Chapter 2 - FIENDship is Magic

The day starts slowly, with a chilly wind in the air. Yesterday's heatwave was followed by a cold night, which can still be felt on this day. Dew hangs from the tips of the grass and the apples in the appletrees shine in the morning sun. Today won't be as warm as it was yesterday.

The barn doors slowly open. A young colt with a brown spiky mane walks outside, rubbing in his eyes with his left hoof. This was Dusty Gust's first night in an actual barn.

'Good morning!' a girly voice greets him.

The boy looks surprised in front of him. The raising sun hurts his eyes, making him see everything blurry. Dusty shakes his head a few times to wake up. After blinking a few times as well, he starts to see that it was his friend Applebloom that greeted him.

'Hey, Applebloom. Goodmorning. You seem very rested,' he yawns.

The filly smiles. 'This is a normal time to get up  at Sweet Apple Acres. You've actually slept for quite a while. Would you like to eat something before Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell are here?'

Dusty Gust nods, still half dizzy from his night. 'Breakfast sounds very good to my ears.'

'Haha!' Applebloom laughs. 'You've missed breakfast already, sleepyhead! It's basically lunch you can get now.'

Dusty blinks a few times again, completely oblivious about the time. But he just shrugs, not caring much about it anyway.

'Is your sister still mad at you?' he asks, changing the subject.

'Meh, she already scolded me this morning. As long as i bring the barrel back A.S.A.P. she won't make a big deal out of it,' she sighs.

'Hehe,' Dusty chuckles as they head into the house.  

***

'Goodmorning, everypony!' Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo say to their waiting friends.

'Goodmorning, girls,' Applebloom smiles.

'What's with the scarf, Sweetie Bell?' Dusty asks the unicorn, who is wearing a light-blue piece of cloth around her neck.

'Oh, that's my sister...,' she sighs. 'Just because it's a lot cooler than yesterday, she's afraid I could get a cold.'

They try not to laugh over Sweetie Bell and her sister, but can't help but snicker a little.

'Well, atleast it looks good on you,' Dusty compliments her.

Sweetie Bell smiles happy. 'Thank you.'

'What say we head out?' Scootaloo brings up. 'We got a lot of Ponyville left to find Dusty's brother. We might as well try to speed it up!'

'AYE!' they all cheer and rush off again.

'Dun' forget, Applebloom! I want that barrel back this afternoon!' Applejack yells to her before her little sister could get the chance to move out of hearing range.

Applebloom sighs, feeling forced to waste their precious time for a barrel. 'Fine, sis,' she yells out to her and speeds off with her friends.

When they're out of sight, Applejack shakes her head. 'That lil' filly... I can't wait for the point that she knows the word "responsibilities." she sighs.

Heading outside as well, Applejack moves to the back of the house to prepare her applecart for another day of work on the orchard. She discovers her big brother, Big Macintosh, who is doing the same.

'Brinin' a colt over, who they barely met. And they already take him like they've known him for years. Didn't that strike you as odd, when you gave permission to let him stay in the barn?' she asks, with a feeling of passing guilty feelings to him.

'Is that a problem?' Big Macintosh asks her.

'Nah,' she shrugs. 'Ah just don' want Applebloom to get completely mixed up in this ghost game. That lil' guy is a little too drawn into it.'

'Wha' do you think of him, big brother?' she asks the red stallion.

He nods a little, being focused on his equipment more than his sister. 'Ah think you're a lil' too worried for nothin', sis.'

'Meh..., maybe you're right,' Applejack admits. 'It's better for them to hunt on things that don' excist rather than things that DO excist anyway.'

She looks over her brother's shoulder, noticing that his gear is nearly fixed up.

'Ready for the next round today, Big Mac?" Applejack asks him. 'It ain't as hot as yesterday. So we might's well use it.'

'Eeyup,' Big Macintosh replies. From his voice you can never tell if he's eager or not. But it's never a question if he can or can't do something, considering he has the strength of atleast three ponies combined.

Applejack straps her own cart to herself and waits for her brother to get ready as well.

"Then let's go, bro. Apples won't grow themself' she jokes.

