Caught in the Act

Chapters

Are they really...?
Unfair prejudice.
Is it such a big deal?
Being there for them.
Fanning the flames.
Angered by a distorted truth.
Held captive.
The Pie that took the cake.
Rumor unraveled.
Epilogue.
Guilty by association.

Are they really...?

Spike could only stare blankly, unsure what to make of what he saw as he thought, Well... that's kinda... The two ponies didn't seem to notice him, but no matter how hard he listened, Spike couldn't clearly make out anything they were saying to each other. What he heard, however, wasn't all that necessary to be entertained, or, in Spike's case, weirded out by what he saw. Bewildered, he thought, What are they doing?

"Oh, ah'll always love ya!" shouted Applejack, enticing a giggle from Rainbow Dash.

Didn't know AJ's voice could go that high. Spike thought, his eye twitching.

"You know it," Rainbow Dash mused back loudly enough for Spike to hear, causing Applejack to giggle.

"Who," stated Owlowiscious very matter of factly as he perched on a nearby branch. Applejack and Rainbow Dash both glanced to the branch with a gasp, then sighed with relief upon discovering that it was only Twilight's faithful owl sitting in the tree. With a chuckle, they returned to what they were doing, only for their attention to be captured by a nearby hiccup.

Uh-oh, Spike thought, smiling nervously with reddened cheeks as the disbelieving gazes of Applejack and Rainbow Dash turned to him.

"Tarnation, Spike!" Applejack stammered, hurrying to her hooves, face even more flush than Spike's. "How much did ya see?!"

Spike tried to avoid Applejack's gaze as he scratched at his neck, meekly answering, "Not a lot." He shook his head, asking, "What were you doing?"

Coughing weakly, Applejack stammered, "Well, we was just... ah mean... Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow Dash, face a deep crimson, put a hoof to her chest, defensively shouting, "Why do I have to explain it?!"

"Well, it was yer idea!" Applejack shouted back, clearly a bit more discomforted by the predicament than Rainbow Dash.

"So? I, uh... why the hay have we gotta explain ourselves, anyway?!" Rainbow Dash shouted, pointing an accusing hoof at Spike.

Spike shrugged, looking a little guilty as he mumbled, "I just wondered what you were doing. I didn't really ask for an explanation, but it was just sorta..."

"Spike, it's not what ya think it is. We was just"—Applejack twirled her hoof, carefully considering what to say—"messin' around."

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash affirmed, nodding emphatically. "That's it. Messing around. That's all we were doing."

Spike cocked his head, eyeing the two of them suspiciously as he asked, "Just messing around, huh? So, where did you get those—"

"That ain't important!" Applejack interrupted, kicking aside the objects Spike was referring to. "They ain't important!"

Spike scratched at his cheek, glancing to the items as he said, "Really? 'Cause with what you were doing with them, I'd say that—"

"Spike, just forget it." Rainbow Dash interrupted, putting a hoof to Spike's shoulder and grinning nervously. "It's really nothing you should be worried about."

"Well, sorry to say it, but this has me a little worried. You know that this is gonna offend somepony. In fact, I'm a little offended myself." Spike said, brushing off Rainbow Dash's hoof.

"Well, we ain't hurtin' nopony. We're all by our lonesome." Applejack argued, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "'Sides, ain't nothin' wrong with it."

Spike shrugged, pointing out, "You might say that there was nothing wrong going on here, but I'm sure somepony begs to differ."

Rainbow Dash threw her hooves on Spike's shoulders, her tone panicked as she asked, "You aren't gonna tell her, are you?"

Spike rolled his eyes, mumbling, "Well, if you aren't, then I am."

"Spike, listen. Lettin' Twilight find out 'bout this would upset 'er somethin' awful. Ya don't wanna do that to 'er, do ya?" Applejack reasoned, a pleading gleam in her eyes as she looked over Rainbow Dash's shoulder.

Spike sighed, pushing away Rainbow Dash's hooves and answering, "Fine. Tell me what you were doing, and I won't let Twilight in on what I saw."

Rainbow Dash and Applejack exchanged grimaces, then the two cleared their throats in unison, the farm filly to Spike's left beginning, "Well, ya see, what we was doin' was sorta... it was kinda... a game."

Spike raised an eyebrow, his tone stern as he asked, "That was a game?"

Rainbow Dash nodded her agreement, continuing for Applejack, "Yeah! It was just a stupid, pointless little game... is all." Rainbow Dash cleared her throat once more, laughing weakly and rubbing at her ear.

"You certainly seemed into it, even if it was just a game," Spike observed, crossing his arms and hardening his dubious scowl.

"What's wrong with that?" Rainbow Dash asked defensively. "Can't we enjoy what we're doing?"

"Rainbow Dash has a point," Applejack added before Spike could get a word in. "Ah admit, we was really puttin' some energy into it, but it was still a game all the same. Ain't nothin' meant t' be taken seriously."

Spike raspberried, rolling his eyes once more as he muttered, "'Energy.' I see how it is. And what about those things you were saying?"

Applejack bit her lip as Spike asked his question, looking deeply panicked as she glanced to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash breathed a shaky sigh, then asked, "What things?"

"You know. Things like 'Ah'll always love ya!'" Spike said, his impersonation of Applejack less than spot on.

Applejack gasped, putting a hoof to her cheek as she looked to Spike with fear in her eyes and asked, "What else did ya hear?!"

Spike raised a claw, then dropped it, along with his scowl, slowly answering, "Actually, I only heard one thing after that: Rainbow Dash saying, 'You know it.'" His attempt to sound like Rainbow Dash had failed as well.

Rainbow Dash bit at the tip of her hoof, obviously embarrassed by Spike's recount, but Applejack merely sighed, readjusting her stetson and answering, "That was just some banter, really. Nothin' really meant by it."

Spike furrowed his brow, responding, "Oh, okay."

Applejack nodded, seeming to relax a little as she said, "Alrighty. Ya satisfied? 'Cause there ain't much more to it than that."

Spike pondered the question as he stroked his chin. After a moment, he said, "One last question. Why?"

Rainbow Dash and Applejack both seemed to shrink at the question, asking in unison, "What?"

"You heard me. Why?" Spike reiterated, sounding slightly annoyed. "Honestly, it's a little weird, it kinda creeped me out, and you'd seriously get some ponies mad if they ever saw that. So why do it in the first place?"

Applejack and Rainbow Dash exchanged dire glances. Rainbow Dash turned her attention back to Spike, then rolled her neck, answering meekly, "Cause it's... fun."

"Who?" asked Owlowiscious in confusion.

Spike propped himself against the tree he stood beside, giving Rainbow Dash a cold stare and asking, "Fun?"

Rainbow Dash giggled weakly, avoiding Spike's stare as she mumbled, "Well, yeah. Just a little bit of fun. What's wrong with that?"

Spike glanced to the items that Applejack had kicked away, then disapprovingly shook his head, stern as he said, "You know, if Twilight ever found out about this, you'd have some serious explaining to do; and I don't think 'because it's fun' is gonna cut it."

"Spike, please don't tell 'er!" pleaded Applejack, her nose pressed against his. "She'd blow 'er top if she found out!"

Spike stared into Applejack's eyes, then sighed, withdrawing from her and muttering, "Okay, I won't tell her," Applejack and Rainbow Dash both brightened at this, about to say something as Spike pointed to Applejack, starkly interrupting them with, "but only if you promise me that you won't do that... whatever you were doing ever again. Got it?"

Applejack glanced to the items she had kicked away, sounding a bit resentful as she said, "Uh, sure. Sure thing, Spike." Rainbow Dash hovered a short distance off the ground, a glare on her face as she crossed her forelegs, but the pegasus made no objection to Spike's proposal.

Spike nodded, turning away from the two as he said, "Alright. I'll forget everything I saw if it doesn't happen again. See you around." He began to walk away, but he froze mid step, looking to Owlowiscious and adding, "But before I go, I need to get what I came out here for. Owlowiscious, what did you do with my sapphire?"

Owlowiscious stared blankly at Spike for a moment, then took off into a tree nearby. After a little rustling about in the leaves, Owlowiscious reappeared, a gleaming blue gem in his talons. As Owlowiscious flew over Spike, he dropped the gem. Spike's quarry struck him on his head, causing him to yelp and Owlowiscious to chortle a hardy, "Who who who!" Spike rubbed at his head, then snatched the sapphire off the ground, muttering unintelligibly as he stomped after Owlowiscious. As they watched Spike disappear into the trees, Rainbow Dash and Applejack both sighed a relieved sigh, then exchanged lighthearted laughs.

"Well, now that he's gone, you wanna...?" Rainbow Dash asked, flicking her head in the direction of the objects they had sworn not to use.

"Ha! What he don't know won't hurt 'im." Applejack answered, trotting over to and plucking off the ground with her tail one of the items. "Now where were we?" Rainbow Dash giggled, flying over to Applejack with a smile on her face.

Diamond Tiara, huffing with rage, stomped down the road with Silver Spoon trotting behind her, the latter trying to suppress her laughter. Furious, Diamond Tiara muttered, "Oh, those three are going to pay. They are so going to pay!" She shook her head, wet locks of mane sticking to her face.

"You have to admit, they got you pretty good, Diamond Tiara." Silver Spoon said, muffling a snicker.

Diamond Tiara spun around, glaring at her friend and yelling, "Look what they did to me, Silver Spoon! They ruined my perfect mane, and they've tarnished my beautiful face!"

Silver Spoon bit her lip, trying ever so hard not to laugh at the Diamond Tiara's flour caked face as she mumbled, "Yeah. 'Tarnished.'" She doubled over, laughing hysterically. Diamond Tiara turned forward again with a growl, continuing on her way.

"Once I get my hooves on them, I swear, I'm gonna-"

"Rainbow Dash and Applejack did what?!" shouted Pinkie Pie from out of sight.

"Shh! Not so loud!" Spike scolded. Intrigued, Diamond Tiara hurried over to where she'd heard the two, her natural sense of "curiosity" piqued. She glanced from Spike to Pinkie, listening intently for any sort of juicy gossip. As Spike told the story of what he'd seen and what Applejack and Rainbow Dash had said to him, Diamond Tiara's fiendish grin grew wider and wider until it became a full blown sinister beam.

"That's just silly!" giggled Pinkie, waving a dismissive hoof. "Applejack and Rainbow Dash would never do that."

"That's exactly what I thought. Until I caught them in the act." Spike said, tossing up his sapphire and allowing it to fall back into his palm. "You've gotta promise not to tell anypony. I don't want this getting back to Twilight."

"Cross my heart and hope to fly," Pinkie swore, acting out the pledge, "stick a cupcake in my eye!"

"Good. See you around, Pinkie," Spike said, waving as he turned and continued toward Ponyville.

"Bye bye!" Pinkie shouted back, bouncing away in the opposite direction.

With a malicious giggle, Diamond Tiara rubbed her front hooves together, glancing to Silver Spoon with a crazed smile and asking in a maniacal voice, "Did you catch all that, Spoon?"

"Yeah..." Silver Spoon answered, adjusting her glasses as if to accentuate how awkward their eavesdropping had proved to be.

"Do you know what this means?" Diamond Tiara asked, her hooves pressed together as she leaned closer to Silver Spoon.

"That the Cutie Mark Crusaders aren't the weirdest ponies in Ponyville?" Silver Spoon answered, sounding unsure.

"Well, there's that, but isn't it true that Applejack is Applebloom's older sister?" iamond Tiara asked, brushing back her soaked mane.

Silver Spoon put a hoof to her chin in thought, mumbling, "I think so."

"And how about that Rainbow Dash?" Diamond Tiara asked. "Doesn't Scootaloo worship her?"

Silver Spoon raised an eyebrow, asking, "Where are you going with this?"

Diamond Tiara cackled, placing a hoof on her friend's shoulder and happily answering, "Don't you get it? It's the perfect revenge! We won't do anything to those blank flank losers. We'll just ruin their heroes, Rainbow Dash and Applejack!" She laughed triumphantly, Silver Spoon adding a hesitant chuckle in conjunction. Diamond Tiara stood, already starting toward Ponyville as she declared, "Come on, Silver Spoon! Gossip doesn't spread itself!"

Unfair prejudice.

The very next day.

Licking his lips, Spike marveled at the sapphire he had retrieved from Owlowiscious the day before.

"Oh, just one more day, and you'll be all mine!" Spike whispered, rapping his claws against the blue gem. "In fact, you might be ripe enough now. Maybe just one bite." Spike leaned in to take a chunk out of the gem, but was interrupted by Twilight Sparkle's yelling.

"Spike!" Twilight shouted, nearly causing him to drop his precious gem. "We're all out of ink!"

"So?" Spike shouted back, sounding irritated. "Why can't you go get more?"

"Spike, I'm busy, and this is really important!"

"Busy with what?!"

"Research! I need that ink, Spike!"

Spike groaned, annoyed, then stowed away his sapphire.

"Fine, I'll get you some more ink!" Spike shouted, already stomping down the stairs and toward the door.

"Thank you!" Twilight shouted, never bothering to open the door to the backroom to make easier their conversation. Spike flung open the library's front door, sighing before shutting it behind him.

With a smile somewhere between snide and psychotic on her lips, Diamond Tiara pranced toward the school house with Silver Spoon beside her.

"I can see it now, Spoon!" began Diamond Tiara. "Two of those stupid Crusaders will be bawling like foals, all broken up that their idols are total jokes. Then we just have to contend with that airhead, Sweetie Belle."

Silver Spoon rolled her eyes, but said nothing to object, saying instead, "Gee, you are the mare with the plan, Diamond Tiara. I wish I was half as smart as you."

With a conceded snicker, Diamond Tiara chimed, "Of course you do!" Silver Spoon muttered something incomprehensible in response, but Diamond Tiara paid her no mind, instead hurrying into the schoolhouse.

Spike wandered through the streets of Ponyville, then came to a halt, slapping himself on the forehead and muttering, "Forgot to bring any bits!" He turned around, angrily mumbling to himself as he started back toward the library. Suddenly, however, he was whisked off his feet, moving too fast to loose the slightest noise. When he came to a stop, he took a moment to gather his bearings and allow his daze to pass. When he had gotten a grasp on the situation, he found two angry mares standing before him.

Spike glanced from one to the other, then asked, "What's going on?"

"You made a laughing stock out of us!" scolded Rainbow Dash, pointing at Spike as she took to the air.

"I did what?" Spike asked, sounding wholly confused.

"Consarn it, Spike!" Applejack said with a stomp of the hoof. "We told ya not t' tell Twilight, but that don't mean you can up and tell everypony else!"

Spike blinked, shaking his head, then said defensively, "The only pony I told was Pinkie Pie, and she Pinkie Promised to not tell anyone else."

"Then how come everypony in Ponyville knows about our secret?" Rainbow Dash asked, clearing her throat to retain composure.

"How am I supposed to know? Maybe Pinkie broke her promise?" Spike reasoned.

"Nuh-uh. If there's anypony who would never break a Pinkie Promise, that would be Pinkie Pie herself. She ain't the one who done spilled the beans." Applejack said, scowling at Spike. "Which means either yer t' blame, or somepony else spotted Rainbow Dash and ah."

Spike shrugged, more convinced by Applejack's reasoning than not. Tentatively, he said, "Well, it wasn't me. Aside from Pinkie, I didn't tell a soul." He placed his hands on his hips, raising an eyebrow and asking, "Besides, how bad can something so little be?"

"Hey, Rainbow Dash!" shouted a pegasus stallion from behind the mare. She spun around to face the stallion as he made mock kissing noises. Rainbow Dash growled at him as he chuckled, continuing to trot along. Rainbow Dash would have darted at him, if not for Applejack seizing her tail.

"That's how bad it can be!" Rainbow Dash shouted, pointing to where the pegasus stallion had been. "I've been hearing worse than that from tons of pegasi today!"

Spike scoffed, pointing to where the stallion had been as well, critical as he said, "You're seriously mad about a little teasing?"

Rainbow Dash landed, glaring daggers at Spike and coldly responding, "No, I'm not. I am mad about every hoofing pegasi in Ponyville cracking a prejudiced joke when they see me, though."

Raising an eyebrow once more, Spike said, "I thought you had thicker skin than that, Rainbow Dash."

"Oh, that is it!" Rainbow Dash shouted, lunging at Spike.

Applejack threw a hoof between Spike (who was clearly scared to death by Rainbow Dash's rage) and Rainbow Dash before the pegasus could inflict any harm, yelling, "Rainbow Dash! There's no need t' hurt 'im!"

"But he—!" Rainbow Dash stammered.

"No! Whether he ratted us out or not, ya can't go pummelin' 'im for it." Applejack interrupted.

Rainbow Dash drew away, grumbling something under her breath before saying, "Well, I don't like this. With the word out like this, nopony is gonna take us seriously."

Spike shrugged, suggesting, "You could always try, I don't know, explaining yourselves. If this is just some nasty rumor, then it's only gonna get worse if you try to avoid it."

Applejack frowned at Spike's suggestion, solemn as she said, "Spike, we was barely able t' satisfy you when ya started drillin' us with yer questions. How 'n tarnation are we supposed t' explain ourselves t' the whole town without making things worse?" Spike was about to answer, but paused when the stallion who had been harassing Rainbow returned, this time trailed by two other stallions.

"Hey, Rainbow Dash!" They shouted in unison, proceeding to make the same mock kissing noises from earlier.

Moving too fast for Applejack to stop her, Rainbow Dash darted for them, screaming, "Just shut up already!"

"See those two, Silver Spoon?" Diamond Tiara mused as they entered the classroom, pointing to where Apple Bloom and Scootaloo sat, both of them surrounded by curious school foals.

"Yeah. Looks like the class is a little confused by what they've heard about Applejack and Rainbow Dash," Silver Spoon said, glancing from the red-faced Apple Bloom to the rosy-cheeked Scootaloo. "Frankly, I'm still a little confused myself."

