Old Habits Die Hard

by AlwaysDressesInStyle

Rating: everyone
Tags: Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Comedy, Rarity, Minty
Length: 11536

Fluttershy moves to Ponyville, but the cottage she just purchased is haunted. Will her new friends save the day?

A look into the past as Fluttershy graduates, moves to Ponyville, buys a cottage, and makes some new friends. But only Fluttershy could purchase a haunted house.

If you're looking for a cute Nightmare Night tale suitable for all ages, this is it. If you want horror... this is most definitely not it.

Published 2012-11-01 06:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-11-01 06:20:01 UTC

Old Habits Die Hard

“Rainbow Dash, thank you so very much for doing that for me!” Fluttershy hugged the blue pegasus.

“Hey, don’t go getting all mushy on me, Fluttershy. You know how badly I wanted to do the graduation flyover.”

“I know,” Fluttershy looked down at the ground, not wanting to bring up her friend’s expulsion from their flight school. “And you know how much I hate performing in front of crowds.”

“So this was win-win! I got to do my kickin’ flyover and you got your precious degree. What was it in again?”

“Small animal care.”

Rainbow Dash made a face. “I know they don’t offer small animal care classes in Cloudsdale.”

“I had to take a lot of the classes at a school in Ponyville. But the credits transferred and now it’s all over. Yay.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes at the feeble cheer. “So do you think anypony guessed it was me instead of you?”

“I hope not. I did warn you not to go quite so fast…”

“No way, Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash goes all out or not at all. So what are your plans now?”

“I’m going to move to Ponyville so I can take care of lots of animals. Not only the small ones, but all of them.”

“That’s great, Fluttershy.”

“What about you? What have you been doing these past few months?”

“Practicing my stunts so I can audition for the Wonderbolts. So far so good! They’re going to beg me to join them.”

“That’s great, Rainbow Dash. So still living with your parents?”

Rainbow Dash’s voice dropped, “Yeah. And they’re on my case to either get a job or finish school somewhere else.”

“You could move in with me,” suggested Fluttershy. “I could use a roommate to help split costs.”

“You want me to move to the ground? As if! This pegasus soars.”

“At least for a little while? It’ll get your parents off your case.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Please?”

“You’re making that face again.”

“What face?” asked Fluttershy.

“That adorable pout that nopony can say ‘no’ to. On a side note, no.”

“You just said nopony could say ‘no’ to it.”

“But I’m not just anypony. I’m Rainbow Dash. And your puppy eyes have no effect on me!”

“It’s just… I don’t want to be alone. You understand, right?”

“Of course I do, Fluttershy. And you’re not going to be alone. Cloudsdale’s just a short flight away. You can visit me anytime and I can drop by whenever I’ve got a few free minutes in my busy schedule.”

“I know that, but I mean, a whole house just for me? I’m going to be so lonely.”

“Lonely? You’re going to be surrounded by dozens of animals. Dozens of noisy, smelly, messy, ground-dwelling animals.”

“Oh, but I’ll have some butterflies, and birds, and bats, and…”

“Exactly! You’ll have your hooves full. Anyways, I need to get out from under all this makeup. You’re a good friend, but I don’t really want to look like you.” With that, Rainbow Dash excused herself, leaving Fluttershy to quietly ponder what to do. She had really counted on Rainbow Dash agreeing to move in with her. Even if she had to cover all of the rainbow-maned pegasus’ expenses for her. She owed her that, at the very least.

She sighed and picked up the classified section of the Ponyville newspaper. “Wagons? No. Personals? Definitely not. Homes. Here we go!” She flipped through them, dismissing most as out of her price range or just not what she was looking for. And then she found one that was perfect – a cozy little cottage, with a lot of land and even a stream running through it. It was exactly what she was looking for, and the price was too good to be true. She kept telling herself it must be a typo so she wouldn’t get her hopes up. She wasted no time going to the realty office to take a tour of the house.

“You want to see which house?” asked the realtor, failing to mask the surprise in his voice.

“This one right here. It looks so perfect. And this price has to be a mistake.”

“No, that price is accurate. You’re not from Ponyville, are you?”

“Oh,” Fluttershy squeaked and looked at her hooves. “I’m from Cloudsdale. Do I have a funny accent or something? I’m sorry.”

“No, you don’t have a funny accent. Just never mind. Come on, I’ll take you out to see this cottage.”

“Oh, that would be great! Thank you!”

They walked through Ponyville and Fluttershy took in the sights as if she had never been in the town before. She had taken classes here for the last two years, but she had never really spent much time in town looking around. It was such a quaint town. It looked so calm and peaceful. Fluttershy was positive she was going to love it here.

“We’ll start with a tour of the property. This cottage comes with three and a half acres of land on the edge of the forest. This little stream meanders from the northwest corner of the lot all the way through to the southeast corner.” The realtor started with the land, hoping that she would be so enthralled she wouldn’t take a good look at the house itself. Not that it mattered. He was confident nopony would ever buy it.

“This is so delightful. There are fish in the stream! Oh I love it!”

The realtor sighed, “So are you ready to see the house of your dreams?”

“Yes.” Fluttershy giggled, unable to contain her happiness. “I’m sure it’s just as wonderful as the property.”

“I sincerely hope it meets your approval,” he said, opening the door to let her inside. He held his breath and kept the door open. The record amount of time a potential buyer had spent inside this cottage was thirty-two seconds. When he didn’t hear panicked screaming coming from inside, his curiosity got the better of him and he popped his head inside for a closer look. “Are you okay?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be? This cottage is so wonderful. I’ll take it. Draw up all the paperwork and I’ll have a deposit for you within an hour.” Fluttershy skipped out of the cottage merrily humming a happy tune.

The realtor’s jaw fell slack. The interior of the cottage was spotless. He had never seen it look so nice in all the years they had had it listed. “You really like her. For her sake, I hope you still feel that way when she moves in.” He shivered and closed the door, locking it behind him. He wasn’t going to spend any more time in that house than he had to. Nopony with a lick of common sense would.

True to her word, Fluttershy was back within an hour with the money she had promised. The realtor had the paperwork drawn up, and he pointed out a specific clause to the yellow pegasus. “If you’re not satisfied with this house for any reason, whatsoever, in the first month, we’ll refund your money. It doesn’t matter how silly the reason may be, or how unbelievable. Any reason at all. If you don’t like it, we’ll give you a full refund and we’ll try to find you a comparable house elsewhere in town.”

“Oh I’m sure that won’t be necessary. When can I move in?”

“Right now if you so desire. But are you sure you wouldn’t like to see any other homes we have for sale first? We can easily apply this deposit to any other home we have listed.”

“I think this one is perfect. It’s so lovely and charming. I’m going home to pack right away so I can move in tonight!”

Fluttershy’s first stop was Rainbow Dash’s house. She hated to bother the blue pegasus but she needed help moving and she didn’t have any other friends to ask. She flew up to Dash’s second story window and tapped on the glass. It was such a silly way of getting into somepony’s house, but Dash insisted on it.

“Oh hey, Fluttershy. What’s up?”

“I just bought a house and I could use a little help moving. Most of my stuff’s already boxed up from moving out of my dorm room, I just need some assistance getting it to my new home.”

“Already? But you were only just talking about it this afternoon.”

