“Brep! Bee Hive, this is Ricochet One,” Scootaloo said, clenching her hoof, “approaching the rain box. Requesting permission to engage. Over.Brep!”
“Brep! Roger, Ricochet One. You are cleared to engage. Make it pour. Scorched earth, leave nothing ali-”
“SCOOTALOO!”
The filly jumped out of the seat, her wings flailing uselessly as she crashed in a heap beside Sweetie Belle.
“Stop screwing around!”
“But I was on a secret mission, in uncharted spa-“
“NO! You were in a toy train in front of the grocery store!”
“I was in a bomber!”
Sweetie Belle glared at the mechanical contraption still rocking back and forth.
“That’s a train, Scoots!” Her eyes widened. “Did you use our last bits for this ride?!”
“I used my imagination!”
“Well, how about you imagine yourself helping us! Applebloom is nearly done, so get over there!” she squeaked, pointing to the front doors.
Scootaloo trudged over, mumbling to herself, as Applebloom appeared.
“Almost…got it…there!” Applebloom panted, pulling a lumpy sack through the door. “Phew! This is them.”
She slumped against the bag, her attention turning to the train.
“What ah…wha‘dah miss?”
“Scootaloo used our last bits on that thing!”
“I WAS SAVING EQUESTRIA!”
“You were talking into your hoof!”
“It was a walkie-talkie and I-“
“Girls!” Applebloom hollered, stepping between the two. “We got the lemon’s, so no need to fuss.”
Sweetie Belle stepped back, sitting on her haunches as her glare subsided.
“I guess you’re right,” she sighed. “Grab the bag, Scootaloo.”
“What? Why me?”
“Haven’t you heard the saying? When life gives you lemons, make Scootaloo carry them.”
Scootaloo stared at her friends, each staring back expectantly.
“Is that a nursery rhyme or something? I’ve never heard of it.”
“Um, yeah. It’s a nurs’ry rhyme all right!” Applebloom chided.
“So, Scoots can carry the sack and I guess I’ll carry the sugar.”
Applebloom turned to the unicorn.
“Sugar? What sugar?”
“You were supposed to get sugar, Applebloom! I gave you enough bits for both!”
“I thought Scootaloo was getting the sugar!”
“I thought I was just supposed to stay out of the way! Now I’m confused…”
“How are we supposed to make-“
“Was that what my bits were for? Oops…”
“No! I gave A-B the bits to get the lemons and the sugar and-“
“Hey! Psst! Y’all in need of some suga’ there?”
The girls spun to the voice, finding a thin stallion towering over them.
“I’m selling suga’,” he stated, his bloodshot eyes darting around behind his scruffy beard. “So long as y’all on the down-low. Ya dig, dogs?”
He stared down at the three fillies as each gawked back.
“We’re ponies, but her brother digs,” Sweetie Belle said, pointing to Applebloom. “He digs most days. Will that work?”
“You smell bad,” Scootaloo stated, putting a hoof to her nose. “This is worse than Applebloom’s pig!”
“Ya got that right,” Applebloom said, taking a few steps back. “Worse than pig sh-“
“Ya down?”
The stranger shuffled around inside his trench coat, blinking his eyes one after the other.
“Sorry mister, but we can’t afford any sugar right now. That’s the problem.”
His head twitched to the side as he turned his whole body to face Sweetie Belle.
“Problem, huh? Well, how ‘bouts I just give ya some suga’? Just to get ya started?”
The girls glanced at one another, smiles breaking across their faces.
“You’d do that? That’d be great!”
“Thanks, mister!”
“Yeah, well iz’a good guy, ya know? I can see y’alls might be needin’ a- a- a pick-me-up.”
He pulled out a tiny bag, its white powder shuffling around inside as he held it before the girls.
“What?! That’s it?!” Sweetie Belle cried. “Scootaloo will go through that before we even get started! I know it’s free but we need a whole big bag of it at least! That’s not enough to get us started!”
The stranger jumped back, staring slack-jawed at the trio as he hastened to put the bag back in his coat.
“Sweet ‘Lestia! Y’alls throwing a party or some’ins?!”
“No! We’re trying to make lemonade and that’s not even enough for one glass!”
“Le-lemonade?!”
