Gossip Spreads Quick

Daisy rolled over on her flank and sleeping bag, stretching out her hind quarters as she yawned and smacked her lips. She winced and covered her eyes with a hoof to block the sun coming through the thin material as Roseluck gave a quiet snore as she kicked her hind leg in her sleep.

Roseluck reminded Daisy more of a pretzel than she did a pony currently. Roseluck always did find ways to sleep in awkward positions. Seriously, who sleeps on their side and bent backwards? Roseluck was scarily flexible to the point Daisy legitimately wondered if she had a spine some days.

How do you even fall asleep like that? Daisy had no idea and wasn’t interested in finding out if she was being honest.

She wiggled out of her sleeping back and quietly snuck out of the tent, glancing around and stretching.

Her eyes fell on Silverspeed sleeping peacefully next to where the fire had been. It had long since gone out at some point and the pegasus had her tail wrapped around her, presumably to keep warm. Her bow and arrows lay abandoned next to her along with her spear she had brought.

Why Silverspeed didn’t just go sleep inside a tent, Daisy had no clue.

“Morning,” Derpy shook her from her musing as Daisy yawned again. “How did you sleep?”

“Good and yourself?” Daisy asked as she settled next to Derpy and the sleeping Silverspeed.

“Decent. Back hurts but other than that, I’m good. Not used to sleeping on hard ground like this.”

“Felt that. What are doing up so early?” Daisy asked and Derpy raised an eyebrow.

“I have two kids. I have to get up at six am to get them up everyday. Dinky may be lovable every other part of the day but in the morning? She is a devil. Don’t even get me started on trying to get her and Sparkler into bed. Sparkler is a bit better for the obvious reasons, but still has her moments.”

“Huh. So that’s why I hear yelling occasionally at six in the morning next door,” Daisy mused and Derpy blushed. “You can yell, believe me. I never would have thought that if I didn’t hear it myself.”

“Yeah well, wait till you see Berry Punch yell. You think I’m loud? Just wait till she gets mad. She tends to hit whatever makes her angry. Excluding her daughter, of course. I’ve never once seen her raise a hoof to Ruby.”

Daisy winced at the thought. Angry Berry was pretty scary. The mare had a temper could most likely rival even Sunset. Sunset herself was a bit wary of her, Roseluck had told her one day. Apparently that’s rare.

“Ugh,” Silverspeed mumbled and rolled over in her sleep.

“Ooh,” Trixie giggled as she stumbled out of her tent, rubbing her eyes. “Watch this.”

Daisy and Derpy watched as Trixie snuck up behind Shoeshine and inhaled.

“Wake up!” Trixie shouted and started shaking Silverspeed. The gray mare shot to her hooves and saluted.

“Good morning drill sergeant,” Silverspeed answered and her eyes flicked to Trixie as she sheepishly lowered her hoof and glared. “I’m going to kill you if you ever wake me up like that again.”

“I don’t think she’s joking Trixie,” Daisy glanced at Trixie giggling.

“I’m not,” Silverspeed deadpanned and glared at Trixie again. “You do realize I know how to drive a sword into your ribs enough to hurt but keep you alive. I also know how to find a carotid artery in your neck.”

Everypony froze as Trixie stepped back a few feet.

“Okay, no more waking you up early. Bring back memories?” Trixie gave a nervous smile as Silverspeed gave a subtle nod.

“You got no fucking idea.”

The others groaned and poked their heads out, looking at the two with raised eyebrows as Silverspeed brushed some some twigs from her tail.

“What’s a fucking?” Daisy asked and Roseluck smirked.

“What Derpy wants from Time Turner,” Trixie chimed in and everypony burst out laughing as Derpy turned bright red.

“I do not!” Derpy snapped and Sunset snickered. “I swear, I’m about to wash all of your mouthes out with soap when we got home.”

They all paled and Shoeshine coughed into a hoof nervously. She hadn’t had that happen since she was a filly and she wasn’t enthused at the prospect of ever going through it again. Ever.

“You gotta us first,” Sunset taunted with a grin, crouching low and tensed her legs up. “Come on, mom. Try to keep up. If you can.”

“Oh shit,” Roseluck muttered as the two galloped into the forest. “Hey, be careful! There’s all sorts of plants in there and stuff.” Roseluck looked around and realized she was alone. “And I’m talking to myself. Go figure.”

Trixie hid on a tree branch, hugging it as she inhaled nervously, glancing around. She really wasn’t fond of climbing trees to hide from pegasi. She did suppose she had a slight advantage with her magic.

“It’s over. She caught us all,” Lily called out as Trixie watched the others all searching the nearby clearing Trixie was above. “Oh hey. There she is.”

“Trixie can’t get,” Trixie grumbled and glowed teal as her legs flailed and Sunset set her down on the ground in a blue patch of flowers.

“Pretty flowers,” Silverspeed commented and Derpy nodded as she, Silverspeed, Shoeshine and Sunset trotted to join Trixie. Lily and Daisy sniffed them as Roseluck gasped.

“You idiots!” Roseluck cried and jumped back out of the plants with a horrified expression. “That’s Poison Joke!”

“Poision what?” Sunset asked as horrified looks crossed Daisy and Lily’s faces as the two jumped back.

“Poision Joke,” Daisy repeat and eyed her hooves worriedly. “I’m so stupid. I forgot what it looked like. By the time we all wake up tomorrow morning, the plant will have played some sort of prank on us all.”

“Oh please,” Trixie scoffed and waved a hoof dismissively. “It’s just a plant. All it does is smell nice. Plants don’t play pranks.”

“This one does,” Lily answered and danced anxiously in her spot. “Believe me, she’s the expert. She’s telling the truth.”

“Oh, thank Celestia for Roseluck,” Silverspeed said sarcastically and rolled her eyes. “We could have known this before we stepped into it!”

“I’m sorry!”

The group started arguing and Trixie waved her forelegs around as Shoeshine watched with a bored expression, none of them noticing the hoof steps trotting up.

“Beware! Beware, you pony folk! Those leaves of blue are not a joke!”

“Gah!” Sunset screamed and jumped, spinning around as her horn glowed. The zebra from before stood in front them with a knife in hoof and the others all screamed, Trixie and Derpy hugging as Silverspeed adopted a defensive position.

“Drop the knife, now!” Silverspeed ordered and spread her wings open. “Or I’ll take you down.”

“I really don’t think she cares about that, nor is she afraid!” Lily pulled on her mane as Daisy trembled.

“Let’s get the hell outta here!” Sunset snapped and her horn glowed brighter, the group disappearing with a pop.

They all tumbled to the ground at Roseluck’s house and they all groaned.

“We forgot our tents,” Shoeshine realized and Sunset slammed a hoof into her face with a groan.

“Fuck. You stay, I’ll go.”

Before anypony could argue, Sunset disappeared with a pop.