Most Cats Can't Flyby MockingbirbChaptersA Cat Is a Wish Your Heart MakesA Horse Is a Wish Your Cat MakesMeow Meow MeowRarity Doesn't InvestigateOpalescence Takes ChargeEpilogueA Cat Is a Wish Your Heart MakesRainbow Dash said, "Wouldn't it be amazing if I could turn into a cat?" Twilight snorted. "Are you sure there would even be a difference? Cats seem to sleep all the time, just like you." Fluttershy waited a moment to speak, to make sure she wouldn't be interrupting anypony. "Cats are very, very athletic. You would hardly believe some of the things I've seen cats do." Twilight quirked her eyebrows. "Rainbow, where did you even get this idea?" Rainbow said, "I just thought it would be cool, that's all. And you know I'm all about the coolness." Fluttershy nodded. "I still remember how at Flight Camp you always needed an extra blanket to go to sleep." "Hey! I've always been lean! It's not my fault I don't have any insulation." Fluttershy added, "And a big stuffed turtle, and a big teddy bear. They were both bigger than she was, and Rainbow would wedge herself in between them. It was really cute." "I needed them for extra insulation!" Twilight chuckled. "The things I missed out on when I was a filly, by being a book horse instead of a stuffed toy horse. But the more I hear, the more Dashie really does sound like a cat. Wedging yourself in between pillows or stuffed animals bigger than you are to get comfy? That's a classic cat maneuver." "You see? Twilight agrees! I would make a PERFECT cat!" Twilight tilted her head. "Only one way to find out." Her horn started to glow. Fluttershy looked around. "Twilight? Are you sure this is a good idea?" With a sudden flourish of music from an unknown source, Rainbow Dash was lifted up into the air, with her head and forelegs held high, and her hind legs dangling downwards. She started to slowly spin. Wisps of cloud appeared in the air around her, imperfectly hiding her torso. A childish voice (from the same source as the music?) cried out, "Neko! Ni! Nah...ri...mah...su!" A globe of light surrounded Rainbow Dash, so bright it hid the details of whatever might be happening to her. As the mysterious globe of light faded, the spinning slowed and stopped. Whatever force was holding Rainbow up in the air slowly subsided, gently lowering Rainbow back down. Rainbow sank gently into the soft, cushy surface beneath herself and the other two ponies. Rainbow kept sinking, deeper and deeper...until she was no longer visible. "Oh, horseapples," Twilight said. "Why didn't you say a cat WITH WINGS?" She and Fluttershy ran to the edge of the cloud and leaped off, diving beneath the cloud to catch their friend. A Horse Is a Wish Your Cat MakesAs Twilight ran to the edge of the cloud, she felt very anxious. "What if I can't save her?" Twilight asked herself. "It would be all my fault!" The purple unicorn princess had a long-running, not entirely healthy relationship with stress. Nevertheless, she tried to cope the best she could. She tried to remember the exact details of the spell she'd cast. "How would the reversal go?" With so much anxiety and adrenaline fueling her mad rush, but also turning her flying technique into a jittery mess? Twilight at that moment was only the SECOND-slowest flying pony in Ponyville. She edged ahead of her yellow friend in the race to the cloud's bottom. "I can't reverse it if I can't even remember exactly how it works! I think it goes something like..." With a sudden flourish of music, Twilight hovered in midair, slowly spinning, in a transformation sequence similar to Rainbow Dash's of a minute ago. "NO!" Twilight shouted. "Cancel! Exit sequence! Override code! Up up down down left right left right BEE AYY! I don't want to be a caaat!" With the prioritization skills and practical wisdom learned by caring for dozens or even hundreds of animals all at once, Fluttershy hovered beneath her purple friend hovering beneath the cloud. When Rainbowcat showed through the bottom of the cloud and started to plummet, Fluttershy flew directly beneath, so the cat landed perfectly on Fluttershy's back. Rainbowcat looked around with a cool, unworried expression, and started washing herself. As Twilight shouted more nonworking cancellation codes and spun in the air, Fluttershy descended to slightly below the level of her alicorn friend. When the spin stopped, Fluttershy used her teeth to neatly grip the scruff of Twicat's neck. "rrrffgt cttch," Fluttershy said through her mostly-already-busy mouth. "Miaoow miaou meeow mrow!" Twicat shouted. Flying in slow, descending circles, Fluttershy made her landing approach to Ponyville's pegasus airport (also known as nearly any flat surface in or near Ponyville.) Finally the animal wrangling pegasus landed gently in the center of Ponyville's main square, near Town Hall. In a sign of their blase respect for Fluttershy's animal handling skills, nopony seemed to even take a second glance at the sight of one pegasus carrying two cats. Fluttershy dipped her head to set Twicat down on the grass. "Okay, everykitty," Fluttershy said. "I think we should take a little walk to my cottage. There I can properly care for the two of you, while we think about how we can solve this. I'm not used to caring for cats, but I'm sure you won't be much different from any other animal." Having explained her plan, Fluttershy looked around for her audience. She noted a complete lack of visible, non-hiding cats. "Oh. I forgot. There's a reason I usually don't do cats." Fluttershy sighed. "Why are cats so hard to deal with? If only I could understand them better." Music started playing from somewhere unseen. Fluttershy started shouting, nearly as loudly as a small mouse squeaks. "Noooo! Tell everypony Rainbow Dash wanted to be able to turn into a cat and Twilight cast a spell and it's all gone terribly wrong and I'm probably turning into a cat and I don't want to be a cat! Tell Spike and Princess Celestia and all my friieeeeends!" Coincidentally, Pinkie Pie happened to be walking up right when Fluttershy wanted to talk to her. "Hi, Fluttershy! Turning into cats? That sounds really fun!" The same song started playing from the beginning, clashing somewhat with the later part of the same song already playing. Pinkie Pie floated up into the air. "Wow! I'm not just turning into a cat, I'm a flying cat! Neataroonie! I want to be a cat with wings! And laser eyes, I've never had those before! And what else can I ask for?" The childish voice from nowhere in particular said, "Neko ni nahrimahsu!" The two mares slowly descended to the ground, in their new cat forms. Fortunately, their color schemes at least were preserved. Pinkie Pie unfolded her new wings, and took to the air. "Meeaou!" she said. She started flying towards Twilight's Castle of Overpowered Alicorns and Friendship. Meow Meow MeowSitting on the Friendship Map And Also A Table, the pink cat said, "Miaou. Mroww mrrp miao miiarrou mrr mrrr mrt MRRT!" "Wow," Spike said. "That sounds really important. If only we had somepony here who could speak cat. I'm going to go get