Playdating

   “...and then it fell off!”

   Winona and Opal shared a small laugh as the latter recounted a funny little incident.  Seeing as it was the 13th funny little incident she’d told in the duration of their walk, Winona could tell that Opal had had quite a few funny little incidents.

   “Ah,” the cat sighed, “you should have seen the look on her face.  Simply priceless.”

   Another thing that Winona could see was that they’d arrived at the park.  It was a nice day, not too hot, nor too cold.  The sun was shining, and there was nary a cloud in sight.  Amongst the lush, lively grass were ponies, spread out and enjoying themselves.  Stallions, mares, and foals, playing or talking or just relaxing.

   “Ah!  It seems we are he-”

   Opal was interrupted by herself, ears pricking up.  “Do you hear that?”

   Winona listened, and detected a low buzzing noise, droning.  “Yeah, I think I do.  What do ya think it could be?”

   “I’m not su- oh, great,” she said, cutting off as she looked to the side with an irritated expression.  Winona followed her gaze, and saw a trio of fillies, riding in a wagon.

   To explain more clearly, two of them were in the wagon, and one was on a scooter, piloting them.  ‘Riding’ might not have been completely accurate, either, since it was less like ‘riding’ and more like ‘rocketing through the park at high speed.’

   In fact, the three themselves were not normal.  They were, of course, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, adventurous fillies, slightly crazy, potentially dangerous.  None other than Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo.

   “Oh great,” Opal muttered sarcastically, “it’s the resident hellions.  How lovely.”  She turned and continued walking.

   Winona frowned and caught up with her.  “Come on, Opal, they ain’t that bad.  They’re just a bit exentic, that’s all.”

   “It’s ‘eccentric’.”

   “That too!  Besides, they’re just foals.  How much trouble can they really get into?”

   Opal turned and looked at Winona with an exasperated expression.  “You do realize that by saying that, you are just tempting fate to make something bad happen?”

   “Gee, Opal,” Winona remarked teasingly, “I never took y’all ta be a superstitious one.”

   “It is not superstition,” Opal replied firmly, “it’s fact.  Whenever I want Rarity to get me some fish, or lasagna even, she never buys it!”

   The dog snickered.  “Well, I’m thinkin’ that has less to do with ‘temptin’ fate’ than it does with you two fightin’ like a snake and a mongoose.”

   Opal scoffed, “Well, it isn’t my fault!  If she wasn’t so prissy and whiny all the time, then maybe we’d get along better!”

   “Are ya sure that you don’t get any of the blame, there?”

   The cat looked at her with a pout.  “I’m just trying to take some naps!  It’s her fault for having a comfortable bed, not mine.”

   Before Winona could respond, she smiled and pointed with a foreleg.  “Oh!  There’s the tree!”

   She quickened her pace, a bounce in her step, before hit by a mass of speeding pony.

   Winona watched in shock as the cat was flung to the side and landed on the ground in a heap, along with two little fillies.  Looking closer, she saw...

Aw, horsefeathers.

   “Gee, Scoots, why’d ya have ta stop so hard?”

   “Well, sorry!  Would you rather have me hit Opal?”

   Opal let loose a caterwaul and dug herself out of the pile furiously.  Suddenly, the aforementioned ponies straightened up and threw the cat off, who fell face first into the ground.  She brought her forelegs to the front, and pushed herself up.  Her eye twitched furiously.

   She spun around and glared at the intruding fillies, swiping at the air.  Unfortunately for Opal, and to the amusement of Winona, she was swept up into a hug.  A really big, hard hug.

   “Aw, hi Opal!” said Sweetie Belle excitedly.  Said cat continued to claw at the air helplessly, futilely trying to squirm out of the little unicorn’s ‘hug’.

   “Hey there, Winona!” came a voice from the dog’s side.  She turned, and saw a happy Applebloom waving a hoof at her.  Winona yipped happily, and nuzzled her smiling owner when she came close.

   “Ugh, would you guys stop being all sappy?” said a slightly irritated Scootaloo from her place on the scooter.  “It’s time to go crusading!”

   “Oh, right,” replied Sweetie Belle, dropping Opal unceremoniously.  She dropped the ground and hissed.  The filly took a few steps, before a metaphorical light bulb came alight atop her head.  “Wait, I’ve got an idea!  What if we took care of Opal and Winona while we crusade?”

   “Hmm?  Huh,” Scootaloo scratched her head, “I guess we could do that.”

   “Shore!” added Applebloom, “It’ll be fun!  What da you think, Winona?”

   The dog pondered her options.  Either she could run away really fast, or she could go with them.  Although the former seemed most appealing, it would leave Opal behind, who would inevitably be taken anyways.  On the other hand, if she did go with them, there was a high possibility that she would be damaged bodily and quite likely mentally as well.

   Leave Opal behind, or get hurt...

So hard to choose.

   Right when she was about to turn tail and run, Opal looked at her menacingly.  “Winona, I swear, if you leave me with them, I will find you and claw your face off.”

Okay, okay, fine.

   Winona sighed, and barked at her owner in confirmation.

   “Alrighty, then!  Let’s go, girls!”

   Opal shrieked in surprise as she was grabbed and tossed into the wagon.  She was quickly followed by Applebloom and Sweetie Belle.  The yellow filly glanced at her dog and shouted, “Hop in, Winona!”

   Reluctantly, she complied, and scrambled up.  Getting as comfortable as she could, the wagon started picking up speed, and soon they were going nearly as fast as before, slowed slightly on account of the unwillingly added passengers.

   Winona heard scratching from the other side of the vehicle, and saw a fuming white cat clawing at the floor of the wagon angrily.  “You okay, Opal?”

   “Oh, yes, of course I’m alright,” Opal snarked, “I’m completely peachy about being hurled into a wagon and driven to an unknown location at a high speed.  Can’t you tell?”

   “Ah, come on, Opal, look on the bright side.  At least we won’t be bored.”

   “Yes, because kidnapping and physical injury are a much better alternative to boredom.”

   “Well, who says we’re gonna get hurt?”  Besides me, of course.

   Opal looked at her, and stated flatly, “These three were the ones who sent Big Macintosh on a rampage through the town because they wanted him to fall in love with their teacher.”

   “Oh.  Right.”

We’re doomed.