Author's Note
Note, the following is a tribute to Agrol's videos and their style, which both myself and Alex have a fondness for. Hope if they read this they enjoy this tribute.
Luck and Karma
= Gioachino Rossini : The Barber Of Seville - Overture =
Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash sat next to each in Pinkie's Party Cave. The cyan pegasus had a blind fold prepared in one hoof, and a dart in the other.
Rainbow Dash took one last look at Pinkie Pie's slew of calendars lining the walls that she kept on every pony in Ponyville. The words 'Not Doing Any Important Stuff!' were scrawled across calendars in big bold letters. Pictures of the same ponies on the wall behind her matching perfectly. Rainbow didn't want another 'Cookie Zombie Apocalypse' to teach her a lesson.
The pink party pony nodded vigorously with a wide smile to confirm all was ready.
The cyan pegasus replied with a smirk, placed on the blind fold, spinning around and putting her weight into it as she threw the dart at the board and hitting a picture of Rarity.
Rainbow Dash sat in a bush with a pair of binoculars, the Castle of Friendship appearing in the lenses. She looked over to Pinkie to check on her progress.
Pinkie Pie pulled back a giant rubber band (on hoof for just this kind of situation) and placed a water balloon in the center, ready to be sent flying when their target showed herself. Rainbow Dash smirked and looked back. Now all they had to do was wait.
Rarity stepped out of the castle, carrying some gems that Twilight had given her in her telekinesis. Spike having having just found the exact ones she'd needed for a new design as a gift, what were the odds?
Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie slowly took aim with their makeshift slingshot, following Rarity as she trotted along through town. The cyan pegasus gave a nod, the two letting fly their water filled projectile.
The fashionista blinked, looking down at something sparkling on the ground. She knelt down to investigate, obliviously dodging the water balloon. It just so happened that two stallions were walking by, carrying a large u bend pipe for some renovation projects. The water balloon just happened to sail in the bottom end and come back out the other side back the same direction.
Rainbow Dash eyes went wide...right before the water balloon nailed her the face and drenched her.
The fashionista rose back up, examining a gem that had been half buried in the ground in her telekinesis. She gingerly cleaned it off and gasped.
The gem was shaped exactly like Maud Pie's cutie mark, and a dark gray color. She took out a scroll marked 'Maud Pie's Rock Concert Dress', showing a necklace with the exact same gem. A thought bubble appearing of her searching her mine and showing a picture of the gem to the Diamond Dogs with no success. Then to Spike. Then to Twilight. And so on until she was on her fainting couch eating ice cream. The mare then gave an excited smile. She put the gem and scroll away looking like Lyra whenever she found what could be mistaken for a human foot print.
Pinkie Pie laughed, watching Rainbow Dash dripping wet as Rarity pranced off none the wiser.
Rainbow Dash glared before shaking herself off like a dog, her fur puffing out.
The pink party pony replied with a giggle, the image of several cartoons involving anthroponymorphic bunnies, coyotes, and roadrunners flashing in her mind.
Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes, imagining black bars appearing above and below her gaze, a bag of marbles resting on her hoof.
Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie was looking the other way, giving a piece of cake to a pegasus mare with a shovel whose cutie mark was shaped like conveniently placed bushes.
The cyan pegasus promptly pulled the pink pony down as Rarity trotted by, humming a Sapphire Shores song to herself, not noticing the two at all. Rainbow Dash gave a smirk, poking out of hiding and throwing the marbles, aiming to get them under the fashionista's hooves.
As the marbles rolled along towards her, the fashionista gave a gasp at something in a shop window before zipping inside. Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped in disbelief. Pinkie Pie sympathetically patted Rainbow Dash on the back.
Meanwhile the marbles rolled up a small makeshift halfpipe some foals were using and back down again the other direction.
The cyan pegasus face hoofed...then the two began slipping and sliding on the marbles, which had found their way back from wince they came. Rainbow Dash merely flew up and gave a smirk...then yelled as Pinkie Pie grabbed her tail as she herself went sliding backwards, dragging the pegasus backwards with her...and down a hill until a loud splash sounded, mud shooting into the air.
Rarity, oblivious to the attempted prank on her, emerged from the shop, smiling wide and holding a bundle of lavender fabric in her magic. Another thought bubble appeared above her head, showing her sadly looking at 'SOLD OUT!' signs in Ponyville and Canterlot. She happily took a pin and popped the thought balloon.