Fluttershy. I'll bet SHE could understand what you're saying." "MEOW MIAOU MIIAAOUUU!" the pink cat said. "What's that? Something about Fluttershy? I'd better go check on Fluttershy right now!" Spike ran out of the room. The cat said disappointedly, "Mrow." She started washing herself. *** More than an hour later, Spike returned. "I went looking for Fluttershy. She wasn't at her cottage. And somecreature made a big mess there. Some of the mouse hutches had been tossed around and broken open, and the birds were all really upset." Spike frowned. "I wonder if they saw what happened to Fluttershy? Do you think maybe the same thing that went after them got Fluttershy too?" Spike scratched his head. "I don't know for sure, but it makes sense." The pink cat leaped into the air, but didn't bother to come back down like a normal cat. Instead, Pinkiecat used her wings to fly around the room. She landed on the back of a chair and looked down at the floor. Spike asked, "Kitty? Do you need something to eat? Hey Twilight, you know almost everything. What do cats eat?" Spike said, "Oh, yeah. Twilight isn't here. But I guess if she WAS here, she'd probably just tell me something out of a book. So I'll go find a book about cats, and maybe it'll be almost as good as Twilight!" An hour later, Spike returned. "Wow! Cats are almost as gross as dogs! Which is pretty gross, as I once learned the hard way. I'm so glad to be a dragon." Pinkiecat pounced from the chair's back onto the floor, and demonstrated what cats like to catch and eat. "OOOH, DISGUSTING!" Spike exclaimed. "Well, disgusting to a dragon anyway. If I was a dog, I guess I'd think that looked good. Good thing I'm--" Loud music started, drowning out Spike's shouting about how he didn't really want to be a dog, he wanted to be a cool fire-breathing dragon instead. *** Half an hour later, a Pinkiecat, a Spikedog, and a Twicat all stared at the front door, wanting to be let out. Twicat was regretting never having thought to invent a magical stare-activated door. Really, ponies can be so inconsiderate! And shortsighted! Why don't ponies plan and prioritize better? Don't they even understand what's important? (Important is whatever a cat wants, by the way.) Spike said, "Bow wow! Bow wow bark ruff RUFF!" The cats looked at him disdainfully. Most Equestrian cats have invisible cutie marks (the colors exactly match the rest of their coats) for combinations of skills including disdainful looks, napping, and throwing up hairballs in places where you'd rather they wouldn't. Pinkiecat said, "Mrow! Mroouu miaow." Her eyes lit up in a scary way. The other two animals backed away from her. Bright pink beams shot from her eyes, burning holes in the front door. Pinkiecat was an especially versatile meower. So she said, "Pew pew! Pew pew pew pew pew!" while she had fun making more holes in the door. Rarity Doesn't InvestigateIn the Carousel Boutique, Sweetie Belle explained to her friends what she'd found when she got home from school. "Somepony gave Opalescence a dye job! Isn't that strange?" Apple Bloom walked around the room, seeming to look for something. She went into the bathroom, her hoofteps echoing from the tile. After the "shoof shoof" of a pony moving a shower curtain, she came back out. "That's not the only thing that's strange," she said. "What did you find?" "It's not what I found. It's what I DIDN'T find. Aren't there a lot of things you should find if somepony dyed Opal's tail and the top of her head purple?" Scootaloo said, "Maybe a dye bottle?" Sweetie snorted. "And how about some dye stains. Trying to dye a cat who probably doesn't want to be dyed should make a huge mess. Fur everywhere, from both the cat and the pony. Maybe some bloodstains--" Scootaloo squealed, "Blood? Do cats KILL ponies?" Sweetie laughed. "Not usually. But if somepony tries to do something to Opal that she doesn't like, Opal might scratch them up pretty bad." Sweetie went into the bathroom and checked the cabinets. "I don't think anypony's used a bunch of bandages. And our cleaning supplies aren't used up either." Scootaloo said, "It's a mystery! Cutie Mark Mystery Solver Sleuths time!" Sweetie looked all around for more clues, or rather, hoping to find the first clue that wasn't a total absence of clues. "I think this might be a tough one to solve." "Ah wonder where Rarity is. Do you suppose maybe somepony ponynapped her?" Scootaloo pondered. "And left a cat dyed like her, as some kind of decoy? The criminal mind...seems pretty goofy if you ask me." "Sweetie Belle, Ah think you told us Rarity tried to be a detective once?" "Yes, she did. The Wonderbolts thought Rainbow Dash had committed fraud and forgery, to get to perform in a Wonderbolts show. And my sister didn't just TRY, she found the culprit and PROVED Rainbow was innocent!" "Well of course she was innocent!" Scootaloo insisted. "WE know that. But Rarity had to prove it, so everypony would know." Sweetie Belle sighed. "If only my sister was here so she could solve the mystery of who ponynapped her." "Ah reckon, if she was here to solve the mystery we wouldn't need her to solve the mystery." Scootaloo laughed. "Does that even make sense?" Sweetie said, "It makes too much sense. I'm afraid we might never find out what happened here." From somewhere on the second floor, the fillies heard a banging noise. An unfamiliar voice shouted, "Is anypony out there? Please let me out!" The fillies ran up the stairs, following the noise. Apple Bloom grabbed a lamp, Scootaloo looked very fierce, and Sweetie Belle opened a closed door. Behind the door was a snowy-white, young teenage unicorn. "Oh, thank goodness! I was trapped in here for hours!" Apple Bloom checked the room for criminal masterminds. Sweetie Belle just stared at the unicorn, and at the door. She used her unicorn magic to swing the door back and forth and fiddle with the doorknob. "Why couldn't you get out?" "Because DOORKNOB!" the snowy unicorn said. "Celestia's missing tailfeathers! Haven't you ever seen a doorknob before? Don't you even know what they do?" Apple Bloom laughed. "Ah reckon she must know SOMETHIN' about doorknobs, seein' as how she just let you out." Scootaloo asked suspiciously, "Who ARE you, anyway?" "I'm Opalescence." "Pleased to meet you," Sweetie Belle said. "That's a nice name. We have a cat named Opalescence. But how did you get here, and why were you in there anyway?" Opalescence explained, "Rarity left me locked in there." "Rarity locked you in there?" Sweetie's eyes narrowed. "Maybe she had a good reason." "I'm sure she thought she'd be able to let me out. But of course, that's no longer possible." "WHY isn't it possible? What happened to my sister? Did YOU do it?" "I am only an innocent bystander. But I did overhear something." "Tell me! Tell me right now!" Sweetie glanced momentarily at her lamp-wielding friend. It wasn't exactly a direct threat, but it didn't have to be. "I overheard Rarity say she felt tired and overworked. She said she'd like to change places with me, so she could take naps all day if she wanted to." Apple