"Oh, who cares?" Diamond Tiara asked, looking to Silver Spoon. "As long as everypony thinks badly of Rainbow Dash and Applejack, we don't need to sweat the details."

She trotted over to the small crowd gathered around Applebloom, parting the foals with ease. Standing at Apple Bloom's desk, she giggled, then slapped a hoof on the desk, causing Apple Bloom to start.

"What do ya want, Diamond Tiara?" Applebloom barked, trying her hardest to muster a fierce glare.

"Is it true?" Diamond Tiara asked, cocking her head.

"Is what true?" Applebloom asked, crossing her forelegs with a scowl.

"That Applejack and Rainbow Dash are f—"

"Good morning, class!" Miss Cheerilee interrupted as she trotted through the open door. "If you could please take your seats, we'll get started!"

Diamond Tiara shot Cheerilee an annoyed scowl, but looked back to Applebloom with a smirk.

"Well, we'll all find out later, then," Diamond Tiara said as she began toward her seat. Apple Bloom raspberried at the pink filly, then rested her chin on her desk as she looked to the front of the room.

"Alright, missy. Ah think they've learned their lesson." Applejack grumbled through clenched teeth as she tugged at Rainbow Dash's tail.

Rainbow Dash spit in the direction of the stallions she had locked horns with, shouting at them, "You're gonna regret giving me this black eye!"

"Yeah? What are you gonna do about it?" taunted one of the pegasi. "Sick Applejack on us?"

"Shut up!" Rainbow Dash screamed, flying against Applejack's hold. Her fury, however, was impotent, as Applejack was now pulling too hard on her tail to allow her to escape.

"Sheesh. Ponies can be cruel." Spike observed, giving Applejack cause to roll her eyes.

"Darn tootin'," the farm filly agreed, releasing her grip on Rainbow Dash's tail as the mare landed, panting.

As the three stallions trotted away, laughing like idiots, Rainbow Dash shouted after them, "You better run! If I see your sorry flanks again, I'm gonna—"

"Rainbow Dash!" Applejack snapped, Rainbow turning to face her with a scowl.

"Are you just gonna take this?" Rainbow Dash asked, taking to the air and hovering closer to Applejack. "What they're saying about us is so unfair! They don't know what they're talking about, and they just—"

"Rainbow Dash, please." Applejack scolded, cutting off Rainbow Dash's complaints. "Lookie here. Colts will be colts; ya can't expect them t' understand none, and ya can't expect them t' be respectin' us none."

Spike looked offended by this, pointing a claw at Applejack as he said, "Now wait just a minute! That's a little unfair."

Applejack adjusted her stetson, then gave Spike a stern look, coldly responding, "Spike, ah respect ya, but ya can't really understand what Rainbow and ah feel like in this here sitch-ee-ation."

"Well, maybe I didn't get made fun for it, but I can understand your interests." Spike argued. "After all, back in Canterlot, I—"

"This isn't the same, Spike," Rainbow Dash said, sounding less angry and more downtrodden by this point. "What you did in Canterlot was silly; just a cute, one-time thing. Do you know how ponies that hear about Applejack and me are gonna feel?"

"Cute?" Spike asked, sounding hurt.

"Rainbow Dash is right, Spike." Applejack said, looking as sorrowful as Rainbow Dash sounded. "Ponies are gonna blow all this out o' proportions. No matter how we try t' spin this, ponies are gonna flip their lids."

Spike sighed, glancing to where the trio of stallions and Rainbow Dash had fought. Plainly, he said, "Ponies aren't going to be that harsh. Well, most ponies, anyway; I don't know what those three pegasi were thinking."

"They were thinking they were tougher than me!" Rainbow Dash declared, crossing her forelegs.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's it," Spike mumbled.

Midway through the lesson Cheerilee was giving, a wad of paper flew at the head of an unsuspecting Scootaloo. Scootaloo glared at Diamond Tiara, who she knew had thrown the paper, then scooped up the wad and quickly unraveled it. It read:

Still think Rainbow Dash is the coolest pegasus in Equestria?

Scootaloo slammed the note on her desk, shouting at Diamond Tiara, "Now you listen here, Diamond Tiara! Rainbow Dash is still—"

"Scootaloo!" Cheerilee sharply interrupted, shooting a stern look Scootaloo's way. "There will be no outbursts in this class!"

Scootaloo opened her mouth to argue, but Cheerilee's scowl was enticement enough to rethink it, the pegasus filly simply groaning instead.

"Yes, ma'am," she muttered, propping her head up on her foreleg.

"Very good," Cheerilee said with a smile and a nod, turning back to the chalkboard. "Now, where was I? Oh yes!"

Scootaloo, already having tuned out what Cheerilee was teaching, looked back to Diamond Tiara, hissing at her, "Rainbow Dash is still totally awesome! It doesn't matter if—"

"Ahem!" Cheerilee grunted, not looking away from the chalkboard.

Scootaloo sighed, shooting a quick scowl at Diamond Tiara before turning her attention back to Cheerilee.

Diamond Tiara giggled, satisfied with how easily she could rile up Scootaloo. Smugly, she thought, This is working out even better than expected.

"Look, I know this is bad, but what do you want me to do about it?" Spike asked as Rainbow Dash and Applejack stood over him, their new hiding place successfully sheltering them from the public eye.

"Deny everything!" Rainbow Dash interjected with a flourish of the hoof. "If we try to defend ourselves, nopony is gonna believe a word we say, but you could step in and call the whole thing a misunderstanding!"

Spike raised a dubious eyebrow, responding, "Yeah, I don't think that'll work."

Rainbow Dash growled at this, but Applejack was quick to say, "Well, somepony has gotta set Ponyville straight. Ah don't think this'll blow over on its own."

"We've got to do something!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, restlessly hovering to and fro. "I mean, the news is spreading so fast, we're getting treated like dirt, and... and..." Rainbow Dash coughed uneasily, crossing her forelegs as she hovered in place. "... and I don't like it. Why does Ponyville have to be so judgmental?"

The tinge of sorrow in Rainbow Dash's tone caused Spike to frown solicitously.

With a hand to his cheek and a quiet groan, he said, "Well, even if I didn't tell anypony about you two, I kinda feel like this is my fault." He straightened up, looking Rainbow Dash square in the eyes, donning a resolute expression as he said, "You two lay low for now. I'll talk with Twilight and see if I can smooth this over."

"Spike, ya can't!" Applejack exclaimed desperately. "Twilight will get mighty offended iffen she finds out about what we did."

Spike gave Applejack a pitying smile as he said, "Maybe she will, but with the news spreading like wildfire, she's bound to find out, whether I tell her or not."

Applejack and Rainbow Dash exchanged wary glances, but Applejack, after a grievous sigh, managed to mutter, "Alrighty. It can't get no worse. Ask 'er fer help, if ya think she'll be willin' t' help us."

"Don't worry. Twilight might not take the news well, but she'll still be your friend. I promise, we'll get this whole mess under control." Spike said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible.

He took off from the hiding spot, Rainbow Dash and Applejack both dead silent as he disappeared from sight.

"You think Twilight can help?" Rainbow Dash asked, landing abruptly at Applejack's side.

"If anypony can, Twilight can. If she ain't too ruffled by what she hears, that is." Applejack answered despairingly, hanging her head.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo sat side by side, staring blankly at their hooves as the rest of their peers enjoyed recess. With an air of triumph about her, Diamond Tiara pranced up to the forgone fillies with a giggle that could only be called evil.

"Shame you don't have your number three here today," Diamond Tiara said, invading Apple Bloom's bubble of personal space as she tried to seize the filly's attention. "She should be here. I'm sure she'd love to see her two best friends get crushed like ants."

Scootaloo's nostrils flared as she looked up, wings spread and eyes wild as she glared at Diamond Tiara, hissing, "Go away, Diamond Tiara. Before I get mad."

Diamond Tiara drew away from Apple Bloom with a mock gasp, asking in a richly sarcastic tone, "Oh, did I strike a nerve? I'm so sorry." Her stunned expression was quickly replaced by a snide smirk as she added, "So sorry that Rainbow Dash and Applejack are making—"

"Now you shut yer mouth!" erupted Apple Bloom, stopping dead Diamond Tiara and drawing the attention of everypony on the playground.

Scootaloo couldn't help but chuckle at her friend's ferocious outburst, but the pressure of so many puzzled eyes settling on her was clearly disconcerting for Apple Bloom. She fidgeted under their gazes, face reddening as she turned her attention to her hooves once more, dejectedly pawing the ground. Diamond Tiara, more intimidated by Apple Bloom than she'd care to admit, cleared her throat, then donned an indifferent expression.

Speaking in a louder voice, with full knowledge that she would be heard by everypony previously out to play, Diamond Tiara asked, "Well, if you're going to get all worked up over what your sister is doing, then why would she even do it in the first place?" She took a step toward Apple Bloom, scowling slightly as she sharply added, "Let's hear it. Why would Applejack do something so weird with Rainbow Dash?"

With a determined growl, Scootaloo jumped between Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara, shoving her nose into the earth pony's and chiding, "I don't think you get to judge other ponies, Diamond Tiara. Rainbow Dash and Applejack can do whatever the hay they want."

Diamond Tiara, shoving hard against Scootaloo to keep from being pushed back, hissed in response, "Sure they can, but if they're going to be freaks, then they're going to get laughed at. Like freaks should be."

Scootaloo ground her teeth, pressing her forehead against Diamond Tiara's as she snapped, "The only freak here is you!"

Diamond Tiara scoffed, meeting Scootaloo's force with her own and venomously replying, "I'm the freak here?! At least I'm not some creep that—"

"Both of you, stop it!" Silver Spoon yelled, much to the surprise of Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Diamond Tiara, and everypony that had gathered around them. Silver Spoon paused, undeterred by the look of disbelief that Diamond Tiara shot her, then said in earnest, "Diamond Tiara, you know Cheerilee is only going to get us in trouble if this turns into a fight. We've done enough to these two for today, don't you think?"

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom exchanged confused glances, then looked to Silver Spoon with puzzlement as Diamond Tiara spun around, glaring daggers into her friend. After a moment, however, Diamond Tiara simply smiled, then glanced back to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo with a chuckle.

"You're right. I think these blank flank losers have had enough for today." She mocked, tossing her mane and beginning toward the schoolhouse without another word.

Silver Spoon stared at Diamond Tiara as she pranced along, but didn't move from her spot.

"Why defend us like that?" Apple Bloom asked, her flush cheeks now less severe.

Silver Spoon sighed, adjusting her glasses as she mumbled a barely audible, "Because I can sympathize with Rainbow Dash and Applejack."

"Silver Spoon!" Diamond Tiara called back. "Come along!" Silver Spoon nodded to Applebloom and Scootaloo, then hurried over to Diamond Tiara.

Dumbfounded, Scootaloo whispered to Apple Bloom, "Did she just say what I think she said?"

"Ah'm havin' a hard time believin' it mahself," Apple Bloom whispered back, transfixed as she watched Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon trot into the schoolhouse.

Is it such a big deal?

"Twilight?" Spike asked the empty library upon returning to it. "Twilight, you here?"

He began toward the backroom where she had last been, but was stopped by the unicorn herself as she entered the library from the front door. Spike spun around to face her, quickly becoming a bit offset by the scowl she wore.

Somewhat nervous, he said, "There you are Twilight! Where have you been?"

Twilight Sparkle held up a bottled inkwell with her magic as answer, glancing to it as she said crossly, "You took so long getting my ink that I had to go get it myself. Yet, I didn't see you at the shop, or anywhere between here and there. It's like you just disappeared."

Spike scratched at his nose, his eyes set to the floor as he said, "About that: have you heard anything about Rainbow Dash and Applejack lately?"

Twilight looked back to Spike, perplexed by his seemingly random question.

"Rainbow Dash and Applejack? What do you mean have I... oh!" Twilight chuckled, waving a dismissive hoof. "Surely, you aren't talking about that one rumor that they're—"

"Twilight, it isn't a rumor." Spike interrupted, sounding more blunt than he'd intended.

Twilight's grin faded for a moment, but was quickly replaced by a similar smile, albeit one that looked a tad forced.

"Oh. So, they really are—"

"Yes, they are." Spike interrupted once more, setting sharp eyes on Twilight. "I talked with the two of them just a little while ago. You aren't mad with them, are you?"

Twilight shook her head, chuckling at Spike's question and asking, "Spike, why would I be mad at them?"

Spike raised an eyebrow, clearly stunned by the answer.

"You mean you aren't mad? Not even a bit weirded out?"

With a shrug, Twilight said, "Everypony is entitled to their own interests."

"Really?" Spike asked, wagging a claw at her. "It doesn't bug you at all?"

Twilight sighed, setting the inkwell on a nearby podium and coldly saying, "Spike, that's a little insensitive, don't you think? Just because Ponyville is in its own little tizzy doesn't mean you or I have to throw a fit over something so small."

Spike scratched at his temple, unable to grasp why Twilight was taking the news so well, then started. He grinned, finally coming to a conclusion that explained Twilight's opinion.

"So, what did you hear about them, exactly?" he asked.

Twilight frowned at the question, but put a hoof to her chin in thought nonetheless, answering, "Well, let's see. What I heard about them was pretty vague..."

As the class took their seats, Diamond Tiara kept a snide smirk turned to Scootaloo.

She glanced to Silver Spoon, whispering to the gray filly, "Pretty bold, Spoon. I was at the top of my game out there, but you just had to cut me off."

"Yeah, whatever." Silver Spoon muttered, paying Diamond Tiara no mind as she looked to the front of the room.

Diamond Tiara scoffed at Silver Spoon's response, but she said nothing, instead simply glaring at her friend for a moment before looking to the front of the room as well.

Diamond Tiara gave Silver Spoon a quick sideways glance, then whispered, "Where's Cheerilee?" Silver Spoon answered only with a shrug, much to Diamond Tiara's annoyance.

A few moments later, Cheerilee waltzed into the classroom, smiling brightly.

"Hello class! Have a nice recess?" She greeted.

Cheerilee was answered with a response of nearly unanimous positivity, but four of the students remained quiet.

"Glad to hear it!" she chimed. "Now, on with the lesson."

Cheerilee turned to the chalkboard, resuming her teaching from where she had left off. Scootaloo, however, was immediately more focused on scribbling down a message on the piece of paper on her desk. She crumpled up the note, then looked to Silver Spoon.

"Now, who can tell me—" Cheerilee's question was cut short as she turned to face the class, due to Scootaloo throwing a wad of paper at Silver Spoon. "Scootaloo!"

Scootaloo shrunk, quickly mumbling, "Sorry, Ms. Cheerilee. Won't happen again."

Cheerilee walked to Silver Spoon's desk, holding out a hoof to the gray filly, firm as she said, "I'll be taking that."

With flush cheeks, Silver Spoon relinquished the note, which she hadn't even been able to read. Cheerliee took the crumpled note back to her desk, unraveling it. Scootaloo bit her lip as Cheerilee scanned the message scribbled on the paper, the teacher's annoyed scowl quickly turning to an appalled glare.

"Scootaloo!" she shouted as she turned her glare to the pegasus filly. "Of all the things you could have said through passing notes, you say this!" Without looking at it, Cheerilee slammed a hoof on the wrinkled paper.

Diamond Tiara shot Scootaloo a puzzled glance, then raised a hoof, calling out (before Cheerilee acknowledged that she had a question), "What does it say, Miss Cheerilee?"

Cheerilee swiped the paper off her desk, giving it a quick once over before looking to Scootaloo and asking, "Would you care to read this aloud to the class, or should I?"

Scootaloo blinked at the question, then rubbed at her neck as she muttered, "Uh, no. You go ahead."

Cheerilee nodded, saying, "Very well. Let's see here..."

"Oh, I see," Spike said, crossing his arms.

In his mind, he was sighing with relief.

"It didn't seem like that big a deal, so I didn't think to talk to Applejack or Rainbow Dash about it," Twilight said, glancing to the door of the backroom. "Well, now you know what I know. If you'll excuse me, I have important business to get back to."

Twilight took a single step toward the door she had set her sights on, only for Spike to step in front of her with an upraised hand.

"Hold up," Spike said, enticing a puzzled raise of the brow from Twilight. "Rainbow Dash and Applejack actually need a favor from you. That's why I came here asking you about them."

"Favor? What favor?" she asked, bewildered.

"Even if you say it isn't a big deal, Applejack and Rainbow Dash are taking everyponies' reaction to their secret kinda hard." Spike began, this time enticing a frown from Twilight.

"Well, I knew Ponyville was worked up over this, but are you saying that Applejack and Rainbow Dash are actually catching harassment?" Twilight asked.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Spike answered, Twilight stomping a hoof in anger, "and they seriously need help. I told them I'd see if you'd be willing to lend a hoof."

"Of course I'll help them!" resolutely declared Twilight. "But why couldn't they just ask me themselves?"

"Actually, they're trying to hide from... well, everyone." Spike answered, sounding a bit grim upon realizing how bad the predicament had become. "They're both getting hit pretty hard by whoever they see on the streets, so they've decided to lay low."

"What?! They've actually been forced into hiding?" Twilight asked in fury.

Spike nodded solemnly, enticing a growl from the unicorn.

"This is hoofing ridiculous!" she began toward the library's front door, calling back to Spike, "I'll take care of this, Spike. Thanks for getting the message to me."

Spike watched Twilight stomp through the door and slam it behind her, then sighed when she was gone, whispering to himself, "Thank Celestia she doesn't have all the details."

It took a good minute for Cheerilee's class to quash their fits of laughter and regain composure, the message she had read to them proving to be a lot funnier than the teacher would have guessed.

"Well, Scootaloo?" Cheerilee asked, tossing the note onto her desk. "Care to explain yourself?"

