Chapter 3-Surprise!

Surprise:

With the rising of the sun many of Equestria’s ponies begin their fruitful lives. Each morning ushers in a new day, each one presenting an opportunity in which one can play, learn and grow. On this morning like any other in Equestria the cock crows as the sun peeks over the horizon his loud voice greeting the new day with gusto and excitement for what is to come.

However just as there are creatures that frolic in the day there are those that are ‘slow to rise’ with the morning sun.

Twilight sparkle is one of the later.

In the middle of town, sits the town’s library, The Golden Oaks Library, a large hollowed out tree that still blooms with foliage and bright green leaves that refract the beams of the rising sun. Its interior first floor is crafted from the very same light red wood of the tree, its walls holding countless books with each one containing the wisdom of a bygone age. While second floor of the library lead up to by a circling flight of stairs, houses the personal areas of the building, namely the bedroom, the guest bedroom and the spacious bathroom all designed for the librarian’s personal usage.

Inside our young heroine, a young unicorn mare with a striped purple mane, lies in her bed as the sun rises outside her window. Curling up in the covers completely unwilling to begin the day Twilight sparkle plays for as much time in her unconsciousness as possible. As the morning sun shines in through the windows illuminating the day, Twilight sparkle tries vainly to hide from the Light that seems to follow her head around her bed. Last night was far too busy to wake up this early; she needs to sleep in at least another three hours to be at her best. Surely sleeping in another few hours wouldn’t be a crime would it? The mare curls up against her pillow as she prepares to drift back to the realm of dreams.

Yet not all creatures are as lax in rising with the sun as Twilight Sparkle is.

“YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAWWWWWWWWWWW!” Applejack shouts as she bucks open the door to Twilight’s room “Rise and shine cowgirl! This aint no time for rest! Up and attum!”

With all the grace of an epileptic patient the mentor of princess Celestia flails about in shock as she tumbles face first out of her bed. As she recoils from the pain of impact she is barely able to discern the sound of her friend Applejack’s voice as she curses the very existence of light itself under her breath. “Yes siree we got ourselves a rich and busy day today! We got ponies ta meet places to see and all the world to explore! And yawl can’t really expect to do or see those things from the comfort of a bed now can ya?”

“Ugh…... What’s going on Applejack?” The sleepy unicorn asks “where are we going so early?”

“Heh still got yer head in the clouds there Twi? Let me refresh yer genius memory.” Applejack clears her throat “Today’s the day that we’re taking that there tour of Ponyville. Since ya just happen to be speaking to the grandchild of ponyville's founding matriarch, ah decided ta give you the grand ol tour.”

“………….”

“Yeah, see after we dropped off all that medicine at the hospital for mah sis an the others ya said that ya needed at least one full day of rest, to ‘recover’ from all that excitement. An since there was no pony stayin in this here library, an bein the good friend that I was, ah talked Mayor Mare into letting ya crash here till yer business in ponyville is finished.”

“………..”

“An don’t try and talk us out o this Twi, yawl said in very clear terms that ya wanted to get a nice early start so that yawl could get to know everythin about this here town of Ponyville.”

As if conjured out of thin air Pinkie Pie pops out of the door frame “Applejack’s right sleepy pants! You can’t expect to meet everypony from your bed! I mean bringing everypony in ponyville to your bed is something that I would totally do for you if you asked but I don’t think everypony in town would like me dragging them to some strange pony’s bedside, they’d think that you were dying or something and that would be really sad!” Pulling a spatula out from behind her back pinkie continues “Oh by the way I made you a big Pinkie Pie Breakfast so you need to get up and eat it while it’s still hot, otherwise it’ll be a cold Pinkie Pie Breakfast.”

With a look that could boil water Twilight gives the two a deadpan stare causing both the mares to freeze up on the spot. For minutes all the twilight mare does is stare at the two ponies whose very existences are a crime against sleep.

Applejack coughs as Twilight continues to stare at her “Well as yawl said yerself, scoutin out the town would help ya out in findin all these red stone things. And you couldn’t have chosen any better ponies fer the job. As a pony who has spent her whole life in this here town ah know every nook and cranny that this little town has to offer.”

“Yeah!” the pink pony comments “and I can tell you everything known about the ponivilians because I know everything about every pony that there is to know about ponyville, well at least not the super-secret stuff that I pinkie promised not to reveal; that stuff is off limits. But of course I’ll tell you everything that I can!”

“………….”

Applejack coughs again as she prepares to put as much optimism that she can manage into her next few words “well Twilight are you ready to begin the day?”

Never breaking her intense stare Twilight rises from the bed, her mane a complete tangled mess, as she begins to walk out the door to her room ignoring the two mares. Both of her friends watch nervously as the purple mare walks without a word down the stairs to her home and into the kitchen on the first floor. Unwilling to follow a mare obviously not in her right mind, the orange farmer and pink party pony listen for any sounds that could emanate from the dark kitchen before them. Silence fills the entire library as the mares’ sharp ears begin to hear faint clinking sounds that originate from the kitchen’s dark expanse.

“What do you think that she’s doing?” Pinkie asks

“Ah don’t know shug?” Applejack replies “I just don…….”

“GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG”

An enormously loud grating sound fills the library causing the books to shake off their shelves from the intense rattling vibrations. “What in Sam hill?!” Applejack asks as she falls prone from miniature earthquake filling the library.

“W-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E!” Pinkie gleefully cheers as the vibrations of the earthquake cause the party pony to dance around the floor.

Attempting to drown out the sound of the noise Applejack plugs her ears with her own hooves as she puts all her efforts into enduring the affronting sound that seems to assault her very being. Then just as suddenly as it began the noise ceases returning the entire library to a state of quiet.

“Awwwwww. It’s over!” Pinkie says “I liked Twilight’s mini earthquake. Oh! Do you think she would do it again if we asked?”

“Twilight did that?!” Applejack asks with surprise “Why in the blue blazes would she….”

“Ahh much better!” both of the mares look to the doorway of the darkened kitchen to see a much calmer and composed Twilight sparkle. Her coat is smoothed over, the bags from beneath her eyes are gone and even her mane is straight and in order, signifying her sudden drastic change from ‘I hate everything’ to ‘BRING IT ON!’ And there resting in her telekinetic field like the soma of the Gods is the cause of such an abrupt change in the unicorn’s demeanor, a single steaming cup of coffee.

 “Oh…” Applejack realizes now how Twilight can be so cheery first thing in the morning.

“Sorry about before girls, but I really needed that. Can you believe that there isn’t a single coffee grinder in the entire library?” Twilight remarks “Luckily I grind my coffee beans magically with ‘Mordechai’s Grinding Hooves of Death’. I find that the coffee tastes better when the beans have been grinded into subatomic particles by intense magical pressure, but that’s probably just me.” Twilight takes another sip from her cup and shivers in delight “OH boy that’s the stuff!”

“Okay then…” Applejack begins unsure whether she should be less or more frightened of the mare before her. “Now that yawl are all fresh and ready ta begin the day we best be on our way. We’re burning daylight every second here.”

With no more words needing to be said Applejack and Pinkie Pie turn to open the door leading outside only to be stopped by Twilight’s assertive voice. “Not so fast Applejack, Pinkie.” Both of the mares stop dead in their tracks, Pinkie actually managing to defy physics and stop in midair. “There is one more thing we need to discuss before we head on out.”

Twilight takes another sip of her coffee, slowly savoring its taste. “Pinkie, you said the day before yesterday that you had a stand power, a fact that was confirmed when you were able to see Applejack’s stand, Fountainhead.”

“Foundation.” Applejack interrupts.

“Right foundation. Anyways only another stand user or a pony who has been exposed to red stones for a long period of time would even be able to see a stand given it’s composed of a pony’s essence.” Twilight takes another sip of her coffee, “Pinkie I know that this might be a bit sensitive but manifesting a stand requires a red stone in order to manifest. So my question is, do you really have a stand power? How did you get it? And why did you wait until now to tell me?!”

Pinkie stares at twilight “Ummmmm Twilight I may not be as good at math as you are…. But that sounds like three questions.”

Twilight groans “whatever, Pinkie I know that. And I know that it might be something that you don’t want to talk about but……”

“Okie dokie!”

“… we really need you to….. wait what?”

Pinkie laughs “of course I’ll tell you Twilight You’re my friend!” Pinkie claps her hooves together as she pulls out a large felt board from behind her back “besides this will give me the chance to try out my ‘flashback board’! I’m so excited!”

Twilight is stunned again “Pinkie…how did you do that?”

Pinkie cocks her head “Do what silly?”