Bloom glared at the snowy unicorn. "Are you...LAZY?" Opalescence tried to assure Apple Bloom, "For somepony in my position, taking a daytime nap is not unseemly." "Why? Are you some kind of WORTHLESS LAZY ARISTOCRAT? The kind who doesn't do anything USEFUL like the stuff Celestia and Luna and Twilight do?" "Well..." Opalescence shrugged. "Let's not get into my original family background. You and I have already met." "I'm sure I'd remember such a--" "I'M USUALLY A CAT!" Opalescence shouted. The fillies looked confused, each in her own way. Sweetie was the first to speak. "OH. Your name is Opalescence because you ARE Opalescence. Our cat." "Exactly." A white cat with a purple tail and some purple on its head and neck rubbed against Opalescence. "And maybe this adorable little creature is Rarity?" The Raricat nodded and meowed. She pawed at Opalescence's leg. Opalescence looked around at the fillies. "Does anypony here know how to use a can opener?" *** Applejack said, "This farm has mice and rats somethin' awful this year. If I only knew some way I could fix that." A moment later, she said, "Hay! Where's that music comin' from?" Opalescence Takes ChargeA pony walked into the Ponyville Post Office. The snowy-white teenage unicorn was a stranger, who nopony could recall having seen before. Opal said loudly, "Is there anypony here who can write? You see, I was turned into a cat at a very young age, so nopony ever properly taught me." Ponies looked at each other awkwardly, not sure what to tell a pony who walks in saying such things. Beyond the other ponies, Derpy Doo Hooves smiled. "I can help you! Tell me all about it!" The other ponies seemed very relieved that somepony had taken this problem off their hooves. *** In Carousel Boutique, frogs hopped around the showroom. The Twicat refused to chase any of them, instead resting on one of Rarity's couches. Scootaloo said, "Are you supposed to get the frog to kiss the enchanted pony princess, or the enchanted pony princess to kiss the frog?" "Ah just don't think frogs and cats like each other that much." Sweetie Belle mused, "Maybe if they went on a date first? Oh! My sister has some romance novels I'm not supposed to read! Maybe there's some ideas in there!" Opalescence interrupted. "I have...ONE idea. I don't know if it's a good one." "Tell us!" Scootaloo demanded. Apple Bloom said, "It can't be as bad as the ideas we've already come up with." Opal looked embarrassed. "Do you remember when I said I didn't want to talk about my family background?" "Ah, shucks!" Apple Bloom said. "Not everypony is lucky enough to be an Apple. I don't hold it against you, 'specially since you're a cat. Cats are an important part of makin' a good farm work right, 'less you want to drown in mice an' rats." "My family background is...a little more complicated than that." *** "But the ponynappers knew I'd seen their faces and cutie marks, so I was a witness. For days, they argued over what to do with me. But finally one night, they held me down and forced me to drink a potion that turned me into a cat." "Those NOT NICE PONIES!" Apple Bloom shouted. "Leaving your family to wonder forever what had happened to you!" Opal delicately stomped one hoof. "And selling me to a pet store for fifteen bits! I've never been so insulted in my life!" The fillies looked at each other awkwardly. "Anyway," Opal continued, "I escaped from the pet store, but I didn't know my way home and I had no idea how to find out. I couldn't exactly go around asking ponies for directions to 'meow meow meow,' could I?" "Ah guess not." "Fortunately, a kind unicorn found me and took care of me." "My sister Rarity! She IS so kind!" Opal cleared her throat. "No, not THAT kind unicorn. A DIFFERENT kind unicorn, Dusty Stores. But Dusty knew another unicorn who wanted a cat, but was afraid that a cat might claw up all her fabrics. Because Dusty admired how I never sharpened my claws on any fabric, clothing, or furniture, Dusty introduced me and Rarity to each other, and asked if we might like to live together." Opal sighed happily. "So that's how I went from being one of ponykind's legally designated aristocrats, to one of Nature's true aristocrats." Apple Bloom asked, "Did your parents ever find out what happened to you?" "Oh, don't worry. Yesterday I went to the post office and sent them a letter. They should get it soon, and then they'll know everything." "Ah'm glad that's taken care of. Or it will be soon." Scootaloo asked, "But what's your idea that you think you don't know if it's good?" "When the ponynappers gave me the potion, they mentioned that there's one cure. A single antidote. Not that anypony would know how to get it." Scootaloo hopped up and down, buzzing her tiny wings with excitement. "Get what? What is it?" Opal chuckled dryly. "A kiss from a purple alicorn princess. As if such a thing were available to us." "OH!" Scootaloo shouted, "We know one of those! Let's get Twilight--oh." "Ah reckon cat Twilight MIGHT do it?" "Or if you don't have the purple alicorn princess," Opal said, "A peck on the cheek from a wise zebra shaman or shamare'm might be close enough. That's what the ponynappers said the potion salespony told them." Scootaloo exclaimed, "We know a wise zebra shamare'm! Or she MIGHT be a shamare'm? It's worth a try. Even though you already are turned back to a unicorn." She looked at the unicorn questioningly. "Are you hoping to get double turned back into a double unicorn? What would that even mean? Would you get two horns? Would you have twice as much magic?" "Rarity said she wanted to change places with me. So maybe the cure that WOULD HAVE worked for me, will work for her. At least it can't make things worse. I'm just sorry we'll have to wait until we can get me, Rarity, and a zebra shamare'm or purple alicorn princess all in the same place at the same time." Scootaloo jumped up and down. "That shouldn't be TOO hard." *** "I'm just sorry I had to ask you to come all the way here, Zecora!" As she walked into the Boutique, Zecora said, "Herding cats through the Everfree is not wise. That forest is always a surprise. Better it is that I come here. So losing cats we need not fear." Zecora reached out a forehoof and gently scritched an adorable creature on the head. "WHO'S a cute little kitty-boo? YOU'RE a cute little kitty, that's who." Sweetie Belle said, "Um, Zecora, that's a unicorn. My sister is over here." The snowy white unicorn said, "Oh, I don't mind getting some head scritches. Zecora is really good at them." She looked at the fillies appraisingly. "You didn't know that? Doesn't she ever give YOU head scritches? You have no idea what you're missing out on." "Ah'll take your word for it." Sweetie Belle's ears twitched nervously. "Maybe some other time." Scootaloo complained, "Don't look at me! Half the ponies in town keep calling me an orphan! I don't want them to start calling me a cat too!" While still scritching Opal's head, Zecora looked over at Raricat. "So all I must do this problem to fix, is Rarity cat on the cheek to kiss?" Everypony nodded. Zecora