Twilight stretched and fluttered her eyelids open, promptly panicking at the giant yellowy white blob that consumed most of her vision. Quickly pulling it off and inspecting it, it turned out to be a piece of paper that had been stabbed onto her horn. She pulled it off and read what it said.

Must been having good dreams because you kicked me a lot. Breakfast is at 8 - Fleur X.

"Urrrgh... I really don't know how to deal with this." She crumpled the paper up and threw it in the fire before turning her attention to the sound of singing coming from the kitchen.

"Winter wrap up, winter wrap up! Let’s finish our holiday cheer! Winter wrap up, winter wrap up! For tomorrow spring is here, tomorrow spring is here!"

Twilight looked out of the window where a light sprinkling of snow was falling. Clearly somepony's feeling ironic today, she thought as she dragged herself off the sofa and headed into the kitchen where Fleur was making pancakes, singing, and dancing, all at the same time. "You seem awfully cheerful for somepony who was up half the night being kicked."

Fleur didn't even stop dancing as she answered Twilight. "I know right? It's weird but I just can't help it. I think I'm just happy to be getting back on the road at last. I don't suppose you could go wake the others up? I don't want them to miss breakfast. Oh, and Grammaw's already gone, so no need to wake her up."

Twilight nodded and exited the kitchen, heading upstairs to the room Octavia and Trixie were sharing. She knocked gently and waited a few seconds for a response off one of them before entering, just in case. When she entered she was met by the patient look of Octavia, who lay there as unmoving as a stone as Trixie draped herself over her, snoring like the friendship express.

"Turns out Fleur wasn't joking, she is a snuggler. Please help me," she pleaded, giving Twilight her best puppy eyes.

Twilight couldn't help but grin as she used her magic to prise Trixie's legs from around Octavia, making sure to be careful so as to not wake her. She kept grinning as she and Octavia headed back down to the kitchen where she rummaged around looking for two reasonably sized pans. The grin she wore as she headed back upstairs would have been worthy of several notable villains.

She leaned on the side of the bed and positioned the pans over Trixie's head, in the position for the most optimal of rude wake up calls, and bashed them together, repeatedly and vigorously.

CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!!

"WAAH!" Trixie screamed as she thrashed about in panic, doing her best to cover her ears.

"GOOD MORNING TRIXIE!" Twilight shouted just to add to the confusion.

"Stop stop stop!" Trixie cried, thrashing one leg at the pans as the other moved from covering one ear to wrapping over her head and covering both ears. Twilight stopped and stood there waiting as Trixie recovered from her ordeal. "Twilight! Why would you do that?"

"That? That was because I thought you needed to wake up.”

“Because I needed to wa- Twilight! You could have just poked me or spoke to me or something!”

“Oh I know that, but you got to factor in what you did to me yesterday morning.”

"Oh yeah... that."

"A third and additional idea is that it's time to get up since Fleur's made breakfast and we have stuff to do, and I’ve practiced on waking sleepy baby dragons so my methods might be a bit much for waking the average pony."

Trixie pulled the cover over her head, “Can’t you just bring breakfast up to me?” she whined.

“No. Get up.”

Trixie grumbled as she rolled out of bed and followed Twilight down to the kitchen, although her tone quickly changed when Fleur danced over to her and dropped a plate covered in pancakes in front of her. She took a deep breath and dived in, gorging until she had to come up for air. "When did you become such a good cook Fleur? I really don't think it’s a skill you'd pick up living rough."

"Wow Trixie, that was so nicely phrased I might just have to ignore you out of sheer amazement despite the fact it was technically a compliment." Fleur gave Trixie a dirty look whilst Trixie had the decency to look somewhat ashamed. "If you must know, I learnt while I was living in Manehatten and pancakes happen to be something I excel at."

Octavia cleared her throat, hoping to give the impression that Trixie should shut up before Trixie got the snot kicked out of her. "I know this is probably obvious to everypony else, but what exactly are we going to do when we get to Prance? I'm only asking because we seem to have this overarching goal of getting to Prance without having mentioned our goals once we get there." She looked expectantly at Twilight, who looked hopefully at Fleur, who ignored Trixie and looked back at the other two with something approaching incredulity.

"I don't... I don't know." Twilight admitted, taking care to dodge the small spray of pancake that came from Trixie as she said that. "Celestia and Fleur have said we should all go to Prance, but haven't said what we'll do once we get there. I was hoping you'd have an idea Fleur."