“I found this pretty little cottage in Ponyville, and the price was way below market value so I pounced on it.”

“Well, that’s great,” said Dash, worried that Fluttershy would continue pressing her to move in with her. They were friends, but the yellow pegasus was clingy and Dash preferred flying solo. “Let’s go get you settled in.” They flew a short distance before Rainbow Dash landed, forcing Fluttershy to land beside her.

“Why are we stopping here?”

“Because we’re gonna need a wagon to haul all your stuff. Now you just wait here and I’ll go ‘borrow’ one real quick.”

“I have enough money to rent one. There’s no need to steal one.”

“Where’s the fun in that? Save your money and get yourself some new furniture.”

Fluttershy rolled her eyes, waited thirty seconds, and approached the wagon rental counter, “Yes, I’d like to rent a wagon. And I’ll add an extra ten percent to the price if you’ll run outside ten seconds after I leave the building shouting ‘Hey! Stop you wagon thief!’ and shake your hoof at the sky. I’ll make it twenty percent if you don’t ask questions.”

“Deal.”

Fluttershy walked back outside just in time to see Rainbow Dash fly overhead with the cart. Everything else played out exactly as Fluttershy had planned. Dash thought she got away with it and there would be no need to elude the police tonight. Sure, doing it this way was more expensive than just renting the wagon in the first place, but it was cheaper than having to bail Rainbow Dash out of jail. And Dash always got such a kick out of it. What was money compared to her friend’s happiness?

“Oh stars, that was so awesome! Told you I could get us a wagon for free! I love how he ran out shaking his hoof at me! I thought for sure he was going to curse Celestia or something.” Rainbow Dash’s enthusiasm masked her true motives. She wanted to do something nice for Fluttershy but she was flat broke. Her parents were right – she needed to get a job. So far their luck had held but one day she was going to get them both tossed into jail.

Rainbow Dash did her best to drown out the nagging voice of responsibility, promising herself she would start looking for a job in the morning. Annoyingly, the little voice inside Rainbow Dash’s head telling her to do what was right sounded just like Fluttershy, even though her friend always avoided confrontation at all costs and hence had never said anything on the subject.

The two pegasi walked on in silence, each lost in her thoughts. Rainbow Dash would never admit it, but she was depressed that all of her friends were leaving her. She had had to say her goodbyes to Gilda the night before. The griffin had left for home immediately after the graduation ceremony that afternoon. And with Rainbow Dash taking Fluttershy’s place she had been unable to see her afterwards.

And now Fluttershy was moving to the ground. She couldn’t understand the fascination with such a repulsive place. How could any pegasus forsake the beauty of Cloudsdale? Most of her other friends were moving away after graduation as well in search of job opportunities. Fluttershy, meanwhile, was making a mental checklist of all the animals she wanted to acquire – it was a long list.

It took two trips but they managed to move everything Fluttershy owned into her new cottage. “Would you like to spend the night? To help me unpack?”

“Sure. But just for tonight though.”

“Just for tonight.”

Rainbow Dash grunted as she grabbed a box from the wagon, “I’ll unload the wagon, you start unpacking the boxes we brought in earlier.”

Fluttershy nodded as she neatly opened the nearest box.

Rainbow Dash had the easier task and was finished sooner. “I’m done unloading. I’ll start unpacking some of these boxes for you,” said Rainbow Dash, as she ripped open the nearest box. She was greeted by all of Fluttershy’s undergarments, folded nicely. She blushed and put the box back together as best she could. “On second thought, I think I’ll put the bed together instead.” She grabbed the bed’s frame rails in her mouth and set them down in the room Fluttershy had designated to be her bedroom. Unfortunately for Rainbow Dash, that room was upstairs and she had to make several trips. The mattress alone took ten minutes to wiggle through the tight space between the top of the stairwell and the bedroom door.

Both pegasi were far too busy to notice the box that Rainbow Dash had opened earlier was being re-opened. Fluttershy’s unmentionables flew through the air and into the top drawer of her dresser, which was still sitting in the living room. But whatever invisible force was at work here did not find what it was after.

“Good news, Fluttershy! You’ve got a place to sleep tonight!” Rainbow Dash called from the bedroom. “Do you have a bed for the guestroom?”

“Nope.”

“Sofa?”

“No.”

“Loveseat?”

“Afraid not. The only other furniture I have is a dinette set.”

“Oh. Um…”

“You can have the bed, Rainbow Dash.”

“But where are you going to sleep?”

“I’ll, um, take the floor. I don’t mind.”

“Fluttershy, it’s your first night in your new home. You can’t take the floor.”

“But you’re my guest.”

“And you’re my host.”

They stared at each other awkwardly for a moment. They had known each other for years and the solution was evident in both their minds. Finally Rainbow Dash spoke up, knowing full well Fluttershy would never have the nerve to ask. “We could share.”

“Okay. But, um, first we have to find my stuffed animals. I…I can’t sleep without them.” Fluttershy blushed.

Rainbow Dash smacked her forehead with her hoof, “There’s at least two hundred boxes in your living room to go through.”

The two pegasi walked back downstairs and were surprised to see the box closest to the stairway was open, and a Pound Puppy could be seen on top of it.

“Did you do that?” they asked one another in unison.

“Good, these are all my Pound Puppies and Pound Purries, and some other assorted kitties and puppies. Now we need to find the rest of my stuffed animals.”

“The rest of them?” Rainbow Dash looked at the big box of plush cats and dogs Fluttershy was standing next to.

“Oh yes, we have to find my Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins, and my Velveteen Rabbit. And…”

Rainbow Dash put a hoof to Fluttershy’s mouth to interrupt her, “We’ll find them faster if you don’t list them all individually.” She scanned the room and was surprised to see the box she had mistakenly opened earlier was empty. “Fluttershy, did you unpack this box?”

“No. Did you?”

“No, I opened it by accident earlier. It was…never mind what it was. But I closed it back up.”

“Boxes don’t unpack themselves. What was inside it? Maybe I did unpack it and I’m just forgetting.”

“It was some of your clothing. Lacey, if you catch my drift.”

Fluttershy blushed bright red. “I most certainly did not unpack those. Where would I even put them? My dresser is still here in the living room.”

“Which reminds me, we should really get that upstairs now while you still have me here to help.” She started removing the drawers from it to help lighten the load. “Mystery solved. They’re in here. Top drawer, left side, neatly folded.”

Fluttershy examined the contents of the drawer. She hadn’t done this. And they were far too neatly folded for Rainbow Dash to have done so. Rainbow Dash was a lot of things, but nopony would ever accuse her of being either neat or organized. “I didn’t do this. Somepony else is in this house with us.”

“Then it’s a good thing I decided to stay the night after all. Come on, let’s find this pony.” Rainbow Dash locked the front door and then the back door. “If our mysterious visitor is still in here, we’ll find him. And if he isn’t, I don’t want him getting back in here.”

“Are you sure it’s a him? Between this and the Pound Puppy, I would think it’s more likely to be a her.”

“When the subject is of unknown gender, you automatically default to male,” Rainbow Dash replied. “I wasn’t always asleep in class, you know.”

Fluttershy nodded, “So what do we do?”