"I... um..." Scootaloo mumbled.

Scootaloo's cheeks took on a significantly richer shade of red with each step Cheerilee took toward her. She tried to speak, but only incomprehensible muttering escaped her lips.

Diamond Tiara, after taking a long moment to stare at Scootaloo in disbelief, slammed her hooves on her desk, shouting, "What the hell, Scootaloo?!"

Diamond Tiara's outburst triggered a chorus of stunned gasps, Cheerilee included among those who couldn't believe their ears.

"Diamond Tiara!" Cheerilee yelled, hurrying over to Diamond Tiara's desk, eyes wild as she stared down the glowering filly. "We do not use such atrocious language in this classroom!"

Despite every eye in the class being turned to her, along with being faced with Cheerilee's fury, Diamond Tiara responded in a collected, almost casual tone, "Well, excuse me for being a little upset. For Scootaloo to accuse Silver Spoon of something like that just because her hero is a fraud just isn't fair."

"Now wait just a second!" Scootaloo shouted, pointing at Diamond Tiara. "You can't talk that way about Rainbow Dash!"

"And you can't talk that way about Silver Spoon!" Diamond Tiara retorted, pointing to the note Cheerilee had left on her desk. "I know you're all broken up over Rainbow Dash being a total loser and all, but that's no reason to point the hoof at Spoon."

Bewildered, Cheerilee asked the two of them, "What in Celestia's name are you two talking about?"

"Make her stop, Ms. Cheerilee!" Scootaloo shouted, glaring down the earth pony as she responded with a raspberry in Scootaloo's direction.

"It's precisely what the note says, but in regard to Applejack and Rainbow Dash." Silver Spoon muttered, giving Cheerilee cause to look perplexed.

"What? What are you talking about... oh!" Cheerilee chuckled, walking to the front of room. "Is that what this is all about? That silly little rumor surrounding Applejack and Rainbow Dash?"

"It isn't a rumor, Ms. Cheerilee!" Diamond Tiara shouted. "It's the truth!"

"Prove it!" Scootaloo snapped, giving Diamond Tiara cause to roll her eyes.

"Don't believe me? Silver Spoon can tell you. We heard all about it." Diamond Tiara chided, nodding to Silver Spoon. "Right, Spoon?"

Silver Spoon glanced to Diamond Tiara, then set about to studying her desk.

"Yeah, I guess," muttered Silver Spoon.

"'Yeah, I guess?'" reiterated Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo simultaneously, the first sounding aggravated and the latter sounding smug.

"Yeah... I guess," Silver Spoon repeated, rubbing at her neck.

Cheerilee laughed at this, saying, "Girls, please. This really isn't something you should be concerned over."

"Well, Apple Bloom is Applejack's younger sister," observed Diamond Tiara in as snooty a fashion as possible. "I think she should be a little concerned for her loser sister."

"Hey! Shut up!" Apple Bloom barked, face reddening as she rose out of her seat.

"Apple Bloom, take your seat," commanded Cheerilee, sounding more tired than angry. "And that's enough out of you, Diamond Tiara. I won't have you slandering the friends and family of your classmates any longer."

Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara both responded with a harrumph as they crossed their forearms and rested them, along with their heads, on their desks.

"Um... what rumor, exactly?" asked a colt from the back of the room, sounding thoroughly confused.

"You mean you don't know?" asked Silver Spoon, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Diamond Tiara in unison as they turned to face the inquirer.

"... no, I don't," he mumbled, looking a bit discomforted by the eyes that had settled on him.

"Really, Featherweight, it's no big deal," Cheerilee said, already giving Diamond Tiara cause to protest.

"No big deal?" she scoffed, shaking her head. "Rainbow Dash and Applejack are a total laughing stock, and that's no big deal?"

"I'm so confused..." muttered Featherweight.

As Cheerilee was about to speak, Diamond Tiara spun around, her back hooves on the seat of her chair and her front hooves on the back.

"Let me explain it to you, Featherweight. It goes a little something like this."

"No, no, no, absolutely not!" Rarity answered with a flourish of the hoof. "That is simply unacceptable!"

Twilight groaned quietly at Rarity's response, mumbling, "But it's just a little harmless memory wiping."

"Um, but, what if you accidentally erase the wrong memories? N-not that I'm saying that you would do that, but still..." Fluttershy "argued."

"Fluttershy is right! Such action is barbarous, unnecessarily risky, and quite rude. We'll not have you draining brains, Twilight," Rarity scolded, enticing Twilight to sigh with frustration.

"Fine. No mind wipes. What do we do then?" Twilight asked, glancing from Rarity, to Pinkie Pie, to Fluttershy, and back to Rarity.

"We have to approach this rationally," suggested Rarity. "If this rumor truly is just that, a rumor, then we should have no trouble dispelling it."

"Uh... small problem there," Twilight said, pawing the ground with a sheepish smile. "It isn't."

"It isn't... isn't a rumor?" Rarity asked, slightly tilting her head in confusion.

"Spike talked with Applejack and Rainbow Dash before hoof, and, from what he said, it's really true," Twilight answered.

"Oh, I see... w-well, in that case..." Rarity began, only to trail off as she paced to and fro.

"Where are they now?" Fluttershy asked.

Twilight raised an eyebrow, stroking her chin in thought.

"That's a good question," she said. "I don't know where they're at now. Spike said they were hiding, but he didn't say where."

Fluttershy nodded, clearly a bit disappointed by the answer.

"Oh, okay," she mumbled.

Suddenly, Rarity announced, as if succeeding in an epiphany, "I know just what to do! First, it is imperative that we find Applejack and Rainbow Dash." Rarity turned to Fluttershy, an expectant gleam in her eyes, and said, "Fluttershy, you know the skies better than the rest of us. Where would Rainbow Dash hide if she was trying to avoid everypony?"

Fluttershy sucked in a terse breath, lips pursed in what appeared to be thought.

"Um... she might hide out in Cloudsdale. Maybe."

"Excellent! You'll search Cloudsdale, then," Rarity chimed, sounding confident. "Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and I will speak with the Apple family in hopes of locating Applejack."

"What do we do when we find them, then?" Twilight asked, intrigued.

"If we can convince them to stand by their decisions and come out of hiding, then they'll surely win back the respect of Ponyville," Rarity explained, which seemed to provoke a low, dubious hum from Pinkie Pie.

"I don't think you're going about this the right way," Pinkie said, enticing a flabbergasted expression on each of her friends' faces.

"Well, what do you suggest?" Rarity asked, sounding the slightest bit defensive.

Pinkie nodded curtly, proclaiming with gusto, "You know what they say: 'the only way to draw the crowd away from the cake is with a bigger cake!'"

"Who said that?" Fluttershy asked, still looking a bit confused.

"I did!" Pinkie answered, stamping a hoof triumphantly. "And I intend to deliver!"

She spun around, trotting away from the group.

"What is she doing, exactly?" Fluttershy mumbled, glancing to Twilight.

"Judging by that cake oriented allegory," answered Twilight, "I'd wager that Pinkie intends to sacrifice her own social well being for the sake of Applejack and Rainbow Dash's."

"Oh... shouldn't we, um, stop her?" Fluttershy asked, glancing from the quickly disappearing Pinkie Pie to Twilight.

Rarity and Twilight exchanged glances, then looked to Fluttershy, saying in unison, "Um..."

Fluttershy frowned at their answer, enticing Rarity to elaborate with, "If Pinkie Pie wishes to nobly sacrifice her social well being for Applejack and Rainbow Dash's sake, then who are we to stop her? Besides, Pinkie knows how to properly take teasing and joking in stride."

"Rarity's right!" added Twilight. "We'll carry out our plan, and Pinkie will carry out her's."

"... okay," Fluttershy mumbled, hovering just above the ground. "I'll go look for Rainbow Dash, but what if she doesn't come along?"

Rarity put a hoof to her chin, brow furrowed in thought.

"Well, try reasoning with her. Rainbow Dash will surely come along if you explain the plan to her."

Fluttershy stared in silence at Rarity, looking a little less than sure of her instructions, but finally said, "Alright. I'll go see what I can do."

She took to the skies, flying out of sight.

Rarity nodded to Twilight, saying, "We should start our search by asking Granny Smith or Big Macintosh where Applejack could be."

"Right. Let's get to it!" Twilight declared, Rarity and she breaking into a gallop toward Sweet Apple Acres.

Featherweight leaned back in his chair, his expression indicating that he didn't know what to make of Diamond Tiara's explanation.

"Well that's... uh..."

"It's freaky, that's what it is!" Diamond Tiara snapped, giving Cheerilee cause to glare at her.

"That is judgmental and prejudiced, Diamond Tiara," Cheerilee reprimanded. "I will not stand for any one of my students talking about anypony in such a way."

Diamond Tiara turned to Cheerilee with a scoff, forelegs crossed as she quipped, "What are you gonna do? Give me detention?"

"What a great idea! One week's worth should suffice," Cheerilee stated in earnest, giving Diamond Tiara cause to gasp with disbelief.

"B-but—"

"No buts! One week of detention!" Cheerilee shouted, turning Diamond Tiara's disbelief into anger as the filly shook with rage.

"Ha! You so deserve it!" Scootaloo shouted triumphantly.

"One week's detention for you, too!" Cheerilee snapped, cutting short Scootaloo's enthusiasm. Cheerilee glanced to Diamond Tiara, then back to Scootaloo, then, with a heavyhearted sigh, said, "I'm sorry. I don't like to get angry at my students, but you two have been causing trouble all day."

"But—" cried Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara in unison.

"No buts!" Cheerilee snapped.

She breathed a quiet exhale, then returned to the front of the room, donning a look of concentration, "Let's see... ah! Alright, class. Who knows when—"

Cheerilee's instructing was interrupted by the school bell. Cheerilee frowned, disappointed that so much of the school day had been chewed up. The school foals, however, were elated to dash out of the classroom.

"Don't forget your assignment! It's due tomorrow!" Cheerilee called out to the wave of departing students.

She watched them go, then stepped between the door and the two fillies who had tried to tiphoof their way out.

"Not you two. Please, go right back to your seats."

Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo both groaned, but didn't object to their punishment. They trudged back to their seats, then fell face first onto their desks when once had seated themselves.

"This is so not fair," the two of them mumbled.

Being there for them.

That evening...

"Applejack? Are ya in here?" Apple Bloom meekly asked as she entered the family barn. "Ah need t' talk with you..."

Applejack peered from behind a haystack in the loft, a terse grin on her face as she made eye contact with Apple Bloom.

"Hey there, Apple Bloom. What do ya need?"

Apple Bloom drifted over to the ladder that led up to the loft, placing a hoof on the lowest rung with a heavy sigh.

"Applejack, ah need t' ask ya about some things... things havin' t' do with Rainbow Dash."

Applejack hurried over to the ladder, sliding down it and landing lithely.

She looked down at Apple Bloom with a warm smile, saying, "Sure thing, sugar cube. What about 'er?"

Apple Bloom stared into Applejack's eyes for a moment, then turned her attention to her hooves, looking downtrodden as she muttered, "Well, at school today, ah was gettin' asked a bunch o' questions. Really weird questions. Half of 'em ah couldn't answer," she looked up to Applejack, a good measure of sorrow in her eyes. "The other half ah didn't want to."

Applejack's smile seemed to waver, but she nonetheless asked in a calm voice, "Ya been hearin' rumors 'bout us, haven't ya?"

Apple Bloom sighed, cheeks rosy as she rubbed at her neck. Quietly, she said, "Well, ah didn't know nothin' about it 'til school started today. Ah didn't know what t' tell mah classmates, so ah just stayed quiet... 'til Diamond Tiara showed up."

Applejack chuckled, patting Apple Bloom's shoulder and saying, "Ah bet she was a real thorn in yer side."

Apple Bloom nodded curtly, a small grin on her lips as she answered, "Big time."

Applejack and Apple Bloom shared a laugh, but Apple Bloom's expression had quickly become dire again.

"But, that's just Diamond Tiara bein' 'erself. She don't get along with me and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders none too well on any day," Apple Bloom said, placing her own hoof on Applejack's, then politely brushing it away, continuing, "That ain't important, though. Ah came here to ask 'f... if... aw, horse apples!" Apple Bloom massaged the bridge of her nose, sounding frustrated as she said, "Ah don't know how t' ask ya without offendin' ya none."

Applejack lowered herself to her haunches, bringing Apple Bloom's eyes back to her's by lifting up her chin.

"Apple Bloom, ah think ah know what's troublin' ya, but before ah tell ya anything, ah need to ask ya a question."

Apple Bloom stared at Applejack in silence for a long moment, then tentatively asked, "What question?"

"Are ya askin' me 'cause ya don't understand, or because ya do, but ya can't believe it?" Applejack question asked sternly.

Apple Bloom sat as well, Applejack withdrawing her hoof.

Warily, Apple Bloom answered, "Ah don't understand any o' this. Everypony 's callin' ya'll freaks." Applejack grimaced at this, giving Apple Bloom cause to quickly add, "B-but they ain't right! Ah just... um... ah don't think yer a freak."

Applejack sighed a grievous sigh, but said gently, "That's much appreciated, Apple Bloom... but maybe they're right."

"Don't say that!" Apple Bloom interjected, pointing at Applejack. "Ya ain't no freak; Rainbow Dash ain't no freak neither."

Applejack grinned slightly at Apple Bloom's reassurance, appreciatively saying, "That's sweet o' ya, Apple Bloom."

"Applejack, ah know yer gettin' laughed at." Apple Bloom began, firm and serious. "Ah know that ya ain't gettin' no respect from nopony. That's 'cause they don't understand. That's why ah came t' ask ya. Ah don't know what t' think, 'cause ah don't understand."

Applejack smiled at her sister's words. After a long pause, she whispered, "Alright then. Ya want t' understand?"

Apple Bloom nodded.

"Then ah'll tell ya what ah know, and what ah think."

Apple Bloom placed a hoof on Applejack's leg, sounding grave as she said, "Only the honest truth, Applejack. Please."

Applejack nodded, patting Apple Bloom's head.

"Nothin' but, Apple Bloom. Nothin' but."

"Have you seen Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy asked a group of conversing stallions, who all answered with a shake of the head and returned to their conversation. "Oh, okay..."

Fluttershy repeated her question to every passerby she came across in Cloudsdale, but to no fruition. Tired and disheartened, Fluttershy took to the skies, lazily gliding toward Ponyville.

"Poor Rainbow Dash. Where did you go?" she asked the empty skies.

As Fluttershy neared Ponyville, her mind wandering, she was stopped by a faint noise coming from a low flying cloud. She hovered in place, staring at the cloud with perplexity. Cautiously, she flew toward it, circling the cloud as the noise became clearer.

"Hello?" she asked meekly, the sobs she'd been hearing halting suddenly.

"Who's there?" asked a muffled voice from inside the cloud.

"Um, it's Fluttershy," she answered, eyeing the cloud with concern. "Who are you? Why are you inside a cloud?"

The cloud's top shuddered and gave way to the head of a pegasus, who furiously rubbed at her eyes before turning her attention to Fluttershy.

"Oh. Hi, Fluttershy..." muttered Rainbow Dash.

"Rainbow Dash, have you been... crying?" Fluttershy asked, landing on the cloud.

Rainbow Dash hurriedly dug herself out of her cloud covering, chuckling nervously, "What? Me? Crying? Don't be silly."

"... okay," Fluttershy mumbled, frowning at Rainbow Dash's answer, but not pressing the matter. "I heard you were getting bullied. Is that true?"

Rainbow Dash avoided Fluttershy's gaze, her tail swinging from side to side as she answered, "N-no. Just a couple stupid jokes here and there; nothing like bullying, though."

Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin, scrupulously studying Rainbow Dash's feature's. After a moment, she frowned again, muttering, "Jokes don't leave ponies with black eyes."

Rainbow Dash gasped at Fluttershy's observation, covering her eye with a hoof and stammering, "Oh, that. Y-yeah, that was just an accident. Nothing too serious."

Fluttershy's frown deepened as she seated herself on the cloud, her eyes drilling into Rainbow Dash.

"It looks pretty serious to me," she said. "Are you sure everything's alright?"

Rainbow Dash shifted uncomfortably, rubbing at her cheek as she averted her gaze from Fluttershy's stare.

"Of course. Everything's cool."

"Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy began, sounding surprisingly commanding, "look me in the eye and tell me that nothing is bothering you."

Rainbow Dash shivered lightly, hesitant to comply, then met Fluttershy's stare. She stood in silence for a moment as Fluttershy's sharp eyes pierced her form, then heaved a shaky sigh as she collapsed, her face buried in her forelegs.

As her sobs began anew, Rainbow Dash cried, "I can't take this, Fluttershy! I just can't!"

Fluttershy's determined frown quickly transformed into a pitying smile as she placed a hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder, cooing a compassionate, "There, there; let it all out."

Rainbow Dash curled up tighter when Fluttershy attempted to console her, but was able to regain a slight measure of composure to say, "Who knew that ponies could be so cruel? Laughing at me. Calling me names! You have no idea what it's like!"

"... right," Fluttershy said flatly, her pitying smile replaced by a slight scowl.

Rainbow Dash turned onto her side, her hooves now covering her face.

"It's so unfair. Everypony is blowing this out of proportions, and they're just making up random crud to throw at us. I hate it!"

Fluttershy sighed, stroking Rainbow Dash's mane in a soothing manner.

"There's no need to be so upset. I'm sure that if you and Applejack just explain yourself to Ponyville, then everypony teasing you will stop."

"No, Fluttershy, they won't!" Rainbow Dash cried, slamming a hoof into the cloud. "They'll never stop! They're gonna keep laughing at me, and at Applejack, forever!"

Fluttershy grimaced at Rainbow Dash's despair, considering what to say as Rainbow Dash continued to shake from her sobbing.

