It was a sunny day in Ponyville. The sky was blue and clear; a few pegasi were flying in the sky, one being a show off by turning around in the air, doing loop-the-loops while some of his friends watched him.
On the ground, the ponies of the town were engaged in the various activities there—some were eating food, others were simply drinking water or shakes, still others were walking around while talking to each other, while some just sat on the ground or on some chairs, looking yonder over somewhere as they enjoyed the silent, quiet time together.
Near the outskirts of Ponyville, there was the Hay Burger. A few ponies went out of it carrying hay burgers and horseshoe-shaped fries.
Past that, there were a few ponies walking. One of them was a gray mare with a gray-blue cowl or a clothing of similar kind. Her gray violet mane was straight. It was the same for her tail.
She had a neutral expression on her face.
She kept walking, passing by several buildings in normal pace. She passed by several colorful flowers along with the colorful ponies who tended to them. One of them took a glance at Maud; her smile dampened a little before she went back to caring for the flowers.
Maud casually looked around, inspecting the pebbles that were on the road. Sometimes, she stopped to pick up a pebble. She turned it around, rotated it, held her hoof closer to her face to examine it more strenously and with greater care. Some pebbles went to her saddle bag, others she put back on the gray road.
Then, a few colts and a few fillies ran past her across the road. She stopped and looked at the playful ponies.
She looked at a pebble on the road.
She picked it up.
"Hmm." She examined the pebble with scrutiny, though the expression on her face remained the same—blank and neutral.
Maud placed the pebble inside her saddle bag.
The sound of fast hoofsteps and of wheels rolling. Smell of apples and chocolate with a scent of orange.
Maud looked in front of her.
Two stallions with striped shirts, black bowties, flat hay hats, and one of them had a red, bushy mustache. They were smiling in front of a wooden portable stall filled to the brim with a variety of products with signs that shouted their names with their huge yet stylish font.
Maud blinked.
"Ah, a poor pony in need of some help!" the one with the mustache said.
"Don't you think that she requires relief, brother?" the one without the mustache asked.
The two brothers looked at each other.
Maud blinked.
"Ready with the song, Flim?" the mustached pony asked.
"Ready when you're ready, Flam!" the non-mustached pony replied.
"Thanks, but I have to go," Maud said dryly.
Then, she walked around the stallions and their stall.
"Oh, dear mare," Flim said, brisk walking to her, "don't you realize that you are in a dire condition?"
"And that we can help you out, all of our own volition?" Flam rhymed.
Flim glanced at Flam. He smiled. "Nice segue. Turn on the music?"
Flam activated the vinyl player.
Upbeat brass-accompanied music came out, filling the air with its harmonious sound.
The two stallions tapped their hooves to the beat. They looked at each other, then they smirked at Maud.
Maud stared at them.
"Look at you, mare who doesn't realize what she's in!" Flim sang rapidly.
"Indeed, in disastrous plight like a dry raisin!" Flam sang back.
"Don't let your insolence fool you out, Earth pony!"
"For we are here to assist you now, quite quickly!"
"My name is Flim!"
"My name is Flam!"
"And we're the world-famous Flim Flam brothers!" They sang in unison.
Maud blinked.
"What is it that you want? A stomach to fulfill?"
"We have our apples fresh from the farm of a pony who knows nil!"
"Or is it a drink that you want that's refreshing?"
"We have our famous medicine made that will leave the ill distracting!"
"Is it a book that you want to fill your mind with imagination?"
"Here's a book made from thoughts across the nation!"
"Here are some other apples that don't need no eating."
"And a few other trinkets that will sap all your meetings!"
Maud walked away from the two.
"Uh, wait!" the two shouted in unison, the music still playing.
Maud stopped and turned around.
Flim hurried towards the vinyl player and stopped it. He hurried back to his brother who was watching him with concern. He leaned towards Flam's ear. "So, we have a pony who's willing to resist the charm," he whispered. "However, I find it hard to tell whether it's out of annoyance or if she has to go somewhere."
"I'll try," Flam said. Then, he looked at Maud.