"Me? I was just saying that we ought to go to Prance because it’s the nearest city to Stalliongrad. Stalliongrad of course being a Luna damned hell hole."

Silence descended on the table, except for Trixie who was masticating furiously. She swallowed and was about to yell at somepony when they heard the front door open.

"You lot in here?" yelled Grammaw.

"We're in the kitchen Grammaw." Fleur replied at a more reasonable volume. Grammaw came into the kitchen looking like she had caught a foal with their hoof in the cookie jar.

"You know how you said you might have been in a spot of bother with the guards back in Stalliongrad?" she asked, giving them all a beady eye. "Would ya mind elaboratin' on that a lil bit?"

"What!? Why!?" shouted Trixie in a panic, "Don't tell me the guards are here! They're gonna dehorn me aren't they!? I don't wanna be dehor-hor-hor-horned!"

"Aww quit yer bellyaching girl, the guards ain't here and you ain't getting dehorned. I only asked 'cause some of the traders were telling a rather fantastical tale about how a blue unicorn was saved from dehornin' by the valiant actions of two other heroic unicorns that swooped in, fought off fifty guards and made off with the mare. At least I'm assuming it was made off with the mare, 'cause making out with the mare just don't make a lick of sense."

There was an awkward silence in the room that was broken when Trixie muttered something that sounded a lot like "Oh fuck me with a wire brush," which earned her some funny and disgusted looks which she either missed or ignored. "I have to say though, fifty guards? That's a bit over the top, there were seven or eight at the most."

"So yer not denyin' it?"

"Why should we?"

"Because we're trying to remain incognito?" said Fleur, who had to restrain herself from smacking Trixie around the back of the head. "Or maybe because Twilight might have incurred their displeasure by tearing their guillotine into itty bitty chunks? Or perhaps because we actually might be in legitimate trouble for pulling such a stunt?"

"Oh, right. Grammaw? What are the odds now on us getting into Prance and not instantly being arrested?"

"Accordin' to the traders the guards seem to think you're still in Stalliongrad, so I'm willing to bet news ain't gone that far. Besides you're the only one with a description, that of you being a blue unicorn, and those ain't 'xactly uncommon. Your mysterious rescuers are just that, and as for Octavia I'd give good odds they wouldn't even look at her twice."

"See Fleur, we'll be fine."

"You know Trixie, I used to think pairs of short planks were pretty thick. Then I met you and now they look positively scholarly." Fleur emitted a short, irritable sigh, "There goes my good mood."

Trixie was about to protest when Twilight shoved an entire pancake in her mouth. "Enough Trixie. Grammaw, I'm sorry we lied to you about that, but we really didn't think ponies should know. I bet those traders are already calling for a witch hunt on unicorns."

"Not at all," Grammaw said, taking in their expressions of surprise. "Folks around here might not have the greatest of love fer unicorns, but they do like it when folk stand up fer the little ponies;"

Trixie folded her legs with a huff, "Trixie's not little. She's just... petit."

"You ain't wanted criminals, you're folk heroes!" This didn't get the reaction she was expecting. It didn't get much reaction at all. At first anyway.

"Trixie?"

"Yes Fleur?"

"Room on that brush for two?"

"You're joking right? This is great! We should totally do more stuff like this, and I totally volunteer Twilight to be the damsel in distress. Maybe somepony might even write a folk ballad about us! Think about it, the Great and Powerful Trixie and her Boon Companions taking on the bad guys wherever we go. Ooh, Octavia should definitely get in on writing the ballad. Just make sure it’s folksy, with lots of banjos and stuff.

"I'm a classically trained cellist, not some rustic fiddler with more teeth than brain cells and more jugs of moonshine than either. If you want that sort of thing you should talk to my cousin Fiddly Faddle. That would very much be her thing.”

Fleur arched an eyebrow. "Wow Octavia, even for a Canterlot pony that was pretty offensive," she said.

"What's being a Canterlot pony got to do with it Fleur? I don't like country music and composing a ‘folk ballad’ is completely out of the question."

Twilight shook her head as the other three fell into a petty argument. It was only when Grammaw nudged her in the side that she was able to tear herself away.

"Do ponies from Equestria argue about silly things a lot?"

"In Equestria some ponies take their music very, very seriously. I mean, as a nation we are prone to spontaneously burst into synchronized musical numbers at any time.” She sighed and looked Grammaw squarely in the eye, “Do you really think we can get away with travelling freely?"

