granny Smith took me inside and got me all bandaged up. And that was that." Big Macintosh explained "She told me it could've happened to anypony, but I wasn't fooled. In my heart, I knew the only reason for my injury was because I let my pride get the best of me, and didn't ask for help when I needed it most. And now, from the looks of things, I'd say my sister is going to learn the same lesson."

         "Are you really sure she won't just stop if you ask her to?" Shining Armor asked.

         "Eenope." Big Macintosh replied "Like I said before, she's really stubborn. And if this is the only way for her to learn that stubborness usually just gets you into trouble, then so be it."

         "Well, I can only hope she'll come to her senses soon." Shining Armor said hopefully "Now, I'd better be going. I wouldn't want anyone to worry about me. See you later Big Mac, hope you feel better soon."

         "Thanks for your concern." Big Macintosh called out, as Shining Armor set off "I really appreciate it."

         "Anytime." Shining Armor replied.

         A few more days passed, and Big Macintosh was soon back to full strength. But he could see all too well that Applejack still wasn't willing to either give up, or accept help. And in the meantime, Shining Armor kept him up to date on everything that had happened.

        First Applejack had accidentally launched Rainbow Dash in the wrong direction, causing her to crash into the balcony of The Golden Oaks Library (luckly, she wasn't hurt).

       Then Applejack had not been able to hear Pinkie Pie properly, and misinterpreted various ingriedients for the rain muffin recipe. This caused a good majority of the town to get sick with food poisoning, and Pinkie Pie was even heard to call the baked goods "Baked Bads".

      And lastly, Applejack and Winona ended up frightening the entire population of baby bunnies, causing them to rampage through town. No one was hurt, but a lot of gardens were ruined. Everyone, including The Mayor, was most upset.

     Twilight Sparkle had finally decided that enough was enough. And now Big Macintosh could see that she was trying to reason with her friend. However, he got the feeling that Applejack still wouldn't listen. "It's time for me to set things straight." he thought to himself, and headed out to the fields.

     "I don't care what you, or anypony else says, YOU NEED HELP!" Twilight screamed at the top of her lungs.

     At that moment, Applejack kicked the back of the tree one last time. The last few apples fell into her basket. Applejack looked at Twilight with a smug look on her face. "Ha. No I don't." she boasted "I harvested the entire orchard all by myself. How do you like them apples?"

     "Um, how do YOU like THEM apples?" Big Macintosh asked, trying not to laugh. He pointed over his shoulder, to an entire segment of the ocrhard, still unharvested.

     Applejack was speechless. How could she have possibly missed all those trees when she was looking out at the orchard a few days ago? The shock proved to be too much for her exhausted body to handle, and she collapsed onto the ground. Upon waking up, she said the words Big Macintosh, and everyone else had been hoping to hear from her since this whole ordeal began.

    "Well, I guess I have to hoof it to you Big Macintosh." Shining Armor said, as Applejack and her friends took a break from completing the harvest "In the end everything worked out like you said it would."

    "Indeed it did." Big Macintosh replied "And about time too."

    "You can say that again." Shining Armor nodded "At least now, both you AND your sister understand the dangers of pride and stubborness. And that, there is nothing wrong with asking for help when you're in over your head."

    "Eeyup." Big Macintosh said happily "And hopefully everyone will 'forget' what Applejack did over the past few days. I'd really hate to see the whole town turn on her."

    "I really don't think it will come to that." Shining Armor stated "But I guess, time will tell."

Chapter 15: A Magician's Tale (Boast Busters)

                Shining Armor had to admit it was weird seeing all five of his friends at the exact same place, at the exact same time. Heck, he was surprised that Braeburn had come back from Appleloosa after having been gone for the past few weeks. Boy was he going to be surprised to learn he'd missed a chance to see a griffon.

               Granted, Gilda quickly lost sympathy with her temper and bad attitude, but it wasn't too often you got the chance to see a creature like her.

               But that was a story for another time and another place. Right now, everyone's attention seemed to be focused on a stage of some sort. Shining Armor was pretty sure that hadn't been there earlier this morning.

               He was just about to ask who or what had brought this stage here, when a voice suddenly called out from the blue.

              "Watch and be amazed at the spectacular feats of The Great and Powerful TRIXIE!" the voice shouted. And in a puff of smoke, a smug looking light blue unicorn appeared on stage. Decked out in a little purple hat and matching cloak with white stars and moons stiched all over it.

              It seemed pretty obvious, to Shining Armor at least, that this pony was a magician. After all, that hat and cloak looked suspiciously similar to the hat and cloak worn by one of Twilight's idols Star Swirl the Bearded. She enjoyed talking nonstop about his many accomplishments, much to the annoyance of everyone around her. Even Shining Armor and Spike had to admit they were getting a little bit tired of hearing about Star Swirl's achivements, not that they weren't impressive.

             However, with the exception of a few colts and fillies, it seemed like no one was at all impressed by "Trixie's" appearance. But then, when you had the star student of Princess Celestia herself, and the captain of the royal guard living in the same town, magic was as common as the sun rising every day.

            As the show went on, Trixie did not seem to notice that a lot of ponies in the audience were casting angry glares at her. Including ponies like Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, who Shining Armor would've thought were incapable of ever holding anyone in a negative light so soon. Then again, Pinkie Pie had surprised him when she complained to Twilight about Gilda, so who was he to judge?

           "Man, that mare just loves to hear herself talk doesn't she?" Soarin asked.

           "She reminds you of someone, doesn't she?" Braeburn teased.

           "Yes, and unfortunately, I must admit that who she reminds me of, is someone I'm not too fond of." Soarin replied.

           "She's got some nerve going after my sister like that. Even if she wasn't trying to be mean." Big Macintosh grumbled.

           "I honestly can't tell if she's completely ignorant of the fact, or just doesn't care, that everyone is getting fed up with her." Thunderlane commented.

           "Even if Miss Rarity wasn't conducting herself very professionally Trixie had no right to do what she did to her." Fancy Pants complained "If I wasn't a gentlecolt I'd give that so called 'magician' a piece of my mind.

           "Does she seriously expect anyone to believe that story about the Ursa Major?" Braeburn asked "Even a guy like me can tell when something is so absurd there's no possible way it could be true. And that's saying something."

          "Please don't tell me you guys actually HATE Trixie for what she's said and done." Shining Armor said accussingly "You guys have no right to do such things you know."

          "Don't get us wrong, we don't hate her or anything, Which is more than I can say for some other ponies." Big Macintosh replied.

          "But you can't deny she's not exactly making herself look like a saint." Soarin finished "It's almost as if she WANTS us to hate her. But who in their right mind could possibly want that?"

          "Well, if you guys don't like the show you're free to leave. I mean, who's stopping you?" Shining Armor asked.

          "We were just about to do so actually." Thunderlane said.

          "And we intend to set some 'other ponies' straight about hating on someone for no good reason." Big Macintosh commented.

          "Good." Shining Armor said happily "After the Gilda fiasco I don't think we need another problem on our hooves."

          "Who's Gilda?" Braeburn asked.

          "It's a long story, one that I don't have time to tell you right now." Shining Armor replied "Princess Celestia has requested that I come back to Canterlot to oversee the royal guards for a little bit."

         "You're leaving?" Thunderlane asked.

         "Yes, but I shouldn't be away for too long. A few hours at most. I'll probably be back by nightfall." Shining Armor explained.

         "Alright then Guess we'll see you later." Big Macintosh replied, and with that the six stallions went their seperate ways. Little did they know that things were going to be a lot different when they next met.

         Shining Armor's time in Canterlot wasn't all that memorable, though he did get the chance to see Princess Luna briefly. She was still recovering from the 'Nightmare Moon Incident' but already Shining Armor could tell she was looking a lot better.

         As for the royal guards, they treated their new captain with the respect and dignity he deserved, but still teased him a little. Shining Armor didn't mind. He knew they all missed Gleaming Shield, and he didn't blame them. Part of him wished Gleaming Shield was still around to give him advice. After all, she was the one who saw potential in him, and had convinced the royal guards not to turn him away when he first applied. He could only hope Gleaming Shield was enjoying her well earned retirement. And he made a mental note to ask Princess Celestia where he could find the former captain, when he got the chance. Gleaming Shield would be happy to hear that Shining Armor was continuing her legacy.

        When nightfall came, Shining Armor was allowed to go home. He knew he would be needed back in Canterlot a couple of weeks for a longer period of time, but for right now he was really looking forward to seeing his friends again. (As well as a quiet evening with Twilight, and a good night's rest.)

       Nothing could've prepared him for the sight that awaited him upon his return. The entire town seemed awake and alive, despite the sun having set probably a good half hour ago at the earliest. On top of that, he could've sworn he saw what looked like an Ursa Minor being floated out of town, and a crowd of ponies gathering around his sister. Some of them incredibly familiar, and some of them not even the slightest bit familiar. Something was going on here, and he was going to find out what.

      As soon as his chariot escort landed, Shining Armor hopped out, and was instantly greated by the prescence of his friends. They all seemed either cross or shocked.

     "Shining Armor, boy are we glad to see you!" Fancy Pants exclaimed.

     "What do you mean? You guys knew I was in Canterlot. I was perfectly fine all along." Shining Armor explained. Needless to say he was confused.

     "You'll have to forgive Fancy Pants, he's a little shaken up right now." Soarin apologized "But you are never gonna believe what just happened!"

     "Well, out with it already! The suspense is killing me!" Shining Armor said firmly.

     "An Ursa Minor came rampaging through town, and Twilight was the one who sent it packing." Braeburn explained "It was an amazing display! I've never seen anything like it!"

     "What?! An Ursa Minor?! Are you sure?!" Shining Armor asked.

     "Eeyup." BIg Macintosh nodded "You should've seen it. I was running some errands for Granny Smith, when all of a sudden there was this huge roar. I turned to look, and who should come running past me but Snips and Snails? And then came the Ursa Minor. And wouldn't you know it, that 'magician' actually tried to fight it off."

    "Really?! Trixie actually attempted to fend off an Ursa Minor all by herself?!" Shining Armor asked "Was she nuts?! She could've gotten herself killed!"

    "Guess it's a good thing Twilight bailed her out then." Braeburn stated.

    "I see." Shining Armor said. Then a thought came to him "Why am I hearing this from you guys, and not from Trixie?"

    "Because, as soon as Twilight sent that Ursa Minor away Trixie just up and ran off." Big Macintosh explained.

    "What?! Didn't anyone try to stop her?!" Shining Armor asked. His friends all shook their heads "Why didn't any of you say something in her defense when you had the chance?"

    "Because it was Trixie's fault that this whole mess happened in the first place." Soarin said crossly "She had to go and open her big mouth about that Ursa Major story, which somehow gave Snips and Snails the boneheaded idea to go find a real one for her to banish. Be thankful they only found an Ursa Minor."

    "There's no way she could've known that would happen." Shining Armor stated.

    "That may be, but she should've known better than to say such a thing outloud to begin with. That big ego of hers got her into trouble." Big Macintosh said sternly.

    "What you both fail to understand is that Trixie is a magician. an entertainer. It's her JOB to attract the audience's attention by any means possible!" Shining Armor replied "Sure that story was a bit far fetched, but the same could be said of all those classic fairy tales. After all, what are the odds of 'magic beans' being able to grow a beanstalk overnight? Just because something isn't true doesn't mean it necessarily makes for a bad story. Fiction and fantasy exisit for a reason."

    "You have a point there." Thunderlane admitted "But what would you have wanted us to do with Trixie? She had the perfect opportunity to explain herself to the whole town and she decided to run away."

    "If one of you had at least tried to reach out to her and encourage the town to listen to her, then perhaps things would've turned out differently." Shining Armor said crossly "But now, an innocent pony is out there all alone, with nopony to call a friend. Nopony to count on to help her. Nopony to offer her support."

    "Considering the fact that she had a cart I think it's safe to say she 'chooses' to live alone." Big Macintosh suggested "Maybe she doesn't need anypony."

    "Perhaps, but I believe. That regardless of what Trixie may have been like, she deserves to know that not all ponies in Ponyville are so mean." Shining Armor said firmly "And I intend to show her that regardless of whether or not you guys feel sorry for her."

    "We do feel sorry for her, really. We never thought she was trying to cause trouble." Thunderlane hastly explained "She was certainly no Gilda."

    "But she wasn't a saint either. She said things that weren't very nice, and you know that just as well as we do." Fancy Pants finished.

    "That is true, but at the least I can't afford to let her get away after a misunderstanding." Shining Armor stated, and with that he set off to find Trixie.

    "Why does bad luck always seem to follow me around?" Trixie muttered to herself. It was still hard to believe that just a few minutes ago her life had been ruined because of a misunderstanding. Were Snips and Snails really dumb enough to believe she could actually vanquish an Ursa Major? She had thought for certain the story was so absurd everyone would know it was fake. Apparently, she had thought wrong. And because of that, her cart had been completely demolished, along with all of her belongings.

    "Hey, Trixie!" an unfamiliar voice suddenly called out. Trixie was surprised. Who in their right mind would want to waste their time with a sorry sight like her? The answer came much sooner than she would've ever wanted.

   "What do you want?" Trixie asked "Have you come to laugh at The Weak and Humilated Trixie as well? Well, go ahead! Laugh yourself silly for all Trixie cares!"

   "That's not why I came here at all." Shining Armor said honestly "I just wanted to say, I'm sorry if you didn't exactly get the best impression of Ponyville during your visit. I can't speak for everyone, but I know at least a couple of ponies who didn't feel like you were some sort of villan. I guess ponies are still just a bit on edge after Gilda's visit."

   "Who's Gilda? Actually, on second thought, never mind." Trixie said febely "Trixie appreciates your concern, but she doesn't recall asking for your pity."

   "Would you just listen? I'm trying to help you!" Shining Armor said crossly.

   "If you really wish to help Trixie then you can make yourself scarce." Trixie replied "Trixie doesn't need your help, or anyone else's help. She is perfectly fine on her own thank you very much."

   "Look, I heard about what happened with the Ursa Minor. It wasn't your fault." Shining Armor explained "And I'm sure if you just explained that to the citizens they'd understand perfectly."

   "Surely you jest." Trixie retorted.

   "No, I mean it." Shining Armor said.

   "They wouldn't care. And even if they did it wouldn't change anything." Trixie said crossly "Trixie's life has been miserable for a long time. That Ursa Minor was mearly the latest in a series of bad hands that life has dealt Trixie. It seems that Trixie is destined to be a punching bag for the universe, and she is perfectly fine with that."

   "You don't have to delude yourself and lie to me. I can tell you've dealt with a lot of hardships in life, but that doesn't mean you have to be alone. I'm here now and I can help you turn your life around." Shining Armor offered "So please, let me help you."

   "Trixie has already told you that she doesn't need your help!" Trixie protested "Now go away!"

   Shining Armor sighed. He had hoped that he might be able to break through to Trixie and reach out to her somehow. Apparently that was not the case. "Very well then." he said somberly "Guess I won't be seeing you around." And with that, he turned to leave.

   "Good ridance." Trixie grumbled. But as Shining Armor began to slowly disappear, she began to realize that she was missing out on a chance to convince at least one pony in Ponyville, that she wasn't a "bad guy". Reluctantly, she shouted "Wait!"

  "Have you changed your mind?" Shining Armor asked. Freezing in his tracks.

  "Indeed I have." Trixie said, her tone implying that she was having a hard time swallowing her pride. As was evidenced by the fact that she was no longer talking in third person. "At the least I believe you deserve to know a little bit about me. My actual name is Trixie Lulamoon, The Great and Powerful Trixie is mearly a stage name I created for myself."

  "I figured that out pretty easily." Shining Armor nodded "But why exactly did you choose to become a magician? Especially when it seems like your magic is average at best. No offense."

  "None taken, but don't push your luck." Trixie replied "Anyway, to answer your question, it's because of my father."

  "Your father?" Shining Armor asked.

  "Yes. I can't recall any memories of my mother, and my father never talked about her." Trixie explained "So she either passed away while I was young, or just left my father for a reason I do not know."

  "I'm sorry to hear that." Shining Armor said somberly.

  "It's alright, I've moved on." Trixie continued "Anyway, my father was a really good magician. Probably one of the best of all time. He called himself The Great Hoofdini."

  "I've heard about. Wasn't he a well known escape artist?" Shining Armor asked.

  "Indeed he was. But he was more than that." Trixie explained "He was, for the longest time, the only one I could consider a friend. In school, I was teased and bullied almost everyday for many things. Even when I finally obtained my cutie mark the tormenting didn't stop, until I put those bullies in their place. I realize now that I probably did not handle the situation in the best way."

  "So what happened?" Shining Armor asked.

  "I had to drop out of school because of the way I acted. But I realized that, I liked being in control." Trixie went on "I became convinced that the world as I knew it was a cruel place, and the only one a pony could count on was herself. It has taken until this faithful night for me to see that life doesn't work that way."

"I'll say." Shining Armor said "Glad to see you've realized that. So, whaddya say we head back into town and clear up that misunderstanding?"

  "Thank you for the offer, but I'm afraid I must decline." Trixie said somberly "Trixie always has, and probably always will be, a wanderer."

  "Will I ever see you again?" Shining Armor asked.

  "Trixie cannot say for certain." Trixe admitted "Hopefully, if you do, Trixie's life will be better than it is now. But for right now, tell that goody twohoreshoes Twilight Sparkle to watch her back. Because one day, Trixie has a feeling that we shall meet again. And on that day, we will see for ourselves who the highest level unicorn is." And with that Trixie took off again.

  Shining Armor was quite surprised at what Trixie had told him, but outside of his friends, and his sister, few ponies truly believed that Trixie had told him the truth. Eventually, like Gilda, Trixie became a distant memory. Few ponies talked about her. For better or for worse, Shining Armor couldn't tell. He could only hope that if Trixie ever did return, she would show everyone who she was inside.

Chapter 16: Dragon Trouble (Dragonshy)

                It was a beautiful spring morning in Equestria. Celestia's sun shone brightly, birds chirped and sang, flowers bloomed, and dozens of ponies were out and about.

               One of those ponies was Thunderlane, who was on his way to visit his friend Fluttershy. His younger brother Rumble accompanied him as he neared the butter yellow pegasus' cottage.

              "Now remember Rumble, be a good little colt for Fluttershy and don't cause any trouble." Thunderlane said kindly.

              "Relax big brother, I'm not a foal. You can trust me." Rumble replied. He had to admit, the way Thunderlane was treating him made him feel a little bit embarassed.

              "I know, I know. But Fluttershy has her hoofs full as it is tending to her animals." Thunderlane went on "I don't think she needs any more headaches."

              "Geez, you act as if I'm two years old or something. I already told you I'll behave." Rumble groaned.

              Thunderlane laughed "I've heard that excuse before. You promised me the exact same thing right before the last foalsitter, and if memory serves you weren't very well behaved at all."

              "It's not my fault, Miss Rarity wanted to use me as a model for her fashion career." Rumble complained "And for the record, I didn't need her to give me a bath. I can do that just fine on my own."

              "That's not what Rarity told me." Thunderlane said "She said you were loud, cheeky, and more jumpy than Pinkie Pie on one of her sugar rushes. And I highly doubt Rarity is one to lie."

              "Uh big brother?" Rumble asked suddenly. Thunderlane didn't notice.

              "Why look, there's Fluttershy now." Thunderlane said, and quickly flew over to her.

              "Big brother!" Rumble shouted. Thunderlane didn't hear him.

              "Hello Fluttershy." Thunderlane said cheerfully "So nice to see you again."

              "Hello to you too Thunderlane." Fluttershy replied "Just give me a minute to finish feeding my animals. You know how grumpy they can get when they don't get their food."

              "Big brother, it's an emergency!" Rumble shouted at the top of his lungs. Thunderlane finally took notice.

              "What's wrong Rumble?" Thunderlane asked "Do you need to use the little colt's room? You know where the bathroom is."

              "It's not that!" Rumble said crossly.

              "Did you cut yourself?" Thunderlane asked "I've got bandages right here in my saddle bag."

              "It's not that either!" Rumble shouted.

              "Did one of my chickens escape?" Fluttershy asked "I thought I checked the fencing just yesterday."

              "Oh for the love of... look up!" Rumble shouted. Thunderlane and Fluttershy did so, and what they saw was something they wished they were just imaging. A thick cloud of dark black smoke was slowing hovering overhead. Neither of them knew where the smoke was coming from, but they knew it wasn't a good sign.

             "Were you trying to tell us about this earlier?" Thunderlane asked Rumble.

             "Yes, but you were so caught up with talking to Fluttershy that you didn't notice." Rumble said crossly.

             "Sorry about that little brother." Thunderlane said, blushing slightly in embarassment.

             "What are we gonna do Thunderlane?!" Fluttershy asked "I don't think anypony else has noticed the smoke yet."

             "Yeah, what are we gonna do?" Rumble asked.

             "Well, what YOU'RE going to do" Thunderlane said to Rumble "is stay here with Fluttershy."

             "What?" Rumble asked "But I wanna help!"

             "I'm sorry Rumble, but this is a situation that's meant to be handled by grownups like me." Thunderlane said sternly "And I'm sure Mom and Dad would agree with me."

             "I never get to do anything fun." Rumble complained. Thunderlane and Fluttershy took no notice.

             "What about you?" Fluttershy asked Thunderlane.

             "I'm gonna go see if Twilight and Shining Armor are aware of the situation. Even if they aren't they'll probably know what to do next." Thunderlane explained "Once again, I am in need of your expert foalsitting skills Fluttershy. Can I trust you to look after Rumble until I return?"

             "Absolutely. We'll have a wonderful time together, won't we Rumble?" Fluttershy asked sweetly.

             "As long as you don't treat me like a baby." Rumble muttered.

             "Come on Rumble, please try not to give Fluttershy a hard time." Thunderlane pleaded "I'll make this up to you somehow, I promise."

             "Fine, but make sure she knows that I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I don't need help with anything!" Rumble said stubbornly.

             "Don't worry, we'll get along just fine." Fluttershy said sweetly "Now come on, let's get inside. That smoke's probably not gonna clear up anytime soon, and it's not good for your lungs." Fluttershy led Rumble through the front door of her cottage without another word. Once the front door was shut, Thunderlane took off. His destination, Golden Oaks Library.

             Normally a flight to the library from Fluttershy's cottage would be a breeze. But not today, for the beautiful spring weather had brought a lot of ponies outside. This meant a ton of pegasi who were either trying to maintain the nice weather, or just pegasi that were enjoying the sunshine. This made the flight unusually difficult for Thunderlane, who had to keep weaving in and out of crowds. So far, nopony seemed to be aware of the thick black smoke that he had seen at Fluttershy's cottage. But he knew he hadn't been imaging things. Or at least, he was pretty sure he hadn't.

           All of a sudden, who should appear in his line of vision but Soarin? The Wonderbolt Co-Captain seemed to be aware of the smoke as well, but he didn't seem to be aware of Thunderlane's prescence. By the time he was, it too late to do anything about it. The two pegasi collided with each other in mid air. Luckly no one was hurt.

          "What's the big idea Thunderlane? I could've gotten hurt!" Soarin said crossly.

          "S-sorry Soarin." Thunderlane apologized "But the smoke"

          "You mean, you saw it too?" Soarin asked.

          "Yes." Thunderlane said "I was dropping off Rumble at Fluttershy's when I saw it. Do you have any idea what's causing it?"

          Before Soarin could answer, Big Macintosh came running up to them "You guys need to get your hineys to the library, pronto! Shining Armor's just called an emergency meeting for the six of us!"

         "What for?" Thunderlane asked.

         "He said it has to do with the smoke, now come on!" Big Macintosh shouted, and he raced away.

         "I guess everyone knows now." Soarin said, rising to his hooves.

         "That's good, I guess." Thunderlane commented. And then he and Soarin set off for the Golden Oaks Library.

         "Thank you all for coming on such short notice!" Shining Armor said, once all of his friends were gathered.

         "This had better be important!" Fancy Pants said sternly "Time is money, and if you're wasting time then you're wasting money."

         "I'm sure by now you're all aware of the thick black smoke that is spreading all over town?" Shining Armor asked.

         "Yeah! Any idea what's causing it?" Braeburn asked "Something tells me it's not a wildfire."

         "Indeed it's not." Shining Armor said, everyone breathed a sigh of relief "It's a dragon, a slumbering dragon to be exact."

         "What?!" everyone else gasped.

         "Are you sure about that?" Thunderlane asked nervously "I mean, what if it's something else?"

         "Twilight and I got a letter from Princess Celestia just a short time ago explaining everything." Shining Armor explained "And dragons can sleep for a very long period of time. 1,000 years to be exact."

         "Boy, talk about getting your beauty sleep." Fancy Pants commented.

         "Why doesn't Princess Celestia just send down a few royal guards to take care of the situation?" Soarin asked "Aren't they suppose to deal with threats to Equestria's security?"

         "That would be 'Making a Mountain Out Of a Molehill' so to speak." Shining Armor explained "The dragon's not intentionally causing harm, but sending in the royal guards could provoke it into attacking. No armor in the universe can protect against a dragon's firey breath and sharp claws."

         "Yeah, imagine me, except 1000 times bigger and stronger." Spike joked.

         "Does Princess Celestia know where the dragon is located?" Big Macintosh asked "Cause otherwise, how are we suppose to help?"

         "The smoke is originating from a nearby mountain just outside of town." Shining Armor explained "It's obvious that's where the dragon is."

         "Sounds like a piece of cake to me!" Soarin boasted "We just go up there, show that dragon who's boss, and that's that!"

         "Easy there Soarin, we are suppose to convince the dragon to sleep somewhere else. Not attack him." Shining Armor explained.

         "Aw man, I've been itching for some action." Soarin complained "Oh well, I guess this will at least earn me some bragging points with Fleetfoot. I really don't know what Captain Spitfire sees in her. Yes she's fast, but she's also incredibly annoying, even more so than Rainbow Dash."

         "Who's Fleetfoot?" Braeburn asked "You never mentioned her before."

         "She's the Wonderbolt that most oftens tags along with Spitfire and I whenever we go places." Soarin explained "She's the fastest Wonderbolt of all with an ego to match. She has a rather inflated opinion of herself, and I get the feeling that if Rainbow Dash wasn't the mare she was, Fleetfoot would be all over me in an instant."

        "Sounds like she and Rainbow Dash would get along swimmingly." Fancy Pants commented.

        "Yes. Well, anyway" Shining Armor continued "I called you all here to inform you of the mission ahead. I'm not gonna lie, it's probably going to be difficult. But I'm confident that as long as we work together we should be able to pull it off without a hitch. Now, I want all of you to go home, pack your saddlebags with the appropriate supplies, and meet back here in half an hour! Can you do that?"

        "Yes sir!" Big Macintosh, Soarin, Braeburn, and Fancy Pants replied.

        "I guess." Thunderlane said reluctantly.

        "Okay Spike, did you finish the checklists?" Shining Armor asked.

        "Yup." Spike replied.

        "Good. You know what to do." Shining Armor instructed. Spike proceeded to give each of Shining Armor's friends a checklist. Said checklists had been created by his sister Twilight, and each of them indicated just what needed to be worn whenever one embarks on such a journey.

        Soarin was the first one to finish with his preparations. His fellow Wonderbolts, including Fleetfoot, quickly collected everything he needed and loaded them into his saddle bag. After a final inspection from Captain Spitfire, Soarin was given the all clear to leave Wonderbolt Headquarters. And as he took off into the sky, Soarin strapped his flight goggles on, making sure they were nice and snug. "Let's, get, dangerous!" he shouted.

        Preparations didn't take long for Big Macintosh either. His whole family, including Apple Bloom and Granny Smith, assisted him. His saddle bags felt quite heavy by the time they were done, but Big Macintosh was use to carry such heavy loads. So the weight felt like nothing to him. And with a quick kick from his back legs, just to be sure they were working properly, he uttered his trademark "Eeyup." and set off.

       One would think that Braeburn, being a stallion who left Ponyville on an extremly frequent basis, would not have a place of his own in the town. That was not true however, Braeburn owned a cozy little house on the outskirts of town. Far away from the hussle and bustle of the market place. And when he wasn't using it he rented it out a very nice couple, Lyra Heartstrings and Bon-Bon, or as someponies called her "Sweetie Drops". Fortunately, Braeburn was a very organized stallion, after all he was always heard to say "Ma raised me to be a gentlecolt, and that's what I'll always be." So it didn't take him long at all to gather up the required supplies. He was incredibly excited, this sounded just like the sort of adventures he'd always dreamed of having as a child. "Hehehe" he chuckled in excitement, before quickly regaining his composure "I mean, grr! Let's rough em up!"

      Fancy Pants' wife Fluer was more than a little concerned to hear that her husband had agreed to embark on such a dangerous quest. But she knew it was no use trying to reason with him, this was something he wanted to do, and no one was going to tell him otherwise. All she could do was help Rarity gather everything that was required for the quest. At last Fancy Pants was ready, and he headed out the door. But not before his wife gave him a good luck kiss. Fancy Pants smiled and boldly shouted "Onward!"

     Thunderlane wasn't willing to take any chances. He knew he was going to hate himself, but he was determined to prove himself to his friends. If it meant facing down a gaint, scaly, fire breathing dragon, so be it. But that didn't mean he couldn't take steps to try and minimalize the risk to himself. So, in addition to obtaining what was needed, he made sure to load up on safety gear. A part of him knew he looked silly, but he didn't care. Reluctantly, he marched out the door. "I can't believe I'm actually going to do this." he said to himself.

     "Glad to see you're all here." Shining Armor said, once all of his friends had gathered "I trust that each of you is prepared to face the dangers of this adventure?"

     "Uh huh." Soarin, Big Macintosh, Braeburn, and Fancy Pants replied.

     "Well, more or less." Thunderlane replied weakly.

     "Good." Shining Armor said happily "Now listen carefully, we shouldn't be gone for too long, but I cannot stress enough that time is of the escence here. We should try to avoid any uneccesary risks, and avoid any diversions. The longer it takes us to reach the top, the farther that smoke will spread."

     "Doesn't sound too difficult, we just gotta stick together." Big Macintosh stated.

     "You took the words right out of my mouth Big Mac." Shining Armor replied "One thing I want you all to keep in mind, the higher up you go, the colder it gets."

     "Don't worry about me, I'll be okay with my flight suit." Soarin said.

     "Which is exactly why I had the rest of you, as well as myself, obtain something similar." Shining Armor explained "You probably noticed how brightly colored they are. That's to help make it easier to find one another on the off chance we get seperated. Speaking of which, no matter what, NEVER go off on your own! The mountain can be a very dangerous place if you're not careful, and going it alone increases the chance of injury or accidents!"

     "I was wondering why you had those listed." Fancy Pants admitted "I knew they weren't just for show, but I couldn't figure out what purpose they would serve."

     "Okay, before we set off, does anyone have any questions?" Shining Armor asked.

     "I've got one, are you sure it's a good idea to bring Thunderlane along?" Soarin asked "I mean, no offense, but sometimes he can be afraid of his own shadow."

     "I'm well aware of that." Shining Armor said firmly "But I would not ask Thunderlane to accompany us if I didn't think he could handle this assignment. I assure you that Thunderlane will play a very big role in regards to the success of this mission. Once again, you must remember that we are only trying to politely convince the dragon to sleep somewhere else, not provoke it into attacking. Now then, anymore questions?" No one said anything "Good. Let's move out!" And with that, the six stallions set off.

     It wasn't long before they approached the base of the mountain, and began to climb. The thick black smoke was already spreading rapidly. Fortunately, it had yet to spread beyond Ponyville, and all the pegasi in Cloudsdale were working hard to keep it that way.

     "I've heard tales that a dragon's cave is loaded with all sorts of jewels and riches." Fancy Pants commented "Hm, I wonder if I could perhaps convince the dragon to part with of them."

     "Hey there Fancy Pants, welcome to my cave! Want a diamond?! Rrrrrrgh!" Braeburn said, and promptly laughed.

     "Hopefully that won't be the case." Big Macintosh stated.

     "I hope so too." Shining Armor replied "Thunderlane, you know Fluttershy better than the rest of us, and she's an animal expert. Any idea on what the dragon will be like?" Thunderlane didn't answer. In fact, Shining Armor now noticed that Thunderlane was not with the rest of the group.

    Thunderlane was still at the base of the mountain, looking up. He didn't like what he saw. "It's so steep." he said, obviously stricken with fright.

    "Well duh. It's a mountain. Mountains are suppose to be steep!" Soarin replied.

    "Is something wrong Thunderlane?" Shining Armor asked.

    "N-no." Thunderlane lied.

    "Then come on up here! What are you waiting for, an invitation or something?!" Soarin asked.

    "Soarin, stop intimidating Thunderlane! You're just making things worse!" Big Macintosh said crossly.

    "It's called tough love! Thunderlane's got to man up one way or another!" Soarin explained.

    "I'm coming, just.... give me a minute." Thunderlane responded weakly. With a gulp, he flapped his wings, and slowly flew up to join his friends. He was barely able to keep himself from fainting when the dragon let out a roar.

    "Whoa!" Braeburn exclaimed "Sure am glad I don't have that for a wake up call."

    "You and me both." Shining Armor replied "Now come on, we've got to make up for lost time!"