"Rainbow Dash... I... heard all the rumors," she began, precarious as can be. "A lot of them aren't true, but some of them are close to the truth. Talking it out will only help, so, um, why don't you talk to me? Just tell me everything."

Rainbow Dash quelled her sobbing, drawing away from Fluttershy and shakily propping herself up on her front hooves. "Why... why do you want to know?"

Fluttershy shrugged, her smile returning.

"You're so broken up by how everypony is treating you. Talking helps, and I just want to help."

Rainbow Dash sniffled, rubbing at her eyes as she mumbled, "You really think it'll help?"

Fluttershy nodded, reassuringly answering, "It can't hurt."

"So, this was all Rainbow Dash's idea?" Apple Bloom asked to clarify.

"Yep. She came up with it, and asked me 'f ah was interested," Applejack answered, removing her stetson and scratching her head.

"Really? Ah didn't think she was that kind o' mare," Apple Bloom mumbled, hurriedly adding, "Not that there's anything wrong with that!"

Applejack shrugged, replacing her stetson and saying, "She surprised me with 'er proposition, that's fer sure."

"Ah mean, ah knew ya'll was friends, but why would she think up somethin' like that?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Well, ah don't know what got the idea in 'er head, but she seemed mighty committed. Course, now ah bet she wishes she could forgot the whole thing." Applejack paused, studying her hooves with an enigmatic expression. "... ah wish ah coulda gotten in a word with 'er 'fore she took off. She's so embarrassed; maybe even ashamed."

Apple Bloom frowned at this, her eyes wandering.

Without her gaze focused on Applejack, she asked almost absently, "Are you ashamed? 'Cause ah aint' seein' nothin' wrong."

Applejack was taken aback by the question, putting a hoof to her chest as she asked, "Ashamed? Why do ya think ah would be ashamed?"

Apple Bloom, still not meeting Applejack's eye, shrugged, answering, "Ah don't know. Rainbow Dash seems upset somethin' awful. Are ya regrettin' yer decision, like she is?"

Applejack blinked at the question, seeming to draw a blank.

"Well..."

Apple Bloom turned an expectant gaze to her, giving her cause to smile and say, "T' be honest, ah'm not. Ah ain't ashamed none, and ah don't regret nothin'."

Apple Bloom cocked her head, asking, "Then why are ya here? Why are ya hidin' from everypony?"

Applejack seemed to ponder the question for a moment, then she stood, saying, "Yer right, Apple Bloom. Ah got no reason to shy away from them no-good name callers."

Apple Bloom hopped up, a proud grin on her face as she shouted, "That's the spirit! Now ya just need t' tell Rainbow Dash that she ain't got no reason to shy away neither!"

Applejack's resolute stance wavered.

"... right. Just need t' talk with Rainbow Dash 'bout this."

Apple Bloom, noticing the uncertainty in Applejack's tone, asked, "Somethin' the matter?"

"Uh... just—"

Before Applejack could say anything more, there came a knock at the door of the barn.

"Who knocks on a barn door?" Apple Bloom asked with a raise of the brow.

"Applejack! Darling, if you're in there, we're here to help!" shouted Rarity from outside.

"Oh, Rarity," Applebloom muttered with a roll of the eyes.

"So, this has been going on for a week now?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yeah. One week..." Rainbow Dash said with a sigh, placing a hoof on her forehead. "Go ahead and laugh. I won't stop you."

Fluttershy blinked at this, then grinned lightly, asking, "Why would I laugh at you?"

Rainbow Dash dropped her hoof, looking confused as she turned her attention to Fluttershy.

"What? You aren't gonna laugh, like everypony else?"

Fluttershy's warm smile broadened as she slowly shook her head, answering, "I think it's cute. Kind of sweet, really."

"You're kidding," Rainbow Dash stated disbelievingly. "You're joking, right?"

"I mean it. Sure, it might sound a little unusual or even a bit creepy to some ponies, but I think it's proof what good friends you and Applejack are," Fluttershy said, enticing a weak chuckle from Rainbow Dash.

"Are you serious? You... you think that it's sweet?" She asked, Fluttershy laughing in turn.

"I do. Most ponies wouldn't think to ask something like that to any one of their friends so boldly, but you did. I think it's really, really, really sweet!" Fluttershy's words put a grin on Rainbow Dash's face, but her smile didn't remain for long.

"Sweet or not, I got Applejack wrapped up in this, and now she probably hates me for it," Rainbow Dash muttered.

Rainbow Dash's despair gave Fluttershy cause to grimace and put a hoof to her shoulder.

"She doesn't hate you!" Fluttershy reassured, Rainbow Dash looking away. "Why would she hate you?"

"Because Ponyville is laughing at her, and it's all my fault," Rainbow Dash answered flatly.

"Nonsense! So what if a few meanies are calling you names?" Fluttershy asked, donning a determined scowl. "Applejack should only be regretful if she doesn't like what happened."

Rainbow Dash's eyes wandered in the moment of silence that followed.

After the moment passed, she hesitantly said, "What if she doesn't? I kinda feel like I forced her into it."

Fluttershy's scowl became sharper as she placed a hoof on Rainbow Dash's other shoulder.

"Rainbow Dash, stop!" she commanded, Rainbow Dash flinching at her forcefulness. "Do you really think that Applejack felt forced? Do you really think she would turn her back on you now? Would you turn your back on her, if it had been her idea?"

"Of course not! What kind of friend would I be if I did that?" Rainbow Dash answered furiously, quickly appearing to have come to a realization. "Fluttershy, you're right! Applejack's tougher than that."

"She is, and you are, too," Fluttershy said, her scowl morphing into a reassuring grin. "Now, you and Applejack just need to stand by your decision, and Ponyville will respect you for it."

Rainbow Dash stood in a flurry, wings outspread as she declared, "Yeah! Applejack and I aren't gonna take this anymore!"

With this, she jumped off the cloud and took off at full speed toward Sweet Apple Acres.

"Way to go, Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy whispered to herself as she stood, watching the fleeting pegasus jet away.

Fanning the flames.

That same evening...

This is all her fault, thought Diamond Tiara as she shot a venomous glance in Scootaloo's direction. Me, in detention. Me! I swear, when I get my hooves on her, this mess surrounding Rainbow Dash will look like foal's play.

It was evident, by the occasional looks of disdain that Scootaloo shot at Diamond Tiara, that the pegasus's thoughts weren't especially different. Cheerilee, who was merely reading a novel (which looked rather bland) while sitting at her desk, didn't seem to notice either of them.

With a yawn, she placed a bookmark in the book to save where she had read to, then stood, nodding to the door as she said, "Alright, you're free to go." Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara practically jumped from their seats upon being allowed to leave, but Cheerilee was quick enough to get in an additional, "Don't you forget that research assignment I gave you at the start of the month. It's due tomorrow."

Although Diamond Tiara continued out the door at full speed, Scootaloo skidded to a halt, her eyes wide with shock.

"What?! Tomorrow?!" she shouted in panic, looking about ready to cry as she hurried over to Cheerilee, frantic as she said, "It can't be due tomorrow! I haven't even started it!"

Diamond Tiara came to a halt just outside, looking dumbfounded by Scootaloo's panicked cries. She said to herself, "Wait. I haven't started either," she pursed her lip in thought, then giggled with pride, beginning to trot away from the school with an air of nonchalance, "but I'm sure Silver Spoon finished a long time ago." She began toward Silver Spoon's abode, confident that her friend would provide for her.

"Good evening, Silver Spoon's mom," chimed Diamond Tiara as she waltzed through the front door of Silver Spoon's home. "Is Silver Spoon here?"

"She sure is! She's just upstairs," answered Silver Spoon's mother with a nod to the staircase. "I think she's got somepony over already, though, so she might not be able to come out and play."

Diamond Tiara's cheery, amiable smile vanished, replaced by a furious scowl.

"She has... somepony upstairs. With her. Somepony besides me?"

The mother shrugged, saying in a vague tone, "I didn't think she had many close friends aside from you, and I just got home, so I don't know who it is."

With a stamp of the hoof and an outraged snort, Diamond Tiara dashed at the stairs, climbing them in leaps and bounds. Arriving at the door to Silver Spoon's bedroom, she intended to enter with a flourish of fury, but she was stopped by a pair of fillyish giggles. She placed an ear on the door, grinding her teeth as she listened in on the two of them.

"Aww! You always get to have that part!" complained Silver Spoon.

"As if!" retorted a nasally, lisp-stricken filly. "Besides, these aren't even yours. I paid good money for these!"

"Twist?!" shrieked Diamond Tiara, mindlessly hammering at the door with her front hooves. "You invited Twist over?!"

As Diamond Tiara drew away from the door, panting with rage, there was a pause. After a moment, the door opened just a crack to allow Silver Spoon to look at the fuming Diamond Tiara with a somewhat bored expression.

"Hello, Diamond Tiara."

Diamond Tiara growled at the level-headed, completely calm greeting Silver Spoon offered. Outraged, she asked, "So, getting chummy with Twist behind my back, huh? Am I not good enough for you? Is she better than Diamond Tiara?!"

Silver Spoon sighed, clearly unperturbed by Diamond Tiara's psychotic questioning.

"Relax, Diamond Tiara. You haven't been replaced. It's just that you've got a week of detention, and Twist and I share some... common interests."

Diamond Tiara glared at her friend, one eye twitching slightly as she hissed, "'Common interests?' What kind of 'common interests?'"

Silver Spoon frowned at the question, answering in earnest, "You wouldn't understand."

"I would to understand!" Diamond Tiara shouted, flashing a sneer as she took a step toward Silver Spoon.

"Yeah, of course you would," Silver Spoon mumbled with a roll of the eyes as she stepped away from the door. "If you want any hope of getting a decent grade on that research assignment, I'd suggest you hit up the library for some Equestrian history books."

With that, she shut the door, the knob clicking quietly as she locked it from inside. Diamond Tiara stood there, frozen, glaring daggers at the polished knob. With a frustrated scream, she stormed down the hall and out of the house.

Muttering profanities under her breath as she stomped down the streets of Ponyville, Diamond Tiara's thoughts were muddled and raging.

Spoon doesn't just shut me out like that. I'm all she's got! she thought.

With her glare turned to the ground, she didn't notice the filly that had appeared from around the corner and had walked into her path.

"Oof!" Scootaloo stumbled away from Diamond Tiara as a textbook and a few loose papers fell to the ground. She glanced to them, then turned a scowl to Diamond Tiara. "Watch where you're going!"

Diamond Tiara stood, a venomous sneer on her lips, but said nothing.

Stupid Scootaloo. She's the one who's supposed to be hurting. Not me.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" Scootaloo asked mockingly, tapping Diamond Tiara's forehead, which, surprisingly, provoked no sort of reaction from the filly. Scootaloo, now looking more puzzled than furious, asked, "Aren't you supposed to yell at me, or freak out because I just touched your head?"

Diamond Tiara eyed Scootaloo in silence, the corner of her lip twitching as her sneer widened.

It isn't enough. Scootaloo still has her friends. She's still got Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle...

Scootaloo cocked her head, clearly baffled by Diamond Tiara's silence, then turned to the book and papers that had been knocked to the ground, quickly collecting them and trotting away.

"Well, that was weird," she thought aloud as she left Diamond Tiara behind.

... but not for long. Diamond Tiara thought, her sneer warping into a maniacal smile. I can destroy her. All it takes is dropping the right words in the right place.

She snickered, thoroughly pleased with the evil plot she was hatching. Her psychotic snickering became full blown malicious cackling as she set to work, shouting to the heavens, "She thinks it's bad now! Just wait, Scootaloo! Just wait!"

"Well, isn't this marvelous!" chimed Rarity with a flourish of the hoof. "It's so good to see that you two have talked this out already."

Applejack chuckled, ruffling Apple Bloom's mane and saying, "Yep. Apple Bloom's a right good sister. That's fer sure."

Apple Bloom blushed, mumbling, "Aw, shucks. Yer too kind."

The three mares surrounding her laughed at this.

"Well, with that straightened out, I suppose we should see if Fluttershy has had any luck finding Rainbow Dash," Twilight said, already making her way to the door.

Applejack gulped, nervously readjusting her stetson.

"R-right. Rainbow Dash..."

Applejack's unusual apprehension seemed to provoke a wary glance from both Apple Bloom and Rarity, but neither of them questioned her as she hurried out of the barn.

"It may be a tad difficult to track down Rainbow Dash, though," Rarity reasoned, shutting the barn doors behind the group with her magic. "Even if Fluttershy manages to find her, getting a word in with her will be no easy task."

"Uh..." Twilight began, eyeing something in the distance with confusion. "Right. However, I think we have a more urgent matter to deal with at the moment."

Rarity raised an eyebrow at this, looking in the same direction that Twilight, Applejack, and Apple Bloom were. She gasped when she found a sizable crowd gathered in front of the Apple household.

"What in tarnation?" asked Applejack and Apple Bloom in unison.

Granny Smith sat at the window, staring down the ravenous mob as they angrily shouted indistinguishable curses and waved assortments of pitchforks and torches.

"Aw, heck," she said to herself, turning to the nearby stairwell. "Big Macintosh! There's an angry mob outside! Go tell 'em what fer!"

Without a word of complaint, Big Mac trotted down the stairs and out the door, a mixed look of confusion and disapproval on his face. As Big Mac stood before the mob, a lone stallion (of about half Mac's height and a third of his bulk) stepped forward, looking outraged.

"Are you Applejack's older brother?" hissed the stallion.

"E'yup," Big Mac answered, the slightest scowl donning on his face.

"Bring her to us, that there might be justice!" he shook a hoof at Big Mac, which neither intimidated him nor looked frightening to anypony else whatsoever.

Big Mac eyed the stallion, then, with a gentle shake of the head, said, "Nope."

The mob's representative growled at Big Mac's response, furious as he shouted, "You cannot shelter that heathen forever! She will pay for what she has done!"

"Heathen?! Applejack hasn't done nothin'!" Apple Bloom shouted at the mob as she and the three mares approached.

Her outburst, however, seized the attention of every last member, causing the four who had been revealed to shrink with fear.

"There she is!" the representative declared, pointing at Applejack. "After her!"

Upon his command, the mob charged at Applejack. Apple Bloom retreated with a shriek, while Applejack stood to face the mob, a fierce look on her face. Fortunately, Twilight reacted just in time to save the mob from Applejack's fury, teleporting Rarity, Apple Bloom, Applejack, and herself away from the raging ponies.

Angered by a distorted truth.

Fluttershy watched as the mob came storming her way, her legs shaking as she forced a smile.

"Do you know where Rainbow Dash or Applejack is?" asked the stallion leading the mob.

"Um... Did you not see Rainbow Dash in the sky?" Fluttershy cleared her throat, her cheeks already starting to hurt from how broad she'd made her smile.

"Nope. She's nowhere to be seen in the skies above or around Ponyville."

"Did you try looking in the Everfree Forest? I'm sure she'd end up hiding there if she couldn't fly away," Fluttershy said, mentally cursing herself for sounding so unconvincing.

"The Everfree Forest! Of course!" the stallion proclaimed. He nodded to Fluttershy, then darted off, the horde of ponies close behind.

With a sigh of relief, Fluttershy collapsed onto her hind quarters, looking to the bush she was so casually keeping watch over.

"Okay, Rainbow Dash. It's safe to come out now," she said to the bush.

Rainbow Dash poked her head out of the bush, scanning the area to be sure that it really was safe, then leaped out of it, saying, "Thanks, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy nodded, saying, "First they were just making fun of you, but now they're chasing you like you've done something wrong."

"Yeah, but why? It's one thing to tease us, but now there are angry mobs on the loose?" Rainbow Dash shook her head, scowling in the direction of the Everfree Forest. "I can't wrap my head around it."

"It's probably best that you stay hidden, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy suggested, nodding to the shrubbery Rainbow Dash had been hiding within. "You'll be safe until this blows over."

"'Blows over?' I was waiting for things to 'blow over' when I was getting laughed at and called names." Rainbow Dash said with a scowl. "Now a bunch of ponies are bent on catching Applejack and me and doing Celestia knows what with us, and you expect me to just wait it out?"

Rainbow Dash was perfectly adamant, but her tone didn't seem to deter Fluttershy's stern expression.

"Rainbow Dash, you can't deal with this yourself," Fluttershy insisted, putting a hoof to Rainbow Dash's shoulder. "Stay out of sight, and we'll get to the bottom of this in no time."

Rainbow Dash sighed, glancing to the shrubbery and murmuring, "I don't like this."

"I don't like this either, but getting yourself caught is the worst thing you can do," Fluttershy said, rueful as can be. "Don't worry; whatever it is Ponyville is upset over, Twilight, Rarity, and I will clear your names."

Rainbow Dash donned an acute grin, nodding appreciatively.

"Alright, just let me know when the coast is clear; I don't want to stay in that bush all day."

"You bet!" Fluttershy said, turning and spreading her wings. "I'll be back before you know it!"

She took off, Rainbow Dash breathing a quiet sigh before hiding inside the shrubbery once again.

"What do you suggest we do?" asked Rarity, keeping vigilant watch through the library window. "We don't even know why the town is after Applejack, let alone how we're going to resolve the issue."

"Resolve? Ah'll tell ya how we resolve this," declared Applejack, stomping a hoof. "A pair o' hooves to a few jaws oughta straighten 'em out!"

"Now, now, I'm sure the good ponies of Ponyville can be reasoned with," Rarity said. "There's no need to resort to violence."

Applejack grunted her disapproval, tossing her head and pacing in circles as she murmured unintelligibly.

"What's gotten into them, anyway?" Twilight asked, flipping through a book titled, "The Art of Stealth."

"First they was just makin' fun of Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Why are they chasin' 'em around like this?" Apple Bloom asked in conjunction with Twilight's question.