Maud looked at him.
Silence passed by the two for a while.
Flam placed a hoof on his chin, scratching it while he kept looking at Maud's face.
Maud blinked.
Flam groaned and looked at his brother. "This pony is a hard one to follow," Flam whispered. "But, let's just keep following the plan, brother of mine?"
"Certainly," Flim responded.
They turned to see Maud. "Sorry for the musical upset, customer!" Flim said, fixing his bowtie as he did so. "That is how we usually introduce ourselves to ponies who haven't known us before."
"I thought you were world-famous," Maud said.
"Well, apparently, you're a part of the world that hasn't heard of our name yet," Flam replied. He turned to his brother. "What could you say? Maybe not a hundred percent of the world, but a good estimate—ninety-eight percent, brother of mine?"
"Ninety-eight percent it is!" Flim answered. He turned to Maud. "So, how can we help you? Is it hunger or is it thirst?" He ran towards Maud carrying an apple and a bottle of orange liquid.
"Or, is it something higher up than those basic needs?" Flam asked. "Like we sang about, a book to stimulate." He held up the same book.
"Souvenirs to irritate," Flim said, holding up a mini statue of Twilight Sparkle.
"Photographs of cities like Manehattan," Flam said, holding a few pictures and spreading them out on the road.
"Or, perhaps you want something simpler," Flim said, "like some insurance?" He held up a piece of paper.
"I can go to the Sugarcube Corner to eat," Maud said. Then, she walked away from the two.
The two stallions groaned. "Maybe we should reconsider the plan," Flim said to his brother. "Do you think she has lots of money?"
"Mares like her have potential for tons of money, Flim," Flam said. He pointed at her as she was approaching the bakery. "Just look at her saddle bag! It's already brimming with bits!"
Flim looked at the mare's saddle bag. "Then, this is that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to swindle one and obtain all!"
"But, we have to keep a close watch on her," Flam said. "Nothing too suspicious—we don't want to attract any attention from the residents here. They'll call us out."
"Good idea, brother," Flim said, nodding in approval.
Then, they pushed their portable stall.
"Maud!" Pinkie yelled as she leaped from the counter and hugged Maud. "I'm so glad that you're here. And—" She gasped "—you're here for something special, aren't you?"
"You're that something special, Pinkie," Maud said.
"Aww, sister!" Pinkie hugged her again. "It feels like you've travelled all the way from Rockville, even though you actually live in Ponyville—or, rather, Ponyville adjacent!"
Inside the sweet-smelling bakery, ponies were on their seats at their tables, happily munching on their sugary confections and delicacies. The sound of baking could be heard from the room behind the counter—a glimpse inside revealed that the Cake couple were busy at work, although they were smiling as they did so, moving about and carrying trays of finished baked goods. A few balloons were strewn around inside, giving the place a festive feel. A pegasus flittered about over the floor, looking at all the bright-colored walls and floors, her mouth open in gawk and awe.
"I was thinking of spending some time with you," Maud said, still in her monotonous voice.
Pinkie smirked. "You know the best way to spend time with you in this place!"
Maud blinked.
Pinkie rushed to the counter and grabbed several baked goods, threw them at an empty table, and then leaped at the table and sat on one of the chairs.
Maud casually walked her way there and placed down her saddle bag on one of the chairs. She sat on another chair.
"Psst! Quiet!" Flam whispered roughly towards his brother, sporting a serious face.
They were hunched up at the window of the bakery, their wooden stall blocking them from the view of anypony passing by on the street.
Flam placed his ear on the window. He looked at his brother. "You examine the scene with your eyes, I examine with my ears. Got it?"
"Alright, brother!" Flim replied in agreement as he inched closer to the window.
"So, what's going on, Maud?" Pinkie asked, moving her front hooves about in excitement. "I was wondering if you could accompany me to a trip to, I don't know, Manehattan again? The recipes there are just fantastic!—not as fantastic as you know who." She pointed a hoof to herself, smirking. "Anyway, do you likey?"
Maud blinked. A few seconds passed by. "You don't have to go all-out, Pinkie. Some quality time with you is fine."