    The journey up the mountain passed in relative silence for quite some time. Only occassionally did anyone stop. And even then, that was usually just for a minute or two.

    Eventually, they reached a point where it became too cold to continue on without protective thermal suits. So they stopped, and one by one slipped them on. Each suit was a different color. Big Macintosh's suit was bright red, Braeburn's was bright green, Thunderlane's was bright yellow, Fancy Pants' was bright orange, and Shining Armor's was bright purple. Soarin laughed a little at the sight of them, but he was quickly silenced when Shining Armor threatened have Fancy Pants give Soarin's flight suit a makeover.

   "According to the map we're half way there." Shining Armor said a short time later "So far so good. Everyone holding up okay?"

   "Yeah." his friends replied, some more energetically than others.

   "Alright. Stay close, and watch your step. If you fall, it's a long way down." Shining Armor said.

   "Hey look, there's a gap up ahead!" Soarin exclaimed, and promptly flew over it.

   "Wait a second guys!" Shining Armor called. The others apparently didn't hear him, as Braeburn hopped across next. Followed by Big Macintosh, with a little coaxing. The same held true for Fancy Pants. Only Thunderlane refused to make the jump.

   "Come on Thunderlane, it's just a hop, skip, and a jump!" Braeburn called cheerfully.

   "But, it's so wide!" Thunderlane protested.

   "You'll be fine, you can do it!" Soarin said.

   "Are you sure?" Thunderlane asked.

   "Of course. I mean we're friends, and friends trust each other." Soarin explained.

   "Well, okay." Thunderlane said nervously "Here goes. A hop."

   "Yes, that's it!" Braeburn shouted "Go on!"

   "A skip." Thunderlane said, and leapt into the air.

   "Just don't look down!" Braeburn shouted. Shining Armor face hoofed the instant those words escaped Braeburn's mouth.

   Sure enough, Thunderlane looked down. The sight caused him to forget the next step, so he shut his eyes and he prepared himself for a long fall. But all of a second later the fall had stopped. He opened his eyes, and saw that the "gap" was little more than a narrow little distance between two facing cliff sides. Hardly deserving to even be called a "gap".

   "I was trying to tell you that earlier." Shining Armor explained "It's so small you can practically walk across it. The other guys were just blowing it out of proportion."

   "Sorry." Soarin replied "I was just trying to have a little fun."

   "My hooves are really starting to kill me." Fancy Pants complained "Feels like we've been walking for ages."

   "I feel the same way to be honest." Big Macintosh commented "How much farther Shining Armor?"

   "We're almost there, just hang on guys." Shining Armor said confidently "There's a fork in the road up ahead."

   "Which path do we take?" Thunderlane asked nervously.

   "Well, the one on the left would take less time." Shining Armor stated "But we're going to take the one on the right."

   "What?! Are you serious?! You just said the one on the left was the shorter route!" Soarin shouted.

   "I did say that, but I have a good reason for not going that way." Shining Armor explained "That path crosses through an area of the mountain prone to rockslides. The slightest sound or vibration could set off an unrelenting stream of falling rocks. And I dobut anyone here wants to be squashed flat."

   Soarin sighed "Guess you have a good point there. Even though I could probably fly high enough to avoid the rocks."

   "Well then, no point in standing around here. Let's go!" Braeburn said happily "Lead the way oh fearless leader!"

   "I don't know about the whole fearless thing." Shining Armor stated "I'm really worried because so far this has been pretty easy. No major setbacks or delays at all. We're making great time. In fact, I'd say this is almost TOO easy."

   "Ah you're just looking a gift horse in the mouth." Soarin suggested "All of what you just said simply proves you know how to think ahead. You already showed off your leadership skills when we were looking for the Elements of Harmony, and this is just further proof of how good of a leader you really are."

   "You think so huh?" Shining Armor asked.

   "We know so." Fancy Pants replied "So throw those worries away, and let's get going."

   "Well, alright. But I've got a bad feeling about all of this." Shining Armor said, as he and his friends set off again.

   At last, the six stallions reached the top. A small cave was all that stood before them, and it was obvious to everyone what lurked inside it.

   "This is it men!" Shining Armor said firmly "The dragon is right inside that cave."

   "All we have to do now is go in there and get that dragon to leave!" Soarin boldly stated.

   "Peacefully!" Shining Armor reminded him.

   "I was just about to say that." Soarin replied.

   "What are your orders Shining?" Big Macintosh asked.

   "They are as follows." Shining Armor explained "Soarin, I want you to start getting to work on clearing up the smoke. I'm sure the pegasi will appreciate that they're no longer fighting a losing battle."

   "Consider it done!" Soarin said boldly, and flew up into the smoke.

   "Fancy Pants, Braeburn, you guys be ready with a distraction in case we need it." Shining Armor instructed.

   "Sounds good to me." Fancy Pants replied.

   "Same here, now I'll have a chance to use this baby." Braeburn stated, and pulled out a rubber chicken. Shining Armor and Fancy Pants said nothing as he played around with it, like a dog plays with a chew toy.

   "Big Macintosh, with your impressive bucking skills you're the ideal pony to fend off the dragon should it attack. Keep in mind however, that you are only to defend yourself, and the rest of us." Shining Armor instructed.

   "No worries, I can handle it." Big Macintosh said "They don't call me Big Mac for nothing!" To prove his point, he took out two apples he'd brought for a snack, tossed them into the air, and used his back legs to kick them as they came down. They hit a nearby tree, and splattered on impact.

   "And what about me?" Thunderlane asked.

   "Thunderlane, you'll play the most important part. You're going to assist me with my task." Shining Armor explained "The two of us should hopefully be able to convince the dragon to leave, and there won't be any need for Big Macintosh's 'apple fu', or Fancy Pants and Braeburn's 'distraction'."

   "Uh about that" Thunderlane said nervously "I suppose now is a bad time to point out that I'm terrified of dragons!"

   "I figured you weren't looking forward to this, but why didn't you say something earlier?" Shining Armor asked "I never would've asked you to come along if I knew about this from the beginning."

   "A part of me, and I really am growing to hate that part, wanted to prove to everyone that I was useful. And apparently, it thought this was the best way to do it." Thunderlane explained "I can't believe I was stupid enough to listen to it!"

   "Well, if it makes you feel any better. I'm kind of afraid of the dragon as well." Shining Armor admitted.

   "You're just saying that." Thunderlane said crossly.

   "No I'm not. Trust me, I would never lie to a friend just to make them feel better." Shining Armor said innocently "I already stated how unsure I was about our luck."

   "But that's different." Thunderlane replied "Your fear is justified, mine isn't."

   "What are you talking about? Your fear makes much more sense then mine." Shining Armor said sincerely "Listen, if you don't want to assist me, that's perfectly fine. I would never ask anypony to do something that I wouldn't do myself. If you're not willing to talk to that dragon, then I'll go it alone."

   "I'm sorry Shining Armor, I really am." Thunderlane apologized "I should've spoken up sooner."

   "Stop beating yourself up Thunderlane." Shining Armor said kindly "It took a lot of guts for you to make it all the way up here before deciding you couldn't go on. I can respect that."

   "But are you really sure you can convince the dragon to leave all by yourself?" Thunderlane asked.

   "I'm not 100 percent sure, but I have to give it my best shot." Shining Armor confessed "At least that way I can't say I didn't try. Wish me luck."

   "I don't think you'll need luck." Big Macintosh replied.

   "Well, only one way to find out. Here goes nothing." Shining Armor said nervously, and he went into the cave. Fortunately it wasn't very dark, so he could see where he was going. And it didn't take long for him to find the dragon. His red coat constrated quite sharply with the walls of the cave.

   Shining Armor gulped, and plucked up courage "Uh, excuse me, Mr. Dragon?"  he asked. The dragon's eyes opened, and he let out a slight yawn. It was pretty obvious he wasn't very happy to have been woken up. "Sorry to disturb you during what I'm sure is a very good nap. But it's just, well, you're doing an awful lot of snoring. And whenever you do, you send out a cloud of awful black smoke." The dragon snorted, smoke blew out of his nostrails. Shining Armor coughed and sputtered as the smoke enveloped him "Like that." he said "So, I'm here to ask, if you would kindly leave and find someplace where your smoke won't be a health hazard to everyone in Equestria. You understand, right?"

  The dragon rose, and paused for a moment. Shining Armor looked up with interest, had he actually gotten through that easily? The dragon then layed back down with another yawn, and blew more smoke into Shining Armor's face. Apparently he either didn't understand the situation, or he didn't care. Shining Armor hoped it was the former.

  "So much for just talking him into leaving. I guess I don't quite have the same charm as Fluttershy." Shining Armor said glumly.

  "Ah, don't beat yourself up. You gave it your darn best shot." Fancy Pants said "But a situation like this simply calls for a little more 'charm' if you will."

  "Remember what's important Fancy Pants." Shining Armor called.

  "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Fancy Pants replied "Here goes a pro in action." And with that he went into the cave. "Pardon me Mr. Dragon. I know you're probably trying to enjoy your beauty sleep, but I can't help but notice that you have some very fine claws. Topped only by your most magnificent scales. Truly you are a sight to behold. And a thing of beauty such as yourself shouldn't be holed up in a cave like this." The dragon seemed to consider what Fancy Pants was saying, and looked like he was about to leave. Then Fancy Pants made his mistake "Of course, I'd be more than happy to safeguard your treasure until you return." That comment instantly angered the dragon, who swiped all of the treasure he could into his claws, before angrily growling at Fancy Pants.

  "Not my finest moment." Fancy Pants sighed "I'm ashamed of myself, I'm better than that."

  "That doesn't make up for the fact that you made that dragon even more angry than he already is." Shining Armor said crossly.

  "I'm aware of that thank you." Fancy Pants said with a hint of anger. His thoughts were soon interrupted by what sounded like a party blower.

  Everyone turned their attention to Braeburn, who was wearing a gaint brightly colored present. He was also wearing a pair of sassy glasses, and had a bunch of balloon animals tied to him.

  "Uh Braeburn, not that I mean to be rude, but you look ridiculous." Fancy Pants commented.

  "That's exactly the point." Braeburn replied "As Pinkie Pie always tells me, sharing a laugh is the fastest way to win someone over. Once I've done that, getting him to leave will be a breeze." He waddled into the cave before anyone could point out how absurd that idea was. "Hello Mr. Dragon!" Braeburn called cheerfully. The dragon was not pleased to see Braeburn at all. A few seconds later, Braeburn crawled out of the cave. His outfit completed ruined. "Apparently he's not really into laughing, or smiling for that matter. And that claw of his packs a real wallop."

  "Okay that's it, no more Mr. Nice Pony! That dragon just crossed the line!" Soarin said furiously "No one does that to my friends and gets away with it! Time for Mr. Dragon to learn a lesson he'll never forget!" And with that, Soarin flew into the cave. Everyone else panicked. Soarin's actions were sure to make things worse.

  "Soarin wait!" Shining Armor called "Don't do it!" But it was too late.

  "Hey you! Yeah you!" Soarin shouted at the dragon. The dragon was surprised to see Soarin looking so angry. "You've got some nerve picking on my friends like that! We tried to nice, we tried to be peaceful. But now you've left me no choice! If you won't leave willingly, then I'll just have to make you leave! Taste the painbow!" Soarin kicked the dragon hard in the snout. That certainly got his attention all right, but not in the way Soarin would've hoped.

  The dragon woke up all the way, and glared angrily at Soarin. Soarin was now starting to regret his decision, big time. "Uh he he, is it too late for us to be friends?" he asked sheepishly. The dragon replied by letting out a fierce roar. The roar was so powerful it sent Soarin flying backwards, causing him to crash into his friends, who fell like bowling pins.

  "Now you've gonna done it!" Big Macintosh said angrily.

  "Uh-oh! Here he comes! Everypony run!" Braeburn shouted. But his warning came too late. The dragon emerged from the cave, and sweeped his firey breath. If it weren't for the suits they were wearing Shining Armor and his friends would've been burnt to a crisp. That wasn't enough to stop them from being pushed back.

  Thunderlane,(who had taken shelter behind a rock at the last second) was horrified when he saw that the blast had completely incapicated his friends. This made him cross, so cross in fact that he forgot all about being afraid of the dragon. "How dare you!" he bellowed "Now you listen here Mr. Dragon! You may be big, but that doesn't mean you have the right to be a bully! You might think that just because you have sharp teeth, thick scales, and firey breath, you can do anything! But you're wrong. YOU DO NOT! EVER! HURT MY FRIENDS! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

  The dragon was silent for a moment. No one had ever spoken to him like that before, let alone a pony that wasn't even one tenth his size. Then he spoke up "But that one with the blue suit kicked me in the snout, and it hurt!"

  "That's not an excuse for your behavior, two wrongs don't make a right! You're bigger than him, and should know better!" Thunderlane scolded "Now then, what do you have to say for yourself mister?!"

  Those words seemed to touch a nerve, because the dragon burst into tears. Thunderlane's friends were amazed, they never would've believed this was possible if they weren't seeing it for themselves.

  "There, there. It's okay. You're not a bad dragon at all, you just made a bad decision." Thunderlane said kindly "And you should know that you shouldn't be sleeping where your snoring can become a problem for others. Now, go pack your things, it's time for you to leave." The dragon did just that.

  "That was incredible." Shining Armor stated "And you thought you weren't brave."

  "I know, I still can't believe I did that." Thunderlane replied "But right for now I just hope Rumble's holding up okay, This is the longest he's ever been foalsat."

  "I'm sure he's doing just fine." Big Macintosh said "Trust me, I speak from experience."

  "Hey Thunderlane?" Soarin asked as the group made their journey back down the mountain "I just wanted to say, I'm sorry for the way I treated you throughout this mission. I had no right to do that, and I really shouldn't have lashed out at you for your fears. Can you ever forgive me for the way I acted?"

  "Of course." Thunderlane replied "Like I said with the dragon, you're not bad, you just made some bad decisions. What's important is that you feel sorry for doing them, and are willing to admit it. I wouldn't be a good friend if I wasn't willing to forgive you for something you clearly regretted. Just don't let it happen again."

  "I can't make any promises, but I'll try." Soarin said honestly.

  "Oh, thank goodness you're back." Fluttershy said once Thunderlane had returned.

  "Did Rumble give you a hard time?" Thunderlane asked.

  "Actually no, he wasn't a hooffull at all." Fluttershy confessed "In fact, I think the two of us really bonded."

  "Where is he now?" Thunderlane asked.

  As if to answer his question Thunderlane heard the sound of a toilet being flushed. "I'm done Fluttershy." Rumble called.

  "Good boy Rumble, don't forget to wash your hooves." Fluttershy replied.

  "I won't." Rumble called "Thanks again for all you did."

  "Don't mention it, it was my pleasure." Fluttershy said sweetly.

  "Did he let you help him with wiping?" Thunderlane asked. Fluttershy nodded "Wow, Rumble's never let anypony do that. Not even me. You're really good."

  "It was nothing, really." Fluttershy said "I'd be glad to be his foalsitter on any occassion."

  "Well, I'll have to ask Rumble what he thinks." Thunderlane said. He didn't have long to wait for his chance. Rumble came out of the bathroom a moment later.

  "Hey big brother." Rumble said sweetly "You're back already?"

  "Yup, and I've got a proposal." Thunderlane said, smiling brightly "Apparently, Fluttershy here tells me you behaved well while I was gone. Is that true?"

   "You betcha. She's the greatest foalsitter ever!" Rumble said excitedly.

   "In that case, how would you like Fluttershy to be your go to foalsitter from now?" Thunderlane asked.

   Rumble was speechless "Do you really mean it?" he asked.

   "Of course." Thunderlane said sweetly "As long as that's okay with you."

   "Are you kiding?! Of course that's okay with me!" Rumble replied.

   "Well then, congratulations Fluttershy, you've got the job!" Thunderlane said.

   "Oh thank you big brother! Thank you so much!" Rumble said happily.

   "No need to thank me." Thunderlane said sweetly "Now come on, let's go home. Just wait till you hear what your big brother did while Fluttershy was looking after you. It's quite a story."

Chapter 17: The Sleepover (Look Before You Sleep)

                "Dag nab it! I didn't plan on coming back to Ponyville only for it rain!" Braeburn complained to himself. The instant he had returned from Appleloosa he had been greeted with the sight of rain clouds, and what appeared to be a doozy of a downpour. Lightning and thunder were not far behind, and had forced the earth pony to seek shelter in the safety of the Ponyville train station interior. All Braeburn could do now was sit around, moping and feeling miserable.

               "Cousin Braeburn? Cousin Braeburn?" a voice called out, breaking Braeburn away from his thoughts.

               "Huh, that's funny." Braeburn said to himself "I swear I can hear cousin Big Macintosh calling my name. But that's not possible. If I know my cousin as well as I do, I know he's not one to be out and about in the middle of a thunderstorm. The solitude must be getting to me."

               "Cousin Braeburn, where are you?!" the voice called out again "I know you're here somewhere!"

               "Okay, now I know for sure I heard THAT." Braeburn said to himself "But why would Cousin Big Macintosh be looking for me when it's so nasty outside?"

               Suddenly, who should appear in the view of a nearby window, but Big Macintosh? He was dressed from head to hooves in a yellow rain poncho, and was holding an umbrella. Braeburn could hardly believe his eyes. Even so, he opened the door of the station, despite his better judgement.

              "There you are!" Big Macintosh said sternly upon entering the interior of the station "I've been looking all over for you!"

              "You have?" Braeburn asked.

              "Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied.

              "But why?" Braeburn asked "It's wet, windy, and stormy outside. You should be back at Sweet Apple Acres, not wandering about looking for me."

              "Granny Smith recieved your letter about your visit this morning, and she got pretty worried when you didn't show up before the storm rolled in." Big Macintosh explained "So she sent me out to go look for you and bring you back here. She feared you might have gotten lost."

              "Ah gee, I didn't mean to make Granny Smith worry so much." Braeburn said honestly "I remember how much she panicked the one time I was foalsitting Apple Bloom when she was a baby, and she disappeared on me while I was using the bathroom. Granny never lets me forget that. That's probably why she stopped letting me foalsit."

             "If you think that's bad, you haven't seen anything yet." Big Macintosh said, resisting the urge to chuckle at the embarassing story Braeburn had told him. Granny Smith had actually forgiven Braeburn for that panic attack, but Braeburn didn't know this. She planned to tell him eventually, but she couldn't resist messing with Braeburn every now and then. After all, ever since Appleloosa had been founded, Braeburn had visited less and less often.

             "Granny Smith's gonna be real ticked off with me isn't she?" Braeburn asked.

             "Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied, chuckling a little "But don't worry, I'll stop her if she tries to bury you six feet under."

             "That's not funny cousin Big Macintosh." Braeburn said furiously "Let's not forget who knows about a certain somepony's interest in sleeping with stuffed animals, even though he's a fully grown stallion."

             "Hey! Everypony has their secrets!" Big Macintosh snorted "Besides, I've grown out of it. Mostly. Now come on, this storm ain't gonna let up anytime soon. And the longer we stand around here talking the more we'll keep the guys waiting."

             "What do you mean?" Braeburn asked as Big Macintosh hoofed him the umbrella, and the two of them set off for Sweet Apple Acres.

             "Well, since Soarin's on vacation, and Shining's Armor in Canterlot with Fancy Pants and Spike for a week, Thunderlane and I thought it would be a good idea to have a sleep over." Big Macintosh explained.

             "A sleepover, really?" Braeburn asked "Aren't we a bit old for that sort of thing?"

             "Oh, come on cousin Braeburn." Big Macintosh said innocently "There's no age limit to sleepovers, not between friends at least."

             "I don't know." Braeburn replied nervously.

             "It'll be fun, a sort of guys only night so to speak." Big Macintosh suggested "We'll play games, tell ghost stories, and even make smores. And let me tell you, Granny Smith may be old, but her recipes for homemade smores are simply to die for."

             "Well why didn't you say that in the first place?" Braeburn asked "Come on, let's go! Those smores sound so good I can almost taste them!"

             "Slow down Braeburn!" Big Macintosh called as Braeburn took off "There's plenty of time!"

             "Yes, but the sooner we get there the sooner we can eat those smores!" Braeburn replied, and continued running as fast as his legs would let him. Completely ignoring the numerous puddles he was splashing his way through.

             "And yet somehow he's able to live on his own in a town in the middle of a dessert?" Big Macintosh thought to himself.

             By the time the two of them arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, the wind was hollowing and the rain was coming down hard. Lightning flashed, and thunder clapped. The storm seemed to be getting stronger by the minute.

             "Here we are." Big Macintosh said, as he and Braeburn approached the front door "Before you go inside, make sure you ain't bringing any mud in with you. That stuff isn't easy to wash out once it reaches the floorboards."

             "Don't worry, I made sure not to step in any mud puddles." Braeburn said cheerfully "My hooves are as clean as a whistle. Now let's get inside. This storm sure looks like it's shaping up to be rather nasty. I just hope the pegasi know what they're doing."

             "Relax. Rainbow Dash is captain of the weather team. I'm sure she has everything under control." Big Macintosh replied, and knocked on the door.

             Granny Smith was there to greet them. "So, you finally decided to show up huh Braeburn?" she asked "You let anymore foals nearly fall into the toilet?"

             "Hey, for all you know Apple Bloom could've just been trying to get a head start on her potty training!" Braeburn said crossly.

             "Sure sure, never mind the fact that she could've been flushed!" Granny Smith scolded.

             "But she wasn't, and that's all that matters!" Braeburn retorted.

             "Give it a rest Granny, I think Braeburn learned his lesson from that experience." Big Macintosh said, defusing the situation and giving Granny Smith a knowing wink to indicate that he didn't approve of her behavior.

             "Indeed he did." Granny Smith replied "Besides, it's in the past. Now don't just stand there, come on in!" Big Macintosh did so happily, but Braeburn was much more reluctant.

            Perhaps this sleepover wasn't such a good idea, if all it would do was bring him into more arguements with Granny Smith. He'd been lucky enough to avoid her during the Apple Family reunion, but now he only had Big Macintosh to protect himself. Which begged the question of just where the heck Applejack was?

           "Applejack must've been invited to spend the night somewhere." Granny Smith said to herself "Cause there's no way she's foolish enough to stay outside on a night like this."

           "I was just about to ask where Cousin Applejack was." Braeburn stated.

           "The last we heard she told us she was going out to help prep the park for the storm." Big Macintosh explained "Haven't heard a word about her whereabouts since, but she can take care of herself."

           "And what about Cousin Apple Bloom?" Braeburn asked.

           "She's up in her room, working on her homework." Granny Smith explained "You, Big Mac, and your friend Thunderlane get the new cider cellar all to yourselves for your little slumber party. It's actually pretty cosy down there."

           "I'll be the judge of that." Braeburn said with a laugh.

           As it turned out, Granny Smith wasn't lying. Not only was the cider cellar cozy, but it was also rather large. On top of that, it was connected to not only the outside, but also the house, and the barn. It had been specifically built that way so that the cider stored there could be easily accessed at any point.

          "Braeburn!" Thunderlane exclaimed happily "So glad you could make it!"

          "Aw shucks, it was nothing." Braeburn said sweetly "But could you perhaps stop hugging me? You're kind of crushing me."

          "Woops! Sorry about that." Thunderlane apologized "I'm just so excited to have you here."

          "Really?" Braeburn asked.

          "Yeah. The last time I saw you was when we had to deal with that dragon." Thunderlane explained "You left for Appleloosa the very next day, and you've been gone for quite some time."

          "Sorry about that, guess I need to start writing more often." Braeburn said sincerely "How's Rumble been doing?"

          "He's been doing great! He especially loves spending time with Fluttershy." Thunderlane said with a smile "In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if he sees Fluttershy as something of a motherly figure because of how sweet she is."

          "And let me guess, he's staying over at her place tonight?" Braeburn asked.

          "Uh-huh, and I'll bet he and Fluttershy are having a wonderful time." Thunderlane replied.

          "Well, now that you're both here I think this sleepover can officially begin." Big Macintosh spoke up.

          "Can we start with the smores?" Braeburn asked "Cause I really want to taste them!"

          "Not yet. How about we start off with a little bit of 'Truth or Dare'?" Big Macintosh suggested "The rules are simple, if you say truth you have to respond honestly to any question anyone else asks you. And if you say dare, you have to do whatever you're dared to do. If you don't do either, you're out."

          "Sounds alright to me." Thunderlane nodded "How about you Braeburn?"

          "Oh, alright." Braeburn sighed "Just don't ask me anything too embarassing if I pick truth, understand?"

          "Yes sir." Thunderlane replied.

          "I understand perfectly." Big Macintosh nodded "So then, I'll go first. Truth or Dare Thunderlane?"

          "I think I'll go with Truth." Thunderlane said instantly "Ask away."

          "Okay, since we're just beginning I'll go easy on you." Big Macintosh said, and began to think of a question. After a moment of consideration he asked "Why exactly do you like spending so much time with Fluttershy?"

          "That's simple. Fluttershy is so kind, so sweet, and so caring." Thunderlane answered "Plus, she's amazing with animals."

          "I might've guessed." Big Macintosh said sweetly "Okay Thunderlane, now it's your turn."

          "Alrighty" Thunderlane said, and turned to Braeburn "Truth or Dare Braeburn?"

          The game of "Truth or Dare" went on for a little while. Eventually, Big Macintosh ended it when Braeburn very nearly got caught after being dared to steal one of Apple Bloom's bows. He still couldn't believe he'd managed to hide it from Granny Smith. For some reason, he felt like she was watching him. But he didn't say this to the others, thinking they would just laugh and dismiss the idea.

         "Can we make the smores now?" Braeburn asked "I'm starting to get hungry." The response to his question was a sudden clap of thunder, and the lights went out.

         "Hey, who killed the lights?" Thunderlane asked "Please, turn them back on."

         "Not right now, because now it's time for scary ghost stories." Big Macintosh said in a spooky voice, as he lit a lantern.

         "Ghost stories?" Thunderlane asked nervously.

         "Eeyup. It wouldn't be a sleepover without em." Big Macintosh explained.

         "I don't know about that." Braeburn commented.

         "Don't tell me you're scared." Big Macintosh teased.

         "Scared? Me? Of course not!" Braeburn said boldly "I'm just, worried about Thunderlane, that's all."

         "I'll be fine, I think." Thunderlane replied.

         "Good." Big Macintosh said with a smile "Cause this story is guranteed to give you a fright. Heck, first time I heard it, it was terrifying enough to scare even ME!"

         "Oh boy!" Thunderlane said nervously, scooting closer to Braeburn.

         "Now, let me see if I remember this correctly." Big Macintosh said, and began to tell his story.

         The story lasted for quite a while, and by the time it began to wrap up, Braeburn and Thunderlane were all but hugging each other for security.

         "And then, when the last pony thought she was safe from harm. The olden pony suddenly walked up to her, and said in her screchy old voice 'Whose got my rusty horseshoe?!'. And that mare was never seen, or heard from, ever again." Big Macintosh narrated.

         There was another clap of thunder, and Thunderlane was barely able to restrain himself from screaming. "That was really scary." he said nervously.

         "It is at first, but once you start hearing enough you realize how silly it really is." Braeburn commented "So, are we gonna get to the smores now?"

         "One more thing, and then we'll make em." Big Macintosh promised "I trust you all have a sleeping bag and a pillow?"

         "Uh-huh." Braeburn and Thunderlane nodded.

         "Good, cause it's time for a pillow fight!" Big Macintosh proclaimed.

         "Oh goodie!" Thunderlane cheered, and hurled a pillow straight at Big Macintosh. "That's for telling that ghost story!"

         "Oh, you're gonna regret that Thunderlane!" Big Macintosh shouted, and launched a pillow at Thunderlane, who dodged it.

         "You couldn't hit the broadside of a barn!" Thunderlane taunted, only for another pillow to suddenly strike him. "Lucky shot Big Macintosh!"

         "That wasn't me!" Big Macintosh stated "I swear!"

         "Yeah right, and next you'll be expecting me to believe it was the one hoofed pony!" Thunderlane said crossly.

         "I wasn't going to say that!" Big Macintosh stated.

         "Likely story!" Thunderlane said angrily. Just then, another pillow struck him.

         "See? It's not me." Big Macintosh explained.

         "But if you're not the one throwing them, who is?" Thunderlane asked.

         "Who do you think?" Big Macintosh asked.

         "All's fair in love, war, and pillow fights!" Braeburn shouted, flinging pillows at both Big Macintosh and Thunderlane.

         "You're a dead stallion for that Braeburn!" Thunderlane bellowed, as he and Big Macintosh each grabbed a pillow and prepared to strike back against Braeburn.

         The pillow fight raged on for quite a while, despite there only being three participants. Eventually, it ended, in a three way tie. Much to the surprise of everyone involved.

         "That was fun." Braeburn said, nearly out of breath.

         "Yeah. We should do that with the other guys, assuming we can invite them to the next sleepover." Thunderlane suggested.

         "Interesting idea." Big Macintosh commented "But for now, let's move on to the final thing."

         "Does that mean what I think it means?" Braeburn asked.

         "Eeyup. Time for smores." Big Macintosh replied.

         "Finally! I've been waiting all night for this moment!" Braeburn shouted.

         "Settle down Braeburn, first thing's first." Big Macintosh explained "We've gotta make the smores before we can eat em."

         "I knew that." Braeburn commented.

         "Well then, you're welcome to help out. So long as you're okay with doing what Granny Smith tells you to do." Big Macintosh stated.

         "Did you say Granny Smith?" Braeburn asked.

         "Sure did." Big Macintosh nodded.

         "On second thought, I think I'll just wait until the smores are ready." Braeburn said nervously.

         "Nice try Braeburn, you ain't talking your way out of this one." Big Macintosh said, and dragged Braeburn upstairs "Now come on!"

         "Well, guess it's been nice knowing me." Braeburn sighed, admitting defeat and preparing himself for whatever Granny Smith tried to do to him.

         "Okay Granny, now's your chance to make things right with Braeburn. After all, he *IS** family. Even if he is a total goofball.*" Big Macintosh thought to himself.

        "Finally decided you're ready for those smores?" Granny Smith asked.

        "Eeyup. Braeburn here can hardly wait." Big Macintosh replied "But I'm sure with your help he'll do fine. Especially since there's something I think you'd like to tell him."

       "Indeed there is." Granny Smith nodded "Come on Braeburn! Time's a wasting, so let's get baking!"

       "You're..not going to kill me?" Braeburn asked.

       "Now why in tarnation would I do that?" Granny Smith chuckled "It's not like you did anything truly awful."

       "So, you're not still mad with me for the whole close call with Apple Bloom thing?" Braeburn asked nervously.

       "Course not. Heck, I wasn't even mad at you to begin with." Granny Smith explained "Turns out you were right about Apple Bloom. Few weeks after that incident she was out of diapers, much faster than I ever expected."

       "Really?" Braeburn asked.

       "You betcha." Granny Smith said happily "Besides, I remember a certain little colt who actually DID get flushed, on purpose."

       "Who are you talking about?" Braeburn asked, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks.

       "Why you of course." Granny Smith chuckled "Don't you remember? You and Big Macintosh were playing truth or dare as foals, and you dared him to flush you. And he did. He told me afterwards that you enjoyed it, and that you wanted to flush him. But he refused. I still have a photo of the toilet, with your first hat floating in it, because it was too big to fit through the pipes. That's how I knew Big Macintosh wasn't lying."

       "Granny, you're embarassing me!" Braeburn whinned.

       "All in good fun Braeburn." Granny Smith chuckled "After all, now that you're off living in Appleloosa I rarely get to see you. And I certainly ain't getting any younger."

       "If you missed me that badly all you had to do was write." Braeburn said.

       "I tried, but I didn't know where you lived." Granny Smith acknowledged.

       "Well, I'll see to it that I correct that mistake." Braeburn said honestly.

       "Good, good. Now why don't we stop with the talking and get to the baking?" Granny Smith asked.

       "It's like you can read my mind Granny Smith!" Braeburn said happily.

       "Then let's get to work!" Granny Smith shouted.

       Now that Braeburn knew Granny Smith no longer had it out for him he could really enjoy himself. And before long, time began to fly. Soon, the smores were ready. And Braeburn enjoyed eating them with Big Macintosh and Thunderlane.

       After that, it was time for bed. And despite the ghost story, sleep came easily for everyone.

      The following day dawned bright and sunny, and all traces of the storm from the night before had completely vanished. And shortly after breakfast had finished, who should show up at the front door, but Applejack?

      "Well it's about time, where the hay have you been?" Granny Smith asked.

      "I spent the night at Twilight's place with her and Rarity." Applejack confessed "And let me tell you, you would not believe what happened."

     "After everything I've seen in all my years I doubt anything you've been through could top it." Granny Smith said "But by all means, go ahead and tell me."

     "Well, I should warn you, it's going to be a long story." Applejack stated.

     "I've got time for it, and so does everyone else. Let's hear it." Granny Smith encouraged.

     "Well, it all started when I was helping to prep the park for the storm." Applejack said, and she began to tell her story.

Chapter 18: Zecora, The Mysterious Witch Doctor (Bridle Gossip)

                "Ah, what a glorious day." Shining Armor said to himself, marveling at the fine weather that been around since shortly after the sun rose.

                "Rainbow Dash must've gotten up early for once and cleared all the clouds away." Spike commented.