“How did you pull that board out of nowhere?” Twilight shouts “come to think of it, didn’t you do the same thing yesterday with a tuba, and a miniature alligator?”

Pulling out a rolled up newspaper Pinkie bops twilight sparkle on the head. “Save all questions till the end of the lesson, that means No disruptions Ms. Sparkle.” Pinkie says in her most authoritarian voice.

“But I…. Ugh! Never mind just get on with it Pinkie!”

“Perfect, now where to begin! Oh yes at the beginning!”

With super pony speed, the pink mare places several figures on the board in quick succession. A father and mother ponies stand in a field of rocks surrounded by four daughters one of them a bright pink color. “Once upon a time there was a little pink filly that lived on a rock farm with her parents. However her life was boring and hard without any time for fun, can you imagine that?”

Pinkie moves around the pink figure on the board. The pink figure moves about the field of rocks all alone until she finds a strange looking black rock “that was until one day she found a lucky rock in the field that was different from every other rock that she had ever seen. The pink pony wanted to have fun and have a happy life so using all her pinkie powers she wished on the rock for a sign.”

Then the pink mare places a large felt rainbow in the sky complete with all the colors of the spectrum. “No sooner than she wished on the rock then she saw a blinding flash of light in the sky that filled her with a sense of happiness and wonder. Immediately she knew that just like that flash of light, her purpose was to make others happy. And that’s when her cutie mark appeared.”

Once again the scene changes this time the pink figure is setting up a room with streamers and cake. It is clearly obvious from the image that the filly is having a hard time putting the party together. “She set out to make a party for her whole family so they could be happy too! But then she realized that she didn’t have any cake or streamers or party favors at all! I mean how could you have a party without cake? She was stumped, but then she had a super fantastic idea.”

Moving the pink felt pony on the board Pinkie illustrates the pink figure drawing pictures on scratch pieces of paper. “She drew out the things she needed on paper and since her special magic stone had granted her wish the first time, she wished on it again. But this time since she already knew that her purpose in life was to make ponies happy she wished that she could have to power to throw her hardworking parents the greatest party ever!”

Moving the figures around Pinkie introduces a new figure to the board this one a white pegisi shaped creature with cartoonish eyes all over its body. “Then no sooner than she made her little pinkie wish, a magical mystery friend appeared and pulled those supplies right out of the paper. All the cakes streamers and all the piñatas a filly could ask for!”

Moving around the figures Pinkie demonstrates all the felt images dancing around and playing, the father and mother looking on in joy as their children celebrate. “The filly’s parents and siblings were really surprised at how she was able to put together a party from nothing, but they were so happy that they didn’t care! Even though the filly couldn’t pull things she created out of paper any more after that; her special friend allowed me to take everything I could ever need with me by folding it away like paper.”

Pinkie arranges the board to show the pink felt figure throwing another party around her the white filly above her drops various party teamed objects out of the sky around her. “Now the filly could take her parties anywhere she needed them to go and since her imaginary friend was such a surprise that’s what she decided to call her. Surprise! Eventually the filly’s parents stopped trying to figure out how she was able to do such crazy stuff and they just accepted it! After all who would question a good surprise party?”

With a flash of panache the party pony folds up the entire board in the space of a few seconds and stores it behind her back. “And that’s the story of how I Pinkemenia Pie, made my first ever super special friend! Surprise! Say hello Surprise.”

In a flash Pinkie manifests a white figure that stands beside her. The Pegasus shaped stand with a bouncy mane of sunlit yellow and a body composed of felt-like texture manifests itself directly next to the pink party pony with a flair all its own. Across its entire body are hundreds of cartoonish eyes of every shape and color, and various objects ranging from felt boards to cartoon glasses, from cakes to eye patches. Almost every empty spot on the stand is covered in doodles of various objects that all seem to be made out of the same felt texture of the stand’s pelt.

“See every time I need a special object for my special parties….” The party mare reaches out to her stand’s barrel touching a picture of a thermos made completely of felt. “….All I have to do is reach out…” with a quick tug the felt peels off the stand, however as it peels off the two dimensional shape takes on a three dimensional appearance turning into a real physical object “…..And Abra-K-Pinkie! One hot thermos of coffee!” the stand picks up the thermos and with expert control tops off Twilight’s depleted cup. With its task complete the stand places the thermos back on the exact spot on its flank it came from, causing it to once again turn back into felt.

Twilight looks at her cup of coffee with no small amount of surprise as she inhales the fragrance of perfectly warm coffee with absolutely no hint of staleness “Amazing! It’s like an advanced bag of holding spell! Except the spell can preserve an object perfectly in time as well as in space.” Twilight takes a sip of her brew with satisfaction “this coffee is as fresh as when it was brewed! How many objects can you store like this pinkie?”

The pink pony shrugs at this question “Humh? I don’t know, one time I tried to stick a whole kitchen on my stand cause I was going to do this super cool baking party but I ran out of room to stick thing onto so I just turned the oven into felt and stored the felt in my hair! Boy was Mr. Cake surprised when he came home to find out that his oven was gone!”

Twilight blinks at pinkie’s comment “Hold on Pinkie, back up there. Did you say you can turn anything into felt? Meaning that you don’t have to stick it onto your stand to keep it in felt form to preserve an object?”

“Heh He, Don’t be silly Twilight! I can’t turn everything into felt! That would really silly even for me! No matter how many times I tried I could never turn another living thing into felt and store it, which is a pretty good thing cause I guess that being turned into felt would be really boring!” Sticking her hoof into her mane Pinkie pulls out a small toothless alligator “Well except for gummy! He’s really special like that! Could you imagine if I could turn into felt into felt and place it on Surprise’s felt where it could be felt by a pony who loves felt?!”

Twilight rolls her eyes as pinkie laughs at her own little joke, Applejack looking on suspiciously on her strange looking stand all the while. “Hold on there Pinkie.” The farm mare says  as she points at the surprising stand “Ah get this whole turn things into felt but what’s with those eyes yer stand is covered in. yawl don’t expect me ta believe that ya……” the farm mare gulps deeply “……. that yawl can take off ponies eyes or somthin?”

The farmer chuckles nervously “Ah mean cause yawl said that you couldn’t’ turn living things inta felt…… so ah’m not tryin to make any false allegations er anything but……”

Realizing how far she’s getting beating around the bush the farmer shakes herself out of her trance. “Aw to heck with it! Yer stand has all these crazy eyes on them and they’re creepy as buck.”

Both Twilight sparkle and Applejack look on the party pony in dawning horror as they slowly inch away from Pinkie Pie. Pinkie pie on the other hand begins to chuckle softly her laughter growing louder by the second until she is rolling over on her back laughing at the top of her lungs. “BWA HAHAHAHAHA Applejack…. You’re…. You’re so funny BWA HAHAHAHA.’”

The other two mares begin to laugh nervously along with pinkie their original fears slowly being replaced with cautions hope that their friend doesn’t butcher ponies and turn them into cupcakes. Suddenly Pinkie’s laughter stops as she rights herself up looking into Applejack’s eyes “No Applejack the eyes that appear on my stand are natural part of it! They were there when I first got my stand, and sometimes I do have to remove some of them to make room to store my other party supplies.”

Pinkie’s eyes suddenly begin to tear up as she looks her friends in the eyes her sadness almost palpable as her poofy mane begins to deflate a bit. “But seriously Applejack, that was really wrong of you! Do I look like the kind of pony that would hurt other ponies like that?”

Twilight looks her normally joyous friend in the eyes and sees the extent of sadness that such a casual comment has made on her demeanor. The normally smiling face of the pink party pony is creased with a deep frown, her puffy hair deflated; even her pink coat seems less bright.

“Of course not Pinkie!” Twilight assures her “You are one of the kindest and most considerate ponies that I know! You could never hurt anypony like that.”

Turning her head towards Applejack, Twilight gives Applejack the most threatening gaze she can muster letting her know exactly what will happen to her if she doesn’t make things right in the next four seconds. “In fact any pony that would even think that Pinkie Pie would do such horrible things to other ponies is sick, Pinkie Pie a pony that lives to make others happy. Isn’t that right APPLEJACK?!” Mustering all the intensity of her Librarian’s stare, Twilight’s glance conveys a simple message to Applejack, comfort your friend or suffer the consequences’.

“Yeah!” Applejack states, her response spurred on both by her desire to comfort her pink friend and her growing fear of the purple librarian in front of her. “Of course ya would never do any of that stuff pinkie! I just thought you know it was strange and all that ya had all those creepy eyes on yer stand. I meant it as a joke that’s all!”

