Chapter 4: Meet the G4 ponies!

Rainbow Dash yawned loudly, rising slowly from her sleep. "Such a darling, rainbowy day!" She exclaimed, with a smile. Zecora's potion had done wonders for her sleep (not to mention the dream catcher -- from the old country -- that the old shaman had given her; claiming it would "ward away bad dreams so that you will, no longer, scream!") No more nightmares and no more weird dreams just happy, dashing sleep.

"It's today!" Rainbow said to herself, greeting the day with a warm smile. "I suppose I should go wake up that darling, Pinkie!" She said to herself, thinking about all the activities she had planned for the day. Maybe she would see if she could finally get some work done on a nice hat or a scarf for their darling host. Or maybe she could make a kite or two -- she had, after all, been meaning to resurrect her kite shop (and her kites, back home, were getting a little dusty right now.) Of course, she was sure Zecora had some more things for them to fetch from the forest; nevertheless she was feeling eager to get out -- despite the fact that there are no rainbows in the forest.

Rainbow, gingerly walked over to the pile of blankets on the other side of the small room they were in, and gently tapped her friend on the shoulder. "Pinkie: it's today!" She said, with enthusiasm. "We should go see if, our darling friend, Zecora is up, darling." She said, smiling to her friend as she started to stir.

"Rainbow!" Pinkie said, with a yawning sigh. "It's too early to be getting up! And I'm pretty sure you're not a morning person!" She said, sarcastically, before finally getting up -- she was tired, but not that tired. The good news for her, though, was that her nightmares had gone away at about the same time that Rainbow's had. This meant, of course, that no further action had needed to be taken -- and she was just happy to be dreaming about pink, pink, and more pink again. So after another yawn, she opened her mouth. "So Rainbow Dash, you think Minty's doing any better?" She said, with a smile.

"Well, Shall we see, darling?" Rainbow asked, with effervescence, as she pointed towards the other room. "Let's see if that darling, Zecora, is up!"

Walking into the other room, they could see the old Zecora was, indeed, already stirring, and was preparing some kind of a oat porridge in the cauldron. "Hello! I'm surprised you're up already; I was certain your eyelids would be heavy." She said, with an understated smirk.

"Well, darling, I thought I would get the day started, early!" Rainbow said, with a sunny smile. "So that I could possibly get our, darling, errands done early, and I could have some time to do something special for you, our darling host!"

The old shaman gave an understated smile. "Ahh! So my potion did its job! You sleep, now, like a log!" The old shaman said, her smile turning into a smirk.

"Oh yes!" Pinkie said, with a giggle. "And Rainbow's feeling more like her 'darling' old self." She said sarcastically, gesturing extravagantly, with a giggle.

"Oh, darling!" Rainbow said with a gesture and a chuckle, waving a hoof herself. "So Zecora, darling, what are you fixing? It smells dashing!" She said, smiling at their host.

Zecora smiled. "I've fixing oats, I hope you are hungry as goats!" She said, with a smirk.

"So, darling!" Rainbow said. "What do you need us to fetch for you today, darling?" She said, with a smile. "I'm looking forward to getting out of the hut!" She said, with enthusiasm.

"Oh! And I'm hoping to make a fourth puzzle hunt victory!" Pinkie said, smirking at Rainbow Dash. "Puzzlemint will be so very impressed!" She said, with a smile.

"Oh no chores today! In the hut you will have to stay!" Zecora said, with a smirk. "The doctor comes today, and with your friend you all should stay!"

Pinkie smiled ear to ear. "Does that mean?"

Zecora nodded. "You're friend is doing well! But only the doctor, for sure, can tell!"

"Ok!" Pinkie said, with a smile. "That sounds Pinkie keen! So when is the doctor going to arrive?" She said, enthusiastically.

Zecora smiled. "There's just enough time for our breakfast to heat, and if we hurry, to eat!"

********

After a short while, a clopping sound could be heard in the distance, as the old doctor approached. "Ready or not here I come." He said to himself, with a deep, deep, frown. "This had better be important! I had hoped not to ever have to set hoof back into the Celestia forsaken Everfree Forest ever again!" He said, approaching the door. He decided to loudly rap on it. "Either 'Princess' Twilight had better be right, or the body better be buried deep!" He said, rolling his eyes. "Bumpkins!"

The old zebra smirked to herself, silently, before opening the door. "Do please come in! The patient lies within!" She said, beckoning with her hoof.

"Oh shut up!" The old doctor scowled, giving the zebra the stink eye. "Let me see the body doctor Frankenhoof!" He said, lightly pushing the zebra aside. "Where have you buried her?"

Zecora's eyes showed a little agitation for a second, before she smirked again, subtly. "She's in my bed! Maybe -- " (The zecora had been, naturally, sleeping on the floor, but she hoped that once the green pony was better, never more!)

The doctor interrupted her, with his own smirk. "Maybe I'd like to see the body instead!" He said, showing himself to the shaman's bed. "Let me see how badly your ooga-booga magic has failed!" He said, walking over, expecting to get a dreadful smell, instead a voice could be heard.

"So doctor! When am I going to get out of here! It's boring, and I can't play chocolate checkers, and I can't stand on my head!" The mint pony said, with a frown. "And there's no green anywhere! Everything is brown!"

For a second, the old doctor was actually speechless. Maybe his diagnosis was flawed? It had to be! The only other option was that he was wrong about the witch doctor's abilities, and he wasn't about to do that!

In any case, he had a patient to examine. "Well this is going to tickle!" He said to the mare, firing off a spell to get an idea of the pony's state. Much to his chagrin, it appeared that she was healing well. Bone transforming from bone chips and powder, to almost fully healthy tissue. Maybe there was something to the Zecora's magic after all.

"Actually I'm impressed." He said, choking out an uncomfortable smile. "It looks like she's healing quite well."

The Zecora only smirked.

"Well the good news, for you then, is that I'm going to send the colts to take her to Ponyville General, so we can finish her up there." He said, his smirk returning. "I think tomorrow, or the next day, I'll have the knuckleheads come here to transport her somewhere less spooky." He said sternly.

"Are you sure it's ok for him to take Minty away?" Pinkie said, with apprehension. "I mean you're doing such a good job, Zecora!"

"I think it's for the best, or my hut's resources she would, eventually, test." The zecora said, with a frown. "It's not, for her, good to sleep in a hut. She should sleep anywhere but!"

"Yes, darling, the doctor just wants to make sure she's going to be ok!" Rainbow said, with a reassuring smile. "Besides, darling, she needs to some space to be herself --"

"And more green!" Pinkie said, to herself, with a chuckle.

********

Zecora smiled. "So what do you contemplate, as you sit and vegetate?" She asked her green friend, still wrapped in bandages.

"Hey Zecora, I know you said that I shouldn't be upset, but I am anyways. I was just thinking about what I did to everyone's Christmas -- not just once, but twice!" Minty said, with a frown -- sobbing silently.

"It's ok to be sad, but of much you still have to be glad." The wise Zebra responded.

"I suppose..." Ponyville's green machine said, with a smile. Followed, by a stray thought. "That's it!" She said to herself, her smile growing into an ecstatic grin. "We'll do Christmas all over again! We'll have a do-over Christmas! And we can decorate, and Cotton Candy can make coco! And Sweetberry can make more cookies, and Twinkle Twirl can bring everyone back together for carols!" She said, with enthusiasm.

The Zecora only waved with her hoof.

"Yeah I know it'll be hard, cause Christmas was a week ago." She said, with a chuckle. "But we could make it Christmas in January! And I could go on a dangerous adventure to find Santa again! And I could bring him back and -- "

Zecora smiled slightly, and spoke with slight sarcasm. "I don't believe this is a good plan, is this not how you ended up in a jam?"

"Ohhh!!! Right!" Minty said, with a smile. "Well maybe I'll go on a non-dangerous adventure to find Santa! And I'll make sure to bring Pinkie along this time! And we'll find Santa, and he'll make it Christmas again!" She said, with glee, mentally stamping her hooves together. "Oh... wait!" She said, stopping her own thought process. "But how will I do it if I'm still sick, and won't I be weak for a while?" She said, with a sigh.

The Zecora only winked. "If you promise to be safe, more potions I will make with haste! You know what would make the best gift -- "

The green pony smiled. "Of course! I know exactly what you mean!! I can give everyone Fruit Cakes! Right?" She said, with glee, once again planning gifts for everyone.

The Zecora simply shook her head, with a bemused smile.

"Socks?" Ponyville's green machine asked.

Zecora simply smiled, keeping her laughter to herself.

********

"You ok Rainbow Dash?" Pinkie asked, with a frown. "You've been looking out the window all afternoon." She said, looking at the most fashionable pony in Ponyville sitting like a lump twiddling her hooves -- looking like a sad sack.

"I should be happy, darling, I really should!" Rainbow said, to Pinkie, with a frown. "But I keep getting the feeling that what happened to that darling, Minty, was all my fault!" Rainbow said with a sigh. "And then it just had me thinking about my oh so un-dashing nightmares, darling!" She frowned again. "Truth be told, I feel like they've been trying to seep out for days, despite the darling potion that, that darling, Zecora gave me!" She said, shifting her seating position. "And I feel like I've been just horrible to you too!" She said to the pink pony sitting beside her, apologetically.

"Oh Rainbow!" Pinkie said, trying to figure out what her dashing friend meant. "I have no idea what you think you did wrong, but I forgive you." She said, with an honest smile. "Remember: 'after Christmas, we'll just laugh and laugh! Can't stop Christmas from coming!'" She said, to Rainbow -- shaking her head -- hoping to remind her not to worry (and parrot some wise words she said to her Mint green friend, a little over a week ago.)

"I suppose, darling." Rainbow said, reluctantly. "I think some sleep will also help." She said, laying down in her pile of blankets, while Pinkie went to her pile on the other side of the room.

After a short time, Rainbow began to sleep. And despite three days of Zecora's better efforts, the dreams came anyway.

She found herself, walking along the road out of Ponyville, accompanied by her friends, Cheerilee, Scootaloo, StarSong, Toola-Roola, Sweetie Belle and, of course, Pinkie Pie. She could tell the clouds were lifting, allowing today, to be positively perfect. For whatever reason, Pinkie had decided to blindfold everyone for some surprise, she was planning to show them outside of town. For some reason, in her dream, it seemed like a good idea to walk forward wearing a dusty old blindfold, walking along towards lord knows what.

"I can't see a thing." StarSong said, with a smile. Eager to find out what surprise Pinkie had in store. "I hope it's something super fun!"

"Me neither!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed innocently. "I should've brought cookies!"

"Pinkie Pie! Where are you taking us?" Cheerilee asked, barely avoiding a case of the giggles.

After a short while, Pinkie began to speak again. "Just a little further!" Pinkie exclaimed, causing everyone to speed up slightly.

"Ok! Stop!" Pinkie said, causing Scootaloo to stop suddenly. Causing Cheerilee to bump into her, followed by Toola-Roola, StarSong, herself, and finally Sweetie Belle.

Everything was starting to go black! The poison was starting to move to its final outcome, despite her better efforts. Wasn't she just blindfolded? "I have to do something! Dulcamara and the others are on their way, and I'm in no condition to fight any one of them, let alone all four." She said, with a sigh. All of a sudden, her vision returned, only to find herself, staring eye to wall with some kind of magical barrier. She was, once again, a scary, unfashionable bug pony -- she could sense it. But there was no time for that now as behind her, quickly catching up, were the meanies from her other dreams. She had to move quickly, but how do you move through a brick wall? "How do I move through a wall Discord set up to keep ponies out?" She found herself asking, herself. "I'm guessing it's to ensure Minhoof-Tierhoof will remain desolate forever!" She lamented. "Even if I enter, I won't make it, but maybe the children can."

Dulcamara could be seen quickly approaching, in full changeling form.

"I hope this will work!" She said to herself. "Imagine this barrier! What is it missing? Change your magical energies to move in sync!" She said to herself.

"What's she up to?" Dulcamara asked herself, out loud. As she peered down on her old rival, Lady Rainbow. "She's attempting a transformation with that poison rushing through her systems! What a fool. And why that ridiculous form?" She asked, as the rainbow maned changeling began to shift into a fashionable cerulean changelicorn version of herself -- complete with pastel rainbow mane.

Dulcamara motioned the other three assassins to circle the other two sides of the runaway princess as well as her escape from above. "It's over now!" She said, cockily. "This blight on the hive ends now!"

"I hope this works!" Not Rainbow said to herself, pushing against the wall -- which seemingly began to wrap around her. This, however, proved to be a mistake, as even in her dreams, she could sense how much this hurt. She could feel her everything crying out with a feeling like she was being burned alive. But she had to hold onto the foals at all costs! They had to make it through, even if she didn't!

And just like that, she was blindfolded again, smelling StarSong's plot (not the most pleasant thing ever!)

"I promise you the best day ever, didn't I?" Pinkie asked, with a smile, and a giggle, taking a breath to speak again.

However, instead Scootaloo responded back sarcastically, as she always did. "You did! But it's a dud!" She said, sounding very upset (and none too confident of Pinkie's best day ever!)

"Well maybe you should think again!" Pinkie said, with a smirk. "Because you may now remove your blindfolds!" She said, with indomitable enthusiasm.

Of course she had to do as Pinkie requested, tossing off her blindfold -- to an inky blackness.

"Were you expecting something?" A strange mix-and-matchum-up creature inquired. "Standing over her shoulder.

She looked around, why was this place so empty. And who or what was this creature standing over her? And was it even real?

"I bet you are wondering why this place is so empty? " The creature said, with great pride. "Well I just finished a season, and so the place had to be closed for renovations!" It hissed. "You see I have a cycle going on here! And every pony plays their part for the better of -- " He said, waving a rainbow over his head. "Discordtopia!" It said, with a smirk.

"Discord!" She hissed, talking to a pony she had never met. "You're supposed to be a giant lawn ornament! You can't be real"

He simply smirked, ear to ear -- laughing slightly -- wrapping himself around her, and putting his claw on her shoulder. "Hey babe! Here I'm as real as I need to be! And I wouldn't be so haute, considering that you three are trespassers here! " He said, suddenly dressed like Barney Fife. "Maybe this would make my point! You see your little friends over there!" He said, opening a view port through the black sky where they just entered.

Outside, Dulcamara was seething. "Unacceptable! The Lady shall not get away again!"

"Relax!" Said a young Solanaceae, finally joining his mentor, and the other assassins."How could we even get in there? And to top it all off, it looks to me like she just got turned into space dust! I feel we can safely leave now!"

"NO!" Dulcamara hissed. "She's in there somehow and I'm going after her!" She said, concentrating her energies. "There's someone in there that somepony loves! And I'll take their form." She said, transforming into an odd looking Puzzlemint with a small snout.

"Now watch what happens when she tries to sneak her way into 'Discordtopia'!" The draconequus hissed. "This should be great!" He said, suddenly wearing nothing but fifties 'three-d glasses', and holding a bucket of tofu. "Oh wait..." He said, looking at the box of 'healthy foods' he was holding in his claw. Frowning slightly, he snapped his claw. "Now! This should be great!" He said, suddenly holding, instead, a bucket of popcorn (with extra artificial butter).

"Now I simply need to push my way in!" Grunted Dulcamara, as she spoke her last words, beginning to push. In a split second, something that looked like the flashing of a bug zapper could be seen all the way from Canterlot.

Rainbow looked on with horror. "What just happened to her!" She shrieked, about ready to vomit. "What did you do to her?"

Discord chuckled. "You see: " He chuckled. "That's what happens to intruders!" He smirked. "Now I don't know how you three managed to break into my little universe egg, but I think you should be leaving the same way!" He chuckled. "Unless..." He said, holding his claw to his face in a thinking pose -- his face contorted into a very sadistic expression.

"Whatever it is! I want no part of it!" Rainbow grunted, trying to hold her cool, despite the raging poison. "So if you will excuse me!" She said, trying -- unsuccessfully -- to walk away.

A buzzing sound came out of Discord's mouth, as he was suddenly dressed like Alex Trebek. "I'm sorry that answer is... incorrect..." He said, holding out an answer card. "The correct answer is:... 'I'm going to join the G3 phonies'." He said, now appearing again, as himself -- materializing from the darkness, grin first, chestier cat style.