Rainbow Dash snorted air in frustration, she and Pinkie both shaking mud out of their fur. The cyan pegasus then struck a determined pose with the Wonderbolts flag behind her. She watched Rarity from a distance, the moment Rarity went into another building she dashed over over with a bucket of water and flew up. Rainbow looked at Pinkie Pie, who was now watching through the window without even trying to hide. Rainbow hadn't even seen her dash over, but was used to this by now.
Pinkie Pie saw Rarity talking to Mr. Stitch, the store owner...
The cyan pegasus landed up above the door and got ready.
Then pink party pony saw Mr. Stitch telling Rarity something...and silently saw her squeeing like Rainbow when she heard a new Daring Do book was coming out. And then Rarity bought something...and out she was coming! The pink party pony signaled to Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash quickly forced the door open ajar and put the bucket of water above the door before flying back into the bush...and pulling Pinkie Pie back down into the bush.
Rarity let out her signature laugh, throwing open the door...And was so excited that she did so with enough force that the water bucket when with the door instead of falling down, sending it tumbling into the bush nearby. The fashionista floated a number of spools of thread from her bad, each with a glimmering sheen to it. This time her thought balloon showed signs of ‘Out of Stock’ for the hundredth time being popped and replaced with a ‘Overstock, Discount’ instead! She gave another excited cry and dashed off.
Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash both poked their heads out of the bush, Rainbow Dash soaking wet with the bucket on her head. Pinkie Pie broke out laughing while the cyan pegasus gave a scream of frustration.
= Tchaikovsky -Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairy =
High above, a group of Cloud Gremlins (the proper name for which was a 'Sabotage' of Gremlins, self declared as it were) waited on their fortified airship shaped cloud for their leader to decide their next course of action. All at once the Sabotage looked down, sensing a rather large amount of frustration, the power source of such creatures. Following it down, the group's eyes fell on Rainbow Dash, currently trying to dry herself off in delicious frustration and anger. The lower ranked Gremlins got the idea to simply worsen the day of the two...but the lead one wearing too many medals on his chest instead cast his eyes on a certain white mare with a purple mane, who appeared to be on cloud nine and having an absolutely wonderful day.
He quickly elbowed his comrades and pointed to her. Within moments the lot of them were licking their lips greedily. The further one's mood fell, the greater the anguish and frustration it earned. Ruining Rarity's day would yield so much more delicious negative energy than just making Rainbow's already frustrating day even more so...Not to mention be more fun.
Rainbow Dash grumbled, she and Pinkie in another conveniently placed bush, producing a stink bomb as Rarity continued on her merry way.
Above them unnoticed, the lead Cloud Gremlin decided to start with the oldest and simplest trick in his kind's arsenal: making a sunny day overcast and gloomy. Simple matter of carefully moving their cloud over Rarity's head to block out the sun for her and her alone.
However, as Rainbow Dash pulled back her hoof to throw the stink bomb from her hiding place, Rarity's eyes fell on something at one of the nearby stands and she turned at the last moment.
A stallion stood next to a trampoline, a stack of them behind him (and one on his flank), with a half off sign on proud display. The stink bomb hit the trampoline and ricocheted off, high into the air.
The Cloud Gremlins blinked as the stink bomb flew straight for them and hit the lead one in the face, exploding into a horrible stench. The entire group coughed, gagged, and held their noses, being forced to fall back and take a bath.
Rainbow Dash blinked, from her location unable to see the Gremlins but able to tell 'somepony' in that cloud had gotten hit. The Cyan Pegasus managed a reluctant, nervous laugh that at least her stink bomb hadn't gone to waste (or backfired), right? She looked to her best friend for support...only to find an empty bush.
Pinkie Pie held out a hoof full of bits, having zoomed over to the trampoline seller while the pegasus wasn't looking. Rainbow Dash promptly facehoofed before watching Rarity merrily prance by, now with several large rolls of specialty, premium golden fabric floating in her telekinesis, a 75% off tag hanging from it.
Now relatively clean once again, the Cloud Gremlins came back for round two, this time deciding to take it up a notch and literally rain on Rarity's parade. Their cloud full of water, they moved to position themselves above the mare, who was presently at another store in the shopping area. The fashionista looked through the available items, picking up a few odds and ends. She then gave a gasp at the sight of something.
The lead Gremlin motioned to his cohorts to begin, them all channeling magic into their cloud to make rain begin to fall...right as Rarity pulled out and put up a rather large purple umbrella that went perfectly with her mane. Large enough to not only protect herself but her purchased items from the sudden downpour.
