Rainbow Dash. A pony always on the lookout for the next coolest thing. It had to be at LEAST 20% cooler than the last coolest thing, but Dash was confident she would find what she was looking for in ten seconds flat.
Strolling along the shops of Canterlot city, seeing ponies dressed up in their finery, she felt slightly inadequate, and wished she still had her element of harmony to adorn her neck.
She was wrenched from these thoughts as her eyes were drawn towards window display. A new thing. Dash had heard rumors of their existence, but she'd never really believed that there was such a thing as a games console. She had to have it. Making sure there was nopony around, Dash turned and smashed the window with her back hoof, snatching the games console. She giggled. Grabbing stuff was fun. Like those magazines, and that CD...
Dashie mentally slapped herself. She really needed to stop shoplifting, or somepony was going to rat her out to the palace guards. Dash had spent two weeks in a jail cell already, trying to rob a bank. She didn't plan to repeat that experience.
With a beat of her wings, the blue pegasus was soaring into the sky, high above the clouds, device clutched tightly to her chest.
Upon arriving in Ponyville, she immediately took the console to the library, where the others anxiously awaited her return.
Scootaloo was first to bounce out, followed by Pinkie, who was so excited she ran straight into Scootaloo, landing both ponies in a heap on the floor. Dash winced as she executed a neat landing.
"Watch where you're going, Pinkie!" muttered Scootaloo.
"Yeah!" called AppleJack from the door. "Watch my baby!"
Dash choked on the cupcake Pinkie Pie had immediately stuffed in to her mouth.
"Your what now, AJ?" She called, confused.
"Oh, you've been down Canterlot for the last few weeks! We decided Applebloom needed a sister her age, and well... My parents ain't likely to be poppin' out any more fillies six feet under, are they? " AppleJack smiled guiltily. Mentioning the death of any Apple family member had become taboo.
"AppleJack's my mom now!" announced Scootaloo happily, apparently not seeing the effect the news was having on Dashie.
Dash fake smiled, holding up her video game console, and beginning a slow trot inside.
Applejack. Adopted Scootaloo. She looked over to where the filly was flying in loop-de-loops, much to the delight of Applebloom. Dash stopped. FLYING? Oh, so Dash's years of coaching didn't work. One week with Applejack, and Scootaloo was doing LOOP-DE-LOOPS. This was so not cool. Karma, she decided, for stealing all that stuff. Sweetie belle looked less than impressed as she glanced at Dash.
"Dashie? You coming in or not?" Twilight spat impatiently, purple wings fluttering with annoyance. Dash shuddered. Twilight had been so cold and distant, since Spike and Rarity got together. It was well known that Twilight nearly had a fit when she found out, almost incinerating Rarity with her magic. Rarity was slightly more reserved these days, she didn't speak to Twilight at all if she could help it, and no more than two words unless required, to anypony else. She only really came alive for Spike and it saddened Dash.
Fluttershy was almost invisible. She had moved back to Cloudsdale when Discord had broken off their relationship. He'd started seeing Celestia, and Fluttershy's general manner had become dark and twisted, her quiet words only of revenge.
AppleJack and Scoots had betrayed her.
with her cooking. She gave regular tours of the cellar, and the others often caught her crying. Even now, she bit her lip as she look at Dash.
Even Discord hadn't done as good of a job at corrupting the elements of harmony. The element of loyalty was stealing.
Pinkie Pie really just hadn't been the same since Twilight had given her a MLP fanzine. She was desperate to prove there was nothing wrong
She felt like she was about to cry, so she plugged the machine in. She played a few levels of a game, where you had to jump the princesses through hoops, and then had to pull out one of her feathers to wipe it off as Twilight spat on the screen in disgust.
Suddenly words in black and blood-red flashed up;
"Would you like to play?"
"Say yes! YES, YES, YES!" Squealed Scootaloo. Rainbow didn't feel like doing anything for the filly, at the moment, but even Rarity's eyes were sparkling delightedly as she nudged Spike. If it made Rarity smile again...
"Oh, all... MMRKPH" Dash spat out a pastry.
"For Celestia's sake, Pinkie!" She shrieked. " If you kill me, it's gonna be because you choked me to death on one of the stupid cupcakes that AREN'T made out of ponies. Everypony KNOWS you could never hurt anypony! Please, stop trying to make me eat them!"
Pinkie curled up into her Nervoxicted position, but instead of squealing happily, she burst into tears.
Accusing eyes turned on Dash's anxious face. She hadn't meant to upset Pinkie again.
"Sugarcube, I think what Rainbow's trying to say is, that while we all love your cakes, there is too much of a good thing. Also, Dash is intolerant to the green icing, remember?"
The pink pony was on her feet in an instant. "Oh Celestia, Dash! Why didn't you remind me?"
"Darling, she hasn't had a moment to speak! every time she's opened her mouth since she got back, you've stuffed a cake in there." Rarity whispered softly to Pinkie Pie. It was more than she'd said to anypony in months.
Dash used her nose to push the button.
"BAD CHOICE" A horrible, crackling voice spilled out of the speakers, and the games console blew up as everything went black.