“You stay here in the living room and make sure our mystery guest doesn’t try to come in or out through either of the doors. It does us no good if we’re both searching the basement and she’s upstairs in the attic and bolts out while we’re distracted,” Rainbow Dash had deliberately switched the unknown pony’s gender to female for Fluttershy’s benefit. “Meanwhile, I’m going to search the basement and work my way up through both stories and the attic. If anypony’s still in here, she won’t be able to hide from Rainbow Dash!”

But Rainbow Dash was wrong. The unknown pony was still in the house, yet had completely eluded Rainbow Dash’s search. “All clear,” Rainbow Dash proclaimed triumphantly. “But just so you know, both the basement and attic are full of boxes. You should probably let the realtor know to contact the previous owner.”

“I’ll do so first thing in the morning. And thank you for checking. I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t here. The thought that somepony could just walk into my house and go through my things…”

“No sweat, Fluttershy. I’d just make it a habit to lock your doors.”

“The good news is I found the other three boxes of plush, so I’m ready for bed any time you are. It’s been a long day.”

“Yeah, it has been. Wait…did you say three boxes? In addition to the box we opened earlier?”

“Yes.”

“Where are we supposed to sleep?”

“Under the animals of course!”

Rainbow Dash twitched, ever so slightly. She picked up a box and carted it to the bedroom, Fluttershy right behind with another of the boxes. The Pound Puppies and Purries were dumped out on the bed, followed immediately by the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins. A second trip was made and when the contents of the final two boxes were dumped out the bed was completely covered in stuffed animals. “And how exactly do we get into the bed now?”

“It’s simple. We pull up the blanket and wiggle in, ever so gently. Like this. And then we don’t move at all in the middle of the night. No rolling, or you’ll knock them all onto the floor.”

From the zoo full of stuffed animals to the pastel pink frilly blanket and curtains, Fluttershy’s room was way too girlish for Rainbow Dash’s admittedly tomboyish tastes. She sighed and followed Fluttershy’s example on how to wiggle under the blankets, taking care not to knock a single plush toy off the bed. She might be rough-and-tumble but she wasn’t completely devoid of pegasus grace and agility. On the plus side, the mountain of animals served as a good buffer between the two of them. “Goodnight, Fluttershy.”

“Goodnight, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy whispered through a yawn. She was out like a light within seconds.

“She really was tired,” Rainbow Dash thought. Dash wasn’t feeling tired yet – she had become a bit of a night owl the past few months without the obligations of either school or a job to keep her in a routine. And that wasn’t even counting the nap she had taken earlier that afternoon after the graduation ceremony. She gazed around the room but was startled when a foreleg wrapped itself around her chest. She turned her head and saw that Fluttershy had rolled over to her side of the bed, and was now snuggled against her. “So much for staying still all night,” Dash thought. “And just how did she get over that wall of stuffed animals without knocking any of them out of the bed?” Her mind was racing, but Fluttershy’s soft rhythmic breathing was slowly lulling her to sleep as well. Plus she hated to admit it, but it was very snuggly under the blankets, the mountain of animals, and Fluttershy.

Fluttershy slept like a rock. Not only was she tired, but she felt secure. The only pony she trusted aside from her parents was here to protect her. Brave, strong, never scared of anything Rainbow Dash.

Occasionally throughout the night one or both of the ponies would stir, and a plush animal or two would go diving to the floor. But each one was caught and added back to the heap on the bed by the invisible force that had been watching over them all night. She had waited years for this – everything had to be perfect.

The morning light slowly streamed into the room and Fluttershy opened her eyes. She was embarrassed to see she was embracing Rainbow Dash. “Oh my goodness, I hope she didn’t notice that.” She looked around at the bed and was pleased to see all of her precious plush pets were still on the bed. None had fallen off, despite the fact she had obviously rolled over at some point in the night. With her natural grace, Fluttershy extricated herself from the bed without disturbing either the still sleeping pegasus or the pile of stuffed animals. “I’ll go make her some breakfast.”

Half an hour later Fluttershy ever so gently poked her snoring friend in the side. “Breakfast is served.”

“Five more minutes,” Rainbow Dash rolled over so her back was towards the yellow pegasus, and she pulled the blanket up over her head.

“Oh no you don’t, sleepyhead. It’s time to get up!” and with that Fluttershy yanked her friend off the bed. They landed in a heap on the floor, covered in blankets, pillows, and a dozen stuffed animals.

“I thought you didn’t want the animals to wind up on the floor.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just, breakfast is ready and I thought you might want to eat.”

Rainbow Dash’s stomach growled. Fluttershy was right, food would be nice right about now. The two pegasi ate breakfast in silence. Rainbow Dash wasn’t the perkiest pony first thing in the morning. Fluttershy had known her long enough to let her be. “I hate to eat and run, but I have some stuff I need to take care of. You gonna be all right here on your own?”

“I think so.”

“Just keep the doors locked so you don’t have any more uninvited guests.”

“Got it.”

The next few hours passed quickly as Fluttershy continued unpacking boxes and putting her possessions away. She was so wrapped up in what she was working on she never heard the front door open.

“Hi! Welcome to Ponyville! I’m Pinkie Pie! I love making new friends! I’m so excited, are you excited? Of course you’re excited! Cause everypony loves to make new friends! What’s your name? Where are you from? And I haven’t been in this cottage since I was a little filly! Can you believe that? This place has been vacant for over twelve years! Which is so sad because it’s such a cute little cottage! But that’s because everypony thinks its haunted so nopony wanted to buy it. Isn’t that the silliest thing ever?”

“H-h-h-haunted?”

“Oh yes! You didn’t know? Like everypony knows this house is haunted! Nopony even ventures within a mile of here.”

“Except you?”

“Well of course, silly-willy! You’re new in Ponyville and my job is to welcome all the ponies to Ponyville! And ghosts are exciting. Aren’t you excited? I’m so excited and I just can’t hide it! I’m about to lose control and I think I like it! Besides, the only thing I’m scared of is broccoli. I mean, it’s green and looks like a tree but its smaller, and it tastes all icky and healthy.”

Fluttershy was confused. Pinkie Pie was so random it was hard to keep up with her thoughts from one second to the next. She had questions she wanted to ask but she couldn’t get a word in edgewise. The only thing she was positive of was that the pink earth pony with the poofy mane was absolutely the most obnoxious pony she had ever met. She obviously had no concept of personal space as her face was directly in Fluttershy’s as she spoke. By now Pinkie was so hyper she was speaking a mile a minute and her words had run together in a garbled mess. Fluttershy could pick a few words out here and there but for the most part she had no choice but to let her get it out of her system.

“You know what would make this day even better?” Pinkie Pie asked. Not waiting for an answer she replied, “A party!”

“Oh no, that’s really not necessary. I don’t…”

“Let’s go! Party at Sugarcube Corner!” Pinkie shoved the yellow pegasus out of her new home and down the road towards Ponyville. Once the two ponies were out of earshot, laughter echoed through the empty house.

“You really don’t have to go to all this trouble for me. I’m not much into partying.”

“You’re not into partying?” Pinkie gasped. “That’s because you’ve never been to a Pinkie Pie party before!” she pulled a lampshade out of thin air and put it on Fluttershy’s head. “There ya go! Now you’re dressed appropriately!”

“I can’t see anything.”

“Perfect! Let’s go!” Pinkie dragged Fluttershy behind her. A few minutes later they came to a stop and Fluttershy was finally able to free herself from the clutches of the lampshade.