Pinkie’s face instantly returns to its normal joyous appearance as she embraces the two ponies “Awww it’s okay girls! I forgive you!  I was just messing with you guys too! I know that you know that I know that I would never do any of those horrible things! At least not in this universe! Besides I need those eyes to pull off my other special power.” Breaking out of the hug Pinkie bounces over to the door and flings it open with a loud clattering sound,  “now come on! Fillies we’ve got a town to explore!”

As pinkie bounces out into the world beyond the Twilight can’t help but stare at the strangest pony she has ever met. “Wow, is Pinkie always, like that? Or is it only when she’s around ponies she likes?”

Applejack smiles as she drapes her hoof over her friend’s shoulder “Twi, ah’ve lived in ponyville mah whole life and ah haven’t met a pony yet who Pinkie Pie doesn’t like. Now come on Pinkie’s right! We’ve got a whole town to explore and only few hours ta do it in. So saddle up and lets’ head on out!”

Applejack bolts out the door as Twilight looks at the sunny world outside. “Well it does look like such a nice day outside now that I’ve had my caffeine so I guess that….” Twilight stops her hoof mid stride “Wait a second…… Did pinkie say that she had more than one stand power?!’ Twilight dashes out of the door fully intent on catching up with the pink menace and extracting everything that the party mare hasn’t told her, from her balloon headed mind.

……………………..

“……. and this is Time Turner he’s the local clock maker stallion guy or something. He likes blue telephone booths and hangs out with the mail mare Derpy all the time for some reason, and Derpy is sooooooo cool Twilight! You’ve got to see how good she is at stunt flying! Cause you know she’s the mail pony here and she always flies in a really crazy way! What was I talking about again? Oh yeah Time Turner! He loves banana cakes and banana splits and he’s always running around all over ponyville for reasons no pony really understands and……”

‘This is so NOT what I had in mind when I wanted to know what things pinkie was keeping from me!’ Twilight thinks to herself as she listens to Pinkie explain the backstory for the fifty-sixth pony that they have met today. Twilight grumbles as she thinks of how much better this time could be spent looking for Red Stones than meeting random ponies who like her find themselves at the mercy of the Pink Asylum patient.

“Applejack?” Twilight asks “Wouldn’t it be more prudent to look at areas where the red stones might be found? Or search for ponies acting out of the ordinary?”

Applejack turns to Twilight to resume their conversation “Shucks Twi you asked pinkie to introduce ya to some of the ponies in town, sides we would have had all the time we needed had we left when we were supposed to, cause of yer little coffee break we had to eat breakfast on the go.” Pinkie Pie finishing her expertly crafted tirade on ponyville's 106th resident, Time Turner, moves onto the next pony in sight ponyville's 4083th resident Raindrops who tries vainly to fly away in the face of Pinkie’s Rambling voice.

Twilight sighs “Oh Applejack, naive foolish Applejack.” Twilight says as if chastising a child  “Any danger or discomfort we could have experienced by taking a late start would have been miniscule compared to the discomfort of dealing with me without my morning coffee.”

Pinkie continues disclosing various bits of personal information to any pony in earshot about her good friend Raindrops as the mare attempts to do everything in her power to shut her up. To this day no pony has ever succeeded in getting Pinkie to shut up for more than five minutes without having an aneurism.

“What da ya mean Twi?” The perplexed farm mare asks.

“I mean Applejack…..” the purple unicorn explains “…. That any morning in which I DON’T get my morning coffee is a morning that you and everypony in town will rue your very existence.”

If there is any indication that pinkie was aware that her friends were ignoring her, she either didn’t care or she was so focused on disclosing personal information about a single pony to the world around her, that it completely slipped her mind that the ponies that she was tasked with explaining all these things to weren’t listening.

Applejack gulps in fear from Twilight’s comment “Point taken. An ah guess yawl are right bout one thing, we really need to pick up tha pace here.”

“I’m glad you see things my way Applejack!” Twilight says with a grin. Trotting up to Pinkie who is in the process of explaining what kind of teddy bear Snips got for his birthday last year Twilight snaps her friend out of her behavior. “Ummm Pinkie I don’t mean to be rude, but when I asked you to introduce me to some of the more important ponies in ponyville, I meant that you should introduce me to some of the ponies who are actually important.”

Pinkie turns around gripping her friend with her two immensely strong arms “But TWILIGHT!” The party mare says as she shakes her friend back and forth “ALL the ponies of ponyville are important! I mean what if… Muummmmppphhhhh!”

Twilight cuts of her friend with a hoof to her mouth “Pinkie I know what you are going to say, and I think everypony in Ponyville is special and unique, but I want to meet the ponies in Ponyville who have important jobs and tasks that they alone can perform. The kind of ponies who would know if a pony was acting strange or had found a mystical magical object while doing their job. Now pinkie do you know any ponies like that?”

A serious look crosses Pinkie’s face as she raises her hoof in a solemn pledge “Mmmmmummmmph Mumph Mmmmumph Muumph Muuummmmppppphhhh!”

Twilight removes her hoof from Pinkie’s mouth. “What was that pinkie?”

“I said that I’d totally help you find a pony like that Twi!” Pinkie says “and I won’t rest until I… Hey look there’s Rainbow Dash let’s go meet her!” Pinkie bounces up with the speed of a shark smelling fresh blood before pouncing upon the completely unsuspecting Pegasus “HI RAINBOW HOW ARE YOU DOING?”

Twilight sighs in frustration “GGGGGGGGGGggghhhhhhaaaaaaaa. I give up Applejack, there’s absolutely no way of getting pinkie to follow any kind of schedule.”

Applejack chuckles to herself “Yeah Pinkie’s a handful Twi, but she always manages to come through in a pinch. Take mah friend Rainbow Dash there.”

“Rainbow Dash is your friend too Applejack?” Twilight looks up at the farm mare as her mind fills with hopeful thoughts. ‘Maybe if things work out I can be friends with rainbow too! Wait what am I thinking?! I’m not here to make friends I’m here to find the red stones. Prioritize Twilight!’

Applejack chuckles “If by friends ya mean rivals then yeah, we’re the best o friends. An if anypony knows if somtin rotten is going down around ponyville then she’s the one to ask. After all she’s the captain of the weather patrol and ponyville's resident stunt mare.”

Her eyes filling with awe the Twilight mare looks upon the mare in front of her in a new light. The Pegasus’ sky blue coat belies her powerful muscles underneath each muscle grouping toned to physical perfection after years of rigorous exercise. Her cutie mark a rainbow colored lightning bolt cutting through a white cloud demonstrates her desire for speed as well as her natural born talent at achieving it. Her cocky grin and maroon eyes demonstrating an unparalleled amount of confidence that seemingly fills her very being. Her very body language resonates with pride and confidence, in fact the only faulty mark on her entire body is a medium sized bandage placed right above her left cutie mark. Yet most noticeably of all her six colored mane representing all the colors of the rainbow seems to catch every slight breeze as it ripples beautifully through the air.

“Ponyville's captain of the weather patrol…… You’re right if any pony would be witness to any strange things around ponyville it would be the one who patrols it regularly.” With enthusiasm in her every step Twilight walks up to the Rainbow mare with a cheery grin “Hello there, I’m Twilight Sparkle, Princess Reprehensive assigned to ponyville. I must say I haven’t heard many things about you Rainbow dash but from what Applejack and Pinkie Pie tell me you are the pony to know here in ponyville.”

Twilight extends her hoof to the Pegasus who looks over the Lavender mare twice before finally breaking out in a small grin and shaking her hoof. “Well if you haven’t heard anything about me then you really must be a new pony to ponyville! And if you could get that stubborn apple farmer to give you a good word then you must be pretty cool yourself.” Breaking the hoof shake Dash strikes another cocky grin “of course you’re still nowhere as awesome as I am!”

“Really.” Applejack asks unwilling to accept dash’s arrogant attitude this early.

“Yeah Jackie!” Pinkie says “Even I hate to admit it, but Rainbow dash is way cooler than Twilight sparkle! In fact in the nine thousand two hundred and forty seven ponies currently in ponyville Rainbow dash is undoubtedly the most daring of them all! Why she’s practically a shoo in for the wonderbolts next year! Um no offense Twilight?”

Twilight nods her head “None taken Pinkie, but trying out for the wonderbolts, you must be a pretty impressive flyer Rainbow Dash.”

Dash raises her hoof to her eyes admiring it like she was looking as a fins statue “Heh. What can I say, I’m just awesome like that.” Dahs points her hoof to the newcomer “But enough about me and how obviously awesome I am. I know everypony in Ponyville, so what makes you so special?”

‘What?’ Twilight thinks ‘is she trying to be rude? No she’s friends with Pinkie and Applejack; she must just be intimidated by the fact that they have a new friend’. “Well, like I said I’m A Princess Representative from the designated region of ponyville.”