bent down and kissed Raricat on the cheek, then stepped back. "Give us room for this cat to grow, back into the sister you love and know." Rarity was enveloped by a bright magical glow. When it subsided, Rarity was her usual unicorn self. "Well! That certainly was restful! I feel like a new unicorn!" Scootaloo said, "We were hoping to get the OLD unicorn you back." "Not that you're old!" Sweetie Belle said, "Because you're not." Rarity tittered. "Don't worry, my filly friends! I'm not THAT old. But I do feel marvelously refreshed, after that little vacation." From outside came the sounds of leaves rustling and branches breaking, followed by a loud thump. "If my ears do not deceive, somepony fell through twigs and leaves." Scootaloo went to the Boutique's front door, and stepped outside to look around. "Looks like Twilight just fell out of a tree. I didn't know you liked to climb trees, Princess Twilight!" The purple unicorn stood up, but seemed somewhat unsteady on her hooves. "I didn't know either. Not until I was a cat. And I don't think I still like it, now that I'm a pony again. Now I feel like tree climbing is for cats and goats and sheep, not for ponies like me." Everypony went outside to congratulate Twilight on her recovery from being a cat. But from very far above, the ponies faintly heard high-pitched screaming. Twilight looked up. "Well, THAT'S not good." She lit up her horn, and shot some kind of magic beam into the sky. A few minutes later, the fillies noticed a tiny cloud descending towards the group. "What is THAT?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Is it going to rain?" Scootaloo shook her head. "It's not rain. But something's weighing that cloud down." The cloud came so low that everypony could see the top of it, where Pinkie Pie stood. Pinkie turned to Twilight. "Thanks for the cloudwalking spell just now, Twi. It was a real lifesaver." "Anytime," Twilight said. "I'm just so happy I was here to catch you. Especially since this whole mess was basically my fault." Fluttershy walked up to the group. "I know you didn't mean any harm. You were just trying to grant Dashie's wish." Rainbow Dash arrived by air, and hovered, enjoying her restored wings. "How was I to know cats can't fly? It's not like there were any cats around when I was growing up in Cloudsdale." Opalescence gave Rainbow an incredulous look. "Did you ever think that when you were growing up in a pegasus cloud city, and there weren't any cats around, there was a REASON they weren't around?" Rainbow scratched her mane. "Yeah, that IS kind of weird. Some ponies say cats are the coolest animals EVER. So if they're the coolest animals ever, you'd think they'd be able to fly, right?" Applejack walked up to the group. "Ick. Mah mouth tastes horrible right now. Ah'm pretty sure mah breath smells like dead mice. It's the exact opposite of apples. Rarity, do you have a spare toothbrush?" "I'm so happy," Fluttershy said, "that we all got through this okay. And I didn't even have to learn how to herd cats, which is the one skill with animals I've never seemed to have any talent for. As if there's even anypony who COULD do that." Applejack perked up. "Cat herding? Ya know, when he was a colt, Big Macintosh worked as a cat herder a couple of summers. He told me a lot of stories about it. Ah'd love to tell you mah favorite cat herding story, right after I brush my teeth with something that isn't a mouse." A gray postmare with a blonde mane and tail walked up. "Is this where Opalescence lives?" The snowy coated mare waved hello. "That would be me. It's one of my names, anyway." "Good. I'm here about a letter you sent?" "What happened? Did I get an answer? Are my parents coming? Will our family be reunited?" "I'm...not sure about that." The mailmare looked uncomfortable. "See, the thing is...the address you gave me was kind of vague." "It's all I have!" "I understand. But it might take a while for the delivery ponies to find the place. If they even can find it. An address like 'The Big Pink House Where Mommy and Daddy Live, But Not Their Daughter Who Was Ponynapped When She Was a Small Foal, Mommy and Daddy Are Both Unicorn Nobles, In The City Where Mommy and Daddy Live, Somewhere In Equestria, It's Fairly Near The Ocean And By A Big River Too?' That's not the easiest address to deliver to." Opal looked away into the distance. "I guess you're right. I never should have gotten my hopes up. I just wanted so much to tell my parents what had happened to me. That even though their daughter was ponynapped and turned into a cat, I'm still alive and well." Derpy said uneasily, "I believe the postponies will work very hard, trying to deliver an important letter like this one. So maybe someday they'll find the right ponies, in the right house, in the right city." She forced her face into an unconvincing attempt at a reassuring smile. "I'm sure I don't know what could go wrong." Opal snorted bitterly. "Oh, who am I kidding? I should have known it would never work. And even if the postal service finds somepony to deliver the letter to, anypony who gets it will probably think it's a cruel joke. But thanks for trying." Opal walked over to Zecora, grabbed the zebra by the ears, and kissed her on the cheek. In a flash of light, Opal transformed into the snowy white Purrsian cat form that Ponyville was used to. "Meow!" Opal said. EpilogueIn a pet store near the cities of Sea-Saddle and Tackoma, a pair of aristocratic unicorns and a Zebrican shamare'm flagged down the shopkeeper. "We want to see ALL your cats." The unicorn mare held a ragged, damaged letter with her telekenesis, but put it away in her saddlebag. Soon the zebra was kissing each cat on the cheek, while the unicorn stallion counted. "...one hundred fifty, one hundred fifty-one...is that ALL of your cats?" "Yes," the shopkeeper said, "That's all of them. I'm sorry if you couldn't find the cat you wanted. But there's also a very nice shop a few leagues south of here, The Kit'n Caboodle, where you might want to take a look." The unicorn mare nodded. Her husband said with brave determination, "We'll try there next. Someday, one way or another, we will find our missing daughter. Even if it means kissing all the cats in Equestria." The Zebrican hoofed a little bag to the shopkeeper. "A few of your cats have nasty fleas. Scatter around this powder, please." "Thank you, shamare'm and mare'm and sir. I'll do it for sure." The shopkeeper was rather cheerful, for a salespony who hadn't even made a sale. "And good luck finding your daughter, too!" The unicorn stallion levitated a card to the shopkeeper. "If you ever meet or hear of a snowy white cat who seems especially delighted to answer to the name of Princess Petunia Foaliage Rainsparkle, and loves to be told that her unicorn parents love her and you'll help her see them again soon, be sure to let us know." "Certainly!" The shopkeeper tucked away the card in a safe place. Author's Note This story is based on my blog post "Forum > Cat" (Chapter One of a Short Story). I made the story art by editing frames from the show. (SO MUCH EDITING!) You can upvote and favorite and comment if you want to?