“Surprise!”

The entire town was somehow gathered in the local bakery. Fluttershy’s immediate response was to duck for cover behind Pinkie Pie. “So….many….ponies…”

“Well, duh! It’s not a party if you don’t have guests! Hey everypony, this is Fluttershy! She just moved to Ponyville from Cloudsdale.”

Fluttershy wracked her brain. She was positive she had never told the pink earth pony her name. She hadn’t been able to get a word in edgewise at that particular moment in time. And how had she managed to get the whole town together on such short notice? Come to think of it, how had she just barged into her house when the doors were locked? She mentally crossed Pinkie Pie off the list of ponies that annoyed her and immediately added her to the list of ponies she was terrified of. It was a much longer list, yet Pinkie had managed to jump straight to the top in less than an hour.

Pinkie bounced across the room, dragging the shy pegasus behind her. “This is Rarity, she makes pretty dresses.”

“Charmed to meet you, darling.”

“And this is Lyra Heartstrings. She plays a harp in a orchestra!”

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance!”

“And this is Ditzy Doo. She’s a little accident-prone. Oh! And this is Bon Bon, and Cheerilee, and the whole Apple family: Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, Applejack, and the adorable little Apple Bloom.”

“Aww, your foal is adorable,” Fluttershy said, addressing Big Mac and Applejack. “Congratulations!”

“Uh, she’s my sister. This here is my brother,” Applejack replied, more amused than angry. It wasn’t the first time somepony had made that mistake. “There was an accident a few months back and our parents didn’t make it.” Applejack put on a smile, but Fluttershy could see the tears forming in the orange mare’s eyes.

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry,” Fluttershy replied, trembling. She was making one faux pas after another and there was no escape. She backed up, straight into Rarity.

“Fluttershy was it? You simply must tell me who does your hair. I’ve never seen such a fabulous mane and tail in my life,” Rarity said, running the yellow pegasus’ pink hair through her hooves. “You really must model for me sometime. I’m just brimming with ideas already!”

“I uh, um, eep.”

“Don’t be shy, darling. I need to know who does your hair!” Fluttershy responded by mumbling something incoherently. “Could you repeat that please?”

“I do my own hair,” she said slightly louder.

”It’s simply delightful! Are you by any chance a hair stylist? Ponyville is in dire need of a good salon.”

“I… take care….of animals.” Fluttershy continued shrinking away from the rest of the guests. “Excuse me, I need to go.” She made a break for it and succeeded in escaping back to her new cottage. Once she was home she berated herself for making such a lousy first impression on all the ponies in town. “Now none of them will want to be my friend.” She started sobbing into her pillow and eventually fell asleep.

The next morning Fluttershy awoke to find two pairs of pastel green socks on top of her blanket. They were decorated with peppermint candies. “Where did these come from? I don’t own any pairs of socks like this,” she quickly tossed them in the top dresser drawer. She had other things to think about today – in particular trying to repair the damage she had done the night before. She had always made bad first impressions, but this time she was determined not to. Fluttershy decided to visit Rarity first. The unicorn had seemed friendly enough, but she wanted to avoid Pinkie Pie if possible. The pink pony made her extremely uncomfortable.

Fluttershy knocked on the door. She had asked for directions and she hoped she had the right house. The door squeaked open and a male unicorn greeted her.

“Um, hi. Is Rarity home?”

“Rarity, you got’s a visitor!”

Rarity quickly dashed down the stairs and was surprised to see Fluttershy. “Darling, I didn’t expect to see you. I thought I made such a bad impression on you last night.”

Before Fluttershy could reply, Rarity’s mother’s voice echoed down the hallway, “Rarity! Your sister needs her diaper changed! It’s your turn!”

“Quickly, we should go someplace a little more peaceful,” Rarity suggested, opening the door for her new friend. As the two ponies walked through town, Rarity continued, “I apologize for the rather rude welcome to my home. My parents mean well, but they’re not exactly the most polite ponies in Equestria.”

“Oh, they’re nice,” said Fluttershy.

“If you say so,” Rarity sighed. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I wanted to apologize for running out on you last night. I…I don’t do well in crowds. I was trying to explain that to Pinkie Pie but she wouldn’t let me talk.”

“You get used to that. How do I describe Pinkie Pie? Take a barrel full of sugar and mix it with a 55-gallon drum of espresso, then drink the result. At that point you would be slightly less hyper than Pinkie Pie.”

“Oh my.” To say that that mental image frightened Fluttershy would be an understatement.

Rarity opened a door and motioned for Fluttershy to go inside. “This is my home away from home,” Rarity said, as they entered the local spa. “The works, my treat,” she said to Lotus Blossom, who simply nodded and led the way to the massage tables.

“Now, you were going to tell me all about yourself,” Rarity cooed.

“Oh, I’m uh, Fluttershy. And I um, just moved here from Cloudsdale.”

“Right, Pinkie Pie covered all that at the party last night.”

“I never did figure out how she learned my name. I never told her. I never told her where I came from, either. And I have no idea how she even got into my house because the door was locked.”

“That’s Pinkie being Pinkie. You’ll understand what I mean once you’ve lived here awhile. In the meantime, it’s best to not ask questions. You’ll get a nonsensical reply.”

“She does this often?”

“All the time. It’s nothing to worry about; she’s the nicest, happiest pony in town. There’s not a malevolent thought in her head. On the other hoof, I’m not sure there are any thoughts in her head at all… Now, what about you? You’re a complete mystery. I can tell you’re shy and don’t like talking about yourself. So I’ll just have to ask questions until I’m satisfied with the answers. What do you like?”

“I like animals. Especially bunnies. They’re just so cute.”

“What are your favorite colors? What do you like to wear?”

“Anything light and breezy. I like to feel the gentle breeze rustle through my hair. And I like yellow, pink, light blue, lavender and mint green.”

“Pastels. Got it. What do you wear in the winter when it’s cold?”

“Cold? Oh! That’s right, Ponyville has four seasons. I’m going to have to get used to that.”

“Cloudsdale doesn’t? But darling, Cloudsdale’s almost directly above Ponyville.”

“Right, but Cloudsdale doesn’t need rain or snow. We don’t grow anything, and we use reservoirs to restock the clouds’ supply of rainwater. We do allow a nice snowfall on Hearth’s Warming Eve to celebrate the holiday but that’s it.”

“But the temperature?”

“We use air currents to keep the cold winds away from Cloudsdale.”

“I never knew that. But then again I’ve never known anypony from Cloudsdale before.”

“You should really see it sometime. You can be my guest. I’ll give you a tour.”

Rarity looked at her wingless back. “I don’t know if that would be such a wise idea…”

“Oh, right.” Fluttershy suddenly remembered that only pegasus ponies could walk on the clouds. A unicorn such as Rarity would plunge thousands of feet to the ground below if she tried.

“You’re not used to talking to other ponies,” Rarity observed.

“Is it that obvious?”

“You’re shy, awkward, and you keep making little mistakes you’re embarrassed by. Don’t you have any friends?”

“Just Rainbow Dash.”

“Who’s another pegasus, I presume?”

“Yes she is.”

“Now you have two friends,” said Rarity, wrapping her forelegs around Fluttershy in an embrace. “Three, actually. You’ve already met Pinkie Pie. She’s your friend for life now.”