                "Wouldn't surprise me in the least if she did so because the rest of the weather team kept yaking her ear off about it." Shining Armor chuckled "It's incredible how much time she spends sleeping. And when she's not sleeping she's usually attempting some daredevil stunt. If I ever start acting like her please smack me in the face, hard if you have to."

                "Relax, that would NEVER happen." Spike reassured Shining Armor "You're smart enough to not be reckless."

                "Thanks for the vote of confidence Spike." Shining Amor said kindly "I sure have missed having you by my side."

                "Hey, what are friends for?" Spike asked "Guys like us have to stick together."

                "Except for when I catch you making goggly eyes at Rarity." Shining Armor teased "You know, if you have a crush on her you can just admit it."

                "I do not have a crush on Rarity!" Spike huffed "I just, can't stop looking at her, that's all."

                "It's nothing to embarassed about Spike." Shining Armor replied.

                "Easy for you to say, you don't have a mare that consumes your waking thoughts." Spike said crossly.

                "Well actually, I do." Shining Armor admitted "But it's been so long since I've seen her."

                "Who are you talking about?" Spike asked.

                "Princess Cadence." Shining Armor explained "She use to be Twilight's foalsitter, and let me tell you, she was absolutely gorgeous. Not to mention, she was the adopted niece of Princess Celestia. And she was much nicer then that royal pain, Prince Blueblood. But ever since I've moved to Ponyville I haven't had the chance to see her. It wouldn't surprise me if she's moved on, and found someone else."

                "Considering the fact that, Twilight told me how often you two liked to make out, I doubt Cadence has forgotten about you." Spike reasured Shining Armor.

                "I hope you're right Spike." Shining Armor sighed "Because as bad as your crush is I think mine is even worse. I've even had dreams about the two of us getting married and living in a crystal castle."

                "Wow, I guess that is pretty bad." Spike admitted.

                "Yeah." Shining Armor said. Then he began to notice something. Despite the beautiful weather, nopony seemed to be out and about. In fact, if Shining Armor didn't know any better, he would've thought he had somehow stumbled into a ghost town of some sort. "Where is everypony?" he asked.

                "Beats me." Spike shrugged.

                "There must be a reason." Shining Armor pondered "But what?"

                "Is it some sort of holiday?" Spike asked.

                "Probably not." Shining Armor stated "Considering how hyper-organized Twilight is I dobut we would miss such an important date."

                "Does my breath stink?" Spike asked, belching slightly.

                "No more than usual." Shining Armor said "And did you really need to do that?"

                "Sorry." Spike apologized.

                "It's alright. Just, don't do that again without a warning." Shining Armor said firmly.

                "Got it." Spike replied.

                "I still don't have an answer for my question." Shining Armor went on "What could it be?"

                "Maybe it's, zombies!" Spike said nervously.

                "Zombies? Get serious Spike!" Shining Armor retorted "Everyone knows zombies don't exist."

                Suddenly, from out of the blue a voice called out to Shining Armor. "Psst. Shining Armor, over here. Quickly." To Shining Armor the voice sounded like Pinkie Pie, expect much softer.

                "Did you hear that Spike?" Shining Armor asked nervously.

                "Hear what?" Spike asked.

                "Psst. Shining Armor, come here. Quickly!" the voice called out again.

                "Okay, I know I heard that." Shining Armor said, looking all around.

                "Shining Armor! In here, quickly! Before she sees you!" the voice called yet again. This time it was accompanied by the appearance of Pinkie Pie, who was standing at the doorway of Sugarcube Corner. What reason could she have for getting Shining Armor's attention?

                Determined to find out just what was going on, Shining Armor trotted over to Sugarcube Corner, and was suddenly pulled inside. For some reason, all of the lights were off.

                "Oh, thank goodness I found you in time." Pinkie Pie said, a hint of relief in her voice.

                "Pinkie?! What's going on here? And what are you doing all alone in the dark?" Shining Armor asked.

                "I'm not all alone in the dark silly." Pinkie Pie replied.

                "What do you mean?" Shining Armor asked.

                "Ahem." a familiar voice said. Shining Armor looked around, and found himself surrounded by all of his friends, as well as Apple Bloom.

                "Guys?" Shining Armor asked.

                "Hello." Braeburn replied.

                "What in the world of Equestria is going on here?!" Shining Armor asked, completely confused.

                "Zecora, that's what." Soarin explained.

                Shining Armor was still confused "Who or what is this Zecora? And what does it have to do with all of this?" he asked.

                "Take a look for yourself, if you dare." Big Macintosh said, pulling back the curtains on one of the windows.

                Shining Armor looked out, and in the distance he saw a strange figure. Whether it was a he or a she Shining Armor couldn't tell, the figure's face was obscured by a brown hood of some sort. Suddenly, the figure stopped pawing at the ground and glared directly at Shining Armor. All of his friends, as well as Pinkie Pie, Spike, and Apple Bloom, flinched at the sight.

                When the figure was certain no one was looking, it removed its hood. Revealing a head of white fur covered in black stripes. Judging from the appearance, the figure appeared to be female. But what was a female zebra doing in Ponyville?

                "Well." Fancy Pants encouraged, breaking the silence.

                "Well what?" Shining Armor asked.

                "Surely you saw why everyone is so terrified of her." Fancy Pants explained.

                "I can't say I do." Shining Armor said honestly "I see nothing that makes her look like a threat."

                "But those stripes, they aren't natural. Nopony would ever wear such clashing colors." Fancy Pants commented.

                "That's because she isn't a pony." Shining Armor explained "She's a zebra, and those stripes are anything but a fashion choice. As a matter of fact, she's born with them."

                "How do you know what a zebra is?" Big Macintosh asked.

                "I've seen them in some of the books Twily reads." Shining Armor explained "The only thing I'm really curious about is, if she's been living in Ponyville all this time, why haven't I seen her around before?"

                "That's the thing." Braeburn gulped "She doesn't live in Ponyville."

                Shining Armor was confused "But if she doesn't live in Ponyville, then where does she live?"

                "She lives in The Everfree Forest." Big Macintosh stated, looking rather nervous.

                "What?!" Shining Armor gasped "Impossible!"

                "No, it's true. Several ponies can easily confirm that." Soarin said "Heck, I've even see her enter and exit that forest several times."

                "I guess that explains the hood." Shining Armor stated "But then, if she lives in The Everfree Forest, why does she come down here?"

                "Hay if I know." Braeburn confessed.

                "None of you know anything about her?" Shining Armor asked his friends.

                "Can you blame us?" Fancy Pants asked "Her living place, it just isn't natural."

                "Clouds move." Soarin comented.

                "Plants grow." Big Macintosh continued.

                "And animals thrive." Thunderlane stated.

                "All on their own!" Soarin, Big Macintosh, and Thunderlane finished all at the same time. Fancy Pants looked about ready to faint.

                "And that creepy enchantress Zecora lives there doing her, creepy voodoo stuff." Braeburn went on "Why, she's so wicked I even made up a song about her."

                "Ahem." Pinkie Pie said, casting a faint glare in Braeburn's direction.

                "With some help from Pinkie Pie of course." Braeburn acknowledged. "And this is how it goes."

                "Oh joy." Shining Armor replied sarcastically, as Braeburn began to sing:

She's an evil enchantress, and she does evil dances.

And if you look deep in her eyes, she'll put you into trances.

Then what will she do? She'll mix up an evil brew.

And then she'll gobble you up, in a big tasty stew.

SOOOOOOOO WATCH OUT!!!

                Braeburn concluded his little 'song' by standing on one of the tables, his front hooves rised up high. He was panting wildly.

                "Wow, that's....catchy." Shining Armor complimented, unsure of what else to say.

                "Thanks, it's a work in progress." Braeburn explained.

                "It sounds ridiculous if you ask me." Apple Bloom commented "For all we know Zecora could actually be nice."

                "I'd like to believe that myself Apple Bloom." Big Macintosh replied "But she ain't exactly making herself look good by doing of all this stuff."

               "Well I agree with Apple Bloom." Shining Armor stated "Unless there's something about this I don't understand. So why don't you all tell me just what it is you've actually seen Zecora DO?"

               "Well, at least once a month she comes down here from The Everfree Forest." Soarin explained.

               "You don't say." Shining Armor replied sarcastically.

               "Then, she approaches the shops." Fancy Pants continued.

               "Oh no, not the shops!" Shining Armor replied in an obviously fake dramatiac tone.

               "And then, she just kind of, digs at the ground." Thunderlane concluded.

               "Good gracious!" Shining Armor replied, in the same tone as before "I'm sorry, but none of that is actually incriminating. It all sounds like you're just scared of her because she's different."

               "That's not true!" Soarin snapped.

               "Well maybe if somepony were brave enough to actually approach Zecora, we would know the truth!" Shining Armor suggested.

               Unheard by anyone Apple Bloom said "I'm brave." Deciding that Shining Armor was right she slipped away from Sugarcube Corner while no one was looking.

              "She's completely creepy." Braeburn said "I've heard someponies say she eats hay."

              "Braeburn, you do realize that you and I eat hay as well, right?" Shining Armor asked.

              "Of course, I was referring to the evil way Zecora eats hay." Braeburn explained.

              "There IS no way to eat hay evily!" Shining Armor said crossly "Now you're just making stuff up."

              "But what about the digging? Surely that must be proof enough that she's up to something." Soarin suggested.

              "Maybe she's just looking for innocent creatures?" Thunderlane suggested.

              "And why would she be doing that in the middle of Ponyville?" Big Macintosh asked.

              "It was just a suggestion." Thunderlane said sheepishly.

              "A very poor one if you ask me." Big Macintosh said "Right Apple Bloom?"

             There was no reply. "Apple Bloom?" Big Macintosh called. Again, there was no reply. "She's gone!" Big Macintosh exclaimed.

             "What?!" everyone else gasped.

             "You mean, she's out there with, Zecora?" Thunderlane gulped.

             "Probably." Big Macintosh nodded "Oh man, Applejack is gonna kill me when she finds out about this!"

             "There's no time to waste!" Shining Armor said firmly, taking charge of the situation "We must find Apple Bloom at once! Spike, you and Pinkie Pie stay here, in case Apple Bloom returns!"

             "Can do!" Spike replied.

             "Yes sir boss!" Pinkie Pie replied happily.

             "Good." Shining Armor said "The rest of you, come with me! Apple Bloom couldn't have gotten far!"

             Meanwhile, Apple Bloom was trying to do exactly what Shining Armor had suggested. Follow Zecora. But although she thought that most of the other ponies were being too paranoid about Zecora, she was still nervous. She tailed the zebra at a distance, extremly worried about what might happen if she was discovered. Maybe Zecora wasn't an evil enchantress, but chances were she still didn't like being stalked like some wild animal. The fact that she lived in The Everfree Forest of all places made it all the more obvious she prefered to be alone.

            "This is the craziest thing I've ever done." Apple Bloom thought to herself "I just hope Big Mac and the others aren't right about Zecora. Cause if they are, well, I don't even wanna think about what might happen."

            Eventually, Zecora approached the edge of The Everfree Forest, and ventured into it. Reluctantly, despite repeated warnings from her family, Apple Bloom entered the forest. It didn't take long for her to spot Zecora.

            Before Apple Bloom could go any further however, a familiar voice called out "And just where do you think you're going young mare?!" Apple Bloom gasped.

            "You get back here this instant!" Big Macintosh shouted "Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you could've gotten yourself into?!"

            Zecora, aware of the comotion, stopped right in her tracks. The ponies couldn't see her face, as she had pulled up her hood the moment she entered the forest. But they heard her loud and clear as she shouted out "Beware! Beware, you pony folk! For those leaves of blue are not a joke!"

           "Was that suppose to scare us?" Soarin taunted "Cause it didn't work."

           "You keep that cryptic nonsense to yourself, you hear me?!" Big Macintosh shouted.

           Zecora didn't seem to care what Soarin and Big Macintosh had just said, as once again she said "Beware! Beware I say!" and she slowly disappeared into a rising mist.

          "It's you and your lame curses that better beware!" Soarin snapped back.

          "Will you guys knock it off?! She's already gone!" Apple Bloom shouted.

          "Apple Bloom, you and I need to have a little talk!" Big Macintosh said crossly "Just what do you mean by running off on me like that?! You could've gotten yourself killed!"

          "I'm sorry I just" Apple Bloom began.

          "Sorry doesn't fix it!" Big Macintosh snapped "Just wait til Granny Smith hears about this! You'll be in big trouble!"

          "I'm just glad that Zecora didn't place some kind of nasty curse on her." Fancy Pants commented.

          "You guys, I told you before!" Shining Armor said crossly "There's no such thing as curses! They're just a bunch of nonsense!"

          "Big words coming from a guy like you!" Soarin stated.

          "Oh come on, you can NOT be this thickheaded!" Shining Armor said, face hoofing "There's a difference between curses and the magic of unicorns. Unicorn magic is real, it's a talent. It's something you're born with for crying out loud! Curses are the exact opposite. They're smoke and mirrors. Illusions. They're meant to decieve and scare! Curses have no real power. They're just conjured up by potions and incantations, and they're nothing more than urban legend!"

         "Well, I don't know about you, but I've come to learn that there are some things in life that have no explanation." Big Macintosh stated "So just you wait Shining Armor. I get the feeling you're going to learn that urban legends just might be true. And when that happens, don't come crying to me. Now, I'd better get Apple Bloom home before she wanders off on me again."

         "Curses, as if." Shining Armor said mockingly. But deep down, a part of him wasn't so sure curses were made up. What if curses actually were true? That was a thought that tormented him to no end. And as a result, when he finally fell asleep, he was treated to a dream unlike any other.

         The next day dawned as bright and as sunny as the previous day. Hardly a sign of things to come.

         Shining Armor stumbled awake, feeling very groggy. He had not slept very well last night, and his mane easily reflected just how out of it he really was. "Boy, that was some dream." Shining Armor said to himself, yawning slightly.

        Troting over to his bedroom mirror, Shining Armor quickly got a good look at his mane, and how messy it was. Remebering the dream, and the events from yesterday, he chuckled to himself "Maybe Zecora cursed my hair." He proceeded to light up his horn, only to find that, for some reason, it wouldn't spark. Something was not right. Shining Armor's horn had never failed to light up since he completed magic kindergarten. Pulling back his mane a bit, Shining Armor gasped when he discovered the source of his problem. His horn now lay limp, felt extremly soft to the touch, and was covered in the most fillyish pink spots.

        Now, Shining Armor was normally a very calm and collected pony, who rarely lost his cool. Even when he had been subjected to some of the harshest training imaginable (when he volunteered for the royal guard), he had managed to keep his emotions in check. But a situation like this, which defied all logic explanation, was too much for him to take. He screamed at the top of his lungs. He was really gald the only one's who heard him were Spike, and his sister Twilight. If somepony like Rainbow Dash heard him shriek, he would never live it down.

       "What's wrong B.B.B.F.F?" Twilight asked "Are you hurt?"

       "My horn!" Shining Armor complained "Just look at it!"

       "I'd rather not, it looks pretty messed up." Spike said, trying, and failing to hold back a laugh.

       "It's not funny Spike!" Shining Armor said furiously "My horn was perfectly fine when I went to bed, and when I woke up it was like this. Someone, or something, is responsbile for this! And I want to know what!"

       "There's got to be a book in the library that has the answers." Twilight suggested "Why don't you come downstairs and we'll see what we can find?"

       "Well, it's not like there's anything else I can do in this state." Shining Armor said, slowly regaining his composure "Let's get to work!"

       Several minutes passed, but Shining Armor and Twilight failed to find anything that could explain what had happened to Shining Armor's horn, or how to cure it (if a cure was possible).

       "Arrgh! This is ridiculous!" Twilight groaned "There's got to be a logic explanation for this, but none of the books I've read have the answer!"

       "Well what about this one?" Spike asked, holding up a book. The title was Super Naturals.

       "Spike! 'Super Naturals' refers to things like curses and hexes, and voodoo stuff like that!" Twilight said angrily "That's not going to tell us what we need to know!"

       "I don't know Twilight, I think Spike might be on to something," Shining Armor suggested "As I recall, Sherlock Hooves once famously said 'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.' I don't want to believe that we're actually dealing with curses. But if we can't find anything else then curses is pretty much the only explanation left."

      "Well, I guess you're right." Twilight said reluctantly "But something tells me this ISN'T a curse! I just wish I knew what it actually was!"

      "It's ah pfurse!" Braeburn shouted, having arrived at the library just a moment ago.

      "Uh, what was that?" Spike asked.

      Shining Armor quickly noticed the problem. Braeburn's tonuge appeared to a bit larger than usual, and was covered in all sorts of sickly green spots. "Braeburn? How did this happen to you?"

      "It's pee pah Zthecora! Sthe put a cursthe on me!" Braeburn complained, spewing spit everywhere.

      "Hey, say it, don't spray it!" Spike protested.

      "Sothy." Braeburn apologized.

      "Ow! What he's trying to say-ow! Is that someone-ow! Put a curse on us-ow!" Soarin explained, as he kept smacking into the outside walls with a series of audiable thuds "And I'll give you three gueses as to who's responsible-ow!" A moment later, Soarin crashed through the library door.

      "Are you alright Soarin?" Shining Armor asked.

      "Barely." Soarin groaned "For some reason, the moment I woke up this morning my wings started flaping upside down. And because of that, every five seconds I'm crashing into something. And it's all thanks to that lousy zebra and her curse."

      "I'm afraid I have to agree with Soarin." Fancy Pants said reluctantly "Just look at my hair." He proceeded to blow his hair, which had become incredibly shaggy, out of his face. Spike screamed. Shining Armor tried not to laugh.

      "Well, I hate to say I told you so Shining Armor, but I told you so!" Big Macintosh said in a high pitched voice. The reason for this quickly became obvious. Big Macintosh had literally shrunk in size, to the point where he now had to stand on Apple Bloom's back just to be seen.

      "Big Macintosh?" Shining Armor asked.

      "More like Little Macintosh if you ask me." Spike chuckled.

      "I don't like to state the obvious, but I'm pretty sure we all know who's behind this!" Big Macintosh said crossly "And this is no laughing matter! We've all been cursed!"

      "Not all of us." Shining Armor pointed out "Thunderlane over here seems to be perfectly fine."

      "Indeed, he doesn't seem to be cursed." Fancy Pants acknowledged "Or perhaps he has been cursed, but he hasn't told us yet."

      "Thunderlane? Are you okay?" Shining Armor asked. Thunderlane nervously shook his head, but said nothing. Shining Armor suspected something was up, but he didn't know what "Is there something wrong with you?" he asked. Thunderlane nodded his head nervously. "Would you care to tell us what it is? I mean, we can't help you if we don't know what's troubling you." Shining Armor explained. Thunderlane's only response was another shake of his head. Shining Armor was confused "So you're not gonna tell us at all?" Thunderlane nodded his head again. "Yes you're not gonna tell us? Or yes you are gonna tell us? Come on, give me a sign!" Shining Armor replied.

      Big Macintosh lost patience "For crying out loud, spit it out!" he said sternly "What's wrong with ya?!"

      Thunderlane sighed, and said "I really don't wanna talk about it." in an incredibly high pitched girly voice.

      Spike couldn't help himself, and burst into a fit of laughter. "This is hillarious, I mean look at yourselves! We've got to come up with some good names for all of you. Let's see, how about: Hairy Pants, Crashin, Tounge Tied, Little Mac, Thundergirl, and...uh...I got nothin'. I mean seriously, how am I suppose to work with a name like Shining Armor?"

      "Oh hardy har har." Shining Armor said sarcastically "Joke all you want Spike, but this is serious. Something happened to us, and we need to find out what. And the more you sit around joking the more you test the patience of my friends and I. So get back to looking before you make someone say or do something they'll regret."

      "Okay, okay, don't be such a nag." Spike groaned, and went back to searching.

      "Well, since it's obvious who planted this curse on us, I think it's obvious who we need to find to undo it." Soarin groaned.

      "Soarin, If I've told you once I've told a hundred times. There's no such thing as curses!" Shining Armor said crossly "I hate to sound iike a broken record, but they don't exist! They're just made up!"

      "Well I agree with Soarin!" Big Macintosh spoke up "I don't wanna believe Zecora would do something like this to us, but there's only one way to find out! We head into that forest, and find out whether or not that zebra is responsible for all of this!"

      "Yeah! Even if we have to force her to remove this hex!" Fancy Pants chimed in.

      "Hexes aren't real either!" Shining Armor complained. This led to a barrage of complaints and criticisms from everyone except Spike (who was too busy trying to come up with a good joke name for Shining Armor), and Apple Bloom.

      "This is all my fault." Apple Bloom thought to herself "If I'd never followed Zecora into The Everfree Forest in the first place, none of this would've happened. I've got find a way to fix things, and I think I know who can help me." Once again, while no one was looking, Apple Bloom slipped away.

      This time however, Apple Bloom wasn't able to escape completely unnoticed. "Now just where does that filly think she's wandering off to this time?" Big Macintosh asked himself, and slipped into Apple Bloom's mane. Apple Bloom didn't notice.

      "Look, I don't care what you say Shining Armor!" Soarin stated "The time's come for us to pony up and confort Zecora directly! Who's with me?!"

      "Ah am!" Braeburn shouted.

      "And so am I." Fancy Pants replied.

      "Uh, I don't know. I mean, it's awfully dangerous in that forest." Thunderlane said nervously. Spike let out a chuckle.

      "And what about you Big Macintosh?" Soarin asked, there was no reply "Big Macintosh?"

      "He's gone!" Braeburn exclaimed.

      Fancy Pants screamed "Somepony must've stepped on him!" Everyone began checking their hooves, looking for a red smear. They found nothing.

      Then an awful thought struck Shining Armor "Or maybe sat on him?" he suggested. Everyone now began checking their rears, but they still din't find anything.

      "He must be inside Fancy Pant's shaggy hair!" Soarin suggested "Someone check!"

      "Oh! Ow! Watch the hair!" Fancy Pants complained, as Braeburn searched his shaggy mane for any sign of Big Macintosh "Haven't you ever heard of personal space Braeburn?"

      "Am sorry." Braeburn apologized, but continued his search. He found nothing.

      "Apple Bloom's gone too!" Twilight exclaimed.

      "I'll bet you anything they went to find Zecora!" Soarin said firmly.

      "Well in any case, we should probably go looking for them before they get into trouble." Shining Armor suggested "There's no time to waste! Come on men, let's move out!"

      "Slow down!" Fancy Pants complained "I can barely see where I'm going with my hair like this!"

      Soarin groaned. His earlier crash landing entrance had left him pinned beneath a ladder "A little help here please!" he said

as kindly one pinned beneath a ladder could sound.

      "Oops! Sorry." Thunderlane apologized "Come on Braeburn." With Braeburn's help, Thunderlane was able to free Soarin. Soarin was still having trouble controling his wings. "Uh, aren't you coming too Spike?" Thunderlane asked.

      "Spike isn't going anywhere until he's found the cure." Twilight explained "Right Spike?"

      "Huh? Oh yes, of course." Spike replied, but in secret he was still trying to come up with a good joke name for Shining Armor.

      "Now if I were a zebra living in the middle of a creepy forest where would I be?" Apple Bloom asked herself.

      "You're not going to find out!" Big Macintosh shouted, poking out from his hiding place in Apple Bloom's mane "You've gone far enough! Now turn around and march that little flank of yours out of this forest right now! You hear me?!"

      "No!" Apple Bloom said defiently.

      "No?! You can't ignore a direct order from your big brother!" Big Macintosh said crossly "Now do what I say!"

      Apple Bloom didn't respond. She mearly scooped Big Macintosh up with her mouth, and placed him on a nearby leaf. "Sorry Big Macintosh, but you ain't my big brother anymore." she said teasingly.

      "Don't be that type of pony right now!" Big Macintosh said angrily.

      "Oh, I am so gonna be that type of pony right now!" Apple Bloom replied, and began to walk away.

      "Hey! You can't just leave me here all alone!" Big Macintosh shouted.

      "Relax. Once I've found the cure for your sudden shrink problem I'll come back for you." Apple Bloom reasured Big Macintosh "That is, if I don't forget where you are." And she ran off laughing.

      "That's not funny Apple Bloom!" Big Macintosh said crossly. Apple Bloom didn't reply. "Apple Bloom, you come back here right this instance or so help me I'll give you the grounding of a life time!" Apple Bloom still didn't reply. "Don't make me tell Granny Smith about this, she won't be as easy on you as I'm being!" But it was no use, Apple Bloom had already left. "Aw pony feathers, looks like I'm stuck here." Big Macintosh sighed to himself.

      "Come on guys, we've got to find Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh!" Shining Armor shouted.

      "Why oh why did they have to go into The Everfree Forest?" Fancy Pants complained.

      "Hurry! Time is of the escence!" Shining Armor ordered.

      "Easier said than done." Fancy Pants commented, as he tried to keep a decent line of vision.

      "Hey, wait for me!" Soarin shouted, struggling to keep up with the rest of the group. Suddenly, his wings caused him to make a sharp left turn.

      "Soarin! Oh thank Celestia you're here!" Big Macintosh said happily, emerging from Soarin's mouth "I don't have time to explain, I've got to find Apple Bloom, stat!"

      "Well what do you want me to do?" Soarin asked.

      "Just do what you've always been doing." Big Macintosh explained, tieing a makeshift lasso around Soarin's snout "Giddyup!"

      "Hey, I didn't agree to this!" Soarin protested.

      "I don't like it either but time's a wasting." Big Macintosh retorted "So quit talkin and start flyin."

      "Alright, alright." Soarin said crossly.

      "YEEE-HAW!" Big Macintosh shouted, as Soarin took off. However, he soon noticed that Soarin was flying in the wrong direction "Other way Soarin!" he shouted.

      "Sorry, but my wings have a mind of their own right now." Soarin apologized.

      Meanwhile, Shining Armor, Fancy Pants, Thunderlane, and Braeburn had reached a mysterious (not to mention creepy looking) hut that seemed to lay smack dab in the middle of nowhere.

      "So THIS is where Zecora lives." Shining Armor commented.

      "Plis place plooks horrible!" Braeburn pointed out.

      "Oh my, you're right Braeburn." Fancy Pants acknowledged "Nice decorations, if you're into creepy voodoo stuff."

      "Not this again. Do I even have to say it?" Shining Armor complained.

      Before the ponies had a chance to react, they were suddenly interrupted by the sound of Zecora. Through an open window they could hear the zebra chanting something, while looking over some sort of bubbling pot.

      The chant sounded familiar, at least to Braeburn. "Sthe sthtole my sthong! Shthe shtole mm mm!" Braeburn complained.

      "You're saying she stole your song?" Fancy Pants asked. Braeburn nodded.

      "Oh Braeburn, that doesn't sound at all like your song." Shining Armor stated.

      Braeburn tried to prove his point by singing the song again, but he quickly realized that his current "afflication" made that impossible. Reluctantly, he turned to Thunderlane, and begged him to sing the song instead.

      Thunderlane sighed, and began to sing while Braeburn provided accompanying visuals:

      "She's an evil enchantress, and she does evil dances.

And if you look deep in her eyes, she'll put you into trances.

Then what will she do? She'll mix up an evil brew.

And then she'll gobble you up, in a big tasty stew.

SOOOOOOOO WATCH OUT!

      "Admit it Shining Armor. Your eyes don't decieve you." Fancy Pants said firmly "You must admit, that everything you see here, is proof that Zecora is evil!"

      "I really don't want to believe it." Shining Armor sighed "I can't deny that what I've seen makes Zecora look pretty guilty. But what if we're wrong? Who knows, maybe she's just making soup?"

      "Mmm! Ah yes, the perfect temperature for ponies, I presume." Zecora said suddenly, unaware of the fact that she was being watched "Now then, where is that little Apple Bloom?"

     "Oh she's making soup alright!" Fancy Pants gasped "She's making Apple Bloom soup!"

     "What?! That's ridicuolous!" Shining Armor exclaimed "Zecora isn't doing that! Right?"

     "Are you sure of that?" Thunderlane asked.

     "Well... no." Shining Armor admitted "I don't know. As a matter of fact I don't know what to do. But I can tell you all what we're NOT going to do! We're not going to start screaming like a bunch of chickens with our heads cut off!" His statement fell on deaf ears, as Fancy Pants, Thunderlane, and Braeburn, all started screaming.

     "Hey!" Shining Armor snapped "I thought I said we WEREN'T going to panic?!"

     Big Macintosh and Soarin were hovering overhead and heard the screaming. "Hold on guys, help is on the way!" Big Macintosh shouted, and whipped the lasso, thus instructing Soarin to make a nosedive. Which he did.

     The two of them crashed straight through the front door of Zecora's hut, creating quite the comotion. Zecora began shouting various phrases in a language that no one could understand.

     Big Macintosh, meanwhile, was trying to control Soarin as best he could. "Whoa there Soarin! Slow down!" he shouted.

     "I'm trying to!" Soarin shouted back.

     "Leave to it Soarin to create a problem." Shining Armor thought to himself, as he reluctantly entered the hut with his friends "What are you up to Zecora?!" Shining Armor asked.

     "Ponies!" Zecora gasped "What is this you..."

     Suddenly, Soarin crashed into her pot, spilling its contents onto the floor.

     Zecora was extremtly upset "No!" she shouted "You ponies know not what you do! Now you've gone and spilled my precious brew!"

     "Answer my question Zecora!" Shining Armor shouted "What are you up to?! I don't want to believe you've cursed us all, but your actions and statements are making you look pretty guilty!"

     "You made me look ridiculous." Fancy Pants complained.

     "You made me sound ridiculous." Thunderlane added.

     "And you made me speak ridiculous." Braeburn wanted to add, but he couldn't, thanks to his tounge.

     "How dare you!" Zecora snapped "You invade my home, ruin my work! And yet you dare to accuse me of being a jerk?!"

     "No one's calling you a jerk, yet." Shining Armor tried to explain "But please, you have to tell me what's going on! Did you or did you not put a curse on us?!"

     "She obviously did!" Soarin said crossly "And now she's gonna uncurse us!"

     "Ponies, it is very unwise to venture down this road." Zecora threatened "Your words and actions will make my anger explode!"

     "Tell me! What's going on, and where's Apple Bloom?!" Shining Armor asked "Tell me now, before I lose what little sense of reason I have left!"

     "Hey Zecora, I'm back." Apple Bloom called "I've got all the ingredients you sent me out to get. What in Equestria is going on in here?"

     "Apple Bloom!" Big Macintosh gasped "You're okay!"

     "Of course I'm okay, why wouldn't I be?" Apple Bloom asked.

     "Because Zecora cursed us, and was gonna cook you up for lunch." Big Macintosh explained.

      "You've got it all wrong, Zecora's friendly." Apple Bloom explained.

      "So,this isn't a curse?" Shining Armor asked.

      "Nope." Apple Bloom nodded "It's all just a big misunderstanding."

      "What do you mean?" Fancy Pants asked.

      "If you will all remember back, the words I spoke yesterday were quite exact." Zecora explained.

      "What are you taliking abo- of course!" Shining Armor realized "It was a warning. But what were you trying to warn us about?"

      "About a blue plant, goes by the name of poison joke." Apple Bloom explained "A bunch of that stuff grows not too far from the forest entrance."

      "The plant is a lot like poison oak." Zecora explained "Except the results are like a practical joke."

      "And what in the hay does THAT mean?" Big Macintosh asked.

      "It means that this plant does not wish to breed wrath. All it wants to do is cause a laugh." Zecora explained.

      "Can someone please talk normally, because I can't understand what she's trying to say when she speaks in rhyme all the time." Big Macintosh asked.

      "I think what she's trying to say is that yesterday, when we ran into the forest to save Apple Bloom, we ran into the poison joke." Shining Armor explained "And that's what caused all of our little problems."

      "Little problems? Very funny Shining Armor." Big Macintosh said crossly.

      "But what about the caludron?" Soarin asked.

      "And the chanting?" Thunderlane asked.

      "And the creepy decor?" Fancy Pants asked.

      "They are treasures of the native land where I am from." Zecora explained "This one here speaks 'hello', and this one speaks 'welcome'."

      "Not very welcoming if you ask me." Fancy Pants commented.

      "And those words I chanted were from olden time." Zecora explained "Something you ponies call a 'nursery rhyme'."

      "But I heard you say something about how the caludron was at the perfect temperature for ponies." Shining Armor stated "What could you possibly have meant by that?"

      "That was a pot of boiling water, and it wasn't intended for me." Apple Bloom explained "It's for all these herbal ingredients Zecora sent me out to collect. The cure for poison joke is actually pretty simple. You just gotta take a bubble bath with the ingredients mixed into it."

      "Strange, none of the books I looked in had any information about either the plant or the cure." Shining Armor explained.

      "Well here is the book that contains the remedy." Zecora said, closing the book and revealing the title to be Supernaturals: Natural Remedies and Cure-alls That Are Simply Super "A shame you lack it in your local library."

      "How could I have been so stupid? The answer was under my nose the whole time." Shining Armor groaned "I should've taken a closer look at that book instead of having Spike look through it. And to think I could've saved us all this bother."

      "Well, look on the bright side. Your oversight allowed us to discover that Zecora was friendly." Soarin said honestly "So in a way, everything worked out for the better."

