Hitmare

Twilight closed her book again.

Usually there was nothing in the whole world that could stop her from reading a book cover to cover, save some new breed of life-threatening disaster appearing in town as it so often did. This time, Twilight was held back by one thing: guilt.

"Spike?" said she, her voice slightly shaken.

"Are you okay Twilight?" her little dragon friend asked, concerned.

"I'm worried about Rainbow Dash. What if I've been too harsh with her?" The unicorn swivelled around on her stool to look Spike in the eye.

"Oh." Spike's expression hardened somewhat. "Honestly, after her little stunt with the Library last week, I'd say that you haven't been harsh enough with her."

"But she's my friend! That accident wasn't entirely her fault! Nopony was hurt in the crash..."

"...except Rarity." interjected Spike. "And Carrot Top, and Scootaloo, and..."

"I know!" Twilight threw her hooves up in the air. "I know, okay? It's just...she's my friend! She doesn't deserve that kind of treatment, no matter what she's done!"

"So what are you going to do about it? I mean, she's still zooming around all over the place even after what you did today!"

"I'm not sure. I guess I'll just have to keep on doing it until she gets the message." Twilight sighed. "Still, it doesn't feel right."

"Not all ponies can be reasoned with. Sometimes it's okay to give them hard lessons to make them change their ways."

There was a crash from downstairs, and the unmistakeable sound of books tumbling from their shelves, punctuated only by the rhythmic "Ow! Ow! Ow!" of the pegasus upon whom they were landing.

Spike gave Twilight a look. "See?"

"I know!" Twilight cringed at the sound. "I'll handle it, okay?"

And with that, she got up and galloped down into the main library.

There was no way that anypony could have wrecked the shelves THAT BADLY by accident. In the centre of the library floor lay a mountainous pile of books. Torn and scattered literature was everywhere, piled high atop a little blue rainbow pony who was spitting out pages of Equines and Demons.

Twilight's eye twitched slightly.

"Spike," she muttered, not looking away from the chaos, "I take back everything I just said."

Rubbing her head, Rainbow looked around as the room came back into focus.

Wow. she thought. I really made a mess this time.

Spying her foe atop the staircase, she was airborne again, landing right in front of Twilight and glaring at her.

"I know what you've been doing! There's no point in hiding it from me!"

"Look Rainbow, it wasn't my fault. A lot of ponies..." Twilight began.

"NO! My flank is bright pink because of your silly pranks!"

The unicorn shook her head. "Sorry?"

"Don't play dumb with me! You're terrible at playing dumb!" Rainbow ranted on. "You've been pranking me to get revenge for that time I crashed into your library, haven't you?"

"Okay." Twilight took a deep breath. "First, you destroyed a very expensive bookshelf and nearly got a lot of ponies hurt! Rarity was in a cast for a week! And don't get me started on all of the books that were lost, ruined or just plain unaccounted for!"

"Not my fault if Rarity can't get out the way." Rainbow pouted.

"Second!" Twilight went on, deciding to ignore that excuse for an excuse. "I have NO idea what you're talking about! I've been sitting in my study all morning, trying to read!"

"Then how do you explain THIS?" Rainbow took flight again and turned to the side, very pointedly gesturing towards her dyed flank.

Twilight made a face. It was somewhere between shock, anger and amusement, as if she'd just tasted something incredibly sour. She knew that she wasn't supposed to laugh at this...Rainbow was her friend, and it was also important that she tell her off right now.

That was pretty funny, though.

"Listen R-Raiinbow Dash," she giggled. "I wouldn't even know where to begin pranking you. That's...I'm sorry...that's more your thing, or Pinkie Pie's.

Rainbow glared at Twilight even more determinedly. She backed off slightly, half-expecting to burst into flames.

"I'm onto you, Twilight Sparkle." Rainbow said slowly. "I know it was you, and when you slip up, I'll be ready...oh yes, I'll be very ready."

As Rainbow Dash backed out of the Library and shot off towards her house again, Twilight shook her head and chuckled a little more about that short but amazing encounter. It had been surreal, though she was kind of getting used to that being the norm in Ponyville.

"Um, Twilight," said Spike nervously. "What just happened?"

"I have no idea. I can't begin to think why she'd accuse me over Pinkie. I mean, they're both meant to be the prank masters around town!" Twilight shrugged.

"So you're sure you didn't have anything to do with it?" Spike grinned and elbowed his best friend knowingly.

"Now come on Spike." Twilight cracked a massive smile as she walked back into her study. "If I had had anything to do with it,  I'd have had a book about how best to prank a pegasus, but that was one of the ones that wasn't accounted for after Rainbow's little accident, wasn't it?"

As she made to sit down again, her forehoof hit something leather-bound. Curiously, Twilight levitated a book from under her desk and held it up to the light.

"Pranking a Pegasus: Over 1000 Amazing Pranks and Tricks that'll keep you amused for days" the title read.

Twilight chuckled again.

"Well, would you look at that."