She walks on, turning around a corner of the building and towards the appletrees. But when she takes a look at the orchard, she stops.

'What in the hay?" Applejack gasps.

She suddenly drops her cart and hurries back to her brother. Panic is breaking out, with good reason. Applejack saw the giant orchard of Sweet Apple Acres, shrouded by a thick black smoke that emerges from the far end of the orchard, where a yellow glow signs the source.

'BIG MAC! Gimme a hoof! The orchard is on fire!'

***

The danger has passed. With barrels of water and throwing dirt, only 10 procent of the orchard is ravaged to ashes. Applejack sighs in confusion. If she would've been a few seconds later, much more could've been burned down.

'How in the hay was this possible?' she wonders. 'It was far from as hot as yesterday! This couldn't have been from drought!'

'Eeyup,' Big Macintosh agrees. His vocabulary doesn't extend much further than that.

'Let's get some more water. Better make sure the fire doesn't wake again,' she says with exhaustion from the tension.

Applejack moves through the ashes, horrified of the terrible loss. This part wasn't even harvested yet. Some apples remain; Either turned to ashes, or roasted unedible. But as she looks around, she fails to avoid something heavy on the ground, which makes her trip onto the ground.

'Wh-what in the hay?' she grunts surprised with an ash-black nose.

Looking over her shoulder, she realizes that she tripped over some sort of box-shaped object. It turns out to be a burned book. When she flips the book open, she is suprised to see that the feather bookmark is stuck on a page about firework magic! But the most terrible discovery would be the signature that is written at the bottom of the page.

"Wait a minute... This-This is Twilight's book!" Applejack gasps. "Why would she... Did she just ran away when things got out of control or sumthin'?!" she yells angry.

Big Macintosh realizes his little sister's anger, and doesn't attempt to speak a word to her while she thinks.

With a loud slam, Applejack closes the book and takes it with her. 'Could ya' take care of the damage on your own from here, Big Mac? I got some word to share with miss "firefly"..."

***

Meanwhile, a purple unicorn is passing through the streets of Ponyville, loaded with two bags on her side filled with multiple items. Twilight is happy, humming a melody that is stuck in her head. When she arrives back at the giant tree, serving as the library and her and Spike's home, she tries to open the frontdoor. A little suspicious, Twilight Sparkle figures that the door won't open. Somepony locked it.

'Spike, I'm back!' Twilight Sparkle yells from the front door of the library to the balcony, expecting that her draconic assistant would hear her. 'I was just off to the stores to get some supplies while you were gone this morning. This temperature is just perfect to enjoy. The one of yesterday was simply too high to my liking.'

No response is heard.

"Spike, are you there?' she calls up to the open windows. But no response is given. 'Ok, Plan B it is,' she decides, using her magical horn to unlock the door without keys.

The only danger is that it could wreck the lock, which is something a beginner in magic would easily manage to do. But as experience shows fruitation: the door opens without any trouble, making Twilight smile from success. She proceeds to walk into the main room, only seeing darkness that originates from closed curtains.

'Hey, Spike, what's going on?' she asks into the shadows. Even now, she doesn't get a response.

With a quick spell, Twilight roughly throws the curtains out of the way, allowing the sunlight to lighten up the whole room in a flash. Twilight freezes up from the shock. Goosebumps crawl over her skin as she gazes into the library. The sight is most horrifying to her.

'What in Celestia's name happened  here?!' she yelps.

Books are laying everywhere. A sticky sweet substance is smeared all over the literature, and several bookcases are even thrown on their side. The library is a mess!

'Did somepony party here while I was off?!' Twilight still gasps in disbelieve. 'All those books... RUINED! If find the one responsible, he'll regret for ever entering!' she yells furiously and stomps on the ground with her hooves.

'SPIKE! Come out now!' she yells through the library again in anger.

The chances that Spike would've done this are slim, considering he's also the one that cleans the stuff up most of the time. But maybe he saw somepony. 'Come out, Spike! This isn't funny! I know you're here somewhere!'

No response. Her draconic assistant seems to be out.