“Pfft, that’s nothing special.” Dash waves her hoof dismissively “All anypony has to do to get a position like that is kiss the flank of the princess. And that doesn’t take any talent. Come on there must be something awesome about you other than the fact that you’re a canterlot snob?”

Twilight is about to blurt out there is far more to being a princess representative than flank kissing when she is interrupted by Pinkie pie’s well timed outburst. “OH NO! Not only is Twilight a super princess Representative but she’s Princess Celestia’s private student! She’s super magical and has all these cool spells that go whoosh and boom and she healed Applejack in an instant with her magic and even guided us clear out of the Everfree Forest in the dark!”

“The Everfree Forest?” Rainbow asks genuinely impressed “You, a stuck up noble, went into the everfree forest? At night?”

Twilight seizes the opportunity to finally get a word in edgewise as she clears her throat “yes Dash I went into the everfree forest to help Applejack, and for your information I happen to be from a common…..”

“Yeah yeah that’s great Twibright….”

“TWILIGHT!  It’s Twilight Sparkle!”

“Whatever…...  Just so long as you aren’t a prissy frou frou unicorn like that Rarity you’re cool in my book.” Rainbow Dash snickers “Cause if you were looking to take the job of town fancy pants then you’re about ten years too late.”

“Dashie!” Pinkie rushes into Dash’s face a menacing look in her eyes “that’s not nice, Rarity is a great pony. Just because you two are very different and you share almost nothing in common doesn’t mean you can’t be friends! And it doesn’t mean that you can just make fun of her like that!”

Dash realizing that she may have gone too far with that last comment rubs the back of her neck shamefully as she looks Pinkie straight in the eyes. “Sorry Pinkie I guess I got carried away, sorry about that.”

Rainbow Dash points at Twilight “I just didn’t want the new pony getting any funny ideas about this town or anything. Ponyville may just be a shadow of the Capital of Equestria, but it’s no playground for any high class nobles or anything. If she thinks that she can come to our town and tell us how to live just because she’s some Princess Rep or something she’s in for a rude awakening.”

“Dash!” Now it is Applejack who chastises the speedster “Ah think Pinks is right! Yawl are goin too far now. Twi is here to help us out, not to oppress us like some foreign tyrant. She’s just doing her job helpin ponies out. Somtin YOU should be doin right about now.”

“Ehhh, I’m on break Applejack.” The rainbow mare states nonchalantly. “If it came down to it I could clear these skies in ten seconds flat.”

“Oh! I had a great idea guys!” pinkie says as an idea takes form in her mind “since Dash is so fast and is a good friend maybe she could help us with our super secret mission! We could be secret agent buddies!”

The group stands in stunned silence as the Pink mare blows any semblance of secrecy that they had in the most overt way possible. Part of twilight can’t believe that Pinkie just went and opposite thing that she was told not to do. Then again she is Pinkie. The air itself seems to be as heavy as lead as Twilight hopes to dear Celestia that Dash thinks that the pink mare is joking. ‘Please please think that this is a joke.’ The purple mare pleads ‘pinkie loves jokes! There is no secret mission it’s just another one of pinkie’s senseless jokes, please believe it's a joke!’

The deadening silence is finally broken by Dash scratching her head “secret mission? What secret mission? Applejack do you know what Pinkie is talking about?”

Twilight face palms “Pinkie! Can I speak to you in private? NOW.” Grabbing the Pink mare with her telekinesis Twilight teleports the two of them just out of earshot of the rainbow mare as she prepares to give the lecture of her life to the pink menace.

“What?” Pinkie asks “To subtle?”

“More like incredibly overt Pinkie!” Twilight shouts “I thought I told you that this was a SECRET mission for a reason, nopony else is supposed to know about it!”

“Nut-ah. You said that ponies who weren’t our friends or couldn’t be trusted. And Dash is our friend so she can be trusted! Besides Dashie is the most loyalist of loyal ponies that I know!”

“You’re joking right? Tell me you're joking pinkie.”

“To quote a great stallion ‘Noooppppeee!’” Pinkie states with absolute confidence “Rainbow Daring Dash is my friend! And that’s the truth.”

“Pinkie your ‘friend' has been rude and insulting to me ever since we met her. She’s stuck up, self-righteous and to top it all off she’s a bigoted airhead with rude manners! She is the exact OPPOSITE of a pony who we want to put our trust in!”

“You’re not such a prize yourself little Mrs. Sparkler.”

“GRUGH. Dahs for the millionth time my name is Twilight…..” Twilight turns around to see the rainbow maned mare hovering two hoof lengths over her head her arms crossed in obvious frustration. “Oh hello Dash! Um, hear anything you didn’t like? Hehehehe……”

However it is obvious from a quick glance that Rainbow Dash is not appeased or amused by Twilight’s apologetic behavior “So you think that I’m a blow hard Hunh? So you just think that me and the other ponies in this town are stupid? You think that you're so much better than everypony else? That we’ll just let you run through this town of ours doing Discord knows what just cause you have a fancy title? HUNH?!?”

Twilight flinches a bit with every accusation that comes from dash’s mouth “H-H-Hey! I didn’t say I was better than anypony else! And for your information….”

“Yeah well you certainly implied it.” The Rainbow mare interrupts “With your ‘secret princess missions’ that the rest of the town ‘doesn’t need to know’. Well I may not be an egghead like you but I can totally tell a government conspiracy when I see one! ”

Dash lands on the ground with a loud impact and begins to stomp right up to the Lavender mare giving her a stick eye “Well I’m not falling for your lies! And as captain of the weather patrol I demand to know what sort of ‘secret mission’ that you are doing around this town. Are you a spy?”

“It aint none of yer beeswax Dash!” The farm mare buts heads with Rainbow dash “Fer yer information Twilight was only trying to be friendly and yawl, an you darn near take her head off. She’s a guest Dash leave her alone!”

Pushing back on the farmer the Rainbow Dash makes it clear she’s not going to back down “She’s a government Spy Applejack! And if it’s not important then why is she hiding it from every pony? It’s exactly what a spy would do!”

The rainbow Mare suddenly turns to the ‘spy’ in question “Well little miss spy? Have you got anything to say in your defense?”

“You’re bleeding dash…....”

“HA! She admits it! She’s a…… wait what did you say?”

Twilight points her hoof over to the bandage on dash’s side the normally white cloth shows a new growing blotch of red under the bandage proper. “Your wound is bleeding Dash. You did a good job of bandaging it, but injuries to parts of the body like your back that experience a lot of movement open back up a lot of the time.”

Dash looks back to her injured flank with a small look of fear on her face as she begins to break out into a sweat. “Uhhhhhh…..”

Twilight moves over to the injured side with her precise and analytical mind as she determines the state of her patient. “Hummmmhhh……Your excitement and increase in blood pressure must have caused the wound to reopen Dash. But from the size of the wound and the small amount of blood I can tell that it’s come a long way in recovering.” Lighting her horn the lavender mare points the tip of it towards the wound on Dash’s side “Don’t worry like Pinkie said before I’m pretty good at healing magics, so I’ll just need a second to…..”

“NO!” the Rainbow mare leaps into the air in a panic clutching her flank. Then suddenly realizing that her behavior was very uncool coughs gently into her hoof as she assumes a more natural stance “I mean No way like I would trust a spy like you to play doctor. You probably would poison me or place a spell on my flank so you could track my movements, or something creepy like that!”

“What! That would be a terrible breach of medical practice!” the purple mare claims “I’m just trying to help you Dash! Why do you have to be so paranoid?”

Seeing an opportunity to get back at her rival for her rude behavior Applejack smiles evilly. “Oh so ya didn’t know Twilight.”

Twilight turns in confusion to her orange friend as Dash’s face grows several shades paler “What are you talking about Applejack?”

Applejack shrugs “I just thought that everypony from here to Canterlot would have heard by now about the fearless rainbow dash.”

Dash glares at the farmer “Applejack don’t you dare!”

Applejack beaming face perfectly contrasts dash’s enraged behavior as she continues to goad the Pegasus. “I just thought that she would like to know……”

“Shut UP Applejack.”

“That the fearless rainbow Dash…….”

“I said shut it.”

“Captain of the weather patrol......”

“Not cool Applejack, not cool at all.”

“Future wonderbolt extraordinaire…...”

“I swear to Celestia Applejack!”

“Is actually..…..”

“I swear to Celestia if you even……”

“Is totally scared of doctors!” Pinkie says as she pops out between the two mares “Isn’t that funny Twilight hunh? Cause I thought it totally was when I found out!”