"You see I have this giant game of ' Ponyville Adventure Game' -- " He said, holding up a tin box with a pink celebration castle, a rainbow road on it, and pictures of Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Toola-Roola, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Cheerilee, and StarSong on it. "And I have assembled all of the pieces, from Abra-ca-dabra to Yours Truly -- and even some not even on the list." He said, holding up miniatures of all of the ponies from Breezie Blossom, Unicornia, Butterfly Island, and Ponyville -- and even places beyond, including some she had never met.

"Actually! Shouldn't there be only seven pieces? I mean there are only seven on the box!" Rainbow Dash said, with sarcasm, looking for a way out.

"Actually this is the deluxe edition complete with background ponies without any name!" He said, grinning ear to ear. All of a sudden, Discord shook violently, gasping horribly. Before melodramatically opening his mouth. "But I seem to be missing four very important pieces!" He said, holding up a Star Catcher miniature, a Pinkie Pie miniature, a Minty miniature, and a Rainbow Dash miniature. As he melodramatically held his claw to his head. "However will I survive! Whatever shall I do!" He said, borrowing Rarity's fainting couch. "Oh wait!" He said, looking at the Star Catcher piece. "I never liked this piece anyway!" He said, throwing it over his shoulder, as it exploded violently.

After a few seconds, his expression grew ominously sadistic. "But wait! I see three perfect actors." He said, waving over the Rainbow Dash, and the two bug pony foals under each of her wings. "That would be perfect for these roles!"

"I mean here's a green one!" He said, pointing at bug foal Minty. "The pink one." He said, pointing at baby bug foal Pinkie. "And the Rainbow one! So basically you three are going to take those roles."

"Don't you know imitation is ! -- " Rainbow started, trying to dissuade the mad lord of chaos.

"Yeah I know! The best form of flattery! So time is Chaos!" He said, ripping the foals from under her wings using magic. "Shall we get started!"

As he began to slowly close in, she shrieked. "You leave them alone!" As she releasing a beam of almost all the magic she had.

He simply held out his claw, and the magic beam blew up into baskets of glitter.

"Oh Rainbow Dash! We already have a Sparkleworks! See!" He said, holding out the real full sized Sparkleworks -- her face still distorted in terror -- as well as the miniature. "So you can skip the audition, because we don't need another!" He said, before Sparkleworks -- and her miniature -- disappeared back into the darkness. "And because you are supposed to be an earth pony now, you don't need those wings or that horn!" He said, her horn and wings disappearing with a snap of his paw.

He tapped one hoof against each foal's head, causing them to slowly lose their color.

"No!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "You leave them alone!" She hissed, charging at him with all her might. She might not have magic or flight, but she could, and still would, fight. She could barely trot though, because she was so dizzy from the poison...

"Stay with me Rainbow!" He said, with a chuckle. "I don't want to have to wait around another thousand years or two for another stand in to be found!" He said, laughing uncontrollably to himself. "So why don't you have a seat!" He said, as the aether beneath her, swallowed her legs, preventing her from moving.

"Now let me show you a funny little trick I stole from a very handsome stallion somewhere!" He said, chuckling at all three ponies, as he began to rhyme (on a dime). As the foals began to be forcibly morphed into a form (Ok Pinkie just lost her teeth, and her shriveled wings and horn -- but Minty wasn't so lucky.)

"Let's have some fun!
after all, my day's just begun!
Of love you won't feed!
Of Brains you'll have no need!
Your body contort!
Your mind will distort!
In G3 you'll stay!
Oh happy day!"

********

"NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" Rainbow screamed, as she awoke with a start, seeing only a field of green before her eyes. Her everything hurt, and it felt like her body was full of electricity.

On the other side of the room, Pinkie began to stir. She yawned, loudly, before looking over to see what the matter was. What she found, was Rainbow Dash, looking outside the window depressed, rocking back and forth. "You ok Rainbow? I heard you scream." She said with a frown, before yawning noticeably. "And it woke me up!" She said, sounding slightly agitated.

"I'm terribly sorry, darling. I just had another nightmare!" Rainbow said, with a sigh, looking out. "And now I'm thinking about how long it's been since I've seen -- let alone ridden -- any rainbows, or made a new outfit, or anything." She said, sighing. "And everything was going along so dashingly too!"

Pinkie frowned, before going into reassurance mode. "Remember Rainbow!" She said, waving her hoof. "Bad dreams come and go! But -- "

"True friendships remain!" Rainbow said, her frown unmoved. "I know, darling; but, right now, I'm having trouble believing that myself!" She said, sighing.

Rainbow rocked for a few more minutes before turning over, and attempting to go back to sleep.

Pinkie sat there for a second, thinking. "Maybe Zecora could help!" She thought to herself, walking over to the next room. " Zecora would know what to do!" She said to herself, expecting to find the Zecora asleep. Instead the zebra was sitting up, listening to Pinkie's green friend snore.

"What brings you up so late? Were you the one who's sleep wasn't great?" She asked, with a frown.

"No!" Pinkie said, with a sigh. "That was Rainbow Dash." She said, looking at the Zecora again. "She just had another nightmare."

Zecora sighed, and looked puzzled. "I had hoped, her bad dreams, my dream catcher would snare. But apparently, her sleep, will be difficult to repair." The wise zebra said, thinking to herself. "Tell me, what does your friend like to do? Name to me, more than a few!"

Pinkie sat down on her plot, her legs jetting out. Taking her normal thinking position. "Well she likes Rainbows! Lots and lots of Rainbows! And she knows everything about rainbows!" Pinkie said, as the wise zebra nodded, instinctively. "Oh and designing things! And she loves to help decorate, and help stage our events -- though party planning is more my thing. She's been the host more than once."

Zecora was still nodding, but it was obvious she was waiting for something else she could use.

"Oh and fashion! She adores fashion! And painting her nails! (Oh wait that was another Rainbow Dash)"

At that point, Zecora's face lit up, as the wheels in her head began to form a plan. "For now, please sleep. I have a plan, your friend's nightmares not to repeat!"

********

Pinkie woke up the next morning. It had been a pretty uneventful sleep. Yeah, she had had a strange dream, where mama pie was carrying her through a wall, but overall a reasonably good sleep. Rainbow, though, looked like she was still in a bad mood. "You ok, Rainbow Dash?" Pinkie asked, with a concerned frown. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Oh, darling, I'm fine." Rainbow lied. "I'm still stewing about that dream from last night though!" She said, with a frown. "I simply can't believe the dreams I've been having." She said, looking away, her frown deepening. "So undashing!" She said, looking downwards.

As she was talking, though, Zecora showed up, furnishing a smile. She winked discreetly at Pinkie. "Rainbow Dash, there's no time to mope! You've got to have hope. You've been here a week! It's time to earn your keep!" She said, brining out a list of things she needed. "This list I need you to heed. I have a few ingredients, from Ponyville, I need!" She said, as all three ponies faces filled with confusion.

"Darling, we have to go all the way back to Ponyville, but it's three days by balloon, darling!" Rainbow said, trying to divine what the Zecora meant.

"No it's nearby, as long as by the path you travel by!" She said, giving them a map. "Follow this map, and you won't need to pull the route to Ponyville out of a hat." She said, continuing her rhymes.

"Oh! Of course!" Pinkie said, with a smile. "This town must be named Ponyville too! It really is a small world!" She said, to herself -- remembering the map they once had.

As Rainbow scanned down the list, her face filled with delight. "Oh Darling!" She said, looking as enthusiastic as Pinkie. "You need a 'Nightmare Night' costume, darling! Now, darling, I don't know what that is -- but I'm certain that it means there's a boutique in town! How rainbowy ravishing!" She said, restraining her desire to stomp her hooves in glee.

Zecora smiled. "Remember you pony folk, the forest is not a joke! Stay on the path, lest you need to beat the beasts back with a staff!"

Rainbow nodded. She remembered the timberwolf attack a few days before. And planned not to repeat it.

Excusing themselves, they started to travel down the road, towards town. However, it quickly became obvious that they didn't know where they needed to go, or how to get there.

"Darling!" She said to Pinkie. "Are you sure we are going the right way?"

Pinkie shook her head slightly, squinting at the map. "I think so! But I'm not certain. I'm having trouble reading this map!" She said, with a frown. "I hope I figure it out soon!"

********

After a few minutes of wondering around, Rainbow Dash began to become exasperated. "I'm concerned, Pinkie darling, I can't seem to find this other Ponyville anywhere! Do you think we misread the map, Pinkie darling?" She said, with concern.

Pinkie just smiled. "I think we did!" She said, with a giggle. "Though, I see a clearing, maybe we can look at the map again!" She said, looking off into the distance for a minute before pointing to an clearing in the forest (near some really beautiful blue flowers, that they were told to avoid.) As they got closer, Pinkie smacked her lips. "Yup! Definitely a clearing!" She said, peeking out from between a break in the trees. "Oh and there's someone's house up there!" She said, with a smile. "Maybe we can ask them where Ponyville is!"

"Oh that sounds like a dashing idea, darling!" Rainbow said, with enthusiasm. "We'll ask the darling, and maybe they can help!" She said, crossing a bridge. "Oh what a darling bridge! And just look at that darling little Château!" She said, taking the view in. "It's so dashing!" It was certainly nice to get out of that hut and out of that dark, spooky, old forest -- and Rainbow Dash could feel it.

As they walked up, Pinkie smiled. "So who do you think lives here?" Pinkie asked, contemplatively. "Maybe a sporty person like Scootaloo, or maybe someone fun like Storybelle!" She said, thinking about some of Ponyville's other ponies.

"Well shall we find out, darling!" Rainbow said, as she slowly started to tap on the cottage's door. "Hello! Darling! Is anyone home?" She asked, as politely as she could, wondering if anyone was home (too bad Scootaloo wasn't around: she's a good knocker!) She wondered, if maybe they should leave and find someone else?

After a few seconds, however, their patience was rewarded, when they could hear hoof prints approaching and a soft spoken voice calling out. "One minute please. I'm coming." The voice said, followed by hoof steps.

"Oh well! She sounds like a nice person!" Pinkie said, with a smile. "She'll definitely be able to help!" She said, with glee, as the door opened slightly.

A butternut yellow pegasus with pink hair slowly peered through the opening. "Hello?" She said anxiously, just below her breath, before seeing, what she thought was her Rainbow Dash's symbol. "Oh. Hello Rainbow Dash." She said, a smile slowly materializing on her face, as she preceded to open the door further. She immediately, however, regretted it, as all she got out was the words "What brings you? --" Before screaming at the top of her lungs in abject terror, and freezing in place for a second (if you listened real quietly you could hear goats bleating.) Finally, she managed to rush back behind the safety of her door, loudly babbling something about Rainbow Dash hurting herself doing one of her dangerous and scary stunts, causing her muzzle to swell up in size like 50 times, cutting off the circulation to her brain! Causing her to become a zompony!"

"'Zompony' Huh?" Pinkie said, sarcastically to her friend. "Maybe you scared her slightly?"

Rainbow Dash waved her hoof. "Oh darling! You know I'm not a zomb-whatever! I don't eat brains, darling! That would be un-dashing!" Rainbow dash opened her mouth to try to convince this strange yellow pegasus not to be worried, however she had already quickly flown behind the door, and locked it behind her -- adding something to her previous rant about Pinkie doing her 'I bet you can't make a face crazier than this' face and her face getting stuck that way! Causing her to go crazy!"

"And apparently my face is the 'I bet you can't make a face weirder than this' face." Pinkie said, chuckling to herself. "Maybe I should talk to her, and see if she's ok!" Pinkie said contemplatively. "But I don't think it will be easy!" She said to herself, in her signature thinking pose. "She's pretty nervous! I haven't seen anyone that nervous of anything, since that time when Thistle Whistle visited during Ponyville's cloud jamboree!"

"That won't be necessary, darling!" Rainbow said, with a smile. "I'll talk to her." She said, lightly tapping on the door again. "I'm sure that when I explain, she will understand that I didn't mean to hurt her with -- whatever it was I did!"

Pinkie just nodded.

A frightened voice shrieked from inside. "Go away! There's nopony home! No brains here!"

Rainbow Dash's face simply dropped, as she stood there utterly speechless. Her ramblings did remind her of Thistle's though! (Albeit with less whistling!) Maybe she should try a different tact?

However, while she was contemplating her next move, Pinkie decided to chime in. "Oh let me talk to her!" Pinkie said, with a smile. "So um... Hi!" Pinkie said, innocently. "I know Rainbow can be kind of scary! -- "

"Hey!" Rainbow shouted. "I am most decidedly not scary, darling!"

Pinkie just waved to her, discreetly. "See! Just like that! But she's actually quite harmless, and really friendly!" She said, like a mother to her child. "And all she wants to do is be your friend! And maybe make you a nice scarf!" She said, emphasizing the last sentence.

After a few minutes of trying to coax the nervous yellow pegasus out, Pinkie could hear some gulping, and a soft voice calling out from behind the door. "Hello?" The voice said.

"Oh! Hi!" Pinkie said, with a smile. "I'm sorry if we scared you earlier! We are just new to town, and we were trying to find out where town was!" She said, with a blush. "You see, we kind of got lost and -- "

The pegasus slowly opened the door. "Oh hello Pinkie, and Rainbow Dash!" She said, with a nervous smile. "What do you need? I thought Rainbow Dash weren't returning from her trip, with Scootaloo and Lord West Wind, to Cloudsdale until this afternoon. Is Tank sick or something?"

Rainbow stood there confused. "Oh darling! I think you have me confused with someone else!" She said, with a smile. "I'm actually here to get some supplies for Zecora, who's been busy helping my darling friend, Minty."

"Oh ok." Fluttershy said, looking slightly more confident. "I thought for a second you were my friend, Rainbow Dash, and that you had hurt yourself doing one of scary stunts, and had turned into a zompony."

Pinkie, resisted the urge to giggle. "Oh no! She no zombpony! In fact she's just fine, and fashionable!" She said, imitating Rainbow Dash for a second. "So what's your name?"

"Who me?" The Pegasus asked. "I'm Fluttershy. And you are Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie, correct?"

"Oh! Yes! That's correct!" She said, with a giggle. "I'm so glad you chose to open up! I would have had trouble talking to the door instead of you!"

Rainbow Dash decided to interject herself. "I'm so very sorry for scarring you, darling. I only meant to ask you for directions to Ponyville."

"Oh I think I can help you with that. " Fluttershy said, with a smile.

"Why thank you, darling!" Rainbow said, politely. "But what made you finally decide to open up?"

"I'm not really sure." The pegasus said, nervously. "I'm sorry!"

"Oh darling, I didn't mean to upset you." Rainbow said, blushing. "I just was curious what finally coaxed you out of your shell? Maybe we can use it to help our, darling friend, Thistle Whistle through her fear of clouds!"

"I don't know either." The pegasus replied. "I was ready to flee into my basement, and then suddenly I wasn't scared anymore. Like magic! And it just felt like my fear simply vanished. I think it's because your Pinkie is really persuasive!"

"Oh I am?!" Pinkie said, with a self gratified smile. "I always feel my best when the other ponies around me are happy! And I've always had an unnatural ability to make friends, and ponies feel good about themselves!"

"Kind of like our Pinkie?" The pegasus responded.

Pinkie just shrugged her withers.

********

After a few minutes, and some more small talk, they were back on the road again.

"Ok, darling. Let's look at the map again." Rainbow said, starting to get tired. "Are we getting close yet?"

"I don't know. We've got to be close though!" Pinkie said before, what appeared to be, her poofy haired mirror image meandered out from behind a bush. Pinkie froze for a second. Was she staring face to face with herself? (albeit darker, poofier, haired self.)

Rainbow Dash, put her hoof on her chin. "Hmmm... This does seem familiar, doesn't it, darling?" She thought to herself. But wasn't she on a slide last time?

Pinkie cocked her head, her mouth agape. Her reflection did the same. "That's odd, a mirror in the middle of the path?" She thought to herself. waving her hoof, in an unnatural manner. Her duplicate did the same. "That can't be right, can it?"

She turned to the side slightly to look at her own symbol in the mirror. It was definitely still there, but why was her reflection's hair so unruly? She took great care in make sure her mane was positively perfect. And she was sure her muzzle was bigger than this!