Rarity rolled her jaw, a sharp eye kept on a lone bystander who wandered the streets just outside as she said, "I can't say for certain. I would guess a perversion of the currently existing rumor has led them to believe that Applejack and Rainbow Dash have done something heinous. Criminal, even."

"That doesn't make any sense," began Twilight, her gaze not deviating from her book. "From what I've read about gossip, the facts don't get twisted that quickly unless they're deliberately tampered with by the gossiper."

"Are you suggesting that the state of things was instigated?" Rarity asked, squinting at the bystander as he stopped to chat with another bystander.

"Maybe, but who would want to do something like this to Rainbow Dash and Applejack?" Twilight asked, then stopped rapidly flipping through the book, now intently reading over the pages she had stopped on.

Apple Bloom's eyes widened, the filly suddenly acquiring a contemplative look on her face. She whispered to herself, "Wait a minute..."

"Gilda, perhaps? I'm certain that ill-tempered griffin is still nurturing a grudge against Rainbow Dash," Rarity suggested, enticing a shake of the head from Twilight.

"Don't you think Gilda would be more focused on Pinkie Pie? Prior to storming out of Ponyville, Gilda and Pinkie were seriously at odds," Twilight argued, Rarity nodding her agreement.

"True. What about the Flim Flam Brothers? I'm sure they still have something against the Apple family."

"Perhaps, but wouldn't they go after the whole Apple family, rather than just Applejack?" Twilight reasoned, putting a hoof to her chin as she read.

"Well, that there mob was gatherin' at mah doorstep and yellin' at Big Mac. I'd say that's goin' after the Apple family," Applejack said, enticing contemplative nods from both Rarity and Twilight.

"It don't seem right, though," Apple Bloom began, Applejack casting a puzzled glance her way. "Them Flim Flam Brothers would just rig up another fancy machine and take another shot at Sweet Apple Acres, and Gilda don't seem like a crafty one."

"She has a point," Twilight said, glancing to Apple Bloom, then resuming her reading as she continued, "Despite their confrontations with Applejack and Rainbow Dash, neither the brothers nor Gilda would get back at them with something so indirect. The instigator must be somepony else."

"Whoever it is, they can expect a mouthful o' hoof!" angrily shouted Applejack.

"Hush, Applejack!" Rarity implored, her gaze nervously darting from the pair of ponies outside to Applejack. "Do you want those two ponies out there to hear you?"

Applejack responded with a harrumph, continuing her pacing and mumbling.

Apple Bloom stared out the window that Rarity kept watch from, then asked, "If we find whoever stirred up this nonsense, do ya think it'll help Applejack and Rainbow Dash?"

"Well, I suppose if you could get them to admit they were lying, then the rumor would deescalate, but we don't know where to start looking," Twilight answered, snapping shut the book with a groan.

Apple Bloom rubbed at her chin, then said, "Actually, ah have a hunch."

"A hunch?" asked Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack in unison.

Applebloom nodded, trotting to the door as she said, "Wait here. Ah won't be long."

She was quickly out the door, leaving the three mares dumbfounded in her wake.

"It's just so easy!" Diamond Tiara declared as she paraded the streets of Ponyville, giggling with glee. "Those gullible idiots will believe anything!"

"I'll say," said Silver Spoon, stopping Diamond Tiara in her tracks.

"Well, hello, Silver Spoon," Diamond Tiara said coldly. "Decide to ditch Twist?"

"Diamond Tiara, it's one thing to get back at the Cutie Mark Crusaders for a harmless prank, but this is going too far."

Silver Spoon circled around Diamond Tiara, donning a stern expression as her friend glared at her.

"As if! Scootaloo will be buried alive by this. She won't have a leg to stand on when those mobs catch her," said Diamond Tiara.

All the while, Diamond Tiara kept her nose upturned, looking as snooty as possible.

"Last I checked, those ponies were going after Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Why would they want to get their hooves on Scootaloo?" Silver Spoon took a step toward her friend, a scowl now present on her face.

"It's simple, really. I just had to stretch the truth a little, mention Scootaloo, and then—"

"Hey!" Interrupted a filly from out of nowhere.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon both looked to Apple Bloom in surprise, the filly bearing a look of fury as she asked, "Ya done been stretchin' the truth, have ya?"

Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes, making a shooing gesture with her hoof as she hissed, "Buzz off!"

"Nah. Ah don't think so," said Apple Bloom, lowering her head. Her appearance changed from furious to menacing. "Start talkin', or this'll get real ugly real fast."

Diamond Tiara scoffed, arrogant as can be as she said, "Spare me. If you want to help your flightless friend, go throw yourself in front of that raging mob. Might slow them down."

"Just what in tarnation did ya tell 'em, anyhow?" Apple Bloom growled, aggressively pawing the ground.

Diamond Tiara shrugged, casting a devilish grin Apple Bloom's way as she answered, "Just a little white lie, really."

Apple Bloom snorted, turning her scowl to Silver Spoon, who immediately averted her eyes from Apple Bloom's gaze.

"If ah find out Scootaloo's got one feather outta place on account o' yer meddlin', ya can count on a world o' hurtin'."

She turned and charged away in a seemingly random direction.

"Oh, I'm so scared!" Diamond Tiara said mockingly, then proceeding to giggle evilly, "What a loser!"

Silver Spoon sighed, turning and walking away.

"Yeah, good luck with the whole 'evil scheme' thing. I'm going home."

"Silver Spoon, stop!" commanded Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon glancing back at her with a puzzled expression as she came to a halt. "Why have you been avoiding me since school got out today?"

Silver Spoon shook her head, continuing on her way.

"Better get to work on that assignment, which I know you haven't started."

Diamond Tiara stood speechless as Silver Spoon walked off without another word. When Silver Spoon had disappeared from sight, she screamed a shrill scream, then glared in the direction Silver Spoon had gone. She breathed a ragged sigh, then turned abruptly and stormed off.

Held captive.

Frustrated and irritated, the mob that had stormed the Everfree marched out of the woods, murmuring amongst themselves. Their leader, however, said nothing as he trudged along. His glowering gaze sweeping for any trace of Rainbow Dash or Applejack, the stallion breathed sharply, as a predator on the prowl would.

"Fluttershy pulled the wool over our eyes!" complained somepony from the back of the mob. "I bet she's in league with them!"

This was met with a chorus of agreeing grunts.

"There's no telling where Rainbow Dash could be by now!" shouted another. "She's too fast to chase!"

The horde's leader came to an abrupt stop, a few busily chatting ponies bumping into him as the others came to an uneasy stop.

"What's going on? Why have we—"

"Shh!" hissed the leader, quieting the commotion amongst the horde. Squinting into the darkness, he said quietly, "Carrot Top."

"Yeah?" whispered the mare as she worked her way to the stallion's side.

"Still have that rope?"

"Sure do," Carrot Top answered, holding out the coil.

"Good." he said. "Sleek."

"What's up?" she asked, taking to the air to escape the huddled group.

"Come over here and look where I'm looking," the leader ordered.

Sleek landed beside him, squinting into the darkness as well.

"See her?" he asked.

"Yeah. What's the plan?" Sleek asked.

"Think you can tie her up without waking her?" he levitated one end of the rope over to Sleek with his magic, which she grabbed in her teeth.

"Can do!" she answered with a nod.

"Alright, Carrot Top and Sleek," said the leader. "Get over to that bush without making a sound, then tie Rainbow Dash's wings and legs." The stallion glanced to each of them with a stern look, then asked, "Can you handle that?"

"We're on it!" the two exclaimed (quietly of course), immediately heading for the bush with the rope stretched between them.

"How did we miss that?" mumbled a random mob goer.

"We're just lucky we caught her napping," said the horde leader, chuckling to himself. "Napping."

"Ah, there she is!" Twilight exclaimed, darting for Diamond Tiara.

As Rarity and Twilight approached, Diamond Tiara sneered at them, hissing, "What do you want?"

Rarity put a hoof to Twilight's shoulder to stop her from saying anything, answering in her stead, "We have a few questions for you, dear."

"I'm busy, so buzz off!" Diamond Tiara snapped, turning away from the two and beginning to run off.

Hurriedly circling around to meet the filly head on—Twilight staring coldly without moving from her spot—Rarity said, "Oh, we won't take five minutes of your time. We just need to ask you about—"

"I told you, I'm busy!" interrupted Diamond Tiara, Rarity's strained smile now falling into a slight scowl. "Maybe you're okay with loudmouth mares wasting your time with stupid questions, but I have more important things to do! So, if you'll kindly get out of my way..." She glared at Rarity, who didn't seem keen on obeying her order, adding, "As in right now!"

"Now you listen here, you little brat! I—" Rarity stopped herself when she noticed that she'd pressed her nose against Diamond Tiara's. She drew away, clearing her throat in a very ladylike manner, then continued, "We would appreciate it very much if you would allow us but a moment of your time."

Diamond Tiara shook her head, then held up her nose and closed her eyes, very pompously declaring, "I don't have to if I don't want to."

She remained like this, her upper lip stiff and all, until her signature tiara gently floated away from her head. She opened her eyes, looking puzzled, then patted her mane. Looking up with a gasp, she jumped for her precious tiara, only for it to jerk away before she could seize it. With a growl, she leapt for it again, the tiara darting out of her grasp once more.

"Twilight, what are you doing?" Rarity asked, glancing from Diamond Tiara to the smug Twilight with a look of disapproval.

"You've got your way, I've got mine," Twilight answered in earnest, beginning to sidestep Diamond Tiara as she continued jerking the tiara out of her grasp. "Tell Apple Bloom to meet up in town square. We'll be there when she arrives."

"Must you be so... cruel?" Rarity asked as she watched Diamond Tiara grow increasingly more frustrated with each fruitless bound.

"This isn't cruelty," Twilight reasoned. "This is just Diamond Tiara getting a little exercise."

"Give me that tiara!" Diamond Tiara shouted, snapping at the floating headpiece as a piranha jumping out of water would snap at dangling hooves.

"Ah'm really glad ya decided t' help us out," Apple Bloom said as she trotted alongside Silver Spoon.

"Normally I would have refused, but Diamond Tiara has gone off the deep end this time," Silver Spoon said bluntly, focusing a stern glare forward.

"How'd ya find out anyway?" Apple Bloom asked. "They was so secretive 'bout the whole thing."

"Diamond Tiara and I overheard that one dragon talking about them," answered Silver Spoon.

"Ya mean Spike?"

"Yeah, Spike. He was telling that crazy party pony about what he'd seen."

"Ya mean Pinkie Pie?"

"I'm not good with names, okay?" Silver Spoon said, shooting Apple Bloom a scowl, then looking forward again. "After that, Diamond Tiara practically shouted what she'd heard up and down the streets. Everypony within earshot caught wind of the rumor."

"That's easy enough t' figure out," said Apple Bloom, "but ah'm not quite sure how she managed to stir up all this 'witchcraft' nonsense."

"To tell the truth, I don't know how she did it either," Silver Spoon admitted, her gaze turned to the ground. "Come to think of it, I didn't know she was even capable of making such a big mess on her own."

"Well, obviously she is," Apple Bloom observed with an irritated roll of the eyes.

"I guess she is," said Silver Spoon, turning her gaze forward again and asking, "So where are we headed?"

"The library," Apple Bloom answered, nodding to the building as it came into view. "C'mon inside."

The two of them trotted through the door, which Apple Bloom was puzzled to find already open.

Once inside, Apple Bloom shouted, "Applejack!" She waited for a response, but received none. She called again, "Applejack?"

Apple Bloom searched frantically in the lobby, loft, and kitchen. She opened the backroom, glanced inside, cocked her head in confusion, then slammed shut the door.

"Something the matter?" Silver Spoon asked as Apple Bloom nervously paced to and fro.

"This can't be good," she mumbled to herself.

"What can't be good?" Silver Spoon asked, adjusting her glasses as she frowned at Apple Bloom.

"How could they find 'er?" Apple Bloom said, shaking her head.

"What are you talking about?" Silver Spoon asked, her brow furrowed as she took a step toward Apple Bloom.

"Oh, poor Applejack. Who knows what they're gonna—"

"Apple Bloom!" shouted Silver Spoon as she put a hoof to Apple Bloom's chest, halting her pacing. "Just calm down and tell me what's going on."

Apple Bloom glanced to Silver Spoon's hoof, the slightest bit of red in her cheeks, then drew away from her with a weak cough, saying, "Right. Ya see, on account o' them 'witch hunters,' Rainbow Dash and Applejack are being chased everywhere. Ah don't know what they're fixin' t' do, but ah know them angry mobs is hogtyin' 'em and draggin' 'em off."

"Good grief," Silver Spoon mumbled, placing a hoof on her forehead. "How barbaric can you get?"

"That's why we need t' put a stop t' this," Apple Bloom said, a desperate look in her eyes. "Ain't none of this is fair fer Applejack or Rainbow Dash, and they can't defend themselves."

"Well, I'll vogue for them, but don't there have to be ponies to tell the truth to before I tell them the truth?" Silver Spoon asked.

"Yeah, but first we're gonna need ya standin' right beside Diamond Tiara; she can't be lyin' once ya turn the tables on 'er," Apple Bloom answered.

"Okay. Where is she?" Silver Spoon asked, glancing about the library.

"Uh..."

"Apple Bloom! There you are!" Rarity exclaimed as she burst through the door. "I see you've brought along Silver Spoon. Come! Twilight is leading Diamond Tiara to the town square." She nodded to the door.

"Ya didn't happen t' see Applejack on yer way here, did ya?" Apple Bloom asked despairingly.

"What?" Rarity asked in return, shooting Apple Bloom a perplexed look.

"She ain't here. Ah think the mobs got 'er," Apple Bloom's ears drooped as she looked to Rarity with a hopeful grin.

"I... did not," Rarity said apologetically, biting her lip as she glanced to the door, mostly to escape the sorrowful look in Apple Bloom's eyes. "I'm sure she'll be fine. We'll gather the good ponies of Ponyville in the town square, inform them of the truth, and then they'll undoubtedly set free your sister."

"Alrighty," Applebloom said with a nod. "Let's mosey on over t' town square."

She began for the door, staring firmly ahead without another word. Silver Spoon started after her, Rarity following behind as she closed the door with her magic.

"At least I hope everything will work out so well..." Rarity whispered to herself as the two fillies picked up speed, too far away to hear her.

"I must say, I'm impressed," began the leader of the mob as he looked down at Applejack, who only glared back with bared teeth. "You managed to take down eleven of my associates and injure five others single-hoofedly. I've never seen anyone fight like that."

"Ya'll are monsters!" Applejack yelled, struggling at her ties. "Tyin' us up like we done somethin' awful!"

"Because you have done something awful!" Sleek retorted, grimacing as she tried to flash her wings, agitating the one Applejack had sprained in the chaos. "Practicing such vile magic in good conscience is beyond criminal. It's evil!"

"Didn't I already tell you that we never tried any stinking voodoo magic?!" Rainbow Dash snapped, attempting to break the rope that held down her wings. "We're innocent!"

"Yeah, right!" shouted Carrot Top, her bruised lip twitching as she glared down at the two. "We saw two victims of your sorcery! They're living proof of your dark deeds!"

Applejack scowled at her for a moment, then whipped Carrot Top's fetlock with her tail. Carrot Top jumped away with a yelp, growling at the earth pony as she stepped beside the leader of the mob.

"Enough," he said, holding up a hoof.

He looked to Carrot Top with a scowl, who quickly stepped away from their captives, then looked to Applejack and Rainbow Dash with a stern gaze.

"There is still one acolyte that roams free," he said, focusing a glare on Rainbow Dash, who returned the expression ten fold. "The one called Scootaloo. Where is she?"

"You expect me to know?" Rainbow Dash asked, blowing a stray lock of mane out of her face. "Go find her yourself."

His glare seemed to intensify, then his horn began to glow softly. The ropes circling Rainbow Dash's middle took on the same glow, which seemed to puzzle Applejack and Rainbow Dash both.

"I'll ask once again. Where is she?" he asked. His question was monotonous, but his expression was purely adamant.

Rainbow Dash glanced up to him with a curious expression, then shook her head, saying, "I'm not answering that."

The faintest sound of ropes straining could be heard. Rainbow Dash blinked, looking to the rope that the mob leader was magically manipulating.

"I shall ask... a third time," said he, his glowering glare now downright menacing. "Where is she?"

"What are you going to do? Strangle me?" Rainbow Dash asked arrogantly, as if the notion were humorous.

In response, the ropes made a more audible straining noise, Rainbow Dash coughing weakly as the breath was forced out of her. She gasped frantically, the mob leader grinding his teeth as the glow of his horn brightened.

"Where is she?" he demanded for the fourth time.

"For Celestia's sakes, she don't know!" cried Applejack. "Let her go!"

The stallion's angered eyes rested on Applejack, his horn still glowing, then he released his magical grip on the pegasus. Rainbow Dash gasped more deeply than before, then panted quietly as she squeezed shut her eyes. Applejack glanced to Rainbow Dash, then looked to the stallion.

More disbelievingly than angrily, she asked, "What is wrong with you?"

The stallion stared at her solemnly for a long moment, then turned away, announcing, "Seeing that these two will not reveal the location of the acolyte, we must find young Scootaloo on our own." He pointed to Carrot Top, saying, "Carrot Top, you lead half of our remaining associates on a search of the northern half of town."

Carrot Top nodded, a good portion of the still conscious ponies following her as she turned and began for the north of town.

"Sleek," said the leader, nodding to the pegasus, "despite being grounded as you are, I believe you are still capable of leading the rest of our group in searching Ponyville's southern half."

"What will you do?" she asked, unable to avert her gaze from Rainbow Dash.

"I'll stay here and attend to those who were felled by Applejack."

"Alright," she said, turning and departing with her group as Carrot Top had.