      "I guess, but I still feel pretty stupid for making such a mistake." Shining Armor said bluntly.

      "It's alright, we all make mistakes." Big Macintosh stated "And I think all of us made a mistake by jumping to conclusions about Zecora."

      "Uh-huh." Soarin, Fancy Pants, Thunderlane, and Braeburn replied.

      "Zecora, I'm terribly sorry for letting things esclate so far." Shining Armor apologized "And, even though we probably don't deserve it now, would you be willing to mix up another batch of that herbal cure for my friends and I?"

      Zecora smiled "Mix it up I certainly will. Yet I am missing an herb from Ponyville." she explained.

      "And whenever Zecora comes into town to pick it up, all the stores and shops are 'mysteriously' closed." Apple Bloom reminded them.

      "Well, I think we can fix that. Right guys?" Shining Armor asked. His friends all nodded.

      Thanks to the help of Shining Armor, Fancy Pants, Big Macintosh, Braeburn, Soarin, and Thunderlane, the ponies of Ponyville quickly began to learn the truth about Zecora. The Mayor even awarded her honorary citizenship, which Zecora turned down. She prefered to remain in The Everfree Forest, practicing her craft, and lending her skills as a witch doctor free of charge.

      As for Shining Armor and his friends, they were soon cured of the poison joke's effects. And because of what they had been through, Twilight wrote a report to Princess Celestia about not judging someone based on how they looked.

     Zecora still comes to Ponyville only to pick up various herbs and plants for her brews. But the ponies of Ponyville now know, that Zecora isn't an evil enchantress trying to curse them, she's an admirable enchantress, willing to offer her assistance whenever it is needed.

     She is never lonely, for Shining Armor, Twilight, and Apple Bloom, stop by frequently for tea and tell her all the news. And sometimes, Fluttershy seeks Zecora's help when dealing with the various creatures that live in The Everfree Forest.

     As for Spike, he quickly learned his lesson about cracking jokes at inopportune moments when he was forced to reshelve all the books in the Golden Oaks Library all by himself.

Chapter 19: Changing Seasons (Winter Wrap Up)

                Not long after the Zecora incident, winter came to Ponyville. Before long there were days on end, when dark clouds filled with snow could be seen everywhere, and for the next three months Ponyville became a winter wonderland, just like the rest of Equestria.

                During that time Shining Armor and his sister Twilight celebrated their first Hearth's Warming together since Shining had left for the royal guard, and Twilight had left to become Celestia's student. Hearth's Warming Day was a truly wonderful day in the Golden Oaks Library.

               Throughout the rest of winter, Shining Armor and Twilight would frequently spend time with each other, or with their friends. Whether it was ice skating, snowball fighting, snow angel making, or igloo or snowpony building, they enjoyed themselves. Afterwards, they would warm up with some delicious hot coco from Sugarcube Corner.

               But all good things must come to an end eventually, and after a while someponies did start to get a little bit tired of the snow. So, as the third month of winter drew to a close, Twilight and Shining Armor learned a surpising fact. Unlike cities such as Canterlot (which magically changed the seasons), Ponyville (because it was founded by earth ponies), cleaned up winter the old fashioned way. They even went so far as to give the cleaning operation its own special day, Winter Wrap Up Day.

              Twilight was excited to learn about such a day, and vowed to help contribute to it without the use of her magic. Spike didn't think it was a good idea, but Shining Armor told Twilight to go ahead and try anyway. If nothing else, Twilight would learn that magic didn't hold all the answers to life. As for Shining Armor himself, Mayor Mare specificially wanted him to assist with the massive amounts of paperwork, that needed to be filled out as the clean up was carried out.

              When Winter Wrap Up Day finally arrived, Twilight woke up bright and early. Too early in fact, for she ended up waking up before Celestia had even raised the sun. But Twilight was too excited to go back to bed and sleep. Fortunately, the same wasn't the case with Shining Armor and Spike.

             As soon as the sun rose up Shining Armor stumbled awake. He really wished he could help contribute to Winter Wrap Up, especially since all of his friends were pitching in. Soarin was helping to clear away the clouds, Braeburn was part of a team that skated across frozen ponds and lakes to break them up and make them easier to melt, Big Macintosh was helping the planting team, and Thunderlane was working to get things ready for the birds that had flown south for Winter. But orders were orders, and Shining Armor was not about to disobey them.

            After a hearty breakfast, Twilight, Shining Armor, and Spike set off for Town Hall, where everyone was gathering. Even if Spike wouldn't stop complaining about tired he was feeling.

            "Thank you very much for coming everypony." Mayor Mare smiled "I'm glad to see you've all come here so bright and early, hopefully that's a sign of good things to come. You all know that no one pony has a job more important than the rest, for we need everypony's help to wrap up winter, and bring in spring."

            Everyone cheered. "Now, you all have your vests and have been assigned to your team. Please go to either Rainbow Dash, Applejack, or Sparkler for your instructions." Mayor Mare continued "Now let's try to do even better than last year, and have the quickest Winter Wrap Up ever!"

           Once again, everyone cheered. "Oh, this is so exciting." Twilight said eagerly.

           "I can tell you're all fired up about this." Shining Armor nodded "I'm sure you'll do great on whatever team you're assigned to."

           "You think so?" Twilight asked.

           "I know so." Shining Armor replied "I just wish I could help out too."

           "But you are B.B.B.F.F." Twilight reassured Shining Armor "You're helping behind the scenes to make sure everything flows smoothly. And that's just as important as any other job."

           "Thanks for the encouragement Twily." Shining Armor said happily.

           "Alright, everypony." Mayor Mare instructed "You know the drill. Go find your team leader, and get galloping." And with that, Winter Wrap Up had begun.

           Shining Armor watched as everyone went off to do their various tasks, and he wished more than anything that he could be out there with them. Alas, here he was, preparing to sort through stacks of paperwork. Mayor Mare had assured him that his job was just as important as any field job, but Shining Armor couldn't help but feel like the employee of a business that got, as the phrase goes 'kicked upstairs'. He just hoped that the rumors he'd been hearing about how long it took Ponyville to wrap up winter weren't true.

           "Ah, Shining Armor. Glad you're here." Mayor Mare greeted.

           "Hello Mayor." Shining Armor replied, somewhat reluctantly "I'm ready to get started."

           "Good, I'm glad to hear that." Mayor Mare nodded "Let's not waste any time and get to work. We've got a LOT of paperwork to sort through."

           "Just great." Shining Armor said sarcastically.

           "Relax, I'll help guide you through it." Mayor Mare said honestly "It's pretty simple once you've gotten the hang of it."

           "Really?" Shining Armor asked.

           "Yes indeed." Mayore Mare replied.

           A few hours seemed to tick by, rather slowly, once Shining Armor started his job. Most of the paperwork was pretty simple, and mearly explained what guidelines each team was required to meet. These forms were then distrubted to the team leaders so they could monitor their progress.

          Mayor Mare explained that if weren't for the fact that there had been some 'issues' in the past with lazy teams, or miscomunications, she would scrap all the paperwork and just trust the teams to do things on their own terms. Heck, if it weren't for the paperwork Mayor Mare made it known that she would take part in the cleanup process herself. She personally favored the plant team, but considered herself capable of helping any of the three teams if the need ever arose.

          "How do you manage to put with this year after year?" Shining Armor asked "There's so many forms, and I'm pretty sure only half of them really need to exist."

          "I think pretty much the same way, but everytime I try to propose changing things up even just a little I'm always shot down." Mayor Mare explained "Like it or not, the ponies would rather have an overly complicated system, rather than no system at all."

          "I don't really understand the logic behind that." Shining Armor explained "Especially because I'll bet that's at least somewhat responsible for the rumors that this town always wraps up winter late."

          Mayor Mare paused in her work and looked away, as if she were ashamed of something.

          "Was it something I said?" Shining Armor asked.

          "I guess there was no way this could stay secret from you and your sister forever." Mayor Mare sighed "Those aren't rumors."

          "So then, this town really does have that problem?" Shining Armor asked reluctantly.

          Mayor Mare sighed. "Yes." she confessed "It's been a problem that's been going on since this town was first founded I'm afraid. I really have tried to help streamline the process, and make things flow smoother. But it's a losing battle I'm sorry to say. As far as these ponies are concerned, tradition is more important than getting things done on time. Even Manehattan doesn't have this problem, and they have an even larger population than this town."

          "Wow, I had no idea." Shining Armor said honestly.

          "Indeed. It is unfortunate." Mayor Mare said glumly "If I wanted to make a difference I should've been born back when it was possible to change ponies minds about the process."

          "You mean none of Ponyville's other mayors made an attempt to change things so winter could be wrapped up on time?" Shining Armor asked.

          "Yes." Mayor Mare confessed "For a time it wasn't really a problem, and it just meant an extra hour or two of winter. But it got worse as time went by, and ponies stopped caring about it. I've been constantly trying to inspire the town into wanting to get it done on time for a change, but I guess I've failed at that."

          "I wouldn't say that, at least you're trying." Shining Armor said.

          "Perhaps, but I don't think I'm trying hard enough." Mayor Mare said somberly "Perhaps if I'd been born several decades ago I could've become mayor and corrected the problem before it was too late. Alas, I've been mayor of this town for only a year at most. And yet I've barely been able to do anything at all."

          "No one could've forseen any of the events that have taken place over the past few months." Shining Armor encouraged "Things like the return of Nightmare Moon and the Ursa Minor rampage caught everyone by surprise, even me."

          "But I also wasn't able to do anything when Gilda or Zecora showed up." Mayor Mare sighed "And in Zecora's case, I really had no excuse. I could've been the one to help Zecora, and make it so that ponies weren't afraid of her. But you and your friends ended up doing it instead."

          "So, in the end things worked out for everyone." Shining Armor stated "And with your help Zecora is pretty much welcome by everyone."

          "Still, I feel like I'm not really living up to my role as Mayor of Ponyville." Mayor Mare sighed, and looked out the window. She could already see ponies starting to argue about things such as how quickly to melt the snow. "Just great, there's arguing already." she said with a groan "Now I'm going to have to go sort it out. And the worst part is, all this arguing and squabbling is going to set Ponyville back even further."

          "GO!" Applejack shouted.

          "STOP!" Fluttershy shouted.

          "Ugh! Can't you make up your minds?!" Rainbow Dash groaned.

          "Oh! What in Equestria are all you arguing about?" Mayor Mare asked crossly "This sort of bickering foolishness is the reason why we were late for spring last year, and every year before that. I was seriously hoping that my amazingly inspirational speech would urge everyone to do better than last year, but now it looks like we're going to be later than ever. I mean just look at this catastrophe. The ice scorers made the ice chunks too big to melt; ourt nest designer is horrendously behind, we need several hundred, and Rarity's only made one, and don't even get me started on all the clouds in the sky, the icicles on the trees... This isn't good, not at all!"

         "We're trying our best Mayor!" Thunderlane shouted.

         "Well I'll tell ya one thing" Applejack spoke up "it's gonna be all to pieces disastrous if we can't get our seeds all planted soon."

         "Chillax Applejack, we're bustin' our chops as fast as we can." Rainbow Dash replied "Soarin's been a big help."

         "No, not fast, we have to wake the animals slowly." Fluttershy explained.

         "Uh, AJ? We've got a problem." Big Macintosh said nervously.

         "Oh good gravy, don't tell me!" Applejack groaned "That darned Carmel went and lost the grass seeds again, didn't he?"

         "Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied, wishing that such a statement wasn't true.

         "Dang it Carmel!" Applejack shouted "You had ONE job!"

         "Rainbow Dash, oh thank goodness I found you!" Soarin said, panting slightly "Ditzy Doo went north to get the southern birds."

         "Not again!" Rainbow Dash facehoofed "Didn't that featherbrain learn her lesson last year when she went west?"

         "Stop this at once!" Mayor Mare complained "We don't have time to argue! It's almost sundown! Spring is going to be late, again! And that meas another year of scandal and shame! If only we could be more organized."

         "Organized you say?" Shining Armor asked "I think I know just the pony for the job."

         "And who would that be?" Mayor Mare asked.

         "My sister, Twilight." Shining Armor explained "Organization is right up her ally."

         "And you think she'll agree?" Mayor Mare asked.

         "I know she'll agree." Shining Armor smiled. And he was right. Thanks to Twilight, there was finally someone who could organize every aspect of Winter Wrap Up and streamline the process in a way that made everyone happy. Because of this, it was no surprise when she was appointed All Team Organizer for all future Winter Wrap Up Days.

         "I can't thank you enough for getting your sister to sort out this mess." Mayor Mare said to Shining Armor the next day "Thanks to her we FINALLY got winter wraped up on time."

         "It was nothing, I'm glad I could help." Shining Amor said modestly.

         "Even so, I owe you big time for this one." Mayor Mare said honestly "If you ever need any sort of legal favor I might be able to grant it."

         "I can't ask you to do that Mayor." Shining Armor replied "What would everypony else think?"

         "Considering your reputation I'm sure no one would mind." Mayor Mare stated "Besides, what's the point of having connections in the political world if you can't pull a few strings here and there?"

         "There's no way to talk you out of this is there?" Shining Armor sighed.

         "Nope." Mayor Mare smiled.

         "Well, I guess I'll just have to hope there never comes a time when I'll actually need that favor." Shining Armor said reluctantly.

         "Time will tell." Mayor Mare said.

Chapter 20: Running Of The Leaves (Fall Weather Friends)

                 At Sweet Apple Acres, a most unusual and interesting contest of strength was being held.

                 "Give it up Big Macintosh, you can't win." Soarin taunted, struggling with all his might.

                 "This match isn't over yet Soarin." Big Macintosh replied, also struggling.

                 "You may have won the last match, but this time I will defeat you." Soarin boasted "I've been practicing."

                 "You can practice all you want, but you'll never be able to best me when it comes to hoof wrestling." Big Macintosh taunted.

                 "That's what you think." Soarin replied.

                 "Man, this hoof wrestling match is so intense." Spike commented.

                 "I know, look at em go." Thunderlane added "Talk about your clash of titans."

                 "They're both so strong." Fancy Pants stated "They seem evenly matched."

                 "Yeah, but cousin Big Mac's gonna win like he always does." Braeburn shouted "The only reason why he hasn't done so already is because he loves toying with his opponets. I should know, him and I use to hoof wrestle quite a bit when we were kids. I've got the sores to prove it."

                 "Strength always has been a boasting point for both Big Macintosh and Soarin." Shining Armor nodded "Pass the popcorn please."

                 "Sure thing Shining Armor." Braeburn replied "Don't forget to save some for me."

                 The hoof wrestling match went on for quite a while with neither side refusing to give in and accept defeat.

                 "Take em down Big Macintosh!" Applejack cheered.

                 "Show em what you're made of Soarin!" Rainbow Dash cheered.

                 "Ooh, this is so exciting!" Pinkie Pie commented.

                 "I'm just glad it's not me." Fluttershy stated "I wouldn't last five seconds."

                 "Same goes for me." Rarity added "If there wasn't anything else to do I wouldn't even be here, though I admit this is pretty entertaining. Much better than those wrestling shows Sweetie Belle and her friends are always talking about."

                 "Indeed. This is the real deal, no acting." Twilight commented "And much less violent."

                 "Just give up Soarin, you can't win!" Big Macintosh said smuggly.

                 "Never!" Soarin replied "I'll never give up! I will defeat you, just you wait."

                 Suddenly, Soarin felt his grip weakening, and felt himself being overpowered by Big Macintosh. He tried to fight back and resist, but Big Macintosh's hoof refused to budge as he went for the pin. "1....2....3! I win!" Big Macintosh proclaimed.

                 "Yes!" Braeburn, Applejack and Apple Bloom cheered.

                 "No!" Thunderlane. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo shouted. They could not believe their eyes.

                 "That's another victory for Big Macintosh." Pinkie Pie explained, having been tasked with keeping score "And that gives him his 5th victory in a row."

                 "This is impossible." Soarin panted, feeling very exhausted "I did not just lose!"

                 "I'm afraid you did Soarin." Big Macintosh said, also panting "But you gave me a darn good workout."

                 "I'll say." Shining Armor commented "That was really intense."

                 "Glad you think so." Big Macintosh said happily.

                 "Well, this has been fun, but I must be going." Soarin said, glancing at the nearby clock tower "My next show may not be for another hour, but after a match like that I'm gonna need to shower quite thoroughly."

                 "I'll probably need to do the same." Big Macintosh replied "Just let me know when you're feeling up for another rematch. Who knows, maybe next time you'll actually win?"

                 "One of these days, I swear I'll make you eat those words Big Macintosh." Soarin said, somewhat furiously, as he flew off.

                 "That was quite a show you put on there Big Macintosh." Shining Armor commented.

                 "Thank you." Big Macintosh smiled, wiping the sweat from his brows "I must admit, Soarin's been getting better. I actually thought he might win for a change. And I think he almost did."

                 "Yeah, well he didn't." Shining Armor stated "But he seemed awfully saddle sore about losing to you."

                 "He's a high level athlete. Losing to me, even in a friendly competetion is a big blow to his pride, and his ego." Big Macintosh explained "But compared to how he once was he's actually a pretty good loser. In the end, he knows it's all in good fun. But there was a time where he forgot about that lesson, and so did I."

                 "Really?" Shining Armor asked.

                 "Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied "It's quite an interesting story actually."

                 "I don't think you've ever told me it before." Shining Armor pondered.

                 "Funny, I could've sworn I did." Big Macintosh stated "Then again, I've told the story so many times I've probably lost track of who's heard it, and who hasn't."

                 "Well, why don't you just tell me the story anyways, just in case?" Shining Armor asked.

                 Big Macintosh was silent for a moment, and appeared to be deep in thought. Then he said "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you the story again."

                "Please do Big Mac." Apple Bloom pleaded "My friends and I have been itching for new ways to try and get our cutie marks, and perhaps your story can help." By friends, Apple Bloom meant both Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle. The three of them called themselves The Cutie Mark Crusaders, or The CMC for short. They were dedicated to obtaining their cutie marks by any means necessary, which often meant they got themselves into trouble. Needless to say, they were a constant source of headaches.

                "Well, alright." Big Macintosh said "But I should warn you, it's a long story."

                 "I'm listening, and so is everypony else." Shining Armor stated. Everyone else nodded in agreement.

                 "Okay then." Big Macintosh stated "Listen carefully."

                 And this is the story Big Macintosh told them:

                 Many years ago, before either Twilight or Shining Armor ever would've thought of living in Ponyville, Big Macintosh was only now starting to obtain some relief from his applebucking duties. This was because his sister Applejack was finally old enough to help him in the fields. Apple Bloom wasn't quite old enough to attend school yet, but she was old enough to only need an occassional eye kept on her.

                 Ivory Script Mare had yet to be elected mayor, and Ponyville was little more than a small town where everyone knew each other.

                 Big Macintosh and Soarin actually didn't know each other, or at least they didn't until one faithful autumn day.

                 Winter was only a few weeks away, and Big Macintosh and Applejack were working hard to get Sweet Apple Acres ready for the off season. They'd had an exceptionally good bumper crop this year, that meant there was a ton of apples that needed to be harvested.

                 But somehow, it seemed like quite a few apples were disappearing. Something that Big Macintosh and Applejack were very concerned about. If they didn't find some way to stop whoever or whatever was responsible, they could very well go under. And so it was that on that faithful autumn day, Big Macintosh and Applejack were patrolling the orchard, trying to track down the apple thief.

                 "Do you see anything yet Big Macintosh?" Applejack asked.

                 "Eenope." Big Macintosh replied "What about you?"

                 "Why do you think I'm asking you? I haven't seen anything either." Applejack explained "But we've got to keep looking, we owe it to ourselves and to Granny Smith to find out what in tarnation's going on."

                 Then, Big Macintosh heard a sound. A sound that he had never heard before. The sound of heavy snoring, and it seemed to be coming from one of the trees. As Big Macintosh got closer to the tree, the snoring grew louder and louder. Finally, when Big Macintosh was standing directly in front of the tree's trunk, the snoring was so loud that Big Macintosh could barely hear himself think. He looked up into the tree, and saw a light blue pegasus stallion with a darker blue mane and tail resting on one of the tree's branches, a trail of apples lay directly beneath him. He was of course Soarin, but Big Macintosh didn't know that yet.

                 "Hey Applejack!" Big Macintosh called "I think I've found the cause of our mysterious apple disappearances. Come take a look."

                When Applejack came over to where Big Macintosh was, and saw what he could see, she quickly realized what was going on. But they didn't know for sure, yet.

                "So what's your plan Big Mac?" Applejack asked.

                "I'm glad you asked." Big Macintosh said with a smile, and whispered his next course of action into Applejack's ear.

                "Are you sure that's gonna work?" Applejack asked.

                "Positive." Big Macintosh said, trying not to chuckle "I don't know who that guy is, but he's about to be in for a rude awakening." And with that, Big Macintosh turned around, and kicked the tree with his rear legs.

               The vibrations shook the tree quite thoroughly, and were enough to knock the pegasus stallion out of his naping place. He hit the ground with a thud. Needless to say, he was not happy about being woken up. "Hey, what's the big idea?!" he complained "I was in the middle of an incredibly relaxing power nap!"

               "Sorry to wake you up, but you just so happen to be naping on Sweet Apple Acres property." Big Macintosh explained.

               "So? I don't see what the big deal is." the pegasus stallion said with a shrug.

               "The big deal is that you've been helping yourself to some of our apples, and that's cutting into our profits!" Applejack said crossly "You apologize this instant you lazy pegasus!"

               "I am not lazy!" the pegasus stallion snapped "I'll have you know that I'm a high class athlete."

               "Oh yeah?!" Applejack asked.

               "Yeah! In fact, I just so happen to be Co-Captain of the one and only Wonderbolts!" the pegasus stallion boasted.

               "Really?! Well, where's your flight suit then?" Applejack asked.

               "I left it back at H.Q." the pegasus stallion explained "If you need any proof, just look at my goggles."

               Applejack did so. Sure enough the words Property of Soarin, Co-Captain of The Wonderbolts appeared on them. "So, your name's Soarin I take it?" Applejack asked.

               "You got that right!" Soarin nodded.

               "Well then Mr. Soarin, how's about putting that big mouth of yours to good use by answering a little question?" Applejack asked "Are you the one who's been eating apples from these here apple trees?"

               "Maybe." Soarin said half heartedly.

               "Don't play dumb with me, tell me the truth!" Applejack said crossly "I won't ask again!"

               "Applejack calm down, remember what Granny said about your temper." Big Macintosh said sternly, then he turned to Soarin "I apologize for the way my sister's been acting. But are you the one responsible for the disappearance of so many apples from these parts in the past few days?"

               "And what if I am?" Soarin asked.

               "Look, I think we may have gotten off on the wrong hoof." Big Macintosh apologized "My name's Big Macintosh, and this is my sister Applejack. And this here is our home, Sweet Apple Acres. We live on it with our Granny Smith and our little sister Apple Bloom. Applejack and I harvest the apples that grow from these here apple trees, and sell them in town to make money so that we can survive during the winter months. We've had an exceptionally good crop this year, and we're really hoping to make more money than we usually do. But with you eating the apples from these trees before we can harvest them, you're kind of hurting our profits."

              "Well I'm sorry if that's the case." Soarin said sincerely "But I just had a few apples, that's all. I'm sure that with all the apples still left you can easily make enough money to last you until spring."

              "That may be, but I'd still like some sort of compensation for your unintentional unsympathetic act." Big Macintosh stated.

              "No way! I don't have to do anything!" Soarin protested "It's not my fault I'm so hungry. I promise I won't eat anymore apples, but please, just leave me alone."

              "I'm afraid I can't. Those apples are our livelyhood, and if you don't stop eating them you'll literally eat my sisters, Granny Smith, and I out of house and home." Big Macintosh explained "If you won't willingly pay for them then I'm pretty sure Granny Smith will happy to have an extra hoof around the farm for the rest of autumn."

              "You're not the boss of me!" Soarin said crossly "I'm not doing anything and you can't make me!"

              "Oh yeah?!" Applejack asked "Well we'll just see about that! You'll change your tune really fast once you get a taste of old Bucky McGillicuddy and Kicks McGee!"

              Applejack raced forward, preparing to give Soarin more then just a piece of her mind. But Big Macintosh put a hoof in front of her, and stopped her. "I have a better idea." he said, and turned to Soarin "You said it yourself you're a high class athlete, right?"

             "Ah, I see you were paying attention." Soarin nodded "Yes, that's right. And your point is?"

             "As I'm sure you're aware, the anual Running of The Leaves just so happens to be tomorrow." Big Macintosh explained "So, the two of us are going to enter that competetion. If I win, you'll do what I say for the rest of autumn. And if you win, I'll let your little bit of apple thieving go unnoticed. Does that sound fair enough to you?"

             "Of course." Soarin replied "I'll smoke you in that race for sure."

             "Not so fast!" Big Macintosh stated "There's a catch. In order to make things fair you'll need to compete with a little 'handicap'."

             "What do you mean?" Soarin asked.

             "You'll beat me for sure if you fly." Big Macintosh explained "So tomorrow, you can compete, but you must do so without using your wings. If you don't, then it counts as an automatic forefit on your part."

             "No way!" Soarin said crossly "I'll never let that happen!"

             "So, do you accept my challenge?" Big Macintosh asked.

             "You're on!" Soarin replied eagerly "But I should warn you, you're out of your league. And when I smoke you and take first place in The Running of The Leaves, you'll wish you'd never made this agreement!"

             "Don't count your chickens before they hatch Soarin!" Big Macintosh warned.

             "It'll take a lot of luck on your part to beat me!" Soarin boasted, and flew off.

             Applejack was worried "Are you absolutely sure you know what you're doing Big Macintosh?" she asked.

             "I'm pretty sure." Big Macintosh replied "At the very least I'll have a fair chance."

             "And what if you lose?" Applejack asked.

             "As long as it's fair there's not much I can do." Big Macintosh stated "We'll just have to wait, and see what happens."

             On the inside, Big Macintosh felt awfully nervous. The Running of The Leaves was a very difficult race, and only the best of the best competed. He'd only run once before, and several times he'd nearly been left in the dust. Making it into fifth place was a feat in and of itself. Was he really certain he stood a chance against a Wonderbolt? The Co-Captain no less?

             The next day dawned bright and sunny, perfect weather for racing. Most of the racers had already taken their places at the starting line by the time Big Macintosh showed up.

             "Fillies and gentlecolts, welcome to the annual Running of The Leaves. My name is Pinkie Pie and I'm your new official p-eye-in-the-sky announcer. I look forward to seeing all the excitement and action that this race brings." Pinkie Pie called from aboard a hot air balloon "As everypony knows, The Running is a very important tradition. For without it, the autumn leaves of Equestria would never fall. So get ready, ponies because The Running of the Leaves will begin in three minutes!"

            "Well, look who decided to show up!" Soarin boasted, swooping down from above "I almost expected you to chicken out, you've got a lot of guts I'll give you that much."

            "Alright, enough is enough." Big Macintosh replied "Let's keep this a nice, friendly, clean race. Understand?!"

            "Yeah, yeah, I know." Soarin stated.

            "Remember our little deal." Big Macintosh reminded Soarin "You're not allowed to use your wings, period!"

            "Please, I could win this race with both wings tied behind my back." Soarin boasted.

            "Oh really?" Big Macintosh asked "Why don't you prove it?"

            "You don't mean" Soarin asked nervously.

            "I sure do. Tie your wings up good and tight." Big Macintosh replied "That way you won't be 'tempted' to use them if you start to fall behind. Consider this an insurance policy."

            "There is no way I'm agreeing to that!" Soarin complained.

            "You don't have to agree to it if you don't want to." Big Macintosh said honestly "But if you do so, the deal's off."

            Soarin sighed "Okay, fine! I'll do it, but I won't like it."

            "Never said you had to." Big Macintosh stated.

            "I look ridiculous!" Soarin complained, once Big Macintosh had finished tying up his wings with a rope.

            "I think not." Big Macintosh chuckled "All trussed up like a turkey. A turkey that can't fly to be precise."

            "You must think you're SO funny." Soarin snapped "Well, enjoy your little moment of victory. Because even without my wings I'm still gonna beat you!"

            "We'll just see about that." Big Macintosh replied "Let's do this!"

            "Alright racers, take your positions!" Pinkie Pie called "The Running of The Leaves will begin soon."

            "Remember Soarin, win or lose it's all in good fun." Big Macintosh called.

            "And don't you forget about your promise." Soarin reminded "Cause once I win I don't wanna hear any complaints. No one likes a sore loser."

            "Don't get ahead of yourself Soarin. Pride goes before a fall." Big Macintosh said cautiously.

            "Enough chit chat, you're going down!" Soarin boasted.

            "All right ponies, are you all ready?!" Pinkie Pie asked. Everyone nodded "Okay then, you know the rules. On your marks, get set," A bell rang out, and the race began.

            "And they're off!" Pinkie Pie called "Welcome to the official coverage of The Running of the Leaves! I'm your new host, Pinkie Pie, and it's my job to bring you all the action and excitement of the race itself! Despite the title, the leaves don't do any of the actual running. That's left to the ponies down below. Those lazy leaves, I can't believe they need the running of the ponies to make them fall. I can fall on my own without any help."

           Big Macintosh quickly toned Pinkie Pie out as he focused on the race. He knew that even without wings, Soarin would be a tough opponent. In a constant of strength Big Macintosh was sure he could win, but when it came to something like running, that was another story. Despite that, Big Macintosh was determined to win no mater how hard it might seem. And perhaps, because of that determination, he began to pull into the lead after only a little while.

           But Soarin was close behind, and he looked every bit as determined as Big Macintosh. Even so, Big Macintosh couldn't resist teasing Soarin a little bit. "Not so tough without your wings to back you up huh Soarin? Looks like you're all talk and no shock."

           "This is far from over Big Macintosh, I'm just warming up!" Soarin boasted "The real competetion starts now!" As if to make himself heard, Soarin began to speed up.

           "Wait a minute mares and gentlecolts, hold your horses!" Pinkie Pie called "It looks like Soarin is catching up to the frontrunner, Big Macintosh! Talk about upsets, I was sure Big Macintosh had this one in the bag! Perhaps I spoke too soon."

           "You didn't really think you'd could beat me that easily did ya?" Soarin teased, as he passed Big Macintosh by.

           Big Macintosh was about to respond, when he suddenly felt his front legs give way. He was unable to stop himself from stumbling and falling, as the crowd of racers (and Soarin) overtook him. "Whoa!" he cried, as he fell to the ground. He quickly picked himself up, he wasn't hurt, but he WAS upset. "I don't believe it." he grumbled to himself "Soarin just tripped me, on purpose no less. And after I told him it was all in good fun too!" Quickly realizing what he was saying Big Macintosh stopped himself "No no, don't assume things Big Macintosh. You're better than that. Soarin's not the kind of guy to stoop so low."

          Big Macintosh looked around a little bit, and found the source of his problem. A rock, that was laying in the path of the race. Apparently he hadn't noticed it, having been so caught up in the heat of his competetion with Soarin. Needless to say, he was glad no one was around to witness such a thing. "How embarassing." he said to himself "Tripped over a rock. And to think I thought it was Soarin. I better not let this happen again. Just hope I'm not too late to get back into things."

         Fortunately, Big Macintosh managed to, somehow, quickly make up for lost time. In no time at all he had managed to overtake most of the racers. Soarin, however, remained just ahead of him, leading the pack. But as luck would have it, Big Macintosh somehow managed to overtake Soarin as well. "Hey Soarin!" he called out as he retook the lead "See you at the finish line!"

         "I don't believe what I'm seeing folks!" Pinkie Pie cried "After a huge setback, Big Macintosh has somehow managed to regain his lead! He's at the head of the pack! He's the pick of the litter! The cat's pajamas! Wait, why would Big Macintosh do with some kitty's pajamas? That wouldn't be very sporting of him. In fact, it doesn't sound like him at all."

        "Not so fast Big Macintosh!" Soarin called, closing in on Big Macintosh "This race isn't over just yet!"

        "For me it isn't, but for you it certainly is!" Big Macintosh teased, and surged ahead. Inadvertly causing his tail to knock Soarin to the ground in the process. It happened so fast that even Pinkie Pie didn't see it.

        Unfortunately, Soarin did, and he was not happy about it. "Whoa!" he cried, as he hit the ground "I don't believe this! After all that, Big Macintosh can't even follow his own rules! And to think I thought he actually meant this was all in good fun. I should've know he'd find a sneaky way to cheat."

        Soarin realized what he was saying, and one part of him continuiously tried to discourage the thoughts that entered his head. But the other part refused to listen. "This may be just a game" Soarin said ominously to himself, glancing at his wings "but the rules have changed. Watch out Big Macintosh. You wanted to play dirty? Well guess what?! Wish granted!"

        "Welcome back to the action Ponyvillians." Pinkie Pie called "It's me Pinkie Pie again. And what's this, it looks like Soarin is trying to catch up to Big Macintosh. I don't personally see how ketchup can help him in this competetion, now if this were a veggie dog eating competetion it might make em nice and slippery, but I prefer mustard. And pickles. And speaking of pickles, it looks like Big Macintosh has found himself in quite the pickle, as Soarin passes him by."