She turned to her other side, holding her hoof up -- her double, once again, mirrored her movements. "Definitely strange!" She thought to herself. "Maybe someone wants to distract me again?" She asked herself, facing forward, and raising her other hoof -- a confused expression still glued to her face. "If I didn't say better, this is supposed to be Minty!" Once again her double kept pace. "Ok! This time I can feel it!" She thought to herself, bending her front legs -- smirking fully -- this time her double failed to keep pace -- giggling manically instead.

Pinkie stood there, her own mouth fully agape. And her mind full of puzzlement (Not to be confused with Puzzemint -- that's a different pony.) This was weirder then if it had been a mirror! And why did she want to say 'Minty! Minty! Minty!' even though Minty wasn't even here?

Her double continued to laugh for a minute, before something in her brain appeared to break, as her face suddenly changed expression, and her double launched herself, hovering in mid air, for a full minute and a half. "HUURRRRRGGGGG!!!!!!" She screamed, at the top of her lungs, before speeding off rapidly.

"What do you think that was about Darling?" Rainbow Dash asked, her migraine temporarily returning. "And why did it seem to very familiar?"

Pinkie simply shook her head. "Oh.... I don't really know." Pinkie said to herself. "Definitely puzzling!" (Sorry there was no frosting on her hoof to lick off this time!)

Rainbow Dash responded. "Indeed, darling, but why ever do you think she ran off like that?"

Pinkie thought for a second, before responding. "Maybe she was late for an important meeting or something?" She said, thinking some more. "Or maybe she forgot her cookies in the oven! I still have those nightmares occasionally!"

"Maybe Darling!" Rainbow said, to herself.

********

"Oh! So this is Ponyville!" Pinkie said, with a smile, walking along, looking at streets she had never seen before. "It looks so very different from ours!" She said, taking in the sites. "For one thing: there are almost no hearts anywhere!" She said, her smile dropping slightly. "I even miss them a little!"

"Well not to worry, darling!" Rainbow said, encouraging her friend. "Minty will be better soon, then we can go back to our Ponyville!"

"Oh that sounds great!" Pinkie said. "The Winter Wishes Festival is only a week away! And I'm hoping to win the decoration contest this year!" She said, with a smile.

"Oh of course, darling!" Rainbow said, feeling competitive. "But you will have to beat me, of course! So I wouldn't get to eager, darling! Because I never, ever lose!"

"Oh! You're on!" Pinkie replied, feeling more chipper. "Maybe we should ask someone where to find Heart's Desire, because I think we're kind of lost. She said, looking around, feeling suddenly surrounded in a sea of strange ponies.

"I suppose, darling!" Rainbow said, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "And do you think that I'm crazy when I think everyone is talking about us?" She said, suddenly noticing an orange earth pony with green hair, talking to another pony -- pointing at the two of them.

"Oh! I don't know." Pinkie said, with a smile. "I think you're imagining things!" She said, not seeing anything out of the ordinary.

"Well, in any case, darling. I think we should find someone who -- " She said, talking for a second, before running into an amber earth pony, with a dark amber mane, and an hour glass cutie mark, knocking him down. "Oh I'm terribly sorry, darling!" Rainbow said, apologetically. "I wasn't watching where I was going and! --" She said, trying to help the earth pony up, by grabbing his hoof with her mutant hoof.

"Ouch! That's not quite the way to do that!" He said, struggling against her grasp.

"Oh! Sorry, darling!" Rainbow said, apologetically.

"No! It's mine!" He said, with a suave smile. "I wasn't watching where I was going and... and... and.... and... and... and..." He said, his face starting to show abject panic.

"You ok, darling?" Rainbow said, concerned as to why this pony was acting so odd. "You look like you've seen a ghost." She said, before looking him over for a second. And shaking her head. "I apologize for asking this, darling, but have we met before somewhere? You seem familiar to me?"

He started to back away. "Oh no! M...m....mmmmm..my name is Time Turner, and I don't believe we've been introduced." He said, starting to turn away.

"Ok, darling! My bad." Rainbow said, with a smile. "But would you mind telling me where I can find Heart's Desire, darling?"

"Oh certainly." He said, trying to cover his face with one hoof, and his cutie mark, with his tail. "Ask Rose, she has a store down by Sugar Cube Corner, just down the road there." He said, before rapidly speeding away.

Rainbow dash sighed. "Is it just me, darling, or is everyone in a terrible hurry here in this Ponyville?"

Pinkie just shrugged. "Maybe they're all late for Story Club or something?"

"Maybe, darling." Rainbow said, taping her hoof on her chin. "Though that man did seem familiar! In any case we know where to go." She said, starting off, down the road.

********

The sights! The smells! The stores! Rainbow was feeling uncomfortable, but no longer! Just the look of the storefronts reminded her of the store fronts back home. All she needed now was a boutique! But in any case, she had work to do, and nothing would distract her.

"So where did Time Turner say we could get Hearts Desire again?" Pinkie said, putting her hoof on her chin, while walking along. "He said there was a pony around here we could buy it from, right?"

"Yes, darling! I think her name was Roseluck, darling! You know, like our Desert Rose!" Rainbow said, with a smile. "I hope that darling Wysteria is doing alright, darling. She was feeling under the weather when we left!" Rainbow said, frowning for a second.

"Well! I'm sure she's ok now!" Pinkie said, to her friend. "But I think it might have been just Rose. What I'm wondering, though, is where her store is?" Pinkie said, looking at the words on one of the store fronts, with a frown. "I still can't read this writing! It's like we've entered another country!" Pinkie said, with a sigh.

"Yes! It's strange, darling! It's like no one reads English here!" Rainbow said, with dismay. "Maybe we can ask someone?" She said, noticing a pink earth pony, a green mane and a white flower cutie mark, staring into one of the store fronts.

Rainbow gingerly walked over to the earth pony. "Excuse me, darling!" She said, with a friendly smile. "I'm looking for Rose's place, and I was wondering, if you could give me directions, darling!"

'Why sure, Rarity!" She said, with a calm voice. "It's just over there." She said, pointing at another store front. "You looking to get something for this evenings date with -- " She started turning around, her face contorted in terror. "The horror! The horror! Rainbow Dash has been exposed to Poison Joke, while doing one of her outrageous stunts, and it's changed her into -- "

"Oh, darling!" Rainbow said, waving with her hoof. "Whatever do you? --" She asked, noticing suddenly that the other pony has disappeared into a cloud of kicked up sand. "That's interesting!" She said, to herself.

"Yes, very strange!" Pinkie said, licking some icing off her hoof, that had been left when she tried to order a pastry from a nearby cart. "For some reason they act really odd when they see us!" Pinkie said. "Do you think they're planning a birthday surprise for me? Like that time that Minty -- " She said, suddenly realizing she had remembered something with clarity that never happened. That birthday, she was thinking about, never happened, right?

"In any case, darling!" She said, walking up to the storefront. "Maybe we can ask Zecora later." She suggested to herself, as she walked up to a cream pony, with a raspberry mane, and Desert Rose's symbol. "Excuse me, you're rose, correct darling?"

"Yes, that's me!" She said, turning around with a smile. "What can I do for you Rarity, are you ready for your date with that stallion from House Ivy, what was his name?" She said, before getting a good look at 'Rarity' -- her face suddenly contorting with terror. "The horror!" She said, fidgeting with her door. "Rainbow Dash has hurt herself, doing one of her dangerously outrageous stunts, and it's knocked her feminine side loose! And now she's going to steal all the flowers in town to catch up on 18 years of being a girl!" She said, with horror, still trying to force her door open -- why wouldn't it open?

"Excuse me, darling!" Rainbow said, firmly. "But I believe you have me confused with another pony!" She said, approaching the counter. "As you can see, I'm clearly different then this 'Rainbow Dash', and I've certainly never been called Rarity!" She said, frowning slightly.

Rose took a few breaths, practically hyperventilating, before she could calm down. She stood there for a second, staring the other pony up and down, before. "Yes, I suppose you're right!" She said, with a blush. "You don't have wings, and your cutie mark is different, after all!" She said, apologetically. "So what did you need?"

"Well, darling! I'm looking for Heart's Desire. And some..." Rainbow said, looking at her ingredient list. "Easter lilies."

"Wow! Heart's Desire huh?" Rose said, getting closer. "What do you need it for?" She said, with a playful expression on her face.

"Well, darling!" Rainbow said, oblivious to Rose's desire to peer into her love life. "These are so Zecora can make a potion for my sick friend. You see she hurt herself a few weeks back, and --" She said, looking at Rose who was now looking sullen.

"I was hoping they were so you can impress the stallion of your dreams!" Rose said, frowning.

"Oh, darling! I wish!" Rainbow said, blushing a bright red. "Sadly not! There are just so few eligible stallions in my town. I haven't had any luck getting the ones I'm interested in to notice me."

"It's that way here too!" Rose said, sighing wistfully. "And all the good ones are spoken for!"

"But you best not give up, darling! I have my eyes on a couple! (Just watch Twinkle Wish and, you too, will understand the mystery of the one guy!)" Rainbow said, with a smile. "And one just came to town last spring. His name is Kenbroath."

Rose looked at Rainbow Dash, with a confused expression. "Kenbroath! That's an interesting name!" She said, getting closer. "Tell me more!"

Rainbow simply blushed. "No. Sorry, darling!" She said, turning away with a bright shade of red on her cheeks. "I've said enough! Zecora gave me these to pay with!" She said, handing over a couple of bits, her face still a bright red.

Rose, carefully prepared the items on Zecora's list, giving them back to Rainbow Dash, a mischievous grin on her face. "So you won't tell me anymore?" She said, hoping for more gossip.

"Sorry, I've said enough darling. Kenbroath is a close friend, and the princess mentor of a friend of mine, and I really would hate for him to get wind of this." She said, frowning slightly. "Besides, I really should be on my way to collect radishes for Zecora's potion."

For the first time all conversation, Rose frowned. "I'm sorry! The only place is the bazaar, and they are all out!" She said, looking sad.

"Oh! That's a disappointment, darling." Rainbow said, with a sigh. "Is there hopes I can pick them up from anyone?"

"Well, you could ask Twilight Sparkle. I saw her leaving the bazaar before I arrived. Maybe she got some?" Rose responded, still looking skeptical.

"Well! It's worth a try, darling!" Rainbow said, with a smile. "I apologize, but I'm new to town, could you point me to her house?"

"Sure!" Rose exclaimed. "She's in the Golden Oaks! I'll give you directions." She said, smiling.

"Excellent, darling!"

"Of course." Rose said, remembering something. "You could try Pinkie Pie, or Applejack." She said, with some enthusiasm. "They might also have something."

"Pinkie?" Rainbow said, with a flummoxed expression. "Isn't she standing right here?" She said, pointing to Pinkie.

Rose just about fled back into her store, before she realized: this was a different Pinkie Pie. "Nope! Different Pinkie. Course she might be hard to find at this time of day, as she's probably helping other ponies to smile!" She said, with a smile. "Applejack might be out at her stall selling apples."

"Thank you, darling!" Rainbow said, with a smile. "But how about directions to this Golden Oaks first! I've met Twilight before, and Zecora needs me to return a book to the Golden Oaks for her." Rainbow said, picking a book up out of her saddlebag (with her bare hoof, of course -- what else would she use to pick it up?)

"Ok!" Rose said, with a smile, as she started to give directions to the town's old library.

Pinkie, meanwhile stood there puzzled. It's amazing how many similarly named ponies they had run into! And now another Applejack, and Pinkie Pie (that must have been the pony she ran into earlier). Maybe it is just a small world, after all!

********

Sometimes a pony just needs to fly, and for Rainbow Dash, now was that time. If it wasn't bad enough that she had to end her date with Lord West Wind early due to some knucklehead concessionary giving the squirt bad hay blintzes. But, no sooner had she gotten back to Ponyville and explained things to Mrs. Gold Heart (she was none too happy that the half-pint got sick -- seeing as she already felt Rainbow was reckless, and irresponsible -- go figure!). Then, upon finishing her talk, she found out that some grey ditz messed up what should have been a very simple weather schedule; and she, therefore, had to work triple time on her day off to make up (and she hated to work straight, she preferred to work in spurts -- but not today.)

Finally, to add insult in injury, she started getting reports that there was another her in town (actually it was more like ponies were glad that the swelling in her muzzle had gone down, and her wings were still attached.) And what's worse, this pony was girly, and fashionable -- two things she was decidedly and intentionally not!

So fly she did, hoping she could either find this imposter, or find someone who had. After a period of time her temper began to recede, and she thought about working quadruple time on that weather schedule. Fortunately, for her temper, she caught sight of Fluttershy, who was heading out towards the bazaar.

"Hey Fluttershy!" Rainbow shouted from above. "You have a minute?" She said, looking from behind the cloud to see if anyone was watching her. It took a few minutes of subtle hints before her old friend from flight camp could notice her.

"Oh hey Rainbow!" Fluttershy said quietly, with a smile. "What's going on?" She asked quietly.

"Hey Fluttershy! You better be on the lookout! There's an imposter on the loose -- and she's trying to ruin my good name!" Rainbow said, with a scowl. "I can't believe she's all out there talking, and acting like Rarity! Makes me mad!" She said, fuming.

"I'm sorry." Fluttershy squeaked, cowering slightly.

Rainbow sighed, scaring her friend wasn't her goal. She just got so angry sometimes. "I'm sorry 'shy! It's just I'm so angry!" She said, with a scowl.

"I'm sorry to hear that. But other than that, how did your date with Lord West Wind go?" Fluttershy asked, inquisitively.

"Awesome! Just like me!" She said, with pride. "Lord West Wind is pretty awesome once you get to know him, and I was primed to win a fortune at the derby." She said, her face turning sour. "That was, of course, till the short stack got sick!"

"Oh my!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "What happened!"

Rainbow's face darkened. "When I find the dork that made those bad blintzes I'll give him a hoof to chew on!" She scowled. "The squirt got some bad blintzes, and we had to leave in a hurry." Rainbow said. "To top it all off, the weather team kind of goofed the weather today."

Fluttershy smiled. "I was wondering why it was sunny instead of partially cloudy, as was originally planned." She said, chuckling. "By the way, Rainbow. I'm glad your face is looking better! I was worried for a while there that you hurt your face and muzzle, and became a -- " She said, gasping slightly. "Zompony!"

Rainbow groaned. "You too shy? That wasn't me!"

Fluttershy apologized again quietly. "Sorry about that Dash! I didn't mean to upset you. I just forgot that she wasn't you and --"

"You saw her!" Dash said, suddenly filled with enthusiasm. "Where did she go?"

"Oh!" Fluttershy squeaked. "She went to see Rose to get some supplies for Zecora."

"Great!" Rainbow Dash screamed, already zooming across the sky at high speeds. "I can give imposter a piece of my mind!"

********

"Oh!" Pinkie said, looking carefully at the street signs. "I think we're getting close to Twilight's place." She said with a smile. "It's kind of hard to tell, though, where the right place is, because all the signs are messed up." She said, tilting her head slightly. "Maybe its..." She said, walking within a few feet of a tree. "Over here!" She said, enthusiastically. "Oh Rainbow Dash! I found it!" She said, with a smile.

"Oh darling! Let me see!" Rainbow said, herself becoming enthusiastic. This was her chance to really meet one of this Ponyville's princesses. And she didn't want to miss the chance (last time they met, she was kind of indisposed.) "Are you sure, darling?" She said, her face dropping. "This hardly seems fit for a princess. Remember: Spike specifically chose the Celebration Castle for Wysteria's place while she was princess!"

"Oh yeah! I know!" Pinkie said, contemplatively. "But I'm pretty sure this is Twilight's place!" She said with certainty. "I agree, I was totally expecting a giant sparkly crystally tree castle thing!" She said, her face going straight. "Instead of a regular tree with a book sign." She said, frowning.

"Yeah I know!" Rainbow Dash said, trying to console her friend. "But maybe they haven't had a chance to renovate the place yet, darling! She has been a princess less than a year, after all!" Rainbow said, forcing a smile. "Maybe it's on the schedule for later!"

"Oh I suppose!" Pinkie said, not believing her friend's words -- but smiling anyway. "In any case, we should probably bug Twilight about the radishes!"

"Yeah, I suppose we should, darling!" Rainbow said, lightly tapping on the door. "Do you think she's home, darling?" She said, trying to peak into a nearby window.

After a few seconds, a familiar alicorn opened the door. "Hello? The sign says open, so you can feel free to --" Twilight started, before getting a good look at the two ponies. "Oh hi Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie! What brings you here to the Golden Oaks?"