Pinkie stuffed a cupcake and a muffin into her mouth. She gulped it down in rapid succession. She burped and banged the table with her hoof. "Come on, Maud!" Pinkie exclaimed cheerfully, grabbing her sister by the neck. "You haven't taken a bite at all!"
"It's OK, Pinkie," Maud said, moving away from the sweet desserts that filled the table. She glanced at the window that was behind Pinkie. She moved to the right.
"What's wrong?" Pinkie asked. "You look a little irritated there. Annoyed? Was it something I said?" Then, she turned around and saw the window.
Two stallions wearing hats were wearing nervous grins. They were sweating profusely. They were even trembling a little. They exchanged glances and escaped.
She turned around. There was an angry expression on her face as she growled a little. "Those meanies!" Pinkie said. "Did they try to con you, Maud?" She hugged Maud from across the table, managing to avoid hitting the cakes and the pies and the cupcakes and the muffins and the candies on the table. She pulled Maud all the way to her seat. "Maud! Please answer me!"
Maud kept that expressionless expression on her face.
"Oh, no!" Pinkie yelled.
The other ponies inside were now looking at her with concerned looks on their faces.
"Even the sight of them was enough to make you afraid!" Pinkie said. "Are they that fearsome to you, Maud? If they are,—" She made a fist from one of her hooves and raised that fist to the air "—I'm going to show them what a real con is! A con-plimentary punch to the face, huh?!" Then, she smiled. "Huh? Huh?! Maud, you get the joke, right? Right? Because, con-plimentary?"
Maud blinked. "Yes, Pinkie."
Pinkie released Maud from her tight grip. "At least we're on the right side of it all! Now, what did they do to you exactly?" She adopted a worrying tone. "Did they sing a song to you? Did they bring a portable wooden stall full of near worthless wares? Did they try to trick you out of your precious bits that you earned by your hard work both at the rock farm and beyond?" She gasped and placed her front hooves on her face. "Did they sell you a book?!"
"They were obvious," Maud said. "They weren't even trying to hide it."
"So, what's bothering you?" Pinkie asked, still sounding worried. She took a glance at the sweets and then ignored them as she looked back at her sister. "Is it because of their attitude? Are you thinking about them?"
"I am thinking about them." Maud looked out the window. "They're still there."
Pinkie's eyes widened open. She hurried to the window.
There was the stall a little farther away. One of the stallions was wearing a pair of binoculars. Then, he shivered and hid from behind the stall.
Pinkie looked back at Maud. "As long as you don't pay them any attention, Maud, your safety is guaranteed!" She grinned. "Now, let's get to eating all of this! These desserts aren't going to eat themselves, you know!" She giggled and then stuffed a cake into her mouth.
Maud looked at her sister. The gray mare didn't smile nor frown while she watched Pinkie eat with great volume and with unmannerly demeanor as she slurped the icing off the cake.
Behind them was the tall wooden stall. In front of them was the wall of a house. Under the shade, Flim and Flam were sitting on the ground, leaning on their stall. "What are we going to do, brother?" Flim asked, raising a hoof into the air as if to prove a point. "Pinkie's there! Applejack may be a stubborn pony, but Pinkie is a very different story!"
"She is just a pony, brother!" Flam replied. "So what if she promises to protect her sister? All we have to do is to make sure we're out of her sight. Besides, Maud hasn't made a complete opinion about us yet. Her mind is still fresh for rewiring and rethinking."
"What plan are we going for, then?" Flim asked. He held out a hoof. "We can't go for rainmaking—that would be too obvious for a pony who's already suspicious of our intent. What about the violin scam? Do you think that would still work?"
"Even if Maud does believe it," Flam replied, slightly defeated in tone, "there's Pinkie who's already deep in distrusting us."
"So, before we concoct any con, we have to drag Pinkie out of the picture."
"That means we have to cause a big enough distraction," Flam pointed out. "But, not too big that Pinkie would notice. Everypony has a weakneess, even an Element of Harmony like her." He twirled his mustache and smirked. "What about...a trail of candy?"
