The Taste of Shenanigans

CHAPTER 2: Stuff happens

After travelling down one corridor that just lead to a dead end with a creepy painting of Dr Madbrain on the wall, they tried another one. It looked much more promising, as it was wider than the previous corridor and the lighting was better. Also, it had no creepy paintings. Creepy paintings are sort of out of place in a laboratory, anyway. Nevertheless, Applejack was unnerved. She looked around worriedly, before piping up.
“Guys, Dr Madbrain will know this place better than us.”
“Obviously.” said Twilight. “This is his laboratory.”
“That’s what I’m saying. What if he tries to escape?”
Twilight Sparkle stopped in her tracks. “You’re right… we can’t just let him get away.”
She then did a ‘hmm’ face, and continued. “We need somepony to go back to the entrance and guard it.”
“Sure thing!” said Rainbow Dash, and zoomed off back where they had come from.
“Well, I ask going to ask Fluttershy if she wanted to, but whatever.” said Twilight. “Sorry, Fluttershy.”
“I could go and help her.” said Fluttershy. “I’d still get a milkshake, right?”
“You would… but we only need one pony there. You’ll have to come with us.”
They walked again.
After like, ten minutes or something, they came across a flight of stairs, leading up and around a corner.
“This looks about right.” said Applejack.
“Um… Twilight?” mumbled Fluttershy.
Twilight Sparkle turned around and faced her. She didn’t say anything. She just looked at her.
“It’s just… I don’t think I can do this.”
Twilight let out a groan. “We ALL need to do this.”
Fluttershy just turned her gaze away.
“Come ON, Fluttershy. The more of us, the better.”
“Oh… no. I’m not good with confrontations.”
“Fine. Fluttershy, you guard the stairs. Pinkie, Applejack and I will confront Dr Madbrain. If he comes by here, tackle him or something. Can you do that?”
“I don’t know, Twilight…”
“Do it anyway. We’re going.” she said, and everypony except Fluttershy trotted off to save Rarity.
When they got to the top of the stairs, Twilight saw a door with the sign ‘LABATORY’ on it.
“This is it.” she said. “LET’S DO THIS!”
Applejack bucked the door open, causing it to fly off its hinges. Inside the room were a toilet and a sink.
“Whoops.” said Applejack. “This isn’t a science room.”
"He must have spelled ‘lavatory’ wrong.” said Twilight. “Anyway, let’s keep looking.”
The three ponies left the room, and continued walking. A little farther down the corridor, Pinkie Pie spotted a door with a sign that read ‘Dr Madbrain’s laboratory. Don’t come in.’
“Look! Look!” she gasped. “They must be in there!”
“Welp,” said Twilight. “Here goes.”
Applejack bucked the door open, causing it to fly off its hinges. Sure enough, inside was Dr Madbrain, sitting at a control panel, with Rarity trapped in a clear container.
“DARLINGS!” Rarity shouted, slightly muffled. “HELP ME!”
Dr Madbrain slowly looked up from his science machine, and gave a small smirk.
“Vell, vell, vell, vat brings you to my laboratory?”
“Release her, Madbrain.” said Twilight. “Then we MIGHT let you go free.”
“Vhy are you threatening me? Do you veally tink you can just-“
Rarity interrupted him. “GET ME OUT OF THIS THING!”
Applejack rolled her eye. “For Pete’s sake, Rarity, just use MAGIC or sumthin’.”
“Oh yeah.” she said, and then used magic to make a hole in the container. Rarity happily trotted out, looking incredibly pleased with herself. Dr Madbrain, furious, jumped out of his seat.
“NO! GET BACK IN ZERE! I NEED YOU FOR ZE SCIENCE COMPETITION!”
Rarity ignored him and continued to walk towards her friends.
“I’M VARNING YOU. RETURN! AT VONCE!”
“How about no?” said Rarity.
“HOW ABOUT YES?!”