"Why hello, Twilight!" Pinkie said, with a smile. "Rainbow and I came by to return this book that Zecora borrowed." She said, grabbing the book from Rainbow Dash, and handing it to the Princess of Friendship (AKA the Princess of the Ponyville Library!)

Twilight smiled. "Great! And just on time!" She said, looking at the checkout time on the book. "Spike!" She shouted, for her 'number one assistant'. "Could you take this book back to section 4, subsection 34. Thank you!" She said, handing the book to her eager assistant. "So girls, do you have a library back home in Ponyville?" She asked, trying to make small talk.

"Oh yes!" Pinkie said, with a smile. "It's run by Kimono, and it's a lot bigger than this one." She said, looking around.

"Great!" Twilight said, with a smile (and having mixed feelings about the Golden Oaks being smaller then that other Ponyville's library.) "So do you girls like books?" She said, once again making small talk.

"Who me?" Pinkie asked, with a chuckle. "Yeah a little!" She said with a smile. "But what I really like are stories! I am, after all, one of the four members of Ponyville's story club -- along with Minty, Sunny Daze, and Storybelle! I did tell you about Storybelle, correct?" Pinkie said, with enthusiasm -- she could still remember the story from last spring, it was one of her favorites to date! "And have you heard of a story called Two for the Sky? It's one of my favorites!" Pinkie said, giggling slightly.

Twilight shook her head, no. She hadn't heard of that story.

"Oh! Too bad!" Pinkie said, disappointed. "I think you, Kimono, and Storybelle would get along so well!" She said, as Rainbow nodded politely. "Seeing as you are all really smart!" Pinkie said, her smile returning. "Though that doesn't mean I don't like books." She said, contemplatively. "I just don't find them as fascinating as fantasy stories." She said with a smile. "Though that does remind me of the time Butterscotch, and Sunny Daze found those glasses that literally made books come to life!" She said, giggling at the thought. "Kimono asked them to put them in the Ponyville museum instead!" Pinkie said, whimsically. "Can't say I disagree though, books are interesting enough as they are."

Twilight was fascinated. She liked fiction and fantasy, as much as the next pony, but really preferred to expand her mind with heavy reference materials and magical guides. "So why do you prefer fantasy Pinkie?"

"Oh it's just that I can get away from my every day adventures, and embark on grand adventures!" She said, with a smile. "Though I read more than just fiction." She said, starting to blush. "When no one is looking, sometimes I take a peek into the romance section." Pinkie said, starting to get a full blush.

"Interesting." Twilight said, starting to contemplate what book she would give the pink pony for her birthday (well she didn't know it was today, otherwise she'd have it already.) "And you Rainbow Dash?"

"Well, darling! I mostly prefer books on fashion, and design." Rainbow said, with a smile. "It's the best way to come up with new ideas and to really impress your friends with something new!"

Twilight frowned slightly. "Too bad! I have some books here that you would love. Sadly Rarity has them all checked out right now!"

Rainbow smiled, reassuringly. "No worries, darling! I'm sure this Rarity has a good reason for them! If she's also into fashion, then she sounds like just the sort of darling pony that I would like to meet!"

Pinkie stood there thinking for a second. Finally she remembered something she wanted to ask. "Excuse me, Twilight, but you wouldn't have gotten any radishes on hand, would you? Zecora needs them for Minty!"

Twilight frowned. "Sorry, the vender says he ran out last week, and won't have any in stock for a while!"

"Such a shame, darling." Rainbow said, with concern. "Zecora needed some really badly."

Twilight simply shrugged.

Pinkie's face suddenly lit up. "That's it!" She said, hopping slightly. "A think-a-squink!" She continued with enthusiasm.

"A squink?" Twilight said, her face filled with wonderment. "What's a squink?"

"Oh darling. Sadly you'll just have to wait, and see." Rainbow Dash said, with a smile. "Our friend Fiesta Flair tried to explain it to Tink-a-Tink-a-Too, but all it did was confuse the darling." She said, starting to gesture to her pink friend, who was bobbing back and forth, her back legs fixed, while she hopped back and forth between her front hooves -- making sure to wave her hair generously.

"That's interesting." Twilight said to herself, mildly amused. "Is this like Pinkie sense or something?" she asked, unaware of the magical dandruff beginning to fly.

The pink pony began to gallop in a small circle, as if chasing a small plane.

"You see, darling. First Pinkie Squishes." She said pointing to her friend, who bent her knees and hips slightly for a minute -- causing her to bend forward -- before resuming bobbing. The pixie dust beginning to thicken.

Finally, as the pony stood still, a visible pink fog began to form over the pink ponies head, as a cartoon style thought bubble began to visibly form. Several dozen boxes of radishes sat in a small pyramid in the cloud.

"What in the!" Twilight exclaimed -- this was definitely not just a Pinkie Sense kind of thing.

"Quiet darling, she's only getting started! And I said this would be easier to show, then to explain, darling."

"Then that darling, Pinkie, winks!" Rainbow said, as her pink friend turned her head, her eyes wide opened, and performed an exaggerated wink. Before one more quick bob -- this time back into a thinking position.

"Then, darling!" Rainbow said, with finality. "Pinkie thinks!" She said, as the thought bubble formed, once again. This time showing a scene.

"Ahh, darling! Apparently that pony over there has several boxes! And he's at some kind of darling merchant's gathering!" Rainbow said, as the image showed a brown pegasus ,with a blond mane, and a blue hat kicking a bunch of boxes of radishes further away from view under his stall.

"Hey! That's Crafty Crate!" Twilight said, with a scowl. "He told me he was completely out! And apparently it happened.." Twilight said, disbelieving what she saw. "This afternoon! (She knew that because the celery merchant, the next stall over, wasn't supposed to get more until that afternoon.)"

"In any case, darling!" Rainbow said, with a smile. "And there you go, darling! A Pinkie Squink."

At that point it was like a bell went off in Twilight's head. "How'd you do that!" She said, shaking Pinkie, causing her thought bubble to pop! I want to see that again!" She demanded, to a puzzled expression from the pink pony.

Twilight was, however not deterred. "Spike did you see how she did that?! That was amazing!" She said, with complete and utter astonishment. "She cast divination magic! Very, very, powerful divination magic! Princess Celestia powerful divination magic! Without so much as a pair of wings!" She said, screaming with enthusiasm into Spike's face.

"Yes." Spike said, deadpan. "I heard you the first time!" He said, crossing his arms. "What's so special about Pinkie doing weird stuff? You remember the whole Pinkie Sense incident, don't you?" He asked, reminding Twilight of the obvious.

"This isn't the Pinkie Sense incident!" Twilight said, with agitation. "This is real! Honest to Celestia arcane magic! Cast by an earth pony!"

"So?" Spike asked.

While the two continued to argue back and forth, Pinkie finally piped up. "I'm sorry Rainbow!"

Rainbow looked quizzically back at her friend. "For what?" She asked.

"For doing the squink. Mama Pie told me never to use it as it's very powerful." Pinkie said, starting to sob quietly. "And she said to only use it in emergencies." She sighed, feeling found out. "Ok! So I used it at the Magical Musical Show! But no one was coming together for the Magical Musical Show, and the music was really, really, bad!"

"Oh, darling!" Rainbow said, reassuringly. "I'm sure, wherever she is, that she doesn't mind!" Rainbow said with a smile. "We desperately need those radishes for Zecora, so she can fix Minty up!"

"Yeah, I suppose!" Pinkie said, as Twilight started to materialize from behind her.

Twilight's ear was twitching, and her eyes were bulged, and kind of crazy."So do you mind doing another squink?" Twilight asked. "I'd love to do more research on it!"

"Umm! Maybe later Twilight, darling!" Rainbow said, excusing the two of them. "We really have to be going!"

"Yeah! That sounds like a good idea!" Pinkie said, with urgency, as the two of them flew out the door.

"Oh dear! It's like she never saw a squink before!" Rainbow said, with sorrow.

"Yeah! She does seem eager though." Pinkie said, giggling slightly.

"Yeah! I suppose so!" Rainbow said, smiling to her friend. "In any case, I think we know where to go! We just need to find a pony that can give us directions!"

********

Pinkie approached a pink earth pony, with blond hair, and a trio of white flowers, with confidence, hoping she could give the directions that Pinkie was looking for. "Oh! Excuse me, miss." Pinkie said, with a smile. "But could you tell me which way it is to the bazaar?" She said, with a friendly smile.

The pony looked at Pinkie for a second, like she was about to give her directions, before pointing down a street -- with fear in her eyes -- quickly panicking, and galloping off into the distance, at top speeds, shrieking something about "The horror! The horror! Pinkie was involved in one of Rainbow Dash's radical stunts, and hit her head, causing her muzzle to explode (literally!) And now she thinks she's psychotic!"

"Oh dear!" Pinkie said, looking at Rainbow solemnly. "That's like the 27th person today!" She said, with a frown. "I don't know why everyone's so grumpy today! But it is really upsetting me!" She said, about to cry.

"Oh yes! I know, Pinkie darling!" Rainbow said, with a sigh. "It's like no one has seen us before!" She said, thinking for a second. "Or maybe they think we're someone else?" She said, unsure of what she was saying. "In any case, she did point down that street, maybe we'll find this 'bazaar' there!" Rainbow said, with determination.

"Well shall we try?" Pinkie said, with a smile, as she started off in the last direction she was pointed into.

"I suppose!" Rainbow said, with a smile.

After a couple of minutes, a city of stalls began to emerge.

"I suppose the darling pointed us in the right direction, after all!" Rainbow said, with relief. "I thought, for a second, that the darling might have pointed us the wrong way!" Rainbow said, looking to the side.

"Well, see!" Pinkie said, her smile returning. "I told you everything was fine!" She said, reassuringly (despite how she felt a few minutes before!)

"I suppose darling!" Rainbow said, feeling slightly better. "Do you suppose that might be the pony from your squink?" She said, suddenly pointing at one of the merchants.

"Oh I'm sure it is!" Pinkie said, with a smile. "Excuse me sir!" She said, walking over to the store clerk. "I was wondering if I could buy some radishes from you!" She said, smiling ear to ear.

"Well you're wrong!" The store clerk scowled, his face covered in agitation. "I don't have radishes! Now go away!" He said, motioning with his hoof.

Pinkie frowned, her squinks were never ever, ever, wrong! She couldn't be wrong this time could she? She decided to continue her question. "I hear what you are saying, but I got it in a squink, and my Pinkie squinks are never, ever wrong." She said, with a smile. "Maybe you have just one or two I can buy, or borrow?" She said, sheepishly. "You see they are for a sick friend, and we need them to help make her feel better!"

The merchant simply looked on uninterested. "Maybe, theoretically, if I actually had some -- which I don't -- you could have one, for say 50 bits!" He said, with agitation.

"Oh! That's too high!" Pinkie said, looking serious. "Zecora only gave us 5 bits for radishes, and our friend really needs us! And Zecora's been so kind to us, I couldn't dream of spending more money then we absolutely need to!" Pinkie said with a smile. "And it would be really nice and friendly if you could sell us some. Maybe I could help you out somehow, like maybe throw a party or something?" She said, trying to barter with the stingy merchant.

After a couple of minutes of Pinkie trying to convince him to help, the merchant had had enough. "SHUT UP YOU DAUGHTER OF A DAME!!!!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

This caused Pinkie to start sobbing, uncontrollably. No one had ever acted this way to her before. And she didn't know what that phrase meant, but she could tell it wasn't kind at all. And all she wanted to do was help her friend.

Rainbow's head began to ache something fierce, and she started to fill up with a bottomless rage. It was like someone had insulted her sister, or mother, and the more she thought about it the more angry it made her. She rushed up to the counter, standing on only her back hooves, and started rebuking the merchant, her hoof deforming slightly to form a slight bulge where a finger would be.. "Now see here, darling! That was the single most unrainbowy! Undarling!... Undashing!!! Thing I have ever had the mis-opportunity to hear in my entire life!" She said, wagging the bulge in her hoof back and forth in a chastising manner.

Her vision began to be clouded by a bright green light, as she found her strength leaving her, and she was forced back onto all four hooves. But it didn't stop her rant, in fact, the more sick she felt, the more angry she felt, and the more angry she felt, the stronger the field of green became. "I'll have you know, darling! Pinkie isn't causing any trouble! She's just trying to help her friend! And we'd be more than happy to pay for those radishes, if you weren't so stingy!" She demanded, feeling like she had put her hoof into the light socket. "In fact, all she wants to do is be your friend!" She ranted, with a scowl.

Meanwhile, around the time that Pinkie, and Rainbow Dash first set hoof into the bazaar.

Applejack just stood there listless. Business was horrible today, despite the fact that she almost always did well on days like today. She could only guess why. Maybe it had something to with the day's weather debacle? "Sure is slow n' stuff today. Ain't it Mac?" She asked her brother with a grin as he passed by, probably getting supplies for one of the farm's fixit chores.

"Eyup." The stallion responded. "Sure 'nuff." He said, contemplatively.

Just about when she was thinking of quitting for the day, her sister rushed by.

"Hey sis!" Apple Bloom said, with enthusiasm. "Can I borrow some bricks an' mortar?" She said quickly, hoping her sister would just say yes.

"Ah' 'spose." Applejack said, scratching her head. "But what 'cha need 'em for?" She asked, thinking her sister was up to something.

"Ahh man!" Apple Bloom said, with a scowl. "Y'all won't let me do anything!" She said with a scowl, getting close enough to her sister to stare at her in the eye. "Y'all just don't want me earning my cutie mark! That's all and!" She said, starting to sniff.

"Why y'all wear'in perfume?" She asked, with confusion. "You never wear perfume!"

"Well maybe I'm just try'in to put mah best hoof forward for the customers!" She said, belligerently.

"Or maybe you're trying to impress somepony!" Apple Bloom said, looking at her sister, who was sweating slightly, biting her lip.

Apple Bloom just smiled cattily -- this was the chance to force her sister to let her get bricks and mortar so they could build a citadel and be CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS WAR LORDS YAY!!!!! "So who is it?" She asked, with a smirk.

"Maybe it's..." Applejack said, her eyes darting around, trying to spit out a lie. When that didn't happen, she always had plan B. "None of your business!" She exclaimed.

"Uh huh!" Apple Bloom said, getting ready to spring the trap. "Or maybe it's that brown stallion that looks kind'a like mah brother!" She said, getting real close to her sister's face. "You know, the one you always give free apple's too! What's his name? Creme Brulee, or somethin'?"

Applejack started to shake violently. She wanted to lie, but neither her nature or element would permit it (the last few times she tried, the results were hilarious.) "Fine!" She said, looking defeated. "Y'all can go and get them bricks and mortar! I have to get back to work!" She shouted.

"Thanks sis! You're the best sister ever!" Apple Bloom said, with a smile.

Applejack simply sighed, she knew this was going to be coming up again, and she was not pleased at all about it. Truth be told, she did like the stallion, but she really didn't want her sister butting into her business -- especially after the last time Apple Bloom and her friends attempted to play match maker!

Meanwhile, in the distance, somepony shouting could be heard.

"Darling! Please reconsider! This is extremely important, and I simply won't abide this undashing behavior!"

Applejack simply face hoofed. What was Rarity fussing about this time? It must be a doozie! Just listen to her yammer. "What do you s'pose has that mare all in a tizzy this time?" She said trotting over -- was it her something giving her mane the frizzles? Or did the stallion call her ugly or somethin'.

"And darling, where do you get off saying unkind, unrainbowy things like that?" The mare said, now having to hold herself up by propping her front hooves on the stall.

The more the mare talked, the worse her headache. Was everything starting to go green? And she just got more and more angry.. how dare anyone talk this way about her...

All of a sudden, she was snapped out of it by a hoof tapping her shoulder.

"What's the matter Rarity? You sound..." Applejack said, to the mare, holding her hoof on her shoulder.

"Excuse me, darling?" Rainbow said, her headache slowly subsiding. "I think you have me confused with someone else, darling."

"Great Horny Toads!" Applejack shrieked in shock. "Rainbow dash hit her head doing one her dang fool stunts, and caused her muzzle to swell in size 30 times its normal size; and it cut off the blood flow to her head, and now she thinks she's rarity!!!!" She said, in horror, trying to drag the cyan mare away from the stall. "Don't worry 'Dash ah'll get ya to the hospital right quick!" She said, with urgency.