The group leader busied himself with checking up on the unconscious ponies of the mob, Applejack and Rainbow Dash both glaring at him in silence.

"Oh, he's going down!" breathed Scootaloo from a distance. She had watched the entire interrogation without being seen, and she was enraged by it. With no regard for how outmatched she was, Scootaloo jumped from her hiding place and charged the lone unicorn with a monstrous roar.

The Pie that took the cake.

"What would Pinkie be doing in the Everfree Forest?" Spike asked as he and Fluttershy exited Sugar Cube Corner. "I thought you said she was revealing some 'big secret.'"

"I thought she was," Fluttershy mumbled, hovering just above the ground. "Now I'm not sure what she's doing."

"Why are we trying to track her down anyway?" Spike asked.

"Well, who better to gather everypony in one place?" Fluttershy reasoned, Spike nodding his agreement.

"Right. We'd better go look for her then," Spike said in response.

The two began for the Everfree, but Spike halted suddenly, glancing to and fro.

"What's wrong?" Fluttershy asked, puzzled.

"Where'd Scootaloo go?" Spike asked, sounding worried.

"Oh my!" Fluttershy shouted, putting her hooves to her mouth, sounding panicked as she said, "I didn't even notice she was gone!"

Chomping loudly on a cupcake as he lazily caught up to Fluttershy and Spike, Snips announced, "I saw her leave."

"You did?" Spike asked, turning to him with a dire expression. "Did you see where she went?"

Snips rolled his eyes, munching on his cupcake for a moment before gulping it down and answering, "A couple blocks back, I saw her freeze, stare at something, then run off towards it."

"What was she staring at?" Fluttershy asked.

"I don't really know," Snips answered with a shrug, his eyes becoming serious as he said, "but she looked kinda scared by it; when she froze, she looked real serious."

"Before we find Pinkie," began Spike, "we need to go back for Scootaloo." He looked to Snips, asking, "If we revisit the place where you saw Scootaloo take off, will you recognize it?"

Snips nodded, answering, "Yeah, sure."

"Then we have no time to waste!" Spike declared, charging past Snips.

Fluttershy was quickly by his side, but Snips kept his relaxed, nonchalant pace as he followed behind.

Rejoining his friend, Snails asked, "Hey, Snips. Why are we going back?"

"We lost Scootaloo, and now we've got to go back for her," Snips answered, glancing to his friend with a small grin.

"Oh," Snails said, returning the glance and looking troubled. "What's with the smile?"

"You've got a little frosting on your cheek," Snips said, chuckling.

Snails blinked, facing forward with a dumbfounded expression, then took on a look of concentration as he stretched his tongue to where the frosting was. Snips laughed again, speeding up as his friend struggled to lick off the frosting, which was just out of his tongue's reach.

"Almost got it..." Snails mumbled, his eyes now watching his tongue rather than where he was going.

Breathing raggedly and stumbling to keep up with her object of pursuit, Diamond Tiara sputtered, "Give me... my... tiara..."

She jumped for it again, Twilight jerking it away once more. Diamond Tiara groaned as she landed, collapsing and panting quietly. Twilight nodded, satisfied, then gently set the filly's tiara back on her head.

"Now to wait for your friend to get here," Twilight said, squinting into the dark of night. Diamond Tiara made a noise that was somewhere between annoyed and pained in response.

"Ah! Here she comes," Twilight said, nodding to the approaching fillies.

Apple Bloom and Silver Spoon trotted into sight, the latter eyeing her friend inquisitively.

"What happened to her?" asked Silver Spoon.

Twilight rolled her eyes, casually answering, "She wore herself out on the way here." Diamond Tiara growled at this, her face concealed by her hooves.

"Have ya seen Applejack anywhere?" Apple Bloom asked, worriedly scanning their surroundings for any sign of her sister.

Twilight frowned, asking, "You mean she wasn't at the library?"

"No," Apple Bloom whimpered, dropping to her haunches. "Where could she be?"

"Fret not, Apple Bloom," Rarity said as she caught up with the two, "for once we've gathered together the ponies of Ponyville and revealed to them the truth, Applejack will be safe from harm."

"Not to burst your bubble," Silver Spoon began, glancing to Rarity, "but almost everypony in Ponyville is in mob mode. Just how do you plan to get them all here?"

Rarity put a hoof to her chin in thought, mulling over what to say, then answered, "Suppose we lured them here with a little fib regarding Applejack and Rainbow Dash. They'd be none the wiser, and Diamond Tiara would be exposed once they arrived."

"What do we tell them, though?" Twilight asked. "It's no secret that we're all friends or family of Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Would they really believe us if we told them we saw one or the other here, in town square?"

Rarity frowned, her brow furrowed as she considered this.

"You make a good point," she said. "How else could we gather the townsponies?"

Rarity and Twilight bounced ideas off one another for a while, then a ferocious roar in the distance seized their attention. Apple Bloom and Silver Spoon turned their gazes in the direction it had come from.

"What was that?" Twilight asked, her ears perked.

"It sounded like..." Silver Spoon trailed off, removing her glasses as she squinted into the dark.

"Was that Scootaloo?" Apple Bloom asked, standing abruptly and staring into the distance.

The four of them listened intently, the faintest sounds of combat echoing their way.

"Sounds like she's in trouble!" Apple Bloom shouted, darting into the night, headed in the direction of the conflict.

"That's odd," commented Rarity. "Now why would Scootaloo be in danger?"

Silver Spoon replaced her glasses, nervously rubbing her leg as she said, "Apple Bloom and I might have forgotten to mention that the mobs are after Scootaloo as well."

"They are?!" Twilight and Rarity shouted.

Silver Spoon nodded guiltily, her gaze turned to the ground.

"That means Apple Bloom is putting herself in danger!" Twilight exclaimed, glancing to Rarity. "Rarity, you stay here and make sure Diamond Tiara doesn't leave. I need to go protect Scootaloo and Apple Bloom."

"Be careful, Twilight," implored Rarity. "There is no low to which those monsters will not stoop!"

"Right," Twilight nodded, then took off after Apple Bloom.

Silver Spoon watched the unicorn disappear into the night, then turned to Diamond Tiara, hissing in a quiet voice, "Are you happy now, Diamond Tiara? Have you crossed enough lines yet?"

Diamond Tiara lifted her head to glare at her friend for a short moment, then dropped it without a word.

"That's what I thought," Silver Spoon said coldly, turning away from the downed filly.

"You're persistent, little one," mused Scootaloo's unicorn adversary, seizing a nearby rock with his magic. "I can admire that."

He lobbed the rock at Scootaloo, who nimbly vaulted it and hit the ground running.

"Shut up!" Scootaloo screamed as she charged the stallion, who wasn't phased in the least.

He lowered his head, the glow of his horn intensifying for a moment. Then he cast a shock wave spell, the ground rippling with energy as the wave traveled its course. Scootaloo, unable to react quickly enough, skidded to a halt, her hooves knocked out from under her by the magical wave. She landed hard, receiving a mouthful of dirt and the collision of her head with the packed ground. She spit and shook her head as she scrambled to her hooves, the impact taking its toll on her senses.

"To shrug off such a concussive impact," said Scootaloo's opponent, "as if it were a mere glancing blow is no small feat. Surrender now, and I promise you that further harm shall not befall you."

Straining to not see past her double vision and to piece together what the stallion had said, his voice seeming so faint in her daze, Scootaloo said, "I don't give up that easily..." She groaned, squeezing shut her eyes and stumbling about, but quickly regained her focus and her outraged expression as she added, "I won't stop until you let Rainbow Dash and Applejack go!"

Scootaloo's opponent nodded, grinning an amused grin.

"Very well."

He pointed his horn at the pegasus, a beam of magical energy shooting at Scootaloo. She rolled to the side, then ran at him. Scootaloo successfully dodged every shot he took at her, and she was near enough to go in for a take down. With a mighty yell, Scootaloo jumped at her opponent.

Thunk.

"Nice try, but you weren't quite fast enough," taunted the stallion, allowing the shield he'd conjured to stop Scootaloo's attack to disappear.

Scootaloo fell to the ground in a heap, groaning quietly. The stallion looked her over for a moment, then seized her tail with his magic, dangling the pegasus high enough to meet his eyes as she looked up at him.

"So, do you have any fight left in you now?" he asked.

Scootaloo's wings beat frantically as she pulled at the hold on her tail, but they quickly gave out, Scootaloo sighing as she dropped her head.

"Hmph. I guess not."

Scootaloo glanced up at him, then looked to his left.

She grinned, smugly saying, "Don't look now, but something tells me those ropes aren't working."

The stallion blinked, looking to where she was looking, then gasped, dropping Scootaloo.

"How did they escape?" he asked, looking back to Scootaloo.

Only to find Twilight Sparkle standing beside her.

"Sorry, but Scootaloo is needed elsewhere," Twilight said with a nod, she and Scootaloo disappearing in a magical burst of light.

The stallion glared at the spot where Twilight had stood only a moment ago, then said as if Scootaloo was still there, "Well played, young witch. Well played."

As Snips and Snails lazily made their way to where Twilight and Apple Bloom had disappeared off to, the two suddenly reappeared, dashing by, along with Fluttershy, Spike, Scootaloo, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash.

"Crud. We walked all this way for nothin'," Snips complained, spinning around to follow the five of them.

Thunk.

"Ow!" Snails shouted as he stumbled away from the collision. "Wak where you're going!"

He placed a tentative hoof on his tongue, flinching as he touched the bite marks.

Snips giggled, shaking his head as he asked, "Did you bite your tongue or something?"

"Yes, ah bit mah tongue!" Snails chided, pointing at Snips. "Because of ou!"

Snips laughed out loud, stepping past his angry friend and saying, "I'm sorry, I just can't take you seriously."

Snails trailed behind him, mumbling quietly to himself as his tongue hung limp from the corner of his mouth.

"Thanks for getting us out of there and all," Rainbow Dash said, landing and trotting in place, "but it's not like we didn't have it under control."

"Not the time," Applejack scolded, taking a deep breath after galloping the distance she had in such a short time. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, but said nothing. After catching her breath, Applejack said, "Alright, it's do 'r die time. What's the plan?"

"Simple," began Twilight, pausing to catch her breath as well. "We've determined that the instigator in your dilemma is Diamond Tiara. We've brought her here to reveal that she's been lying about everything. As reinforcement, we've also brought along Silver Spoon, who can attest to the falsity of Diamond Tiara's claims."

"And if that isn't enough," Spike added, "we also have Snips and Snails. They faked being victims of witchcraft, and they're willing to tell the truth about that as well."

"Alright!" shouted Rainbow Dash, pumping a hoof. "This whole thing will be over, and we can get on with our lives."

"Well, that's all fine 'n dandy," Apple Bloom began, looking worried as she scanned the area, "but we ain't got nothin' without Diamond Tiara bein' here. Where'd she go?"

"She got away?" Twilight asked, the rest of the group looking stunned by the news. "Wasn't Rarity supposed to watch her?"

"She ain't here neither," Apple Bloom said, scratching behind her ear. "Neither is Silver Spoon."

"Diamond Tiara isn't going to weasel her way out of this!" Scootaloo declared, stepping past Applebloom. "I'm going after her!"

With this, she shot off into the night, not a pony among them (or Spike) trying to stop her.

"Well, that's just great!" Rainbow Dash stomped, glaring in the direction Scootaloo had run off in. "Now what? She could be anywhere by now!"

"Hey everypony!" greeted Pinkie Pie, startling a yelp from everyone in the group.

She smiled sheepishly as they each directed a scowl at her. Turning her head, she snatched a small blue box tied with a flimsy string off her back, then set it down, asking, "What's with all the hullabaloo?"

"We're trying to prove that Applejack and Rainbow Dash aren't witches," Fluttershy answered, casting a suspicious gaze on Pinkie Pie's box.

"Witches?!" Pinkie shouted, aghast, as she blinked rapidly. "That's terrible!" She glanced to Applejack and Rainbow Dash, seeming less shocked and more puzzled as she studied them, saying, "Wait a second. They don't even look like witches; no pointy nose, no silly hats, and no warts. Plus, their laughs aren't even witchy! A pony needs to have a really scary laugh to be a witch. Not just an earnest chuckle or a smug giggle, either. It needs to be like an evil cackle!"

"Pinkie!" interrupted all other ponies present (and Spike).

"Yes?" she asked, grinning broadly and blinking twice in quick succession.

"I certainly hope whatever is in that box helps Applejack and Rainbow Dash," Twilight said, nodding to the box, "because our plan has hit a snag."

"Oh! Of course!" Pinkie put a hoof on the box, smiling smugly. "After everypony in Ponyville sees this, they'll forget all about Applejack and Rainbow Dash!"

"No way!" Rainbow Dash shouted, studying the box with interest. "What's inside? Let me take a peak!"

She pulled at the string with her teeth, but Pinkie frantically shoved her away.

"Hey! Can't I see it?"

"Of course you can see it!" Pinkie said with a nod, sliding away the box while keeping a smile directed at Rainbow Dash. "It's just dangerous to be so close when you open it."

"Huh?" asked the group in unison. "What do you mean?"

"Instead of explaining it, which would be so boring," Pinkie said, sliding forward her box, "I'll show you what I mean!" She plucked the box off the ground, turning and trotting away from them. "Wait right there!"

"Pinkie, just what are ya doin'?" Applejack asked, looking and sounding doubtful.

"Just stand well away!" shouted back Pinkie, setting the box on the ground. "You also might want to cover your ears and eyes!" she held the box to the ground with her hoof as she ripped the string, then darted back over to the group.

"Pinkie," Twilight watched with puzzlement as the box rattled and shook, "what's in that box?"

"You're gonna love it!" she exclaimed. "Everypony is gonna love it!"

"Pinkie..." Twilight now sounded nervous as the box began bouncing about, glowing ever so slightly. "What is in that box?"

"Oh, fine. I'll tell you, "Pinkie said, annoyed. "You see, inside the box is—"

"Outta my way!" shouted Diamond Tiara as she barreled past Pinkie and Twilight, headed full steam towards the mysterious glowing box.

"Wait!" Pinkie implored, taking a hesitant step toward the box that Diamond Tiara was charging at. "Stop! Any second, it's gonna—"

From the center of Ponyville erupted a sound likening to a Sonic Rainboom and a white light as bright as day. It could probably blind or deafen anypony unlucky enough to be near it. Flocks of panicked birds evacuated the trees of the Everfree Forest. The quake sent several ponies to the ground.

"What in Celestia's name was that?" Fearfully asked a pony in Sleek's group.

"Works of the witches, no doubt," Sleek said coldly, already beginning for town square. "For justice!"

"Ow! My eyes..." Carrot Top rubbed at her eyes, straining to see past the dots that danced across her vision. "This has to be their doing!"

"It sounded like a bomb..." breathed a cowering mare, huddling against the others. "If they've learned to summon hell fire... even the wrath of Discord himself..."

"Nonsense! They'd have destroyed themselves before mastering such arts!" Carrot Top chided, glaring at the huddled pack of quivering ponies. "That could only have been an illusion! Nothing more!"

"Are you sure?" asked the pack as a whole.

"Of course I'm sure!" Carrot Top stomped angrily. "We must face them now!" She turned and charged for town square, the pack hesitantly shuffling along behind her.

Arriving at the town square before any of his followers, the leader of the mob examined the aftermath of the explosion. With a laugh of admiration, he said to himself, "Nothing less than astounding..."

Rumor unraveled.

The ponies of Ponyville gathered where Pinkie Pie's mystery box had exploded, stunned silent by what they saw. After their disorientation cleared, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Spike, Apple Bloom, and Twilight stared in awe.

"No hoofing way," Rainbow Dash muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. "How did she do this?"

"Dad gum..." Applejack and Apple Bloom mumbled in unison.

"This is... impossible. Scientifically impossible!" Twilight glared at the aftermath, its very existence contrary to everything she knew about science.

"It's like the size of building..." Scootaloo whispered as she and Rarity slowly approached from behind the group.

"Either my eyes have committed a grand mistake," began Zecora as she arrived at the scene, "or standing before me is a most enormous cake."

"Giant cake!" shouted Snips and Snails, rushing over to it and chowing down on a wall of moist, white-iced goodness.

Many of the speechless onlookers watched the two colts gleefully gorge themselves, but Pinkie was already rushing toward the cake, shouting, "Not good! Not good! Where did she go?!" Pinkie nibbled at the tip of her hoof as she searched frantically for any sign of Diamond Tiara.

"Don't worry! I'm coming in after you!"

Like a Diamond Dog burrowing through dirt and rock, Pinkie began to excavate, digging a tunnel into the side of the colossal cake.

With many intrigued eyes (and a good number of hungry ones) among them, the ponies of Ponyville surrounded the cake, marveling at its sheer size. Not a single look of hostility was directed at Applejack or Rainbow Dash.

"Even in light of all the absurd things Pinkie Pie has done in the past," Rarity said, eyeing the mountainous cake with admiration, "this undoubtedly takes... well, the cake."

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo snickered at this. Twilight teleported over to the nearest wall (that hadn't been attacked by Snips and Snails) and scraped a dollop of icing away with her hoof.

She "analyzed" it with a lick and a smack of the lips, saying to herself, "The flavor is consistent with other cakes baked by Pinkie." She scrutinized the nick in the surface, asking, "But how did she manage to create such a huge cake?"

From the peak of the cake exploded Pinkie Pie, the sputtering Diamond Tiara held aloft in her hooves.

"She's alive!" declared Pinkie, spinning the filly around and hugging her tightly. "Oh, thank Celestia you're alive!"

Diamond Tiara hissed and thrashed when she was hugged by Pinkie Pie.

"Let me go!" she commanded, managing to wriggle out of Pinkie's grasp, dropping into the tunnel Pinkie had dug.

She quickly exited the tunnel, only to be swarmed by the crowds that had gathered, Silver Spoon at the forefront.