Flim smiled. "She may be protective of her sister, but she might not be able to resist the temptation of sweet candies."
"And, we'll add to that another layer—lead her straight to the Castle of Friendship! Then, if—no, when she meets one of her friends there, Pinkie would end up in a conversation about how she got into that situation in the first place. Her friend might get confused, might even scold her. It doesn't matter what the content of the talk will be—what matters is that we have to keep her distracted long enough to regain Maud's confidence in us."
"Sounds like a good plan, brother!" Flim said. Then, his smile disappeared, replaced with an anxious face. "But, how are we to guarantee Pinkie staying in the castle? We wouldn't dare go and continue the candy trail inside—if one of her friends are there, then they'll be sure to drag us out of the picture! They already think that we're dishonest salesponies, so why would they trust us when we're not-that-suspiciously planting candies on the floor?"
"The castle is an opulent place," Flam said. "Surely, there must be a box or a bowl of candy somewhere in the castle. If the candy trail is long enough, all that Pinkie will have in mind is just candy and when she reaches the castle, she'll be asking her friends for more candy. That will be more than enough for the plan!"
"Brilliant, brother!" Flim yelled.
The two brothers slammed each others' hooves and smirked. "Looks like we've got a con!" Flam proclaimed.
Princess Twilight Sparkle was walking on the carpet in the hallway beside Starlight Glimmer. She was levitating a book before the both of them; it was open. The green windows let in copious amounts of sunlight, making the words and the illustrations on the book easier to read.
"And, that's how you perform the slightly advanced teleportation spell of that specialty," Twilight said. "Like I already said before, it manages to change your orientation more accurately and consistently. I don't know why you would want that, though. Most of the time, the ground isn't too slanted to care about. Even then, basic teleportation spells usually orient you as parallel to the orientation of the ground as it could."
"I'll find a use for it," Starlight said, grinning. "There's no such thing as a useless spell." Then, she winked at her mentor.
Twilight laughed a little. "You do find a use for every spell you cross paths with. As long as you don't go using that spell enslaving ponies against their will, then I'm totally OK with it!"
"Hey!" Starlight exclaimed, glowering at the Princess. "I'm way past that, Twilight!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Starlight!" Twilight spouted out, stopping right in her tracks and turning around to fully face her angry student. "I should've been more considerate about that!"
Starlight sighed and looked at the floor, frowning and disheveled. She eyed Twilight, still wearing that frown. "It's alright, Twilight. At least I'm better than the pony I was back then." Then, she walked. "I just don't want to be reminded about...that."
Twilight hurried to the sulking unicorn. "Don't be like that, Starlight!" She said with hints of worry. "Come on. I'll make sure that it won't happen."
Starlight took in a deep breath. Then, she turned around and faced Twilight.
Then, the double-door entrance to the castle opened with force, the doors almost slamming the diamond walls.
The two unicorns looked at the intruder. "Pinkie?" Twilight asked. "What are you doing here?"
"Where's the candy storage?" Pinkie asked rapidly. She rushed to the Princess. "I've encountered something nopony has ever seen before! Once! I've seen it twice!"
"What did you see?" Twilight asked. "And, why are you asking for candy?"
"I have a line of candy going all the way from Sugarcube Corner up to here!" She pointed down to the ground, though there was no candy. "Or, up to the castle doors, I mean. Or, I had a line of candy. Of course, you know who ate it all!" She tilted her head and grinned. "Sorry if I didn't leave you any candy for the both of you to eat! You two must've looked tired from all that magic training and spell-casting!"
Starlight brought a smile on her face. "Uh, of course!" she said. "In fact, Starlight taught me this radically cool spell just... a few minutes ago!" Her smile quivered for a moment. She budged Twilight.
Twilight groaned quietly at her, then she looked at Pinkie, smiling. "It was a slightlyt advanced teleportation spell!"
"Ooh, I like teleporation!" Pinkie said.
Twilight's ears flayed. "Oh, no. Is this you being Pinkie again, Pinkie?"
Starlight looked at Twilight. "Why are you concerned all of a sudden, Twilight?"