"Excuse me, darling! But I think you have me confused for someone else!" Rainbow said, with concern. "But, I do feel like I need to ask, how do you know my name darling?" Rainbow said, with surprise. "When I don't even know yours!" She said, with a sigh.

"Holy smokes! It's worse than I thought!" Applejack shouted, in horror. She needed to get Rainbow Dash to the doctor now before the swelling in her head becomes fatal!

"Actually she's ok..." Pinkie said, winking slightly. "And no, I'm actually fine, my muzzle is always this big!" She said, answering Applejack's question before it could be asked.

"Umm... Ok... if'n you say so pinkie." Applejack said, scratching her head. "But why's pinkie talk'n like that fer?" She thought to herself, feeling completely befuddled -- did Pinkie and Rainbow Dash's counter parts somehow find their way through Starswirl's mirror from the world with that other Sambra? (She wondered if he was still evil, or if the other Princesses found a way to bring back his true nature.)

"So Rainbow -- do you mind if'n I call you Rainbow? What's with all the catawallen?" Applejack asked. Wondering why Rainbow of all ponies was yelling at Crafty Crate.

"Oh, darling my friend hurt herself a few days back, and that wonderful darling, zecora has been making potions to make her feel better!" Rainbow said, looking sorrowful. "But she needs me to get radishes for her potion." Rainbow said, looking into Applejack's face.

Applejack simply shook her head -- swallowing a chuckle. It was distracting to hear Rainbow Dash talking like Rarity.

"But your friend Twilight said everyone was out! But luckily Pinkie's squink discovered that this darling man has them." Rainbow said, starting to get angry again. "But he refuses to sell for any reason, and I simply can't comprehend why, darling!"

Applejack swallowed the urge to snicker, it was like some kind of joke to her that her friend rainbow dash was talking like this (it was like the polar opposite of everything she stood for).

"But anyway, darling. She asked really quite politely, darling. But all this un-darling man did was insult her -- in the least dashing way possible! And frankly, ..." Rainbow ranted, filling with anger again.

"Applejack" Applejack responded, it felt weird reminding Rarity Dash of her name, after all both Rainbow Dash and Rarity knew it so well (all three of them were kind of frenemies, and rivals in their own ways.)

"Applejack, darling!" Rainbow corrected herself. "I'm quite beside myself!" She said, feeling like she needed to punch the merchant.

Applejack simply held her back, and began to talk. "Let me talk to old Craft Crate, Rainbow." She said, with a wink. "Now Crate, y'all know it isn't nice to call people names! S'des these are friends of mine!" She said, sternly. "Couldn't you do me a solid, and help them out lik'n I've helped you out." She said, reminding the old pegasus of some of the things she did for him when he was first starting business in the town (like his whole failed delivery service -- which ended when ten tons of junk fell on Twilight's head, though she should've respected the power of Pinkie sense!)

"You know it doesn't work that way apple!" Crafty Crate shouted at the orange earth pony. "And I've said to both of them a hundred times I don't have any!" He said, lying to the element of honesty's face.

"let me guess, Crafty!" Applejack scowled, sternly. "Saving them till the price goes up?" She said, shaking her head with disappointment. "Well can't force you ta' sell and all, so Rainbow, Pinkie and I'll go elsewhere!" She said, ripping the two G3 phonies away from the stall. "Sure we can find someone willin to sell theirs!" She said, starting to smirk at the pegasus, as she started to pull a shaking rainbow dash, and a very sad looking pinkie away, and started to trot off.

"Though, I guess it would be right neighborly of me to mention that I won't be sellen y'all any cider this year!" She shouted, with conviction as she was starting to walk out of earshot. "Guess Rainbow dash here'll finally get a chance to get some!" She said, remembering all the times Rainbow wanted to try the cider only to realize that Pinkie, or Mr. Rich was getting most of it. "Seeing as I'll make sure ta' be out when you come to buy." She said, reminding him of the ten or twenty barrels she made available for him to sell in the late fall, and early winter.

"Wait, applejack!" Crafty Crate said, apologetically. "Maybe we can work something out?" He said, on the verge of begging.

"I'm listenin." Applejack said, with a smirk. It was time this jerk understood what came from picking on her friends.

"Double the going rate!" Crafty Crate said, bringing out one of his hidden boxes of the vegetable.

Applejack simply shook her head, beginning to show her displeasure even more openly. "Well guessen ah should mention to granny that we won't be sellin you any cider this year -- cause' y'all dishonest, and you know how she treasures honesty!" She said, with a scowl, and a frown.

"one and a half times the going rate." Craft Crate said, half bartering, and half begging.

"All of a sudden, I wonder if'n Mac still has a secret shinin for pinkie!" Applejack said, giving a silent apology to her brother! "Would be bad for you if'n he still did -- after y'all went and insulted her!" She said looking away scornfully, as she talked!

"fine the normal rate." The old pegasus said, looking defeated.

"I can make that work" Pinkie said, with a smile. "Thank you Applejack!" She said, politely. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up!" She said, with a giggle.

"Remember Dash!" Applejack said, with an honest smile. "You run into any more trouble, just let me know! Ya'hear!" She said, waving to Dash on her way back to her cart. "Don't be a stranger Dash!" She said, with a friendly smile.

Rainbow smiled, reluctantly. "Of course, darling!" She said, as she started trotting away, sadly. "What happened there?" She thought to herself, with a sigh. She almost never got angry, and certainly never this angry! And what was with her eyes. Was she going blind? But what blindness comes with a field of green vision?

Pinkie frowned. She didn't like to see Rainbow upset. And when the yesterday had started so well, she sighed.

********

"Have a good day and come again! Ya' hear!" Applejack said, with a smile as Cheerilee left, holding a nice large bag of apples in her mouth. "Ahh it's good ta make ponies happy!" She said channeling her inner Pinkie. "Ah' —" She started saying to herself, before being knocked down by a cyan blur.

Getting up, and knocking off the dust, Applejack scowled at her cyan friend.

Rainbow responded by smiling and blushing apologetically. Finally she launched into a question. "Hey AJ!" Rainbow said, starting to scowl. "You seen an imposter me running around?" She asked her friend, with a frown. "She's been running around besmirching my good name!"

Applejack simply responded with a mighty smirk. "Color me impressed! Ya'all know the word 'besmirch'!"

Rainbow blushed, with embarrassment. "Yeah! Twilight's been allowing me to borrow some books for the next Wonderbolts Reserve test, and!" She said, stopping for a second, her whole body freezing into a strange expression. "HEY!!!! We're not talking about my grammar! We're talking about that imposter me! She's all like 'I'm Rarity, darling! But I look like Rainbow Dash!' And it's making me look like a fool!"

Applejack sighed. "Ah'm glad that ya'all ain't talkin' like Rarity no more! Ah really am!" She said, face hoofing. "But ah can't see like yer all getting worked up about ponies comparin' ya to Rarity when they all go an' claim all kind-a' things about the ponies y'all date?"

Rainbow sighed, Applejack made a good point. "Yeah! I've heard most of those stories, and they do drive me crazy! But this is about my image! My cool!" Rainbow said, forgetting what she had just learned. "I mean what would the squirt say if she thought I'd been going around acting like Rarity? And what would the Wonderbolts think?" She asked in horror. "You have to help me Applejack! We have to stop her before it's too late.

Applejack smiled, rolling her eyes. "Look ah think ya'll be just fine!" She said, with a blink. "But fer now I have apples ta' sell! So either ya' buy some apples or head out, and ah'll help ya find this 'imposter' later!" She said, with a wink.

Rainbow Dash was furious. This was serious! This was not some disaster! This wasn't just some lies about her love life! This was her cool! This was her image! "RARRRRR!!!!!!!" She shrieked in absolute complete and total frustration. She'd have to find that imposter Dash on her own!

Applejack simply smiled to herself. She was certainly glad that the swelling in Rainbow's muzzle went down quite a bit. She certainly hoped though that this whole incident would teach Rainbow not to do those dang fool stunts!

********

Rainbow Dash stood there, holding her head. Everything still felt off, and she didn't know what happened back there, but the mere fact it happened upset her greatly. She almost never lost her temper, at least not like she did back there. There was still some green in her range of vision, but it was slowly receding. "So Pinkie, darling, what is the next thing on Zecora's list, daring?" She asked, trying to resurrect her smile.

"Umm!" Pinkie said, her voice protesting slightly. "I don't think I can. I guess, apparently, I'm going somewhere…" Pinkie said, as she was being carried away by her counterpart. "Um… I guess I'm going to see you later Rainbow Dash!" She said, with a slight frown.

"Oh!… Ok!" Rainbow said, still suffering from a migraine. "Whatever you say, darling." She said, with confusion watching her pink ball of fur being carried away by another pink ball of fur. "I suppose that I wasn't invited to that party." She said to herself, with a sigh.

In a blink and a flash, Pinkie found herself in the dark, spooky basement of a building somewhere. "Oh wow! It is spooky down here, and stinky too!" Pinkie lamented, holding her nose slightly.

"Oh course!" The poofier Pinkie said. "Where else would we celebrate your birthday party! It's cupcakes sheik!" She said, with great enthusiasm. "It's the perfect party for a straight haired me!"

"Oh… Ok!" Pinkie said, with hesitation to her manic counterpart. She was actually grateful someone was celebrating her birthday, but she wasn't sure why her birthday was being celebrated in a spooky stinky basement. And was that a slab over there?

As if answering her question the pinker haired Pinkie responded. "It's my basement! And here a slab! And Rainbow Dash is on it!" she said, getting ever more enthusiastic, to the point where it was starting to get creepy. "Don't worry!" She said, talking to the fourth wall, while holding her hoof to her mouth. "She's not really on it! She's made of cake!" She said, to the fourth wall. "And the fur comes from the fur the sheds doing her dangerous and unorthodox stunts! And the feathers come from my secret stash of feathers that I've been stealing from Rainbow's bed for years!" She said, with a huge smile.

"Say what!?" A pegasus Rainbow Dash said, protesting, all of a sudden finding herself standing in the room. "And why am I the one up there on the slab!?" She said, feeling distressed and agitated. "In fact, why am I here in the first place!? I have an imposter to find!"

The manic Pinkie stared at her Rainbow Dash, looking none too happy. "Shhh!!!" She loudly exclaimed, motioning to her lighter manned counterpart. "I'm having a party for a psychotic, straight haired me!" She said, with enthusiasm, rushing upstairs, and zipping back quickly with a very large knife.

She turned to her straight haired, G3 counterpart. "Here's your machete, now make sure to take the hooves off the cake first!" She said, with enthusiasm. "They're made from marzipan." She said to her G3 counterpart, holding one hoof to her mouth, and whispering slightly. "Sorry, I don't have the supplies to make a Pony suit today, but I have a lot of Fluttershy's knitting wool!" She said, with glee.

The G3 looked at the large knife, and gulped slightly — holding the machete as if it was made of plutonium. "Ummm…." She said, frowning anxiously. "Ok! I don't think I'm old enough to be handling this!" Pinkie said, sarcastically.

The poofie haired Pinkie smiled, undeterred. "Ok!" She said, manically. "Maybe something a little more kid friendly then!" She countered, her enthusiasm unceasing.

Suddenly two Pinkies, and a pegasus Dash were standing in main room dining area of the Sugarcube Corner.

The straight haired Pinkie barely had time to scratch her head before her poofie haired counterpart unceremoniously shoved a stick in her mouth. "Ewwww! Yuck!" She exclaimed, grabbing the stick with her hoof, and spitting loudly.

"And here's your blind fold!" The poofie Pinkie volunteered, with enthusiasm. "And here's the piñata!" She said, throwing the blindfold on her calm double (it's like payback for her Ferris Wheel adventure!)

"Hey!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, with displeasure, as the speedster dash looked at the piñata. "Why does the piñata look like me?! And how the hay did we all get here?" Rainbow asked with displeasure, feeling uneasy that her friend used her not just as the cake, but also the piñata.

"Shh...." Rainbow's Pinkie exclaimed loudly, to her Rainbow Dash. "It's my psychotic straight haired double's party!" Pinkie said, twitching slightly. "And all her friends are here!" Pinkie said, motioning to Rainbow 'Darling' Dash, as well as all of the manic Pinkie's Ponyville friends.

"What am I doing here again, darlings?" The fashionable Rainbow Dash asked, in utter surprise. "Should I be out getting supplies, or something, darlings?" And why does that piñata look like me?" She asked, in confusion, looking at the piñata version of the tomboy Dash. "Why Darling, you do look familiar!" She said to her tomboy counterpart. "Have we met before?" She asked, looking over every inch of the other Dash.

But before either Rainbow Dash could continue, the calm Pinkie chimed in. "Oh, Pinkie! It's a pinkalishish party! It really is. But could I get something nice and quiet for my birthday, like a nice quiet tea party? I simply adore tea parties!" She said, putting her hoof to her mouth to think. "Or maybe I could explain to you all the proper way to inflate a balloon? (Don't ask, she actually did that one birthday.)"

The wheels in the poofie Pinkie's head began to turn. "WOW!!!" She said enthusiastically, her mind beginning to move at high speeds. "We can totally have the world's largest tea party! And we can drag out a bunch of one time characters one final time! And then we can pretend that they never, ever, ever, existed at all! And some pony will suddenly change their voice permanently! I vote Rainbow Dash, because who talks that way anyway!?" Pinkie said, looking at her speedster friend, at the end.

"Hey!" The Wonderbolt wannabe Dash barked. "What do you mean by that?"

"Darling!" The designer Dash protested. "I take umbrage at that remark, darling!"

"Shush!" The sugar rush Pinkie protested. "And then we can drag a forty minute episode out indefinitely with an endless parade of pointless musical numbers! And drink out of 2-d paper cups! And then someone can forget the tea!" Pinkie said, starting to bounce in place. "But who?" She said, stopping to think for a second (but only a second!) "I know!!!! Trixy: because she messes everything up!" Pinkie said, rushing into the kitchen to bring out sweets.

Meanwhile: somewhere in Equestria a changeling drone felt strongly that someone was insulting them: "HEY!!!!! Trixy does not mess everything up!" She shouted, in utter incredulity.

Meanwhile back at sugar cube corner. Pinkie was happy at the fact that her darker counterpart was going to do something nice and quiet for her birthday. "That sounds like Pinkie keen fun! Oh wait…" She said, a question coming to mind. "But then why did you do the whole gasping thing?" She asked of her dark haired duplicate.

The frenzied Pinkie took a deep breath before responding. "Why: because first I thought that Rainbow dash had had another bodacious crash, and caused her muzzle to expand oh 3.1415 times pi or so times! But then I realized that you couldn't be me! And Rainbow Dash never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever dresses in style! Ever! So I added two plus the square root of a bowl of oatmeal, and then divided by the height of the Washington monument, and then added the height of the Lincoln memorial and multiplied it by the average cost of living in Canterlot! And then I added -1492 and I got cheese! And that made me realize that this couldn't be me, me, but had to be... another me." She said, pausing for a second. "One that I hadn't met yet! And it was a straight haired me! And that meant that I just had to tailor my party for a crazy me! And then we need to have a welcome to Ponyville party later tonight!" The Pinkie said, practically as one sentence, with more enthusiasm then the G3 pony had ever seen before.

"Oh!… Ok…." Pinkie's G3 double said, her head spinning visibly.

********

And Ponyville's own party planner was true to her word, throwing a shindig that truly was ' birth-iversary' big for her.

About halfway through, she finally got to ask a question of Twilight. "Oh Twilight!" Pinkie said, with a grand smile, in eager anticipation of the 'grand sundress' that Pinkie said her friend Rarity would make later for her. "This has been a truly Pinkie keen party!" She said with a smile.

"Well I'm glad." The princess of friendship said. "I'm actually surprised. This is also probably the most toned down party Pinkie has ever frown."

"Well actually." Pinkie said, with a blush. "She had a couple more out stated parties for me, but I kind of found them a little different! And this party is perfect! What would have been more perfect is if my friend was feeling better!"

Twilight nodded. "Well she does know how to throw the best parties! It is her special ability after all, signified by her Cutie Mark!"

"Cutie Mark?" Pinkie said, with a tilt of her head. "What's that?"

Twilight was completely perplexed. "You don't know what a Cutie Mark is?"