“Absolutely!” Pinkie Pie popped out of a nearby umbrella stand and joined their embrace, turning it into a group hug. “Forever!”

The pink earth pony hopped off as quickly as she had appeared. Fluttershy examined the umbrella stand and then looked back to Rarity. She put her right foreleg into the stand and there was no room for anything else. “There’s no way she could fit in here. And was she in there the whole time listening to us?”

Rarity sighed, “Don’t try to figure her out, darling. I’m convinced she has the ability to warp reality itself to meet her whims. I assure you that she wasn’t spying on us if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Does she do this all the time?”

“Yes. You get used to it. Or you run away screaming only to discover that wherever you run to, she’ll already be there waiting. Ponyville’s psychiatric ward has an entire wing dedicated to ponies that have encountered her.”

Fluttershy shuddered and decided to change the subject. “So you wanted me to model for you? What would that entail?”

“Basically you stand still while I design clothing around you.”

“I could do that.”

“And then when the outfit is ready for its grand debut, you model it on a runway for a crowd.”

“I…I couldn’t do that.”

“It’s easier than you think,” Rarity assured her. “I have a delightful ensemble that I think you would look smashing in. Consider it a gift from a new friend, no strings attached.”

Much to Fluttershy’s relief, Rarity dominated the rest of the conversation at the spa and on their way back to Rarity’s house. Periodically Rarity would ask a question or two, but she always steered the conversation right back to herself. True to her word Rarity gave Fluttershy a new outfit – a frilly pink dress, a summer hat, and even matching pink socks.

“These are beautiful. They’re all for me?”

“Why certainly! It’s a matching ensemble, after all. We’re friends now, and I insist that any friend of mine must dress for success.”

“Thank you so much!” Fluttershy embraced the white unicorn. Fluttershy wasn’t used to seeing such generosity from her friends. Normally she was the one who had to pay Rainbow Dash’s way if they went anywhere.

“Rarity! Time for dinner! Get your flank down here!”

“A word of advice: if my parents ask you to stay for dinner, decline.”

Fluttershy nodded. “I’m a pegasus. I could fly out your window and avoid a confrontation. If that’s okay with you?”

“You want to leave via the window?” Rarity was incredulous.

“I’m used to leaving Rainbow Dash’s house like that all the time.”

Rarity cocked an eyebrow at that. There was obviously more here than meets the eye, but alas, she had no time to pry the details out of the yellow pegasus at this moment in time. “Suit yourself,” she said, opening the window. Fluttershy slipped out and fluttered to the ground.

“Fluttershy!”

Fluttershy recognized the voice and took off running. After a few minutes she looked over her shoulder and was relieved to see that she had managed to lose the pink earth pony. “Phew,” she let out a sigh of relief. She turned back to look where she was going and came nose to nose with Pinkie Pie.

“That was close, you almost lost me!” Pinkie hopped in place. “Wanna race again? Oh! I know! We can race all the way back to your house! Ready? Set! Go!”

Having no place else to go, and remembering Rarity’s warning that there was no way to hide from her, Fluttershy begrudgingly chased after Pinkie Pie. She owed Pinkie an apology for her behavior the night before anyway, so she may as well get it over with. She unlocked her cottage and let Pinkie in, taking care to quickly lock the door behind her.

“There’s no need for locks here in Ponyville,” Pinkie Pie assured her.

“Oh, um, well, somepony broke in here last night and I don’t feel safe unless I lock the doors.”

“Somepony broke in? Of all the nerve! What did he look like?”

“I never saw who did it.”

“That’s okay! I’ll use my Pinkie Sense and see if I can track any clues down!” Pinkie Pie wandered around the cloud cottage, and wiggled various parts of her body as she walked. It was all Fluttershy could do to keep from laughing. Pinkie Pie wasn’t as annoying or frightening as she had originally thought. She was actually really funny.

Pinkie Pie’s serious scowl quickly gave way to laughter. “Oh! I bet it was the ghost that lives here. Duh! This house is haunted, remember?”

“H-h-haunted?” Fluttershy stammered yet again. She had to remind herself there was no such thing as ghosts. She hoped.

“Yup! And it must be true, because my Pinkie Sense is a-twitchin’! There’s a spirit in here for certain. Got any snacks?”

“Um, no.”

“Oh.” Pinkie frowned. “Nothing at all?”

“I haven’t gone shopping yet,” Fluttershy replied.

“Oh! I love to shop! Let’s go shopping right now,” Pinkie Pie implored her.

Fluttershy gently placed the garments Rarity had given to her on the table, and followed Pinkie Pie’s lead. After all, Pinkie knew where the stores were.

While they were shopping, Fluttershy gradually relaxed. It was funny, she had worried so much about making a bad first impression she hadn’t realized that both Rarity and Pinkie Pie had also thought they made a bad impression on her. It was a nice change of pace to resolve differences by talking about them. Normally if she had a problem, Rainbow Dash got involved, and she let her hooves do the talking. That’s how she had gotten expelled from flight school. Fluttershy kicked a rock. She had let her best friend get expelled because she didn’t have a backbone and Rainbow Dash had had to stand up for her.

“Why so glum, chum?” Pinkie Pie looked at her.

“Oh, just wanted to apologize for yesterday. I was trying to tell you I don’t do well in crowds. Especially if I don’t know anypony,” Fluttershy still didn’t know Pinkie Pie well enough to divulge her deepest secrets yet.

“Awww! But that’s how you make friends! By getting out and socializing. And if you’re new in town, what better way to make new friends than by having a mondo huge ginormous housewarming party? So that’s what we shall do! We shall throw you an epic housewarming party! C’mon, let’s grab Rarity and head back to your house to set up.”

“Why Rarity?”

“Because she’s the best decorator in all of Ponyville!”

Rarity was all too happy to get out of the house. Ever since Sweetie Belle had been born a few months earlier, she couldn’t get a moment’s peace. Once her parents had discovered she was far more competent at changing diapers and feeding the little foal than they were, they insisted she keep doing it. One thing was sure – Rarity was determined never to have foals of her own. So dirty and smelly and messy.

“So Pinkie tells me that in addition to designing clothes, you’re also a decorator?”

“I have an eye for detail – it comes from working in the fashion field.”

”Fashion field?” asked Pinkie Pie. “I thought you made the clothing! I didn’t know you grew it. Oh! Can I see the fields? Please?”

“I can’t show you the fashion fields. That’s a trade secret, I’m afraid.”

“Hey, there’s somepony in your house! Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this!” Pinkie Pie dashed ahead of Fluttershy and Rarity.

“Stop! Pinkie! Come back!”

“She’s gone,” said Rarity. “Just sit back and enjoy the show.”

“But that’s my friend Rainbow Dash I was telling you about. It’s okay that she’s in there.”

Rainbow Dash was tapping her hoof waiting for the others to come in, but it sounded like it was echoing through the house. She stopped tapping her foot but the echo continued. She turned around and came face to face with a pink earth pony. “How did you get in here?”

“I’ll ask the questions! How did you get in here? What are you doing trespassing in Fluttershy’s house? Hmmmmn?”

“Because she gave me the spare key. Now how exactly did you get in here?”