"Hold it right there," Silver Spoon commanded, glaring coldly at Diamond Tiara. "No escaping this time."

"Psha!" Diamond Tiara shouted, even though she looked reasonably frightened by all the attention directed at her. "You can't make me stay!"

"I'd say this cake is quite the phenomenon," began the unicorn who had headed the now disbanded mob. "Perhaps this is the sorcerous doing of Applejack and Rainbow Dash?"

"You again?" Diamond Tiara asked, scowling at the unicorn. "Weren't you supposed to capture those two and their runty apprentice?"

He shrugged, saying, "I did. Yet they escaped." He smirked at Diamond Tiara, saying, "It's rather odd, really."

"What are you babbling on about?" Diamond Tiara snapped.

"Those two colts," he nodded to Snips and Snails, "seem perfectly fine now. Yet those who supposedly afflicted them with terrible curses are here. I don't see them cowering in fear of the 'witches.' Do you?"

Diamond Tiara sneered at the colts in question, who were blissfully chomping away at their wall of cake, arguing, "They're obviously under a spell! Why else would they be acting like this?"

"Maybe because they're colts?" suggested Spike after weaving his way through the crowds.

"Precisely," agreed the stallion, studying the two of them with an amused smile. "Not to mention the fact that not a trace of their 'injuries' remain. It's almost as if they were never hurt in the first place."

"Ha!" Diamond Tiara shouted, tossing her head. "Whose to say Applejack and Rainbow Dash didn't just patch up the dolls? That would make it look like they never got hurt in the first place!"

"So very untrue," scolded Zecora, "are your claims of voodoo! The damage done to ponies cannot be reversed by repairing the sinister dolls that have been cursed."

Diamond Tiara laughed, pointing at Zecora as she looked at the stallion she was arguing with, hissing, "Are you gonna believe the zebra? How can you? She's crazy!"

Zecora tossed her head with a harrumph, Spike taking up the defensive as he shouted, "If you don't believe Zecora, then ask Snips and Snails themselves!" He pointed to them, asking, "Were you really cursed by Rainbow Dash and Applejack?"

Snips halted his eating, stepping away from the cake to answer, "Nope. Not at all."

Snails did the same, saying, "Diamond Tiawa paid us to fake it so she could get Scootawoo in twouble." The two of them continued feasting on the cake.

Diamond Tiara gasped, then growled at the two, "You traitors! How could you turn on me like this?"

"You bought their loyalty. I paid more for it," Spike said smugly, Diamond Tiara angrily hopping and landing by stomping all four hooves.

"Your incriminating proof isn't so incriminating anymore," observed the unicorn stallion, nodding to the colts. "Perhaps, just perhaps, you lied to the good citizens of Ponyville."

"No way!" Diamond Tiara retorted, looking taken aback. "They're witches! Witches I tell you!"

"No they're not," Silver Spoon responded, firm and glowering.

"Silver Spoon?" Diamond Tiara asked, now sounding genuinely despairing. "You're actually siding with them?!"

"Diamond Tiara made it all up to attack this pegasus here," she said, putting a hoof on Scootaloo's shoulder. "Applejack and Rainbow Dash are not, and have never been, affiliates of Discord or practitioners of evil sorcery. No matter what Diamond Tiara would have you believe." Diamond Tiara stared at Silver Spoon, a shocked expression frozen on her face.

"Oh my goodness!" exclaimed Carrot Top, forcing her way to where Rainbow Dash and Applejack stood, shamefully hanging her head as she stood before them. "I-I had no idea! Mr. Justice was just so engaged in tracking you down, and—"

"Who?" asked the two in unison.

"Resolute Justice..." Carrot Top mumbled, scratching at her neck. "The unicorn who rallied the witch hunters. Heh... I guess we all got a bit carried away. He was so passionate about the whole pursuit, so I guess we all lost ourselves when we started going after you."

"He was so convincing!" Sleek added, popping up out of the crowd. "Now I feel so bad about the whole thing. Can you find it in your hearts to forgive us?"

Before Applejack had a chance to get a word in, Rainbow Dash demanded, "Let's see this 'Resolute Justice' chump! I want to strike the fear of Celestia into him before we let any of this go!"

"Rainbow Dash!" scolded Applejack, sneering at her. She quickly turned back to the members of the disbanded mob, adding with an embarrassed chuckle, "What she meant t' say was that we would care t' meet with this stallion face t' face."

"No, no," Resolute began, slowly making his way over to Applejack and Rainbow Dash. "I behaved monstrously in pursuit of you and the young Scootaloo. I so zealously sought you out on only the word of a vile youth." He glared at Diamond Tiara for a moment, the filly still staring disbelievingly at Silver Spoon, then continued, "For that, I am sorry. I was short-sighted, violent, and inequine; you need not forgive me for anything."

"Darn straight!" Rainbow Dash declared as she went airborne, smashing her hooves together and rubbing them against one another as she scowled at Resolute. "Let's see how you like it when somepony crushes your lungs!"

"Don't you dare!" Applejack plucked Rainbow Dash out of the air before she could lunge at him. "He was just doin' what he thought was right. It ain't 'is fault he didn't know we was innocent!"

"That doesn't change the fact that he strangled me!" Rainbow Dash argued, struggling against Applejack's hold. "I nearly suffocated because of him!"

"I swear, my intentions were never lethal!" Resolute pleaded, directing dire expression at Rainbow Dash. "I would never execute a prisoner. Ever."

Rainbow Dash huffed and glared at Resolute for a long moment, but she calmed herself, sighing as she said, "Fine."

"Fine?" Resolute asked, confused. "What's fine? Am I forgiven?"

"Just stay on my good side!" Rainbow Dash snapped, Resolute nodding appreciatively in response.

"So... none of it was true?" Sleek asked, puzzled. "Not a word from that filly was true?" Applejack and Rainbow Dash exchanged glances, then looked to Spike, who stared at them firmly. With a sigh, Applejack stepped forward.

"Now, ah know ya'll have been hearin' some pretty crazy things about us," she began, taking off her hat and holding it to her chest. "Ah don't what of it is true and what's false. But ah will tell ya that ah ain't 'shamed o' nothin'!" She scowled at the crowd, only a small few laughing at this. "Ah know what we been doin' might sound different. Heck, it might sound weird. But ah ain't lettin' yer gigglin', yer hootin' and hollerin', or yer name callin' get t' me anymore. Ah stand by mah choices." She nodded, her stern scowl retained as a few members of the crowd murmured quietly, many of them only nodding their approval.

"Just to be clear, you're not witches, right?" asked Twist from out of nowhere.

Rainbow Dash stepped up to answer, saying, "We did have dolls. That much is true. They weren't voodoo dolls, though."

"Oh, okay," Twist responded.

"What were you doing with them, anyway?" asked a random pony from within the crowd.

"Well, we were... what do you call it?" Rainbow Dash scratched at her cheek in thought.

"I believe it's formally known as role playing," Silver Spoon said, all eyes turning to her. "I would know. I'm interested in it, too."

"Yeah. 'Role playing.' That's it." Rainbow Dash said with a nod.

"Isn't that something little fillies would normally do?" asked a different pony. "Make believe with plastic figurines?"

"Technically, yes." Applejack said, replacing her hat with a smile. "Ah just don't see what's wrong with us doin' it now."

"I guess there really is nothing wrong with it." Carrot Top admitted apologetically. "We, the ponies of Ponyville, had no right to harass you like we did."

"Oh, ain't no harm done." Applejack said. Rainbow Dash stepped forward, about to argue against this, only for Applejack to a throw a hoof in front of her mouth and add, "No harm whatsoever."

"Hey everypony!" shouted Pinkie Pie, who had somehow escaped the cake and was now towing a long line of little red wagons tied together to form a train, each wagon filled with plates. "Who's up for a little breakfast cake?"

With great excitement, the crowds swarmed Pinkie and her train of plates as she made her way over to a corner of the cake, already busying herself with serving slice after slice to everypony in line.

Spike yawned deeply, grinning at the sight as he rubbed at an eye. Tiredly, he said, "Well, all's well that ends well. Always nice to have a happy ending."

Rarity giggled, ruffling his spines and saying, "Indeed it is. Care for some cake?"

"You bet! Cake for breakfast sounds awesome!"

Spike and Rarity began for the line, both laughing merrily.

Fluttershy smiled at the two of them, asking the two fillies at her side, "How about you two? Are you going to have any cake?"

"No thanks. Ah think ah'm good," Apple Bloom answered with a grin and a shake of the head.

"I would," said Scootaloo, scanning the area with an upraised eyebrow, "but I'm more interested in finding that Resolute Justice guy. He owes me a rematch."

Fluttershy shook her head, chuckling. "Don't get into any trouble now."

"Yeah, yeah," Scootaloo said with a roll of the eyes. Fluttershy ruffled her mane, then began for the serving line as well. Scootaloo chuckled, asking Apple Bloom, "Did you see where he went?"

Apple Bloom shrugged, about to answer "no" when Silver Spoon asked, "Has anypony seen Diamond Tiara? I have no idea where she went."

The two of them shook their heads, Silver Spoon groaning with frustration, "Great. Where did she go?"

"Last I saw the dastardly filly," said Zecora, trotting past the group toward the cake line, "she was making haste toward the Everfree."

"Why would she be going there?" Scootaloo asked, giving Silver Spoon a perplexed look.

"She's probably mortified that her little scheme got destroyed," Silver Spoon answered, sounding perturbed as she folded her ears, scowling as she turned and began to trot away. "I better go find her before she gets eaten by anything with a craving for something bitter."

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo watched her go, then a familiar voice said behind them, "Hello, friends."

Eyes wide, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo spun around to face Sweetie Belle, who didn't look nearly as happy to see them as they were to see her.

"Sweetie Belle!" shouted the two as they encircled her in a hug, which she almost seemed to resist. Pulling away, Apple Bloom said, "Ah thought ya was sick with The Trots."

"Uh..." Sweetie put a hoof to her mouth, forcing a cough. "I was, and now I'm better. Yes." With a blank expression, her eyes darted from Apple Bloom to Scootaloo and back several times as she added, "Yes indeed. Say, do you know where Diamond Tiara has gone?"

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both seemed off put by such a random question and Sweetie's lack of emotion, but Scootaloo answered all the same, "She was headed toward the Everfree Forest."

"Perfect," mused Sweetie with a dastardly grin, which she quickly wiped away, hastily adding, "I-I mean... I see. I need to have a word with her right away." Sweetie nodded to Scootaloo, then went around the two fillies, calmly proceeding in the direction of the Everfree.

Baffled, Scootaloo asked, "What's gotten into her?"

"Ah have no idea," Apple Bloom said with a slow shake of the head.

"Let's go see what she needs Diamond Tiara for. That might explain why she's acting so weird," Scootaloo reasoned, taking off after Sweetie Belle. Apple Bloom was about to follow behind, but something out of the corner of her eye stopped her. She froze, then looked to Rainbow Dash and Applejack, who were silently conversing with one another. She watched them for a moment, then saw Rainbow Dash nuzzle Applejack. It was not a friendly nuzzle, but rather an affectionate one. Applejack sighed, laughing quietly, then gently pushed Rainbow Dash away, beginning for the cake line.

"Hey, Apple Bloom," Applejack said as she passed by her sister, Rainbow Dash not far behind.

Apple Bloom blinked, studying Applejack with disbelieving eyes as she breathed, "What in tarnation..."

"Apple Bloom!" called Scootaloo, beckoning Apple Bloom over to her. Apple Bloom looked to her in confusion, then shook her head, breaking into a gallop to catch up with her friend.

Epilogue.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Everypony has their own interests. Although some ponies may not always be fond of those interests, going so far as to persecute and degrade you for them, you can't let that stop you from pursuing what makes you happy. If you're always afraid of what everypony else thinks of you, then you can never have anything to call your own. It took a lot of help from our friends, but we've learned not to let our fear get in the way of our pursuits.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash

Rolling up the scroll, Spike ignited it, the cinders scattering with the breeze and vanishing without a trace.

He looked to Rainbow Dash and Applejack with a smile, smug as he said, "I just have one last question for you guys."

"Shoot," Applejack responded.

"Why pair those two?" he pointed to the figurines they held.

Rainbow Dash shrugged, asking, "Why not?"

Spike shook his head, saying, "I still think Twilight would blow a gasket if she ever saw those."

"Really?" Applejack said, holding up her Twilight Sparkle figurine. "Personally, ah figured she'd be tickled pink."

Spike laughed at this, waving as he turned to depart.

"I'll see you guys around!"

"See ya!" the two shouted back.

When Spike was out of sight, Applejack looked to Rainbow Dash with a sly grin. Bouncing Twilight Sparkle across the ground, as one would move a doll across a surface, she asked in a very high voice, "Ah hope ya enjoyed mah most recent letter!"

Moving her Princess Celestia figurine towards Applejack's Twilight Sparkle in a similar fashion, Rainbow Dash responded in a tone of exaggerated regality, "It was a wonderful read, my faithful student."

"Oh, that's so good t' hear!" Applejack said, stifling a giggle and adding, "Ah trust that yer well pleased in me?"

"I am," Rainbow Dash said with a snicker, clearing her throat. "Come give the Princess some sugar."

The two of them pecked the snouts of their figurines against one another, making mock kissing noises and laughing to their hearts' content.

"Applejack!" called Big Macintosh from out of the blue. "Applejack!"

"Aw, horse apples," Applejack muttered, setting down her figurine and standing. "Be back in a jiff."

She ran toward the sound of Big Mac's voice, shouting, "What is it, Big Mac?!"

Rainbow Dash smiled as she held aloft her Princess Celestia figurine, admiring it for a minute or so. Then she picked up the Twilight Sparkle figurine Applejack had left behind, holding it beside her Princess Celestia. She grinned as she moved them close together, then sighed as she lowered them, her ears falling and her eyes becoming sorrowful.

"Oh, Applejack..." Rainbow Dash whispered to herself, her eyes glistening as she looked over the pair of dolls. "You'd never go for it. I guess a mare can only dream..."

"Guess who got a C+!" Scootaloo shouted, bounding through the library doors with a paper marked with a red "C+" held in her mouth.

"Nice work, Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom congratulated her friend, offering a highhoof, which Scootaloo gladly slapped.

"What did you get?" she asked, holding the paper with her hoof to speak more clearly.

"Oh, just a lousy old A-," Apple Bloom said with a shrug, Scootaloo's ears drooping and her smile fading. Apple Bloom cleared her throat, nodding to Scootaloo's paper. "But that don't matter none! Ya did great!"

"Hehe... yeah," Scootaloo muttered, eyeing her paper with disappointment.

"Don't feel so bad," Spike said in a consoling manner as he made his way down the stairs, his now ripened sapphire held in hand. "I've never been good with history either."

Scootaloo shrugged, grabbing the corner of her report in her teeth and setting it on a nearby table, saying, "Well, at least I passed."

Apple Bloom nodded, slapping Scootaloo's shoulder and saying, "Now that's the spirit!"

"Not to interrupt," said Twilight without looking away from her microscope, "but would either of you happen to have any remaining samples of Pinkie's giant cake?"

Confused, Apple Bloom answered, "Neither of us ever ended up gettin' any cake in the first place. So no, we don't got no cake."

"Shoot! I suppose I'll have to make do with only these," she mumbled, turning a dial on the device with her magic.

"Are you seriously studying cake?" Scootaloo asked, eyeing the crumbs that laid in the tray of the microscope.

"Well, I was studying cake," Twilight answered angrily. "Now I'm studying crumbs, because someone decided to chow down on my data."

Twilight glanced to Spike with a scowl.

Spike crossed his arms, looking away from Twilight and muttering, "Well, you did just leave it laying out."

"I thought you were going to eat your sapphire," Twilight said, looking back into the eyepiece.

"I was, and I am," Spike said, presenting his gem with a smirk.

"Then why so hungry for cake?" she asked, growling with annoyance as she spun the dial once more.

"Well, it was gonna go to waste, so I-"

"Salutations!" announced a sputtering, braces-wearing stallion with a dorky manecut and countless pimples on his face.

Spike, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo looked to him with befuddlement, but Twilight looked to him with a beam.

Teleporting to stand before him, she offered a hoof, which the stallion gladly shook, then said, "Bright Bulb! So glad you could make it!" She teleported over to the door leading to the backroom, gesturing to it and adding, "Right this way, gentlecolts!" Bright Bulb nodded, leading a procession of two other similar stallions as he started towards the backroom.

"And I thought we were the only ponies in Ponyville interested in this kind of thing!" said the stallion at the back of the line, laughing a laugh riddled with snorts.

"Well, I've always wanted to give it a try," Twilight said, opening the door with her magic to allow them to enter. Once the three were inside, she stood in the doorway, looking to Spike as she said, "Even if this goes without saying, I'll say it anyway; don't bother us."

She backed inside and shut the door.

Spike furrowed his brow, taking a step toward the room, then froze, shaking his head and taking a step away.

"Nope. Not happening," he said, taking a bite out of his sapphire and walking away. Through bits of gem, he muttered, "Don't even want to know."

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo exchanged glances, then looked to the backroom with curiosity.

With a sniffle and a weak cough, Sweetie Belle walked into the library, greeting her friends with a stuffy, "Hi guys."

"Oh, hi Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom said, turning to her. "Haven't seen ya since this mornin'."

Sweetie Belle gave her a perplexed look, asking, "When did you see me this morning?"

"Very funny, Sweetie," Scootaloo said, jostling her friend by the shoulder. "You ever track down Diamond Tiara?"

Sweetie Belle sniffed, cocking her head.

"This is the first time I've been out of bed in a week. I haven't seen Diamond Tiara once. Why would I want to, anyway?"

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo now took on confused expressions.

Scootaloo asked, "You mean you didn't need to catch up with her?"

Sweetie shook her head.