"Well," Twilight began, "Pinkie has this thing about her."
Outside, the tall, rocky diamond castle was surrounded by rolling hills of green and lush grass. A mountain was beside it; a waterfall was there, pouring its water down to the tumultuous lake at the bottom, making its constant splashing sound that gave the place ambient noise.
There were a few trees scattered around on the hills. By the dirt path leading to the castle's entrance, there were a few bushes. Out from one bush was Flim with a pair of binoculars, looking at the castle doors.
"She's in," Flim reported.
Flam popped out of the bush. "That's step one! Intiate step two!"
The two brothers rubbed their hooves together.
The park was filled with ponies playing, ponies walking, ponies sitting down on benches, ponies flying. The fountain in the middle was the tip of the iceberg—the greenery that decorated the park made it peacefully beautiful, naturally lovely. The smell of fresh air only gave the park an even more attractive scent about it. The words and the shouts of the ponies blended in with each other, providing the park a fitting sound as Maud walked about and picking up some pebble and stones along the way.
Then, the sound of wheels and hurrying hoofsteps.
Maud looked up. "Oh, it's you two again."
"Why, yes!" Flim replied, standing and smiling in front of their portable stall. He pointed to it. "What we've figured out was that you might not be interested in the goods we have."
"So, instead," Flam continued, walking towards his brother, "we've decided to make you an offer!"
"And, if you're not OK with one offer, we promise you that we have dozens of offers so that you are certain to find the offer that will suit your needs!"
Maud blinked. "I'm listening."
The two brothers looked at each other, smugly grinning. Then, the two looked at the gray mare.
"What if we told you that we have a few specialty pebbles on our hooves?" Flim asked, leaning towards Maud, smugly smiling. "Worth thousands of bits."
"But, with our connections, we've decided we could be generous to you!"
"Like Rarity!" Flim blurted out. "Element of Genoristy she is!"
"Ahem!" Flam eyed his brother.
Flim nervously looked at Maud then back at his brother.
"What's worth thousands could be worth yours for mere hundreds, Maud!" Flam said. "All you need to do is to pay up three hundred bits to cover all the costs that we need to satisfy the connections that we have. Once they're satisfied, they'll happily ship the pebbles to you—straight from exotic places like Winsome Falls or Las Pegasus or any deposit from Western Equestria!"
"Yes, Maud," Flim went on, "these are rarities that you won't wanna miss!"
"You have other ponies who are in on it, trying their best to get to them!"
"But, you're the lucky pony today, Maud! This could all be yours if you act now! Otherwise, we'll just make the same offer to some other pony."
"So, what's it gonna be, ma'am?" Flam asked.
Maud blinked.
The two brothers looked at each other with awkard looks. Then, they looked back at Maud.
She blinked.
"Uh, aren't you going to say something?" Flim asked, dropping the professional tone. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime offer."
"Our connections are quite impatient ponies!" Flam added, still keeping his bombastic voice. "We wouldn't want to keep them waiting for even five more minutes than the time that's been scheduled!"
Flim tapped his hoof impatiently, eyeing the mare who wasn't speaking.
Maud blinked. "Why pebbles?"
"Well," Flim went on, "we've noticed that you've been picking up pebbles all this time you're in the park. What does that tell us?"
"It tells us you're quite interested in pebbles!" Flam said. "And, boy, we've got the best pebbles your eyes have ever seen!"
"I only collect pebbles because they interest me," Maud said, "not because I could sell them for bits."
"Oh, no, Maud!" Flim responded, waving his hoof to emphasize the point. "It doesn't matter what you do with them, as long as we give it to you and as long as you enjoy the pebbles."
"And, wouldn't you be proud that you have these high-quality pebbles with you, Maud?" Flam asked. He raised his eyebrows, still smiling that wide-open smile.
"I would not," Maud replied.
The two brothers' eyes went wide open as their smiles went away. They looked at each other. They furrowed their eye brows at each other.
Then, Flim walked away from the mare. "That's a shame, Maud!" Flim said. "What if we show you the pebbles ourselves?" Then, out of the stall, he brought out a leather box and a wooden device.