Rarity exclaimed in pleasant surprise that she'd raised the umbrella just in time to shield herself from a sudden downpour and gave her matching mane a dramatic swish. She telekinetically handed over her bits and trotted off, not at all worried about the rain, as she and her items were nice and dry.
The lead Gremlin and his crew maneuvered on their cloud, trying to get a closer look and see if their plan was working...only to run straight into a tree while they weren't paying attention to where they were going.
Pinkie Pie waited at the side of the road with a stand the Cakes often used for selling at festivals and such, humming her cupcakes song to herself. Rainbow Dash hid behind it, putting hot sauce on a plate of red velvet cupcakes, one of Rarity's favorites.
The pink party pony waved to the fashionista as she passed.
Rarity waved back in reply, trotting over.
Pinkie leaned over curiously at Rarity’s bags, neither noticing the sabotage of Cloud Gremlins moving overhead.
Rarity wordlessly complied, smiling as she showed off her items. In the process of showing it to her partying friend, she opened the purple umbrella right as the Gremlins began raining again, once more protecting herself just in time. She looked up a the rain and laughed.
The pink Earth Pony replied with a laugh of her own, producing her own bright pink umbrella from nowhere and putting it up to protect the baked goods (and unknown to Rarity, Rainbow Dash).
Rarity in turned showed off the beautiful glimmering thread and fabric, saving the best for last and revealing the gem for Maud’s necklace.
Pinkie Pie squealed in delight at the sight with twice her normal excitement. Which was saying a lot. She unfurled a poster she’d been carrying for just such an occasion showing a crossed-eyed Pegasus with a Mohawk screaming his lungs out as he smashed rocks with his guitar, ‘Gravel Pit And the Rock Smashers!’ in barely legible punk font at the top.
Rarity raised an eyebrow.
The Cloud Gremlin growled and began to crackle with lightning, as did his crew, turning a crank generator shaped cloud preparing to send a bolt down at the unsuspecting mare.
Rainbow Dash slid the tainted cupcakes up on the table and nudged Pinkie. Pinkie Pie pushed the cupcakes in Rarity’s general direction with her typical enthusiasm as she offered them to her friend.
The fashionista grinned widely, accepting the apparent 'thank you' gift of her favorite cupcakes, preparing to grab them in her telekinesis.
When three adorable but terrified screams pierced their ears.
The two turned to see the Crusaders speeding out of control in their wagon, Sweetie Belle's helmet having been knocked off her little head. The little fillies jumped to avoid the stand and Scootaloo's head hit the plate, sending the cupcakes launching into the air right as the Gremlins prepared to let loose their lightning. The hot sauce covered confections flew straight into the emotion eating creatures' eyes. The Gremlins stood on their cloud for a moment, smoke coming from their ears. They suddenly screamed in agony, flying off to find a bucket to dunk their heads in.
Meanwhile, Rarity gasped, seeing Sweetie Belle fall from the wagon and about to hit her head. The older sister caught her just in time and hugged her.
Sweetie Belle blinked, then hugged her back.
The fashionista stroked her little sister’s mane, closing her eyes and nuzzling her. Of all her lucky stars today, this was the brightest.
Pinkie Pie tapped Rarity on the shoulder, revealing another plate of cupcake for both the fashionista and the CMC (Scootaloo and Apple Bloom quickly returning to check on their friend).
Rainbow Dash barely resisted checking to make sure Scootaloo was alright too (she was wearing a helmet and from the look of it wasn't hurt). She stealthily poked Pinkie Pie with the empty hot sauce bottle in confirmation, but Pinkie Pie shook her head.
The pink party pony produced her employment contract with her foster parents that read in bold print; ‘May only use stand for hot-sauce cupcake prank if normal cupcakes are on stand-by.’
Pinkie Pie was worried about her best friend, if she kept face hoofing like that she was gonna have a knot like Twilight's horn!
Having done her shopping for the day, Rarity decided to simply trot out to the outskirts of town and enjoy the view from one of the hills while she and her sister had a little picnic...this time with her little sister's genuine preferred foods, including the cupcakes and a pair of gigantic ice cream Sundays they'd purchased from Pinkie Pie.
The Cloud Gremlins, however, were having anything but a good day. Having been foiled at every turn, the leader was at wits end. It was no longer a matter of food and fun, not any more. This was personal!
The emotion eaters made the biggest cloud they could, creating a huge, battleship shaped storm that moved over to unleash their wrath, the leader trading out his aviator helmet for a viking helmet. The signal was obvious to his minions: this meant war. Literally, it was his 'This Means War' Helmet. They never took him seriously about it until that very moment.
