Twelve

Ponyville was empty.

Well, mostly empty.

You see, Ponyville is a town of habits, such as getting at exactly sunrise, or having a monthly town meeting without a break, even if fewer ponies showed each time. The arrival of Twilight Sparkle did little to change that. After all, she was a pony, ponies adapt were ponies live.

Its a different story however, when you are an alien with increasingly bizarre lifestyle and biology.

For example. After lunch, no matter what the day, festivity, year, time, or whatever, no matter what, Ponyville takes a nap. And by nap, I mean that every single ponies goes home and takes nap. Kids go home from school, adults rest and the whole place slows down to a snail pace. Twilight, being the workaholic she was, has tried her best to change this custom.

She failed to say the least.

Anyways. Apple Bloom and Sagittarius were perhaps the only creatures that were roaming the town. Nopony hadn't even bothered to pick up the mess that Scorpio had made. That was the level of laziness that reigned in the town during nap time. And you wondered why Dash loved the town.

"Are they...alright?" Apple Bloom asked.

I correct myself. Apple Bloom and Sagittarius were the only creatures that roamed the town on their hooves. You see, in all the angry commotion about making Twilight pay for the disaster, nopony had kept an eye on two twin foals that were happily chugging away some milk. That wouldn't be so bad. Milk is good for kids.

Unless they are zodiacs, in which case we have a problem.

"I think so..." Sag answered. "They look happy to me."

Gem and Minnie laid on their backs, giggling slightly and mumbling general incoherences. Surrounding them laid a few empty bottles of milk. They themselves were had milk all over their faces. They really did look happy though.

"What do we do now?" Apple Bloom poked Gem on the head. The only answer was a snore. They had fallen asleep.

"We can't leave them here. We need to take them to the Sugarcube Corner....wherever that is." Sag carefully placed the twins on his back.

"But what about ma'h homework?"

"I'm afraid its going to have to wait."

Apple Bloom sulked as she trailed behind the zodiac. She was angry. She was so angry she wasn't paying attention to the world around her, like the canary that landed on a branch, or the mole that was hid underground. Or the angry shouts that were coming out of the library. Probably Twilight in her OCD mode again. She didn't care

She just wanted to get her homework done! Was that too much to ask?

"Eh..." Sag stopped. "Where is the Sugarcube corner?"

Apple Bloom sighed, pointing a hoof to her left. As it turned out, dear old Sagittarius hadn't the slightest idea of where the Sugarcube Corner was, which meant that they had been pointlessly walking around Ponyville for nearly twenty minutes. Twenty minutes they could have been using in finding Aries.

"Don't worry little girl. Once we drop these two, we can go right back to the search." Sag said sheepishly, almost sensing the bad mood inside Apple Bloom.

"Right..." she grumbled.

Sugarcuber Corner was closed, with a small sign on the door that said, in very sugary letters:

NAP TIME. BACK IN TWO HOURS

Being a parent of two babies plus a mare that acted like a kid was exhausting, so nopony blamed the Cakes for their particularly long nap time. Pinkie had tried to convince that she could run the store by herself.

An oven exploding was all the reason they need to say no.

Of course, our two temporary protagonists knocked on the door like there was no tomorrow. And of course, the one who answered wasn't Pinkie Pie, nor Mrs.Cake. It was Mr.Cake. Mr.Cake was a nice, hard working stallion. Ponyville, like the habits, had a few unspoken rules. Rules that, while not really life depending for the town itself, were rather important.

1- You don't touch the Mayor's carps. Seriously. Unless you're Fluttershy. In that case, go ahead.

2-Derpy really is a good worker. Treat her well.

3-During nap time, you do not, I repeat, you do NOT wake up the cakes.

Why you may ask? The answer is simple.

Mr. Cake was a light sleeper. And a cranky pony when not allowed to have his nap in peace. So when he opened the door and found a rather strange stallion, with two seemingly drunk foal son his back, smiling like an idiot, he did what any cranky candy maker would do.

He growled. He slammed the door open. Nearly bucked Sagittarius inside and slammed the door closed, leaving Apple Bloom outside. Alone and without a guide.

"Figures..." Apple Bloom snarked. "Now Ah' got no help. No guide and no homework done, might as well resign myself. Unless..."

"I keep telling you it was that blasted rabbit!" Scorpio pointed a hoof to Angel, who tried to hide Fluttershy's mane.

"Angel would never do that!" Fluttershy defended her pet. Twilight in the mean time, was writing a letter. Not a report, mind you. She was writing a letter to the princess, asking for an advance in her stipend by two months. One so she could pay for herself, and the second so that she could pay for all the damage done to the town.

Which meant that she was in a crappy mood. Not the best moment to ask anything of her.

Which was exactly what Apple Bloom was going to do.

Bless kids for their poor timing.

"Spike. Door." Twilight growled. Spike did as told, finding himself face to face with Apple Bloom.

"Uh, hey Apple Bloom. Now is not a good time." He said, trying to close the door.

"Don't care. Need Twilight."

"I really mean it Bloom." Spike tried to close the door, but Apple Bloom bucked it open, sending the dragon tumbling away.

"Ah' mean it too Spike."

Scorpio admitted defeat, choosing to stay quiet and shoot killing glares at the cursed rabbit, who was making faces atop of Fluttershy.

"Twilight." Apple Bloom called. "Ah' need to find Aries."

"I'm busy Apple Bloom. You're gonna have to wait."

Ah' can't wait Twilight. Ah got homework to do and Ah' need his help." the filly insisted.

"I said I'm busy." Twilight repeated, not turning from her desk.

"But Twi-"

Apple Bloom" Twilight slowly turned her face towards Apple Bloom. Her neck made a few popping noises on the way. "I said I am busy!"

Now, Apple Bloom may be both in a hurry and grumpy, but she was not stupid. Twilight said wait. And wait she was going to do.

Even if she only had a couple of hours left to finish her homework.

Homework was not worth a burnt mane bow.