'That's odd... Spike would never leave without a good reason or without leaving atleast a note,' Twilight thinks in herself. 'Well... I better clean this mess up all by myself. Maybe I can get this mess out of the pages.'

With a sigh she moves in to clean the mess up, sorting books and put them back in the cases in alphabetical order. Her hooves get more and more sticky as Twilight moves over the library floor. When most books are lifted from the ground, she has to give more effort to move than when she started. Using a sponge and a bucket of water, she scrubs over every piece of knowledge in an attempt to save it.

At the end of her work, she has gotten even too tired to use her magic anymore. The final books have to be put back by hoof.

'There... Wait, I´m missing something! It should be on this- OUCH!' Twilight suddenly yelps in pain and quickly pulls her hoof out from the books. She looks in surprise at what has bitten her. A little aligator has locked his jaw onto her hoof.

"Gummy?! What are you doing here!" Twilight asks surprised.

Of course the aligator gives no answer. He simply remains to hold onto Twilight, until she pulls him off with her magic. The reptile lands on the ground and continues to stare up at her confused.

'Wait... You're here and the library is wrecked like some candy storm raged around? Actually..., this makes a lot of sense... I can only think of one mare who would be crazy enough to actually be capable of this disaster...,' Twilight realizes. Her worst suspicions are brewing in her head. 'PINKIE PIE!'

***

"Gummy? Where are you?" a pink pony calls through the town square. "Come out, come out, wherever you are.'

Pinkie Pie searches through Ponyville for her pet aligator, Gummy. Suddenly disappearing is not something Gummy would do.  

She looks in every nook and cranny. In the fountain, beneath empty boxes, or even on the roofs. She goes as far as to check in the manes of different ponies that dare to set hoof in the town square, making them turn around and run away in panic from Pinkie's desperate search.

'Where are you, Gummy!' she yells out.

A loud slam is heard from behind her.

'Huh?' she gasps surprised and looks around. 'Gummy?'

She looks directly at the building that is both her home and her "haven" of treat, sweets, and deliciousness: Sugercube Corner.

'But Mr. and Mrs. Cake said that they were closed for today!' she realizes.

Noticing that nopony else is nearby, she starts to feel a little nervous. With little hoofsteps, Pinkie Pie sneaks to the store. Peaking over the rim of the window, she cannot believe her eyes.

'Holy moly!' she gasps.

The Sugercube Corner is full. But not with customers. No pony is inside, but squirrels, rabbits, birds, and many other critters have taken over the store! It's like the forest has moved itself to Ponyville! Of course, they don't hesitate to take a bite from the many tasty treats that stand on display.

Pinkie Pie doesn't wait a second and storms inside, surprised that the door is unlocked. Somepony has let these creatures in on purpose!

"Ok! Party is over, critters! Time to salute out of here!" she commands to them.

Her words fall on deaf ears. Only a few animals look at her when she makes her noise, but go on with their business soon after.

'C'mon! You don't even like sweet treats!' she desperatly attempts to convince them. 'You're supposed to eat something else!'

It doesn't work. The only thing she gets is being trampled by rabbits, who simply walk over Pinkie Pie like she isn't standing there.

'Hey! This isn't your store! This is my home, and my piece of paradise!' she yells, reaching the end of her patience. The critters look surprised up at her as she jumps behind the counter and starts to search for supplies, throwing several tools through the building.

the pink eath pony then Jumps on top of the counter, wearring a pair of sunglasses on her nose, her mane bonded into a ponytail, and a doughroller in her mouth, Pinkie Pie is about to get BITTER serious.

'Last chance, critters!' she threatens. 'Leave the pie on the floor, unharmed, and nopony gets hurt...'  

Everything is silent. The critters look at the war-going pony with the doughroller in her mouth,  afraid of the possibly agony she could inflict with that attitude. The only sound that fills the room are the deep breaths from the furious Pinkie Pie.

When the nibble on a candycane by a hedgehog is heard from the back of the store, they all know that trouble is about to break loose.

'That was my last warning...,' Pinkie Pie grunts with a burning rage in her eyes.