“Back door was unlocked. As long as you’re here, I’m Pinkie Pie! I haven’t been in this house in years! Well except for yesterday when I welcomed Fluttershy to Ponyville. But when I was a filly I used to come here every day and the mare that lived here would give me candy, and we would bake cupcakes and cookies! She used to make delicious cookies. I wish I had the recipe. If you find her recipes, you’ll let me know, right? Oh, oh, oh! I should totally welcome you to Ponyville too if you’re going to be living here with Fluttershy.”

“Wait…what?”

“Oh yes! I will throw you a massive party tonight.” She stood next to Rainbow Dash and wrapped her foreleg around her. “And since Fluttershy’s party got interrupted when she left in the middle of it last night we’ll turn it into an epic double welcome housewarming party! Oh! And these are my friends Rarity and Fluttershy! Fluttershy, Rarity, meet Rainbow Dash!”

“I already know Fluttershy. That’s why I’m waiting for her in her house. Nice to meet you Rarity.”

“Charmed,” replied the unicorn, who was much more fascinated with the blue pegasus’ rainbow locks. So this was the Rainbow Dash she had been hearing about all day. She was in dire need of a good grooming but that was nothing Rarity couldn’t take care of. Her mind was racing, “A raw canvas with so much potential! With a little work she could be a world famous model.” No, she corrected herself. “Not ‘could’ but ‘would’. So many ponies would kill to have a mane like that.” And judging from its unkempt appearance, it was completely natural. Between Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, she had two perfect new models to work with. She could already envision an entire fashion line just for pegasi. She would be invited to all of the top fashion shows, and all of Equestria’s elite would be wearing her clothes. It was a dream come true.

With Rarity lost in her own world, Rainbow Dash turned her attention back to Pinkie Pie. “All right, now I have to ask you. How did you know my name? I never told you.”

“You’re silly, Rainbow Dash! It’s all there in the script. ‘Old Habits Die Hard’ page twenty!”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. All of these earthbound ponies were crazy – the pink one and the unicorn both. And why was Rarity staring at her? She felt an overwhelming urge to fly back home to Cloudsdale to be among the normal pegasi. But she couldn’t leave Fluttershy all alone with these maniacs.

“Tell me, have you ever done any modeling?”

“Yes, actually. I was a pageant brat as a filly. My mom insisted on dragging me to dozens of them and because of my rainbow hair I never lost a single one. Apparently it’s some rare recessive gene or something. That’s actually where I got my competitive streak. I hated doing the shows but I loved winning. But getting dressed up in frilly dresses and combing my mane just the right way got old fast.”

“Oh,” Rarity replied, dejected. She would be much harder to persuade than Fluttershy. “I always wanted to do pageants as a filly but my parents didn’t see the point.”

“We’re about the same age, so you’d have probably ended up competing against me, and I would have crushed you. You’re white with a monochromatic mane. You’d have been eaten alive.”

“Monochromatic?” Fluttershy asked, stunned to hear a five-syllable word from her friend.

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “I got really good at trash talking. It wasn’t fun unless I made somepony completely break down in tears.”

Rarity was biting her tongue. She wanted to show this ruffian exactly who had all the style and elegance, but she also desperately wanted Rainbow Dash to model for her. This could be her big break into the fashion industry. “How horrible,” was all she could stammer.

“I was sick of the whole pageant thing and since my mom wouldn’t stop taking me to shows I had to do something to get banned. It took five tries, but it worked eventually. Hopefully they didn’t need therapy or anything. Show business is brutal – I don’t know why anypony would willingly subject themselves to it.”

Like it or not, Rarity had to agree with Rainbow Dash on that. But she had confidence in her own abilities and she could see Rainbow Dash had confidence in her own abilities as well. Maybe there was hope for her yet.

Rainbow Dash pulled Fluttershy aside and whispered, “Do you really want to have a party tonight?”

“Uh, well, uh…”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Do you actually want to have a party? Or are you trying not to disappoint your new friends?”

“I…I…” Fluttershy was flustered. Pinkie Pie had her really excited about having a party. But Rainbow Dash had a point too. Did she really want it or was she letting other ponies walk all over her again? “I want to have a party. But I want a small party with just my friends.”

“But that’s only the four of us,” said Pinkie Pie, dejectedly. “Unless you have lots and lots of pegasus friends back in Cloudsdale to invite?” she perked up at that thought. That would be a bunch of new ponies to meet and make friends with.

“No, all of my friends are currently right here in this house.”

Rarity could see that Fluttershy was trying to compromise between what Pinkie wanted and her own fear of crowds and decided to defuse the situation. “We could make it a sleepover!”

“Oh! We haven’t had one of those in forever!” Pinkie was getting excited again. Sleepovers meant s’mores and hot chocolate and ice cream topped with whipped cream and pillow fights and more ice cream… “Be right back!” she darted out the door.

“She’s really fast for an earth pony,” Rainbow Dash observed.

“That’s nothing,” giggled Rarity. “You’ll see.” She turned to the yellow pegasus. “I take it this will be more comfortable for you, dear?”

“Yes, much. I want to meet everypony in town. Just not all at once.”

“I’ll help you with that. Pinkie does have an ‘off’ switch; you just need to know how to find it.”

“How do you find it?”

“You distract her and give her ‘an even better idea’. Like the sleepover. Speaking of which, Rainbow Dash, darling, I just simply have to do your hair tonight.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my hair.” Rainbow Dash was now confident that Rarity hadn’t suggested this sleepover for Fluttershy’s benefit; she had suggested it for her own. The unicorn had been staring at her mane since they were introduced. Of course she wanted to get her hooves on it. Two could play at that game.

“Except that it looks like you haven’t combed it in weeks.”

“I haven’t. And that’s exactly the way I like it!”

“Oh Rainbow Dash. Makeovers are an integral part of sleepovers. You’ll just have to let me work my magic.”

“Only if I get to do your mane.”

“What?”

“Like you said, makeovers are an important part of sleepovers. So that means somepony else has to do your mane. And that pony’s going to be me.”

Visions of having to cut her locks completely off to undo the pegasus’ handiwork filled Rarity’s head. “Let’s not be rash. I’m sure we can come to some sort of agreement.”

“Oh ye of little faith. I promise you won’t end up looking like me.”

“Okay, you win. You can do my mane if I can do yours,” Rarity finally agreed. The chance to make Rainbow Dash look gorgeous was too good to pass up. And she could always come up with a line of new hats to cover her own mane if the results took some time to grow out.

“I’m back!” Pinkie Pie dumped several bags full of groceries on the table. Fluttershy quickly jumped in to grab the outfit she had laying there. She put it away in her closet, not noticing that the socks were now missing from her ensemble. By the time she got back to the living room four sleeping bags had been gathered in a square with a pile of snacks, games, and a radio gathered in the center. Rarity was slowly taking beauty products out of her own saddlebag and arranging them carefully next to her sleeping bag. Rainbow Dash had taken the sleeping bag to Rarity’s right, while Pinkie Pie had taken the sleeping bag to Rarity’s left, leaving Fluttershy between Pinkie and Dash.

“So these are the tools of your trade?” Rainbow Dash glanced at the ever-growing pile of make-up and styling gels between her sleeping bag and Rarity’s.

“Yes, and do be careful with them. I’m on a bit of a budget at the moment so I can’t afford to use these up. Not if I want to be able to afford my own boutique someday.”