Grammaw scratched her chin as she thought, dislodging a few loose hairs. "Hmmm... you, Fleur an' Octavia can probably get away with it. Until you're in Prance and you know a bit more, Trixie is the risky one, especially since she wouldn't know subtlety if it snuck up behind her and lovingly whispered 'surprise' in her ear. However, I may have a solution, an' it warms my old heart to know that Trixie is probably gonna hate it with a passion."

"No! Absolutely not! I refuse and you can't make me!" An half hour had passed since Grammaw had explained her plan to Twilight, and had gone down to the basement to begin preparations for it, leaving Twilight with the unenviable task of joining in with the petty argument whilst not trying to snigger.

When Grammaw had reemerged from the basement it hadn't taken much convincing to get the others to all go down there if it meant Trixie had a chance to not get them all arrested. Of course it had backfired soon enough because Trixie had indeed hated the idea.

"Come on Trixie, it’s not permanent and severely reduces the chances of you being shortened by three inches."

"Trixie's horn is bigger than that! And there is no way I am letting you dye Trixie's coat black, I'd rather be dehorned!"

"It won't dye yer coat black, more like a dark grey like Octavia's. In fact you could pass fer sisters since yer eyes are practically the same colour," said Grammaw as she stirred an old tin bath filled with a smelly black substance.

"Well that's just as ba-" Trixie managed to catch herself, giving a guilty look to Octavia, who gave a cool look back. "Well it’s not that bad, but my mane and tail will get dyed too, and my cutie mark. I'll look like an all grey, blank flank weirdo!"

"Actually Trixie, no you won’t. I'm going to use my magic so your mane, tail and cutie mark won't get dyed. It’s just the blue we're changing."

“Oh well, that’s great! Hey, since we all have purple eyes why don’t we all dye our coats and look like a big family of sisters!”

"What do you think Octavia?" said Fleur, who was sat next to Octavia in front of the stairs that led back upstairs, surreptitiously blocking Trixie's exit. She was also sporting a rather malicious grin. "Do you think she'll look better grey, or without a horn?"

"I don't know Fleur," replied Octavia, who quickly caught on to what Fleur was doing, and who also was now grinning maliciously. "Personally I'd be horrified to share a coat colour with a unicorn that has such a stumpy little horn. Maybe she would be better off without it..."

"My horn is not stumpy! And I am not dying my coat! Let’s just go back upstairs and think of a new plan." She made to leave but was stopped when a purple glow stuck her hooves to the floor.

"Trixie," said Twilight, who was suddenly a lot more serious, "if you get arrested, we all get arrested with me and Fleur getting dehorned right alongside you. I'm sorry to do this but I'm not giving you a choice." Suddenly she picked Trixie up in her magic and held over the tin bath. "You might want to close your eyes and hold your breath."

"Twilig-!" Twilight dunked her into the bath with a splash, sending a wave of charcoal coloured liquid slopping over the edge. She held her under for a few seconds before letting her back up for a breath and pushing her under again, trying to get an even dye. This went on for many minutes, to the accompaniment of a stream of swear words and threats of violence from Trixie. Eventually she lifted Trixie out and set her of the floor where she stood dripping and shivering, though if it was from cold or sheer rage Twilight couldn't tell.

Once enough liquid had dripped off Twilight used a spell to dry her, figuring that Grammaw couldn't give a damn about her using magic at this point. Once she was done she was left looking at a very convincing dark grey unicorn, with a silvery mane and tail, and a blue magic wand cutie mark.

"Trixie, I'm sorry I had to do that," said Twilight, unable to look Trixie in the eye. "It was for your own good."

Trixie lowered her head dangerously. "Go to hell. All of you," she spat before pushing past Octavia and Fleur and going upstairs, leaving the others in a very awkward silence which made it easier to hear the occasional sob from Trixie.

Fleur scuffed a hoof on the floor. "That suddenly got a lot less fun very quickly," she said before nudging Octavia. "Let’s go pack our things. I think it’s time we went."

Twilight watched them go before sitting down with a thump and hanging her head. "I shouldn't have done that. I should have convinced her that it was the best and only way to avoid being caught."

Twilight felt a hoof press on her shoulder. "She'll forgive you in time, hopefully once you give her this," Grammaw said before passing Twilight a pouch of white powder.

"What is it?"

