Where do you think you're going?!
The head yak from the group that had been visiting Ponyville that day eventually released Pinkie Pie from his bonecrushing hug, and apart from feeling slightly flatter than before, the party pony was feeling as good as new... Both health-wise, and with her reputation as the town's premier soiree organizer fully intact.
Everyone was having a good time... most of the citizens of Ponyville had shown up, apple bobbing, checking out the various stalls or just standing around, talking to each other. Even The Wonderbolts and Cherry Jubilee had managed to return from their impromptu adventure with Pinkie Pie to attend... It was truly a miracle it had all gone so well, at such short notice. But then again... You should NEVER underestimate Pinkie.
Having enjoyed the festivities, and even picked up a souvenir or two in the shape of a balloon and a rather ill-fitting hat, the yaks finally felt all tuckered out. Having not got any sleep on those inauthentic beds Applejack had laid out for them earlier on, they were ready to leave Ponyville that very evening. The quicker they returned to Yakyakistan, the quicker they could 'hit the hay' so to speak. PROPER hay, that is.
"Thank you for warm welcome" said the head yak to the Mane Six (And Princess Celestia) who had served as their hosts for the majority of their visit. "But we must go soon. Yakyakistan is calling us." Having promised a thousand moons of friendship, the yaks were sure that despite their initial differences, this would prove to be a most productive relationship with their new friends in the south. The trio of horned creatures moved off to gather up their stuff, before departing...
Suddenly, they were being pulled back by a strange light. All of Twilight's friends looked at her in surprise, but she wasn't the one doing the spellcasting... The equine who's horn was glowing was none other than Princess Celestia herself.
"And where do you think YOU'RE going?" asked the white alicorn, in a firm, yet polite manner.
"Er... We have to prepare for trip. Long journey ahead to Yakyakistan" said the head yak, in a slightly confused tone.
"Sorry, we can't allow that. Not before you've settled your debts." Celestia shook her head, yet still held them with her magic.
"Er, what are these debts of which you speak?" The lead yak's eyes emerged from behind his shaggy fur, looking utterly perplexed.
Celestia, with the yaks still motionless under her spell, turned to her former pupil Twilight Sparkle and said softly "Twilight, you're the one who showed me that report earlier about the damages accrued since our honoured guests arrived. Care to run through it again, this time in front of the culprits?"
Twilight, who had been sitting there looking bemused as the yaks and the leader of Equestria had been talking, suddenly took the hint. "Er, yes... Okay. Now that you mention it, there WAS a little incident at the Friendship Castle... Where some of the structures were cracked, a few decorations were torn down, and some items of sentimental value were broken. Oh, and of course that table was destroyed." She stated matter of factly.
Rarity took up the baton next: "Oh darling, that was NOTHING compared to what they did to my boutique! They chewed up one of my best fabrics, kicked some of my latest materials everywhere and wrecked some of my mannequins into pieces! It was a complete pig sty! I don't know how long it'll take me to clean it all up!!" The Element of Genorosity grabbed Applejack and started sobbing into the farm pony's stetson.
Patting Rarity on the back, Applejack seized the moment to issue her complaint. "Those darn creatures messed up my barn with their shenanigans. It's gonna take me half a day to gather up all that hay they scattered everywhere and repair the floor, time that I could have spent bucking apples... And that's with Apple Bloom and Big Mac's help." Applejack raised an eyebrow in annoyance.
Fluttershy, after hearing everyone else venting, finally plucked up the courage to have her say: "Umm... If you don't mind... I would like to mention they reduced my favourite picnic set to rubble. AND my animals were so scared at nearly being squashed by that falling yak they refused to eat for the rest of the day." Fluttershy was rarely mad, but she nearly lost it at the thought of her innocent friends being harmed by these hairy beasts. She saw Celestia seemed to have the situation in hoof though, and meekly stepped back.
Pinkie Pie put her hoof up next. "OH!! OH!! I know we're all friends now, and I'm very thankful for that. But they DID sort of, kind of, just a little, throw a bit of a wobbly earlier on at Sugarcube Corner. There was marzipan and icing everywhere! The Cakes have got enough on their plate with all their orders, and looking after those twins... I don't know how they're gonna find the time to clear up the mess." Pinkie looked down at the ground, slightly less jovial than a minute ago.
As every otherpony had had their say, now all eyes turned to Rainbow Dash. The most abrasive of the Mane Six, her friends thought she'd have been one of the first to start moaning. Dash realised all eyes were on her, and nervously scratched the back of her neck. "Err..." she stuttered, while flapping her wings "I don't really have anything to say. I mean, you can't really destroy SNOW, can you? Sure, I went to all the trouble of pushing that big cloud through the sky for nothing... But at the same time... The trip was pretty cool. So, no hard feeling... Kay?" Rainbow grinned.