“Yeah! Lemonade!”
He continued to stare at them, his jaw twitching.
“Forget it! We’ll find our own sugar. Thanks for nothing!”
Sweetie Belle pushed past the stranger, beckoning Applebloom beside her as Scootaloo struggled under the sack.
“So what we gonna do now?” Applebloom asked as she scurried past Scootaloo. “We’ll need at least some sugar to get this goin’.”
Sweetie Belle glanced back at the stranger galloping away, his tail flicking awkwardly.
“We need money. Plain and simple.”
“That’s why we were making lemonade ah thought?”
“What happened -err- to the bits from -errrrrr!- that store?” Scootaloo said between pulls on the bag.
“That event with the unicorn? That’s all gone.”
“WHAT?!” Scootaloo shrieked, the bag slipping from her mouth. “That was only three days ago!”
“The economy is what the economy is. Sis says it’s all CadenceCare’s fault.”
“My sis says it was them big corporations, always steppin’ on the little ponies. Somethin’ ‘bout ar-ty-fish-silly inflatin’ the price of hay. Then it was just a string of rude words.”
“Wanna know what my sister says?” Scootaloo asked happily.
Her friends turned to her, smiles gracing their muzzles.
“That’s so cute!”
“She’s created an ‘maginary playmate. Calls it ‘er sis!”
“I just want to pinch her cheeks.”
“Wha- ? I’m talking about Rainbow Dash!”
“Rainbow…Dash?” Sweetie Belle repeated skeptically. She turned to Applebloom. “Do you know a Rainbow Dash?”
“Can’t recollect that I do. Pretty name though.”
“What?! NO! RAINBOW DASH! She’s the one I’ve seen your sisters sneaking off with sometimes!” she said.
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other, grimacing.
“I think you’ve had enough ‘suga’ for today, Scoots,” Sweetie Belle cooed. “Let’s just get back to the farm.”
“Bu-but-no! I have all these pictures I drew in my room! I know she’s real!” Scootaloo cried, tears welling in her eyes.
Applebloom turned away, barely suppressing her laugh.
“It’s alright, Scoots,” Sweetie Belle continued. “We’re your friends, we’ll get you through this. Just be sure to bring the lemons with you.”
Scootaloo heaved on the bag, eyes wide and teary as she stared at the road ahead.
“But… but camping…and…that time with…is Twilight real?!”
“Who?”
~~~~~
Applebloom pushed against the barn door, its massive hinges gliding silently as Scootaloo dragged the sack inside. She stopped and stared at a large hay stack in front of her, the bag dropping to the floor.
“Whatcha staring at?” Applebloom said as she and Sweetie Belle appeared beside Scootaloo.
Scootaloo pointed excitedly at a rainbow-colored tail sticking out of the stack near the bottom.
“There! I know you can see that!” she said, turning to each of her friends. “It’s Rainbow Dash!”
The pegasus’ head poked out from the side, her eyes drooping and her mane strewn with bits of straw.
“Present!” she slurred, laughing to herself. “Been ‘ere allllllll along!”
A glass jug rolled out from the stack, shattering on the floor as Rainbow slowly moved to catch it.
“He-he-he…wanna play spin the bottle, AJ?” she glanced back to the shattered remains, one eyelid drooping below the other. “Might, uh…might be tough…though. Oh good, it’s already…already spinning. Whee!” she hollered, throwing her arms up and slumping against the stack.
“Rainbow Dash, are you all right?”
“Why’d she just say mah sister’s name?” Applebloom asked.
Applejack appeared above her, quickly wiping a hoof across her muzzle.
“Just ah….’cuz I’m here too. Helpin’…yeah, helpin’ her to get-“
“Are you playing hide and seek?!” Scootaloo asked energetically, taking a step forward as a smile moved across her muzzle.
“Um…yeah! Just-just playin’ hide n’ seek. That’s why the barn door was closed…” She turned to Rainbow. “-At least it shoulda been,” she growled.
“Is it just you two playing?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Flutters was ‘uppose- s-s-supposed to play-“
Applejack quickly wrapped her hooves around Rainbow’s snout.
“No! No…just the two of us. Play’n’ hide-seek stuff. Good exercise, ya know?”