"It’s a little something I cooked up to wash dye out of me fur when I've got some on me. A few minutes of scrubbing in a tub with that stuff and she'll be back to her mostly blue self. It should start to wear off in a couple of weeks anyway, 'specially if she gets rained on a lot. Now get yerself upstairs and packed, I think it’s long past time you three were on the move."

The four ponies had packed their things and were now heading, with a miserable Trixie trailing several meters behind them, through Hoof-Ridge to where the traders were set up outside the village in a clearing in forest, opposite to the way they had arrived. It also gave them the first opportunity to look around the village, which was odd since they had been there the best part of three days.

Twilight was surprised, the village was wider than she had first thought. Her hasty trudge through the snow in the dark with a desperately ill Octavia on her back hadn't been the best time for sightseeing. Rather than one row of houses on either side of a road, there were two or three rows running parallel, the plateau being wider than she had first suspected.

There was also life happening, with ponies going to and fro from shops and houses, laughing and joking and just appearing to be happy with their lot. The only downside was what Fleur had first pointed out to her in Stalliongrad; the villages inhabitants was exclusively earth ponies, several of which were giving her and her companions the stink-eye.

"Weird isn't it," Fleur whispered to her. "It’s like they've never seen a unicorn before, and yet instantly decided they're not to be trusted." Twilight couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"I find it weird that they're looking at me like that too," Octavia whispered in her other ear. "An earth pony willingly associating with unicorns? How awful!" she said mockingly.

Thankfully they soon descended into where the traders had set up, and were led by Grammaw to a cart that appeared to be selling all sorts of miscellaneous junk, from spice racks to slightly used horseshoes. It was run by a peachy-orangey coloured earth pony stallion with brown hair and a rusty spoon cutie mark who was introduced to them as Bric. Shortly afterwards they were introduced to his brother Brac, identical in every way except the rusty spoon faced the other way around, there was a goatee on his chin and a horn on his forehead.

"How do folks! Grammaw tells us you're looking for a means of transportation to the wonderful paradise that is Prance!" said Bric.

"And that you're willing to pay good money to get it!" added Brac.

Twilight looked at the others, hoping to gauge their feelings on the matter. Fleur nodded towards the brothers and Octavia smiled hopelessly at her. Trixie scowled at her and pawed the ground, which showed her feelings on matters quite adequately. She swallowed and looked back to the brothers who were wearing their best money making grins. "Actually it’s only the one pony," she said, stepping aside so they could see Octavia. "She's been ill lately and isn't really fit enough yet to walk the entire distance."

"And yet what a lovely vision of a pony she is!" said Bric, lifting Octavia's hoof and kissing it. "For the pleasure of transporting such a mare we will do it for the modest price of one hundred marcs."

"You're joking right?" said Trixie with a dangerous tone of voice. "You're going to charge one hundred marcs just so she can sit on your cart while you're pulling it to a place you were going to go anyway? That's daylight robbery!"

Twilight tried to place a hoof on Trixie's shoulder to reassure her, but Trixie shied away, giving Twilight a menacing look. "Trixie, I'm sure these ponies aren't going to rob anypony."

"Indeed not!" said Brac, "That's why it’s a hundred marcs. Protection for your possessions from bandits,"

"Thieves," added Bric.

"And overzealous traders who might get a funny idea about the legitimacy of ponies owning things which they could sell to other ponies,"

"For a very reasonable price."

Trixie gave the two ponies a flat look, "You're talking about yourselves aren't you. You're charging us a hundred marcs so you don't rob us yourselves. I'm pretty sure if we could afford that then we'd be an even more tempting target for you."

Twilight was about to say something in agreement with Trixie about the price when a small sack of coins flew over her head and landed in the snow with a thump, spilling a few coins. "One hundred and twenty marcs if we get to share your fire at night." said Fleur from behind her.

Bric and Brac's eyes lit up at the sight of the coins, "Sold to the beautiful white unicorn standing in the back!" said Bric, as Brac magically swept the loose coins into the sack before floating it out of sight behind his back. "We'll be packed up and ready to go within the hour, and if you're not here then we're going without you."

"No refunds," added Brac.

Twilight and the others left the brothers, who had taken to harassing another pony who had been browsing their wares. "Grammaw, why those two?" she hissed between her teeth.

"’Cause those two are delightfully unbiased when it comes to the whole unicorn thing seeing as how one of them is a unicorn an' all. Besides I've known them a while. Heck, since they were born seeing as I'm the pony that delivered them, and fer all their bluster they ain't bad ponies."