Pinkie simply shook her head. "No, not really!"

Twilight was puzzled, how could she have a cutie mark and not know how to get one? "Well, what were you doing when you got yours?"

Pinkie smiled, innocently. "I've always had this one, ever since I was a newborn cutie. I think Mama Pie put this design on my diapers even."

Twilight sighed. What strange place did these ponies come from? "Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"

Pinkie nodded. "Well, when I heard you were some kind of special horned pegasus princess. I was kind of expecting you to live in a giant crystally tree palace place instead of a book tree."

Twilight smiled. "Yeah! My rule as princess has been pretty unusual." She said, with a reluctant smile. "I thought for a while we might lose the good old Golden Oaks during Tirek's attempted coup. But luckily, in the middle of our fight, he turned north and went towards the crystal empire instead." She said, with a smile. "It's a long story, but one that, I think, is worth telling."

"So there I was. Stuck in a rock." Twilight said, with a blush (so much for perfectly controlled teleportation.) "The powers of four alicorn princess will do that to you, you know?" She said to the new pink pony, who simply shook her head.

"Nope, sorry." Pinkie responded.

"Yeah I suppose you wouldn't." She said, with a blush and a chuckle. "In any case! Tirek came by, complaining that I had 'something that belongs to him'. So, after a pethetic attempt to fly away -- that resulted in me facing him face to face -- I did the only smart thing, and teleported back to the oaks." Twilight said, with a smile. "Turns out panic is a good teacher when comes to learning magic." She said, with a blush.

"In the end, I was staring face to face with him through my telescope, watching him power up a magical death beam --" Twilight said, remembering it clearly "and then, as I was preparing to teleport away with what little I could." She said, interrupting her own thought train.

"He just suddenly stopped his attack, and then left, rambling something about 'not being tricked a second time by my distractions -- not after what happened in Canterlot!' apparently he found some kind of powerful magic source to the north, supposedly more powerful than the combined magic of four alicorns. And then, just like that, he just started to march north."

"So he just gave up and left?" Pinkie asked. "Why would he do that?"

"Well, he didn't really give up." Twilight said, with an embarrassed blush. "Instead, he just decided to use my friends as a bargaining chip in 'a trade: my friends lives for my magic!' In the end, I couldn't refuse." Twilight said, shaking her hoof slightly. "Of course, after we got our rainbow powers, we had to face him in the frozen north -- it was quite a fight!" She said, with a chuckle.

Suddenly Pinkie's hyperactive alter-ego materialized, out of a book shelf. "That wasn't what happened!" Pinkie said with a smile.

"Actually: there you were watching Tirek power up his death beam. And then he's all like -- " Pinkie said, rearing up to two hooves, and making a high pitched whirring sound as she motioned with her hooves from an invisible horn. "And then you were all like 'uh oh'! And you teleported out only with Owlowiscious right before the library went 'whoosh'!!" She said, waving her hooves to the word 'woosh'. "Then you were all like 'gasp'! And the library was all like a crater! And then you were all like GRRRR!!!!! And then the music was all like -- " Pinkie said, before making a hi-pitched electric guitar riff. "And then you fought! And he was all like -- " Pinkie said, rearing up, and using her front hooves for 'horns'. "Now I understand what your fellow princesses have done." She said, her voice suddenly getting very deep and dark. "And then you had a battle too epic for a kids show then he was all like 'It seems we are at an impasse' and then he totally used your friends as bargaining chips. But everything else was the same. Oh except you battled him in the middle of the forest or something -- because Tirek totally hates trees, or something!" She said, sounding like she'd been drinking too much coffee.

Twilight and Pinkie just looked at each other, puzzled as to what Pinkie's alter-ego was going on and on about.

********

"Pinkie, darling, that was an absolutely Rainbowy ravishing party!" Rainbow said, with a smile. "But I simply must be going, darling; I have a few more ingredients to get before the day is done, darling. Zecora needs only a couple more things, including a costume for something called 'Nightmare Night' -- which I have never heard of before, is it anything like Halloween?" She asked with a smile, starting to turn around to leave.

"Hold it!" Another Rainbow Dash barked. "You aren't going anywhere!" She barked, her back arched, her wings extended, and her fur standing on end. "So you're the one who's been making a foal of me!"

"I'm sorry, darling?" Rainbow said, with a confused expression. "Whatever seems to be the matter darling?" She said, smiling innocently.

"That!" The other Rainbow Dash said, belligerently. "You going around making me look like a foal talking about 'fashion' and 'Rainbows' and 'FASHION'!" She exclaimed, practically head butting the fashionable earth pony, before she stopped, starting to cry. "H...h....h....how dare you do that to me!" She sobbed. "What will the squirt say, and all the kids when they think their idle is a softy?" She said, half sobbing, and half scowling. "What will the Wonderbolts think? They...they might not think I'm tough enough!"

Rainbow Dash frowned, herself crying. "I'm terribly sorry about that, darling! I really didn't mean to make you look bad!" She said, as she put her hoof on the other Rainbow Dash's shoulder. "But it isn't any easier on me! For some reason every pony treats me as if I'm some kind of frightful monster! And I don't even know why! It's like they see my beautiful muzzle and my perfectly normal hooves, and they panic! Saying something about 'me hurting myself doing dangerous stunts', and it hurts me too Darling, because I only rarely become completive let alone trying anything dangerous! Darling! I don't even enter the forest!"

The other Rainbow sighed, and just started to leave, sobbing some more. "And now I sound like G!" She lamented.

"Stop!!" Rainbow shrieked. "Please don't be sad, darling! I shall be leaving soon and when I see you hurt, it's like I'm hurting myself! And I don't wish to do that!" She said, with a sob. "I'll endeavor to do the best that I can, darling, to make you look good!"

The other Rainbow simply fled out the door sobbing. "Just go away!" She shrieked.

"Whatever do you suppose that was about, darling?" Rainbow asked Applejack, with a sigh.

"Why don't you relax, an' go 'bout yer business!" Applejack said, with a frown. "I'll ask Rainbow what's crawled into her saddle." She continued, starting out the door. "Rainbow is normally the kindest pony y'all ever meet! But every once in a great while she gets some dang fool idea in her head." Applejack said, with a sigh, leaving through the door.

********

Instead of wasting your time showing Rainbow Dash and Pinkie going shopping for more stuff. How about we watch Twilight try to squink! Yes we can!

"Ok Spike! Let's take it again from the top! Maybe you need to describe it like Rainbow Dash did!" Twilight said, looking slightly frazzled.

"Relax Twi!" Spike said, with agitation. "what's the big deal!"

Twilight snorted slightly. "The big deal is: we could be on the verge of a breakthrough in magic!" Twilight said, with enthusiasm. "Real, effective earth pony magic! Not just Earth Pony magic no better than a bag of fertilizer. Real, powerful Earth Pony magic."

Spike shrugged. "And?"

"And, what's more is that, it's a divination spell at least as powerful as our alicorn divine intuition, but so simple a thirteen year old Pinkie can cast it!" Twilight said, with stars in her eyes. "Think of the possibilities if I could master this spell!" Twilight said, starry-eyed -- just before she lost her confidence slightly, thinking on all her previous attempts that day. "Assuming I could only figure this out!"

Spike simply shrugged. "you aren't going to be happy until I go ahead and act as narrator for your little attempt are you?"

Twilight simply gave him a squee, and a huge smile.

"Ok! Fine!" Spike sighed. "Let's do this!" He said, putting on his best accent. "What we need is a Twilight-a squink!" He said, deadpan, doing a really bad Mexicolt accent.

"Is this part really necessary?" Twilight asked.

"Well!" Spike responded. "You weren't sure why this was failing: so you wanted to do THE WHOLE BIT. So we're doing THE WHOLE BIT."

"Ok!" Twilight moaned. "I'll do a think-a-squink!" She said, deadpan.

"A squink?" Spike asked, for Madame le Flour, who had been kindly loaned by Twilight's Pinkie for just such an occasion. "Yeah It's ~~Pinkie's~~ Twilight's way of solving a problems!" He said resuming his 'Mexicolt' accent. "Here-a she goes!"

"Is that my cue?" Twilight asked, looking puzzled.

Spike simply repeated himself, looking very agitated. "Here-a she goes!"

Twilight started bobbing back and forth, hopping between her two front hooves, her two back hooves firmly planted. Trying to wave her mane. Instead her mane ended up in her eyes, and when she tried to start turning around... well guess! "WH...WH...WHOA!!!!" She said, falling off camera. "When did we even install this basement!?"

Coming back within view, she asked Spike a question. "Any stars?"

Spike started to nod.

"Other than the ones I'm seeing?" Twilight asked

Spike shook his head.

"Ok!" Twilight screamed. "Let's try again! From the top!" She said, shaking her head --her eyes slightly off kilter.

"Here she goes." Spike said, in his normal voice deadpan.

"With the accent!" Twilight responded, not sure what she was saying (maybe it was all the head trauma of falling down a couple of flights of stairs.)

"Fine!" Spike groaned. "And here-a she goes!" He said, holding a claw to his mouth facing parallel to 'Madame le Flour'.

Twilight once again did the bobbing motions, followed by a few quick spins (running around an invisible chair.) Before bending her front hooves slightly.

"First-a Twilight squeeshes!" Spike said, in the faux accent, as Twilight's front hooves slipped slightly. "And then she splits!" He said, deadpan, looking at his older sister/mother figure doing a splits on her front hooves -- with her back legs extending parallel to her body, and her front legs at ninety degree angles to the plane of her body -- in a position that would be comfortable only for a biped. "Ouch!" He exclaimed quietly to himself.

"Any luck?" Twilight asked, her voice much higher than normal.

Spike simply shook his head!

"RARRR!!!!!" Twilight shrieked, being heard all the way from outside.

After a few minutes (and some ice), Twilight was ready to try again (it's good news alicorns are so durable, or that might have hurt!)

"You sure you want to do this Twi?" Spike asked, with a sigh. "You're only going to be hurt again!"

"No! Now it's personal!" Twilight hissed. "I'm going to do this even if it kills me!" She said, with determination. "Now start again!"

Spike opened his mouth, and raised his claw.

"With the accent!" Twilight hissed, before any words came out of the dragon's mouth."

"Fine! Here-a she goes!"

By this point Twilight had the first part memorized: the bobbing, the hair, the circles.

"First-a Twilight squeeshes!" Spike said, watching Twilight take up the ludicrous position, before resuming the bobbing portion of the program.

"Isn't something to supposed to happen right now?" Spike asked, with light sarcasm.

"Quiet!" Twilight barked.

"Fine!" Spike said deadpan. "Then-a she blinks!" Spike said, with 'the accent'.

"Ahhhh!!! My eyes is stuck!!!!" Twilight said, her eye stuck in an exaggerated blinking position, and her head bent at an unnatural angle. "Ahhhh!!!! Spike help!!!" She shrieked, in mortal terror.

"Ok!" Spike said, stifling a chuckle. "Ok this is going to hurt slightly!" He said, with a chuckle, grabbing her head with his claws.

It's said, down in Ponyville, that the resulting scream could be heard all the way from Fluttershy's cottage.

"Man!!! You stink at this!" Spike said, crying like a baby, feeling like he was on the verge of rolling on the floor with laughter. "Maybe we should --" He started, before being quickly interrupted by Twilight.

"Accent!" Twilight barked.

"Fine! Here-a she goes!" He said, deadpan, with a muffled sigh.

The next part should be familiar by now. Twilight bobbed, and then spun.

" First-a Twilight squeeshes!" Spike said, dead pan.

Twilight resumed bobbing.

"Then-a she blinks!" Spike said, waiting for catastrophe, when none came, Twilight resumed, bobbing, before turning to the side.

"She might actually do this!" Spike thought to himself, with wonder. "And then-a she theenks!" He said, as Twilight stood, in a thinking position, her eyes closed.

"Shouldn't there be sparkles or something? And like a giant pink thought bubble or something?" Spike asked himself, suspecting something.

Twilight quickly shushed him. "It's happening! I can see it! The secret ingredient to Pinkie's award winning 'oh my goodness, it's extra sugar-rific fudge brownie cookies'!" Twilight said, in a state of denial. "It's vinegar! She adds it to all her recipes! And this is the part where she get's kidnapped by an anthropomorphic fox who's angry about her winning first place every year, while he only get's second!" She said, her denial becoming clear to all.

"Umm Twi!" Spike said, alternating between concern, and raucous laughter. "I think you've picked up the wrong channel or something!"

Somewhere in Canterlot a light roaring could be heard. "RARRRR!!!!!!!"

"QUIET WE ART TRYING TO... HOW DO WE SAY THIS? SLEEEP" Luna barked, out her window.

Meanwhile back in Ponyville.

"I don't get it Spike!" Twilight moaned, from her bed. "I got everything perfect! I can learn spells simply by seeing them once!" She whined. "So why can't I figure out this stupid spell!" She said, burying her head in her pillow for a second.

"Maybe it's like Changeling magic or something?" Spike said, speculating.

"Unlikely Spike, Changeling magic is based on absorbing and redirecting emotional energy. That doesn't help with divination. And besides, if that were the case then I could still do it!" She said, feeling supremely confident. "I am after all, Mrs. Magic Pants!" She said, with pride.

Spike shrugged. "Don't know then. Is it like chaos magic or something?"

********

"Well, darling! That party certainly was dashing!" Rainbow said, with a smile. "I apologize, Pinkie Pie darling, I almost forgot that today was your special day!" She said, causing a rainbow to snake across the sky, and smash a window in city hall.

"That's ok Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie said, with a chuckle. "It's hard to remember anyone's special day without the Birthday Book!" She sighed. "I miss Razzaroo!" She said, wistfully. "Hopefully we'll be able to return to all our friends soon."

"Oh, I know darling!" Rainbow said, putting her hoof on her friend's shoulder. "But this Pinkie was pretty good at it too!" She said, with a smile. "Albeit, a little less practical then, that darling, Razzaroo." She said, still missing the original.

Rainbow started skimming up and down the list. Did she forget anything? She had to have forgotten something, but what it?

Pinkie glanced over her shoulder. She started pointing down the list. "We have that!... We have two of those -- I got extra!... You almost exploded getting those!..." She said, ribbing Rainbow Dash slightly. "I think we have all of these!" She said, with a sarcastic smile, and a giggle.

"Very funny, darling!" Rainbow said, motioning at her friend. "But seriously, I'm having trouble finding what isn't on the list." She said, checking her list twice and thrice.

"Well maybe I can help you search? I wouldn't want to leave you in the lurch!" An old zebra said, approaching the two of them.

"Oh Zecora! hi!" Pinkie said, with a smile. "So how's it going?"

"Do you have the ingredients I seek?" The Zecora said, with a smirk. "Or will it take all week?" She said, winking at the two ponies.

Pinkie smiled back, this was her kind of humor. "We have them right here!" She said, with enthusiasm. "I'm sorry about taking so long!" She said, blushing slightly. "I kind of held myself up, because I, apparently, got wind of my own special day." she said, smiling slightly -- feeling very confused in her own words.

"Ah yes my Pinkie I see, a distraction she can, undeniably be!" The old zebra said, closing her eyes slightly. "But I'm certain your party was a sight to see!" She said, smiling slightly.

"Oh it was!" Pinkie said, feeling very exuberant, but after a second, she had to ask about the ingredients. "So, um... Zecora!" Pinkie said, with hesitation. "We've been looking over this list, and we're trying to figure out if we missed anything."

The zebra looked up and down the list, before giving an understated smirk. "One more ingredient I seek!" She said, with a smile, holding a hoof to one of the lines on the paper. "Please Rainbow Dash, take a peak!" She said, smiling again.

Rainbow never did figure out why she could read these bizarre hieroglyphics (I mean why didn't any one here write in English, like they did back in her Ponyville?) In any case, it appeared the writing was for a costume, for something called Nightmare Night -- that was right! She looked at that line earlier.

Zecora, continued, sensing that the rainbow earth pony would be listening. "I need a costume for Nightmare Night, with which to give the children a fright!" She said, practicing her nightmare night voice for a second.

Rainbow Dash was intrigued. Did that mean that someone around here sells cloths? Maybe a clothing shop like the one she owns back in her Ponyville (ok when she wasn't maintaining her kite store.)