“Shouldn’t one of y’all be seeking then? Seems ya found each other all right.”
Rainbow squealed as she slipped out of AJ’s grasp, “she’s seeking for the little pony in the boa-!“
“No!” Applejack hollered, resuming her squeeze on Rainbow’s snout. “She’s talkin’ ‘bout mah swim suit. Darn thing got lost in ‘ere while we- while we were playin’. Seems the straw weren’t the best thing to be hidin’ in…after all.”
Applebloom stepped closer, eyes narrowed at the floor.
“Hey! That’s mah riding crop! But what’sit doin’ in the barn?”
“SHE-“
“Shaddup!” AJ snapped, glaring at a giggling Rainbow. “I just saw it- ah mean…just found it. Yeah! Found it while lookin’-“
She stopped as Applebloom glared at her.
“-I had’ta kill a spider with it. It were that or use Dash here.”
“But this is s’posed to be in mah room. I know that’s where ah left it last.”
“Nah! I, uh…I found it down here. Well, up in the loft but still ‘ere in the barn. No idear how it got here.”
Rainbow raised a hoof past AJ.
“Keep yer mouth shut!” Applejack growled low, pushing Rainbow into the straw. “Don’t make me get the rope!”
“Sounds like you two have changed the rules to this game,” Sweetie Belle quipped, studying the pair.
“Well…Dash ‘ere has an unfair advantage, see? Wings and such. Makes mah job harder.”
The girls stared back, ranging from frowns to broad smiles.
“So, ah…what y’all- whatcha doin’ now?” Applejack asked, pulling her hat out of the pile and plopping it on her head.
“We-“
“We’re making lemonade! Wanna help?” Scootaloo asked optimistically.
“Well shoot. Ya know I would but…ah, just can’t right now. Still need to-um…”
“Find that little pony?”
“No! Ah don’t need any help findin’ the damn pony! Ah can do it all by mahself!” she snarled, eliciting a muffled giggle from Rainbow.
“All the same,” Applebloom said, picking up her riding crop and waltzing back between her friends. “We don’t ‘ave any sugar. Gone and spent all our bits on the lemons. Ya know where some sugar is, sis?”
Rainbow shoved AJ’s hooves off her snout.
“APPLESNACK’S DONE LICKED THAT BOWL CLEAN! HA-HA-HA!”
“WOULD YA SHADDUP?! Just shaddup!” She turned back to the fillies, quickly flashing a smile. “Maybe y’all should check in the kitchen!” she continued, fighting against Rainbow struggling beneath her. “Might ‘ave a little left in there. Y’all have fun now!”
Applebloom quickly stepped towards the door, pulling Scootaloo with her.
“Wait!” Scootaloo pleaded, stiffening against Applebloom’s beckoning grasp. “What if Rainbow Dash needs help?”
“Well, you two have fun,” Sweetie Belle said, following the girls toward the barn doors. “I guess we’ll go look for the sugar. Good luck finding the pony! Whatever that means…”
She pulled the door shut behind her, leaving a narrow ray of sunlight to slice across the inside of the barn.
Applejack leaned closer to Rainbow.
“Yer goin’ to pay fer those outbursts, little lady.”
Rainbow burped, licking her lips as she stared groggily up at AJ.
“Too bad…too bad they took the crop.”
“That’s what the bull whip’s fer.”
~~~~~
Sweetie Belle held the door to the house open for the girls as a pained howl radiated out from the barn.
“Guess Rainbow Dash wasn’t too happy that Applejack found her,” Scootaloo muttered as she brushed past Sweetie Belle.
“I think the sugar would be up there,” Applebloom said, pointing towards the top cabinets. “We hafta keep it away from Granny or else she’ll start baking like there’s no tomorrow.”
“How do we get up there?”
The girls turned to Scootaloo, who stared back perplexed.
“What? I’m no taller than either of you.”
“But you can fly, right?”
“Hey, you two said you wouldn’t tease me about that anymore. It’s not funny,” she mumbled sadly.
“We’re not picking on you, Scootaloo. We actually-“
“Nah, she’s right. ‘Sides, she’s likely as not to crash into the cabinets rather than open ’em. What ‘bout you?”