And then Dr Madbrain pulled a lever, opening a panel on the wall. Out from it came a small robot that looked like Sweetie Belle for some reason. Where her horn would be was instead occupied by a circular saw, and it had pieces of Lego for teeth.
“Oh no!” shouted Twilight Sparkle. “His originality will surely destroy us! We’re doomed!”
“I bet I could smash its robotic head in with a single kick.” said Applejack.
“Screw that!” said Pinkie Pie, and did that thing from that Royal Wedding episode where she used Twilight as a gun, shooting at the robot. It had no effect.
“FOOLS! YOU TINK ZAT VILL STOP ME?! TAKE ZIS!”
As Dr Madbrain prepared to pull another lever, Pinkie Pie charged at him, screaming, and proceeded to barge into him. Dr Madbrain fell onto the control panel, pushing most of the buttons down.
“Uh-oh,” said Twilight. “That can’t be good.”
Then Pinkie Pie’s tail began to twitch.
“Thought so…” said Twilight.
At that moment, a loud explody noise came from the ceiling, and it began to collapse. All the ponies, including Dr Madbrain, fled for the exit. As they neared the door, a large piece of debris struck Rarity, knocking her unconscious. Noticing this, Applejack turned around to gallop to her aid, but then more ceiling pieces fell, covering Rarity, and conveniently trapping Applejack’s left hind leg.
“Ah, shucks.” she said.
As she struggled to free her leg, she noticed that the robot had been partially crushed and was laying close-by. Applejack grabbed its head and clenched its robo-jaw down on her leg.
“Ow.” she said, as her leg came clean off.
She then galloped toward the exit as best she could, making it out just as a huge chunk of debris came smashing down behind her.
“Are you two OK?” asked Applejack.
They both nodded.
Twilight gestured towards the stairway. “Madbrain escaped…”
“Don’t count yer eggs before they’re chickens!” said Applejack. “Rainbow might have caught him! Or Fluttershy!”
“Oh yeah lolz!” said Twilight. “Shame about Rarity, though.”
The three galloped in the direction of the stairs. As they passed the lavatory, Twilight grinded to a halt. “One sec.”
“What’s up?” asked Applejack.
“Just gotta…. you know. I’ll be quick.”
“Can’t you hold it?”
“Can’t you SHUT UP?!”
“Whoa, Twilight. That was uncalled for.”
“I’m sorry. I just tend to get angry when ponies STOP ME FROM GOING TO THE TOILET.”
“OK, OK. Go on.”
When she was done, they ran to the stairwell, and sprinted down, Applejack hobbling behind a bit. At the bottom stood Fluttershy, standing next to an unconscious Dr Madbrain.
“Fluttershy! You stopped him!” exclaimed Twilight.
“Well actually, he tripped over me. I didn’t even see him coming…” she muttered.
Pinkie Pie bounced up and down. “You did it! I knew you’d do it! You should guard the stairs at Canterlot Castle- NO! ALL THE STAIRS IN EQUESTRIA! You’re like… the STAIR MASTER!”
“Applejack…” said Fluttershy. “Your leg…”
“Oh yeah, I had to remove that. It was slowing me down.”
Applejack looked down to the floor. “Uh… and about Rarity…”
Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie looked down too.
“We couldn’t save her.” said Twilight.
“Oh… that’s a shame.” said Fluttershy.
The ponies lifted Dr Madbrain and placed him on Applejack’s back, before making their way to the exit. When they got there, they were greeted by Rainbow Dash, who was wearing socks.
“Whoa…” she said, hovering a couple of feet from the ground. “What HAPPENED in there? And where’s Rarity?”
“Never mind that.” said Twilight. “Why are you wearing socks?”
“Heh… that’s a long story.”
“Well I’m going to interrogate Dr Madbrain in my basement.” said Twilight. “Will you tell us after that?”
“Yeah… I guess so. Sure.”
And so they went to the library to do those things.

END OF CHAPTER 2