Pinkie Pie turned to Fluttershy. “So it looks like we get to give each other makeovers. You go first! Make me look like a clown!”

“A c-c-clown? I’m terrified of clowns.”

“Oh, in that case, make me look like Rainbow Dash!”

“Are you implying I’m a clown?”

“No, I’m just implying that I wish I had a bright and colorful mane like you do! It’s like so awesome and cheerful! I could make everypony smile if I had a mane like yours!”

While Fluttershy worked on Pinkie Pie, Rarity was turning Rainbow Dash into a masterpiece. She was being careful not to go all out, there was no need to waste all of her supplies on a mere sleepover. But she needed to do enough to convince the pegasus to model for her. Fluttershy was done long before Rarity and Pinkie Pie turned her attention on making the yellow pegasus look different, but definitely not like a clown. This severely limited Pinkie Pie’s options. In the end she decided to just copy Rarity’s hairstyle. Rarity was flattered and Fluttershy adored it.

“Aren’t you done yet?” Rainbow Dash asked. She had been sitting still for nearly two hours and she was going stir crazy.

“Not quite, darling. Why don’t we start the games while I work?”

“Can’t we tell the ghost stories first?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“No, I’m afraid that hair-raising tales would have a negative impact on what I’m trying to accomplish here. We may have to skip them this time. But that gives us something to do for the next sleepover!”

Four pink socks climbed the staircase, the pony wearing them invisible. No ghost story, no need for a ghost. She could wait. She had been waiting years, after all.

Rarity continued working on Rainbow Dash’s mane as they played Monopoly. Despite being distracted by her quest for perfection, Rarity still proved to be the best business pony of the four, easily winning the game. Rainbow Dash excelled at Sorry, and Fluttershy dominated the Game of Life. Pinkie Pie was so enthralled by moving the pieces around on the game boards that she didn’t care that she had lost every game so far. Besides, how could she be upset when there was ice cream was waiting to be eaten? She grabbed four bowls and then scooped seven flavors of ice cream into each, topped with a giant gob of whipped cream, sprinkles, chocolate syrup, caramel, and a cherry.

Rarity took one look at the giant bowl of ice cream in front of her. To refuse it would be rude. To eat it would add at least three pounds to her petite frame in all the wrong places. She dipped her spoon in and started taking small ladylike bites, hoping that Rainbow Dash would intervene.

The blue pegasus didn’t disappoint. “That’s not how you eat ice cream!” Rainbow Dash shoved her snout into Rarity’s ice cream bowl and finished the contents, licking her chops. “That’s how you eat ice cream!” She whispered into the unicorn’s ear, “You owe me one for that. Good thing pegasi have high metabolisms… It won’t go straight to my hips.”

Rarity envied the pegasi their metabolisms, not to mention their elegant wings and natural grace. That said she didn’t wish to be one. In her line of work being a unicorn was an advantage, and one she used to her benefit.

“Is it my turn to do your mane yet?”

“Well, you have been patient with me. I suppose I should let you work on mine before I finish with yours.”

“Great, this will only take me a few minutes. Scissors.”

Rarity passed Rainbow Dash the pair of scissors, fearing for the worst. There were a few snipping sounds and then Rainbow Dash exclaimed, “Uh-oh.”

“That’s not something I wish to hear from my hair stylist! I demand a mirror!” Fluttershy passed her a mirror and she studied her mane. “I don’t get it. I can’t see any difference whatsoever from what it looked like earlier. No missing follicles. It’s not even mussed up.”

“I never actually clipped anything. I was just pulling a prank on you. Your hair is too important to you for me to risk messing up. Which is why I’m passing on attempting to style it. You can finish mine now.”

Rarity grumbled, but had some newfound respect for the blue pegasus. She was obviously devious and manipulative. “I think I’m done now also. Time for you to take a peek.”

“Impressive,” replied Rainbow Dash as she gazed into the mirror. “I haven’t looked this good in years.”

“You should look this good every day,” Rarity purred.

“Yeah right. Once a decade is sufficient for me. I’m good for another nine years and three hundred and sixty-four days. We’ll talk then.”

“And I wasn’t even going all out. There’s so much potential in these locks. The next time your competitive streak gets going, all you have to do is let me know and we will take the fashion world by storm.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Fluttershy was trying hard not to laugh. Rainbow Dash looked so pretty, and she was grateful that Rarity was paying so much attention to Rainbow Dash that she had forgotten all about her.

The four ponies took the opportunity to climb into their sleeping bags. They continued to chat until the conversation lagged and each slowly drifted off to sleep.

Rainbow Dash stirred. She was sure something had just brushed against her. She opened an eye and saw one of Fluttershy’s plush animals floating across the living room. “So that’s what’s going on,” she thought, immediately falling back to sleep.

The four ponies awoke the next morning to a surprise – Fluttershy’s sleeping bag was covered in her plush animals, and each of the other three had woken up with two pairs of matching socks on their own sleeping bags.

“I lost this pair of socks when I did laundry a month ago,” Rarity said, puzzled. “How did they get here?”

“You’re right! I totally lost this pair last year!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

“Good for you guys. I’ve never seen these socks before in my life,” said Rainbow Dash, pointing to four rainbow colored socks that were draped across her sleeping bag. She slowly remembered what she had seen in the middle of the night. “That wasn’t a dream,” she thought.

“And these socks are the ones I gave to Fluttershy just yesterday,” Rarity observed, motioning to four pink socks lying in the center of the four sleeping bags. Slowly the four socks rose to a standing position, as if somepony was wearing them.

“You wanted ghost stories, Pinkie Pie. Looks like you got your wish,” said Rainbow Dash.

“I bought a haunted cottage… I bought a haunted cottage… I bought a haunted cottage…”

“Rarity, get a grip on Fluttershy. Whatever you do, don’t let her leave the house. C’mon Pinkie Pie, we’ve got a ghost to catch!”

“Oh! How do you catch a ghost?”

“I have no idea.”

“Well, you better think of one because it’s getting away!” Pinkie Pie pointed to the socks, which were now running away from them towards Ponyville.

It was still early in the morning at Sweet Apple Acres, but Applejack had already been hard at work bucking apples for over an hour. “Land sake’s, what’s that?” Four socks ran past her, nopony wearing them. “That’s abnormal.”

“Stop those socks!”

“Oh, Pinkie Pie’s involved. Nothin’ abnormal about that after all.”

“Did you see some socks run past here?”

“They made a right at the barn. Look to be headed straight for town.”

“Thanks Applejack!” Pinkie kept running.

While Pinkie was following the socks from the ground, Rainbow Dash was soaring above them, trying to spot them. But the socks were a small target in a large landscape. Her vision was good, but not that good. She gave up and landed next to Pinkie Pie.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Applejack decided to follow Pinkie Pie and the mystery pegasus. She could get back to bucking apples later. How often did the opportunity arise to see Pinkie herding socks?

“There they are!” Rainbow Dash zoomed after them. “No way are you socks getting away from me. What am I saying?” Rainbow Dash smacked her forehead with her hoof.

“Hey, pegasus, corral those ornery sock critters in an alley and I’ll lasso ‘em.”

“The name’s Rainbow Dash.”

“Applejack.”

“Nice to meet you. Now let’s get those socks!”