“Me?” Sweetie Belle asked as Applebloom looked at her. “What can I do?”
“Don’tcha know a summoning spell?”
“That’s not- you can’t- we’re missing the p- well, how did you get it up there and away from Granny Smith to begin with?!”
“Big Mac had to put it up there. He’s the only one that can reach.”
“Where’s he at then?”
“No idea, prolly off in one of the orchards. But he won’t ‘elp us ‘till sundown at the soonest anyhow.”
“Well? Now what?” Scootaloo asked as she glanced around the room.
“Give me a second, I’m thinking,” Sweetie Belle answered, rubbing her chin. “We wont find sugar in time, so let’s just try to find money to get the sugar.”
“So, we’re needin’ to make money to buy the sugar to make the lemonade to sell to make the money to buy more candy. That ‘bout sum it up?”
“Yep.”
“Jawbreakers?!” Scootaloo inquired.
“Seems like a solid plan to me,” Applebloom said. “So how’re we goin’ to make the money to get the sugar?”
“Well, I’ve got something of an idea going. The last time my sister had a boyfriend and they broke up, she took all his stuff to a…um…oh! A pawn shop! Said it was recycling and that it was the nicest thing one pony could do for another. She also said they were all his favorite valuables and so were worth more. She later used the bits from that to buy a day at the spa. So I guess she’s right.”
“So a pawn shop gives you bits for other ponies’ stuff? Don’t they care that it’s not yours?” Scootaloo asked, vigor returning in her smile.
“Apparently not. But it makes other ponies happy so why would they?”
“We can start in the attic if y’all like. Plenty of stuff is stored up there we can sell to make Applejack and such happy!”
“Yeah!”
The girls stepped forward, each raising a hoof towards their friends’.
“Cutie Mark Crusader Pawn Kings!”
~~~~~
Applebloom pushed against the attic door, light racing to the corners as various critters scurried for cover.
The girls poked their heads around the frame.
“Looks like nopony’s been up here for years,” Scootaloo muttered, pressing against Sweetie Belle as a spider crawled near her hoof. “May-maybe we should leave it that way!”
“Oh, don’t be scared of the spiders, Scootaloo.” Applebloom smiled as she pushed the door all the way open. “Yer bigger than them.”
“But don’t they hunt in packs?”
“Where in the seven corners of Equestria did ya hear that?”
Scootaloo pushed closer to Sweetie Belle as the spider twitched in her direction.
“Don’t expect me to be able to save you! It’s you it wants!”
“Spiders don’t hunt in packs! They make big webs an’ trap their prey in’m.”
“Well, aren’t you just the scholarly arachnologist!” Scootaloo stated, taking a step into the room. “Interesting that you could present such a keen observation for somepony from a rural setting.”
“Wh-what the hay was that?” Applebloom stumbled.
“I think we broke her. Or maybe she was bit.”
“Scootaloo, are you alright? What jus’ happened?”
“Do you remember what you said?”
“You were prattlin’ on about celery and something or other.”
“It was one of those phrases Twilight likes to use and then gets upset when nopony else knows what she’s saying.”
“Ah-ha!” bellowed Scootaloo, leveling a hoof at her friends. “I knew Twilight was real!”
“No, that’s still Scootaloo. Or at least she is now.”
“Whatever,” muttered Applebloom, shaking her head. “She musta read that on a cereal box or somethin’. Let’s just get in here and find what we’re looking fer.”
The girls stepped into the room after Scootaloo, dodging webs as they stepped toward various boxes.
“I’ve got something heavy over here…oh, nevermind,” Sweetie Belle said, reaching inside. “Just a record player and some stupid records. Who’s The Quarrymen and why should I care?”
She flipped the vinyl over, scanning the other side.
“That’ll be the day? When’ll be the day this is worth something?!” she shrieked, tossing the record against the wall behind her. “And…more records…more records…some little yellow things…find anything, Applebloom?”
“Nothin’ but socks ‘n such in this box. A few pictures in that one, a couple golf balls in there and a creepy lookin’ doll with little things sticking outta its hooves,” she muttered, pointing to various boxes. “A couple ropes in there, a beanbag chair-“
“Scootaloo? You find anything?”
