The Shovel Store

by Tennis Match Fan

*Thwonk*

Load Full Story

*Thwonk*

"All done!" Hope reported, flying inside the small wooden building. "The banner's up, and the last of the nails were nailed in. With not a lot of problems." She rubbed her sore elbow. Rainbow Dash smiled mischievously.

"Good," she answered, from behind her small countertop in the back of the store. Just then, Lighting Strike flew in to join her friends.

"All the invitations are delivered!" She declared, laughing. Hope and Rainbow joined in, Rainbow loudest of all.

"This will be so fun!" She exclaimed.

Hope peeked out the window.

"Somepony's coming!" She exclaimed.

"Quick! Get your shovels ready!" Lighting Strike directed. She, Hope, and Rainbow Dash grabbed shovels and flew behind the counter just as Lightning Dust entered the store.

"Welcome to the Shovel Store!" Hope greeted her with a smile.

"Home to all your shoveling needs!" Lightning Strike added, holding up her shovel for emphasis. Lightning Dust smirked.

"This is what you've been reduced to, Rainbow Crash?" She asked.

"You know, that joke got old long before I met you," Rainbow Dash muttered. Lightning Dust rolled her eyes.

"Why don't Own direct you to our special cloud shovels?" Hope suggested, flying over and patting Lightning Dust on the back. When Lightning Dust wasn't looking, she winked at Rainbow and Lightning Strike.

"Alright," Lighting Dust agreed. Hope led her down an aisle at the front of the stoor.

"So, what-" Lightning Dust let out a yell and pitched forward. As she fell, Rainbow Dash was revealed, holding up a shoveling in a hit-other-ponies-in-the-back-of-their-head position.

"Ha!" She crowed, pumping a hoof in the air. The three girls hoof bumped. Lightning Strike turned to the window. Her bright green eyes widened in alarm.

"Quick! Hide the body!" She yelled. Hope and Rainbow Dash immediately grabbed Lightning Dust's hindhooves and dragged her into the corner. Hope draped a plot-convenient over Lightning Dust's unconscious body.

"Welcome to the Shovel Store!" Rainbow Dash greeted the newest "customer" cheerfully. "How can I help- Twilight?!" Rainbow Dawn's pupils became dots.

"Hi, Rainbow Dash!" The high and mighty alicorn Princess of Friendship and Magic greeted her. "I got an invitation to your Shovel Store. It's quite nice, actually- Aah!" The high and mighty alicorn Princess of Friendship and Magic fell forward. Rainbow Dash stepped back to avoid Twilight falling on her. Behind the fallen Princess stood Hope, and triumphant smirk on her face.

"Take that, idiot!" She yelled, kicking the high and might alicorn Princess's body. "That'll teach you to bash my belief system!"

"She's my friend!" Rainbow Dash pressed her muzzle right against Hope's. "You didn't tell me you were going to knock out Twilight!"

"Well, I'm aloud to, aren't I?" Hope pointed out. "You could knock out Petal of Bubbleburst, and I could be steamed, but it wouldn't be breaking the terms of agreement." Rainbow Dash kept her eyes narrowed.

"Fine," she grumped.

"Now I just need a chainsaw..." Hope muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing!" Hope responded quickly, sucking in her cheeks and averting her gaze. "Let's get Twilight's body out of here."

"I'll be a nice friend and spare you the torture of touching her!" Lighting Strike told Hope sweetly.

"Watch it," Rainbow Dash muttered in a low, dangerous, voice.

"Speaking of watching," Hope said from her spot at the front of the store, "I'm watching the window, and I see some stallions heading our way."

"They're here!" Lightning Strike squealed, dropping Twilight's leg with a thump. "Yes!" She grabbed a shovel and flew out the door.

"Welcome to the Shovel Store!" She exclaimed eagerly. "Come in right now!"

"You're so phony," Hope murmured as Lightning Strike ushered the stallions inside.

"What's this store for?" asked a Pegasus stallion named Bubbles. His coat was sky blue, and his shaggy mane was black and red. Rainbow Dash, Hope, and Lightning Strike rolled their eyes simultaneously.

"Gee, I wonder what we could sell at the Shovel Store," Rainbow Dash commented.

"Chicken?" suggested an orange Unicorn in the back.

"Very funny!" Hope shouted at him, glaring daggers into his face.

"Why don't you all spread out and look around?" Lightning Strike suggested, a devilish light dancing in her eyes.

"Alright," the stallions agreed, dispersing from their group throughout the small store. Hope, Rainbow Dash, and Lightning Strike flew outside.

"This is so mean," Hope laughed. "Even if those idiots deserve it."

"Let's do it together, okay?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "One, two, THREE!" The three mares pushed on the side of the building. It happened to be poorly built, and everything began to crumble. Lightning Strike stared rolling around on the ground as the stallions' exclamations reached their ears.

"Hey! What's going on!"

"I told you we should have stayed home."

"You said no such thing!"

"Curse Lightning Strike!"

"Don't forget Hope!"

"Or Rainbow Dash!"

"Watch out! Shovel at twelve o'clock!"

Hope and Rainbow Dash laughed as well until the cries died down.

"Should we check to see if they're alright?" Hope asked when her laughter subsided.

"Nah," Rainbow Dash and Lightning Strike replied in unison.

"If they did, nopony has proof we did it," Rainbow Dash commented.

"Hey, you wanna catch a movie at my house?" Lightning Strike asked.

"Sure!"

"You don't have to ask me twice!"

The trio flew off, leaving Lightning Dust, high and mighty alicorn Princess of Friendship and Magic Twilight Sparkle, and 11 disgruntled stallions in the ruins of a shovel store.