Rainbow Dash cornered the socks in an alley and Pinkie Pie flanked her to make sure they wouldn’t get past her. Applejack threw her lariat at them and scored a direct hit. But the socks just hopped out of the lasso and kept running.

“Well, shoot. That’s never happened before.” Applejack was fuming. No socks were going to show her up!

The socks ran through town, and were soon joined by others. Soon every pair of socks in Ponyville was running alongside the first pairs.

“What in tarnation is going on?”

“It’s a ghost. Fluttershy bought the haunted cottage and now the ghost is on the loose,” Rainbow Dash explained.

“And apparently the spook has an affinity for socks!” added Pinkie Pie.

The socks all ran back towards the cottage with the three ponies in pursuit. Inside, Fluttershy was still stammering about how she had bought a haunted house, while Rarity was sitting on the yellow pegasus’ tail to prevent her from running off.

Once inside the cottage the socks all danced around the two sitting ponies. Rarity was entranced by it. So many beautiful socks, some of them her own designs, were floating around her. Fluttershy just buried her face in her hooves and shut her eyes.

“Okay, you’ve had your fun. Now show yourself,” Rainbow Dash demanded.

“Greetings, Rainbow Dash. You were named after a famous model from my era. And these socks belonged to her.” The rainbow socks landed on the pegasus once more. “She always dressed in style and now you can too.”

“Who are you?” asked Applejack.

“Isn’t it obvious, Applejack?”

“No. If it was obvious I wouldn’t be askin’ her, Pinkie Pie.”

“The voice, the socks, the fact that it’s this cottage. It’s Minty.”

“Very good deductive reasoning, my dear Pinkamena Diane. For that, you deserve a treat. I believe you were looking for these?”

“Your recipes! I’ve been trying to duplicate these for years with no luck!”

“I always added just a pinch of mint to everything I baked. That was my secret.”

“Like that should have been totally obvious!” Pinkie was dancing with the socks. She couldn’t wait to start making cookies. A mint green earth pony with pink and white hair materialized in front of her. A trio of mints adorned her flank. “Minty!” Pinkie tried to pounce on her but instead ended up sailing straight through her long lost friend. “Ouch…”

“I’m not quite as solid as I used to be I’m afraid.”

“So I noticed.” Pinkie waited for the room to stop spinning and then hopped back to her hooves.

“Fluttershy, kind-hearted pony that you are, these are for you.” The mint green socks with the trio of mints symbol landed in front of her. “These are my most prized possession.”

Rarity picked the nearest of the four up. “So soft to the touch; so snuggly and warm. And quality beyond what one normally sees in socks.”

“Thank you fair Rarity. I admire your work as well, which is why I’ve borrowed so many of the pairs you’ve made.”

“You made these yourself?”

“Why of course. You just said you don’t normally see this kind of quality in socks. So if you want something done right you need to do it yourself.”

“Fascinating. I don’t suppose…”

“That I still have the patterns? Of course.” Another box in the attic opened, and the contents were poured in front of Rarity.

“There are a lot of patterns here.”

“I liked socks. I still do even if I don’t exactly have much use for them these days.”

“So why have you waited all this time to reveal yourself?” asked Rainbow Dash. “You’ve scared poor Fluttershy out of her wits.”

“Do not fear me, Fluttershy. I mean you no harm. My task was a simple one – to bring the five of you together. It’s my choice to give you all gifts as well. To Fluttershy, I give you my cottage. I’ve spent years scaring off every other potential buyer. I always knew the kindest pony in Equestria would find me eventually. To Pinkie Pie, my entire recipe collection, my cookbooks, and all of my pans, cookie cutters, and other baking accessories. To Rarity, the fashionista, I leave you my patterns. Speaking of fashionistas… Rainbow Dash, I was a very close friend of your namesake. And while you’re nothing at all like her, I know she would want you to have this.”

“What is this?” Rainbow Dash blew a layer of dust of an old book.

“This is her personal manuscript of the book she wrote on rainbows. Anything and everything you ever wanted to know about rainbows is in here.”

“Oh my gosh, I love this book! My mom used to read it to me every night before bed!”

“And to Applejack, I have a message. ‘We love you. You’re doing a great job with Apple Bloom. We’re so proud of you and Big Macintosh.’”

“Can you tell them we all miss them so much? And that we love them.”

“I most certainly can, but I assure you that they already know.”

“Can you tell us about your task? Why did you have to bring us together?” asked Rarity.

“I was supposed to do it before I died. Unfortunately, you all were far too young and time was not on my side. I only managed to locate Pinkie. I’m glad to see you’re much happier as an adult than you were as a filly.”

“I learned how to smile because of a big rainbow!”

“Rainbows, darling. Rainbows. A good friend of mine used to say that. She would be most pleased to know that they taught you well.”

“But why did you gather us?” Applejack repeated.

“You’ll find out in time. For now though, all you need to know is that it’s in your best interests that you all become friends. Any differences you have, work them out. In time the sixth will find you and the fate of Equestria will rest in your hooves. Before I go, there’s one thing I need from all of you.”

“What?” asked Pinkie Pie, “You name it and we’ll do it.”

“I have a great-granddaughter. She looks exactly like me and she was named after me. But by the time she was born I was too frail to travel to Canterlot. If only the train that runs there now had been around back then… My granddaughter tried her hardest to bring her here for a visit but she never made it before I passed away. Anyway, everything in the boxes in both the basement and attic are for her. Including all of the socks. Especially this pair.” A miniaturized version of the socks she had given to Fluttershy floated in front of the gathered ponies. “They were the last pair of socks I ever made and they were to be her fifth birthday present. Rarity, if you could make a pair that matches the pair I gave Fluttershy I would be most appreciative.”

“Oh, I could just give her these if you want?”

“No. They’re for you. A gift from one Element of Kindness to another.” With that, Minty was gone.

“Minty?” Pinkie Pie cried out. “Please don’t go! Come back!”

“Her mission is accomplished. She can rest in peace now,” Applejack said, excusing herself. She still had a full day’s chores to do, and she had already lost an hour chasing Minty through town.

“Hey! Before you go you need to Pinkie Promise we’ll all get together for a party this weekend!”

“Sure thing, sugarcube. I guess we’ll be needin’ to get to know one another better. I don’t get to meet a lot of new friends out on the farm so I’m looking forward to it!”

“And I do believe our little soiree is over as well,” Rarity said, as she packed her saddlebags.

“Already?” Pinkie Pie pouted.

“It’s a sleepover, Pinkie. Usually they end after breakfast but we missed that thanks to all the excitement. But you’re welcome to join me for brunch?”

“Sure!” the pink pony bounced out the door. If food was involved, she was totally going to be there. Rarity thanked her host and did her best to catch up to Pinkie Pie.

Once the two pegasi were alone, Rainbow Dash shared her news with Fluttershy, “In all the excitement, I forgot to tell you. I interviewed for a job yesterday.”

“How’d it go?”

“I start Monday, but it’s going to require relocating.”

“Oh no.” Fluttershy looked down at her hooves.

“To Ponyville.”

“What? I thought you hated the ground?”

“I do. But they’re in dire need of a weather manager. The position’s been vacant for three months. Thankfully I can commute from Cloudsdale pretty easily.”

“That’s wonderful news!” Fluttershy embraced her friend.

Rainbow Dash blushed and returned the hug.