“I found a photo album! Has pictures of AJ and Big Mac as foals. Is that worth anything?”
The girls appeared beside Scootaloo, staring down at the collage of black and white photos.
“This looks really old. That can’t be Granny Smith!” Sweetie Belle laughed, pointing to a small pony wearing an oversized bonnet.
“Applejack’s been lookin’ fer this fer years! It must mean a lot to her then so it’ll fetch a great price an’ make her really happy when we tell her about us sellin’ it!”
“All right, girls,” Sweetie Belle said. “This is a good start, but we’ll need more if we want to buy sugar. We need something that means even more than photos to make the coin we need-“
“How ‘bout a box of letters?”
“They have to be important to some pony.”
“Hey! They’re from Big Mac! And they’re signed with little hearts. Aww. Never took mah brother fer a softy.”
“Ha! Are they to Cherilee?” Sweetie Belle asked.
Applebloom’s face turned a deep shade of crimson.
“No, they’re-“
“To Fluttershy? The quiet ones and such-“
“No, they’re-“
“So long as it’s not Rarity, that’d just be messy-“
“They’re to his fifth grade teacher!” Applebloom shrieked, bursting into a fit of laughter as Sweetie Belle took the letter from her.
“Who is Charity?”
Applebloom slowly righted herself, her grin broadening as each new fit was forcefully withheld.
“That’s Cherilee’s mom!”
“That is so messed up,” Sweetie Belle responded, reading over the letter. “Are there any more?!”
Applebloom pushed the box over, several letters gliding across the dust-strewn floor.
“There’s gotta be at least thirty in here!”
Scootaloo picked up a worn sheet.
“I don’t think this one’s a letter. It says ‘Deed’ across the top and ‘Sweet Apple Acres’ under it. Looks really really old.”
“What’s a deed?” asked Sweetie Belle, taking the form from Scootaloo. “Whoa, it looks like it’s as old as this house! The edges are bent, there’re a few tears going across it and much of the ink is smudged. I’m not sure this is worth anything.”
“We can bring it along,” answered Applebloom, grabbing a few more letters. “And the pawn pony can decide what they’re worth.”
Sweetie Belle looked around, grimacing as various bugs continued to crawl around them.
“I don’t think we’ll find anything else valuable in here.”
“Hey!” Applebloom responded angrily.
“We can go to my house next. I’m sure my parents have their own photo albums and such we can trade for bits.”
The girls trotted towards the door, Scootaloo stepping gingerly as Applebloom grumbled from the rear.
“Hey, you think Applejack found that pony yet?”
~~~~~
“I thought we were going to your house,” said Scootaloo as Carousel Boutique expanded into view.
“This is closer, and it’s likely Spike will be there so he can help us. You gotta start thinking these things through before you ask.”
“Well you two spend all your time lying to me! It’s no wonder I have no idea what’s really going on!”
“When ‘ave we ever lied to you?”
Scootaloo tossed the photo album and papers to the ground in a huff.
“Just this morning you tried to convince me that Rainbow Dash and Twilight weren’t real!”
The girls stopped and stared at one another as Scootaloo flashed a look of anger at each.
“Ah’ve no idea what yer talkin’ ‘bout. Ah remember us getting’ some lemons, laughing a bit and then headed towards mah house. You were smilin’ the whole way there, Scoots.”
“Your recollection of events is inadequate for you to be referring to it. Perhaps you should have exhausted less time ruminating in your attempts to sink me lower and more time quantifying the expense. You give the impression of being ignorant, racist and prejudice when you stretch to such lengths as to blatantly lie to my face!”
Applebloom blinked a few times, cowering under Scootaloo’s piercing gaze.
“There it is again!” exclaimed Sweetie Belle, running forward and grabbing hold of Scootaloo’s cheeks. “Scootaloo! Are you in there?!”
Scootaloo shoved her friends’ hooves away, glaring.
“Did you jus’ talk down tah me?” Applebloom asked, finally recovering her posture.
“My condescending tone was justified by your presumptuous remarks.”
“But what did you say?”
“What transpired is no more open to interpretation with your meager intellect than you understanding why the common fowl traversed the road.”
Sweetie Belle rubbed her chin.
“That sounded a little bit like Scootaloo.”