A Cat Is a Wish Your Heart MakesRainbow Dash said, "Wouldn't it be amazing if I could turn into a cat?" Twilight snorted. "Are you sure there would even be a difference? Cats seem to sleep all the time, just like you." Fluttershy waited a moment to speak, to make sure she wouldn't be interrupting anypony. "Cats are very, very athletic. You would hardly believe some of the things I've seen cats do." Twilight quirked her eyebrows. "Rainbow, where did you even get this idea?" Rainbow said, "I just thought it would be cool, that's all. And you know I'm all about the coolness." Fluttershy nodded. "I still remember how at Flight Camp you always needed an extra blanket to go to sleep." "Hey! I've always been lean! It's not my fault I don't have any insulation." Fluttershy added, "And a big stuffed turtle, and a big teddy bear. They were both bigger than she was, and Rainbow would wedge herself in between them. It was really cute." "I needed them for extra insulation!" Twilight chuckled. "The things I missed out on when I was a filly, by being a book horse instead of a stuffed toy horse. But the more I hear, the more Dashie really does sound like a cat. Wedging yourself in between pillows or stuffed animals bigger than you are to get comfy? That's a classic cat maneuver." "You see? Twilight agrees! I would make a PERFECT cat!" Twilight tilted her head. "Only one way to find out." Her horn started to glow. Fluttershy looked around. "Twilight? Are you sure this is a good idea?" With a sudden flourish of music from an unknown source, Rainbow Dash was lifted up into the air, with her head and forelegs held high, and her hind legs dangling downwards. She started to slowly spin. Wisps of cloud appeared in the air around her, imperfectly hiding her torso. A childish voice (from the same source as the music?) cried out, "Neko! Ni! Nah...ri...mah...su!" A globe of light surrounded Rainbow Dash, so bright it hid the details of whatever might be happening to her. As the mysterious globe of light faded, the spinning slowed and stopped. Whatever force was holding Rainbow up in the air slowly subsided, gently lowering Rainbow back down. Rainbow sank gently into the soft, cushy surface beneath herself and the other two ponies. Rainbow kept sinking, deeper and deeper...until she was no longer visible. "Oh, horseapples," Twilight said. "Why didn't you say a cat WITH WINGS?" She and Fluttershy ran to the edge of the cloud and leaped off, diving beneath the cloud to catch their friend.
A Horse Is a Wish Your Cat MakesAs Twilight ran to the edge of the cloud, she felt very anxious. "What if I can't save her?" Twilight asked herself. "It would be all my fault!" The purple unicorn princess had a long-running, not entirely healthy relationship with stress. Nevertheless, she tried to cope the best she could. She tried to remember the exact details of the spell she'd cast. "How would the reversal go?" With so much anxiety and adrenaline fueling her mad rush, but also turning her flying technique into a jittery mess? Twilight at that moment was only the SECOND-slowest flying pony in Ponyville. She edged ahead of her yellow friend in the race to the cloud's bottom. "I can't reverse it if I can't even remember exactly how it works! I think it goes something like..." With a sudden flourish of music, Twilight hovered in midair, slowly spinning, in a transformation sequence similar to Rainbow Dash's of a minute ago. "NO!" Twilight shouted. "Cancel! Exit sequence! Override code! Up up down down left right left right BEE AYY! I don't want to be a caaat!" With the prioritization skills and practical wisdom learned by caring for dozens or even hundreds of animals all at once, Fluttershy hovered beneath her purple friend hovering beneath the cloud. When Rainbowcat showed through the bottom of the cloud and started to plummet, Fluttershy flew directly beneath, so the cat landed perfectly on Fluttershy's back. Rainbowcat looked around with a cool, unworried expression, and started washing herself. As Twilight shouted more nonworking cancellation codes and spun in the air, Fluttershy descended to slightly below the level of her alicorn friend. When the spin stopped, Fluttershy used her teeth to neatly grip the scruff of Twicat's neck. "rrrffgt cttch," Fluttershy said through her mostly-already-busy mouth. "Miaoow miaou meeow mrow!" Twicat shouted. Flying in slow, descending circles, Fluttershy made her landing approach to Ponyville's pegasus airport (also known as nearly any flat surface in or near Ponyville.) Finally the animal wrangling pegasus landed gently in the center of Ponyville's main square, near Town Hall. In a sign of their blase respect for Fluttershy's animal handling skills, nopony seemed to even take a second glance at the sight of one pegasus carrying two cats. Fluttershy dipped her head to set Twicat down on the grass. "Okay, everykitty," Fluttershy said. "I think we should take a little walk to my cottage. There I can properly care for the two of you, while we think about how we can solve this. I'm not used to caring for cats, but I'm sure you won't be much different from any other animal." Having explained her plan, Fluttershy looked around for her audience. She noted a complete lack of visible, non-hiding cats. "Oh. I forgot. There's a reason I usually don't do cats." Fluttershy sighed. "Why are cats so hard to deal with? If only I could understand them better." Music started playing from somewhere unseen. Fluttershy started shouting, nearly as loudly as a small mouse squeaks. "Noooo! Tell everypony Rainbow Dash wanted to be able to turn into a cat and Twilight cast a spell and it's all gone terribly wrong and I'm probably turning into a cat and I don't want to be a cat! Tell Spike and Princess Celestia and all my friieeeeends!" Coincidentally, Pinkie Pie happened to be walking up right when Fluttershy wanted to talk to her. "Hi, Fluttershy! Turning into cats? That sounds really fun!" The same song started playing from the beginning, clashing somewhat with the later part of the same song already playing. Pinkie Pie floated up into the air. "Wow! I'm not just turning into a cat, I'm a flying cat! Neataroonie! I want to be a cat with wings! And laser eyes, I've never had those before! And what else can I ask for?" The childish voice from nowhere in particular said, "Neko ni nahrimahsu!" The two mares slowly descended to the ground, in their new cat forms. Fortunately, their color schemes at least were preserved. Pinkie Pie unfolded her new wings, and took to the air. "Meeaou!" she said. She started flying towards Twilight's Castle of Overpowered Alicorns and Friendship.