Zecora smirked slightly, she could see exactly the spark in Rainbow's eyes that she was hoping to see. "Miss Rarity owns the shop you seek! Inside the Carousel Boutique, you should take a peek!" She said, pointing off into the distance.

Rainbow smiled. A boutique! She thought to herself, feeling, for the first time in days, like an exuberant school girl. "Of course, darling! That sounds rainbowy ravishing!" Rainbow said, completely forgetting about her earlier issues at the bazaar. In fact, she could already imagine all the outfits that they must have. She might even get a chance to look at some fine French -- or maybe even Parisian fashions! "Oh fashion, darling, that sounds so dashing!" Resisting the urge to fly off towards the boutique. Thinking about her fashion shop back in Ponyville -- and all the fashions she might find at this shop.

In the end though, her mental parade stopped, when she remembered her green friend. "And what about Minty, darling?" Rainbow said, with concern. "Is she ok?"

"Early tomorrow to the hospital she heads! Here in Ponyville, tonight, you should rest your heads!" Zecora said with a smirk; watching, as on cue, her Pinkie materialized. This might be a good friend for this alternate Rainbow and Pinkie to get a little of themselves back.

"You two should stay with me! It'll be like a sleepover! We'll do each other's hair! And we'll talk about boys!" Zecora's Pinkie said, with her usual enthusiasm. "I mean that Pokey Pierce is hot!" She babbled with enthusiasm. "But don't go for him! He's mine!" She said, winking ostentatiously.

"Oooh!" That sounds like fun the straighter haired Pinkie replied. "Too bad Cherry Blossom, Cotton Candy, Kimono, and Razzaroo aren't here! Their all excellent story tellers!" She said, thinking about her friends. "We could have a story party!"

The fluffy haired Pinkie responded, with a confused expression, followed by a volley of words. "Don't you mean Cheerilee, who happens to be Scootaloo's sister? She's an excellent storyteller! And I don't know who these other two ponies are."

Rainbow's Pinkie looked on in awe, not just at her poofy haired counterpart's seemingly insurmountable ability to talk, but also in the fact that her words were both very familiar and yet strangely confusing -- all at the same time. "Pardon?" She asked, blushing slightly. "But do you mind if -- " She said, before being carried away by her darker haired clone.

"Oh dear!" Rainbow said. "The darling forgot about me!" She said, with a sigh. "Oh well!" She said, rubbing her hooves together -- thinking about fashion again. "I'll really enjoy looking at the newest fashions!" She said, galloping out the road.

********

"Oh darling!" Rainbow exclaimed to herself. "Simply dashing!" She said, looking at a large shop on the top of a hill, with awe (nonsense, darling, carousel shaped buildings are perfectly normal in my Ponyville -- have you looked at the Tea Pot Castle, Pinkie's place, my fashion shop, or, even, my humble abode?) What filled her with awe, was the sight of another clothing shop. She served as Ponyville's premier, and only, fashion designer, and half time event planner (and, yes, she was still planning to resurrect that kite shop, don't worry darlings!)

She just didn't have the nerve to face another fashion designer right now, fashion was her thing -- it would be weird to meet another fashion designer. So instead, she peered into the windows. The insides were very different then her own shop back in Ponyville. While she kept all of her designs out in the open, for all to see, the owner of this establishment only kept a few choice designs out in the open -- and another scant few on a nearby rack. What was even odder was that this Ponyville's shop was outfitted with tents to protect the privacy of the patrons (and apparently some of Rarity's in progress pieces.) As with her shop, this boutique had a large folding mirror front and center that could be used to demonstrate their newest creation. The Carousel Boutique was definitely a lot larger then her fashion shop was, but also definitely less open.

She had considered just leaving, despite her enthusiasm, but she was on a mission (it didn't hurt that she was intrigued by the fashion choices, saddles? Definitely unique. And was that a corset she saw? She had one back at her fashion shop too, but her's looked very different!) In the end, she just couldn't resist taking a look.

As she walked inside, a bell went off over the door. After a few seconds, she began to become concerned -- could this Ponyville's premier fashion designer be out? "Do you suppose the darling might be busy?" She thought to herself, looking around slightly. "Well, maybe I'll see if I can locate the darling costume myself!" Rainbow Dash thought to herself, trying to be helpful -- before rubbing her hooves together at a possibility. "Of course, it'll give me a positively dashing opportunity to see what else is available besides the very few outfits she left out for public view." She thought to herself with a smile.

First though, she dutifully walked over to a rack of outfits that had been left out for customers to view. The outfits were so different than the ones that she made back in Ponyville, which were more suited for bipedal use then for quadrupedal use. "Now how do you suppose the darlings are supposed to stand in one of those?" She asked herself, looking at a couple dresses, which were exquisitely fitted for a quadrupedal form. "It certainly looks fetching." She remarked to herself, in awe. "But how would it look when someone stands up on their own two feet?" She asked herself -- thinking about her own designs.

There was one thing she could say: this Rarity's choices in outfits were superb. Albeit a little loud, she preferred her outfits simple. This of course reminded her of the dress her friends: Cherry Blossom, Pinkie, Toola-Roola, Triple Treat, Coconut Cream, and Scootaloo had made her for her special day... Except they couldn't have! She hadn't met the really real for real pegasus ponies until last summer, and her special day is in May! The headache returned with a vengeance, and everything started to go green. But she wasn't going to let it get to her! Not now -- not when she was so close to fashion nirvana! (She wanted to see what this Rarity kept under wraps, and what marvelous designs she had in her closet -- she also wondered why she hadn't shown up yet?)

After a minute or two, the fog started to clear, her strength returned, and she started to feel better. "Much better!" She thought, to herself, peeking under the curtains. "I'm hoping for something that will wow everyone back in Ponyville!" She thought to herself -- temporarily forgetting about Zecora's costume -- and becoming increasingly bold in her search. Everything in here was so different, so original, so colorful -- it really was a breath of fresh air to find someone as interested in fashion as she was.

She realized that she really shouldn't be peaking in the closet -- she really shouldn't! But It really was like taking a peak for the Christmas presents before they've been wrapped -- she knew she shouldn't, but she was going to anyway. She was still surprised that she hadn't run into the owner of this establishment yet; she wondered what the owner could be up to.

********

Rarity loved her parents; she really did! But every once in a while! She moaned quietly. "Oh Rarity, could you be a doll for us and pick up Sweetie? You're father's business needs him urgently in Baltimare, don't-cha-know! And we need someone to look after Sweetie!" Her mother had said, with her lower unicornian accent. So naturally they left Sweetie with her again! The day before a very important order for Hoity Toity of all ponies! Why did she even still take his orders again anyway? She supposed because he was the client that really got her star rising, and he was a very rich and important client to boot.

She sighed, Sweetie had apparently run off to join her crusader friends sometime between the school house and the boutique. And without telling her! Oh well! It was for the best, she'd chastise her sister later, but for now she didn't need the distractions, anyway.

As she approached the shop, she noticed to her dismay that the door was wide open. Either Sweetie had returned earlier than expected, or she had company. The second was apparently true, as she saw a pony in the middle of her showroom.

The plot was definitely a female's -- this might be an opportunity to make a quick sale. "I'm terribly sorry for keeping you madam. But I'd love to welcome you to the Carousel Boutique where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique." She said, dragging out her store's catch phrase to the mare. "Is there anything I can --" She said, before she looked aghast at the mare staring at some of the dresses from her downstairs closet (she kept her old gala dress in there for nostalgia purposes, and she'd rather not have some stranger touching or looking at her things without permission!)

"Excuse me madam! I'd rather you not look at, or touch anything that isn't out on the -- " She said, starting to get a good look at the mare.

"Rainbow Dash!" She exclaimed with horror. "What are you doing here! And why are you snooping in my closet! Is this some kind of prank?" She stated, growing ever more belligerent. "Well if it is, I would rather you not -- " She said, as Rainbow Dash turned around.

"I'm terribly sorry, darling!" Rainbow said, with an apologetic blush. "I know it was not dashing of me to be snooping in there! After all, darling, a lady never sticks her nose where it doesn't belong. And I just wanted to say --" Rainbow Dash replied, her wings seemingly gone, and her muzzle increased in size like 14 or 15 times.

"WAOH! HO HO HO!!!" Rarity shrieked -- temporarily forgetting about Rainbow's transgression. "Rainbow Dash! What happened to your beautiful muzzle? Did you have an accident while doing one of your unnecessary and dirty stunts?" Rarity said, as calmly as she could -- thinking about all of the injuries and dirt Rainbow created while doing her stunts.

"Excuse me, darling!?" Rainbow said, with agitation. "Darling, Why does everyone think that I'm into horrible and dangerous 'stunts'! With the exception of my one time sledging I don't do dirty, and I don't do dangerous, or outrageous, or anything else, darling!" She said, her head starting to pound.

Rarity frowned. Rainbow must have hurt herself doing one of her dirty and unnecessary stunts! And it caused Rainbow Dash to think she was her! How dreadful that someone as dirty and uncivilized as Rainbow Dash would be -- inadvertently -- hurting her good name! But at least, while Rainbow was in touch with her feminine side. "I'm sorry for insulting you, dearie!" Rarity said, with a smile. "But you're still beautiful on the inside, right?" She said, trying to comfort the now-non-pegasus.

Rainbow Dash laughed, in a polite and ladylike manner. "Oh darling! I see what the problem is here!" She said, mentally smacking herself. "You have me confused for that pegasus!" She said, with a smile. "No I'm actually quite different, darling. And I'll have you know my muzzle is small, and beautiful, darling!" She said, standing on only her back two hooves to shake hooves with this Ponyville's fashion person. "And you must be Rarity! I heard you were into fashion, darling!"

"Why yes I am." Rarity said, confused as to how this other Rainbow Dash bent her front leg joints like that, or what she was intending. But she needed to get to Hoity Toity's order. "So what do you need, dear?" She asked, with a forced smile.

"Well I originally came to pick up Zecora's costume for nightmare night, darling!" Rainbow said, with a smile. "But then I just couldn't resist taking a look myself!" She said, with a blush. "And I apologize, darling. "

Rarity sighed, she shouldn't give this strange pony too much trouble. She didn't leave many designs out, after all, and she really should've been back at her shop -- too bad she was picking up her sister from her parents, on short notice, again. "Well I suppose, but could you at least wait for me to come back before snooping around my shop?" And what was this new Rainbow Dash talking about? There was no costume order for Zecora -- she makes her own costume every year (not that Rarity didn't want a chance to do it herself, mind you. It's just that Zecora wouldn't won't allow it -- something about pride, and tradition.)

"Of course, darling! I lost my manners there for a second. It's just everything is so interesting, and different here then back in my shop." Rainbow Dash replied, blushing in embarrassment.

"You own a shop too?" Rarity asked, making small talk (it was almost unheard of for an earth pony to go into fashion design -- their lack of magic made it difficult to do the tasks that went into designing fashion, all requiring a fair amount of dexterity.)

"Why of course, daring!" Rainbow said, with pride. "I'm Ponyville's premiere fashion designer, and half time event organizer." She said, thinking about not just her own shop, but last year's Christmas, this year's friendship ball, and every year's celebrations for the First Rainbow of the Season.

"Ponyville?" Rarity said, raising an eyebrow. "But I'm Ponyville's premiere designer!" She said, with a frown -- how dare this charlatan claim to be the premiere fashion designer in the same town as her business!

"Huh." Rainbow said, with confusion -- how can they both be the premiere fashion pony in Ponyille? "Maybe there's more than one Ponyville?" She asked, herself confused.

"Well, in any case." Rarity said, with a forced smile -- she was NOT going to become territorial like that barbarian pegasus Dash. "Did you see something that interested you?" She asked, politely.

"Why, of course, darling!" Rainbow Dash said, with enthusiasm. "I saw this darling pink, yellow, and purple dress!" She said, pointing to Rarity's gala dress. "Why a darling would look just like a princess in that dress." She said, wistfully, suddenly thinking about Kenbroath. "But, alas darling! the colors wouldn't go well with my mane and coat!" She said, with a sigh -- her plan to impress the young dragon evaporating before her eyes.

Rarity smiled, maybe she'd put Hoity Toity's order off a little longer (but not that much longer!) "Well, what about this one? It's made for my friend, who also happens to be named Rainbow Dash. It would fit you smashingly, and it should go with your rainbow mane spectacularly." Rarity said, feeling as proud of her earlier accomplishment, as the day she first finished it.

"Oh I see what you mean, darling. It would go perfectly with that other Rainbow Dash, and the only difference in our mane colors is a more pastel tone in mine." She said, with a smile. "But, darling, it's a little too brash for me! I prefer my outfits to be more feminine!" She said, not wanting to feel like a tomboy.

"I suppose so." Rarity said, thinking for a second. She really wanted to help, she really did, but there simply was no more time today! If she waited any longer she might not get that order done (and it was a doozie) "I would love to do a fitting -- I really would -- but I really need to get this order done for a very important client tomorrow, and --" She said, starting to notice the time.

"An order, darling!" Rainbow said, with enthusiasm. "I can help, darling! It would give me an excellent opportunity to see another fashion designer in action!" She said, with enthusiasm, secretly hoping Rarity would say yes.

"Oh no, darling! I could never!" Rarity said, with a frown. "I don't know how good you are with fashions, and I could never impose on you!" She said, with hesitation. "Besides, I wouldn't want anything to go wrong with this order! This client is awfully picky, after all!" She said, trying to discourage the rainbow pony from trying to 'help'.

"Nonsense, darling!" Rainbow said, standing steadfast. "I believe I have one of my favorite hats and scarf's in my bag." She said, grabbing a couple of things from her saddlebag. "That gives me an idea! What if, tomorrow -- after this order -- we hold a festive hat party?" She said, with a smile (why did this idea sound familiar to her?) "We could get all of your friends, and I could get my Pinkie, and we could all have a competition for whose design is the best!" She said, with a smile, dragging her favorite hat and scarf out of her bag.

Rarity sighed. It was a terribly good idea, but she strongly suspected that Twilight would over think it, and Rainbow and Pinkie wouldn't be able to sit still long enough to make it work. Nevertheless: "We can certainly try." She said, smiling warmly (if with hesitation.) In any case, despite the fact that her choice in clothing designs was childish, it demonstrated basic competency -- and she seemed to have more then a little enthusiasm. And this strange Rainbow Dash did definitely think like Rarity -- and Rarity had to admit, that with Sweetie visiting, well! "I suppose you can help, if you really insist." She said, with hesitation. What was she getting herself into? "But I get final say on everything, agree?" She asked.

Rainbow nodded, with glee.

In the end though the rainbow themed, and self proclaimed fashionista, demonstrated at least a basic competency, and a never-ending source of passion. Perhaps Rarity would be able to finish this order after all, despite Sweetie's visit. And by the looks of things, she might have time to spare!

That was, until, the door could be heard slamming open below, and hoof stomps could be heard thundering up the stairs.

********

The hoof prints started thundering up the stairs. Finally a voice could be heard shouting from down the stair slightly from Rarity's work room. "Rarity!" Sweetie shouted, from downstairs. "I'm grabbing some of my things!" She shouted galloping up the stairs. "I'm going to have a sleep over at the clubhouse!"

Rarity sighed, this was not going to be a fun conversation. "I apologize Rainbow." Rarity said, sighing again."Why don't you take a short break? I think I need to talk with Sweetie." She said, as she started over to the stairs. "Sweetie! We need to talk for a minute!" She shouted across the floor, towards Sweetie's room.

"In a minute Rarity!" Sweetie shouted, at the top of her lungs. "I'm packing!" She shouted from inside her room, apparently trying to leave before Rarity could think about it.

"No!" Rarity shouted, showing slight agitation. "We shall talk right now! I don't appreciate you running off without permission and --" Rarity shouted, with great agitation, right up to the point where her sister interrupted.

"You never let me do anything!" Sweetie shouted, to her sister -- slowly and noisily clomping towards the door. "All you care about is your orders! And looking good -- I still haven't forgotten about my fifth birthday party!" She shouted, slowly opening her door.