“Why did ya cross the road, then?” laughed Applebloom, garnering a deeper glare from Scootaloo. “…Sorry.”
“Why is she sounding like this?”
“We gotta find Twilight. Maybe she can help?”
“No,” Sweetie Belle stated, rounding on Applebloom. “What’s more important right now; getting bits for sugar or helping Scootaloo?”
“Well, when ya put it like that…”
“Good! Then we pawn this stuff and get the sugar. Scootaloo!” she demanded, turning to where the filly was. “Scootaloo? Where’d she go?”
Applebloom spun around, searching frantically.
“Scootaloo!” the girls cried, racing around the clearing. “Come back and carry this stuff!”
“Shhhh!” the filly hissed from near the Boutique.
Sweetie Belle looked over her shoulder, finding Scootaloo hanging from an open window.
“She’s over here, Applebloom.”
Applebloom hurried back, joining Sweetie Belle at the base of the window.
“Scootaloo! What are you-“
“Shhh! Look here,” she whispered, glancing through the window into Carousel Boutique.
“I can’t! There’s no way up there. How did you get up there?”
“Ah can’t see!” Applebloom muttered from the ground.
“Help me up.”
“Huh? How?”
“Hold still,” Sweetie Belle answered, smiling.
“Ya can’t be- ow! Watch the eyes –and mah bow!”
Sweetie Belle appeared beside Scootaloo, crouching low as she looked inside.
“See what Rarity is working on?”
Sweetie Belle nodded, seeing the purple dress flow over a mannequin as Rarity wove in additional strands of a lighter material.
“She’s been talking about it for weeks,” Sweetie Belle whispered. “I can’t believe I forgot about it. We should have started here!”
“Hurry up!” Applebloom growled from below, glaring up with one eye. “Yer heavy!”
“That’s gotta be worth a lot to somepony, and as important as Rarity made the client sound it has to be a better gift to pawn it than to give it to her.”
Sweetie Belle looked to the pegasus, smirking.
“Scootaloo, I might just be proud of you.”
“So what’s the plan?” Applebloom said, massaging the top of her head furiously as Sweetie Belle stepped down. “It better not include ya standin’ on me any more.”
“Can we just go through the front door and grab it?” Scootaloo asked, glancing at the building.
“No. She’d expect that. We need to do this stealthily.”
“Why don’t we just ask her for it? After all, you said that ponies like it when you pawn their stuff.”
Sweetie Belle turned to Scootaloo.
“If it were that easy every pony would be doing it! I’m sure the value is added by how you get the items to pawn. Duh! Now, what did we grab from Applebloom’s attic?”
“This photo album, the letters from Big Mac,” she said, tossing the items on the ground between the trio,” and this deed thing.”
“This is just a piece of paper with ‘Sweet Apple Acres’ written on it. Probably just a flyer for the farm or something. It’s useless, throw it away.”
Applebloom crumpled up the deed and tossed it in the bushes behind her.
“Moving on.” Sweetie Belle looked over the objects on the ground and surveyed the Boutique. “We’re going to need to buy a few things.”
“With what money?”
“With this stuff,” she stated flatly, gesturing to the stuff between them.
“Scootaloo, you go with Applebloom and pawn the remaining trinkets. Then go to the store and buy war paint, a few feet of rope, some ear muffs, a couple rubber bands, a burlap sack, a hammer, and some sleeping medicine – maximum strength.”
“And what are you going to do?” Scootaloo asked as she grabbed the remaining items.
“I’m going to stay here and watch Rarity, studying her moves and planning for tonight’s mission.”
“What color war paint ya want?”
Sweetie Belle smirked.
“All of them.”
~~~~~
Sweetie Belle crept around the side of the Boutique as the sun set behind the mountains and draped the land in darkness.
Scootaloo and Applebloom stepped out from the bushes, a lumpy satchel carried between them.
“Got everything?”
“Kinda,” Applebloom responded, dropping the sack as Scootaloo reached inside. “They didn’t give us much fer the album but the old man really wanted the letters. But we still ended up spendin’ all that we got on the supplies.”
