The public bus system of Canterlot is something Pinkie Pie is not used to. A bus in general is something she is not used to because Ponyville and Rock Town do not have buses. Heck, Rock Town barely has paved roads, much less sidewalks, and while Ponyville does have roads and sidewalks, they are all confined to the historical town center. Plus, the last time she saw a bus in Ponyville it was old and inhabited by a bunch of lost stoners with a dog, and they had a craving to solve mysteries.

This bus, however, is unique. This Canterlot bus that she and her team is riding in is big! Its well lit, sparkling clean, is plastered with overly cheerful advertisements and has a crisp holographic projections of a news program. Said program is broadcasting a footage of Celestia sitting calmly at a polished wood table in front of a committee of old men and women in suits, saying something that Pinkie Pie is too distracted to care about.

Pinkie Pie's hands and face are pressed against the clear window, and her smile is wide and her glittering eyes snap to every illuminated building and sign she can see. From video shops to restaurants and theaters to department stores, and everything in between, she is taking it all in like a glutton. However, if anyone on the other side of the window were to look at the bus, they would see an overly excited girl who is blinking as fast as a little bird flaps its wings. And in Canterlot they call those folks loony. Not that she cares what other people think about her. Mostly. Or maybe a little bit mostly. Or possibly way below the don't care area. She might possibly care a lot about what others think, but as of now she only cares about the scenery.

“This city is beautiful,” says Pinkie Pie. She is wearing a knee length, pink skirt, a pair of knee high boots, and a thin, blue jacket over a white shirt that has a pink heart on it.

“The center is beautiful, but the rest of it is not,” says Trixie without looking up from her phone. She is wearing tight black pants, a pale blue dress shirt and a purple vest with her cape and hat.

“The whole place is rotten,” grumbles Applejack. She is sitting across the team with her legs stretched out, arms across her chest and her stetson covering her eye. Her idea of dressing nice is wearing a plaid shirt of various brown shades, faded blue jeans and a pair of boots in need of cleaning.

Rarity quickly found out that arguing with Applejack about her taste in fashion is about as successful as carving stone with one's voice. Speaking of Rarity, she has found a spot next to Trixie and is going through her snow white, purple laced purse, plucking out coupons to various eateries. She is also wearing a purple skirt with a thick belt, an airy white blouse and a purple tie, as well as polished dress shoes.

“I wonder how FORT's shopping is coming along,” says Rarity. “I know from experience that shopping can be quite hectic without a plan.”

Pinkie Pie hums thoughtfully and stares up at the dimming heavens.

In a bustling department store, Twilight lays on the ground at the base of a decapitated mannequin in a Hawaiian shirt, shivering and knees to her chin, eyes blood shot and cheeks soaked with tears with a thick book laying open in front of her.

“That didn't happen. He didn't kill him. Martini would never kill him.” Twilight sniffles and hiccups, getting disgusted sneers from passerbys. “No, no, he's too good of a character to kill off. He's not dead. He's not dead. He's not dead.”

Nearby, Octavia walks out of a dressing room wearing polka dot shorts, a neon green tuxedo shirt and sandles with her regular black socks pulled all the way up to her knees. She has yet to remove her blade contraption and halfheartedly lifts her arms and stares straight ahead, her mild annoyance visibly heating up to the next level.

“Is this better?” asks Octavia.

A passing mother gasps in horror and covers her daughter's eyes and hurries off in the opposite direction, all while Rainbow Dash stares at Octavia, eye twitching with her jaw to the floor and a bag full of hair dye in her hand.

“Ahck,” chokes Rainbow Dash. “Ah... I... What!? No!”

Rainbow Dash pushes Octavia back into the dressing room and slams the door shut.

“Girl, get out of those ASAP!” orders Rainbow Dash.

“No no, he'll bring him back. He can't stay dead forever,” says Twilight, now rocking herself back and forth. “He can't, he can't, he can't.”

And sitting on a display chair, resting his cheek on his fist, watching all of this with a smile and a desire for somebody to shoot him in the face, is Flash Sentry.