        "What?!" Big Macintosh exclaimed, as Soarin passed him by.

        "Hey look pa" Soarin boasted "no wings!" He had managed to use a tree trunk as a catapult to slingshot himself forward at a breakneck speed. Now he was back on the ground, and running on his own four hooves.

        "And as the race enters the beautiful White Tail Wood, Soarin overtakes Big Macintosh and soars back into the lead." Pinkie Pie narrated "It looks like Soarin's going to win this thing!"

        "What's the matter Big Macintosh? Can't keep up?" Soarin taunted, chuckling as Big Macintosh tried to catch up, before flinging a tree branch into Big Macintosh's path.

        "Ugh." Big Macintosh grunted, as the tree branch smacked him "Wait a minute! Soarin!" Soarin's only response was to blow a raspberry. "That cheater!" Big Macintosh gasped "He did that on purpose! Oh it's on now! If it's a fight he wants, it's a fight he's gonna get!" Deciding to do what Soarin had done, Big Macintosh grabbed the tree branch. Two could play at this game.

        "Nice one Soarin." Soarin thought to himself "That'll show him who's boss!" Unfortunately, it wasn't long before Big Macintosh caught up to him.

        "So you wanna play dirty Soarin?" Big Macintosh asked "Let's see how you deal with THIS!" As Big Macintosh passed some nearby buckets full of tree sap, he kicked them, causing the buckets to spill their loads onto the path. Unfortunately, one of the trees also held a bee hive, and when he kicked it the bees angrily began to buzz around Soarin.

        The bees proved to be quite the motivator, allowing Soarin to run faster than he had ever run before. He didn't stop, until he dove into a lake just outside of Whitetail Wood. Once he was certain the bees were gone, he took off again. Up ahead was a sign that told the racers which way to go. Seeing an opportunity for sabotage, Soarin delibertly let the other racers get ahead of him, before he switched the direction of the sign. It now pointed in the other direction, which lead to a steep slope. "I'm sure to win now." Soarin laughed, as he set off to close the gap with ease.

        Just as Soarin had hoped, Big Macintosh didn't suspect anything about the direction the sign was pointed in. And even as he raced uphill he was certain that he could still catch up.

        "Wait, what's this?! It seems Big Macintosh has wandered off course." Pinkie Pie called "There aren't any trees up here at all. Why would he run in that direction?"

        "I don't get it," Big Macintosh thought to himself "the sign said to go this way." Then it hit him. "Soarin! That dirty rat!"

        "Hey Big Macintosh" Pinkie Pie called "Need a lift?"

        "You betcha." Big Macintosh replied "I've got a score to settle with Mr. Sabotage!"

        Soarin was shocked when he saw Big Macintosh desecend back into the race from the hot air ballon "What the hay?!" he said crossly "I thought you said no flying?!"

        "I said no wings." Big Macintosh explained "Never said anything about flying."

        "Well mares and gentlecolts, I must say that this has been perhaps the most interesting Running of The Leaves in Equestrian history." Pinkie Pie called "But I think this one's gonna go down in the books not for the running, but for the LACK of running. At least between Big Macintosh and Soarin. But now, as we head into the final stretch, the two stallions are neck and neck. It's Big Macintosh! No, it's Soarin! No, it's Big Macintosh! No, it's-"

        Big Macintosh bumped into Soarin.

        "Oh no he di'int!" Pinkie Pie called.

        Soarin bumped right back into Big Macintosh.

        "Oh yes he di'id!" Pinkie Pie called.

        "Hey, cut it out Soarin!" Big Macintosh complained.

        "No, you cut it out!" Soarin protested.

        "You started it!" Big Macintosh snapped back.

        "Oh yeah?! Well even if that's not true, I'm gonna finish it!" Soarin shouted.

        "Oh no you won't!" Big Macintosh replied "Not on my watch!"

        "Oh yes I will!" Soarin shouted. This made Big Macintosh cross, he tried to grab Soarin by the tail, but he ended up unraveling the rope that held Soarin's wings in place. Soarin's chance had come "That's it! All bets are off!" Soarin shouyred.

        "Oh no you don't! You're not weasling your way out of this one!" Big Macintosh protested, grabbing Soarin before he could flap his wings and fly off. The two began to tussle with each other, kicking up dust as they went at it.

        "It's too close to call folks!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed "As we approach the finish line it looks like it's Big Macintosh! No wait, it looks like it's Soarin! No wait, now it looks like it's Big Macintosh! I can't tell!" And she was right. Even as the cloud of dust that surrounded the two stallions rolled across the finish line, no one could tell who had come out on top.

        "Yes, I won!" Soarin proclaimed, once the fighting had stopped.

        "No way, I won!" Big Macintosh protested.

        "No, I won!" Soarin protested.

        "And the results are in!" Pinkie Pie announced "Big Macintosh and Soarin have tied!"

        "Tied for first?!" Big Macintosh and Soarin exclaimed.

        "For last." Pinkie Pie explained "Sorry guys, but it looks like everyone else beat you across the finish line. And I was so sure one of you was going to win. If that isn't the mother of all upsets I don't know what is."

        "So, who won?" Soarin asked.

        "A mare by the name of Bon-Bon, and this was her first year." Pinkie Pie stated "She started off in the back, but at the end she shot into the lead like a pony cannonball! 'Whoosh!', and she went from near last to first in a matter of seconds!"

        "I don't believe. We lost to a newbie!" Soarin exclaimed.

        "Ain't that a kick in the flank?" Big Macintosh grumbled.

        "How could this happen?" Soarin asked "We started off so strong. When did we fall behind?"

        Big Macintosh sighed "Probably when we started horsin' around and tried to sabotage each other. We got so obessed with cheatin' we allowed the others to pass us by."

        "Guess we weren't very good sports." Soarin said glumly "And the sad thing is, everyone who watched this race will know that. We'll be the laughing stock of the town for weeks."

        "Serves us right for losin' sight of what was really important." Big Macintosh stated.

        "What do you mean?" Soarin asked.

        "The spirit of competetion and fair play." Big Macintosh explained "When we started tryin' to cheat we were no longer acting like good sports. Winnin' that way would've given us a victory we wouldn't have deserved."

        "You know, now that I have time to think about it, you're right." Soarin said with a sigh "And the sad thing, it all started with me. I was too stubborn to realize that you would NEVER cheat. Like you said earlier, it was just a game. But since neither of us won, or even came close to winning, what are we going to do about our little deal?"

        "The deal's off, you've proved yourself to be a worthy opponent." Big Macintosh said kindly "Even if I'd won it wouldn't have been right for me to force you to help out just because of a misunderstanding. I'm sorry I got so carried away."

        "I'm sorry I was so cross." Soarin apologized "Is it too late for us to be friends?"

        "I don't think so." Big Macintosh smiled "And you wanna know what?"

        "What?" Soarin asked.

        "Because of our constant attempts at trickery, not all of the leaves fell from the trees." Big Macintosh explained "So whaddya say, firned? Feel like having another run, just between the two of us?"

        "Of course, I'd love a chance to stretch my legs." Soarin said with a smile "Come on, those leaves aren't gonna shake themselves loose! And I'll bet I can get more leaves then you."

        "You're on!" Big Macintosh said playfully, and with that the two stallions set off into the sunset, running side by side.

        "And from that day on, Soarin and I were the best of friends. And we vowed never to let the events of that race happen ever again." Big Macintosh said, as he finished narrating his story.

        "Wow, that's quite a story." Shining Armor stated "I had no idea your friendship went that far back."

        "Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied.

        "Very impressive story Big Macintosh" a familiar voice called "I'm glad to see you still remember the events so clearly."

        "Soarin? Is that you?" Big Macintosh asked.

        "You betcha!" Soarin said happily.

        "What are you doing here Soarin?" Big Macintosh asked "I thought you had a show to perform."

        "Turns out I was mistaken." Soarin explained "The next show isn't for another day. So after showering, I decided to come back and see what you might be up to. I sure wasn't expecting you to retell the story of our first encounter."

        "Even after all these years you still remember it too?" BIg Macintosh asked.

        "Of course." Soarin smiled "It's hard to forget the one time where I was truly knocked off my pedastal. And it's even harder to forget the wonderful friend I made afterward."

        "You're a good friend in deed Soarin." Big Macintosh said warmly "And you always will be. I mean it."

        "Aw shucks." Soarin said with a smile, blushing slightly.

Chapter 21: The Stallions and The Seamstress (Suited For Success)

               At Carousel Boutique, Rarity was just putting the finishing touches on a vest of her own design. The suit in question was being made for her boss, Fancy Pants, in preparation for the upcoming Grand Galloping Gala. He had originally planned to design the vest himself, but Rarity had insisted on doing it as a way to thank Fancy Pants, for looking after her sister Sweetie Belle and her friends a few weeks back.

               Fancy Pants tried not to be too demanding, even though Rarity told him he was perfectly entitled to demand whatever he wanted. Ever since he and Rarity had opened Carousel Boutique, Rarity and her sister had practically become part of his family. In a sense Rarity was almost like the daughter Fancy Pants never had. He never told anyone about this, for personal reasons.

              "There we go, a fine piece of work if I do say so myself." Rarity said happily "So Fancy Pants, what do you think?"

              "It's nice. You've really outdone yourself Miss Rarity." Fancy Pants commented "I must say, this vest is probably one of the finest creations you've ever whipped up."

              "Oh you're just saying that." Rarity replied "The suit is nice. But I'm sure it's not that nice."

              "I really mean it." Fancy Pants stated "Everything about it just screams perfection. The colors are bright but not too bright. The fabric feels soft to the touch. The stiches are well hidden to the point where you can barely see them. The jewelery provides the perfect amount of elegance and grace. And the matching tie compliments the vest to a t. You've truly outdone yourself."

              "Well I'm glad you think so." Rarity said with a smile "Customer satisfaction is something I truly pride myself on. Once again, I must thank you for letting me take on this opportunity. I don't know where I'd be today if I hadn't met you."

              "I'm sure you'd do just fine on your own." Fancy Pants said honestly "You really just needed help getting your hooves off the ground. Just look at how far you've come in such a short span of time. You're practially an expert at dress making, and you're well on your way to learning how to manage the store. Dare I say, you could manage without me. Perhaps I ought to test that theory sometime."

              "I'm honored that you think so highly of me, but I'm not sure if I'd be ready to take on such a big responsibility just yet." Rarity replied "Maybe after The Grand Galloping Gala has come and gone I'll feel ready."

              "If that's how you feel then I won't burden you with managing the store until then." Fancy Pants stated "But if you ever change your mind, just let me know."

              At that moment, the door to Rarity's bedroom/workshop opened, and the bell attached to alert Rarity to a new customer rang out. "I wonder who that could be?" Rarity asked.

             "Your guess is as good as mine." Fancy Pants replied "I wasn't expecting any customers to stop by today."

             "Oh, hello Rarity. Haven't seen you in a while." Shining Armor greeted "Big Macintosh and I were just passing by, and thought we'd stop to chat with Fancy Pants for a bit."

             "Sorry if we interrupted your work." Big Macintosh said, noticing the vestt on a nearby ponyquin, and the outline for a potential dress tacked to a wall.

             "Interrupting? Oh, don't be silly. I always have time for you. Any friend of Fancy Pants is a friend of mine." Rarity explained "Besides, I've just finished stiching together Fancy Pants' vest. I haven't time to get started on any new projects, yet."

             "Oh, then we'll just leave." Shinng Armor said politely "I'm sure you don't get many opportunities like this, and we'd hate to cut into your personal time."

             "Nonsense, I always have time for friends." Rarity smiled "What can I do for you?"

             "Well, since you asked" Shining Armor said, and pulled out an old vest "could you fix this button for me? I was going to see if Twilight had any books on the subject, but I figured this was something best left to an expert like you."

             Rarity very nearly cringed at the sight of the worn out old vest "What you do need this for?" she asked.

             "Well, it's going to my outfit for The Grand Galloping Gala." Shining Armor explained "Despite being Captain of The Royal Guard I don't have access to formal attire, and I'd look pretty silly wearing my captain's uniform. This is the nicest outfit that still fits me, especially since a new vest would cost a month's worth of pay."

             "But you can't possibly wear this old 'thing' to The Gala." Fancy Pants stated "You'd stick out like a chocolate bar at a swimming pool."

             "What you need is a brand new suit." Rarity continued "And I shall gladly take on the task of designing one for you free of charge."

             "Oh, you don't have to do that Rarity." Shining Armor suggested "I guess my captain's uninform wouldn't be that bad to wear. Besides, I'm not really comfortable accepting favors that I didn't ask for."

             "It's no trouble, really." Rarity assured Shining Armor.

             "Miss Rarity's outfits are extremly high quality. Rivaled only by the likes of Canterlot fashions." Fancy Pants added.

             "And it shouldn't take me long to have it ready." Rarity smiled.

             "Well, if there's really no way to talk you out it, then I guess you've got yourself a deal." Shining Armor stated "And perhaps, you could make something for my sister since she'll be going to The Gala too."

             "I'll see what I can do." Rarity said honestly, then she turned to Big Macintosh "I know you're a stallion of simple tastes, so I'm going to assume you don't want me to design something for you to wear to The Gala, right?"

             "Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied "In fact, Applejack and I were just planning on sprucing ourselves up a bit. Knowing my sister, she'll probably end up wearing her old work duds."

             "As 'interesting' as that might sound I'm afraid The Grand Galloping Gala is an event that all but DEMANDS formal attire." Rarity explained "So, unless you have something that can fit the bill, I'm afraid you'll only attract laughs, and not customers, to your stand."

             "I really don't have much use for fancy stuff." Big Macintosh stated "But maybe you could use my sister's work duds as a base to design something that's a bit more fancy, but still fairly simple."

             "That shouldn't be too hard." Fancy Pants said.

             "I love a challenge." Rarity said with a smile "I accept. That's two vests, and two dresses, plus my one."

             "Incoming!" a familiar voice called.

             "Sounds like he's right on top of us." Shining Armor stated.

             "Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied "And he should be in coming in for a landing in 3, 2, 1."

             Sure enough, Soarin came crashing through the roof of Carousel Boutique, and didn't stop until he colided with the ponyquins. He was a bit dazed, but unharmed.

             "Ah Soarin, how nice of you to drop in." Fancy Pants said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

             "Are you okay Soarin?" Shining Armor asked "That was some fall you took."

             "I'm fine." Soarin said, rising to his hooves "Sorry about the mess. I've been working on my tricks in preparation for The Grand Galloping Gala. Guess I still need more practice."

             "I'll say." Big Macintosh chuckled.

             "Well, I was planning on stopping by here anyway." Soarin stated.

             "Oh really? And what would a stallion like you be doing in a place like this?" Big Macintosh asked.

             "Spitfire says I need a new vest for The Grand Galloping Gala." Soarin explained "I figured this place was probably my best bet."

             "Couldn't you just wear your flight suit?" Big Macintosh asked.

             "I asked Spitfire the exact same question." Soarin said with a sigh "And she said no."

             "If it's a vest you need I'm sure I can design one for you Soarin." Rarity smiled "In fact, I think I'll make vests for Thunderlane and Braeburn as well. And if they agree, dresses for Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie."

             "That's a big order to fill Rarity." Shining Armor commented "Are you sure you're up for it?"

             "I'm positive." Rarity said with a smile "And once I'm done, perhaps we could put on a fashion show."

             "That would be lovely!" Fancy Pants said happily "And we could drum up a lot of business for Carousel Boutique."

             "Well, so long as everyone agrees I'm all for it." Shining Armor stated.

             "Good, a fashion show it shall be." Rarity said, grinning from ear to ear as she set to work.

             "So, let me see if I've got this straight." Big Macintosh said "You've got to create five different vests and five different dresses, as well as a dress for yourself?"

             "Indeed." Rarity replied.

             "That's a total of 11 different orders to work on!" Big Macintosh exclaimed.

             Rarity smiply chuckled "Oh Big Macintosh, you make it sound as if it's going to be hard."

             Sure enough, Rarity had each of the vests completed in no time at all. Needless to say, everyone was surprised. Especially because, when they arrived, Opal seemed to be quite chipper. The usually grouchy cat was lovingly brushing up against the suits. Even Thunderlane couldn't recall a time where he'd seen Opal THAT happy.

            "Like what you see boys?" Rarity asked "I made each vest specifically with your styles and personalities in mind. For example, Shining Armor, your vest defies all those naysayers who said military and fashion didn't mix. Just look at how elegeant, yet commanding it is. Tell me Big Macintosh, does your vest not just simply scream 'Southern Grace'? Soarin, your vest is so sleek you'll be the envy of every mare, wheter you're on the ground or in the sky. It took me forever to find something that contrasted nicely with your dark coat Thunderlane, but it I think it 'suits' you nicely. And look Braeburn, your vest matches your coat down a t. You're sure to attract attention at The Gala. So tell me, what do you all think of them?"

            Now, one would think that the only natural response to the seemingly impressive vests that Rarity had designed, would be praise and admiration. That was not what happened. Instead, there was an akward silence. As if though the five stallions were trying desperately not to say anything.

           "Is there something wrong with the vests?" Rarity asked "You can tell me. We're friends after all."

           "Well, they're 'something' I guess." Shining Armor said nervously.

           "Oh, I love 'something'." Braeburn said rather unenergetically "In fact, 'something' is my favorite. Really."

           Rarity didn't seem to be buying a single word of what the stallions said.

           "They're, nice." Thunderlane said "Honest."

           "Oh for the love of, mine's just not as 'cool' as I thought it would be!" Soarin blurted out, breaking the silence. Everyone else looked at him as if though he'd just kicked an innocent puppy for no good reason. "What? She asked for my opinion." Soarin said in response.

           "I see." Rarity said with a sigh "Well, fear not. These are just the prototypes. I'm more than happy to make any and all necessary changes to satisfy you guys. And they won't cost you a thing."

           "Now Rarity, you really don't have to do this." Big Macintosh spoke up.

           "Big Macintosh is right." Shining Armor added "I mean, you're the expert on this. Who are we to decide what's truly fashionable?"

           "You don't have to lie to make me feel better." Rarity stated "In business, the customer is always right."

           "But you've already done more than enough for us as it is." Thunderlane protested "It wouldn't be right to ask you to do even more."

           "They kind of have a good point." Soarin added "I'm fine with my vest not really being all that cool. I can live with it."

           "I'm sorry, but I won't take no for an answer." Rarity said firmly "I know these vests aren't up to snuff with the standards you have, and I can't ask you to lower them just because you feel sorry for me. It wouldn't be right. I'll redo all of them until you're 100% absolutely satisfied."

           "Well, if you're really sure that's what you want to do then I guess we won't stop you." Shining Armor said reluctantly "But keep in mind, you're the expert when it comes to fashion. You should follow your instinicts, even if we feel they may be wrong."

           "Relax" Rarity said kindly "just leave everything to me." Once the stallions had left, under her breath she added "What have I gotten myself into?" Unfortunately, Rarity knew she had come too far to back out.

           A few days later, Rarity called Thunderlane back to Carousel Boutique. "Hello Rarity." Thunderlane called "You wanted to see me?"

          "Indeed I did. I've got good news." Rarity said proudly "Your new new suit is ready Thunderlane. I've completely revised it from top to bottom and I know you're going to love it. So try it on, and tell me what you think."

          Thunderlane did so and looked at himself in the mirror. He wasn't sure, but it looked to him like the vest hadn't been changed all that much.

          "Well?" Rarity asked "I'm all ears."

          "I... love it." Thunderlane said half heartedly.

          Rarity didn't buy it for a second "Oh, you're just saying that. Tell me what you really think."

          "No, no. I mean it, really." Thunderlane said nervously "It's uh... nice. You've done a good job."

          "'Nice'?" Rarity asked.

          "Yeah, nice." Thunderlane nodded.

          "Look Thunderlane, if you don't like it you can just tell me." Rarity said kindly "Like I said before, the customer is always right."

          "Oh, but I DO like it. Really." Thunderlane said nervously.

          "Like it or love it?" Rarity asked.

          "Uh, can't I just say both?" Thunderlane asked nervously.

          "Come on, which is it?" Rarity asked "Like it, or love it?"

          "Please stop asking me this, I..." Thunderlane protested.

          "Just tell me what you really think Thunderlane, I really want to know." Rarity said firmly.

          "No, that's okay. I really don't have a problem with it." Thunderlane said nervously.

          "Tell me." Rarity said, getting right up into Thunderlane's face.

          "No, it's fine. Really it is." Thunderlane said, backing up.

          "Come on, tell me!" Rarity said crossly.

          "I said I like it." Thunderlane said nervously.

          "Tell me, tell me, tell-me-tell-me-tell-me!" Rarity said. Thunderlane wasn't sure but it looked like Rarity was about to snap.

          "Well, all right. Since you really wanna know that badly." Thunderlane said, and promptly inhaled "The armscye's tight, the middy collar doesn't go with the shawl lapel, the hems are clearly machine-stitched, the pleats are uneven, the fabric looks like toile, you used a backstitch here when it clearly called for a topstitch or maybe a traditional blanket stitch, and the overdesign is not reminiscent of Italian style even in the slightest." Rarity was speechless. "But, uh... you know... um, whatever you want to do is fine." Thunderlane finished "You're the expert on this subject after all."

          "Are you sure you're okay with this Rarity?" Shining Armor asked "I really think you might be going too far with all of this."

          "Nonsense Shining Armor." Rarity said, trying not to convey how stressed she really was.

          Shining Armor sighed "Well, if you're sure."

          "I am." Rarity replied "Tell what you want me to work on."

          "Okay." Shining Armor sighed again "The stars on my belt should be as accurate as possible. Remember, it needs to look like the actual seal of the royal guards."

          Just like she had done when designing the originals, Rarity worked nonstop until the vests were exactly waht her friends wanted. Even if some of them felt like they taking advantage of Rarity's generoisty. Needless to say, by the time she was finally done, Rarity was exhausted. And in her personal opinion, the suits she designed looked completely awful. But she'd said it herself that the customer was always right. So like it or not, she had to be okay with how they looked if her friends thought they were fine.

          "Alright. It wasn't easy, but I did it. I did exactly what each of you asked for. Now please don't hold back, tell me what you really think. If they're still not what you wanted I can make any necessary changes." Rarity stated, looking rather worn out.

          "Oh my!" Shining Armor exclaimed "You did all of that?"

          "Yes I did." Rarity said, putting on a smile for the sake of her friends.

          "I think you hit the nail on the head with my vest." Thunderlane said happily.

          "My vest was already pretty cool, but you made it look even cooler!" Soarin stated.

          "I don't think I've ever seen a vest like that before." Big Macintosh said honestly.

          "It's exactly what I asked for!" the five stallions all said at once.

          "Thank you so much Rarity." Shining Armor said kindly "You really didn't have to do any of this, but I'm sure my friends and I are glad that you did. If there's ever anything we can repay you please let us know."

          "That won't be necessary." Rarity replied "Though I appreciate the offer."

          "So, are you as happy with the suits as we are Rarity?" Braeburn asked "It's only fair to ask you that after all."

          Rarity paused for a moment, considering what to say next. Then she said, reluctantly "Well, I'm... happy that all of you are happy. I'm just relieved to finally be done. I'm incredibly exhausted."

          At that moment, Spike came running in with important news. "Oh Rarity, you are never gonna believe this!" he exclaimed "Have you ever heard of Hoity Toity?"

         "Hoity Toity? The glamorus, bigwig, hotshot fashion critic in Canterlot?" Fancy Pants asked.

         "Uh-huh." Spike nodded "He heard all about Rarity's fashion show."

         "Really? How convinent." Shining Armor stated, he and Fancy Pants promptly cast a glare at Spike. They knew all too well about his crush on Rarity. They wouldn't put it past him to behind Hoity Toity's sudden knowledge of Rarity's fashion show.

         "Okay, so maybe I just so happened to mention it to him." Spike confessed "The point is, he's coming all the way over from Canterlot to see your work Rarity! I'm not making this up!"

         "You know Hoity Toity?" Fancy Pants asked.

         "Well, to be more precise I know this guy, who knows this guy, who knows this guy, who knows this guy" Spike began to explain.

         "Get to the point!" Fancy Pants said crossly.

         "Well to make a long story short, I know this guy who's part of a long link of ponies that know other ponies, and so this one guy knows this guy's cousin, and this guy's cousin just so happens to know Hoity Toity." Spike finished "Back in Canterlot, being the only dragon admist a population of ponies really attracted a lot of attention."

         "I see." Fancy Pants nodded.

         "Hoity Toity sounds like a very important pony in the world of fashion." Big Macintosh commented.

         "Indeed he is." Shining Armor explained "He's part of a trio of Canterlot fashion celebrities. The other two are Photo Finish, and Sapphire Shores."

         "Sapphire Shores, the pony of pop?" Braeburn asked.

         "The very same." Shining Armor explained "Growing up in Canterlot I heard all about them."

         "I see." Soarin stated "Bet that means you could sell a ton of dresses to Hoity Toity, huh Rarity?"

         "That would really boost business!" Thunderlane exclaimed.

         Rarity however, sounded quite nervous. She knew the vests weren't very good, but she held her tounge. "Hoity Toity's coming here, to see these dresses?" she asked.

         "You betcha!" Spike said happily "Get ready to have all your dreams come true Rarity!"

         "Yay me." Rarity muttered under her breath.

         The fashion show, needless to say, was a complete disaster. The less that could be said about it, the better. Shining Armor and the others unfortunately realized, too late, that what they wanted to have added onto their vests, weren't very fashionable. Hoity Toity wasn't very forgiving towards Rarity, and neither was the crowd that had flocked to the fashion show.

         Despite Fancy Pants' reassurance that there would be other opportunities, Rarity became depressed. Nothing could cheer her up, and she was convinced her fashion career was over.

         Shining Armor and his friends felt pretty bad about Rarity's condition, realizing that they were to blame for it. Some of them felt more guilty about it than others.

         Even so, they knew they had to do something as the days ticked by without any sign of improvement.

         "Rarity? Are you in there?" Braeburn asked, knocking on the door to Rarity's room "It's me, Braeburn. The guys and I want to apologize for messing things up for you."

         "There's no need to apologize. This was my own fault." Rarity complained.

         "Are you okay? You haven't come out of your room for days now." Braeburn said "We're all worried about you."

         "I'm never coming out! I can't show my face in Ponyville ever again, not after that terrible fashion show!" Rarity wined "I used to be somepony. And I used to be respected. I once made dresses. Beautiful, beautiful dresses! But now, thanks to my generoisty, everypony is laughing at me. I'm nothing but a laughing stock!"

         "Rarity, you're not a laughing stock." Shining Armor reassured her.

         "Hate to break to you but I think the town itself begs to differ." Soarin commented.

         "Will you be quiet?!" Shining Armor said crossly "Rarity please, come on out and talk to us. Everyone is worried."

         "Leave me alone!" Rarity shouted back "I just vant to be alone! I want to wallow in... whatever it is that ponies are supposed to wallow in! Do ponies wallow in pity? Oh, listen to me, I don't even know what I'm supposed to wallow in! I'M SO PATHETIC!"

         "Well this is just great." Shining Armor said sarcastically.

         "Beating ourselves up about the role we played in this won't get us anywhere." Big Macintosh stated.

         "So then, what ARE we gonna do genius?" Soarin asked "Got any bright ideas?"

         "Uh... panic?" Thunderlane suggested.

         "That's your answer for everything." Soarin complained "And that won't get us anywhere."

         "Well, I do know one thing." Big Macintosh said firmly "We can't just leave Rarity like this. We've got obligations as her friend, and as Fancy Pants' friend, to put things right."

         "And we've got to act fast." Braeburn added "Or poor Rarity will become a crazy old cat lady!"

         "But she only has one cat." Shining Armor replied.

         "Give her time, and anything could be possible." Braeburn explained.

         "So, what's our next move?" Soarin asked.

         Shining Armor didn't answer right away, he was busy looking through the small seeing hole that granted a glimpse of Rarity's room. Tacked up to a wall at the other end of the room, was the design for a dress. Shining Armor could only assume that it was Rarity's own dress for The Grand Galloping, which she had never gotten around to designing. Upon seeing it, Shining Armor knew what to do. "Okay guys." he whispered, leading them away from Rarity's room "Here's what we're gonna do. Listen carefully."

         Rarity had no idea that Shining Armor and his friends were up to something, and if even she did she probably wouldn't have cared. Right now she was contemplating a very important and very serious option. "Exile" she muttered to herself "I guess technically I'd have to move away in order to live in exile. But where would I go? And what would I pack? Oh, it's going to take me forever to do all of that packing. What exactly are you suppose to pack when you go into exile anyway? Are you supposed to pack warm? Or maybe you're suppose to pack light?"

        Rarity's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a familiar meow. From the looks of things, the sound appeared to be coming from outside. Now that Rarity thought about it, she hadn't seen Opalescence all day. Opening up her window to take a better look, Rarity searched despartely for the source of the meowing. Suddenly, she spotted Opal, clinging frantically onto a nearby tree branch. "Huh? Opal?" Rarity asked, completely confused. All Opal could do was meow, as she held on for dear life.

       "Opal, how in Equestria did you get up there?" Rarity asked "Don't you worry. Just hang on, you poor dear! Mama's coming!" Rarity wasted no time in rushing outside, still wearing her pajama robe and matching slippers.

       "Hey Rarity." Soarin called, sitting in the same tree branch as Opalescence. Rarity quickly realized what was going on, needless to say she wasn't happy.

       "What do you think you're doing Soarin?! Stranding my poor Opal in a tree like that!" Rarity shouted.

       "Well, how else were we gonna get you out here to show you this?" Soarin asked.

       "What is it?" Rarity asked, then she saw something on the ground in front of the tree. She couldn't believe what it was "It's not... You..." Rarity gasped.

       "Surprise!" Braeburn shouted "We took the liberty of all pitching in and finishing your dress for you."

       "All thanks to Thunderlane and his freaky knowledge of sewing." Big Macintosh said honestly.

       "Rumble's always tearing holes in his clothes. Between you and me I think he does it on purpose." Thunderlane explained "So, do you like it?"

       "Like it? Like it?!" Rarity asked "What do you all think?"

       "Oh, you don't like it." Thunderlane said saddly.

       "No, I'm afraid I don't like it. Not one little bit." Rarity said crossly.

       Shining Armor and his friends were disappointed. Their attempt at cheering up Rarity had failed.

       "I LOVE IT!" Rarity exclaimed happily. Everyone was happy. "I must say, you stallions did an absolutely amazing job. It's every bit what I imagined it to be."

       "Hey, we just followed your brilliant design." Thunderlane explained.

       "Something we should've let you do all along when you were making our suits." Shining Armor stated "Those first suits you designed were perfect. We should've just been satisfied with them as they were, especially since you were the expert."

       "We're all so very sorry." Braeburn apologized "Clearly fashion is not our calling."

       "I'll say." Soarin said "You worked oh so hard to make our vests exactly the way we wanted them. And let's face, we all saw how well THAT turned out."

       "Oh I forgive you all." Rarity said kindly "I told you before that the customer is always right. You were perfectly entitled to demand only the best."

       "Well, that's mighty kind of you. Even though the blame rests squarely on our shoulders." Big Macintosh nodded.

       "But sadly, that doesn't change the fact that my whole career is ruined!" Rarity said sadly.

       "About that," Shining Armor stated "I think we found a way to fix that as well."

       "What do you mean?" Rarity asked.

       "Let's just say I 'pulled some strings' so to speak." Shining Armor explained "But I managed to convince Hoity Toity to come back for a private fashion show with your first batch of suits."

       "Really?" Rarity asked.

       "Yup." Shining Armor nodded "Being Captain of The Royal Guard has its uses. It ain't just a title after all."

       "All right, I haven't got all day." Hoity Toity said firmly "Let's get on with it shall we? I hope this won't be a waste of my time. I don't think I need to mention how fortune you are, that your friend made me reconsider my decision to forget about you."

       Luckly for Rarity, the second fashion show turned out to be much better than the first. Thanks in no small part to the lesson Shining Armor and his friends had learned. When you try to please everypony, you often end up pleasing nopony. And when somepony offers to do something nice for you, you really shouldn't look the gift horse in the mouth. But most importantly, there are some things best left to the professionals. And even when you might think you know better, it's usually best to let the expert handle things.

      "Brava! Brava! Magnifico! Encore!" Hoity Toity cheered, once the fashion show had concluded. Needless to say, he was impressed.

      Rarity, for her part, was overcome with joy "Oh, thank you. Thank you! Oh, thank you so much!" she said happily. Her fashion career was back on track, and it had nowhere to go but up. And Fancy Pants and the other stallions couldn't be happier.

Chapter 22: Conflicted Feelings (Sonic Rainboom)

                It may have already been an hour, but the adrenaline rush of falling to what had looked like his death still made Soarin's heart race. He was so glad the prize of the Best Young Flyers competetion, a day out with him and the other Wonderbolts, had been postponed to tomorrow. Soarin really needed the chance to calm down before he spent an entire day with Rainbow Dash. And he knew just who could help him with that, his friends.

               "Boy, you guys should've been at the Best Young Flyers competetion." Soarin said, resting up in a spare bed at Golden Oaks Library "You missed out on a lot."

               "I really would've loved to come Soarin." Shining Armor stated "But someone needed to stay behind and look after the library while Twilight was away."

