Doubt

CHAPTER 8
A TRIP THROUGH TOWN

*This chapter has not yet been proofread

The sounds of two new ponies could barely be heard over the rest in the market. Shouts filled the air;

"Carrots! One bit each!"

"Apples! Fresh Apples!"

"The best cherries in Equestria!"

"Apples! Buy some apples!"

"Hey, you! Buy some apples!"

Following the shouts of a familiar filly, Twilight carefully made her way through the crowded market, followed by much slower, annoyed looking earth pony. Squeezing out from between some gossiping teenaged mares, the unicorn finally saw the figure she had been expecting; Apple Bloom was zipping around the Apple family's old cart, proudly sporting a white apron and shouting at everypony in sight.

"Hey, you! You want some of these GREAT apples?" She bellowed as she blocked the path of an elderly mare, who mumbled something under her breath in response as she hobbled past the excited filly.

"You! Want some-" She began as she targeted somepony new, a purple unicorn standing near the edge of the clearing around the cart; most other ponies had cleared away to avoid the aggressive advertising. "Oh, hey, Twilight."

"Good Morning, Apple Bloom. Are you in charge of the sales today?" Responded the unicorn, smiling down at the filly.

"Applejack said I could help again! She didn't let me finish last time, and what if my cutie mark is about apples? I couldn't resist not trying again, I know this time I'll get it for sure! Hey, did you know..." The little filly nattered on as she walked beside Twilight, who was now joined by the grumpy looking yellow earth pony.

"Howdy there, Twilight!" Came a voice from behind the apple cart. It reminded Trixie, or 'Carrot Top', of Braeburn; a thick southern accent and an always happy sound to it, though now this voice sounded mostly tired and annoyed. An orange head, adorned with a brown hat and yellow ponytail, popped up from behind the stall, it's ears perking up as the owner saw who was coming. "What can ah do yah for?"

"Morning, Applejack! I see you let Apple Bloom help again," the unicorn said, gesturing at the the filly, who was currently annoying Bonbon and Lyra."

"Actually, she just kinda followed me here," Applejack said, frowning slightly at how many apples were still in the cart. "Barely any sales... But, do y'all need anything? Pies, fritters, take yer pick!"

"I'm just here for some more apples," The unicorn responded, her smile widening as she saw her friend.

"Weren't ya just here yesterday?" Applejack said, looking a bit confused, but none the less still reaching for a bag to fill with apples.

"You wouldn't believe how fast Spike goes through these things," Twilight said, rolling her eyes, her voice accompanied by the sounds of apples hitting the bottom of the bag, "Besides, I was going to pass you on my way the the hospital."

Applejack stopped the bag halfway towards the unicorn and, looking worried, asked, "I would say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but it seems a bit late for that. Is everything alright?"

"Nothing, really, Carrot Top here just has a bad headache," Twilight said as she levitated the bag out of Applejack's grasp.

The orange pony quickly turned to look at the bored Trixie in disguise, "Oh, Carrot Top! I didn't see ya there! Everything alright? Need any Apples?" She gestured broadly to the merchandise.

"No," Trixie snapped as she turned to continue their journey. Her head was aching, and all that unicorn was doing was fetching her groceries.

"Alrighty then," said Applejack, a little taken back at the rudeness.

"Thanks, Applejack. See you Tuesday, then," Said Twilight, a little apologetically as she turned to follow Trixie.

"Eeyup! Can't wait!" Yelled Applejack at their retreating backs, waving energetically.

They walking in silence for some time, Twilight carefully keeping an eye on Trixie.

:"You can't just be rude like that!" The uniorn finally snapped at the yellow back of the earth pony.

"Well, excuse me, but since when did you get to tell Trixie what to do?" The earth pony retorted, growing more annoyed each minute, glaring back at Twilight.

"You're the one accused of assault here!" Twilight said sharply.

"I did no such thing!"

With a flash of purple light, the newspaper from earlier popped into sight. Twilight flicked it open and read:

The assault- Continued on page A2

The unicorn groaned with annoyance as she flipped the pages, trying to find the rest of the article. "There!" she said as she began reading again, this time out loud she Trixie could hear her.

"The assault was reported yesterday evening by a bunch on teenage mares, who also claimed that the unicorn had a yellow accomplice. When asked why it was not reported earlier, one of the group burst out in tears and said that the event had been too traumatizing to talk about. Soarin' was unavailable for further questioning, but the police trust the group's information. The accused, light blue, unicorn, silver mane, should not be approached as she could be extremely dangerous. More details will be posted in the evening paper." Twilight frowned at the end of the article, but continued, "Hmmmmm... Next there's just something about some food thing," She finished by once again encasing the paper in a flash of purple light, causing it to disappear, then raised an accusing eyebrow at Trixie, who grumbled something and ignored the unicorn.

They walked again in silence. Still annoyed, Trixie turned and stuck her tongue out at Twilight. The purple unicorn suddenly stopped in her tracks, and began to speak, but it was too late.

Trixie, who thought Twilight was simply hurt by her amazing comeback, turned to face forwards again, but the only thing her face met as a wooden plank. She had tripped over a stone and tumbled straight into a cart, which toppled over. But the crashing sounds continued long after the first cart had stopped falling.

Twilight rushed over to look at the damage, only to see that Trixie had set off the worst possible row of dominos. Cart after cart crashed into it's neighbor, sending the later into next, causing a chain reaction. When the final cart had landed with a sickening crack, there was only silence. Everypony was glaring at Trixie, who lay on the ground, clutching her yellow head.

"I'm so sorry!" Yelled Twilight into the silence, " Carrot Top is just a little disoriented, we were just heading to the hospital- I'm sorry!"

"It's, ah, quite alright, deary," Said an elderly mare who stood behind her toppled cart, "It was an accident."

Though she seemed to be one of the few with this view. Most of the ponies in the market were still glaring at Trixie as they hauled their carts and stalls back upright, checking their produce, or what was left of it. But, slowly, the market became filled once again with the noise of talking and yelling, and Trixie's moans of pain.

"Great," said Twilight, rolling her eyes at the earth pony, who became encased in a layer of purple magic. Twilight settled the disguised unicorn on her back, and, with grunts and shaking legs, resumed her walk to the hospital.

"Next time I say we're going to take a trip through town, don't take it so literally."

~~~

They sat in the waiting room, a purple unicorn, and a yellow earth pony, who was massaging her head and wincing.

"Well, that was an interesting walk," said the unicorn, valiantly trying to smile and get the yellow pony to talk. All she was rewarded with, however, were some grunts.

A few minutes ago, Nurse Redheart had been sitting at the welcome desk. She had said that they would get Carrot Top in as soon as possible, but that she had to check with the doctor. So, now the only thing to do was wait; probably the worst thing that could happen in a hospital.

Twilight massaged her aching hooves and back as she sat in the uncomfortable chairs. Never again, she thought. It was that gym class all over again...

After another awkward silence, the hospital door opened. Both ponies turned their heads to see who had come in, and both almost shared a heart attack. A yellow pony with an orange mane and carrot cutie mark had walked in, carrying a brown bag on her back.

"That's- That's- But she's in Canterlot! For the Big Food Bang!" Twilight said as she gawked at the new arrival, who then walked through a side door labeled 'Cafeteria'. She had, hopefully, not seen the two ponies.

"That food thing?" Trixie grunted, thinking back to Braeburn and his disappearance. "That was last night."

"No! It's tonight! It has to be!" Twilight said, panicking, but then, she remembered. "That next article in the newspaper..." She gulped, sweat pouring off her brow.

"Uh-oh."