Rainbow Dash slumps down over herself in pure embarrassment as her shameful secret is revealed to the mare she currently despises the most. Applejack smiles unable to keep herself from enjoying her rival’s humiliation. “Yes siree! In fact if ah had any say in it, ah’d say that Dash has a deep seated fear of any pony in authority, not just doctors. But then again ah wouldn’t know anything about that, after all Rainbow here’s the only pony ah know that’s afraid of doctors!”

Twilight’s eyes light up at this “fear of doctors? That’s perfect! I get a chance to try out my psychologist’s license!”

With a poof of magic Twilight conjures up a pair of professional glasses and a wooden clip board “Now Dash tell me when did you first start having these irrational fears of ponies in positions of authority? Do you know that your paranoia is not normal or do you feel your concerns are perfectly justified? What’s’ your relationship with your parents like? Am I doing a good job? Please tell me I’m doing a good job.”

Suddenly Dash spring into the air “that’s it; I’m done dealing with this. If you two want to ditch the most awesome pony in ponyville to hang out with the egghead then be my guest! That’s your problem.”

The rainbow mare then flies right up to the Lavender mare “and don’t think this is over Twibright. I’ve got my eye on you.” With a sudden burst of speed the rainbow mare vanishes into the wild blue yonder leaving behind a prismatic trail as the only evidence that she was there.

Twilight sighs thoroughly disappointed at her inability to befriend such an obviously important member of the town. “….Well…….. That was pleasant.”

“I know right!” says the ever oblivious pinkie pie “Dashie is one of my best ever friends, I’m so glad that you could get to meet her!”

“That’s Dash for ya.” Applejack remarks “To tell ya the truth ah think she’s a little intimidated by new ponies. She thinks that having more friends means that yer are less loyal to the ones ya do have. That and dash is as paranoid bout newcomers as a beehive in bear season.”

Applejack slaps Twilight on the back “Don’t ya worry none once she gets over her rash behavior and cools off a little she’ll come around, she always does! Ah’ll admit it’s difficult to earn her trust. In fact other than Pinkie, me and her childhood friend Fluttershy, Dash doesn’t have that many friends, she’s like the barn owl in the grain silo, a solo flier.”

“Yeah” pinkie slaps twilight on the back as well mirroring Applejack “Dash may be slow to making friends but once she forms that super special bond of friendship she’s a friend till the end!”

Twilight looks upwards to the colorful streak left behind in the sky, the only remnants that the rainbow mare was even there “I really hope so girls……... Anyways I heard Dash mention something about another canterlot unicorn in town?” Twilight asks with curiosity abounding “I thought that because this is a prominent earth pony town, and because of all these anti-canterlot sentiments that there weren’t any other high class unicorns around.”

Applejack suddenly stares Twilight in the eyes a look of utter seriousness being conveyed by a mere glance “Shug yer wrong about two things, one of them getting the more serious. First there aint no anti- whatever attitudes here in ponyville. We don’t take to hating any kind of pony no matter what they worship or where they’re from…...”

“Or what or who they love!” Pinkie chimes in “in fact just yesterday I threw a wedding anniversary for Golden Harvest who is married too….”

“YES Pinkie we know!” The farm mare says while cutting off the party pony from saying things better left unsaid “anyways we hate ya just because yawl come from a certain town or somthin.”

The purple mare lowers her head in shame “But there have been so many ponies that don’t seem to like me just because I’m from canterlot……”

“I know Twi, but it’s not because of where ya are from. Most ponies here in the shadow of canterlot just don’t like the government. All those stuck up nobles going around telling us what to do and how to live like they’re the greatest thing since sliced bread. It’s those ponies that are so pompous that they believe they’re right about everythin and that everypony who isn’t a noble is garbage who we don’t like.” Applejack smiles reassuringly at the mare in front of her “And Twi I’m happy ta say ya aren’t like any of those ponies, you are you, no matter what others believe so don’t go running around like everypony is after you.”

Twilight perks up visibly “thanks Applejack, that means a lot to me. But what was the second thing that I was wrong about?”

Applejack chuckles at that. “The second thing that you were wrong about is the fact that Rarity is a canterlot snob, I’ve been friends with Rarity since ah was a filly and I can tell ya personally that she’s the most generous, gracious an sophisticated pony ah know.”

Applejack nods her head in a direction urging the others to follow her “Don’t get me wrong Rarity may not have been born in canterlot, but from her ‘de-cor-um’ ya wouldn’t guess it. She’s about as high class as ya can get round these parts. In fact we’re on our way to visit her now!”

“Why?” Twilight asks inquisitively “is she a member of the town council or a prominent magi?”

“Well I don’t know how talented she is in magic compared ta you Twilight. After all yer are probably in a whole other ball game compared to most unicorns from what ah can figure.” Twilight blushes at this compliment. “But other than the fact that she’s a good personal friend, Rarity has an ear for gossip like no other mare ah know.”

“Really?”

“Yeah Twilight! Rarity’s really good at figuring things out!” Pinkie comments “this one time I ate this pie she baked for the town bake sale in one whole bite and she knew I did it, even when I said I didn’t do it! But it was okay because I helped her bake a new pie in time for the contest with a really cool song!”

Applejack groans “Pinkie, she knew it was you cause ya had pie crumbs all over yer face!” Pinkie shrugs as Applejack turns to face Twilight again. “Anyways like ah was saying we may not see eye to eye sometimes but, hoowee, if there is a rumor in town that Rarity doesn’t know it’s not worth knowing. If there are any strange happenings around town she’ll find out faster than a hungry squirrel finds its nuts after winter thaws.”

“…….. Applejack, I know that you enjoy them a lot.” Twilight asks as carefully as possible “but PLEASE lay off the southernisms for now it’s still way too early for me to deal with them.”

Applejack chuckles at this “Heh, Rarity says the same thing, except she says it no matter what time of day it is! Ah think that you an her are going ta get along just fine.” Applejack comes to a stop at the front door of a circular shaped building that resembles, at least in Twilight’s eyes, a giant cake. “Looks like we’re here yawl Carousel Boutique! Home of the one and only ‘miss Rarity’.”

Taking them to the door of carousel boutique, Twilight looks up at the building in front of her “what beautiful architecture, you were right Applejack, she certainly has good taste.” The building itself though unremarkable from a canterlot perspective is intricately decorated with various signs of a fashionista’s trade. Ribbons that look sewn on, lights that resemble buttons and the manikins looking out through the window dressed in the most cutting edge clothes are all signs that this is a place of fashion. The fresh pink checkered coat of the building and embellished metalwork making the building a match of any fancy canterlot architecture.

“Yeah Rarity may be a small town girl but she’s got real talent with the needle. Ah may be a simple farm pony who doesn’t understand much about high society, but ah can tell ya that it’s a fact that she’s the best dressmaker this side of Canterlot, even if she’s a bit of a drama queen.”

Twilight arches her eyebrow in sudden confusion of this overwhelming support from applejack “you speak very highly of her for some pony that does such different work.”

Applejack locks gazes with the skeptical Twilight “She’s my friend Twilight, why wouldn't ah speak highly of her? Sides she entered several Fashion contests in canterlot with her skill and always finished in the top five.”

“But not first? Why?”

Applejack’s glower reveals her feelings on the matter “Cause those stuck up noble ponies always judge the contests on nobility and royalty and all that other hogwash. There’s no way they'd let some ‘impure’ unicorn from a backwater town win. No matter how good she did she never got a lick of recognition.”

Twilight seeing her friend upset moves to comfort Applejack by draping her arm over her shoulder “I’m sorry Applejack, I didn’t think her skills were poor I was just curious. Besides from what little I can see through the windows I can tell that she’s a whole lot better than most designers in canterlot.”

Applejack’s demeanor softens a bit “Thanks Twi, that would mean a lot to Rares if you were to tell her that. You know Rarity may be a canterlot mare at heart but, she’s ta good kind of Canterlot, like you Twi.”

“Yeah twilight!” Pinkie bounces her way into the conversation “you’re gonna be such great friends! You already have soooooooooo much in common. You’re both magicky unicorns! You both love canterlot and both of your manes are purple!”

Applejack tips her hat as she opens the door to the store “well enough small talk y'all let’s get on inside an out of this cursed heat.”

With no small amount of excitement, the three friends walk through the door into the designing rom of carousel boutique where they can already make out some of the amazing designs housed by the fashionista. Twilight, her apprehension growing by the second, resolves to not let another great opportunity to make a new friend go to waste. “Well it will be good to meet somepony with some canterlot sophistication here, as long as she isn’t half as crazy as……. GOOD SWEET CELESTIA WHAT IS SHE DOING!?!”

