Author's Notes:

Since it fits the story better and I can't find a reason not to, I'm reversing the order of Rarity takes Manehattan and Pinkie Apple Pie. Normal episodic order will resume after these have been dispensed with.

Rainbow Dash landed outside Fluttershy's Cottage. She'd been unable to find Pinkie or Applejack and didn't expect Rarity or Twilight to be very interested in pranking. She figured she'd be able to talk Fluttershy into at least giving her an idea. She knocked on the door. Fluttershy opened it. She screamed.

“What's the matter?” Rainbow Dash asked, concerned.

“You. You're not a changeling?” Fluttershy asked.

“What? Of course not, why would you think that?”

“Your coloring, you look almost like me.” Fluttershy pointed.

“Do you need glasses, there's no way that I look... AIGH!” Rainbow Dash finally had a reason to look at herself. She'd been too concerned with removing the itching powder to notice anything but the feeling of it being gone, even after she'd had to rewash her coat, mane and tail. She took a deep breath. "Okay, now that tiger has gone too far.”

“Robert? You don't think the dear had anything to do with this? Do you?” Fluttershy asked.

“I'm sure he did. But if he wants to break out the big guns, then that's fine. So will I.”

“Rainbow Dash! You know violence never solved anything.” Fluttershy chided.

“Violence has solved lots of things, but that's not what I mean. So tell me, how do I find Discord?”

“You need but ask my dear, sweet Rainbow Dash.” Discord said, appearing out of thin air. "Oh my, whatever happened to you? He paused. "Though I must say I like the look, you don't quite hold a candle to the original.”

Fluttershy more or less burst into flames and fled into the house. Rainbow Dash shook her head. “A prank war that's been escalated. I figure the master of chaos is the place to turn when I need to play a prank of truly epic proportions.” Rainbow Dash grinned.

“Well, you might just be right.” Discord tapped his chin thoughtfully for a moment. "Tell me about your pranking competitor.” Rainbow Dash did.

“Oh my, a tiger? I haven't had fun with a tiger in a very long time.” Discord grinned. "But I have just the prank to pull.” he pulled her close. "It goes just like this.”

---

Fluttershy dropped the package at the Post Office. She wasn't entirely sure about the plan, but Discord had been adamant that it wouldn't hurt anyone, so she decided to humor him. The box was not only large, but was to be delivered by noon the next day, and was too heavy to be carried by a Pegasus. She left as the manager was putting a notice on the board.

Robert came in, several minutes later, to check the board. The delivery paid well, since it was going a very long distance.

“What is it?” he asked the manager.

“No idea, just that it's marked fragile. The problem is that you might not make it in time unless you cross the Everfree, and that's going to be dangerous. Especially for you, but also for the crate.” the manager looked him in the eye. "You sure you can handle it? If not, I'll get a sky chariot in. Might be a little late, but it'll arrive intact.”

“I'll be fine. I'm not turning down that kind of bonus for something like the Everfree.” Robert shrugged. "Besides, I like a challenge.”

“Alright, just remember you break it, you don't get paid.” Robert nodded. A few minutes later, he was loaded with the package. "Still not too late to say no.”

“Just keep my bits warm.” Robert said, with a smug grin. “This was going to be easy.”

Famous last words, he thought, as he slogged through the marshes surrounding the lake he was circum-navigating. The water was up to his chest, and was cold. It was also full of leeches, he'd been less than enthused to discover. Fortunately, a vermin repulsion spell kept them away from him. There was no help for the temperature of the water, or impenetrability of the marsh itself. As he climbed out of the other side of the marsh, he discovered yet another unpleasantness of the mud. It stank. It also, he discovered, trying to remove it from his fur, clung. He sighed.

“This doesn't seem like much of a prank.” Rainbow Dash said, watching from a cloud high above. Discord, lying beside her chuckled.

“Just wait.” he said, sipping some unidentifiable drink. "It gets better.”

Robert continued his slog towards his destination. The flies started. Buzzing, landing, biting. Robert sighed, and reinforced the spell to repel the leaches. The bugs came in droves. He muttered something. Fire burst from him, wrapping him like a cloak. The flies flew in, and dissolved. It didn't take long before they stopped bothering him. The mud dried and cracked up as well. It fell away in flakes as he walked. Freed of the mud, Robert kept on. The ground flattened out, and he shifted into a smooth, ground eating trot. The cases tinkled slightly, but a glow of magic quieted them. Rainbow thumped the cloud with a hoof.

“You said they'd break.” she accused.

“I did, and they will.”

The ground began to slope upwards, slowing Robert to a walk. The path narrowed as it passed into a canyon, then up the side of a mountain. He slipped and slid his way up, nearly falling twice and nearly dropping the boxes. The path widened again.

“Now.” Discord mimed pulling back a sling shot, and let go. A bullet of magic slammed into the mountain, sending a gravel slide, skittering down the mountain. Robert heard it, saw it, and looked around. There were no rocks to hide behind, no trees to climb. So he knelt and braced himself against the closest box. The gravel hit just as he erected as shield, diverting it around himself and the boxes. Discord's jaw opened and closed a few times.

“Should have known this wouldn't work.” Rainbow Dash said. "Some Master of Chaos.” She stood up to leave. Discord snapped his mouth shut.

“Sit back down, I'm going to get serious.”

“As if.” Rainbow said.

“Oh you know what I mean.” Discord said, sounding a little miffed.