Flam took out the device, unfolded it into a simple table, and planted it firmly on the ground. He looked around, having a wary look on him.
Flim plopped the box on the table.
"Now, step right up, Maud!" Flim spoke with volume and inflection; he placed a hoof on the table, giving him a relaxed and casual look. "This might make you reconsider your ill-fated decision!"
"That you would later regret, if I may add," Flam added, raising a hoof in the air, "in derision!" He walked towards the table.
Maud blinked. She stepped a few steps forward.
Flim looked around inside the park. "Good, no ponies aren't taking good notice of us!" he muttered under his breath. He brightened his features as he looked at Muad once again. "Well!" He turned the box around and pushed it forward towards Maud. He let go of the box. "It's yours to open and to behold!"
"Take our word for it!" Flam said, taking off his hat and holding it close to his chest.
Maud blinked.
In front of her was the leather box. It was black. There was nothing decorating nor adorning its figure—no diamonds to grace its visage, no gems to beautify its shape. It was a simple black, leather box.
She flipped the box open with a hoof.
Laden on leather floor and cushioned on pillows were the pebbles.
Maud looked at the two brothers. They were smiling.
"So, what do you say, Maud?" Flam asked.
"You will find nothing like it in Equestria!" Flim continued, gesturing wildly with a hoof by charging it sideways in front of him.
"I've found many like it in this park alone," Maud said. She bent down and picked up a pebble and placed it on the table. "In fact, judging from the similarities between the pebbles, these pebbles"—she gestured a hoof at the pebbles inside the leather box—"are from the dirt right here." She pointed at the ground the ponies were standing on.
Sweat went down the brothers' face. The two wiped it off in unison, still holding that professional smile. "What did you say, prospective customer?" Flim asked, a little shaky in his voice.
"I've found many like it in this park alone," Maud repeated.
The two brothers kept looking at her awkwardly.
"You asked me, 'What did you say?'" Maud blinked.
Flim and Flam laughed for a very short while and very nervously.
"And now, she's raiding every compartment and container in this castle for candies," Starlight said, rolling her eyes. She groaned as she looked at Twilight who only gave her an awkward grin. "Don't you think it's time to make her turn tail and go?"
The Princess dropped the grin. "Alright, Starlight. But, you're only commanding me about this matter this once and this once only. Got it?" She glared at her student.
Starlight recoiled slightly. "Oh, OK, Twilight," she said with frustration and a little growl before she walked away.
Twilight turned around to face the simple wooden door with its yellow knob.
She opened them with her magic, the door glowing that purple glow as it moved outward.
The green, long kitchen light at the center of the ceiling where the frying pans had been placed gave the scouring Pinkie a slight green tinge to her appearance. A sweet, sugary scent had taken over the kitchen. Candies were scattered and tattered all over the floor—candies of many different colors and of several different kinds, from the apple-flavored jawbreakers to the lemon-flavored lollipops and every conceivable tasty sweet in between. Some were on the overturned pots and containers, others were on the tables and counters. Shelves were left a mess, some of their mini doors left open.
Pinkie herself was loudly munching on the candy, her back faced towards Twilight.
"Uh, Pinkie?" Twilight asked, a little nervous. "Are you alright?"
Pinkie turned around, smiling at her with teeth that were white yet stained with sticky bits of candy. "Hi, Twilight!" she said in rapid pace. She was jittering. "Where have you been? I've been looking for you because I know that you are the one who lives here and, therefore, that means that you know all about this place which means that you know where all the candy is at! I didn't know you store all your candy in one place—not even I would delve into such a horrible strategy of candy placement of which I am an expert at. Call me 'Candy Placement' Pinkie Pie, because I'm the embodiment of candy placement and there's no other mare in Equestria like me! Give me advice, or I shall give you advice about it, my dear and royal and smart friend of mine!" Pinkie leaped across the room to hug Twilight. Then, she pulled a few candies from the floor and sprinkled Twilight's head with it.