“-except for when we wanted to get the medicine. The cashier said we weren’t old enough to buy it. We were on our way back to tell you when we ran into that crazy pony again. He sold us some little pill things that he said would work much better. We just have to get one of these into her drink somehow-“
“He also said ta use pertection, which ah guess means be careful with it. Maybe we need to use gloves?”
“I have magic! I don’t need protection from this stuff,” Sweetie Belle huffed. “You got the rest?”
“Yep! All right here.”
“Good. Spike isn’t here so I will help Scootaloo with Rarity. Applebloom, I need you to neutralize Opal so she doesn’t raise an alarm.”
“Got it. Um…that means to ‘remove,’ right?”
“I think so.”
“Ah was wondrin’ what the hammer was for,” Applebloom muttered, picking up the hammer and smashing it against the ground.
“NO! The hammer is for tearing open the locked door once we have the dress! You were really going to use the hammer on Opal?!”
Applebloom glared at the unicorn, eyeing her closely.
“Her and I have a hist’ry,” she muttered coldly, tapping the hammer into her hoof. “She knows what she did.”
“No hammer! Use the sack!”
“Fine,” Applebloom huffed, tossing the hammer back onto the ground with a roll of her eyes. “I’ll use the sack.”
“Once you have Opal taken care of, Scoots and I will neutralize-“
“Ya really like that word.”
“I saw it in a movie. Now listen! Scoots and I will neutralize-“
“Which movie?”
“SHH!” Sweetie Belle snarled, wrapping her hooves around Applebloom’s muzzle. “Once you secure Opal, Scoots and I can make our way to Rarity. Got it?”
Applebloom nodded.
“Everypony know what we’re doing?”
The girls nodded.
“All right, break!”
~~~~~
Applebloom crept through the open window, sticking to the shadows as the moonlight streamed to the corners of the room. Lines of war paint crossed her face; reds and browns mixing over her yellow coat.
“Here, kitty kitty. Here, kitty kitty kitty.”
Opal’s eyes pierced the darkness, shining from her bedding in the corner.
“There ya are, you nasty fur ball.”
Applebloom crept closer, her eyes narrowing on the cat.
“We have some unfinished business, Opal.”
The cat sat up, stretching her back before beginning to lick her paw.
“Don’t play innocent. Ah haven’t forgotten mah third birthday.”
Opal stopped mid lick and looked at Applebloom, sizing her up.
“That was MY cake an’ MY pretty dress on MY special day!” she yelled, lunging forward with the sack.
Opal scurried under the bed as Applebloom plowed into the wall.
She fell in a pile at the base and rubbed at her head.
“Consider that another strike against ya.”
Applebloom recovered and jumped onto the bed, looking over the side.
Opal stuck her head out, glancing over the room as Applebloom wiggled anxiously above her. She took a few steps out, flicking her tail.
“Gotcha!” Applebloom yelled, jumping from the bed and pinning Opal to the floor. “Whatcha gonna do now?”
Opal streaked forward, taking a startled Applebloom with her.
She held onto her collar as she bucked around the room, knocking over anything in her way.
Streams of ribbon, waves of gemstones, and piles of clothes were strewn across the floor as Opal fought against her rider.
Applebloom pulled back on her collar as she neared the sewing machine, producing a nasty crash as Opal caught on a support bar.
Applebloom tumbled beside her, quickly grabbing the dazed pet and pulling her towards the sewing machine.
“Oh, we ain’t done yet.”
Scootaloo looked at the ceiling as crashes rang out from upstairs.
“I wonder how it’s going up there.”
“Sounds like Opal’s winning.”
“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity sang from an office at the end of the hallway. “Please stop making so much noise! I’m trying to work, darling!”
“I wonder why she thinks I’m doing it?”
“Who else would be in her house causing so much noise?”
“Three ponies attempting to capture her cat and steal her dress.”
“Well,” Scootaloo answered, cringing as glass shattered against the floor. “Besides that. This is only going to happen once.”
“Eh, maybe,” Sweetie Belle answered, shrugging.
Silence filled the house, broken briefly as a sewing machine quickly hummed from upstairs.
“Thank you!” Rarity sang again, her own sewing machine spinning up.
A series of thumps resounded as Applebloom appeared on the staircase, Opal bouncing on every step as Applebloom pulled the sack behind her.