Robert continued along the path, shield sweeping away the remaining gravel. He scanned the ground ahead of himself, finding a good place to sleep. A tree presented itself, and he settled down in front of it. The sun began to set, and he began snoring loudly enough for the pair on the cloud to hear it.

“Good, come on.” Discord snapped his claws and reappeared beside the sleeping Tiger. Rainbow swooped silently downwards, hovering so as not to give away her existence. "Hmm, what to do?” Discord said.

“Keep it down.” Rainbow Dash whispered.

“I plugged his ears.” Sure enough, the sleeping Tiger's ears were filled with drain plugs. Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Ah ha, I have just the thing.” Discord snapped, and two paintbrushes appeared. He plucked them out of the air, and set to work. Dash held back laughter as long as she could.

“Somehow, I don't think those were the stripes he wanted.” she said, finally letting it out.

“I know, some of my finest work.” Discord said.

---

Robert stretched as he woke, pastel pink paws powerfully pressing peat beneath him. He paused. Somewhere along that train of thought, his brain threw up a red flag. He considered the thought, then looked down at his leg. Then back along his body, then at the tip of his tail. He had, somehow, gained pastel green coloring, with metallic, hot pink stripes. After a moment, he crossed his eyes, to get a good look at his nose, which had been turned bright red and was slowly strobing bright then dark and back again.

“Forsooth, my nose doth verily wink like yon home of light which guides errant ships.” The sentence flowed from his mouth without any direct input from his brain. He narrowed his eyes. Then he shrugged, hefted the boxes, and continued on.

“That's interesting. He seems unphased.” Discord said. Rainbow snorted.

“Are you sure you're trying?”

“You asked me for help.” Discord pointed out. "Besides, I'm doing the best I can. I promised Fluttershy I wouldn't hurt him.” Rainbow groaned. "If you want to get blasted by the Stare, you go right ahead. I'm not going to risk it.”

“Fine. But wrack that fine, chaotic mind of yours and let him have it.”

“Deal.” Discord stared for a moment. Ah. he smiled and looked around. His fingers snapped. A group of timberwolves suddenly woke, and became aware of Robert. The shifting wind drew his scent to them. They drew themselves together and started towards him.

“I thought you promised Fluttershy.” Rainbow accused.

“I haven't broken that promise yet.” Discord said. "I'm sure he'll be fine.”

“If he's not, I'm going to step in.”

“Fine.”

Robert for his part, heard the sound of the timberwolves well before he saw them. They burst out of the edge of the forest, and loped into position surrounding him. He sighed heavily. The largest of the wolves stepped forward to advance on him. Then stepped back as it realized he was advancing on it. With each step, Robert began to grow, larger and larger. The wolves backed up. The leader of the pack stopped backing up. It began to growl louder, trying to scare off the prey that was suddenly attacking. Robert grew larger still. Rainbow watched in a combination of disbelief and startlement. The big timberwolf suddenly lunged. Robert reached out and smashed it to the ground. The spirit fled the body. The other timberwolves bolted. Rainbow Dash blinked. In that time, Robert was suddenly back to normal size, and walking on his way.

“But. But.” Discord twitched. Rainbow Dash's jaw just hung.

“I don't believe it.” she said.

Robert reached his destination less than an hour later. It was a small dirt hut, set into the side of a river embankment. He paused outside the door, seeing no bell and unsure how to knock with a paw. “Delivery!”

“Comin'.” The door opened, and a goat appeared. "What delivery?”

“These.” Robert said, and set down the boxes. He lifted the lids and showed the contents.

“I don't recall orderin' these. I'm pretty sure I'da knowed doin' that.” the goat answered.

“All I know is that I'm supposed to deliver them here.” Robert said. "If you don't want them, tell me and I'll find a hole to drop them down.”

“Never said, I didn't want 'em. Jus' said I didn't order 'em. Where do I sign?” Robert showed him the paper, and the goat signed it. "Thank you kindly.”

“Thank you, have a good day.” Robert turned away, then paused when he heard a sharp crunch. He looked back. "How's the taste?”

“Just fine. Haven't had these Neighponese crystals since my seafarin' days.” the old goat said. Robert nodded.

“Enjoy.” he walked until he was out of earshot, then began banging his head on a tree.

Discord laughed maniacally. Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Okay, that was... that was pretty weak.”

“Yes, but it works.” Discord said. "Besides, you did manage to prank him, right?”

“I guess.”

“So you're behind this?” Robert asked. Rainbow Dash spun, noticing as she did that Discord had vanished completely. “And just how did you pull it off?”

“Umm... magic?” Dash said, with a grin. Then she paused. "How did you get up here?”

“You can thank Twilight for that. I bounced off one of my shields. Pretty good trick don't you think?”

“Uh, yeah?” Rainbow said. "So... I guess this means I'm in for a bigger prank?”

“No”. Robert said. "I think I'll let it stop here.” he gave her a toothy grin. "We'll just say you won, if anyone asks. Fluttershy.”

“What? I got it all didn't...” she spun around trying to look at her own coat. When she didn't see anything, she stopped and rolled her eyes. "Okay, you got me.”

“Good, then I can get a nice, carefree ride back.” He flopped down on the cloud. Rainbow opened her mouth, then closed it. Then she flapped her wings, sending the cloud through the sky.

“I just gotta know one thing.”

“What's that?”

“That growing, how did you do that?”

“It's maaagic.” he answered slyly.