Meow Meow MeowSitting on the Friendship Map And Also A Table, the pink cat said, "Miaou. Mroww mrrp miao miiarrou mrr mrrr mrt MRRT!" "Wow," Spike said. "That sounds really important. If only we had somepony here who could speak cat. I'm going to go get Fluttershy. I'll bet SHE could understand what you're saying." "MEOW MIAOU MIIAAOUUU!" the pink cat said. "What's that? Something about Fluttershy? I'd better go check on Fluttershy right now!" Spike ran out of the room. The cat said disappointedly, "Mrow." She started washing herself. *** More than an hour later, Spike returned. "I went looking for Fluttershy. She wasn't at her cottage. And somecreature made a big mess there. Some of the mouse hutches had been tossed around and broken open, and the birds were all really upset." Spike frowned. "I wonder if they saw what happened to Fluttershy? Do you think maybe the same thing that went after them got Fluttershy too?" Spike scratched his head. "I don't know for sure, but it makes sense." The pink cat leaped into the air, but didn't bother to come back down like a normal cat. Instead, Pinkiecat used her wings to fly around the room. She landed on the back of a chair and looked down at the floor. Spike asked, "Kitty? Do you need something to eat? Hey Twilight, you know almost everything. What do cats eat?" Spike said, "Oh, yeah. Twilight isn't here. But I guess if she WAS here, she'd probably just tell me something out of a book. So I'll go find a book about cats, and maybe it'll be almost as good as Twilight!" An hour later, Spike returned. "Wow! Cats are almost as gross as dogs! Which is pretty gross, as I once learned the hard way. I'm so glad to be a dragon." Pinkiecat pounced from the chair's back onto the floor, and demonstrated what cats like to catch and eat. "OOOH, DISGUSTING!" Spike exclaimed. "Well, disgusting to a dragon anyway. If I was a dog, I guess I'd think that looked good. Good thing I'm--" Loud music started, drowning out Spike's shouting about how he didn't really want to be a dog, he wanted to be a cool fire-breathing dragon instead. *** Half an hour later, a Pinkiecat, a Spikedog, and a Twicat all stared at the front door, wanting to be let out. Twicat was regretting never having thought to invent a magical stare-activated door. Really, ponies can be so inconsiderate! And shortsighted! Why don't ponies plan and prioritize better? Don't they even understand what's important? (Important is whatever a cat wants, by the way.) Spike said, "Bow wow! Bow wow bark ruff RUFF!" The cats looked at him disdainfully. Most Equestrian cats have invisible cutie marks (the colors exactly match the rest of their coats) for combinations of skills including disdainful looks, napping, and throwing up hairballs in places where you'd rather they wouldn't. Pinkiecat said, "Mrow! Mroouu miaow." Her eyes lit up in a scary way. The other two animals backed away from her. Bright pink beams shot from her eyes, burning holes in the front door. Pinkiecat was an especially versatile meower. So she said, "Pew pew! Pew pew pew pew pew!" while she had fun making more holes in the door.
Rarity Doesn't InvestigateIn the Carousel Boutique, Sweetie Belle explained to her friends what she'd found when she got home from school. "Somepony gave Opalescence a dye job! Isn't that strange?" Apple Bloom walked around the room, seeming to look for something. She went into the bathroom, her hoofteps echoing from the tile. After the "shoof shoof" of a pony moving a shower curtain, she came back out. "That's not the only thing that's strange," she said. "What did you find?" "It's not what I found. It's what I DIDN'T find. Aren't there a lot of things you should find if somepony dyed Opal's tail and the top of her head purple?" Scootaloo said, "Maybe a dye bottle?" Sweetie snorted. "And how about some dye stains. Trying to dye a cat who probably doesn't want to be dyed should make a huge mess. Fur everywhere, from both the cat and the pony. Maybe some bloodstains--" Scootaloo squealed, "Blood? Do cats KILL ponies?" Sweetie laughed. "Not usually. But if somepony tries to do something to Opal that she doesn't like, Opal might scratch them up pretty bad." Sweetie went into the bathroom and checked the cabinets. "I don't think anypony's used a bunch of bandages. And our cleaning supplies aren't used up either." Scootaloo said, "It's a mystery! Cutie Mark Mystery Solver Sleuths time!" Sweetie looked all around for more clues, or rather, hoping to find the first clue that wasn't a total absence of clues. "I think this might be a tough one to solve." "Ah wonder where Rarity is. Do you suppose maybe somepony ponynapped her?" Scootaloo pondered. "And left a cat dyed like her, as some kind of decoy? The criminal mind...seems pretty goofy if you ask me." "Sweetie Belle, Ah think you told us Rarity tried to be a detective once?" "Yes, she did. The Wonderbolts thought Rainbow Dash had committed fraud and forgery, to get to perform in a Wonderbolts show. And my sister didn't just TRY, she found the culprit and PROVED Rainbow was innocent!" "Well of course she was innocent!" Scootaloo insisted. "WE know that. But Rarity had to prove it, so everypony would know." Sweetie Belle sighed. "If only my sister was here so she could solve the mystery of who ponynapped her." "Ah reckon, if she was here to solve the mystery we wouldn't need her to solve the mystery." Scootaloo laughed. "Does that even make sense?" Sweetie said, "It makes too much sense. I'm afraid we might never find out what happened here." From somewhere on the second floor, the fillies heard a banging noise. An unfamiliar voice shouted, "Is anypony out there? Please let me out!" The fillies ran up the stairs, following the noise. Apple Bloom grabbed a lamp, Scootaloo looked very fierce, and Sweetie Belle opened a closed door. Behind the door was a snowy-white, young teenage unicorn. "Oh, thank goodness! I was trapped in here for hours!" Apple Bloom checked the room for criminal masterminds. Sweetie Belle just stared at the unicorn, and at the door. She used her unicorn magic to swing the door back and forth and fiddle with the doorknob. "Why couldn't you get out?" "Because DOORKNOB!" the snowy unicorn said. "Celestia's missing tailfeathers! Haven't you ever seen a doorknob before? Don't you even know what they do?" Apple Bloom laughed. "Ah reckon she must know SOMETHIN' about doorknobs, seein' as how she just let you out." Scootaloo asked suspiciously, "Who ARE you, anyway?" "I'm Opalescence." "Pleased to meet you," Sweetie Belle said. "That's a nice name. We have a cat named Opalescence. But how did you get here, and why were you in there anyway?" Opalescence explained, "Rarity left me locked in there." "Rarity locked you in there?" Sweetie's eyes narrowed. "Maybe she had a good reason." "I'm sure she thought she'd be able to let me out. But of course, that's no longer possible." "WHY isn't it possible? What happened to my sister? Did YOU do it?" "I am only an innocent bystander. But I did overhear something." "Tell me! Tell me right now!" Sweetie glanced momentarily at her lamp-wielding friend. It wasn't exactly a direct threat, but it didn't have to be. "I overheard Rarity say she felt tired and overworked. She said she'd like to change places with me, so she could take naps all day if she wanted to." Apple Bloom glared at the snowy unicorn. "Are you...LAZY?" Opalescence tried to assure Apple Bloom, "For somepony in my position, taking a daytime nap is not unseemly." "Why? Are you some kind of WORTHLESS LAZY ARISTOCRAT? The kind who doesn't do anything USEFUL like the stuff Celestia and Luna and Twilight do?" "Well..." Opalescence shrugged. "Let's not get into my original family background. You and I have already met." "I'm sure I'd remember such a--" "I'M USUALLY A CAT!" Opalescence shouted. The fillies looked confused, each in her own way. Sweetie was the first to speak. "OH. Your name is Opalescence because you ARE Opalescence. Our cat." "Exactly." A white cat with a purple tail and some purple on its head and neck rubbed against Opalescence. "And maybe this adorable little creature is Rarity?" The Raricat nodded and meowed. She pawed at Opalescence's leg. Opalescence looked around at the fillies. "Does anypony here know how to use a can opener?" *** Applejack said, "This farm has mice and rats somethin' awful this year. If I only knew some way I could fix that." A moment later, she said, "Hay! Where's that music comin' from?"