Flash takes a deep breath through his nose and exhales slowly,and his eyes casually glance to the side where a copper skinned man sits next to him. He appears a couple of years older than Flash and has really beautiful, silky smooth, free flowing black hair that hangs past his shoulders, and he has on a pair of polished dress shoes, ironed black pants and a black shirt with red cuff links as well as really dark sunglasses.

“Women, huh?” says Flash.

The man silently pulls out a flip phone with a glittering green gem sticker, presses it against his ear, and looks away from Flash, and Flash slowly turns his head to the opposite direction.

“Whatever,” mutters Flash.

Back in the bus, Pinkie Pie shrugs and turns herself around to face her team, still smiling and now tapping her foot rapidly on the floor.

“I'm sure Flash is fine,” says Pinkie Pie.

The bus glides gracefully to a stop and a pleasant ding echoes in the passenger area.

“Sunset-Shimmer Stop,” says the driver.

Team PART(ie) makes their way to the front, but before they can leave a petite girl with curl purple and white hair hops on board, flashes a card and briskly walks towards the back.

“Excuse me, fair maidens,” says the oncoming girl with a voice sweet like honey.

Pinkie's muscles lock in place like a flash frozen fish, and while her teammates gladly let her through, she remains in place and is bumped aside by a large bag in the girl's possession. The new passenger quickly apologizes, and Pinkie Pie's finger twitches as she turns slightly to watch her.

The petite girl is wearing a knee length, purple frock with a large yellow bow that has purple polka dots skips her way on the bus. As she passes, Pinkie Pie notices that she is not only wearing a shoe and a knee length boot, but she is also wearing mismatched stockings, with one being red and blue and the other green and yellow. The girl also has a copter beanie and is carrying a baseball bat and a sports dufflebag that appears to be stuffed to the limit.

The girl take a seat next to the rear exit, and places the bag next to her and the bat in between her legs. She starts humming an unfamiliar to tune, and Pinkie Pie takes a step forward, but her wrist is grabbed, making her squeak and miss a beat.

“Jeez, 'cuz, relax,” says Applejack. She pulls Pinkie Pie off the bus and leads her to the other two, which she is shaken off by then. “What the heck is wrong with you?”

Pinkie Pie zeros in on the distancing bus, frowning and stroking her chin. “I don't know. That girl on the bus weirded me out, I guess.”

The other three exchange looks before casting quizzical looks at Pinkie Pie, save for Rarity, who is holding a neutral expression.

“I have to agree with Pinkie Pie,” says Rarity.

Pinkie Pie looks at Rarity hopefully. “Really?”

“Of course. Her fashion sense was terrible. No discipline, whatsoever.”

Pinkie Pie's shoulders sag. “Not what I had expected.”

Rarity shrugs. “I see no other reason to be unnerved.”

“So the random person we saw on a bus and will never see again has poor fashion sense. Who cares?” says Trixie. “There is a Hearty's Junior and a MovieBox just around the corner. We can get a fifty piece tender box, big drinks, lots of fries and sauce and rent a movie.”

Applejack raises an eyebrow. “You do realize that if we go into Hearty's Junior and order a fifty piece they will hate our guts for life, right?”

Trixie waves her hand dismissively. “They won't remember us. Besides, it's good business to order big.”

“Trixie, trust me, fast food workers remember everyone they hate.” Applejack leans forward and pokes Trixie ominously. “And I mean everyone.”

Silence seeps in like a vicious fog, and Pinkie Pie and Rarity glance at each other for a moment before looking back at Applejack and Trixie, who have yet to break eye contact from each other. Seconds later, Pinkie Pie sighs and pushes the two apart.

“Okay, let's forget this bumpy start,” says Pinkie Pie. “We're going to have fun, so let's forget about the weird girl on the bus and let's not get blacklisted from fast food joints.”

Pinkie Pie then snaps her pointer finger at Rarity's nose.

“Rarity, bring forth thy coupons!” orders Pinkie Pie.

“Why did you say it weird?” says Rarity, pushing Pinkie Pie's finger away.

“Because I felt like it. Plus its a sign of sophistication. Now, what do you got for us?”