Twilight didn't smile at this. "Pinkie," she said in a stern voice. "This needs to stop. Now."
"Now?!" Pinkie yelled, her tone becoming stern as well, if not somewhat angry. She stepped back. "Do you mean the current or is it the river?! Tell me Twilight! Have I gone insane yet? Because these candies are giving me all these thoughts about my mane and about how Ponyville is in danger because there's not enough sugar—"
"Pinkie!" Twilight shouted.
Pinkie's pupils became dilated. Her jittering stopped.
"I know you're...Pinkie," Twilight said, placing a hoof on her shoulder, "but, this is unexpected. What's going on? Is there something wrong? Do you need to talk about it with me?"
"Actually, there's nothing wrong!" Pinkie said, smiling that cheerful smile. Then, she tilted her head, placing a hoof on her chin as she looked upwards. "Well, if you count me eating all the candy in the castle as something wrong, then yes! I have done something wrong! But, hopefully, it's something that a little friendship can solve, right? Huh? Huh, Twilight?"
She budged the stern, still not smiling Twilight.
"Uh, Twilight? Twilight Sparkle? Hello?"
"Pinkie," Twilight said. She looked up at her mane. A few candies were stuck. She brushed them off with a hoof. Then, she looked back at Pinkie. "This isn't normal, Pinkie. What made you go all the way here to eat all of the candy?"
"Do you want me to tell you the whole story?"
"Are you going to give me a thirty-minute story?" Twilight asked dryly.
"Maybe not the entire story," Pinkie said, nervously looking here and there.
Twilight sighed, slouching her front hooves as she did so. "Just give me the quick rundown."
Pinkie took in a deep breath of air.
"Oh, no." Twilight sighed again.
"I was just exercising my lungs, Twilight!" Pinkie said.
"Really?"
"Yes, really!"
Twilight still didn't smile. "Fine."
"I came here because I saw this trail of candy and—"
"Do you have any idea who placed that trail of candy in the first place, Pinkie?" Twilight prodded. She inched closer to the pink pony, her face becoming more serious the closer she was. "Candies don't just fall from the sky and form perfect trails, you know."
Pinkie placed a hoof on her chin again and looked up again. Then, she gasped. "Maud!"
Then, she hurried out the kitchen.
"Huh?" Twilight blurted out, tilting her head in confusion.
She ran fast. Dust was behind her. Zooming and rushing images; blurs. She only blinked a few times, zipping by, going by. The wind or the breeze—it was cool and there was that whiplash. Dreamy pictures of various, jarred colors that could have been hooves or fruits or fresh paint.
Her front hooves stretched out, speed still rising. No words were said. Mane being flung yet still attached. Tail in the same motion, too.
Then, a stop.
Sliding on the ground, causing dirt to pile up in front of her hooves. Her eyes retained that wide-open state; her mouth was open, too, though there was no shout nor scream. Then, she took in a deep breath, hugged Maud.
"Maud!"
Maud blinked, still looking straight forward, not turning to face the pony who was still hugging her. "Pinkie."
"Maud!" Pinkie yelled. "Did they capture you?" She let go of her sister and jumped straight right in front of her. "How many bits did they steal?" She gasped again, standing on her two front hooves. "Did they do something bad?!"
"I'm alright, Pinkie," Maud said.
Pinkie wiped the sweat off of her face. "Phew! Looks like they ran off!" Then, the smile on her face went away. Hints of suspicion replaed it—narrowed eyebrows. "Wait a minute! This doesn't feel like a park without those cheating con ponies!"
She looked around and took up a pair of binoculars. She looked through it and looked around again.
She saw the green grass, the benches, the trees, the bushes, the flowers, the bushes with flowers, the various ponies who were smiling and talking with each other, the various ponies who were staring at her using a pair of binoculars, the sky and its clouds, and a glimpse of a hat.
"Got you!" Pinkie yelled. Then, she stormed her way to the hat.
Maud followed her.