The entire town square is filled with rampaging noises from Sugercube Corner. Critters yelp in panic as they are being chased by the madmare. Swinging with her doughroller, Pinkie Pie doesn't hesitate to scare the animals into a heartattack, if that's what's needed to get them out of the store. The ones that are unlucky enough to get to close to Pinkie Pie, are wacked out of the building like a baseball.

Just when Pinkie Pie chases the last of the critters out of the building, she doesn't look where she walks and slips over a cake that fell on the floor.

'Whoopsie,' she says as she pulls herself back up and looks at the cream that covers her complete flank now. "Mwah, a worry for later!" she grunts and goes on with her devestating assault.

With one final crash unto a stand, the animals take their leave in haste. Rushing out of the building, they escape into the alleys of Ponyville.

"And stay out!" Pinkie Pie yells exhausted at the last creatures that move into the alleys and throws the doughroller in their direction. Pinkie Pie breathes deeply and looks around into the shop. Her fight has left the store in a terrible condition.

'Ugh, look at what a mess they made...,' Pinkie Pie sighs. 'Let's fix this post-haste, Pinkie Pie style!' she convinces herself, hurrying behind the counter to search for a broom.

'Got'ya!' she cheers triumphantly. 'Maybe if I'm quick, this place is fixed before it's-' she gasps halfway her sentence and drops her broom when she realizes that Mr. and Mrs. Cake have arrived in their store. '-too late...,' Pinkie gulps.

With wide eyes and speechless mouths they look around. Cupcakes, pies, cream, and many other substances are smeared all over the place and half-eaten. The displays are completely wrecked, like a tornade has burst in and tore the store up. And in the center they see the nervous little Pinkie Pie.

'Eh, Hi Mr. and Mrs. Cake!' she gasps friendly with a forced smile. '...S-SURPRISE!'

'Pinkie Pie! Wh-What happened here?!' Mrs. Cake asks her, looking like she could pass out any moment from the horrorible sight.

'I-I can explain!' Pinkie Pie tries to reason.

But the Cakes already have a sneaking suspicion who is responsible.

'You can? Well, then explain how the displays got broken.' Mr. Cake asks her.

Pinkie Pie scratches her hoof behind her head, realizing that that was her own fault when she wacked around the store. 'Eh, that was me. But-'

'And why is there cake smeared all over the floor?' Mrs. Cake asks her.

'Well... I tripped over a cake that was lying on the floor. But-' she remains honest, but keeps getting interrupted when she tries to give the full story.

'Pinkie Pie, I can't even describe at how disappointed we are...,' Mr. Cake shakes his head.

'W-Wait a sec! It was the critters! There was a horde of critters from the forest inside here! I only tried to shoo them away!' she gasps.

The Cakes both raise an eyebrow in disbelieve. 'Really?...'

'Yup, really really!' Pinkie nods excessively.

'Then where are these critters now then? And how could they possible get inside while the place was locked? AND adding the fact that we're in the middle of Ponyville, miles away from the forest!' Mr. Cake asks, growing noticably angry.

For once, Pinkie Pie is speechless. She realizes how unbelievable this is, even if it's true.

'B-But I swear!' she tries to hold on.

'No Pinkie Pie, that's enough. J-Just go out for now. We don't wish to see you at the moment...,' Mrs. Cake speaks in stress and points Pinkie Pie the door. 'For this week, please don't show yourself on this floor...'

Pinkie Pie is shocked. Is she truly banished from the Sugercube Corner for a week? Is she being treated like a criminal because she tried to save the store? She would like to protest, but understands how that could make things only worse for her. She simply hangs her head in sadness and walks out. When she looks back, the door is closed from customers until the Cakes have fixed the chaos.

'I don't deserve this. I saved the place! Why are heroes treated like criminals now?!' she grunts and stomps on the ground in anger. 'How did those little monsters get in anyway? There's no way those creatures could go all this way by themselves! They could only get this far with help from somepony!'

She pauses for a moment, realizing the only possible conclusion.

'They could only get this far with help from somepony..., Somepony that the critters trust...,' she realizes with a growing rage.