               "I'd have been there in a heartbeat if I didn't have to take on Applejack's chores." Big Macintosh explained "But Granny gets really ticked if someone's not working the fields, and Apple Bloom just isn't old enough to do it yet."

               "First Gilda and now this, I'm missing out on all the good stuff!" Braeburn complained "Appleloosa's a nice place. I just wish they didn't keep needing me to come back and help with construction."

               "A last minute customer dropped by Carousel Boutique." Fancy Pants stated "I must say that I'm ashamed of the way Miss Rarity conducted herself when she had her new wings. But I'm glad she learned her lesson, and that nopony got hurt."

               "Because Fluttershy was away I couldn't ask her to foalsit Rumble." Thunderlane explained "He claims he's old enough to be left home alone, but mom and dad don't believe him. He's been getting better at staying out of trouble though, so perhaps I'll stick up for him next time. It's not like he's a foal that isn't even out of diapers."

               "Hey, I'm not complaining or anything," Soarin said crossly "In fact, I'm kind of glad you guys weren't there to see me make a fool of myself."

               "We heard about what happened Soarin." Shining Armor admitted "There's nothing to be ashamed of. In the end everything turned out all right. That sonic rainboom sounds like it was a sight to behold. Come to think of it, that might be the unexplained event that led to Twilight's 'impressive' feat of magic. That 'performance' is what made her Princess Celestia's student in the first place."

               "It was a beauty, even if I was focused on clinging to Rainbow Dash for dear life." Soarin stated "But that's not the only reason why I came here."

               "What do you mean?" Shining Armor asked "After what you went through, I would've thought you wouldn't think about anything else."

               "Well, think again." Soarin briefly chuckled "In any case what I'm more concerned about is the fact that Rainbow Dash won. Because that means she gets the grand prize."

               "And what would that be?" Braeburn asked.

               "The winner gets to spend a day with me and the other Wonderbolts, including Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and Misty Fly." Soarin explained.

               "And Rainbow Dash was the winner if I'm not mistaken." Fancy Pants finished.

               "You got that right." Soarin nodded "And now you know what my real reason for coming here was."

               "Still can't stop thinking about Rainbow Dash huh?" Big Macintosh teased.

               "I don't know how or why, but I can't get her out of my mind. It's driving me nuts!" Soarin complained "Sometimes I really like her, and other times I feel like I wanna give her a good kick where Celestia's sun don't shine. I haven't felt this way about any other mare, not even Spitfire."

               "Wow, I didn't know you had it that bad." Thunderlane said sincerely.

               "I know. Love can be a very weird thing." Soarin admitted.

               "Don't let Spike hear you say that." Shining Armor stated "Heck, don't let Rarity hear you say that. The two of them seem to have their own ideas of how love works. Not that I judge them for it, or anything."

               "It's never been this bad before because it wasn't until today that Rainbow Dash had a chance to spend time with me." Soarin went on "And I'll be honest, when the competetion began, I didn't think she was going to win."

               "So, you've come to us hoping that we'll be able to help you?" Shining Armor asked "That's kind of a tall order."

               "I know it is, but you guys have to try. I'll do anything." Soarin pleaded.

               "We can try, I guess." Shining Armor said reluctantly, turning to the others.

               "I'm not too sure about this." Thunderlane replied nervously "This feels like something Soarin should be seeing a shrink about."

               "It's nothing serious, yet." Shining Armor explained "It's ultimately just girl trouble."

               "As in, Soarin's havin' a tough time sortin' out his feelings for a certain somepony?" Big Macintosh asked.

               "More or less." Shining Armor stated.

               "And you think we can help him?" Fancy Pants asked.

               "Yeah, what if we make things worse?" Braeburn asked.

               "We have to at least try." Shining Armor explained "Soarin is our friend. And as the old saying goes, a friend in need is a friend in deed."

               Big Macintosh, Braeburn, Thunderlane, and Fancy Pants sighed. They figured it was worth a shot.

              "So, what's your big plan to help me?" Soarin asked.

              "Well, the best way to solve the problem is to discover the root of it." Shining Armor explained "And the best way to do that is to start from the beginning."

              "What do you mean by that?" Soarin asked. Needless to say, he was confused.

              "A good place to start in this case, would be when you first met Rainbow Dash." Shining Armor explained "Think you can do that?"

              "No promises, but I can try." Soarin said with a sigh.

              "That's all we can ask for." Shining Armor smiled "Just be honest, and let it all out. Hopefully, once you do, you'll feel better."

              "If you say so." Soarin sighed again "Apparently, from what little she's told me, Rainbow Dash has always seen The Wonderbolts as her idols. Their shows are the one thing she remembers most fondly from her childhood. Especially because she never knew her birth mom, and her birth dad and foster mom divorced while she was still young."

              "Wow, I never knew." Shining Armor said, his mouth hung open for a moment "But we're not here to talk about Rainbow Dash's past."

              "I know. I know." Soarin admitted "I figured I should get that out of the way before we go any further."

              "You may continue." Fancy Pants encouraged.

              "Well, I joined The Wonderbolts about half a decade after Spitfire took over as Captain." Soarin explained "In fact, Spitfire was the one I have to thank for making it onto the team. The two of us were childhood friends, but after high school we didn't see each other as often. This was because Spitfire left to join The Wonderbolts at the first chance she got, while I decided to relax and go on an Equestria wide tour."

              "That's, fascinating." Big Macintosh commented "But what does that have to do with Rainbow Dash?"

              "The first time I met Rainbow Dash was while I was on tour." Soarin continued "I stopped in Ponyville to rest, before heading back to Cloudsdale. While I was in Ponyville, Rainbow Dash was taking over as the new head of the Ponyville weather team. It was quite surprising actually, because she was a lot younger than most of the previous weather captains. Some ponies weren't sure she would be up to the job. I wasn't one of them, but her attitude still quickly rubbed me the wrong way."

              "And let me guess, that's when your conflicting feelings for her began." Braeburn spoke up.

              "Actually no." Soarin stated "At that point, as far as I was concerned, Rainbow Dash wasn't anything special. She did tell me about her hero worship of The Wonderbolts, but a lot of ponies held The Wonderbolts in high regard, so I thought nothing of it."

              "Are you gonna get to the actually helpful stuff or not?" Thunderlane asked "You're making this very difficult you know."

              "Patience guys, I'm just getting to the important part. There were a few things we needed to clear up first." Soarin explained "Now, I'll skip ahead to after I joined The Wonderbolts and became Co-Captain. As I said before, that was about half a decade after Spitfire took over as Captain. I started seeing Rainbow Dash at almost every show, but I still didn't think that much of her."

             "So, when did that change?" Shining Armor asked.

             "I'd say, about a year before you and your sister moved to Ponyville Shining Armor." Soarin stated "Though I can't give you the exact date."

             "Wasn't asking for it." Shining Armor said honestly.

             "Anyway, I was enjoying a day off after an exciting show in Ponyville, and figured a little nap wouldn't hurt." Soarin continued "Just as I was starting to doze off, I saw Rainbow Dash racing right past me. She didn't seem to notice me, in fact she seemed to be in a hurry. Which I found odd."

             "What did you do?" Thunderlane asked.

             "Being the curious stallion that I was, I decided to follow her." Soarin explained "I knew something was up, because normally Rainbow Dash would relish a chance to stalk one of her idols."

             "I see, continue." Shining Armor stated. He was currently busy jotting down notes, based on what Soarin was telling him. So far, he didn't have anything that really provided him with an answer to Soarin's problem.

             "I followed her for a while, and I saw that she was carrying something. I couldn't see what it was because she was clutching it tightly." Soarin continued.

             "So, what happened next?" Big Macintosh asked.

             "Well, Rainbow Dash didn't spot me, so she landed." Soarin went on "Her destination, as I soon discovered, was Fluttershy's cottage. As it turns out, it was Fluttershy's birthday, and Rainbow Dash had taken time off from her job so she could buy Fluttershy a present. And I thought, that was really sweet of her. Especially considering how she normally acted."

             "Did Rainbow Dash ever find out about this?" Fancy Pants asked.

             "No. And I think that's when I started to develop such conflicted feelings for her." Soarin explained.

             Shining Armor continued to jot down notes as Soarin spoke, and constantly kept looking over them. "I think I know what the problem is." he said at last.

             "You do?" Soarin asked, rather unsure of what his friend was going to say next, and whether or not it would be helpful.

             "Indeed I do." Shining Armor nodded.

             "So, what's the problem, and what do I have to do to make it not be a problem?" Soarin asked.

             "The problem itself is rather simple." Shining Armor explained, looking over his notes "Your feelings of confliction stem from the way you've seen Rainbow Dash. At times she seems really sweet, and extremly loyal. But at other times, she seems rather obxinous and bossy. And it confuses you, because you're not used to seeing anypony who's so twofaced."

             "It's really that simple?" Thunderlane asked.

             "I second that emotion." Soarin said reluctantly.

             "Yes, it is." Shining Armor explained "My best guess as to why she's like that, is because she's the type of pony that craves attention. As such, she tries to establish herself as something to worshipped and idolized, and she thinks the best way to do that is to simply show how awesome she is. Because of this, she is very afraid of failing, and of anypony seeing that she has a soft side."

             "I think anypony could've deduced that Shining Armor." Big Macintosh said, somewhat crossly.

             "But I think I may know why she has such a longing for attention of any sort." Shining Armor went on "I think it stems from the fact that her childhood was so rough. I mean think about it, she never knew her biological mother, and her biological father and foster mother divorced while she was still young. I don't know about you, but a childhood like that would make me desperate for attention. Because I would want to make sure I wasn't being neglected or ignored."

            "That's some sound logic." Braeburn commented.

            "Thank you Braeburn." Shining Armor said with a smile "I pride myself on a job well done."

            "What about the solution to my problem?" Soarin asked "What do I have to do? Tell me."

            Shining Armor's mood quickly changed "Unfortunately, the solution is not as simple as the problem." he said with a sigh "It's actually quite complicated."

            "Why? What could be so complicated about it?" Soarin asked.

            "The fact of the matter is, I don't really have a solution ." Shining Armor admitted "The solution is going to have to come from you."

            "What do you mean by that?" Soarin asked reluctantly.

            "You have an entire day to spend with Rainbow Dash tomorrow." Shining Armor explained "Use it as an opportunity to get to know her better. Understand how she works, and what makes her tick. Then you can decide for yourself how to handle her."

            "That's it?" Soarin asked.

            "I'm afraid so." Shining Armor stated.

            Soarin sighed "Well, thanks anyway. I guess I'll just be going." he said, and took off to prepare for the next day.

            "Well, I tried." Shining Armor said, somewhat glumly.

            "We all did Shining Armor." Big Macintosh reassured him "Like you said, Soarin's gonna have to figure out the solution on his own."

            "I still wish we could've done more to help him." Shining Armor confessed.

            "There was nothing more we could've done Shining Armor." Fancy Pants stated "We did all we could, the rest is up to Soarin."

            "I know, but I still feel like we let him down." Shining Armor sighed.

            "No we didn't." Thunderlane said honestly "We got Soarin's hoof in the door, now he just needs to finish what we started for him."

            As it would turn out, the advice given to him by his friends proved to be useful to Soarin. Rainbow Dash spent a lot of time with him, Spitfire, and Fleetfoot, and whenever he had the chance, he tried to better understand her.

            By the end of the day, Soarin felt that, at the very least, he no longer had conflicted feelings for Rainbow Dash. He wasn't quite ready to try and get romantically involved with her just yet. Especially not when he still had to sort how he felt (in terms of romance) about Spitfire.

            But now he no longer found Rainbow Dash so annoying. In fact, as much as it pained him to admit it, he thought she was kind of cute. It was true what they said, life works in mysterious ways.

Chapter 24: Big Trouble in Little Appleloosa (Over A Barrel)

                "Seriously, I can't thank you guys enough for coming." Braeburn said enthusiastically "You're gonna love Appleloosa! I gurantee it!" He had been very excited when he recently told his friends that Appleloosa, although still not quite completed yet, was ready to start recieving visitors.

                Soon afterward, he arranged for them to visit. And so, the six stallions were traveling across the desert in a train. Twilight and her friends, as well as Spike, had promised to visit as well, but their train didn't leave till a later date.

                "I sure hope so." Soarin replied "Especially since you said this town's been under construction for quite a while now."

                "A wise pony once told me that good things come to those who wait." Big Macintosh spoke up "Besides, when you're designing and building an entire town it's important not to rush through the process. What's worth doing is worth doing well. That's what I always say."

                "Those are some pretty wise words there Big Macintosh." Thunderlane chimed in "I, for one, just hope the towns ponies are friendly."

                "I'm pretty sure they are." Fancy Pants reassured Thunderlane "After all, they've been working together to build this town for over half a year now. Something that would no doubt be impossible, if they were all at each others throats all the time."

                "It sure was nice of you to do this for us Braeburn." Shining Armor said kindly "I must admit, a change of scenery can be nice every now and then."

                "I knew you'd think so." Braeburn replied with a smile "Appleloosa promises to be quite the tourist destination once it's completed."

                "So, where are we gonna be staying once we arrive in town?" Soarin asked "You said it yourself, the hotel isn't finished yet."

                "You'll all be sleeping over at my house." Braeburn explained "It's quite nice. And there's plently of room."

                "Oh Braeburn, you didn't have to do that." Shining Armor said honestly "You could've just waited until the hotel was completed before inviting us."

                "I could've, but that would've meant waiting even longer to show you all the sights of AAAAAAAAAppleloosa!" Braeburn replied "And boy does this town have sights to see. I have so much to show you once we arrive!"

                "A tour huh?" Fancy Pants asked "Sounds interesting. I didn't know you were appointed the town's tour guide."

                "I wasn't." Braeburn explaned "It's just something I like to do. My real job, outside of overseeing the construction, is being the right hoof stallion of the town's law enforcer, Sheriff Silver Star."

                "Wait, you mean, you're NOT the sheriff?" Soarin asked. Braeburn shook his head "But I thought for sure that was the job you were assigned."

                "I don't recall ever saying anything that implied that." Braeburn replied "Besides, I'm a lover, not a fighter. In my opinion, violence just tends to lead to more violence. That being said, I'm willing to admit there can be times where violence is the only solution, but those times are few and far in between."

                "Wow, I had no idea you felt that way Braeburn." Thunderlane commented, needless to say, he was shocked.

                "Well, now you do." Braeburn stated "That's part of the reason why I didn't take up the role of sheriff. I want the citizens of Appleloosa to be able to solve their problems peacefully."

                "Uh Braeburn," Shining Armor said with concern "not that I mean to interrupt, but what exactly are those buffalo doing so close to the train?"

                "What do you mean?" Braeburn asked.

                "Just take a look for yourself." Shining Armor stated. Everyone raced over to the same window Shining Armor was looking out of. Sure enough, an entire herd of buffalo were roaming only inches away from the train car. At any moment, it looked like they might ram into it.

                The buffalo didn't seem to be aware that they were being watched, and continued roaming, as if they were trying to do something. What that something might be, no one knew.

                Several tense minutes passed, before the buffalo slowly began to back away. Before long, they had disappeared in a cloud of dust.

                "That was way too close for comfort." Big Macintosh stated.

                "I'll say." Thunderlane spoke up "I thought for sure they were gonna ram straight into this car."

                "Well I'm glad they didn't." Fancy Pants said with relief.

                "Just what were they trying to do?" Soarin asked.

                "I don't know." Shining Armor replied "I hope they were just attracted by the loud noise the train was making."

                "They weren't." Braeburn admitted with great reluctance "This isn't the first time they've been spotted so close to Appleloosa."

                "It isn't?" everyone else asked.

                Braeburn sighed "I'm afraid so." he admitted.

                "You mean, you've known about this?" Shining Armor asked.

                "Yes." Braeburn said with a sigh "For a long time actually. And it's quite serious."

                "Really? How so?" Soarin asked.

                "You'll understand better once we arrive in Appleloosa." Braeburn explained "Speaking of which, it looks like we've arrived." Sure enough, the train pulled into the Appleloosa Train Station.

                "So, where to first?" Fancy Pants asked.

                "Follow me." Braeburn said somberly. Braeburn led them all to a ledge overlooking an apple orchard on the outskirts of town.

                "You never mentioned anything about this in any of your letters." Big Macintosh stated, as he and the others looked around. "And I should know, I got quite a few of em over the months."

                "That's because, if I did, Granny Smith would've never stopped worrying about me." Braeburn said with a sigh.

                "What do you mean?" Shining Armor asked "Is there something you wish to tell us?"

                "It's complicated, and part of me thinks it's really stupid, but I'll try my best to explain." Braeburn said with great reluctance "Apparently, the entire town of Appleloosa is land that was once populated by a tribe of buffalo."

                "You mean, like the ones we saw on the train?" Soarin asked.

                "The very same." Braeburn answered "Apparently, they didn't mind having ponies take over land that they had little use for. Which is how Princess Celestia was able to obtain permission for Appleloosa to be built in the first place."

                "I had no idea." Shining Armor stated.

                "Nothing is more complicated than the world of Canterlot politics." Fancy Pants replied "Take from someone who was once a part of it, the less you get involved with it, the better off you'll be."

                "Anyway," Braeburn continued "this here apple orchard was planted almost the instant construction on this town began. Without it, we wouldn't be able to survive out here. Unfortunately, it seems that the land this orchard was planted on, was the native 'stampeding ground' for the buffalo tribe."

               "'Stampeding ground'?" Shining Armor asked.

               "It's an ancient cultural tradition of the buffalo." Thunderlane explained "At least, from what I've heard."

               "That's what the buffalo say." Braeburn replied "And because of that, they've been causing trouble."

               "What sort of trouble?" Big Macintosh asked.

               "Part of the reason why construction of this town has taken so long, is because the buffalo keep attacking the trains that bring the building materials." Braeburn explained "They've also attacked trains carrying food and medical supplies. We've tried to work things out with them, but they keep demanding that we cut down the orchard. And even though we've told them that we need the orchard to survive, they refuse to listen. It's getting to be a real problem."

              "I had no idea." Shining Armor admitted "Why didn't you mention this sooner? I'm sure if Princess Celestia knew about this, the situation would already be resolved."

              "That would require breaking through the barriers and hurdles established by the Canterlot nobility." Fancy Pants stated "And trust me when I say, there are a lot of them. It could take weeks, or even months, before Celestia could obtain permission to do anything. After all, it's only a border dispute, not actual war."

              "Not yet it isn't." Shining Armor said omniously "But if someone doesn't do something soon war may come just the same. Especially if anything happens to this orchard."

              "I know, and that's what worries me." Braeburn admitted "I'm still hopeful that this conflict can be resolved peacefully, but as the days pass, the situation just keeps looking bleaker and bleaker. And I can't help but wonder 'What if war DOES break out? What will happen to us then?' So you can see why I've been keeping this under wraps."

              "I can understand how you feel Braeburn." Shining Armor stated "But this is serious. You said it yourself, the situation continues to get worse. It's only a matter of time before someone sets off the powder keg and things spiral out of control. Someone's got to do something before that happens."

              "The question is 'what sort of something?'." Braeburn replied "'What can be done to solve the problem before war breaks out?'. And until we know the answer to that, there's not much we can do."

              "Still, doing something is better than doing nothing." Shining Armor said firmly "If worse comes to worse at least you won't be able to say you didn't try. Besides, you can't let things go on like this! Sooner or later it has to stop!"

              "I know that, and so does the sheriff." Braeburn replied "But our options are limited. The buffalo may be attacking our trains, but no one's gotten hurt yet. We don't want to unintentionally provoke them and start an inter racial incident."

              "Haven't you tried to contact the buffalo tribe at all?" Big Macintosh asked "Maybe they don't know that they're causing you guys so much trouble."

              "That's wishful thinking, but we've already thought of that." Braeburn said glumly "Their responses clearly show that they're aware of what they're doing to us, and they don't seem to care at all. Every time their demand is the same, surrender the apple orchard and return the native stampeding grounds. And every time, we tell them that such a thing is impossible. And it just goes back and forth."

              "There must be something you can do that you haven't already tried." Shining Armor stated.

              "If there is, we haven't thought of it yet." Braeburn admitted "For now though, I think it's best if you just forget about it. Hopefully the buffalo won't cause anymore trouble while you guys are here. Now, come on. There's still a lot of sights left to see here in Appleloosa."

              Unfortunately for Braeburn, even by next morning things were no better. The news spread fast, and there was no way to cover it up. The buffalo were stepping up their game. They had been spotted on the outskirts of Appleloosa. What they intended to do, no one knew. And that alone was enough to send the citizens of Appleloosa into a panic stricken state. Already, precautionary mesaures were being taken, just in case the buffalo decided to attack.

             "Well, this is another fine mess we've gotten ourselves into." Soarin commented, as he and his friends observed what was going on.

             "I'll say." Fancy Pants added "How do we always seem to end up in these situations?"

             "I know this looks bad, but surely all hope is not lost." Thunderlane said hopefully.

             "Maybe it isn't, but what we can do?" Big Macintosh asked "Time may be running out for this town."

             "Braeburn, how are the evacuation measures coming along?" Sheriff Silver Star asked.

             "The orders have been issued, and already the citizens are preparing to pack up and leave." Braeburn replied.

             "Good, what about the weapons?" Sheriff Silver Star asked.

             "They're on their way sir. They'll be here soon." Braeburn stated.

             "Excellent." Sheriff Silver Star said happily "If those buffalo think they can just come charging into this town, they're sadly mistaken. I don't know about you, but I'm gonna defend this town to the very end."

             "Even if it means giving your life?" Braeburn asked.

             "If that's what it takes to ensure this town is still standing, then so be it!" Sheriff Silver Star said boldly "Hopefully it won't come to that. Hopefully, if those buffalo know what's good for them, they'll turn around and leave!"

             "This is serious!" Thunderlane commented "War could break out at any moment!"

             "Not if I can help it!" Shining Armor stated, and ran off.

             "Where are you going Shining Armor?" Soarin asked.

             "To see if I can't talk some sense into both sides, and straighten this whole thing out!" Shining Armor replied.

             "Are you nuts?! What makes you think you can just waltz up to the buffalo and tell them to stop?!" Big Macintosh asked.

             "Nothing, but I have to try!" Shining Armor stated.

             "I hope he knows what's he doing." Thunderlane said, as Shining Armor raced away.

             "Want me to go after him Big Macintosh?" Soarin asked "Just say the word and I'll take off. He won't get far."

             "Let him go." Big Macintosh ordered "I think he just might be able to solve this. And even if he can't, it's better than just sitting around doing nothing."

             "Well, I don't like the idea, but I guess it's too late to talk him out of it." Fancy Pants commented "I just hope everything goes well, for his sake."

             If Shining Armor had any doubts about whether or not he would suceed at his mission, he sure didn't show them. Even as he raced towards the outskirts of Appleloosa, the look on his face showed just how determined he was. Nothing was going to stop him from doing this. He would not let war break out if he had anything to say about it.

             Eventually, Shining Armor found a group of buffalo just outside of Appleloosa's border. When they saw Shining Armor, they only knew that he didn't appear to be an Appeloosan. But looks could be deciving. "Halt." one of the buffalo said sternly "Who are you?!"

             "My name is Shining Armor." Shining Armor answered "I wish to speak to your chief."

             "Are you from the town of Appleloosa?" the buffalo asked.

             "No." Shining Armor answered "But I want to speak your chief, it is urgent!"

             The buffalo appeared to be confused "You say you are not from this town, yet you still appear to be concerned about its fate. Why should you care if we level it to the ground? Do not stick your nose where it does not belong. Such foolishness will only get you into trouble. This does not concern the likes of you."

             "Yes it does." Shining Armor explained "One of my friends comes from that town, and my other friends are currently down there as well. None of them wish to see this end in violence."

             "I see." the buffalo replied "But what business do you have with our chief? He is very busy, and does not have time to bother with the likes of you."

             "Please, you must let me through!" Shining Armor pleaded "I want to see if I can convince your chief not to attack the town."

             "You are not an Appleloosan, and yet you think our chief will take the time to listen to you?" the buffalo asked "If so, then you are wrong. Chief Thunderhooves does not like to concern himself with ponies who foolishly side with the Appleloosans. Especially not meager common travelers such as yourself. Go away and never return!"

             "You don't understand, I'm not just another common traveler." Shining Armor explained "I'm the Captain of Equestria's Royal Guard."

             "What nonsense is this?" the buffalo asked "Do you expect me to believe that story?"

             "I swear I'm not making this up." Shining Armor said frantically "You have to believe me!"

             "I have to do no such thing." the buffalo said crossly "It is my job to make sure that Chief Thunderhooves is not bothered by ponies such as you, who wish only to waste his valueable time."

             "But I'm telling you the truth!" Shining Armor pleaded "I can prove it."

             "Oh really?" the buffalo asked "What proof do you have that could convince me to let you pass?"

             "It's not much, but I hope it will do." Shining Armor said, as he dug into his saddle bags. He pulled out a special badge that the Captain of The Royal Guard was given.

             The buffalo guard examined the badge carefully. After what seemed like several tense minutes, he gave it back and said "It appears you were telling the truth after all. Very well, you may speak to Chief Thunderhooves if that is what you wish. But be warned, Chief Thunderhooves will probably not be as friendly or as patient as I have been. Do not be surprised if he disregards your suggestion outright. Once his mind has been made up, Chief Thunderhooves rarely changes it."

             "I'll keep that in mind." Shining Armor said, as he put the badge back in his saddle bag.

             "Follow me, and I will lead you to our chief." the buffalo said. Shining Armor did so, and the buffalo led him through the tribe, past a series of tents. Finally, the buffalo stopped. Near him stood a buffalo that was much bigger than the rest. His black fur constrated quite heavily with the land and sky around him. Atop his head was a hat of white feathers with red on their tips. Standing next to this looming giant, was a female buffalo who looked small, and not just in comparison to the chief. "Excuse me chief." the buffalo said.

            The black buffalo turned around. Apparently he had been talking about or discussing something just a moment ago. "What is it?" the black buffalo asked "It had better be important."

            "The Captain of Equestria's Royal Guard wishes to speak with you." the buffalo guard said nervously.

            The black buffalo said nothing for a moment, as if he were pondering the situation. Then he said "If he wishes to speak I shall hear him out. In the mean time, return to your post and remain alert."

            "Yes sir chief." the buffalo guard said, and went away. That left Shining Armor alone with the black buffalo, and the smaller female buffalo.

            "Greetings to you, captain." the black buffalo said in a booming voice "I am Chief Thunderhooves, the head of the very tribe of buffalo you see before you now. What is your name?"

            "My name is Shining Armor." Shining Armor replied.

            "A fitting name for a captain." Chief Thunderhooves commented "Tell me captain, why do you wish to speak to me? As I am sure you can see, we are currently preparing to do battle with the Appleloosans."

            "I know. That's why I wanted to talk to you." Shining Armor said honestly.

            "It is?" Chief Thunderhooves asked.

            "That's right." Shining Armor nodded "You don't have to do this you know. Whatever your troubles with the Appleloosans may be, they don't have to end in war."

            "Captain Armor" Chief Thunderhooves spoke up.

            "You can just call me Shining Armor." Shining Armor stated "It's easier that way."

            "Shining Armor." Chief Thunderhooves continued "You seem like a reasonable pony, unlike those Appleloosans. But, having spent time among them, you must know what it is that they did to us."

            "Braeburn told me everything I needed to know." Shining Armor explained "I'm aware of what's been going on."

            "Then you know why that orchard must be destroyed!" Chief Thunderhooves said sternly "That orchard was built right over our native stampeding grounds. Those grounds are not something that can just be replaced. Believe me, we have tried."

            "So, war's the answer?" Shining Armor asked.

            "Trust me when I say that we would have rather avoided war with Appleloosa, if that were possible." Chief Thunderhooves replied "Unfortunately, we have come to realize that the Appleloosans will never agree to our demands. They have refused to remove that orchard every single time we have asked them to do so."

            "Even if that's the case, don't you think you could try to work out some sort of compromise?" Shining Armor asked "Maybe there's a way for you to get what you want, and for the Appleloosans to get what they want."

            "Such an outcome is nothing more than a foolish dream." Chief Thunderhooves said crossly "It is impossible for us to get what we want, and for the Appleloosans to get what they want, at the same time. We want the orchard to be removed at once, but the Appleloosans refuse to move even a single tree. Therefore, compromise is impossible."

            "Maybe it is, but maybe it isn't." Shining Armor suggested "My friend Braeburn, and most of the citizens of Appleloosa are pacifists. They don't want war anymore than you do. I'm sure if you tried to negotiate with them again you would have better luck."

            "Even if they do not want war to come, they will still not give up their orchard." Chief Thunderhooves said with a shake of his head.

            "Really? From what I can tell you and the Appleloosans have never even talked face to face." Shining Armor stated "Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't you simply been communicating with the town by telegram?"

            "That much is true." Chief Thunderhooves admitted "It is only further proof that these foolish ponies do not consider our demands to be reasonable. They are cowards, and have been trying to pacify us for a long time. It is unfortunate for you, that you and your friends had to visit the town, at the very point whn the men of our tribe and I, have decided that the town must be destroyed! Now, stand aside! Your attempt at stalling us is futile! Our attack will not be haulted!"

            Shining Armor was horrified "Please, you must reconsider Chief Thunderhooves." he pleaed "If you attack Appleloosa, you will destroy innocent lives! And you will lose all support you might have amongst the settlers. Not to mention, you will attract the attention of the Equestrian government, who will likely view your actions as an act of terrorism. As Captain, I would oversee the royal guards that would be deployed to fight your tribe, and capture you. And I wouldn't be able to vouch for you, because of what you will have done. Are you really willing to risk all of that for the sake of your stampeding grounds?!"

            Apparently, Shining Armor somehow managed to break through to Chief Thunderhooves with those words. Because the buffalo chief seemed deeply troubled by them. He thought for a long time, and said nothing all the while. No one said or did anything. At last he spoke up. "You are.... correct." he said somberly "Perhaps, we have misjudged the ponies by not directly talking to them. Maybe we will have better luck convincing them to get rid of their orchard, if we talk face to face."

           "It's worth a shot." Shining Armor said hopefully.

           "Very well then." Chief Thunderhooves stated "We shall talk to the citizens of Appleloosa, and attempt to solve this problem peacefully. But we will only try this once. If these face to face talks fail, we will attack! And no one, not even you, will be able to stop us! So you had better hope, for your sake, and for the sake of the Appleloosans and your friends, that the talks go smoothly." This made Shining Armor gulp, as he led Chief Thunderhooves, the smaller female bison (who he learned was called Little Strongheart, the chief's adopted daughter), and the rest of the buffalo tribe towards Appleloosa.

           "I don't like this." Soarin said, pacing back and forth "He's been gone for too long. Something must have happened to him. And I'll lay odds on who's to blame."

           "Now now, let's not jump to conclusions." Thunderlane said nervously "We already learned our lesson on that."

           "But this is serious." Soarin stated "Shining Armor should've been back a long time ago, but it's been at least an hour, and no one knows where he is. I knew I should've gone after him, but Big Macintosh wouldn't let me!"

           "Hey, don't blame me Soarin!" Big Macintosh said crossly "I figured Shining Armor was the best bet to try and talk the buffalo out of war. Unlike the rest of us, he's willing to admit that both sides might have a point. And his beliefs aren't biased because of personal ties."

           "I'm sure Shining Armor is all right." Fancy Pants reassured them "He's strong. Princess Celestia made him Captain of The Royal Guard for a reason. And as his friends, we need to have faith that he'll be able to do something before it's too late."

           "Well whatever he was hoping to do, he'd better do it soon." Braeburn said with concern "I can't convince Sheriff Silver Star to hold off a strike for much longer. The clock is ticking."

           "Hey, look!" Thunderlane shouted "I think I see Shining Armor in the distance, but he's not alone."

           "What do you mean?" Soarin asked.

           "It looks like the whole buffalo tribe is following him." Thunderlane explained "And they're coming right this way."

           "What?" everyone gasped.

           "Just what does he think he's doing?" Soarin asked.

           "I don't know." Thunderlane replied "I'm pretty sure he'll tell us in a moment. You know, once him and his 'buddies' arrive."

           "Not that I mean to question his intentions, or anything, but I'm not really sure I see the point in him bringing all those buffalo into town." Fancy Pants stated.

           "Well, it's not like we can stop him." Braeburn commented "As long as it means war isn't coming to this town I'm willing to let him do whatever he wants. At times like this, we have to try anything and everything possible."

           "I sure hope he knows what's he doing." Big Macintosh stated.

           "Hold your fire!" Shining Armor called, when he saw that Sheriff Silver Star looked ready to attack "These buffalo come in peace. Their chief has something he wishes to say."

           "It'd better quick, or else he and his tribe can kiss their sorry behinds good bye!" Sheriff Silver Star threatened.

           "Well, no time like the present chief." Shining Armor encouraged.

           Chief Thunderhooves nodded. "Citizens of Appeloosa!" he said in his booming "I am Chief Thunderhooves, leader of the very buffalo tribe that now stands before you! We have been 'convinced' by Captain Shining Armor, to talk face to face with you. It is the hope of that individual, that these talks will prove productive, and will result in a lasting peace between us."

           "Is this true?" Soarin asked.