Standing in the middle of the room pinning up a top notch dress is a peerlessly beautiful ivory unicorn mare with a purple curled mane. She carries herself with high standing and an inner sophistication and nobility that usually takes years for even the most top notch of the canterlot elite to learn. Her Fibonacci curled purple mane and glamorous grey purple eyes accented by dark thick eyelashes a sign of the enormous time and effort the mare takes in maintaining and accenting her natural beauty. Her cutie mark, that of a trio of diamonds displaying for all the world to see the mare’s good taste and desire to seek beauty in all things.

In front of her a butter yellow pegasus mare with an aura of natural beauty that eclipses the previous mare (if that alone is possible). The mare’s dainty hoof steps betray her shy predisposition but makes her even more petite and glamorous than one would think possible as she shuffles nervously from side to side. Her long pink flowing mane expertly styled is so long it almost reaches to the ground, flowing from her scalp with the smoothness of running water. Her cutie mare that of three butterflies practically screams grace and poise, demonstrating her natural charm that even savage beasts would bow before.

Yet it is not the beauty of these mares that has stunned Twilight Sparkle, but what the yellow mare is adorned in. For the dress that she is wearing, a bright red dress that sparkles in the glow of Rarity's magic is covered with small multitudes of the Red Stones. The dress itself is magically enhanced so that the copious numbers of Red Stones continually gleam producing a bright red glow around the wearer.

The sound of the chiming doorbell echoes through the store informing the proprietor that customers have arrived. However from her focused gaze on the dress it appears that Rarity barely recognizes the presence of the ponies who have entered her store. “I’ll be right with you in a moment darlings, I’m in the zone as it were. Just have a seat over there for a moment and I’ll be right with you. Now Fluttershy strike a dignified pose here while I compare which shawl goes best…….”

“Um Rarity…..” The pegisi so says in the meekest and quietest voice possible “I don’t mean to interrupt you but our frie..…”

“Fluttershy please no talking I need all my artistic focus for this one moment.” Rarity states as she levitates two different shawls “Now the hot pink or the mahogany? Which goes with the dress best…….”

Rarity mumbles to herself as Twilight gapes at the fact that a national treasure is being used for a fashion accessory. “What in Equestria is she doing!? Does she have any idea what she is…… Is……. Is that embroidery?!?”

“Now shug I’m sure Rarity means well.” Applejack places her hoof On her friend’s shoulder “ah’m sure that she’ll be receptive to giving us the stones when she understands how portant it is.”

Twilight smacks the hoof off “That’s not the point! Here’s an incredibly powerful and sacred magical item and she’s using it! For dressmaking! It’s…..…it’s a crime against nature!”

“Yeah that is a crime!” Pinkie jumps up a look of disgust in her eyes

“See pinkie understands!”

“That dress needs more blue! Everypony knows that blue is a great party color!” With a hop skip and a jump the pink party pony jumps right next Rarity “hey Rarity! That dress needs more blue!”

The fashionista groans “Pinkie…... I know you just want to help but I’ trying to work here.”

Pinkie rubs her chin “Maybe you’re right Rarity…….”

“I’m glad you’ve seen reason darling. Now if you would just…....,”

“Polka dots would look way better!”

Rarity turns around nearly foaming with rage as she stares down the pink oppressor “Pinkiamenia Diana Pie, Please, you are just being ridiculous now and it is not funny. Now please wait there with Applejack and the others while I…..”

Rarity blinks twice, and with expert comic tuning performs a double take to see Applejack waving back at her. “Applejack Darling! I’m so sorry I simply did not know you would be stopping by today! I am terribly sorry for ignoring you like that.” The ivory mare’s face suddenly brightens “Have you finally decided to join me and Fluttershy on our spa date? I know you’re not into that whole prim and proper thing that we do but..….”

“No Rarity ah’m not goin to the spa with you.” The orange mare shivers “not after what happened last time..…”

“I swear Applejack you simply will not forget. Well a filly can hope. Anyways what brings you here to my humble abode?”

“Oh right!” The Farmer steps off to the side and opens her arm to reveal Twilight Sparkle, who is still staring at the red dress with such distress one might think she were witnessing a book burning. “Rarity, this is Twilight Sparkle. She’s a friend of mine and she happens to be the new princess rep from canterlot.”

Before the princess’s protégé can even get a word in edgewise she is cut off by the ecstatic unicorn’s gasp “Canterlot! Why it’s always been my dream to make it in canterlot! The glamor, the sophistication why there’s ....Mph!”

Twilight places her hoof on the white unicorn’s mouth breathing a sigh of relief. “Rarity it’s great that you love Canterlot and that you love the fact that I love canterlot but I really need to ask you about that dress…...”

The purple manned Fashionista looks at Twilight with a look of confusion “…..what about the dress?”

Twilight brain shifts into overdrive ‘great. How do I get the learn how she found those red stones without arousing her suspicions, think brain think!’

Clearing her throat Twilight resumes “That is I hate to weigh in with you when it comes to fashion but….”

“Oh there’s too much red on here isn’t there?” Rarity looks of to the side to Fluttershy with a look of suspicion “I knew it! But Fluttershy refused to admit it!”

“Ummm actually…. Um Rarity… that is…… I really….. ummmmm……”

“Oh no no no no! It’s the perfect amount of Red!” the Purple mare assures the fashionista nervously “It’s just that there’s an awful lot of those strange looking sequins on your dress and I was wondering where you……”

“Oh darling please, one can never have too many sequins, bwah ha ha ha.” Rarity’s laughter dies down instantly at the cross gaze of the purple unicorn.

Seeing how unamused the purple unicorn is at her joke the ivory mare laughs emptily as she tries to divert the conversation in a more appealing direction. “He he….. Ahem. But I can see that you have a particular eye for the best my deer. Though of course that should not surprise me in the slightest being that you hail from the most fashionable city in all Equestria. You see there was a particular coincidence upon how I obtained these magnificent gems that I feel deserves a bit of elaboration.”

With her telekinesis Rarity moves four cushion over to the mares in the room Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie pie and Twilight sparkle before grabbing one for herself the mare then lowers the cushion to the floor and sits gracefully upon it and motions for the others to follow. Realizing that this will be a long story the mares sit down and the ivory mare begins her tale.

“you see, I was out for one of my weekly gem hunts to provide for my fashion wares, you see my cutie mark specializes me as an expert in gems although I do possess an unnatural perchance for designing clothes which I have to admit is my true passion. Anyway I was out near the southern gem fields a short while after the summer sun celebration and while I was looking for my normal supplies of gems I found a new kind of gem in the soil that was totally foreign even to me. Now I’m not one to brag but I know almost every kind of gem in existence and I had never even seen this kind of gem before. Though I could only find these amazing gems at short range even with my most powerful gem locating spells and they all looked like normal rocks but when I picked them up they produced the most beautiful inner light that I could possibly imagine. It was then that I simply knew that I had to have them so I have been going out and around ponyville looking for these strange gems which I have personally dubbed, ‘the stone of great rarity’, catchy I know, and I have now just gathered enough to finish this idea for a designer gown that I have been working on. And since it is our spa day Fluttershy decided to help me out by modeling the dress for me. But I can tell that you are interested in the design, so can I put you down for one, I have to agree this shade of Red goes so perfectly with your coat. Though I will have to warn you that it will be quite a while before I am ready to produce enough of these dresses for the general public as the gems are so awfully difficult to…. To…… Twilight deer are you okay darling?”

The pillow underneath the posterior of Twilight Sparkle has begun to actually smoke and simmer as the story went on to the point that it actually burst into flames underneath the purple mare. Suddenly Twilight’s rage counter reaches max as her mane and tail burst into terrifying orange flames her nose snorting hot steam as she rises from the smoldering wreckage that was Rarity’s’ pillow. With an ear splitting voice she yells “are you BUCKING KIDDING ME! You find an infinitely powerful magical treasure and you use it as a fashion accessory?! Do you have ANY idea how priceless the stone you are using is!? How dangerous it can be!? And you are using it, using it, for Jewelry?!?”

Rarity stands open mouthed at Twilight’s raw fury and anger a scant few seconds, before stupidly commenting on fashion. “…….do you think that it would make good jewelry?”

Twilight screams for a moment teleporting away in a blast of fire that scorches the ground beneath her.

The frightened Ivory mare turns to Applejack “A-A-Applejack, did I say something wrong? Gasp! it wasn’t that my taste in fashion was bad was it? I knew that my wares weren’t good enough for a canterlot eye! Everything those snobby Canterlot Fashion designers said about me was right!”

The orange mare shakes her head “nah Rares. It’s not yer taste in fashion at all. It’s something a whole lot more important than that.”