"WELL, IF DASHIE DOESN'T WANT TO SAY SOMETHING, I DO!!" A loud voice boomed across the square, and the ponies saw no other than Spike making his way to the gathering. " All I did was a little fake music playing to stal... I mean entertain those yaks earlier on, and one of them tried to crush me!! And then they destroyed my piano... My favourite possession next to my comic books and my collection of rare crystals!!" Spike, finally broken after weeks, if not months, of being put upon by ungrateful ponies, climbed onto Rarity's back and started crying into Applejack's hat too. The Element of Honesty rolled her eyes. That would take some drying.
Celestia nodded at all these testimonies of wanton destruction, before turning to Twilight. "It's just as you said. They might be diplomats, unfamiliar with our ways, but creating this kind of chaos, that I dare say Discord would be proud of, is completely unacceptable." The white alicorn then looked at the trio of yaks, finally freeing them from their magical prison. "You have heard the destruction you have wrought, and it is my opinion that reparations must be made. Have you any suggestions?"
The lead yak looked at his two friends, before saying (with a slight hint of nervousness, seeing how easily Celestia had subdued them) "Er... We sorry for any bad things we do while here... But we not know any better. Your culture is strange to us. This is what we do in Yakyakistan... Destroy anything we no like. Can we go now?" His voice had a slightly pleading edge to it.
Celestia shook her head "No, we can't allow you to leave until you have put right what you did. If we ponies had come over to Yakyakistan and ruined some of your personal property and residential buildings, you'd be pretty upset too, wouldn't you? And you'd want us to pay our debt to society. We expect no less from you, even if you are our guests." Celestia afforded the yaks a stern look.
Unused to being spoken to like this, the lead yak was about to blow his top again and declare war for the second time that day... Before he realised something which made him bite his lip. If their princess could incapacitate the three of them so easily, then who knows what powers the rest of these ponies had... Even if they weren't all quite as strong as their monarch. So, with a great deal of reluctance, the yak lowered his head. "What would you have us do, then?"
Celestia paused for thought for a minute, then smiled. "I'm going to leave that in the reliable hooves of Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends." The purple alicorn shot Celestia a look in surprise, before turning to the yaks herself.
"Err... Yak one, two and three." Twilight started the sentencing, trying to sound as official as possible." To pay for your crimes, you must return with me tomorrow to the Castle Of Friendship and help us fix up the place. Most of the damage has been repaired, but it was a bit of a rush job.. And I'm sure with your muscles, we'll get done in double-quick time... Now, I'll pass the floor onto the others, so they can decide your punishment for themselves." Twilight seemed quite proud of her first speech as Celestia's de facto sheriff.
Rarity, hearing Celestia's command, had now stopped blubbing and was now contemplating how these brutes could make amends. "And the day after tomorrow, you three can organize the materials you've strewn all over my shop, put my mannequins back the way they were... Oh, and assist me in some of my newer outfits! I've just had some lovely new plus-size ones delivered... And I think you'd be the PERFECT models for them, darlings!" She batted her eyelashes, which made the listening yaks strangely nervous.
Wringing her hat out as well as she could, it was Applejack's turn to state her case " If you ask me, it would sure be nice if you fellas could come down to the farm in three days time and help us fix up the barn. There's stray hay everywhere you look. And I hope you yaks are good with a hammer and nails." She then resumed her squeezing of her sodden headgear.
Hovering a little above the ground, Fluttershy addressed the trio of yaks. "Well, what you could do... If it's not too much trouble... Is aid me with my pets after you've finished with Applejack. Some need feeding... Some need a bit of company... And I think it's Angel bunny's turn for a bath. One of you could volunteer to scrub him... If that's alright with you..." The yaks might have thought that giving a rabbit a wash would be the easiest job of all. Little knowing, of course...
Pinkie hopped over to the creature who's embrace she'd escaped from just earlier. " Hi, again! It really would be super in a few days if you could come and help the Cakes clean up the shop... Or, you could babysit for them while we take care of it! You'll love Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake... If you ever run into trouble with them, just cover yourself in flour! Works everytime!! The choice is yours!!" She gave him a wide smile, before going back to her friends.
With Rainbow Dash saying "Eh, I'm good... Just get me some apple cider if you can find the time..." Spike decided it was HIS turn to extract some satisfaction from the situation. "Well, I hope you yaks know something about piano repairing... Because soon, you'll be helping me put mine back together. Then, if there's any time left over... We can all go on a nice, long gem hunt together!!" Relishing being in control for once, the dragon knew he'd be safe from any patrolling Diamond Dogs with these big fellows as his bodyguards.
Celestia heard all her subject's requests for compensation... None of them seemed too extreme, so she decided to acquiesce to all of them. "So it shall be. As soon as the party is over, you yaks can sign a contract stating you understand what must be done, then you can get started. Don't think of it as a punishment. More of a learning experience as to how to behave while visiting other nations. Now, enjoy yourselves... Because the hard work starts tomorrow!"
The white alicorn, the other ponies and Spike then left the yaks to their own devices, as the trio pondered one question...
Where could they find somewhere with genuine yak hay that would be willing to put them up for a week?!
Author's Note
Sorry, had to get this off my chest.