           "No bull." Shining Armor said honestly.

           "I don't know how you did it, but I think you may have just saved the day." Braeburn said with a smile.

           "Don't celebrate just yet Braeburn." Shining Armor stated "If these talks fail Appleloosa is doomed!"

           "That won't happen, will it?" Thunderlane asked nervously.

           "I sure hope not, but there's really nothing more I can do." Shining Armor said with concern "I've done my best to try and defuse the situation, but the rest is pretty much up to Chief Thunderhooves, and Sheriff Silver Star."

           "Well, as the sheriff's right hoof stallion, I think it's my duty to try and adivse him on what to push for, and what to compromise on, in those talks." Braeburn said, and set off "You'd better come too Shining Armor. Your help just might be needed."

           "Hopefully it won't be, but I think I'll tag along just in case." Shining Armor said, and followed Braeburn.

           "So, what are the rest of us suppose to do?" Soarin asked.

           "The only thing we can do." Big Macintosh stated.

           "And that would be what?" Soarin asked.

           "Pray that the talks succeed." Big Macintosh explained "And something tells me, we'd better pray pretty hard."

           The talks began, as the clock struck high noon. Tensions were high, and so were the stakes. The question that hung in everyone's mind as Chief Thunderhooves and Sheriff Silver Star finally meet face to face was, would the peace talks be enough, or were they doomed to failure? Everyone hoped it was the former, and not the latter.

           "So, you finally have the courage to meet us face to face, you cowardly ponies." Chief Thunderhooves hissed.

           "We may be many things, but cowards ain't one of em!" Sheriff Silver Star snapped "We ain't afraid of you buffalo! If you attack us, we'll take you down!"

           "Really? From what I was told, you ponies are mostly pacifists. Apparently, that was just a ruse." Chief Thunderhooves said crossly.

           "That information hasn't got the chance of a snowball in Tartarus of being even the slightest bit true!" Sheriff Silver Star replied.

           "I can see that clearly." Chief Thunderhooves said sternly "It seems, you foolish ponies don't know when to back off."

           "If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you're gonna get!" Sheriff Silver Star threatened.

           "So, will you ponies give up that apple orchard?" Chief Thunderhooves asked "Or will you foolishly hold onto it, even as trample your town into the ground?!"

           "You'll never get the chance!" Sheriff Silver Star bellowed "We'll bring you down before you could ever demolish even a single building!"

           "Well, this isn't good." Braeburn said, looking in on the peace talks "We've got to do something."

           "And I think I know just what that something is." Shining Armor added "Now listen carefully Braeburn. Here's what I want you to do."

           "I can not believe I was convinced to meet you face to face." Chief Thunderhooves said crossly "This has been nothing but a waste of time."

           "Well, looks like we finally agree on something!" Sheriff Silver Star replied.

           "Indeed. I hope you ponies are ready for war." Chief Thunderhooves said ominously.

           "Oh, we are." Sheriff Silver Star said confidently "The question is, are you?"

           "I was ready since yesterday." Chief Thunderhooves stated "And if it weren't for these pointless talks, I would've already destroyed your town by now."

           "You and your tribe wouldn't have lasted five minutes!" Sheriff Silver Star boldly proclaimed "We'd have crushed you in a heartbeat!"

           "Well then, seeing as we have nothing left to discuss, I believe these 'peace talks' have concluded."Chief Thunderhooves said sternly.

           "Indeed they have, so you and your tribe better hightail it out of my town this instant!" Sheriff Silver Star threatened "Any buffalo that stay, will be arrested and thrown in jail!"

           "You could throw as many of my men into prison as you wished." Chief Thunderhooves proclaimed "But you would never be able to hold them."

           "That's what you think!" Sheriff Silver Star said smuggly.

           "Not so fast!" Shining Armor shouted, blocking the exit to the building where the peace talks were being held "Both of you should be ashamed of yourselves."

           "And why is that?" Chief Thunderhooves and Sheriff Silver Star both asked, before glaring at each other.

           "You guys call yourselves leaders, yet all you've done since meeting each other is aruge and bicker!" Shining Armor explained "And you should both know better. Harsh words will never solve problems, action will. So, instead of calling each other names, why don't you actually TRY to get along? At least then we might actually get somewhere!"

           Chief Thunderhooves and Sheiff Silver Star were both silent for a moment, and they seemed to look rather ashamed of what they had done. Then, Sheriff Silver Star said "You're right about one thing."

           "And what would that be?" Shining Armor asked.

           "Harsh words won't solve our problems." Chief Thunderhooves explained "But action, most certainly will! Like war, for example!"

           "That's not what I meant!" Shining Armor said crossly.

           "Look Shining Armor, you're just gonna have to accept the fact that the buffalo tribe and the citizens of Appleloosa are destined to fight each other." Sheriff Silver Star proclaimed "Peace will never come as long as that orchard is involved."

           "Glad to see you have finally realized that." Chief Thunderhooves stated "But I doubt you are willing to remove it."

           "Darn right we are, we can't survive without the fruit of that orchard!" Sheriff Silver Star shouted "Why can't you buffalo folk understand?!"

           "Because that orchard was built on our native stampeding grounds!" Chief Thunderhooves shouted "You ponies are ruining our native tradition!"

           "Braeburn! Get over here and help me prepare the town for war!" Sheriff Silver Star called out.

           "Come, Little Strongheart, we are leaving this miserable town!" Chief Thunderhooves called. There was no reply from either of them.

           "Hey, Braeburn! I know you can hear me!" Sheriff Silver Star said crossly.

           "Little Strongheart, now is not the time for one of your games!" Chief Thunderhooves snorted. Still, there was no reply.

           "What did you buffalo scum to do Braeburn?!" Sheriff Silver Star asked.

           "Nothing. But perhaps we should have, seeing as you ponies did something to Little Strongheat!" Chief Thunderhooves replied.

           "Actually, neither of them are hurt." Shining Armor explained "In fact, I think I know where you can find them." Shining Armor led both Sheriff Silver Star, and Chief Thunderhooves, through town. Neither of them said anything, but they continued to glare at each other. "I hope my plan works." Shining Armor thought to himself. If this failed, there was no hope for peace.

           Shining Armor stopped, at the edge of the hill looking out over the apple orchard. "Take a good look, and tell me what you see." he said to the two leaders.

           Reluctantly, both Sheriff Silver Star, and Chief Thunderhooves did so. And what they saw, surprised them. Braeburn, and Little Strongheart, were racing through the orchard. The vibrations causing the apples to fall from the trees, and into baskets placed at the trunks.

          "How is this possible?" Sheriff Silver Star and Chief Thunderhooves asked. They were quite confused.

          "It's quite simple actually." Shining Armor explained "While you two were busy arguing and bickering, Braeburn and Little Strongheart made a small clearing in the orchard."

          "Couldn't one of them have just done it on their own?" Sheriff Silver Star asked "Braeburn is pretty strong after all."

          "The same can be said of Little Strongheart." Chief Thunderhooves added.

          "Nope, it was only by working together that they were able to do this." Shining Armor explained. In reality that was only half true, Braeburn and Little Strongheart could've actually made the path on their own, but it would've taken they longer to do so. Shining Armor made sure however, that both Sheriff Silver Star and Chief Thunderhooves didn't know that.

          "Don't you see?" Shining Armor asked the two leaders "Working together is certainly much better than being enemies, wouldn't you agree?"

          "Even if that's true" Sheriff Silver Star spoke up.

          "There is still the issue of the native stampeding grounds." Chief Thunderhooves finished.

          "Why do you think that clearing was made?" Shining Armor asked "It's wide enough and long enough to let the buffalo run through, and stampede, to their heart's content, while still leaving room for the apple trees to grow, and their fruits to be harvested. Take a look for yourself if you don't believe me."

          "I'h reckon I'h will." Sheriff Silver Star stated "I've got to make sure you ain't pullin' my leg."

          "I too shall examine the area." Chief Thunderhooves proclaimed "I shall be the one to decide if there is enough room for us to stampede as tradition dictates."

          "Go right ahead." Shining Armor said kindly "I'm pretty sure you'll both be pleased by what you discover." And, he was right. The clearing was enough to satisfy both sides, and at long last, peace came to the town of Appleloosa. A deal was soon made, in which the buffalo tribe were allowed to stampede through the orchard whenever they wanted, while also recieving some of the various baked goods that came from the apple crops. The stampeding quickly proved to be an effective means of harvesting, even more efficent than apple bucking.

          By the time Twilight and her friends (as well as Spike) arrived, no one would've believed you if you had told them that Appleloosa had once been on the brink of war.

          "I must say Shining Armor, you really surprised me." Braeburn said on the train ride back "I never knew you had such a knack for diplomacy."

          "Beginners luck I guess." Shining Armor said with a shrug.

          "Even so, all of Appleloosa is in your debt." Braeburn stated "If there's anything we can ever do for you, don't hestitate to tell us."

          "I don't think I'll ever have a use for that debt, but thank you anyways." Shining Armor said honestly "I'm just glad that things could be resolved without violence."

Chapter 25: An Owl Problem (Owl's Well That Ends Well)

                It was a peaceful star lit night in Ponyville. Shining Armor, Twilight, and Spike were just coming back home from an exciting meteor shower. A very rare one at that. They had been quite impressed by it, and Twilight was already looking forward to writing a report on it. But for now they were simply enjoying the peace and quiet.

               Spike was fast asleep. He had worked himself to the bone helping Shining Armor and Twilight prepare for a picnic with all their friends. Shining Armor and Twilight couldn't help but think he looked cute, but they knew Spike wouldn't think the same way.

               "That meteor shower was amazing. I'm glad I got the chance to see it." Shining Armor said, as he and Twilight trotted through the empty streets of Ponyville.

               "Me too." Twilight replied "With all the information I've gathered, my report is going to be incredibly detailed. I just wish I'd had that book with me."

               "Relax Twily." Shining Armor reassured her "Like Spike said when we set off, you don't need it. And he was right."

               "I suppose that's true." Twilight considered "I just hope that whoever took the book out brings it back soon. Although, don't you think I would've known if someone checked out the Astronomical Astronomer's Almanac to All Things Astronomy, or any other book from the library for that matter."

               "You were probably too absorbed with a book to notice." Shining Armor suggested "Kind of like the time Pinkie Pie was trying to talk to you about Gilda."

               "Well, that was different, though I guess I should've been paying more attention to her." Twilight admitted.

               "It's okay. She forgave you, and everything worked out just fine." Shining Armor stated "No harm no foul."

               "Indeed." Twilight replied "Well, looks like we're here."

               "I'll tuck Spike into bed, then I'll probably go and hit the hay myself." Shining Armor said, yawning slightly "I am pretty tired."

               "I think I'll get to work on my report. I want to have it completed as soon as possible." Twilight replied.

               "Okay, just don't stay up too late." Shining Armor teased.

               "I'm not a little filly B.B.B.F.F, I can take care of myself." Twilight said crossly.

               "I know you can, but you still have that tendency to stay up pretty late from time to time." Shining Armor replied.

               "Well, this report shouldn't take too long. I already know pretty much everything I want to include in it." Twilight explained "Once it's done, I'll put it in an envelope, and mail it first thing in the morning."

               "Very well then, goodnight Twilight." Shining Armor called, as he headed upstairs.

               "Sweet dreams Shining Armor." Twilight replied.

               When Shining Armor woke up next morning, he had no idea that a big surprise was waiting for him just downstairs. With a yawn, he brushed his mane until it looked presentable, then headed downstairs for breakfast.

               "Good morning B.B.B.F.F" Twilight said with a smile.

               "Good morning Twily." Shining Armor replied.

               "Guess what Shining Armor?" Twilight asked "I've got a pet."

               "You do?" Shining Armor asked. Twilight nodded "Where is it?"

               "Over there." Twilight said, pointing a hoof over to a corner of the library. There, sleeping on a little perch that Twilight had made, was a small owl.

               "You got a pet owl?" Shining Armor asked.

               "Yep." Twilight replied "His name is Owlowiscious, and he's going to be our new junior assistant."

               "That's.... interesting." Shining Armor stated "But why didn't you ever tell me you were going to get an owl?"

               "I didn't get him from a pet shop or anything like that." Twilight explained "In fact, up until last night, I didn't plan on obtaining a pet at all."

               "So what, you just decided out of the blue to obtain an owl?" Shining Armor asked, still quite confused.

               "No." Twilight explained "I was busy writing my report, when I heard a strange noise. I opened a window to investigate, but found nothing. Then, a sudden gust of wind came in, and blew my paper away. I started to panic, when I was interrupted by a hoot. There, sitting on the windowsill, was an owl. He had managed to resuce my report, so in exchange, I decided to let him stay with me."

              "That was very kind of you to offer such a thing." Shining Armor stated "But don't you think you should've at least asked Spike and I about this before you 'invited' the owl to stay with us."

              "I suppose I should've." Twilight admitted "But I'm sure Spike will be accepting."

              "Assuming he doesn't think Owlowiscious is trying to replace him." Shining Armor suggested with concern.

              "Spike knows he could never be replaced." Twilight replied "He's got seniority, and in this case, that's a good thing."

              "Well, even so, Spike is probably not going to be thrilled about this." Shining Armor said, and he was right. Spike was anything but thrilled when he learned about Owlowiscious. Throughout the entire day, Spike kept glancing at Owlowiscious, as if he feared the owl might suddenly attack him.

              The next day, Twilight left to take Owlowiscious to the vet, at the suggestion of Fluttershy. Fluttershy had told Twilight it was best to make sure any new pet was healthy, and vaccinated against any diseases that it could come into contact with. That left Shining Armor and Spike alone at the library.

              Now the two of them had not hung out with each other all that much recently. But instead of the usual guy talk, something else was discussed. Twilight's new pet, and junior assistant, Owlowiscious.

              "I'm telling you, I don't like the look that owl gave me when I introduced myself to him yesterday." Spike complained "It felt like he was trying to scare me."

              "Owls can rotate their heads almost all the way around from the front." Shining Armor explained "And they don't always do it to scare other creatures."

              "Not always, but sometimes?" Spike asked nervously.

              "I'm sure Owlowiscious wasn't intentionally trying to scare you Spike." Shining Armor stated "He was probably just trying to say hello."

              "Well, even if that was the case, it was pretty creepy." Spike said, cringing slightly.

              "Well owls are nocturnal." Shining Armor explained "Owlowiscious was probably sleeping when you introduced yourself to him, and your words must have woken up him up. I know you didn't mean to, but that's probably what happened."

              "I suppose you have a point there Shining Armor." Spike admitted "But I still feel like that owl is watching me. Trying to take my place."

              "That's not true Spike." Shining Armor said firmly "Owlowiscious isn't trying to replace you. He's just there to help Twilight after you've gone to bed. You ARE a baby dragon after all, and you need your sleep."

              "You don't have to remind me. I know that." Spike said crossly.

              "I'm just trying to show you that Owlowiscious isn't going to replace you as Twilight's number one assistant." Shining Armor explained "I know that, and so does Twilight."

              "She won't feel that way for long." Spike said glumly "Once that owl starts proving how useful he is, I'll be out of a job. Do you think that maybe I could be become your personal assistant Shining Armor? I mean, we're both guys."

              "Not a chance Spike." Shining Armor said with a shake of his head "Even if Twilight agreed, I would never feel comfortable making you my personal assistant. You and Twilight are like family, she hatched you, and helped raised you alongside Princess Celestia. I, at best, only got to see you on occassion. It wouldn't be right. Besides, Twilight knows you better than anyone else, and you'll always have a special place in her heart."

              "You think so?" Spike asked.

              "I know so." Shining Armor nodded "Sometimes that might be hard to see, but it's there. You two share a bond that can never be replaced."

              "Really?" Spike asked "Or are you just saying that to make me feel better?"

              "Of course I mean it Spike." Shining Armor said honestly "What would I stand to gain by lying to you? The two of us may not always see eye to eye on everything, but we still have a connection. To me at least, you're kind of like that somewhat annoying kid brother who's so cute you can't stay mad at him forever. I'm sure that Twilight at least sees you as that, but considering how long you two have been together, it wouldn't surprise me if she views you as something more."

              "You know, I never really thought about it like that before." Spike admitted.

              "I can't say I blame you, especially when you're busy trying to impress Rarity." Shining Armor said, chuckling slightly.

              Spike blushed "You mean, you know?" he asked.

              "Pretty much everyone does, even Rarity herself." Shining Armor explained "It's pretty obvious."

              "Funny, Pinkie Pie didn't seem to think that way." Spike stated.

              "She was probably just humoring you Spike." Shining Armor said with a nod "But you should've heard the nickname she gave you at the meteor show two nights ago. She called you, Spikey Wikey. And I overheard Rarity saying she just have to 'borrow' that nickname in the future."

              "You know, I could get use to a name like that." Spike stated.

              "Yeah, but no matter what happens, you'll always be Twilight's number one assistant." Shining Armor said honestly "And that's something that no owl will ever take away."

              "Do you mean it?" Spike asked.

              "Of course." Shining Armor nodded "In fact, I 'Pinkie Promise' that if worse comes to worse, I'll make sure Twilight never forgets about you."

              "Don't forget the motions." Spike said.

              "What motions?" Shining Armor asked, before realizing what Spike meant "Oh wait, I remember. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

              "Good. Now I hope you realize that you have to keep that promise." Spike stated.

              "Why is that?" Shining Armor asked.

              "Simple really, because a 'Pinkie Promise' is never broken." Spike explained "Once you've made the promise, you're committed to it."

              "FOREVER!" Pinkie Pie shouted, suddenly popping up from behind a book shelf. Shining Armor rubbed his eyes, just to make sure he wasn't seeing things. When he opened them back up, Pinkie Pie was gone.

              "How does she do that?" Shining Armor asked.

              "You're better off not trying to find out." Spike said "Twilight tried to do so once, and it very nearly drove her insane. Pinkie Pie just seems to operate on a different level."

              "No kidding." Shining Armor replied "In any case, I never intend to break my promise." And Shining Armor was faithful to his word.

              As for Spike, he and Owlowiscious made their peace. Just like Twilight and Shining Armor had reassured him, Owlowiscious was only there to assist Twilight at night, or when Spike was too busy. About the only thing that Owlowiscious changed, was providing Twilight with his own feathers to use as quills.

             Other than that, Spike's job as Twilight's number one assistant was here to stay.

Chapter 26: The Grand Galloping Gala (Best Night Ever)

                At long last, after months of waiting and anticipation, The Grand Galloping Gala was finally upon Shining Armor, Twilight, and their friends! And they couldn't be happier. And now, it seemed like all their dreams would come true.

               "Oh boy oh boy! I still can't believe it! At long last, The Grand Galloping Gala is tonight!" Braeburn shouted, bouncing up and down "It's gonna be so much fun!"

               "I'm sure it will be, but would you mind keeping your enthusiasm down a bit?" Shining Armor asked Braeburn "As I'm sure you can see, Twilight is trying to concentrate."

               "Sorry." Braeburn apologized "I'll try to keep it down."

               "Good, see that you do." Shining Armor replied "After all, without the spell Twilight's going to cast, we'll be stuck without transportation to The Gala. And we can't have that, can we?"

               "No indeed." Soarin stated "Although, I could always just pull a few strings and arrange for an escort. It's one of the perks of being a Wonderbolt. But if Spitfire asks, I told you nothing."

               "Thank you for the offer Soarin, but that won't be necessary." Shining Armor replied "Transportation is already being taken care of."

               "So, how's this gonna work?" Big Macintosh asked.

               "Well, first I'll need two apples." Twilight said, closing the spell book she'd been reading.

               "Two apples coming right up." Applejack called, puling two out from a cart and placing them on the ground.

               "Ooh! Are we having pie?" Pinkie Pie asked "Cause I love pie."

               "Just watch." Spike said "Twilight's been practicing this spell for a long time. Prepare to be amazed."

               Twilight lit up her horn, and cast her light purple magic onto the apples. The apples began to grow and expand, and suddenly, in a puff of purple smoke, they had transformed into a pair of carriages.

               "Whoa!" Braeburn gasped.

               "That's even more amazing than pie!" Pinkie Pie said happily.

               "Well, what do you think?" Twilight asked.

               "It is impressive" Fancy Pants commented.

               "But how are they suppose to move?" Rainbow Dash asked.

               "I've already got that taken care of." Twilight said "Thunderlane, Fluttershy, did you two bring your mice friends?"

               "Yes." Thunderlane replied "It's too bad Rumble can't come along, but I'm sure he's having the time of his life with The Cakes at Sugarcube Corner."

               "Promise me you won't hurt them Twilight." Fluttershy pleaded, letting the mice roam free.

               "You have my word. They won't feel a thing." Twilight nodded "And don't worry, they'll be mice again at midnight." Twilight then cast another spell, which turned the mice into two teams of horses.

               "Well, I must say, that's impressive." Rarity said, joining the group "You must teach me how to do that one day Twilight. I have a feeling it might come in handy."

               "You already know a lot of magic Rarity." Fleur said honestly.

               "I know, but this spell looks like something I could find a good use for." Rarity replied.

               "We'll see." Twilight stated "For now, let's decide who's going with whom."

               Before that could be done however, Opalescence arrived on the scene, and when she saw the mice like horses, she couldn't resist frightening them. The spell may have turned the mice into horses, but it hadn't changed their natural instincts. So when Opal frightened them, they turned tail and ran off.

              "Wait, come back!" Fluttershy shouted, but it was no use. The mice like horses disappeared.

              "Opal, you should be ashamed of yourself!" Rarity scolded "You know better than to terrorize poor innocent mice like that!"

              Opal seemed to look upset, and went away.

              "Well, that's one problem taken care of. I hope." Rarity sighed.

              "That may be, but we still have to figure out what we're going to do for transportation." Twilight admitted "Those mice were suppose to pull our carriages."

              "Oh no! Whatever shall we do?!" Rarity said sarcastically, winking slightly.

              "Miss Rarity, we talked about this." Fancy Pants said sternly.

              "I know, but this is an emergency." Rarity replied "Besides, I'm sure our neighbors have nothing better to do."

              "Even so, I think this is a bad idea." Fancy Pants sighed.

              "Just relax, I'm not going to make a habit out of this." Rarity stated, and walked over to nearby stallions. "Ahem. Excuse me gentlemen. I hate to ask, but would you mind doing a little favor for my friends and I?" A few seconds later, Rarity had convinced the stallions to pull the apple carriages.

              "Well, I guess that works too." Twilight commented.

              "I'm not impressed." Fancy Pants said with a sigh "I just know this isn't the last time Rarity's going to use her charm to get what she wants."

              "Have a little faith in her dear." Fleur said calmly "And look on the bright side, our transportation problem has been taken care of."

              The stallions, for their part, were wondering just how they got roped into this situation.

              A short time later, everyone was preparing to get all dressed up and head to The Gala. Everyone, except Spike. Since his tuxedo would be produced magically, he was all set. Now he just had to wait for the others to finish with their preparations.

             "Ah, come on you guys. Let me in." Spike complained, banging on the door.

             "Just a minute Spike." Applejack called from the other side of the door.

             "Oh heavens no, you can't let him in here now." Rarity protested "We're getting dressed. It's not polite to barge on a lady when she is getting dressed."

             "Not all of us are ladies like you." Applejack said to Rarity "Besides that, we don't normally wear clothes. So it's not like Spike's gonna see anything he hasn't already seen. Unless you're trying to hide something from him."

             "Who me? What would I have to hide?" Rarity asked nervously "My life is an open book."

             "Well then, I don't see what the big deal is. Just let him come in." Applejack said firmly.

             Rarity sighed, and opened the door to let Spike in "I apologize for that Spike." she said honestly "But some of us DO have standards." She, and her friends were all getting their manes done. Shining Armor and his friends had already done the same, and were busy putting on their vests.

             "I already told you, we don't normally wear clothes." Applejack snorted "And you said you weren't trying to hide anything from him."

             "I'm afraid I have to agree with my sister." Big Macintosh chimed in "If you've got nothing to hide, then there's no point in trying to keep him out. He's a friend to all of us. It's not like he'll see something he shouldn't see."

             "Couldn't have said it better myself." Shining Armor finished "It's not bad to have standards. But there's really no need for them in a situation like this. Since we don't normally wear clothes, there's no point in keeping Spike outside."

             "Exactly." Spike said "Especially since we're all gonna get to spend time together with each other."

             "We'll just have to see Spike." Rarity replied, secretly putting on false eyelashes when she was certain noone was looking.

             "What do you mean?" Spike asked.

             "I'm afraid we're gonna be a might bit busy during The Gala." Applejack explained, as she helped Fluttershy get ready.

             "Busy having fun." Pinkie Pie said, poking her head out from a mane dryer. Her mane, which had flattened to try and look more stylish, quickly reverted back to its natural poofiness.

             "Couldn't have said it better myself Pinkie." Braeburn chimed in.

             "But, there'll still be time for us to do something together. Right?" Spike asked.

             "Hopefully yes." Shining Armor nodded "The Gala goes on for quite a while, but there's usually still a lot to see and do afterwards."

             As night fell, Shining Armor and his friends, as well as Twilight and her friends, climbed into their respective carriages, and set off for Canterlot. Shining Armor and his group would arrive first. Already, they were talking amongst themselves about what they would do once they arrived at The Gala.

            Spike, meanwhile, was busy making plans of his own.

            Before long, Shining Armor and his friends had arrived, and stepped out of their carriage. "Okay, now everyone remember where we parked." he said to his friends "I know we'll have a lot on our minds tonight, but let's make sure we don't forget where to meet back up after The Gala is over."

           "Don't worry. We won't." Big Macintosh nodded.

           "Wow! I can't believe we're actually here!" Thunderlane exclaimed "I've heard stories about how beautiful this place is, but I didn't think they were true. This is just like a fairy tale come to life."

           "No kidding." Braeburn commented.

           "Well, that's the city of Canterlot for you." Fancy Pants stated "They always do things in a grand way."

           "Oh right, I almost forgot. You and Shining Armor use to live in Canterlot." Soarin said.

           "Indeed we did, but it's been so long since I've been back." Fancy Pants explained "I must say, a lot has changed."

           "Well guys, with all our expectations, I think it's safe to say that tonight is going to 'The Best Night Ever'!" Shining Armor said happily.

           "Yeah, cause we're all gonna spend time together, as friends." Spike replied. Unfortunately, he had no sooner spoken those words when everyone except Shining Armor dashed off.

           "Sorry Spike." Shining Armor apologized "It looks like the guys don't want to waste any time. They're all really excited."

           "Are you gonna leave me too?" Spike asked.

           "Not if you don't want me to Spike." Shining Armor said honestly "I just came along because everyone else was going. I mean, I was hoping to talk to Princess Celestia. But I could do that at any time on any given day."

           "You don't have to hang out with me if you really don't want to Shining Armor." Spike stated "Go ahead and go do whatever you want. Don't let me stop you."

           "Are you sure that's what you want Spike?" Shining Armor asked.

           "Tonight should be a night for you to do whatever you want." Spike encouraged "If that means talking to Princess Celestia then that's fine."

           "But what about you Spike? What will you do if I go off on my own?" Shining Armor asked "Twilight and her friends are sure to have their own agendas."

           "I'll just head over to Donut Joe's and spend the night gourging on donuts." Spike explained "You and the others can meet me there when you're done having fun. I'll be okay, I promise."

           "Spike, you don't have to lie to me to make me feel better." Shining Armor stated "It's really not that big of a deal if I don't get to talk to Princess Celestia."

           "I'm not taking no for an answer." Spike said firmly "Go ahead and have fun. You deserve to enjoy yourself after everything you've done. I'll be fine on my own."

           "Well, if you're really that certain about it, I guess I'll see at Joe's." Shining Armor said to Spike "Try to save some donuts for the rest of us."

           "No promises." Spike stated "Now go."

           "Alright, see you later Spike." Shining Armor said, and raced off.

           Spike simply sighed "Alone again, like always. Oh well, Donut Joe and his hot chocolate are all the company I need." And with that, Spike left to go "eat away his sorrows".

           It didn't take long for Shining Armor to find Princess Celestia. She was waiting just above the entrance hall to the castle, where The Grand Galloping Gala was being held. "Princess Celestia!" he exclaimed happily.

           "Hello Shining Armor, it is nice to see you again after all this time." Princess Celestia said with a smile "It is a shame you could not come to Cloudsdale during The Best Young Flyers Competetion. Our brief meeting during my breakfast at Sugarcube Corner was decent, but I've longed for the chance to see you without any sort of hassles."

           "I know." Shining Armor nodded "We really need to arrange another meeting sometime. Even if our personal lives keep us very busy."

           "Indeed." Princess Celestia replied "I would love to continue talking to you, but The Grand Galloping Gala will start soon, and it always required that the highest ranking political figure of the host city to greet any and all patrons that arrive. So, I shall be very busy."

           "That's okay, I understand." Shining Armor stated "Have you told Twilight this?"

           "I'm afraid I haven't." Princess Celestia admitted "I have tried to send her messages, but none have gotten through. And each time we've met personally, something has come up that has prevented me from telling her."

           "Well, I'm sure you'll find some time to talk to her." Shining Armor said hopefully "Do you want me to stand guard by your side?"

           "That will not be necessary Shining Armor." Princess Celestia explained "Security preparations for The Gala were made from the moment it was decided that Canterlot would host it this year. I'm afraid that, since the preparations were made while your promotion to captain was still fresh, the nobility would not allow me permission to let you oversee security."

           "Is that why you sent Twilight that extra ticket?" Shining Armor asked.

           "I already told you that the extra ticket was a test." Princess Celestia said firmly "However, I probably would've sent you one anyway. I wanted you to be here tonight. Even if our time together will be brief."

           "Well, regardless of whether or not we get the chance to talk to each other again for the rest of this night, I just want you to know that I am happy to see you again and talk to you." Shining Armor said with a nod "Now, I think I'll go see what my friends are getting up to, and if Twilight and her friends have arrived yet."

           "I hope you will not find The Grand Galloping Gala too boring Shining Armor." Princess Celestia said, as Shining Armor left "Or at least, not as boring as I find it."

           Almost immediatly after leaving the entrance hall, Shining Armor saw Fancy Pants and his wife Fleur, looking at someone. Curious, Shining Armor went over to them. "Hey Fancy Pants." he called "Who are you and your wife looking at?"

          "That stallion over there with the blonde mane." Fancy Pants said, pointing a hoof. "He's trouble."

          "Who is he?" Shining Armor asked.

          "None other than Rarity's so called 'Prince Charming'." Fleur said, her tone of voice hinting that she really didn't like the stallion she was looking at. "He's Princess Celestia's adopted nephew, Prince Blueblood. He and I use to date before I met Fancy Pants."

          "What was he like?" Shining Armor asked "From the looks of things you two obviously didn't hit it off."

          "Indeed we didn't, and that's because the so called Prince is nothing more than a pompus plot!" Fleur said crossly.

          "Really?" Shining Armor asked "I've heard stories about him, from a certain source that I shall not name. But I wasn't sure if they were actually true."

          "Oh believe me, Blueblood isnt as bad as the rumors make him out to be." Fleur stated.

          "That's good to hear." Shining Armor said with relief.

          "Because he's much worse than them." Fleur explained "He is quite possibly the most arrogant and vain pony I have ever met."

          "And you know this, how?" Shining Armor asked.

          "Just go ask him yourself." Fancy Pants suggested "I'm sure that once you've met him, his true nature will reveal itself."

          "Well, alright." Shining Armor said reluctantly, and walked over to Prince Blueblood. "Excuse me?" he asked.

          Prince Blueblood turned around and eyed Shining Armor suspiciously, as if he didn't recognize him "What do you want?" he asked crossly "It had better be quick, I have more important things to do than waste my time talking to uncouth commoners like you."

          "Hey!" Shining Armor snapped "I'll have you know I'm captain of the Royal Guard."

          "Oh really?! A pony like you, in charge of the royal guards?!" Prince Blueblood asked "I doubt that very much. After all, if you're captain, then why aren't you in uniform?!"

          "I'm not on duty at the moment!" Shining Armor explained.

          "How dumb do you think I am?!" Prince Blueblood snorted "I wasn't born yesterday, I know a lie when I see it."

          "I'm not lieing!" Shining Armor protested.

          "Don't waste my time, I know you are!" Prince Blueblood said crossly "And even if you weren't, you've stil done nothing but bother me! Now go away, and don't talk to me again! I am a prince, and if you will not bow down and worship me, then you will learn to fear my wrath!"

          "You're bluffing!" Shining Armor said smuggly "But I've wasted enough time talking to the likes of you."

          "About time you finally realized that." Prince Blueblood said snobishly "Now leave my sight at once, I think I need some fresh air after being in the prescene of filthy low lifes such as yourself." And with that, Prince Blueblood stormed off in a huff.

          "See what I mean?" Fleur asked "That guy's trouble."

          "Yeah. I feel sorry for Rarity." Shining Armor said with concern "Prince Blueblood is certain to do anything but let her down gently."

          "Well, she'll learn her lesson about how looks can be decieving." Fancy Pants stated "Besides, there's not much I can do to stop her from fawning over him."

          "I see." Shining Armor said reluctantly.

          "Say? Why don't you hang out with Fleur and I?" Fancy Pants asked "We're catching up with some of our old friends."