"Excuse me, darlings." Rainbow asked, leaving Rarity's room behind. "Is something the manner." She asked with apprehension -- she wasn't used to seeing ponies argue like this. "I apologize for the intrusion, darlings, but -- " She started saying, until the moment she saw the young unicorn -- it was like something blew up in her head. Was she feeling angry about a scarf and her most specialishish dress up party ever? Suddenly she was looking at the youngest of her six only friends just before the wishing festival. "Oh Sweetie Belle." She said, with a girlish giggle, as she saw the young white unicorn. "What brings you by my shop today?" Why did her head want to burst, and why was she talking so childishly? And why did she suddenly think this was her shop? "While you're here, you want to bake something nice for Rarity and me?" She asked, with another giggle. "Your baking is simply dashing!" She said, her voice two octaves higher than normal.

"See Rarity!" She said, glaring at her sister. "I am good at baking!" Sweetie said, to her sister with glee -- and at least a little delusion -- as Rarity face hoofed (Sweetie was the only one, that Rarity knew of at least, that could burn juice!) "But, anyway, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and I really need to go!" Sweetie said, feeling belligerent. "We have IMPORTANT CRUSADING to do!"

"Scootaloo's here too?" Rainbow said, with a smile. "Did her sister Cheerilee show up too?" She said, giggling. "Maybe we could have another sleepover! And she could tell ghost stories again!" What was she talking about? Cheerilee was a unicorn -- and how did she even know that? And she certainly wasn't Scootaloo's sister! Wasn't Cheery Blossom Scootaloo's sister?

"You ok Rainbow Dash?" Rarity asked, as Rainbow began to wobble a little bit. "Do you need to take a break?" She asked, wondering why her new assistant and her smashing accent had been replaced by this absurd valley mare?

Sweetie Belle just smiled innocently. "She's down stairs! WAITING ON ME!" She said finishing with emphasis. "Along with Apple Bloom!" She said to her sister."Why don't you say hi!?" She said, turning to the other Rainbow Dash, with a smile. "Scoots is a big fan of yours, Rainbow Dash!"

"Oh she is?" Rainbow Dash tittered. "I'll have to say hi then!" She said, staggering down the stairs, surrounded by a strange aura.

"What do you think that's about?" Sweetie asked her sister. "You don't suppose something is wrong with Rainbow do you? I've never seen her act like a goof like this before." She sound frowning. "Scootaloo might have trouble with this." She said, with concern.

"I don't know!" Rarity said, with concern -- forgetting temporarily about Sweetie Belle's pending punishment. "Maybe I should fetch Twilight!" She said, looking at the green aura beginning to swirl around the earth pony.

Rainbow could see Scootaloo, and a small yellow earth pony filly with a red mane, right outside the door. "HI!" She tittered. "How's it going Scootaloo!" She said, giggling slightl. "You planning another sports party?" She asked, continuing to talk strange.

"Rainbow Dash?" The young pegasus asked, almost afraid of what she was seeing. "You ok?" She asked, looking at the profound lack of awesomeness in the area. "And why is your muzzle so big?"

"An yer looking a little green!" Apple Bloom, the small yellow earth pony asked, her face filled with concern.

"Why of course, Scootaloo! And I'll win the race again, just like at the last sports party!" She giggled, her mind seemingly divorced from reality. Rainbow stood there, her head spinning. Sports party? Scootaloo had never had a sports party before! And since when did Scootaloo become a really real for real pegasus pony? What's worse was not just that her head felt like it was going to explode, but that the whole world seemingly was being eaten by a field of pure green.

"You ok Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo asked again, this time sounding slow and warbled. "And what happened to your wings?"

Why did she know Sweetie? What kind of pony was she? She was a unicorn, of course, just like Rarity? Rarity? Why was that name familiar. The more upset she became, the more everything hurt. Wasn't Rarity supposed to be pink? When were they supposed to meet?

"Girls get behind me!" Twilight screamed, inaudibly -- suddenly galloping up from a nearby street (not that Rainbow could see, everything was being consumed by Blarney king of green!

"What's wrong with Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo asked, again inaudibly.

"Yeah!" Apple Bloom said, joining in. "Ah've never seen her act this way before!"

"That's not our Rainbow Dash!" Twilight cautioned. "And I don't know what's happening, but I can tell it's bad!" She shrieked as a green aura began to expand from around the fashionable earth pony.

Scootaloo just sighed in relief. "I'm so glad!" She said, with a smile. "I thought Rainbow Dash had become lame like Rarity for a second!" She said, blushing as the white unicorn peaked her head out from within earshot.

"Hey!" Sweetie protested to her pegasus friend. "My sister is not --" She said, ducking as a bolt of magic whizzed past, turning a nearby tent into a scale model of friendship castle (the purple one, not the pink one.)

"Twilight!" Rarity shrieked. "You need to protect the boutique! I have an important order to finish!" She said, in terror.

Another bolt of magic caused a tree to uproot itself, and start tap dancing.

"Why'd she turn that tree turn into Fluttershy?" Apple Bloom asked, with a smirk.

"It's getting worse!" Twilight lamented. "I need to do something fast, or things could get very ugly!" She shouted as more bolts shot out, causing one building to float in mid air -- upside down -- another one to sprout girly heart designs everywhere -- and pink, lots of pink! (basically becoming a G3 building), and another one turned a rock into a cactus.

A thought occurred to her, what was the spell Celestia used when she had her magic burst? But was an earth pony even capable of a magic burst? Unfortunately, there was only one way to find out.

All Rainbow felt was someone putting a hand on her shoulder, before everything descended into the inky blackness.

********

Early the next morning

"So this is where the lady has been hiding." A blond haired, blue eyed changeling stallion hissed to himself. "Captain Raphanus!" He shouted, with conviction. "Where are you?"

"You beckoned prince Vladímir?" The changeling captain responded, with devotion. "What do you need?"

The prince of the changeling's pointed out at a swirling bubble of magic, with a gaping hole sticking out the side. "Apparently we've found the lady's hiding place." He said, with great rejoicing. "Gather the forces, it's time to eliminate the hive's number two enemy."

"Oh course, your majesty!" Raphanus dutifully responded. "Your sister's enemy will be eliminated here and now!" He said, with pride, an enemy of the hive's queen is an enemy of all members of the hive.

But as the captain started to gather the forces, the nearby changeling prince chimed in. "Oh and captain!" He cautioned.

"Yes majesty?" Raphanus asked. "What is the matter?" He asked, with great concern to what his master was requesting.

"Nopony will be permitted to feed, and no converts will be made on this mission!" Vladímir cautioned.

"Pardon?" Raphanus asked, filled with confusion. "What do you mean nopony will be permitted to feed? We always feed at the end of a mission, unless one of the fluttering ones is found and --"

"No, commander, there will be no feeding!" Vladímir responded, giving emphasis to 'no feeding'. "The whole town has been poisoned with the Lady's imperfections! And feeding on anything will only poison the hive!" He said, his zeal showing.

"Wait... The lady?" Raphanus said, shaking slightly. "You mean The Lady? The infamous traitor? The Rainbow of Darkness? The undoing of the hive? The Rainbow of Doom?"

"Yes: the one and only!" Vladímir responded, waving his hoof. "And as such the town will be treated as if one of the fluttering ones had been located. Gather up all the ponies, and bring them to me! I shall decide an appropriate fate!" He said, standing tall. "And anypony caught feeding is to be treated as if they, themselves, were one of the fluttering ones!" He said, with zeal. "Now go and gather everyone, and I shall decide the proper ending to this story!"

With a wave of his hoof, the changeling forces were off. Buzzing through the hole, and onto unsuspecting, innocent ponies.

********

"So you seem to be under the weather slightly?" Asked a smiling Doctor Horse of his patient. "What seems to be the matter?"

"I'm not sure, darling." Rainbow said, with a sigh. "I've been having conflicting memories, and nightmares for days." She said, remembering al her strange dreams, and her conflicting memories. "And, then, suddenly I started seeing green, and the next thing I know, darling, I wake up here."

The doctor turned to the nearby princess. "And you say she had a magic burst?" He said, turning to the princess.

Twilight nodded. "Yes doctor! I know it's hard to believe, but the mayor can attest, to the fact, that I spent all afternoon yesterday trying to undo the effects of her magic bust."

The doctor looked at the princes of friendship skeptically. "A magic burst? You realize she's a regular earth pony, right? (ok except for her muzzle, and her mutant hooves, but those don't cause magic bursts.)"

Twilight sighed. "Yeah I know, but it's the only logical explanation." She said, speaking with authority.

The doctor sighed himself. "But that's not possible. if she was a unicorn, It's very much a possibility -- you, yourself, have had at least a couple since visiting Ponyville. And it's conceivably possible if she was a pegasus -- albeit only theoretically possible -- but there's no possible way that magic bursts can happen with earth pony magic. It's not biologically possible!" He said, trying to diagnose the possibilities. "Let alone the fact that their magic is grounded in the earth itself! Let me test another theory, though!" He said, bringing out a glowing crystal.

Twilight shuddered, feeling ill. She knew what this was -- she'd, in fact, wished she had some days ago, when these ponies first visited, but she couldn't get her hooves on them. It was a very rare kind of gem enchanted with a very powerful spell meant to uncover changelings.

"Oh darling, what is that? And why do I feel ill?" She said, as her body began to spasm, and her eyes began to turn a solid neon green color -- her pupils disappearing entirely.

The doctor was forced to throw the crystal to the ground -- as it began to glow a neon color, and suddenly became blazing hot -- watching in terror, as it shattered before him. Green magic began to shoot out of the fashionable earth pony. The doctor's face began to contort in terror. "Nurse!!! Get an inhibitor stat!" The doctor shrieked, ducking a bolt of magic.

The nurse rushed in, carrying an inhibitor intended for a unicorn's horn. Unfortunately there was no way it was going to fit anywhere on the earth pony. This was not going to be easy!

********

The attack had gone swimmingly, as this had been the single most docile group of creatures that the captain had ever seen. They barely ran, and never fought. All they did was cry and whimper -- maybe hide in obvious places -- like small children!

The other three teams had been sent out to gather the earth ponies, the pegasi, and a tribe of very off looking breeizes, who seemed to all be segregated into separate small villages. What a strange group of ponies!

He, himself, however, had been sent to bring in the unicorns, and had fully expected them to attempt to use their troublesome magic -- instead, they didn't even seem to know what magic was.

It was all quite pathetic. He really, really, wished Vladímir would have let them feed, so many delicious emotions here, and so much tasty despair, and desperation. But was too terrified to do so -- Vladímir kind of had a negative tolerance policy towards ponies going against his orders (he tended to react negatively when ponies came even close to disobeying his orders -- and woe to the one that actually did!) Oh well, this made him a very effective commander (he expected perfection of his troops, and he usually got it). And that, in turn, made him the new darling of the tribe -- especially after the wedding debacle last year -- where the queen, herself, literally broke under pressure and was, basically, reduced to being a pathetic clown (and not a funny one either.)

In the end, the only thing that impressed him was the unique architecture these unicorn's had developed -- far away from Canterlot's watchful eye. In the end, though, he had the last three unicorn's located -- two adults and a very young filly (or maybe even a foal.)

Oh the first two tried a pathetic barricade using their own bodies, and a door. Luckily they finally saw reason and allowed him entry. The last one was a tiny filly, with a woefully underdeveloped horn -- maybe it was because she was so young? In any case, she was trying to stop him and his army of changelings -- the very same that had defeated Celestia's mighty army the year before during the wedding debacle -- with a child's toy.

He turned to two of his men. "Grab the two by the door! I'll grab that pathetic filly." The captain smiled to himself. "Another operation completed successfully, maybe I'll be promoted into the praetorian guards this year for my great victories!" He thought to himself, full of confidence.

All that silly filly could do was wave a toy wand like she was some kind of 'wizard' or something. "Oh what are you going to do with that worthless toy?" He taunted, feeling ever more confident -- this was, after all, the only pony that remained. "Cause me to laugh to death?" He said, as the filly tossed the toy into the air with all of her might.

It flew up, rotating in the air.

Captain Raphanus, laughed raucously. "Oh wow! She's going to impress us with her 'wand throwing skills' boys!" He said, howling with laughter.

However, the laughter was ephemeral, as all three unicorns, in the room, disappeared, one by one, into puffs of smoke.

"What?! NO!!!!!" He shouted -- his changeling telepathy beginning to go wild -- as, all across the hive invasion forces the same cry could be heard. Breezies, unicorns, earth ponies, even pegasi, gone -- disappeared into thin air. One drone even lost an arm when the pony that he was holding in said arm disappeared into a puff of smoke. "This is not good! What am I going to tell Vladímir?" He asked himself, shaking violently.

********

Vladímir stood there, fuming violently. "What do you mean, you can't find one pegasus, earth pony or unicorn?" He asked, ready to blast somepony where they stood. You see Vladímir didn't fail, and he didn't permit any of his men to fail either. And this had increasingly made him the pride of the hive, compared to his sister's two abysmal failures. His horn started to power up, filled with green changeling magic. "Now commander, tell me again: where did all the ponies go?"

Captain Raphanus gulped, this was going to be bad -- he was lucky if he was even permitted to be reduced to a drone after this. "They all just vanished sire. One of the unicorn's used some kind of artifact to cast some kind of a group teleportation spell."

Vladímir frowned, and began to bark. "I don't believe that for a minute! Even the most powerful unicorns can't teleport more than a handful of ponies at a time! And they must all remain within close proximity -- not hundreds of miles apart! And you expect me to believe that some odd little unicorn just performed teleportation magic that Celestia can't?"

The commander didn't know what else to do but tell the truth. "It's the truth sire! The unicorn used some kind of unknown magic and --"

The changeling prince simply scoffed. "Gather up all commanders!" He barked. "We have traitors in our midst. " He said, demanding that the entire invasion force be brought forward.

"And those forces that are digging under the castle sire?" The captain asked.

"Let them finish! We'll interrogate them later." He said, giving the death eye to his commander. "And you'd better hope they find something promising!"

After a short time, all the commanders had been gathered. The prince looked over them all with disdain. "How is it that the best trained force in the hive simply loses track of hundreds of ponies? Do some of you feel sympathy? Did some of you want to disobey my order not to feed? Or maybe -- " He said, his eyes narrowing. "Some of you are traitors against the true ruler of this hive? Maybe you have visions of putting somepony else in power?" He said, looking over the group.

As he spoke, one of the commanders grew more and more agitated, until finally. "How dare you speak this way! It's not any of us that is a traitor, but you 'prince' Vladímir! You betray the true Queen of the hive! Queen -- " He said, before disappearing bug zapper style into a beam of light released from the prince's crooked horn.

Vladímir seethed, and his face was contorted into anger. A strange smirk crossed his mouth. "Interrogate everypony!" He demanded. "Some in our ranks don't believe that this hive's ruler is legitimate!" He said, with zeal. "Yes! I believe that some on this force want to discredit the ruler of this to put another into power!" He said, passionately.

After a short while a dozen "traitors" were rounded up. And the prince made another proclamation. "Bring forth commander Raphanus! It's time for his judgment."

"Yes sire!" The changelings shouted, in unison.

"Do you know why you are here?" The prince bellowed, looking at the thirteen changelings before him.

All thirteen shook their heads.

"You have all been found guilty of treason against the crown of the changelings! Plotting our downfall, presumably to put crown on to the head of The Lady! And all of you have been found guilty of impeding and preventing the work of the hive for your own slanted aims!"

Commander Raphanus began to shake violently. "But sire I've done no treason!"

"Maybe not!" the prince replied. "But you still failed! And at your level, failure is not permitted! Take them away and --"

The new commander, commander Laevigatae, approached the changeling princess, shaking furiously. "I apologize, majesty, but we couldn't find any trace of the ponies sire. They appear to have gotten away.

The princess was not more agitated than ever. "Then why did you return? Did you take joy in telling me that they couldn't be found? Are you a traitor as well?"

The new commander shook ever so slightly. "I apologize, majesty, but I do have good news."

"It had better be! Or I will, once again, need to find a new commander!" The changeling lord hissed.

"Yes! Majesty: while digging under a purple castle in the earth pony village, we found this." She said, opening a box containing a crown. The crown looked like a tiara, except for the onyx black gem in the middle, which contained the images of a wand, and a moon. "There were five other artifacts as well, but we're still exhuming them." She said, with a great deal of apprehension.

The prince's mood suddenly improved, as he licked his lips. "You are fortunate Raphanus, that your men are much more successful then you." He said, smiling greatly. "Take the 'commander' away, and demote him to private. I think he has become too comfortable in his position of authority -- and maybe being commanded will remind him to take more care in his work!" The prince said, with a sarcastic smirk.