Everfree Forest: Zecora's Hut

The sun was beginning to set as the three Mares got back to the hut, panting hard.

"Rainbow! Pinkie! Rarity!" said Twilight, looking at them, messy and sweaty.

"Good news…" began Rainbow Dash, "And bad news…"

"Oh no, don't tell me you didn't find the wolf".

"That's the good news, silly!" exclaimed Pinkie, holding up the tuft of grey fur.

"Pinkie Pie, thank you," thanked Zecora, taking the tuft, "Now I'll add it to the brew".

She tosses the tuft of fur inside as the cauldron begins to bubble, turning from green to a light pink color concoction.

"Will it be ready soon?" said Rarity, looking over Zecora's shoulder.

"Now that the last ingredient is in the heat," said Zecora, "It'll take an hour for it to be complete".

"Not good," said Rainbow Dash, looking out the window, "Because in an hour will be nighttime".

"CAN'T YOU MAKE THE CURE BREW FASTER?!" shouted Rarity, shaking Zecora. She pauses as she lets her go. "My apologies, darling".

"What's with you, Rarity? It's Fluttershy that's cursed?" said Twilight, puzzled by Rarity's spontaneous reaction.

"Well, that's the bad news I was going to mention," said Rainbow Dash, lifting up Rarity's hoof where it was bandaged up. Twilight gasped

"Oh no! Not you too, Rarity!"

"I'm afraid so, Twilight," said Rarity, "And that's why I'm hoping that potion will cure us as soon as possible".

Twilight looked at Zecora as she kept an eye on her brew. Twilight sighed as she smiles at Rarity.

"Don't you worry. We'll get out of this alright. Just hold on tight".

"Thank you, Twilight," smiled Rarity, a little teary eye.

"Hey!" said Pinkie Pie, looking around, "Has anypony seen Fluttershy?"

Twilight pointed to a corner of Zecora's hut, where Fluttershy was tied up by a lasso, Applejack next to her.

"Now, let me know if its too tight, alright?" said Applejack, twisting her head as it squeezes Fluttershy, causing her to grit her teeth and pop her eyes out, slightly turning blue. "Oh, sorry Fluttershy…" Applejack began to loosen it up…

"NO! It's perfect!" said Fluttershy, breathing hard. "Really, it is!"

"Ya sure?"

"Yes… I am… sure…"

"But yer turnin' blue!"

"Well… I… like blue..?" Fluttershy smiles sheepishly. Applejack sighed as he loosen it up a bit.

"Fluttershy, darling, why are you tied up so tight for?" asked Rarity. "It's not even night yet"

"I don't care!" Fluttershy cried, "I… I cannot take the risk of hurting my friends! I… I cannot!"

Rainbow looked at Fluttershy, then turned to Twilight, "Please tell me there's anything to delay the transformation?"

Twilight takes out the book and reads it. "Hmm… it says moonlight activates the transformation faster, so…" she gasps as she smiles, "Maybe there IS a way to delay the transformation after all! Rainbow, can you cover this whole area with clouds? Not a lot, but enough to mask the moonlight so we can have more time?"

Rainbow smirked, "Is that all? Easy!" She heads for the door, flapping her wings, "I'll be done in 10 minutes flat! 15 tops!" And with that, Rainbow Dash flew out into the sky.

Sky

WHOOOSH!

FLUFF!

SPOOF!

WHISH!

Rainbow Dash was hurrying, trying to gather all the clouds in range together, the sun beginning to set.

"Come on, Rainbow!" she said to herself, getting more clouds, "Is that all you've got?! Let's see some sweat!"

SWISH!

In no time at all, she gathered up all the clouds and created a cloudy blanket over Ponyville and the Everfree Forest.

"Phew!" said Rainbow Dash, wiping her brow, "I believe that was about 10 minutes, give or take 5 seconds! Hope this works!"

As Rainbow Dash flew back to Zecora's hut…

Meanwhile…

"A pastry eating Cutie Mark?"

Three fillies were walking along the path on the edge of Ponyville, where booths were begun to be set up, the smell of pastries filled the air.

"Mmm!" smiled Sweetie Belle, "Oh, boy! I believe that's Berry Punch's Rum Raisin Bread!"

"Aw, shucks," said Applebloom, "That ain't nothin' to MY sister's Three Apple Cake!"

"Heh, it's not the competition I'm worked up for," said Scootaloo, "It's the samples we can get!"

"Oh yeah, I can't wait!" said Sweetie Belle, making a humming sound of yum.

"Plus it'll be a great night, since there's a full moon!" Scootaloo looks up, then gasps. "Huh?"

The three fillies look up to see the blanket of clouds covering the sky.

"Ah thought the weather was 'Clear' today?" asked Applebloom.

"Maybe Rainbow Dash forgot?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"NO WAY!" said Scootaloo, "A cool Pegasus like Rainbow Dash wouldn't leave Ponyville hanging! That's what she told me"

"Then why is it cloudy then?"

"Because… um… because… uhh…"

"She…forgot?"

"NO! Rainbow Dash was just… busy! Yeah, that's it! She was busy!"

"Ah hope she finds an excuse for the weather today," said Appleboom, "Because if the Weather Ponies find out that Dash didn't do her work today, she could be in a heap of trouble".

Scootaloo gasped, "You're right! Then we have to protect Rainbow Dash's reputation!"

"How?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"By clearing away the clouds of course!"

"And just how are WE going to do that?" asked Applebloom.

Scootaloo looked around, then spotted a Clown Pony handing out balloons to the little fillies. Smiling, she turns to see Mr. Breezy's shop, where fans were sold.

"That's it!" she said as she ran towards the clown. "Come on, Crusaders!"

"Ah've got a bad feeling about this," said Applebloom.

Soon…

Night was beginning to come as the sun's last red and orange rays were disappearing over the hill. The cloud cover was penetrated by three groups of balloons, holding three certain fillies with fans.

"I don't know, Scootaloo," said Sweetie Belle.

"You sure ya know what yer doin'?" asked Applebloom.

"Positive!" said Scootaloo, staring her fan, "This way, we can clear away the clouds, save Rainbow Dash's reputation, AND maybe get Cutie Marks for… um…. Ah! Cloud Clearers!"

"Cloud Clearers?" asked Sweetie Belle, her fan on as she got to work.

"Just come on! We'll get this done in no time!"

The sun has set as the moon rose above, the stars following in pursuit. The three fillies managed to disperse the clouds easily.

"There!" said Scootaloo, "We're done!"

"Now, how in Equestria do we get down?" asked Applebloom.

"That's easy!" Scootaloo takes out a pin and pops one, causing her to go down.

"Oh, I was wondering why we had these," said Sweetie Belle, taking hers out and popping her balloons.

Applebloom tilted her head to get hers, but it caused the fan to go from low to high, causing her to loose herself.

"WHOA!" shouted Applebloom, "WHOA! How do you stop this?!"

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle made it to the bottom as they look up to see their friend in trouble.

"Applebloom! Turn the fan off!" shouted Scootaloo, but they watched as Applebloom was blown towards the Everfree Forest. "Oh no…!"

The two friends rush off to see to their friend, the full moon illuminating the sky.