"And what about you Fleur? You could have at least tried to haggle them down, not given them extra!" Trixie hissed.

Fleur shrugged and bent down to whisper into Trixie's ear. "Half of those marcs were theirs anyway, and it’s not like we earned the rest. And yes I am that quick," she said quietly so only Trixie could hear. Trixie's grin was suitably malicious as Fleur spoke louder so the others could hear, "I'm sure we'll have no problems with those two and the price was probably worth it for the lack of questions asked."

"Maybe..." Twilight said noncommittally, giving Fleur a look that Fleur couldn’t quite decifer. "I don't know, they just reminded me of another pair of twins with a less than salubrious reputation."

"Will you quit worryin', if I says they ain't gonna rob ya then they ain't gonna rob ya! Now there's something else you four are gonna need if you're gonna be traipsing around in the countryside in this weather." Grammaw led them to a stall run by a short, stout cherry coloured mare, whose stall appeared to hold a collection of coats, ropes and other outdoor survival type items. "You still have those things I asked you about this mornin'?" She asked the pony.

The trader eyed Twilight and the others suspiciously before answering. "Yes I do. Four waterproof and insulated sleeping rolls. Those'll be fourty marcs each."

"Fourty?" said Grammaw "This mornin' you said they were twenty marcs each. Would you care to explain to me how they've doubled in price since then, and say it plenty loud 'cause I'm old and therefore senile and hard of hearing."

The trader swallowed nervously, "Well.. .you see, the thing is... a pony has to make ends meet, and I haven't sold much today and I-uh... well, I'm sure you know how it is..." The pony cowered down behind her wares, wilting under the intensity of Grammaw's glare. "But since you seem like such a nice mare I'll sell them for the old price of twenty marcs each!" she squeaked quickly.

"And it has nothing to do with three of them being unicorns?"

"Nope! Not a thing! I honestly hadn't even noticed!" the trader lied.

"Well that's good!" Grammaw exclaimed, suddenly full of cheer again. "I always thought to myself that here was a genuinely nice pony, willing to help their fellow pony out by not robbing them blind! You heard her girls, twenty marcs each."

Twilight, Trixie and Octavia started to rummage through their saddlebags, looking for the money, when Fleur pulled out another coin purse and counted out eighty marcs, giving them to the trader. "What?" she said defensively when she noticed the worried looks Twilight and Octavia were giving her. "I did a lot of... work in Stalliongrad before Trix- before we left."

"Uh-huh." Twilight murmured, although silently she was worried and the look Octavia gave her confirmed she wasn't the only one.

After that the five of them went about the various stalls picking up whatever supplies they thought they might need, Grammaw using her steely gaze to help traders suddenly overcome their bias against unicorns, not that they ever had one, no-siree.

Twilight and Octavia were also worried about the amount of marcs Fleur had appropriated, and about how she was spending them like they were going out of fashion, but Twilight thought it best to not confront her over it right now, figuring she was in enough trouble with Trixie to not need to get into more trouble with Fleur.

Slowly they wound their way back to Bric and Brac's cart, where the twins were adjusting a tarpaulin over a frame on their cart to protect their wares.

"Well now, I guess this is the part where we go our separate ways." Grammaw said, giving them a kindly smile. "Ah, stop right there." She held up a hoof to ward off Twilight, "I ain't the hugging type."

"Still though, if it hadn't been for you I have no idea what would have happened to us."

"Especially myself," added Octavia. "I don't want to dwell on it but without you taking us in and taking care of me I might well be dead right now."

"Aww phooey, you'd have found some way of taking care o' things, but still, you ain't better yet so you better be careful out there and take care of yerselves, all of ya." Trixie snorted scornfully. "And you Trixie, the dye will wash out soon enough, so quit making out like we've permanently damaged you or something. As for you Fleur, stop stealing stuff. It ain't big and it ain't clever and don't act like you ain't been doing it 'cause I've been watching ya do it."

"Is there anything we can do to repay you? Twilight asked. "Anything at all?"

"Oh I think you'll pay me back some day, with interest. However there is one small thing you could do..." Grammaw's eyes twinkled and she grinned mercilessly before she leant over towards Twilight to whisper in her ear. "If, and I meant if, you happen to see the Duke, tell him his lil sis Felicia says hi." With that she turned around and sauntered off, leaving a stunned Twilight in her wake.

She stood there watching as Grammaw walked up the hill back into the village, and it wasn't until Fleur came up to her and shouted in her ear that she got her wits together to get moving. They headed over to where Bric was helping his brother to get hitched up to a wooden caravan. "Are we heading out already?"

