Applejack, Bantha Herder

Silence filled the room as Celestia set the paper down onto her desk. She closed her eyes, exhaled deeply, and returned her gaze to her former student.

"So, let me get this straight," she began slowly. Twilight twitched nervously. "A ten foot tall, horned, hairy beast, the likes of which Equestria had never seen, barreled through Ponyville, steered by the former Element of Honesty in a fit of insanity and vengeance?"

Twilight began sweating. "Yes ma'am." She quickly amended herself. "Your Highness."

With a raised eyebrow, the pearl-white princess continued. "Then, the 'bantha' terrorized citizens, destroyed public property, and raised over one-hundred thousand bits of damage to homes, businesses, and streets?"

Twilight was squirming now, as an ant might under the hot summer sun. Or rather, as a winged unicorn might under the disapproving gaze of a sun deity.

"After that, the former Element of Loyalty swooped in and knocked the certifiably insane Applejack off of her perch, and the latter began to froth at the mouth, yelling about 'Bartholomew' being 'avenged'?"

Twilight's response came out as a gasping murmur. "Yes."

Celestia leaned back into her chair. "Twilight, it's days like this when I wonder why I let Pinkie Pie make Equestria."

The mare in question was currently curled up, sound asleep, next to Napoleon, outside of Twilight's castle. She had been assigned by Twilight for guard duty as she and Celestia discussed the matter behind closed doors. All of the other former Elements were out of commission for the time being; Rainbow Dash was busy trying to comfort Applejack in the Ponyville Asylum, and Rarity and Fluttershy were too disgusted or too scared to come out of their own homes. Pinkie had tried, and tried valiantly, but she eventually succumbed to the warm rays of the summer sun and had curled up next to the sleeping bantha.

As the two sleep, two tall shadows fell upon them, both about the same height. It was their shadows and their strange speech that woke Pinkie. However, Napoleon continued snoozing.

"It was, in fact, your idea to see if a bantha could be strapped to a jet and fly at 88 miles per hour, Master Luke, not mine."

There was a short laugh, and then the reply. "Your memory banks are waterlogged, 3p0."

Pinkie blinked the sleep from her eyes before standing up and stretching. "Hey, Luke," she said. "Hey, C3p0."

The robotic humanoid did an imitation of a bow. "Salutations, Pinkie Pie. As you may have guessed, we have come here to retrieve our pet bantha, Napoleon. You two seem to have become acquainted. We do hope he didn't cause too much trouble for you."

Luke walked behind the sleeping bantha and scratched it behind the ear. The tired giant lifted its head and yawned. It got to its feet, and promptly snatched a screaming C3p0 off the ground and into its mouth. The droid desperately waved its arms and legs about, screaming from inside the bantha to be released.

"Nonsense, 3p0," Luke stifled a laugh. "He's just playing."

He patted Napoleon's side and said, "Hey, buddy, spit that out. You don't where it's been." The bantha complied, releasing the now drenched protocol droid from its confines.

"Well, now my memory banks are waterlogged," C3p0 commented.

Luke paid him no attention, instead walking back toward his X-wing. He turned back and waved at the party pony.

"See you, Pinks!"

"See you, Luke!" Pinkie called back to her friend.

As Luke entered the cockpit of his ship, he muttered, "Sheesh, Celestia really let this place go. It's a dump!"

And with that, they flew of into the distance.