          "Thanks, but I think I'd rather see how the others are doing." Shining Armor said honestly.

          "Well, I think I saw Thunderlane and Fluttershy heading off into the gardens." Fancy Pants explained "Why don't you go see if they've met any new creatures yet?"

          "I'll do it." Shining Armor said with a nod, and headed outside "See ya later."

          "Hey Fluttershy, do you hear that?" Thunderlane asked.

          "I most certainly do." Fluttershy replied "It sounds like the call of a meadow lark."

          "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go find it!" Thunderlane said happily, and he and Fluttershy ran off to trace the source of the whistling. From what Shining Armor could see, they seemed to be doing pretty well.

          "Guess I'll go check and see how Applejack and Big Macintosh are doing with their apple stand." Shining Armor said to himself.

          "That'll be four bits. Sorry Soarin, but I can't just give you a discount because you and Big Macintosh are friends." Applejack explained.

          "Fine by me. I wouldn't be comfortable accepting free food anyway." Soarin said, forking over the required amount of money "Even if it IS really good!"

          "Well I'll be. First minute and we've already made our first sale!" Big Macintosh said happily once Soarin had left.

          "That's great Big Macintosh. That's gotta be a good sign." Applejack replied.

          "Hey Big Macintosh, what's up?" Shining Armor asked.

          "Not much really. Applejack and I are already set up for business, and we had our first sale just a minute ago." Big Macintosh explained.

          "I know." Shining Armor nodded "From the looks of things I'd say Soarin and The Wonderbolts are done with their show."

          "They probably are. Spitfire tells me Soarin's always hungry after a show." Big Macintosh explained "And from what I hear, he's got a weakness for apple pies."

          "Well who wouldn't want a piece of Sweet Apple Acres brand apple pie?" Shining Armor asked "After all, it's got that level of quality that you just don't find in other brands."

          "You have a point there." Applejack admitted "If we can get a few more customers like that, Granny Smith's saggy old hip will be as good as new again."

          "In that case, why don't I help you guys out?" Shining Armor asked "I think I'll take one of your apple fritters."

          "Alright then, that's two bits." Applejack explained.

          "Here you go!" Shining Armor said, forking over the bits and helping himself to the apple fritter.

          "You might wanna go check on Braeburn and Pinkie Pie." Big Macintosh suggested.

          "Why?" Shining Armor asked.

          "Because, knowing those two, they're bound to get into trouble." Big Macintosh explained "And those Canterlot elites don't seem like the type to put up with their antics."

          "I'd say 'What's the worst that could happen?' but I get the feeling that would be pointless." Shining Armor said with a sigh "Guess I'd better go find them and hope they haven't already ticked off the nobles."

          "I don't know about you, but I think those nobles are real uptight." Applejack commented, as Shining Armor raced away.

          By the time Shining Armor find Pinkie Pie and Braeburn, they had already found out just how uptight the nobles were.

          "Sheesh, tough crowd." Pinkie Pie said to Braeburn.

          "Tell me about it. What's wrong with a little singing and dancing?" Braeburn asked "Isn't that part of The Gala?"

          "Apparently these ponies don't think so." Pinkie Pie guessed.

          "Indeed they don't." Shining Armor stated.

          "Oh hey Shining Armor! I was wondering where you were!" Braeburn greeted cheerfully.

          "Twilight was looking for you not that long ago, before she headed off to spend time with Princess Celestia that is." Pinkie Pie explained.

          "Listen carefully you two." Shining Armor said seriously "I know you two want to have a good time, and so do I. But these nobles are very stingy. So please, do me a favor, and stay out of trouble. Okay?"

          "We'll try." Pinkie Pie promised.

          "That's all I can ask for." Shining Armor said, and walked away.

          "Come on Pinkie Pie, we're not gonna let those party poopers bring down our spirits!" Braeburn said eagerly.

          "That's the spirit Braeburn!" Pinkie Pie cheered.

          From what Shining Armor could see as he passed by the entrance hall, Princess Celestia was indeed very busy. And poor Twilight looked incredibly glum. He waved to her, but she didn't return the favor. She was focused solely on the long line of ponies, and the fact that they prevented her from talking with her mentor.

          "Call me crazy, but I don't think this here Gala is going to work out quite like all our friends had hoped." Shining Armor thought to himself. And from what he could see, he seemed to be right. Outside of Fancy Pants and Fleur, none of his friends seemed to be happy.

          Applejack and Big Macintosh hadn't made a single sale since Shining Armor had come along. They kept waiting and waiting, but no one seemed to notice them.

          Pinkie Pie and Braeburn sat at a table in the dance hall, watching the fancy band play. But it wasn't much fun when no one else seemed interested in dancing with them.

          Rarity was already learning that Prince Blueblood was anything but charming. In fact, he seemed to take little interest in anything other than his own appearance.

          Twilight refused to do anything but stand by Princess Celestia's side the entire time. Even as the line of ponies that arrived and needed to be greeted, grew longer and longer.

          Soarin and Spitfire were trying to hang out with Rainbow Dash, but every five seconds someone kept pulling them aside to talk to to them, or take pictures with them. Rainbow Dash was trying everything she could think of to get their attention.

          And Fluttershy and Thunderlane found out that the whistling they'd been hearing, was just the groundskeeper Mr. Greenhooves. When they finally found some exotic animals, their prescence scared them off.

          But despite all of this, they wouldn't give on their dreams. They'd been waiting for this moment for over a year, and they were not about to let it slip by if they could help it. They were determined to make this night, the best night ever! And nothing was going to stop them from doing just that!

          "Are you really sure this is gonna work Fluttershy?" Thunderlane asked.

          "Of course I'm sure." Fluttershy replied "I just have to be more bold, like Twilight says. Is the trap ready?"

          "Yes." Thunderlane nodded.

          "Good. Operation White Flag is a go." Fluttershy stated "I'm ever so sorry to have startled you all, my fine friends." she winked at Thunderlane.

          "I'm sorry as well." Thunderlane said loudly "We're leaving now, so you can come out and enjoy the scenery again."

          Suddenly, there was a light crunching sound. Someone or something was eating the carrot that was being used for bait.

         "Now Thunderlane!" Fluttershy whispered.

         "Right!" Thunderlane nodded, and pulled the string. A small box fell down, trapping the unsuspecting victim.

         "It's okay. I promise not to hurt you." Fluttershy said, racing over to the trap.

         "Yeah she and I just want to be your... friends?" Thunderlane asked, when he saw who the trap had caught.

         "Hey, sounds good to me." Mr. Greenhooves replied, happily munching on the carrot.

         "Curses, I thought for sure that trap was fool proof." Fluttershy said furiously "Oh well, back to the drawing board."

         "Don't you think this is going a little too far Fluttershy?" Thunderlane asked.

         "Relax, we're not hurting them." Fluttershy explained.

         "Come on Rainbow Dash!" Rainbow Dash said to herself "If The Wonderbolts don't notice you, then you just've got to make them notice you!" She slowly made her way over to a random stallion, and whistled innocently. When she was sure no one was looking, she "accidentally" kicked the stallion, sending him flying into the air. She quickly caught him, but The Wonderbolts were too busy talking to some of their fans to notice.

         "Just give him a chance Rarity." Rarity muttered to herself, as she and Prince Blueblood walked through the halls of the castle "No need to be picky. I'm sure his princely side will reveal itself if you just give him a chance."

         Prince Blueblood suddenly gasped "Miss Rarity! Stop right there!" he shouted.

         Rarity quickly realized why Prince Blueblood had done that. Just in front of her, was a puddle too big to walk around or step over. "Oh thank you Prince Blueblood." Rarity said kindly "That's so chivalrous of you."

         "Indeed. One would hate to slip and fall." Prince Blueblood explained.

         "Yes, one most certainly would hate that." Rarity replied.

         "One's cloak should easily take care of the problem." Prince Blueblood suggested.

         Rarity realized what he was saying "Oh, of course it will." she replied reluctantly. She'd heard of the old saying "Beggers can't be choosers." but she was really starting to wonder if Prince Blueblood was worth the trouble.

         Braeburn sighed "I'm bored." he complained.

         "Not for much longer." PInkie Pie said, a smile breaking out across her face.

         "Pinkie Pie, we promised Shining Armor we'd try to stay out of trouble." Braeburn said with concern.

         "Some rules are meant to be broken." Pinkie Pie replied, and trotted away to talk to the band. Braeburn recalled that Pinkie Pie had mentioned earlier, that the cello player was her cousin Octavia. So, from the looks of things, Pinkie Pie was going to use that connection. And she did, as she whispered something into the ear of the band members. Then, she tapped on a microphone, attracting everyone's attention. "C'mon, everypony! I know what will make you shake those groove-thangs!" she shouted "Hit it!"

         Reluctantly, the band began to play a song, and it went something like this.

         Braeburn was quite surprised by what he heard. But the rest of the Gala attendes didn't share his enthusiasm for it.

         "Young lady! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!" a mare scolded "I don't know what you think this is, but I will have you know that this is not THAT kind of party!"

         "Ohhhhhh..." Pinkie Pie thought to themselves "They don't want a party. These ponies want a paaartay! Well I'm gonna give it to em!"

         "Two apple fritters, please." Rarity said, placing an order at the apple stand Big Macintosh and Applejack had set up.

         "Two apple fritters comin' right up." Big Macintosh called.

         "That'll be four bits, if you please." Applejack said.

         "Oh, of course." Rarity said nervously, just a moment. She turned to Prince Blueblood and shouted "Ahem."

         Prince Blueblood mearly replied with the same thing. Rarity tried to argue with him to pay up, but it was no use. Prince Blueblood refused to do so.

         Rarity sighed "I guess I'm going to have to pay for this, aren't I?" she asked.

         "Nonsense Rarity. I got you covered." Applejack said honestly "These apple friters are on the house."

         "Thank you very much." Rarity said happily "At least somepony around here has good manners."

         Prince Blueblood sloppily took a bite of his apple fritter, and immediatly gagged on the taste. "Oh! Fritters! Dumplings! Caramel apples!" he complained "I don't believe this! Somehow my royal lips have been allowed to come into contact with common carnival fare!"

         "And where do you think YOU'RE going?!" Rarity asked crossly.

         "To the banquet hall of course." Prince Blueblood snorted "The hors d'oeuvres they serve there are much better than the excuse for food that exists at that pathetic little stand. I'm just glad nopony saw me stoop so low!"

         "Did you hear that Big Macintsoh?!" Applejack asked "A banquet hall?!"

         "I sure did Applejack!" Big Macintosh replied "No wonder we haven't been getting any customers! They've been loading up on fancy-schmancy vittles."

         "Well, our down-home apples are plently good enough for that crowd." Applejack said crossly "Now we just need to come up with a way to show em!"

         "Why don't we just move the stand to the banquet hall?" Big Macintosh suggested.

         "Are you crazy?! That will never work!" Applejack shouted "We won't be able to compete directly with them!"

         "Well then, do you have a plan B?" Big Macintosh asked.

         "As a matter of fact I do." Applejack said with a smile "I'll just need to dress up our apples a little bit. That'll show them!"

         "Uh Fluttershy, I think this might be going a little too far." Thunderlane said nervously.

         "Silence! You will do as I say!" Fluttershy said sternly. Thunderlane refused to argue. "I'll catch you yet my pretties." Fluttershy said, an evil grin breaking out across her face "Oh yes. Just as soon as one of you innocent little birds, or monkeys, or even bears touches this net... you'll be MINE! ALL MINE!" Fluttershy proceeded to laugh wickedly. Unfortunately, by doing so, she lost her balance, and fell into the net.

         "Are you okay Fluttershy?" Thunderlane asked nervously.

         "Just shut up and get me out of this thing!" Fluttershy shouted "I'll catch those animals if it's the last thing I do!"

         "I think Fluttershy's lost her mind." Thunderlane thought to himself.

         Meanwhile, back in the ballroom, Pinkie Pie was unknowingly about to set off a chain reaction. "Come on, everypony!" she shouted, pulling out a turntable "You wanted a partay? Well now it's a paaartaaay! Yeah!"

         "What do you think you're doing Pinkie Pie?" Braeburn asked.

         "Giving these uptight nobles something to smile about!" Pinkie Pie replied.

         "I've got a bad feeling about this." Braeburn said nervously "Maybe you'd better stop." his suggestion fell on deaf ears.

         "Okay, all you high-class ponies." Big Macintosh said, helping Applejack wheel an apple cake into the ballroom.

         "Here's a highfalutin apple cake for your hoity-toity taste buds." Applejack called "Who wants a slice?"

         Then, it happened. "STAGE DIVE!" Pinkie Pie shouted, and leaped into the air.

         "PINKIE NO!" Braeburn shouted, but it was too late. Pinkie Pie hit the cart holding the apple cake, sending it flying through the air.

         Its target was Prince Blueblood, and when he saw the cake flying towards him, he screamed, and shoved Rarity in front of him to use as a shield. It worked, but Rarity decided then and there, that she had put up Blueblood's behavior for long enough. "You, sir, are by far the most uncharming prince I have ever had the displeasure of meeting!" she said crossly "In fact, the only thing even remotely royal about you, is that you are a royal pain in the butt! I can't believe I ever had feelings for you! You, are a disgrace to the royal throne!"

        Prince Blueblood probably would've been quite upset at the idea of anypony calling him out on his behavior, but right now he was grossed out at Rarity's appearance. "Ewww...! Uh, stay back! I just had myself groomed!" he said nervously.

        "Oh, what's the matter prince?" Rarity asked sarcastically "Afraid to get DIRTY?!"

        "You wouldn't dare!" Prince Blueblood said, cowering in fright.

        "Try me!" Rarity shouted, and flung some of the smeared cake onto Prince Blueblood. The anything but charming prince whimpered and backed away in fear. Unfortunately, in doing so, he bumped into a statue of Princess Celestia. The statue now threatend to tip over and shatter into pieces on the ground.

        "This is my chance!" Rainbow Dash shouted, and raced forward. She caught the statue before it could tip over. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes! That's sure to get them to notice me now!" she said to herself. Unfortunately, she had spoken too soon. The statue was too heavy for her, and she couldn't hold up its weight. "Whoa!" she cried, as the statue made her wobble around. In the process, she knocked over several pillars. Then, the statue itself fell and broke. "Um, oops?" Rainbow Dash said nervously, as the crowd cast daggers at her.

        "What is going on here?!" Shining Armor asked. He had heard signs of a comotion, but he hadn't expected to run into this. The Grand Galloping Gala didn't look so grand anymore. To make matters worse, Twilight and Princess Celestia, as well as Fancy Pants and Fleur, were also observing the aftermath of what had unfolded just a few seconds ago. The ballroom looked like it had been the scene of a horrific battle.

        "I'd say it can't get worse, but that would be jinxing it." Shining Armor thought to himself.

        Suddenly, the door to the ballroom began to rumble, as if there were an earthquake. A second later, the door burst open, and Thunderlane came running in ahead of a crowd of animals "Run for your lives, Fluttershy's gone mad!" he shouted.

        "You're... going to LOVE ME!" Fluttershy bellowed.

        Ponies began to scream and run as various animals began to mix in with the chaos caused by the destruction of the ballroom.

        "This is bad!" Shining Armor said.

        "I know." Soarin replied, he and the other stallions had quickly rushed to Shining Armor's side the moment Fluttershy arrived on the scene.

        "What are we gonna do?" Thunderlane asked.

        "The only thing we can do." Big Macintosh stated.

        "And that would be?" Fancy Pants asked.

        "RUN!" Braeburn shouted. Shining Armor and his friends did so, and as luck would have it, Princess Celestia had encouraged Twilight and her friends to do the same thing. They quickly fled from the castle, not caring who might see them.

        It had been a rough night for Spike. All of his friends were off living their dreams, and here he was, sitting all alone in Donut Joe's shop. Loading up on donuts and hot chocolate. "Hey, Donut Joe." he said glumly "Another donut please."

        "Uh, don't you think you've had enough for one night Spike?" Donut Joe asked.

        Spike slammed his mug down on the table "I'll tell you when I've had enough! Now bring me another donut, with extra sprinkles!"

        "Okay, okay." Donut Joe said. He figured it was no use arguing with his only customer of the night. All his other customers were at The Grand Galloping Gala, stuffing their faces at the banquet hall. Then, to Donut Joe's surprise, the bell rang. He hadn't been expecting other customers. But he quickly recognized the face of two of them. "Twilight Sparkle, Shining Armor! Ha, ha. Long time no see." he greeted warmly "I've missed having you guys drop by my shop for treats."

        "Hey Donut Joe." Shining Armor said wearily "Got room for twelve more customers?"

        "Of course, outside of your little friend here I haven't had a single customer all night long." Donut Joe explained "Help yourselves."

        "Hey, how was the Gala?" Spike asked "How was your best night ever?"

        Shining Armor sighed "It's a long story Spike."

        "Well, it's not like I've got anything better to do." Spike nodded "Let's hear it."

        "Okay." Shining Armor said reluctantly, and he and his friends, as well as Twilight and her friends, told Spike everything."

        "Wow. That sounds more like the worst night ever!" Spike said, needless to say, he was quite surprised at what he had heard.

        "It was!" everyone said, and they all laughed.

        Twilight however, quickly grew concerned. "I just hope Princess Celestia isn't too upset with us for ruining The Gala."

        "Oh, don't worry Twilight. In my opinion, that was the best Grand Galloping Gala I've ever seen!" Princess Celestia said happily, appearing in the doorway of the shop. Needless to say, everyone was surprised to see her. Especially after what had happened only mere moments ago.

        "Uh pardon me Princess, but tonight was just awful." Shining Armor stated "You saw what happened."

        "I did, but The Grand Galloping Gala has always been rather dull." Princess Celestia said with a nod "It's mostly just an event for the rich and famous."

        "It is?" Twilight asked.

        "Yes." Princess Celestia confirmed "And that is why I was so happy you were all attending. I was hoping you could help to liven things up a little. Though you did go a bit overboard. some of you more than others."

        "Sorry about Princess Celestia." Fluttershy apologized "I don't know what came over me back there."

        "Hey, don't feel bad Fluttershy." Thunderlane said kindly "It happens to the best of us, and look on the bright side, nopony got hurt."

        "Indeed they didn't." Princess Celestia stated "My nephew's ego may be a bit bruised, but he'll recover. And hopefully he will have learned his lesson."

        "I hope so too." Rarity said honestly "I'm just a bit sad he didn't turn out to be the prince charming I had hoped for."

        "Blueblood is but one stallion Miss Rarity." Fancy Pants reassured her "I'm sure you'll find the proper mate eventually."

        "While the evening may not have gone as you planned, I'm sure you'll agree, that in the end it didn't turn out so bad for this tightly connected group of friends." Princess Celestia stated.

        "You're right about that Princess." Shining Armor said with a nod "I think we all learned something tonight. Friends have a way of making even the worst of times into something pretty great."

        "As horrible as our night may have been.." Big Macintosh started.

        "...being together here has made it all better." Fancy Pants finished.

        "In fact, it's made it..." Braeburn began.

        "...the best night ever!" everyone besides Princess Celestia said at once. They then all began to laugh.

        "Shouldn't you be getting back to The Grand Galloping Gala?" Shining Armor asked Princess Celestia.

        "The Gala is pretty much over as it is." Princess Celestia explained "Besides, hardly anyone will notice I'm gone. And it's been such a long time I've had the chance to share a late night snack with not only my Captain of The Guard, and my faithful student and her number one assitant, but also the ponies they've chosen to befriend."

        "This night just keeps getting better and better." Donut Joe said happily.

Chapter 23: Aftermath and Rumors (A Dog and Pony Show)

                It had been a stressful couple of hours for Fancy Pants, who had learned from Shining Armor, that Rarity had been kidnapped by a trio of creatures called Diamond Dogs.

               Fancy Pants had only heard stories about them, but from what he had heard, he was incredibly concerned for Rarity's safety. If only he had known that her favorite gem hunting spot just so happened to be on Diamond Dog turf. He would've tagged along to make sure she was safe. But there was no way he could've known. And now it was too late.

              Yes, Sapphire Shores' order was the perfect opportunity for Rarity to work on her own, but at no point did that involve Diamond Dogs. And Spike was just a baby dragon, there was only so much he could do to help.

              All Fancy Pants could do was hold down the fort at Carousel Boutique, with his wife, Fleur De Lis.

              "I've never seen you so upset dear." Fleur commented. "You need to relax, all that stress is not good for you."

              "How can I rest when my assistant is in danger, and there is nothing I can do to help her?" Fancy Pants asked "If I had just known about this earlier I'd head down there, and give those Diamond Dogs a piece of my mind. As a matter of fact, I'd give them much more than that. I was once a champion middle weight boxer in my college days, and I think I still have a few moves stored in my memory."

              "You wouldn't last five minutes with those ruffians." Fleur told him "They'd gang up and dogpile you before you could ever throw a punch."

              "I'd like to see them try." Fancy Pants stated "Just because I'm a gentleman, does not mean I cannot defend myself. I've been in tougher situations and come out without a scratch."

              "That's because you got lucky." Fleur explained "You'd do more harm than good going off to fight the Diamond Dogs now. Rarity's friends have already gone after those ponynappers. And they won't rest until Rarity is safe and sound."

              "I don't doubt that they'll suceed." Fancy Pants commented "But Rarity has been working with me for a long time now, and she's like family to me. I really feel like I should be doing more to help her. If it was you down in those holes, I'd risk my life if necessary in order to save you."

              "I know that dear." Fleur replied "However, the situation is already being taken of care as we speak. And when Rarity gets back, she is going to feel much better knowing that she doesn't have to worry about you risking your life on some crazy sense of honor."

              "You're right, I guess." Fancy Pants sighed.

              "Glad you think so, now relax." Fleur reassured him, and began to massage his back "Just take it easy. Rarity will be back before you know it."

              "I hope you're right." Fancy Pants said with concern.

              "I know I'm right." Fleur replied. And indeed she was.

              Rarity returned a short time later with cart loads of gems. More than enough to complete Sapphire Shores' order. Much to the surprise of Fancy Pants and Fleur. And they were quite surprised when she told them how she was able to outwit the Diamond Dogs. Needless to say, they couldn't believe it. And neither could any of Fancy Pants' friends.

              All the same, it was true. And thanks to Rarity, Ponyville was safe from surprise ambushes and jewelry thefts by The Diamond Dogs. For the time being anyway.

              For a week following the event, Rarity worked on the order that Sapphire Shores had given her. All the while, word of her supposedly impressive feat began to spread. Apparently, The Diamond Dogs had quite a problem for many citizens of Ponyville, and now that Rarity had seemingly frightened them off, Ponyville was eternally grateful.

             Despite that, Rarity's friends continued to worry that the event might have shaken her up a bit. Even though Rarity reassured them all that she was perfectly fine.

             One bright and sunny day, about a week following the 'Diamond Dog Incident' as it was now being called. Shining Armor stopped by Carousel Boutique.

             "Oh, hello Shining Armor. So good to see you again." Fancy Pants said with a smile, as he opened the door "Please. do come in."

             Shining Armor did so without hestiation.

             "Would you like some tea?" Fancy Pants asked "I could certainly go for a cup of it myself."

             "Tea sounds nice." Shining Armor replied.

             "Got any preferences?" Fancy Pants asked.

             "Not really. Whatever you can whip up is good." Shining Armor stated.

             "Very well then. I'll just mix up my normal brew." Fancy Pants said, and prepared the kettle "It'll take some time to make."

             "That's alright." Shining Armor explained "That's not the reason why I came here."

             "I know why you're really here." Fancy Pants replied "You're still concerned about Rarity, aren't you?"

             "Somewhat." Shining Armor said reluctantly "It's you I'm more worried about."

             "Whatever do you mean?" Fancy Pants asked nervously "I'm perfectly fine."

             "That's what I'm sure you think, and normally I wouldn't doubt you." Shining Armor said with a sigh "But unfortunately, Fleur has told me that you're still on edge."

             "Oh, she did huh?" Fancy Pants asked.

             Shining Armor nodded "I'm afraid so. And she specifically asked that I talk with you about it."

             "I don't need help if that's what you're implying." Fancy Pants boldly proclaimed.

             "I'm not saying you do, but I'm not saying you don't either." Shining Armor explained "There's only one way to know for sure."

             "And what would that be?" Fancy Pants asked, unsure of what Shining Armor would suggest next.

             "You and I are just going to have a little chat as friends." Shining Armor explained, following a moment of silence.

             "Okay." Fancy Pants said, sighing with relief "What do you want to talk about? We can talk about anything really. Maybe you'd like to hear more about Sapphire Shores. Or perhaps you'd like to know how well Carousel Boutique is doing. With all the publicity generated from Hoity Toity, we're getting a lot of new customers."

             Shining Armor sighed, this was going to be a lot harder than he initially thought. But he owed it to Fleur to at least try. "I wanna talk more about the Diamond Dog incident."

             Those words quickly changed Fancy Pants' mood. He clearly wasn't interested in talking about such a thing. "Why do you want to talk about that?" he asked nervously, his left eye twitching a bit "There's nothing to talk about. I'm perfectly fine. Miss Rarity is back safe and sound, those ruffians have been dealt with, everything is as it should be."

             "I believe there is." Shining Armor stated "It's been a while, but you still seem rather shaken up. And if Fleur of all ponies thinks there's something bothering you, then she's probably right."

             "Fleur really knows me that well huh?" Fancy Pants asked.

             "Indeed she does, especially because of how long you two have been together." Shining Armor said honestly "I can still remember how much of a stir your wedding caused. It was all anypony was talking about for weeks afterwards."

             "That's because it was a truly high class event, not unlike The Grand Galloping Gala." Fancy Pants stated, looking fondly back on the memories "I spared no expense to make everything the way Fleur wanted it. And that old saying is true, money can't buy happiness."

             "Truer words were never spoken." Shining Armor nodded "But we're getting off topic here. I know that was probably your plan, but it's not going to work."

             "Look Shining Armor, I promise I'll be fine eventually. It's only been a week." Fancy Pants pleaded "Just give me time and this will all be a fond memory."

             "I'm sorry, but Fleur tells me you haven't talked at all about what happened that day. The only way you'll be able to put it behind you is if you talk about it." Shining Armor said reluctantly.

             "I've told you already that there's nothing to talk about." Fancy Pants replied "Like I said before, it's only been a week. Give me time, and I'll move on like everyone else."

             "Fancy Pants please," Shining Armor pleaded "just talk. You'll feel a lot better once you do, and we won't have to keep doing this."

             Fancy Pants was silent for a moment, then he sighed "There really is no alternative is there?"

             "I'm afraid there isn't." Shining Armor said somberly "So, are you finally ready to talk?"

             "Indeed I am." Fancy Pants replied "But first, I believe the tea is ready." And indeed it was. Fancy Pants brought the kettle over and poured some into a cup. He did the same thing twice, once for Shining Armor, and once for himself.

             "Okay, are you ready to begin?" Shining Armor asked, after taking a sip of his tea.

             "Yes." Fancy Pants nodded "Where should I start?"

             "How about from where the problem originated?" Shining Armor suggested.

             "You mean, the gem shortage?" Fancy Pants asked.

             "Yes." Shining Armor nodded "Start from there."

             "Alright, I'll try my best." Fancy Pants said honestly "Keep in mind, I may not know everything about what went down that day."

             "All I can ask for, is for you tell me what you know." Shining Armor explained "So, what exactly made Rarity realize she was running low on gems?"

             "Well, it all started when Sapphire Shores made an unexpected stop at Carousel Boutique." Fancy Pants stated "I know this, because Miss. Rarity told me herself about the visit. Apparently, all that publicity from Hoity Toity has really payed off. Anyway, Sapphire Shores is currently in the midst of preparing for an Equestria wide tour. Because of that, she wanted something absoltely outstanding to wow her crowd."

             "That's Sapphire for ya, the only thing that she's more interested in than her sensational music career, is her taste in fashion." Shining Armor said. Chuckling slightly, before regaining his composure.

             "So, from what I understand, Miss. Rarity showed her a dress she had just finished, which had gems attached to it in pretty much every spot possible." Fancy Pants explained "And Sapphire loved it. She loved it so much that she not only decided to take the dress itself, but also a few more done up in other gems. Apparently for costume changes or something."

             "And that's why Rarity decided to bring Spike along and go gem hunting, correct?" Shining Armor asked.

             "Correct." Fancy Pants nodded.

             "That was when Rarity was ambushed, kidnapped, and taken underground." Shining Armor explained "And when that happened, Spike went to go get Twilight and the others. And they all set off to try and rescue Rarity. That's when you and Fleur first learned about what had happened, am I right?"

             "Indeed you are." Fancy Pants said reluctantly.

             "So, while Twilight and the others were busy trying to rescue Rarity, what were you and Fleur doing?" Shining Armor asked.

             "Well, we kept Carousel Boutique open." Fancy Pants explained "No other customers came in during that however."

             "What else did you do?" Shining Armor asked "Be honest with me."

             "Do I really have to tell you?" Fancy Pants asked "I mean, I've told you a lot already. Haven't I?"

             "Nothing really useful." Shining Armor admitted "In order for this to work I need to know exactly what you did during the time Rarity's friends were trying to rescue her."

             "Really?" Fancy Pants asked.

             "I'm afraid so." Shining Armor said reluctantly "But I have a feeling you'll feel a lot better once you've confessed."

             "You really think so?" Fancy Pants asked nervously.

             "Of course." Shining Armor said with a smile "After all, what are friends for?"

             "Very well then, I guess." Fancy Pants sighed "I pretty much just spent that time worrying about Miss. Rarity. I know I probably should've done something more productive, but I couldn't help myself."

             "Something tells me that's not all." Shining Armor said sternly "I'm not asking for a full hour by hour description of what you were doing, but I would like to know more."

             "More about what?" Fancy Pants asked.

             "What you did during the time you spent worrying about Rarity, more specifically, how you felt when the news first reached your ears." Shining Armor explained.

             "Well, I spent my time only partially worrying to tell you the truth." Fancy Pants admitted "Much of my time was spent devising various plans to go down there, and teach those Diamond Dogs a lesson. A real good lesson at that."

             "And that was all that you did from the moment you learned of Rarity's fate?" Shining Armor asked.

             "No." Fancy Pants stated "I'm ashamed to admit it, but when I first heard the news I was terrified."

             "Why is that?" Shining Armor asked.

             "I've heard rumors about The Diamond Dogs." Fancy Pants explained "From what I hear, they're vicious, mean, and unforgiving. They lay in wait to snatch unsuspecting ponies, who they then use as slaves in their underground mines."

             "Good heavens!" Shining Armor exclaimed.

             "It get worse." Fancy Pants continued "According to some rumors, they work ponies to the point of exhaustion. All the while making them pull heavy carts, or dig until their hooves are red with scratch and bruise marks. And any ponies that refuse to work, get thrown into pits to rot away. Meanwhile, they don't let ponies eat or drink until the day's work is done, or the ponies have no energy left to move."

            "Is that all?" Shining Armor asked.

            "For the most part." Fancy Pants nodded "But some rumors go so far as to say that The Diamond Dogs steal gems of all sorts from other ponies, with the intended purpose of luring the ponies to their turf so they can be kidnapped. So, with ponies saying such dreadful things about them, could you really blame me for being so worried? If they had ever done anything to Miss Rarity I would never have been able to forgive myself."

            Shining Armor said nothing for a moment, then he smiled "Well, from what Twilight and her friends told me, those ponies are wrong. And you really should know better than to listen to rumors Fancy Pants."

            "Why is that?" Fancy Pants asked.

            "Because in reality, more than half of those rumors aren't true. The Diamond Dogs are nothing more than incompitent idiots." Shining Armor explained "Just ask Rarity. The instant she started whining nonstop they were begging for her to be taken back. And before that, she had them treating her like she was their queen."

            "Really?" Fancy Pants asked.

            "Yes, really." Shining Armor said, chuckling quite a bit "How else do you think she managed to get her hooves on all those gems? They didn't just come out of nowhere you know."

            "To be honest, the thought never crossed my mind." Fancy Pants admitted "Maybe if I'd thought of that, I would've realized just how silly those rumors were."

            "Probably." Shinng Armor nodded "But at least you learned your lesson now."

            "Indeed I did." Fancy Pants smiled "That's the last time I let rumors confuse me. I can't believe I ever listened to them in the first place. It feels like the poison joke incident with Zecora all over again."

            "Well, at least this time the rumors weren't so farfetched, unlike with Zecora." Shining Armor explained "If you're still in doubt, why not head to that field of holes The Diamond Dogs once called home."

            "They're not around anymore?" Fancy Pants asked.

            "Not since Twilight sent a report to Princess Celestia about them." Shining Armor replied.

            "I thought Twilight only sent friendship reports to Princess Celestia." Fancy Pants said, obviously confused.

            "She does for the most part, but every now and then she sends a report about something important to the security of Equestria." Shining Armor explained "She did the same thing with Zecora, though I helped her out since she was still getting to know Zecora at the time."

            "I see." Fancy Pants nodded "But if Princess Celestia is aware of those Diamond Dogs, I don't think anypony has anything to worry about." And indeed they didn't. Thanks to Princess Celestia, The Diamond Dogs, like with Nightmare Moon, and the numerous other disasters that befell Ponyville, soon became nothing but a distant memory. At least to everyone except Rarity and Fancy Pants.