Claws occasionally poked through the siding, accompanied by angry hissing and snarling.
“You sewed her in there?” Sweetie Belle asked as Applebloom dropped the sack in front of her.
“Opal is neuterized. But we’re still not even.”
“Why did we need to get Opal if Rarity is downstairs?” Scootaloo asked, stepping back from the sack as it began to vibrate.
“-Now would be a good time fer that hammer-“
“I wanted to cover all the bases. I’ve never lead a group of bandits before!”
“So we’re bandits now?”
“It sounds cooler than anything else.”
Scootaloo nodded, an understanding smile conquering her face.
“All right, with Opal captured we can move on to phase two. Slipping Rarity the sleeping pills.”
“There were no directions for these,” Scootaloo said as she handed the pills to Sweetie Belle. “He just had them in a little baggy. Said the pills would do the rest but we need to stir them in real good.”
“Ya think it’s bad they were inna little bag?
“Nah,” Sweetie Belle answered as she wrapped a coffee cup in her green aura. “He probably just buys these wholesale and sells each for less when ponies just need a few.”
“Wholesale?” Scootaloo asked, eyeing the contents as they were dumped into the steaming cup.
“Means bought in bulk, Scoots,” Sweetie Belle answered proudly. “Now I just need to get Rarity to drink this. Wait here and keep Opal from making noises.”
Sweetie Belle trotted down the hallway, humming happily to herself as she balanced the cup in her aura.
She stepped into the room, finding Rarity focused intently on adding small touches to the dress.
“What do you think, Sweetie Belle? Is this not the beat-all dress of my collection?”
“It’s very pretty!” she squeaked, setting the cup down on the table beside her sister. “Let’s drink to celebrate!”
Rarity turned to her incredulously.
“Where’s your drink, then?”
“Oh, well…” Sweetie Belle muttered, her eyes darting around the room. “I suppose I will go get one.”
“And what should we drink? Vodka? Maybe a few Bloody Mary’s?” Rarity joked, glancing at the simmering cup.
“I’d rather try whatever Applejack was sharing with Rainbow earlier.”
Sweetie Belle turned back as the sound of pins dropping reached her ears, seeing Rarity staring furiously at her.
“What do you mean?!” she barked.
“Well, Rainbow was drinking from a glass jug and seemed a little out of it while playing hide and seek with Applejack in a pile of hay in the barn.”
Rarity’s eyes twitched as her pupils shrank.
“WHAT?!?!?!” she screamed, getting to her hooves. “WHEN WAS THIS?!”
“Earlier this afternoon. But I don’t think they were playing it right. Something about finding a little pony -didn’t make any sense to me either,” she added, studying the look of horror on Rarity’s face. “And something about Fluttershy was supposed to play too and Applejack losing her bathing suit and Rainbow licking some bowl-“
Rarity shot past Sweetie Belle, yelling as she charged through the house and out the front door.
Sweetie Belle galloped after her, the dress hung over her back as she appeared at the front door next to the others.
“What was that about?” Scootaloo asked, staring through the dust cloud in the direction Rarity went.
“Was that door unlocked this whole time?!”
“I think Rarity was supposed to play too. Must be upset that she wasn’t invited this time.”
“Who knows,” Sweetie Belle said, shrugging. “Adults are weird. Anyways, got the dress.”
“Yay!” the girls answered, staring at the cloth pile as it spilled onto the floor.
They stared silently at it, their grins falling away.
“Now what?” Applebloom asked, staring at the others.
“We pawn this and get the bits to buy the sugar to make the lemonade to sell to make the bits to buy the candy! Duh!”
“Sweet! Let’s get started!”
The girls trotted through the door, the moon’s rays lighting their coats.
“Guess we’ll have ta wait till morning to get the lemonade started,” Applebloom said, staring at the moon.
“It’s all right, we can just start on the lemonade stand.”
“Yeah! Where did you put the wood, Applebloom?”
Applebloom’s eyes widened.
“Wood? What wood?”
Author's Note
I must have read this a dozen times while writing it and putting it down for a few weeks and each time was just as enjoyable as the last. I'll have to up the ante for the third adventure. Maybe Bon-Bon will come back as a costumed villain? But don't count on it. I don't like capes.