Rarity gasps again “More important that Fashion? Explain Applejack!”

Sighing applejack removes her station to look Rarity in the eyes “well Twi told us not to tell anypony else, but seeing how she’s……. indisposed. And since Twi already spilled the beans than ah might as well tell ya both the whole story….”

………….

Minutes later, Applejack has finished her story leaving the four mares with nothing better to do than wait for Twilight to return. Pinkie and Fluttershy are playing cards in the middle of the room while Rarity and Applejack spend their time catching up on current events in the town. Suddenly in a flash of purple light a much calmer unicorn appears in the middle of the room looking visibly ashamed of herself.

“Twilight!” Pinkie jumps up and hugs her friend “I missed you! Where were you? Never mind! Lookie what I won!” Pinkie points to the large pile of circular plastic “I really hit it big against Fluttershy she has no poker face at all. Now look at me! I’m totally loaded!”

Looking back and forth between Pinkie Pie and her ‘pile’ Twilight can’t help but sigh. “Pinkie that’s a pile of buttons.”

“Yeah Twilight! And I won! So I got the most fun of all! And since I already have a lot of fun, and now I have Fluttershy’s fun I’m like the super banker of fun for all ponyville!” Pinkie whispers in the lavender mare’s ear “Plus I’ll never have to worry about needing a button ever again. It’s the perfect plan!”

“…………anyways” Twilight turns to Rarity with a look of sorrow in her eyes “Rarity I’m really sorry that I just blew up on you like that. I didn’t mean deride you like that; I guess that it’s just been one of those days where everything seems to spiral out of control….…”

Rarity smiles gently and pulls Twilight into a side hug. “Apology accepted Twilight! I can understand that feeling perfectly. Why just the other week I had to make five dresses a day by hoof while looking after my little sister. I’m just glad that Fluttershy was able to help out otherwise I didn’t think that I would have made it.” Rarity looks Twilight in the eyes “the point that I am making is that I go through the exact same thing from time to time so I can understand exactly how you feel right now what with all those horrible red stones around.”

“Red Stones? Wait Rarity How do you…”

“……and your little outburst wasn’t a complete waste Darling. When you left to, ahem, ‘calm down’ It allowed my dear friend applejack to explain what is going on around town with these ‘Red Stones’ and all that. And I have to say that I am impressed with your resolve to helping ponies and your courage in saving my dear friend Applejack’s life from that wretched monster.”

The ivory mare tears up with a smile on her face “I….. I simply cannot thank you enough Twilight Sparkle. I don’t know what I would have done if Applejack…… You saved my friend’s life Twilight Sparkle, You saved Applejack, and for that I will be eternally grateful.” With poise and precision the fashionista lowers her head, not in shame or fear but in endless gratitude, the kind that can be physically felt.

Twilight is suddenly aware of the importance of what she has done as she tries to dismiss the ivory mare’s thanks. “It’s fine Rarity, Applejack is my Friend too! Of course I would save her. I’m just glad that somepony is supportive of me for the first time since I’ve gotten here.”

Rarity lifts her head “Oh that reminds me, since you haven’t been properly introduced to her before and since you….. Left…..before you got to meet her, I would like you to get to know my friend.”

Despite her friend’s generous introduction, the shy butter yellow mare, brushes the ground with her hoof, trying to look anywhere but where the unicorn is.

Smiling awkwardly at the Pegasus’s painful shyness, yet unwilling to give up Twilight makes an attempt at small talk. “Ahem, I’m Twilight sparkle, Princess Representative. What’s’ your name?”

“Um…. I’m… Flutte…………”

“I’m sorry what was that?”

“um……. My nam…… is….Flutter…….”

“……..Didn’t quite catch that……”

Emitting a noise halfway between a mouse’s whisper and a whimper the mare responds in octaves barely recognizable, creating only making the scene between them even more awkward.

With an enormous force of Will Rarity manages to avoid rolling her eyes. “Oh for Celestia’s sake Fluttershy, She’s not going to bit your head off, even if her mane was made of fire. You always talked about making new friends Darling, well now is that chance!” Nodding reaffirming to the shy yellow mare the fashionista gives the Pegasus a slight nudge in Twilight’s direction.

Suppressing her fears in the wake of Rarity’s words, the timid Pegasus tip toes up to the Purple unicorn “Hi, I’m Fluttershy. It’s….. um…… it’s nice to meet you!” She says as she ducks behind her mane.

‘Oh no look at the poor dear, she’s completely terrified!’ Twilight thinks ‘but why? What did I…..’

Twilight’s previous behavior suddenly comes back into the forefront of her mind as she remembers her terrifying abuse of magical power. “Oh I’m sorry Fluttershy! This is about me exploding into flame and burning the floor and yelling at your friend Rarity. I’m really sorry that I did those things and I’m so sorry that I scared you that badly!”

The butter yellow Pegasus apologizes “oh it’s not that Twilight. Your ummmm, ‘freak out’ wasn’t very scary. That is it wasn’t very scary, compared to one of Rarity’s freak outs.”

“Ahem.” The Purple maned unicorn taps her hoof at on the ground as she stares judgmentally at the Pegasus in a way that implies ‘I thought we agreed to never talk about that’.

“Um that is herfreakoutsthatIshouldnevertalkaboutaresomethingI’mgoodatdealingwith! SoIwasn’tscaredandI’mreallygladtomeetyouaswell!” The Pegasus takes several rapid breaths as she tries to catch her breath from her speedy response while calms Rarity down as well.

“All right then, it’s a pleasure to meet you both of you.” Twilight states “Any friend of Applejack is a friend of mine, Rarity. And of course by extension any friend of Rarity is a friend of mine as Well Fluttershy. I hope that we can be on good terms In the future as well.”

Twilight nods her head as she looks at the surprising diversity of the ponies surrounding her. “Well then on to business, since Applejack was able to fill both of you in on the importance of the Red stones  to the nation of Equestria I hereby formally request that you hand over the stones to my possession in golden oaks library so that they might be adequately protected and studied by the Princess Representative.”

Twilight looks Rarity over, fully expecting her to comply with her reasonable and expected request. Yet to her surprise the fashionista begins to chuckle again. “Darling you must simply stop reading those dusty old books! You sound like a military manual or something.” The fashionista chuckles to herself despite the stunned look of her friend’s face “No Twilight despite our new rapport I simply can’t turn over the Red stones for nothing at all. After all it took a great deal of effort for me to locate them and if I am to assist you in locating more of the red stones……”

Twilight manages to catch this “Assist me? Why would you want to assist me? You’re not a stand user.”

“Of course I’m going to help you Twilight. After all what are friends for?” Rarity flutters her eyelashes  “And of course I’ll have to tag along as well now that you’ve disclosed how important your little mission is. Not only is your little group in need of some beauty and skill but after what happened in the forest it is painfully clear that I have to come along to keep an eye on SOME PONY, so that she doesn’t go rushing off into danger again.”

Under Rarity’s intense Stare it takes everything that Applejack has to look away and whistle to herself hoping Rarity’s wrath will pass over her and onto somepony else.

“……and as for why you should let me help I believe I told you. My natural talents for locating Gems, (though it might be more difficult to locate them than ordinary gems I admit) makes me far more valuable than a platoon of soldiers in your task.” Rarity smiles at her proper labeling of her skills as she continues on “Now as I was saying if I end up helping you for nothing at all, my fashion business will undoubtedly suffer as well. I may be generous Twilight but I’m not completely selfless and if I am expected to help you locate the Red stones I require that I be reimbursed for my troubles.”

Twilight thinks this over in her head. ‘True Rarity’s gem hunting power means that it would be very good idea to have her help. But if she is involved she’ll be in danger, and that would be unforgivable if something happened to her as well. After what happened to Applejack I should just tell her that we don’t need her assistance and…….’

Applejack’s voice resonates through Twilight’s mind ‘Ahm the kind of pony that others can rely upon so instead of takin this whole mess by yer lonesome why don’t ya lean on yer friends instead?’

Reconsidering her own thought the mare looks at the fashionista before her taking in her generosity and her willingness to risk it all to protect a friend in need. “….. Alright Rarity you can help.”

The ivory mare beams “Really?”

“Really. Now how much do you want for your services?” Twilight asks “I’ll have to warn you the princess’s budget is tight so I can’t give you a fortune or something but it’ll certainly be better pay than most jobs out there.”

Rarity shakes her head “Oh twilight I don’t need money, my business though small is incredibly lucrative and between that and my gem finding I could probably go….. let’s see……. four, maybe five months without filling an order?”

Twilight’s jaw drops “What!” the purple mare exclaims “You’re that rich!?!”