Opalescence Takes ChargeA pony walked into the Ponyville Post Office. The snowy-white teenage unicorn was a stranger, who nopony could recall having seen before. Opal said loudly, "Is there anypony here who can write? You see, I was turned into a cat at a very young age, so nopony ever properly taught me." Ponies looked at each other awkwardly, not sure what to tell a pony who walks in saying such things. Beyond the other ponies, Derpy Doo Hooves smiled. "I can help you! Tell me all about it!" The other ponies seemed very relieved that somepony had taken this problem off their hooves. *** In Carousel Boutique, frogs hopped around the showroom. The Twicat refused to chase any of them, instead resting on one of Rarity's couches. Scootaloo said, "Are you supposed to get the frog to kiss the enchanted pony princess, or the enchanted pony princess to kiss the frog?" "Ah just don't think frogs and cats like each other that much." Sweetie Belle mused, "Maybe if they went on a date first? Oh! My sister has some romance novels I'm not supposed to read! Maybe there's some ideas in there!" Opalescence interrupted. "I have...ONE idea. I don't know if it's a good one." "Tell us!" Scootaloo demanded. Apple Bloom said, "It can't be as bad as the ideas we've already come up with." Opal looked embarrassed. "Do you remember when I said I didn't want to talk about my family background?" "Ah, shucks!" Apple Bloom said. "Not everypony is lucky enough to be an Apple. I don't hold it against you, 'specially since you're a cat. Cats are an important part of makin' a good farm work right, 'less you want to drown in mice an' rats." "My family background is...a little more complicated than that." *** "But the ponynappers knew I'd seen their faces and cutie marks, so I was a witness. For days, they argued over what to do with me. But finally one night, they held me down and forced me to drink a potion that turned me into a cat." "Those NOT NICE PONIES!" Apple Bloom shouted. "Leaving your family to wonder forever what had happened to you!" Opal delicately stomped one hoof. "And selling me to a pet store for fifteen bits! I've never been so insulted in my life!" The fillies looked at each other awkwardly. "Anyway," Opal continued, "I escaped from the pet store, but I didn't know my way home and I had no idea how to find out. I couldn't exactly go around asking ponies for directions to 'meow meow meow,' could I?" "Ah guess not." "Fortunately, a kind unicorn found me and took care of me." "My sister Rarity! She IS so kind!" Opal cleared her throat. "No, not THAT kind unicorn. A DIFFERENT kind unicorn, Dusty Stores. But Dusty knew another unicorn who wanted a cat, but was afraid that a cat might claw up all her fabrics. Because Dusty admired how I never sharpened my claws on any fabric, clothing, or furniture, Dusty introduced me and Rarity to each other, and asked if we might like to live together." Opal sighed happily. "So that's how I went from being one of ponykind's legally designated aristocrats, to one of Nature's true aristocrats." Apple Bloom asked, "Did your parents ever find out what happened to you?" "Oh, don't worry. Yesterday I went to the post office and sent them a letter. They should get it soon, and then they'll know everything." "Ah'm glad that's taken care of. Or it will be soon." Scootaloo asked, "But what's your idea that you think you don't know if it's good?" "When the ponynappers gave me the potion, they mentioned that there's one cure. A single antidote. Not that anypony would know how to get it." Scootaloo hopped up and down, buzzing her tiny wings with excitement. "Get what? What is it?" Opal chuckled dryly. "A kiss from a purple alicorn princess. As if such a thing were available to us." "OH!" Scootaloo shouted, "We know one of those! Let's get Twilight--oh." "Ah reckon cat Twilight MIGHT do it?" "Or if you don't have the purple alicorn princess," Opal said, "A peck on the cheek from a wise zebra shaman or shamare'm might be close enough. That's what the ponynappers said the potion salespony told them." Scootaloo exclaimed, "We know a wise zebra shamare'm! Or she MIGHT be a shamare'm? It's worth a try. Even though you already are turned back to a unicorn." She looked at the unicorn questioningly. "Are you hoping to get double turned back into a double unicorn? What would that even mean? Would you get two horns? Would you have twice as much magic?" "Rarity said she wanted to change places with me. So maybe the cure that WOULD HAVE worked for me, will work for her. At least it can't make things worse. I'm just sorry we'll have to wait until we can get me, Rarity, and a zebra shamare'm or purple alicorn princess all in the same place at the same time." Scootaloo jumped up and down. "That shouldn't be TOO hard." *** "I'm just sorry I had to ask you to come all the way here, Zecora!" As she walked into the Boutique, Zecora said, "Herding cats through the Everfree is not wise. That forest is always a surprise. Better it is that I come here. So losing cats we need not fear." Zecora reached out a forehoof and gently scritched an adorable creature on the head. "WHO'S a cute little kitty-boo? YOU'RE a cute little kitty, that's who." Sweetie Belle said, "Um, Zecora, that's a unicorn. My sister is over here." The snowy white unicorn said, "Oh, I don't mind getting some head scritches. Zecora is really good at them." She looked at the fillies appraisingly. "You didn't know that? Doesn't she ever give YOU head scritches? You have no idea what you're missing out on." "Ah'll take your word for it." Sweetie Belle's ears twitched nervously. "Maybe some other time." Scootaloo complained, "Don't look at me! Half the ponies in town keep calling me an orphan! I don't want them to start calling me a cat too!" While still scritching Opal's head, Zecora looked over at Raricat. "So all I must do this problem to fix, is Rarity cat on the cheek to kiss?" Everypony nodded. Zecora bent down and kissed Raricat on the cheek, then stepped back. "Give us room for this cat