= Ride of the Valkyries =
The lead Gremlin roared, commanding his comrades to let loose with everything they could at the mare. Lightning, rain, wind, smog! All to be brought down on the mare's head as the sky turned red.
However, to their growing frustration, fate seemed decidedly against them this day, as everything they did was met with failure. The rain was blocked simply by her opening her umbrella to show her sister what she'd bought. The wind blasts seemed to just so happen to blow as she went past something that broke it. The smog happened to be blown away by a breeze from some practicing pegasi. And the lightning either missed completely due to a lucky move on her part or hit a tree or other object between them. Switching to blizzard mode only resulted in the wind being deflected by more trees and short, pleasant snow falling on the mare and her sister, much to their delight.
= Piotr Ilich Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture (Finale) =
The lead Gremlin frothed with rage and screamed, pushing his comrades away from the 'controls' and diving the entire 'ship' right at the mare. The lead Cloud Gremlin laughed insanely as he got closer and closer. His crewmates huddled at the back of the cloud, hugging each other in terror.
Closer and closer they drew, the cloud crackling violently with electricity as if about to self-destruct on impact...right as Derpy accidentally flew flank first into the back of the ship, being busy flying full speed on a mail run (having a bit more work ever since one of her co-workers got lost in Discord's dimension of pure chaos) while also watching her little Dinky on the ground playing with a ball.
The cloud was sent spinning out of control, missing its mark and flying far, far into the distance. Over the horizon and behind a mountain. Derpy blinked, looking around innocently. She then smiled as Dinky bounced the ball up, the mother bouncing it back in return.
Rarity and Sweetie Belle sat down on the hill top and spread out their blanket. The fashionista blinked, noticing something underneath and picking it up. Giving a smile, she cleaned up a gem matching her little sister's eye color and made a quick mane decoration. Rarity offered it with a gentle smile.
The little white filly gave a wide smile and took it in her telekinesis, then placed it in her mane and gave her big sister a big hug.
The fashionista smiled wider as the two set down. This had truly been a perfect day made all the more perfect by being able to share a little of it.
Off in the distance, lightning explosively discharged into the sky in such a way as to resemble a fireworks display. The two sisters looked on with amazed awe at the beautiful display leaning against each other.
Somewhere else, an overweight gremlin with a halo and white feathery wings typed away at a typewriter in front of a pair of golden gates. He pushed up on his little square glasses as he looked up to see the gremlin crew, now with a similar appearance to him, only smoking with their hair and jacket fur standing on end. With the leader having the extra addition of a straight jacket, still laughing madly.
Later that night at her boutique, Rarity hummed happily as she finished Maud's dress and began work on a new design using the materials her good fortune had procured. A beautiful golden dress with glimmering purple thread, and some lavender highlights included as well.
She imagined doing a limited run of the dresses. The Manehatten and Canterlot elites will just eat them up, the fashionista turning absolutely giddy at the thought! This was followed by a more thoughtful look, looking at a note pad trying to think of what to call her new creation.
The fashionista was roused from her thoughts by a knock on her door. Trotting over, she found Rainbow Dash standing before her.
Rainbow tried not to look as bitter as she actually was and offered a hoof shake, carefully concealing a joy-buzzer.
Rarity shook hooves...and nothing happened, the button was stuck.
The cyan pegasus hid an internal scream of frustration. She then showed a bundle of flowers, along with a birthday card to Fluttershy with a receipt from the Flower Trio’s shop with an unsure look on her face.
The fashionista lowered her nose to them and sniffed, not noticing Rainbow stomp a plunger with her other hoof...but again, nothing happened, Rarity having unknowingly stepped on the tube connecting it to the flower. In spite of them lacking a little in scent, Rarity nodded in approval of their radiant appearance. She tilted her head quizzically wondering if there was more.
Rainbow shook her head once again hid her frustration and rage. She gave Rarity a goodbye hug that Rarity returned.
The fashionista closed the door...and then giving an inspired gasp. She ran over and wrote ‘Radiant Beauty’ on her notepad.
Outside, Rainbow Dash blinked, looking again at the flowers and stomping on the plunger...only to this time being blasted in the face with water, which caused the joy buzzer to go off and shock her and left her mane standing on end and smoking. And her eyes doing a impersonation of Derpy. As Pinkie Pie laughed in the bushes, the cyan pegasus gave an annoyed sigh. She wrote in the dirt, ‘Just my luck’ and decided a quick nap on the ground was in order.
The End.