"Yes indeedy!" Brac confirmed, "All sorts of nasty critters tend to roam these woods at night.

"And we don't want to be here when they come a-looking," his brother continued. "They might have the brains to not head into the village-"

"But we're not in the village are we. That's why we're going now, to get out of the woods before nightfall."

Bric walked around to the back of the cart and held a hoof out to Octavia to help her up. "M'lady," he said before showing off his most suave smile. He went to the front of the cart where Brac used his magic to hitch him up. "Off we go ladies, do try to keep up." They started off, the two brothers walking side by side down the surprisingly wide track, Bric on the left and Brac on the right, with Fleur between them and Trixie and Twilight to either side.

"Soooo..." Bric said, obviously trying to strike up a conversation. "Have you ladies heard the news?"

Twilight laughed nervously, and mentally beat herself up for doing so. "News? What news? Don't tell me something interesting has happened around here?"

"Indeed it has little lady!" Brac said from the other side of Fleur. "Word is there was a most heroic rescue of a unicorn from dehorning in the fair city of Stalliongrad."

"Ooohhh," Fleur said in altogether too saucy a tone, "sounds exciting! Please, do tell."

"Word is," Bric began, "is that a unicorn was due to be publicly dehorned a few days ago, a mare of pale blue, but a soul black as night for cursing a pony."

"That's ridiculous! I nev- I bet that unicorn never cursed anypony!" Trixie burst out.

"It’s not!" Brac said back. "Rosebud, who runs the seed stall said she was there and saw it all! She said that as the dehorning blade was about to fall two mysterious cloaked unicorns appeared and smashed the guillotine to splinters!"

"If that pony's evil, with a soul as black as night, then why is it a heroic rescue? Surely she would deserve such a thing?" Trixie asked sweetly.

"I-I... uh... we... uh..." the brothers spluttered. ”Well she might not have had a soul as black as night per se, but I bet she must have done something wrong," Brac conceded.

There was a clang and a grunt from the cart Bric was pulling and after a second Octavia poked her head out of a flap. "She could've done anything. A unicorn around here can get dehorned just for throwing a piece of fruit at the wrong pony..."

"That is true..." Brac said slowly. "You have no idea how careful I have to be travelling with the caravan. Say the wrong thing to the wrong customer and minutes later I can have a mob after me screaming for my blood."

"Really?" Twilight asked, shocked.

"Yes indeedy." said Bric. "Let’s just say that we no longer go to the town of Furlong for a very good reason."

The ponies travelled in silence for a minute until Octavia asked, "So what happened in Stalliongrad? Did the unicorns get away?"

"Oh yes!" Bric answered her. "Rosebud said they fought off dozens of guards and fled into the city, where apparently they're still hiding."

"I doubt they fought off dozens of guards," said Trixie scornfully. "I mean, Brac, could you fight off say... ten guards on your own?"

"No ma'am, but I reckon that means they must all be powerful sorceress's to fight that many off."

"They must be," Bric added, "if they can hide in the city under the guards' very noses."

Fleur looked at the two brothers as if trying to decide something. "Surely they'd be mad to remain in the city if they're being hunted?"

"Maybe that's their cunning plan," Bric answered, "to hide in the place where they're least expected to be."

"So why are the guards only looking in the city if it’s the place they least expect to find their quarry?"

Trixie was the pony who answered her. "Because they're embarrassed, obviously. All those guards getting trounced by three little unicorns? I wouldn't want news of that getting around."

Bric and Brac nodded their agreement. "Quite true," said Bric. "That kind of incompetence would get noticed if news spread around. Would make them look awfully silly. I bet they just want to forget all about it."

"So naturally you're going to tell as many ponies about it as possible?" Octavia asked.

"Naturally," the brothers replied simultaneously.

"You're being awfully quiet Twilight," Fleur said. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothings' wrong, I'm just happy to listen." Twilight smiled at Fleur as best she could, but inside her stomach was churning. The idea of this being spread around made her nervous, although she didn't really know why. It was already blown ridiculously out of proportion by rumour so ponies hopefully shouldn't take it seriously, at least Twilight really hoped so. Who knows what might happen if they did.

Author's Notes:

For those who think what Twilight did to Trixie was completely out of character then I wouldn't be totally inclined to disagree, but she is prone to doing stupid things when desperate e.g. Lesson zero.