to grow, back into the sister you love and know." Rarity was enveloped by a bright magical glow. When it subsided, Rarity was her usual unicorn self. "Well! That certainly was restful! I feel like a new unicorn!" Scootaloo said, "We were hoping to get the OLD unicorn you back." "Not that you're old!" Sweetie Belle said, "Because you're not." Rarity tittered. "Don't worry, my filly friends! I'm not THAT old. But I do feel marvelously refreshed, after that little vacation." From outside came the sounds of leaves rustling and branches breaking, followed by a loud thump. "If my ears do not deceive, somepony fell through twigs and leaves." Scootaloo went to the Boutique's front door, and stepped outside to look around. "Looks like Twilight just fell out of a tree. I didn't know you liked to climb trees, Princess Twilight!" The purple unicorn stood up, but seemed somewhat unsteady on her hooves. "I didn't know either. Not until I was a cat. And I don't think I still like it, now that I'm a pony again. Now I feel like tree climbing is for cats and goats and sheep, not for ponies like me." Everypony went outside to congratulate Twilight on her recovery from being a cat. But from very far above, the ponies faintly heard high-pitched screaming. Twilight looked up. "Well, THAT'S not good." She lit up her horn, and shot some kind of magic beam into the sky. A few minutes later, the fillies noticed a tiny cloud descending towards the group. "What is THAT?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Is it going to rain?" Scootaloo shook her head. "It's not rain. But something's weighing that cloud down." The cloud came so low that everypony could see the top of it, where Pinkie Pie stood. Pinkie turned to Twilight. "Thanks for the cloudwalking spell just now, Twi. It was a real lifesaver." "Anytime," Twilight said. "I'm just so happy I was here to catch you. Especially since this whole mess was basically my fault." Fluttershy walked up to the group. "I know you didn't mean any harm. You were just trying to grant Dashie's wish." Rainbow Dash arrived by air, and hovered, enjoying her restored wings. "How was I to know cats can't fly? It's not like there were any cats around when I was growing up in Cloudsdale." Opalescence gave Rainbow an incredulous look. "Did you ever think that when you were growing up in a pegasus cloud city, and there weren't any cats around, there was a REASON they weren't around?" Rainbow scratched her mane. "Yeah, that IS kind of weird. Some ponies say cats are the coolest animals EVER. So if they're the coolest animals ever, you'd think they'd be able to fly, right?" Applejack walked up to the group. "Ick. Mah mouth tastes horrible right now. Ah'm pretty sure mah breath smells like dead mice. It's the exact opposite of apples. Rarity, do you have a spare toothbrush?" "I'm so happy," Fluttershy said, "that we all got through this okay. And I didn't even have to learn how to herd cats, which is the one skill with animals I've never seemed to have any talent for. As if there's even anypony who COULD do that." Applejack perked up. "Cat herding? Ya know, when he was a colt, Big Macintosh worked as a cat herder a couple of summers. He told me a lot of stories about it. Ah'd love to tell you mah favorite cat herding story, right after I brush my teeth with something that isn't a mouse." A gray postmare with a blonde mane and tail walked up. "Is this where Opalescence lives?" The snowy coated mare waved hello. "That would be me. It's one of my names, anyway." "Good. I'm here about a letter you sent?" "What happened? Did I get an answer? Are my parents coming? Will our family be reunited?" "I'm...not sure about that." The mailmare looked uncomfortable. "See, the thing is...the address you gave me was kind of vague." "It's all I have!" "I understand. But it might take a while for the delivery ponies to find the place. If they even can find it. An address like 'The Big Pink House Where Mommy and Daddy Live, But Not Their Daughter Who Was Ponynapped When She Was a Small Foal, Mommy and Daddy Are Both Unicorn Nobles, In The City Where Mommy and Daddy Live, Somewhere In Equestria, It's Fairly Near The Ocean And By A Big River Too?' That's not the easiest address to deliver to." Opal looked away into the distance. "I guess you're right. I never should have gotten my hopes up. I just wanted so much to tell my parents what had happened to me. That even though their daughter was ponynapped and turned into a cat, I'm still alive and well." Derpy said uneasily, "I believe the postponies will work very hard, trying to deliver an important letter like this one. So maybe someday they'll find the right ponies, in the right house, in the right city." She forced her face into an unconvincing attempt at a reassuring smile. "I'm sure I don't know what could go wrong." Opal snorted bitterly. "Oh, who am I kidding? I should have known it would never work. And even if the postal service finds somepony to deliver the letter to, anypony who gets it will probably think it's a cruel joke. But thanks for trying." Opal walked over to Zecora, grabbed the zebra by the ears, and kissed her on the cheek. In a flash of light, Opal transformed into the snowy white Purrsian cat form that Ponyville was used to. "Meow!" Opal said.
EpilogueIn a pet store near the cities of Sea-Saddle and Tackoma, a pair of aristocratic unicorns and a Zebrican shamare'm flagged down the shopkeeper. "We want to see ALL your cats." The unicorn mare held a ragged, damaged letter with her telekenesis, but put it away in her saddlebag. Soon the zebra was kissing each cat on the cheek, while the unicorn stallion counted. "...one hundred fifty, one hundred fifty-one...is that ALL of your cats?" "Yes," the shopkeeper said, "That's all of them. I'm sorry if you couldn't find the cat you wanted. But there's also a very nice shop a few leagues south of here, The Kit'n Caboodle, where you might want to take a look." The unicorn mare nodded. Her husband said with brave determination, "We'll try there next. Someday, one way or another, we will find our missing daughter. Even if it means kissing all the cats in Equestria." The Zebrican hoofed a little bag to the shopkeeper. "A few of your cats have nasty fleas. Scatter around this powder, please." "Thank you, shamare'm and mare'm and sir. I'll do it for sure." The shopkeeper was rather cheerful, for a salespony who hadn't even made a sale. "And good luck finding your daughter, too!" The unicorn stallion levitated a card to the shopkeeper. "If you ever meet or hear of a snowy white cat who seems especially delighted to answer to the name of Princess Petunia Foaliage Rainsparkle, and loves to be told that her unicorn parents love her and you'll help her see them again soon, be sure to let us know." "Certainly!" The shopkeeper tucked away the card in a safe place. Author's Note This story is based on my blog post "Forum > Cat" (Chapter One of a Short Story). I made the story art by editing frames from the show. (SO MUCH EDITING!) You can upvote and favorite and comment if you want to?