A little off from the dirt paths of the park, the hat stood there alone. Pinkie picked it up. She rotated the hat, turned it around, even wore it on her head. She smiled. Then, she took it off and she had a face of disgust. "I shouldn't be wearing this!" Pinkie said. "Don't want to be associated with tricks! Well, not the bad and evil kind of tricks, because I still like doing tricks—I mean the good and fun kind of tricks, but you know that very well, do you, Maud?" She grinned at her sister.
Maud blinked.
A few seconds passed.
Pinkie was still grinning.
"Yes."
Pinkie hugged Maud again. "You're safe and you're sound, Maud! At least you're not a victim to their lies!" Pinkie's eyes narrowed again as she turned away from Maud and looked at one of the bushes.
A shake. A rustle. A shush. A whisper. A hat sticking out.
Pinkie smirked.
She walked up to the bush, her hooves making sounds while she did so. She held the hat with a hoof. Then, she placed the hat on the bush.
A yellow hoof, trembling, took the hat and retreated back into the bush.
"You can't hide from the number one hide-and-seek champion in Ponyville!" Pinkie said. Then, she placed a hoof on her chin. "I'm not, but if you can't hide from me, then you certainly can't hide from the champion, can you?" She giggled a little. "Now, what did you two do to my sister?!" she yelled, pointing a hoof at the now quivering bush.
"We did not do anything!" Flim answered, popping out of the bush. His face was awash with sweat and terror. "I didn't know your sister was—"
"—quite the force!" Flam continued, popping out, too, holding on to his hat with great grip; his voice was throbbing.
"Wait, did Rarity come here?" Pinkie asked. "I didn't know she told you how fierce her anger was."
"We didn't need anypony to tell us!" Flim yelled. "She just told us!"
"Told you what?" Pinkie asked further, inclining her head a little to her left.
"Just let us leave and go!" Flam shouted.
"We need to recover by the time we get to the next town!" Flim told in quick pace as he pushed the stall out of the bush.
"Certainly, brother of mine!"
Flam pulled the stall.
And, the two were off, fleeing towards the horizon covered in grass and fields.
As the two ponies walked in the cave, the various gems, diamonds, and other precious stones glimmered and sparkled under the beam of their lights on their helmets. The ground was craggy and rough. At the far end of the cave was a bright light from which the sound of a crashing waterfall could be heard.
"So, you managed to fend for youself against those mean ponies?" Pinkie asked, her question echoing throughout. Then, she bounced her way through the cave, still keeping pace with her sister. "And, this was your first time with them! How did you know they were evil con ponies?"
"They were bad at being con ponies," Maud replied.
"How?" Pinkie asked mid-bounce.
"The song."
"Really?!" Pinkie stopped in mid-air. "But, their songs were really good!" she went on, still suspended there above the ground. Then, she dropped to the ground.
"It's the lyrics," Maud said.
"Come on, Maud!" Pinkie said, slapping her sister on the back of her head, smiling. "Do you really analyze those lyrics?"
"Mm-hmm." She nodded. "They were obvious about being con ponies. They were also selling me pebbles from off the street."
Pinkie blinked. Her eyes were wide open. Her mouth was also wide open. "Maud, I didn't know you were that good at detecting a con when you see one!"
"If I detect it, I've already seen it," Maud said.
Then, they entered into the bright and lush landscape. Above, there were holes through which the beams of sunlight pierced the ground and gave the area a beautiful look. The waterfall itself was staggered with several layers of rock that the water went through before it finally landed on the crisp, fresh lake. The grass and the rest of the greenery were coupled by and adorned with the various precious stones that were there and they were of different colors—all of them reflecting at least a little of the sunlight.
Around them was a purple installation that was simple with its purple robes. A big, cushy bed; a square table where a book lay; two cushion seats; a chest at the end of the bed.
"By the way," Pinkie said, in a curious tone, "what did you say to those two ponies that got them scared? I've never seen them so fearful in their entire lives!"
Maud blinked. She looked at Pinkie for a while.
Pinkie blinked. She kept smiling at her sister.
"I didn't say anything," Maud said.
"Just like what Rarity would've seen!" Pinkie remarked. She laughed and placed a hoof around Maud's head.
Maud still didn't smile.