"Then... why did we hear that scream?" Apple Bloom asked, putting a hoof to her chin in thought. "What actually happened t' her?"

Earlier that morning...

"Stupid Pinkie Pie!" Diamond Tiara yelled, stomping through the muck of the Everfree's forest floor. "Stupid Snips and Snails! Stupid Silver Spoon..."

With a mighty roar, she smashed her head against a nearby tree, angrily grumbling, "This is all her fault. She's the real traitor."

She drew back, then smacked the tree with her forehead once again.

"She sided with them! She screwed me over and sided with them!"

Diamond Tiara made a significant dent in the tree's bark with her relentless head smashing. Huffing in her rage, she stumbled away, muttering profanities to herself.

"You there. Little filly," spoke a white unicorn as she stepped into sight.

"Well, look who it is!" Diamond Tiara yelled, scowling at Sweetie Belle. "The dimmest of the Loser Mark Crusaders!"

Sweetie Belle smirked, saying aloud, "Oh, I'm so going to enjoy this."

Diamond Tiara spat at her, yelling, "Just what are you babbling about?"

Sweetie Belle pursed her lips, then donned a toothy beam. Except the teeth she revealed weren't normal pony teeth. Amongst her standard teeth, Sweetie bore a pair of menacing fangs. Diamond Tiara studied these for a moment, then met Sweetie Belle's eyes. The filly's eyes flashed green, and Diamond Tiara gasped, immediately turning to run.

An earsplitting scream could be heard from deep within the Everfree. Then there was nothing. Only silence.

Hopeless Romance

Guilty by association.

With a yawn, Scootaloo stood, shaking away her stiffness. She smiled down at her half-finished report, satisfied with the progress she had made on it. She rubbed at her eyes, then glanced about, seeing what the other ponies in the park were up to. To her confusion, however, a good number of them had their eyes on her. She would shoot them inquisitive looks, and they would turn away in a hurry.

Perplexed, Scootaloo trotted over to the nearest pony, asking, "Why's everypony giving me such weird looks?"

The mare's eyes darted to and fro, a bead of sweat visible on her brow as she mumbled, "Weird looks? What are you talking about?"

Scootaloo blinked, cocking her head as she raised an eyebrow, asking, "Is everything alright? You sound kind of nervous."

"Oh, no! No, no, no!" the mare answered hurriedly, coughing quietly as she forced a grin. "Everything's fine. Just... don't hurt me, please."

"What?" Scootaloo asked, shaking her head and donning a disbelieving expression. "Why would I hurt you?"

The mare laughed warily, inching away from Scootaloo without giving her an answer. Scootaloo, frustrated by the mare's silence, took a step toward her and began to say something, only for the mare to yelp and run away.

Scootaloo watched her go, mumbling to herself, "What the hay..."

She looked to another nearby pony, who was watching the frightened mare run off.

"Hey you!" she shouted. The stallion looked to Scootaloo as she ran his way, eyes wide. "Can you tell me what's going on?"

The stallion rubbed at his leg, averting his eyes from Scootaloo's expectant gaze as he meekly said, "I don't know what you're talking about..."

Scootaloo frowned, somewhat perturbed as she said, "You and that other pony were giving me weird looks, and then she ran away when I tried to talk to her. Why?"

Clearing his throat, the stallion turned away and began to hurriedly walk away, mumbling, "Sorry, I've got somewhere to be."

Scootaloo scowled at him, but didn't give chase. Instead, she sighed with frustration, trotting back to where she'd left her paper and textbook, whispering to herself, "Just what is going on?"

"Well, ah found out who done blew the whistle on Applejack," Apple Bloom said as she entered the library.

"Who is it? When I get mah hooves on 'im, ah'm gonna—"

"It's Diamond Tiara."

"Oh," Applejack's ears drooped as she said this, her fury quashed. "Well, shucks."

"Yeah," Apple Bloom shifted her jaw after saying this, looking annoyed. "She's behind all this nonsense. First Applejack's secret gettin' set loose, and now this angry mobbin'. It's all her doin'."

"Goodness gracious!" Rarity began, shooting Applejack a look of concern. "How could she possibly manage to turn so much of the town against you and Rainbow Dash?"

"Diamond Tiara ain't no stranger t' spinnin' lies as truth," Apple Bloom said, brow furrowed. "She's real good at spreadin' rumors."

"If she confesses, it might just clear everything up," said Twilight, donning a small grin. "If she admits to lying, then the ponies of Ponyville will most likely stop chasing Applejack and Rainbow Dash."

"Sounds like a plan!" Applejack said, gaining a confident smile. "Where's she at, Apple Bloom?"

"Um... Ah don't have a clue." Apple Bloom said, then giggled guiltily. "Ah found 'er, yelled at 'er, then came right back here. No tellin' where she's run off to."

"Tarnation!" Applejack shouted with a stomp.

"Well, she shouldn't be that difficult to track down," Twilight reasoned, the look in her eye indicating she already had a plan in the works. "After all, there are only so many places to hide in Ponyville."

"Yer right!" Apple Bloom excitedly agreed, only to look confused after a moment. "But what do we do with 'er once we've found 'er?"

"I say we inform Filthy Rich of her schemes," Rarity suggested, "as I'm certain he wouldn't allow them to continue."

"That'll never work," Apple Bloom argued. "Diamond Tiara did what she did with the Foal Free Press and got off without a hitch. Ya really think 'er dad is gonna stop 'er this time?"

"Well, Mr. Rich was never informed of that," Rarity reasoned. "How could he have been?"

"Filthy Rich ain't gonna do nothin' soon, whether he knows 'r not," Applejack said impatiently. "This'll only get sorted out iffen we take our own action."

"Our own action? What might that be?" Rarity asked, sounding somewhat cross. "No matter how simple it would be to stand Diamond Tiara before the ponies of Ponyville, how can we get her to confess to what she's done?"

"Ah say a few bumps 'n bruises will do the trick," Apple Bloom suggested, sounding partially serious.

"Absolutely not! There's no need to harm her or anypony else," Rarity retorted, Apple Bloom hanging her head with a deprecated frown.

"Perhaps Diamond Tiara isn't the pony we're looking for in this case," Twilight mumbled contemplatively.

"Huh?" asked Apple Bloom, Rarity, and Applejack in unison, turning confused expressions Twilight's way.

"Although Diamond Tiara may be to blame," she began, "it's very unlikely that she'll admit to starting the rumor. However, there always exists the possibility that there's somepony else involved in all this, such as an accomplice."

Rarity and Applejack mulled this over in silence, but Apple Bloom gained an excited look in her eye as she asked, "An accomplice? Like somepony in cahoots with Diamond Tiara?"

"Exactly," Twilight answered with a nod. "A pony who knows that Diamond Tiara is at fault and could expose her if they got the word out."

"Ah know just who t' get!" Apple Bloom shouted excitedly. "Ya'll track down Diamond Tiara and keep 'er from runnin' off. Ah'll go get Silver Spoon."

"Ain't Silver Spoon her best friend?" Applejack questioned dubiously.

"She might be 'er friend, but somethin' tells me she'll join our side on this," Applebloom responded.

"And if she doesn't?" Rarity asked warily.

"We can always fall back on the 'bumps 'n bruises' idea," Applebloom said with a giggle, hurrying out of the library.

Rarity breathed something between a groan and a sigh as the filly slammed shut the door behind her.

"I suppose we should start looking for Diamond Tiara," she said.

"Right," Twilight said, headed for the door as well. "We'll find her in no time."

Rarity and Applejack began for the door, but the two unicorns each held out a hoof to stop Applejack before she could join them.

"What? Am ah not allowed to help ya'll clear mah name?" Applejack asked, bearing a resentful pout.

"Trust us, darling. You'll be much safer if you remain here," Rarity answered apologetically. "We'll be back before you know it."

Applejack propped up her stetson, then turned and trotted toward the backroom.

"Fine. Ah'll just sit here all quiet like and—"

"Don't go back there!" Twilight shouted, teleporting herself to stand between Applejack and the door she'd been trotting towards.

"Well, there ain't no windows in that there room, so why not?" Applejack asked, nodding past Twilight to the backroom.

"Uh...there's..." Twilight glanced to the room, then shot a sheepish grin at Applejack. "There's a lot of delicate research equipment in that room, and I would really appreciate it if you didn't go in there."

Applejack frowned inquisitively for a moment, then said with a shrug, "Whatever floats yer boat. Ah'll just go wait upstairs, ah guess."

She turned to the stairs and began to climb them.

As Twilight rejoined her at the library's front door, Rarity asked with an upraised brow, "What was that all about?"

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all," Twilight said dismissively as she opened the door with her magic and trotted out. Rarity watched her for a moment, then did the same, closing the door behind her. All the while, she kept a suspicious gaze locked on Twilight.

More than a little unsettled by everypony in sight having disappeared, Scootaloo packed up her unfinished report and textbook, pencil held in her teeth as she began towards Ponyville.

I have got to find out what's going on, she thought as she looked around for anypony who wouldn't run from her at first sight.

Nearing town, she found a sizable group of ponies headed her way, a good number of which she recognized as ponies who had fled the park area. Heading them was none other than Diamond Tiara, a twisted smile on her lips.

This can't be good, Scootaloo thought, standing her ground and glaring down Diamond Tiara as the group continued towards her.

"There's no need to fear," began Diamond Tiara, not directing her words at Scootaloo, "even if she is in league with them."

"Doesn't that make her dangerous, though?" meekly asked one of the ponies following Diamond Tiara as she marched onward.

"Don't worry. She might know some of their secrets, but she's harmless," Diamond Tiara answered, stopping a stone's throw away from Scootaloo, her followers cautiously huddled beside her.

Tossing her pencil onto her back, Scootaloo asked in a tone that was somewhat baffled and angered, "What are you up to this time?"

Diamond Tiara giggled, donning a smirk that could be called sinister as she answered, "Serving justice where justice is due."

Scootaloo cocked her head, obviously shocked that Diamond Tiara would ever say anything resembling heroism.

"Excuse me?"

"Is it true that you're an apprentice to Rainbow Dash?" asked a mare as she stepped from behind Diamond Tiara.

Scootaloo opened her mouth to answer, then paused.

She thought for a moment, then, a smug grin donning on her lips, answered, "You bet I am!"

"See?" Diamond Tiara mused, nodding to Scootaloo. "She even admits to it."

"What guarantee do we have that she won't fight back?" asked a stallion, his scrutinizing glare fixed on Scootaloo. "After all, we've all seen what became of those poor colts."

"She's just their servant, really," Diamond Tiara reassured, bearing a mischievous grin. "She can't actually hurt you."

"Just what are you talking about?" Scootaloo asked, focusing a hostile scowl on Diamond Tiara.

"What do we do with her, anyway?" asked the mare at Diamond Tiara's right. "Technically, she's done nothing wrong."

With a stunned scoff, Diamond Tiara said, "That may be true, but there's no telling what she'll do if she's allowed to go free. Besides, she might know where Rainbow Dash is hiding."

"Okay, what the hay is going on?!" Scootaloo roared, her patience gone.

Despite the spooked reactions of her followers, Diamond Tiara only smirked at Scootaloo, musing, "Don't play dumb. You know what you've done."

"And that would be?" Scootaloo asked, directing a menacing glare at Diamond Tiara.

"You did say you were an apprentice to Rainbow Dash, right?" asked the mare to Diamond Tiara's left.

"Yeah..." Scootaloo sounded confused by the question.

"Which means that she's... taught you a number of things. Correct?" asked the stallion at Diamond Tiara's right.

"I guess..." Scootaloo rubbed at her neck, her eyes darting to meet each of the gazes of the ponies in the group.

"Look," began Diamond Tiara, her impatience prevalent, "she's only stalling for time. Grab her now, while neither Rainbow Dash or Applejack are here to save her, then lock her up or something."

"Lock me up? For what?" Scootaloo asked, sounding more frightened than furious.

"Enough of this!" shouted Diamond Tiara, her head lowered as if to charge Scootaloo. "Just get her already!"

"Not so fast!" declared a young dragon from behind the group. Startled, Diamond Tiara and her followers turned all at once to look at him. Spike inhaled sharply, then loosed a torrent of smoke from his maw, enveloping Diamond Tiara, Scootaloo, and everypony else. A midst the commotion and wheezing, he dived into the cloud.

A small yelp could be heard from Scootaloo, then Spike frantically instructed, "Go! Run!"

It took a good while for the lone pegasus in the group to remember that she could easily clear away the smoke, which she did upon remembering as much. Spike and Scootaloo, however, were nowhere to be seen. Diamond Tiara hacked and coughed for a spell, then turned a fearsome glare to her followers.

"Idiots!" she yelled, the group shrinking and cowering. "You let her get away!" Rather than linger and continue yelling at these ponies, Diamond Tiara took off, headed towards Ponyville.

"Stop right there, you unruly stallions and mares!" shouted Zecora as she stormed out of her hut, the mob of ponies quieting. "Why must you run amuck in the Everfree? Why must you disturb its inhabitants, counted among them me?"

"We were told Rainbow Dash was hiding in this forest!" answered the stallion heading the mob, a chorus of chuckles and whoops sounding behind him.

"Why do you pursue poor Rainbow Dash in a manner so uncivil and brash?" Zecora scolded, stepping closer to the stallion who lead the group.

"For her crimes against the natural order," the stallion answered, meeting Zecora's icy glare with his own.

"Rainbow Dash has been called a criminal, you say? Just what has she been accused of this day?" Zecora didn't sound as perplexed as she sounded annoyed.

"She and Applejack are witches!" shouted a stallion from the back of the horde. "They're heretics!"

"You believe they've committed heresy?" Zecora asked, her expression doubtful. "What proof do you have of witch-like sorcery?"

"We saw two victims of their insidious arts," answered the leader of the horde.

"Victims of witchcraft you say you've seen? Just who might these two have been?" Zecora asked incredulously.

The leader was about to shout the answer, but paused, looking unsure as he mumbled, "Two colts... who were they?"

"Weren't they Skids and Slugs, or something?" suggested a mare that stepped forward.

"No, no. That wasn't it."

"I remember one of them was named Snails."

"Snails and Spits... nah... who was that other one?"

"Snips?"

"Snips and Snails?"

The leader nodded, pointing at Zecora and saying with a confident smirk, "Snips and Snails are their names."

Zecora furrowed her brow, then turned and closed the door to her hut.

"The ones called Snips and Snails I shall go see," she said, beginning to trot away. "In the meantime, try to go about your mobbing with some decency."

Somewhat bewildered, the mob silently watched Zecora depart, then many of its members exchanged confused glances. As per Zecora's instructions, they continued their search for Rainbow Dash in an organized, civil manner, navigating the dense vegetation of the Everfree.

With a great yawn and smack of the lips, Snips asked, "So, what do you want?"

"Um..." Fluttershy glanced over her shoulder, still awaiting Spike's return. "I'll tell you in just a second..."

"Just a second" later...

"Ah! Here he comes!" Fluttershy chimed as Spike and Scootaloo hurried into view.

"Nice work, Fluttershy," Spike lauded as he and Scootaloo stepped to either side of the pegasus. "Now to ask these two a few questions."

"What questions? What have Snails and I done?" Snips asked, squirming under Scootaloo's cold glare.

"So, earlier today you two covered yourself in paints and fake tattoos," Spike began, his arms crossed as he scrutinized the colts. "Why would you do that?"

"We don't know what you're talkin' about, eh," Snails said, looking confused by Spike's recount. "We didn't use any paint or tattoos."

"Oh really?" Spike asked, Scootaloo now looking as confused as Snips and Snails. "So those burns and cuts were the real deal?"

"Of course they were!" Snips answered, rolling his eyes. "If they were fake, then who would believe what Diamond Tiara told everypony in Ponyville about Applejack and Rainbow Dash?"

"Wait a second. What did Diamond Tiara tell everypony?" Scootaloo asked.

"Something about 'practicing voodoo.'" Snails answered, his eyes upturned in thought.

"What? Voodoo?" Scootaloo asked disbelievingly. "Who would believe something so stupid?"

"Apparently, Snips and Snails were 'victims' of their 'dark deeds,'" Spike said, shrugging and turning a glare to Snips and Snails. "Isn't that right?"

"It most certainly is!" Snips snapped, returning Spike's glare. "Those two are wicked witches who prey on the innocent, yes sirree."

Fluttershy and Scootaloo exchanged bewildered glances, but Spike simply pointed to Snips and asked, "And just how much did Diamond Tiara pay you to pretend that you had been 'voodoo'd?'"

"Twenty bits each," Snails answered with a small smile, Snips turning an outraged glare his way. He looked to his friend, asking innocently, "What?"

Spike scratched at his chin in thought, then proposed, "Twenty-five bits for both of you if you admit to the town that you were faking it."

Snips and Snails glanced to Spike, then to each other, then back to Spike, then answered in unison, "Deal!"

Scootaloo and Fluttershy both beamed at this, Spike saying smugly, "Alright then. All we need to do now is gather up everypony in Ponyville."

"How do we do that?" Scootaloo asked, glancing to the evening sky. "Everyone's scattered, running around looking for Rainbow Dash and Applejack."

Fluttershy chuckled, suggesting, "I think we should pay Pinkie Pie a visit."

"Why's that?" Spike asked, turning to Fluttershy with an upraised eyebrow.

"You'll see," Fluttershy mused, taking to the air. "Come on!"

She flew off, Scootaloo and Spike looking to each other, shrugging, then following behind.

"Wait!" Snips shouted after them. "What about our money?"

"You'll get it after everything gets cleared up!" Spike shouted back, disappearing from sight.

"Aww!" Snips cried, kicking a clump of dirt in frustration.

"Well, forty-five bits in one day isn't too bad," Snails observed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Snips said, he and Snails trotting after Spike, Scootaloo, and Fluttershy.