Applejack shakes her head “I thought ya knew Twi. Rarity’s a small town girl. But cause of her gem findin and her popular hoof made fashion lines she’s the third richest pony in town. Just behind Filthy Rich, Silver Strike and Filthy’s wife Gleaming Earing, an he owns Backyard Bargains!”

“Applejack you flatterer you.” Rarity blushes under Applejacks’ compliment “But yes I have little need for money and besides all the money in the world can’t get me into canterlot without the proper……. Connections.”

“Hunh?”

“It’s quite simple Twilight Darling.” The ivory mare brushes her purple mane out of her eyes. “You are the princess’s protégé are you not? If I help you out I want to have my clothes be backed by the crown. That is I want the princess and her special protégé to wear only outfits that I myself make.”

Rarity trots over to the window looking out towards Canterlot “If the princess herself is wearing my clothes, NO noble will be able to tell me that my best outfits are cheap rags, that my clothes are nothing but potato sacks for the common peddler…. NO……..” the mare’s eyes burn with a silent fury. “NO THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DENY ME ANY LONGER, NO THEY SHALL ALL BOW BEFORE ME, THAT ARROGANT PHOTO FINISH, AND THAT HORRIBLE SURI, AND THAT ROTTEN HOITY TOITY!! THEY SHALL ALL BOW BEFORE THE UNDENIABLE BEAUTY AND PRESTIGE OF THE GREAT RARITY!” With a voice that chills the bones of every pony in the room the ivory mare laughs a dark and cruel laugh anticipates her dramatic rise to power over the ponies who ruined her life.

“Told you.” Fluttershy whispers in Twilight’s ear.

The mare suddenly becomes aware of her incredibly unladylike behavior as she clears her throat and turns around to face Twilight again. “Sorry about that Darling. Well what do you say? You get not only my amazing services but the right and privilege to wear the best of the best that I can offer. Quite a bargain no?”

Twilight looks around at Rarity’s wares, her every dress a perfect masterpiece of woven cloth and embroidered gems. Even Twilight has to admit that Applejack is right; Rarity is a mare of skill and passion. “Well, normally the princess never directly advocates things because it causes so much trouble. However she does always need formal wear for one reason or another.” Twilight gestures around the room “and from what I have seen of your work I would be proud to forward some of it to her.”

No sooner than the words leave her mouth the lavender mare finds herself embraced in a bear hug that could crush a manticore “thankyouohthankyoutwilightsparkleyouarealifesaverandyou’rehelpingmemakemydreamscometrue!thankyou!thankyou!thankyou!”

Twilight tries to use all her power to pry herself from the grasp, to speak, to use her magic however the lack of oxygen to her brain has made all three of these things impossible as she simply waits for it all to end.

Pinkie laughs “He He Look at the color her face is turning! I never knew there were that many shades of purple!”

Applejack taps Rarity on the shoulder “Um, Rarity….” She points to the nearly unconscious mare which causes the ivory mare to relinquish her grip.

“I’m so sorry Twilight I simply don’t know what came over me!”

Taking great wheezing breaths of ever so precious oxygen the Lavender mare barely manages to respond. “Don’t worry about it Rarity. It’s just one of those days I guess.”

“Well that still does not excuse my behavior. Now I know managing business and friendship is tricky so I simply have to ask, are we still friends despite all this?”

Rarity extends her hoof, and without thinking for a second Twilight grasps it giving the fashionista a certain and clear sign of their friendship. “Yes Rarity, yes we are.”

Unable to restrain her joy and longer Twilight beams at the numerous successes she has achieved today. They have already seen so much of the town, she has made two new friends, one of which can greatly help in her mission and already they have gathered so many of the red stones thanks to Rarity, all on the first day of looking

Twilight asks herself  “Could this day possibly get any better?”

…………

“….This day couldn’t possibly get worse.” the now ragged unicorn states as she drags her hooves through the dirt.

“WOWIE wasn’t that a great day Twilight?” Pinkie says as she bounces next to the obviously exhausted and frazzled mare. Celestia’s sun is setting off in the distance and the entire town is winding down as the ponies of the small town prepare for a relaxing evening. “Too bad Applejack couldn’t join us for this walk back home I’ve had almost as much fun explaining everything we did today than I had actually doing it. Let’s see we met almost every amazing pony in town including Raindrops! We looked at every important building in ponyville and took our pictures next to each and every one. And you only freaked out a whole three times before the day ended!”

Her library in sight Twilight breathes an immense sigh of relief that her day is almost over and puts all her remaining willpower into ignoring the pink menace behind her. “And you know what the best part of all is Twilight? Hunh? Do you? Hunh? Do you? Hunh? Do you? Hunh? Do you? Hunh? Do you? Hunh? Do you? Hunh? Do you? Hunh? Do you? Hunh? Do you? Hunh? Do…”

Finally reaching the door Twilight wrenches it open “No. What is the best part Pinkie?”

Pinkie smiles brightly “tomorrow we get to wake up and do it all over again! Isn’t it exciting?”

Twilight visibly shudders at this as she freezes in the doorway. “So Twilight what’s your opinion of ponyville? It’s the greatest town in Equestria right? Did you learn something new? How were Mrs. Cake’s brownies? Did you think that mayor mare is a silly name? Because I certainly did!”

Her mane begins to curl as the lavender mare’s eye twitches in its socket. As slowly Twilight can manage the lavender mare, still standing in the door frame looks back at the pink mare behind her. “Why yes Pinkie I did learn something about the town of ponyville today!”

Pinkie leans in to hear Twilight’s thoughts as the mare clears her throat and raises her hoof demurely before shouting at the top of her lungs. “ALL THE PONIES IN THIS TOWN ARE CRAZY!” With the force of thunderclap Twilight slams the door of the library shut leaving Pinkie Pie and all the craziness that she represents outside.

Rubbing her sore horn Twilight walks through the ground floor of the library as she thinks of the best way to try and recover her frazzled nerves before she has to wake up tomorrow and deal with Ponyville and all it’s crazy all over again.

“Maybe from now on I’ll have two cups of coffee in the morning instead of the normal one. I have a feeling I’m gonna need it from now on seeing as how things are only going to get more hectic from here on out.” Twilight looks out the library window to see the pink menace bouncing off in the distance, almost missing the presence of a pony so bright and full of energy. “I still can’t believe that I made friends with such crazy ponies, a stubborn farmer, a dramatic fashionista, and…. Pinkie.”

Closing her eyes as she rests her head on the center table in the library the mare thinks back to everything that happened today. Pinkie’s felt boards, Rainbow Dash’s fear of authority, Applejacks’ unflinching support for her fillyhood friend, Fluttershy’s’ grace and poise in the wake of her outburst and even Rarity’s terrifying rant and her deep seated concern for the fate of her friends.

“They’re all completely crazy.” Twilight states as she smiles to herself. “But you know…. I wouldn’t have anypony else by my side in all this.”

Twilight slaps her face with her hooves causing fresh blood to once again rush to her head. “Okay it's’ only seven o seven. I still have plenty of time for stand meditation and practicing magic. But just to be safe I should probably have a cup of coffee and try some of those new beans that i…….” Twilight suddenly remembers what she forgot to get while she was out. “…… coffee beans. And by now all the stores are closed so there’s no chance of getting any fresh coffee for tomorrow morning.”

Twilight prepares to utter a string of obscenities that could make even ears bleed as she takes in as much air as physically possible. Thankfully Twilights’ imminent outburst is stopped when she spies a steaming Thermos on the library table that she hadn’t noticed before. Amazed at the item’s sudden appearance Twilight trots over to the table and gives the steaming cup a deep whiff. Twilight shudders “its coffee! But who…..” Next to the now familiar thermos Twilight spies a note.

HI TWILIGHT

THOUGHT YOU MIGHT NEED THIS FOR LATER! I KNOW I DO WHENEVER I PULL ALL NIGHTERS AND HAVE THOSE SLOW MORNINGS THAT KEEP ME FROM BEING MY PINKIE BEST! THANKS FOR LOOKING AROUND PONYVILLE WITH ME AND MY OTHER FRIENDS! I LOOK FORWARD TO HANGING OUT WITH YOU TOMORROW, AND THE DAY AFTER THAT, AND THE DAY AFTER THAT, AND THE DAY AFTER THAT, AND THE DAY AFTER THAT.

SINCERELY PINKIE PIE

P.S. AND THE DAY AFTER THAT AND THE DAY AFTER THAT AND THE DAY AFTER THAT…….

Twilight smiles as the picks up the thermos filled to the brim with piping hot coffee. Her hoof practically trembling as she takes a big swig of its delicious caffeine. “Like I said I wouldn’t have anypony else….”