Rarity rolls her eyes and produces some coupons. “I got coupons for Kulmsy K's, Shimmering Seafood and Steak, House of Waffles, Down Under, and-”

Trixie slides next to Rarity with her hands balled up to her chin hopefully. “Hearty's Junior?”

Rarity recoils slightly and brings her coupons closer to her chest while Pinkie Pie shakes her head and pulls Trixie back.

“No Hearty's,” says Pinkie Pie.

“But Trixie wants tenders,” whines Trixie.

“Down Under's got tenders and steak,” says Applejack. “And beer and those deep fried onion blossom thingies. We should go there.”

Rarity pulls out a stack of Down Under coupons, and while she organizes them, Pinkie Pie moves next to Applejack and slyly wraps her arm around her shoulder and speaks low, like a paranoid drug dealer.

“Two questions. Do they have an arcade? And what do they got for dessert?” asks Pinkie Pie.

“Not Hearty's tenders,” grumbles Trixie moodily.

“O-M-F.” Pinkie Pie points at Trixie with both of her hands. “We're not having Hearty's!”

Trixie turns slightly to Pinkie Pie with her arms folded across her chest and her eyes condemning.

“You got something against Hearty's?” accuses Trixie.

Pinkie Pie throws her hands up. “Where did this even come from?”

“Trixie wanted pizza and a movie, not this lame attempt at team building. But no, we're out and about, not relaxing and Hearty's is the best course for relaxation. Its quick, easy and a dollar movie rental is right next to it. Chicken tenders and movies! You can't beat that!”

Pinkie Pie's eye twitches. “That's heresy. Everybody knows nothing is above popcorn and movies!”

“But-”

“No buts! We're bonding as a team over a fun dinner that Rarity's paying for-”

“What?” says Rarity, wide eyed.

“So you're going to Down Under with us, you're going to have their tenders, and you're going to love it!”

“Um, excuse me.” Rarity raises her hand. “But why am I paying?”

Pinkie Pie looks at Rarity impatiently. “Because you got all the money.”

“I'm not a bank.”

“You still got the money.”

“We should have talked about this first. Besides, Trixie's got money. She can help hoof the bill.”

“Trixie doesn't have any money,” says Pinkie Pie, jabbing a thumb at the subject. “Why else do you think she never buys anything or goes for the cheapest stuff?”

The trio looks at Trixie, and she stares back at them, face getting an ever prominent red tint and eyes getting just a bit bigger with each second.

“Trixie's got money. She just doesn't like spending any,” says Trixie.

She smiles and squees with an unconvincing flare right after, and Pinkie Pie and Applejack frown skeptically while Rarity smiles smugly and looks at Pinkie Pie.

“There you go. Mystery solved. I got the coupons and Trixie's got the money,” says Rarity. “What do you and Applejack have to offer?”

Applejack digs in her pockets and pulls out her wallet. She sifts through the contents and pulls out a few wads of bills, receipts, a coupon and gift card, and finally a business card.

“I got three bucks, a ten percent off coupon for Battle House Arcade, an old gift card for Wally World and a business card for an injury lawyer,” says Applejack. “What about you, Pinks?”

“I, uh...” Pinkie Pie shifts uneasily in her spot and wrings her hands, then offers an anxious smile. “Good looks and charm?”

Rarity and Trixie stare at Pinkie Pie, bemused, and Applejack coughs awkwardly into her fist, and Pinkie Pie's smile fades and she steps back, flicking her eyes between her teammates.

“What? I do,” says Pinkie Pie.

“And how will that help us buy dinner?” says Rarity.

Pinkie Pie grins. “Watch and learn.”

1800 Seconds Later...

“And that is why you are single,” says Rarity matter-of-factly as Team PART(ie) leaves the parking lot of a well lit steakhouse with Down Under being illuminated by gem lights.

The team's hands are as empty as their stomachs, and frankly Pinkie Pie really wants to scream, and not even Applejack's comforting pat on the back can relieve it.

“Trixie believes we should help our fearless learn how to talk to boys,” says Trixie. “But only after we grab tenders and a movie.”

Pinkie Pie groans and dips her head down to hide the shameful blush staining her hot face.

“I keep telling you to be yourself, but you don't listen to me,” says Applejack.

“Well, you guys don't listen to me, anyway, so consider us even,” says Pinkie Pie sourly.

The group stops and gathers around her, sporting various levels of confused expressions, and she lifts her eyes slightly glare at them, shrugging.

“What? Its true,” says Pinkie Pie.

“When was the last time we didn't listen to you?” says Applejack with a brow raised critically.

“The forest! Remember I told you to stick together and to run to the safe space, but all of you scattered and acted like you were in a video game trying to get some killer XP?”

“Are you seriously still mad about that?” asks Applejack. “That was weeks ago.”

“Yes, I'm still mad about that!” snaps Pinkie Pie.

“Oh, I'm sorry, I thought trying to eliminate our enemies would be better than having them stab us in the back. Besides, it was just like when we killed those beasts in the Hollow Shades Forest, so I really do not see what the big deal is,” says Rarity snobbishly.

“Alrighty, smarty pants, there's two things wrong with that,” says Pinkie Pie harshly, flashing up two fingers for emphasis. “Firstly, we had Flash and his team helping us. Secondly, it was one boss beast at a time, not a swarm of three to one or four to one or however many Spriggins there were going after us! All of you ran off even though I said stick together and you were alone without any cover and you could have gotten hurt or worse and who would have gotten in trouble? Me!”

The team silently stares at Pinkie Pie with wide eyes as she glares back at them, shaking and seething. Some cars pass by, blowing garbage past them, and Pinkie Pie scratches her scalp again, grimacing when she flicks hair off of her fingers. The seconds tick by, and Applejack looks down, shamefully rubbing her arm and shuffling her feet, Rarity looks off in a random direction, and Trixie keeps her eyes on Pinkie Pie.

A few more seconds later, Applejack speaks. “Sorry, Pinks, I had no idea that my actions hurt you. I was only trying to clear a path for us to get out.”

“As was I,” says Rarity.

Pinkie Pie grunts, and Tixie hesitantly lifts up her finger.

“Trixie would like to point out the immense influx of sugar intake corrupted her judgment for that day,” she says.

“Oh, how nice. You drinking two quarts of sugar by your own free will made you make stupid choices.” Pinkie Pie claps hard. “Nice save, Trixie. Bravo. Brah! Vo!”

Applejack gently places her hand on Pinkie Pie's shoulder.

“Pinkie, I know you're upset, but please be honest... Is it that time of the month for you?” asks Applejack.

Pinkie Pie gasps sharply and jerks away from her cousin. “What? No!... That was last week.”

A random stranger with a large backpack suddenly brushes past Rarity, quietly excusing himself, which no one seems to mind for the most part, but Pinkie Pie notices his hand jerking deep into his pocket. She squints at the stranger, then glances at Rarity's waist and sees the pouch on her belt is open and empty.

“Hey!” barks Pinkie Pie, pushing her way past Rarity and Applejack and marching towards the stranger.

The stranger keeps on walking, and Pinkie Pie marches faster while her team stares on, frozen in place.

“Did you just steal her phone?” says Pinkie Pie.

Rarity gasps and her hand snaps to her pouch, squeaking gibberish, and the stranger -the no good dirty rotten Thief- bolts. Pinkie Pie gives chase, ordering him to stop and come back, and Rarity's teeth grinds with the fires of Hell burning in her eyes.

“That.... That... Hoodlum!” screams Rarity. She runs after Pinkie Pie, snarling like a vicious wolf chasing its prey. “That hoodlum stole my phone!”

Applejack and Trixie give chase, as well, but Pinkie Pie is already a good distance ahead of them.

Pinkie's feet are barely touching the ground and she is surprised that the Thief is able to keep ahead of her with such a large backpack. But her determination is fuel and her lust for justice is the boost she needs to catch up with the Thief when they curve into an alley.

Her hand is barely able to grab his backpack, but with her success she jerks him to the ground. He lands on his back hard with a grunt, but when Pinkie Pie tries to grab him again, he whips a small stick with a dial and a button from a holster on his leg. He then pushes the button and the stick extends into a rod that hits her right in the gut.

The air is expelled quickly and painfully from Pinkie Pie, and she staggers back, coughing and clutching her gut while the Thief rolls to his feet. Once up he holds out his rod and slides one foot back to keep a steady stance. Seconds later, the rest of Team PART(ie) shows up, and his golden eyes flick between each of them and his stance becomes tense.

Pinkie Pie glances for just a moment at her team, and then looks at the Thief. His face is beautiful, his stature is tall and a medium weight, his skin is like delicious dark chocolate and his thick silver hair that is patterned like a centurion helmet looks soft and compels her to feel it. His clothing does not look too bad, either. It is casual mostly, consisting of tan cargo pants, boots, and a thick, light gray hoodie with an insignia of a speeding dark cloud that has a bolt of lightning coming from it. But he is the enemy, so Pinkie Pie swallows the drool pooling in her mouth and tries to compare him to something evil to push the lust back. Like chocolate bars with nuts in them and chocolate skim milk. It doesn't work very well.

“Stay back. I really don't want to hurt you,” says the Thief.

“I'm really not in the mood for this. Give us back her phone!” says Pinkie Pie.

“I can't do that.”

“You do realize who we are, right?” says Trixie.

The Thief studies them. “No.”

“We are Huntresses.”

“Yeah, we're Huntresses!” says Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie snaps to a pose of her body slightly turned with her arms across her chest and it takes Trixie a moment to mimic Pinkie's pose so their backs are together. As this happens, Applejack cracks her knuckles and rolls her neck and Rarity... looks at her teammates.

“What are you doing?” asks Rarity.

Pinkie Pie sighs and shakes her head in disappointment. “It was supposed to be intimidation, but you ruined it.”

“Sorry, but getting my phone back from that Tsuinite is more important than your games.”

Trixie leans back slightly to glare at Rarity, and the Thief rubs the back of his neck, now more confused than worried.

“Yeah, you are not Huntresses,” says the Thief.

Pinkie Pie breaks from Trixie walks up to the Thief, cracking her knuckles, and to her relief she sees fear returning in his gorgeous golden eyes and feels pride inflating inside her when he steps back.

“But we are Huntresses in training,” says Pinkie Pie. “So, give me my girl's phone and that bag of definitely stolen stuff before we use your ridiculously good looking hair as a mop!”

The Thief looks at Pinkie Pie's hand, then at her eyes, and then steps back. “I can't do that.”

“Fine, then. Have it your way,” says Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie lunges at the Thief and in a blur of movement he spins the dial towards a lightning bolt and slams his rod into the ground. The air explodes into a fierce display of pale blue electric currents that engulf him in a protective bubble. The currents zigzag across the ground and burn through the Team's shoes and surges through their bodies and pops out of their pores.

The girls scream in agony and contort sharply as their aura shields explode and disintegrate from view. Their shadows flash erratically on the old brick walls and Pinkie Pie feels her skin and muscles burning, same with her hair and clothes. Tears dry with her eyes and just when she thinks her heart is about to explode, the currents stop and she collapses on the ground, wheezing and twitching.

Pinkie Pie's heart thumps like a jackhammer, her muscles are too sore to move, and her vision blurs and pulses as she glares at the Thief past her smoking locks while he clambers over a chain link fence. When he drops on the other side, he looks at the team, but seeing as how Pinkie's vision is a haze, she cannot tell what kind of look he is giving them. She decides to settle on smug, and she extends her hand out to him, growling with thin lines of tears moving down her red face.

“I'm sorry!” shouts the Thief, and then he runs out of sight.

“Jerk,” says Pinkie Pie weakly.

And then her hand drops and her tongue rolls out with a sick wheeze and she stares at her team helplessly.

They shift on the ground, smoking and twitching with sparks coiling in and out of them like glowing eels. There is a silence among them with the only noise of their survival being pained groans and aching coughs. It is only after a long thirty seconds of silence does one speak.

“What. Just. Happened?” says Trixie.