'FLUTTERSHY!'

***

'Mhm...,' the peaceful mare sighs in her sleep. Fluttershy still enjoys the sun which warms up the ground and soothes her to sleep, even if it's not as hot as yesterday's sun. The cool breeze that flows through the tall grass gently brushes through her pink mane. The waving branches of the trees behind her sound as a lullaby to her ears. She has found complete tranquility, which she gladly surrounds herself in.

But something small is rushing through the grass towards her. Little yet long white feet move in great haste. Fluttershy doesn't have a clue of the upcoming trouble, closing in on her.

'Wuh?' Fluttershy mumbles as she is rudely awakened by the rabbit that leaps on top of her head.

'Oh, hello Angel. Where have you been?' she asks her little friend with a smile.

But Angel is certainly not as calm as Fluttershy. He keeps jumping up and down on her head and mumbles something quick. Something is definitely wrong.

'What's the matter, Angel? Is there something wrong?' she asks flustered.

The rabbit's reply is a tug on her mane, forcing her to stand up and move in his appointed direction.

'Ok, ok, Angel,' Fluttershy responds calm. The pull on her mane hurts a little, but she takes it as a sign that she should really hurry.'S-Show me what is wrong.'  

***

'Oh...No...,' Fluttershy yelps in horror. The place where they have arrived at is known to her as the biggest molehill in the area; A grassy hill of about 5 meter radius. Many moles have found refuge in the pile of dirt. But now, all that is left is a crater. The former inhabitants have already left in panic, digging deep underground and away from the place.

'How did this happen!' the mare sniffs sadly. 'Wait, Wait! M-Maybe we can fix this!'

she yelps and jumps into the crater to desperatly attempt to collect enough dirt to fill the hole. Fluttershy is covered in dirt, her mane is terribly messy, and the only thing she managed to do is collect dirt that wouldn't even be enough for a worm to live in.

'Oh no...,' Fluttershy whimpers, ready to burst in tears. She reaches her hooves out to rub the tears away, but when she moves her dirty hooves to her face, she notices a shiny pebble that got stuck in the dirt.

'A... gem?' she looks curiously at the crystal. When she turns her sight closely at the ground, she notices that the ground has more crystals hidden in the dirt.

'Was this done for jewelry?!' she realizes in disgust.

Crawling over the ground, she tries to find any tracks. Any leads that could be present must be found, in order to discover the culprit. The only thing she can find are a track of hoofprints. The prints in the soft dirt are proof that this was certainly a pony's work. But Fluttershy has trouble believing that there's a pony that could be this selfish.

'Who could've known that this hill had gems? Even I didn't know!' she gasps.

When she says it out loud, it brings a possibility in her mind. A most horrible possibility she would never wish to believe in. There is only one pony in Ponyville that can find hidden gems with her magic horn.

'No... It couldn't have been Rarity. Right, Angel?' she asks her white furry friend.

The rabbit crosses his paws and frowns, remaining a more reasonable thinker than Fluttershy. Rarity is the only pony that can find unseen gems and get a hold of it.  

Fluttershy scratches a hoof over the ground, slowly admitting that she has to think outside the box to be certain.

'Mhm..., Maybe I should go talk to Rarity. It doesn't hurt to ask, right?'

***

Gently passing through the streets of Ponyville, the blue-maned mare carries multiple crystallic items in her bag. Rarity has returned from the field and discovered a plentiful amount of gems for several of her artistic designs.

'Ah... Gems, a warm sun, and cool breeze. What else could a pony wish for?' she giggles, feeling satisfied about her day.

Looking athe trees, where several birds are whistling in tranquility, Rarity's day feels better and better.

'So pretty,' she sighs, closing her eyes and stops for a moment to enjoy the sounds.

But when she is disturbed by a strange rumbling sound, she opens her eyes and looks confused around. 'Wh-what could that have been?' she mumbles.

The sound has already passed. The mare ignores it and is about to move along to her home.

'Home, sweet Home,' she smiles when she gets Carousel Botique in her sight.

Rarity is suddenly surprised by a rumble in the ground, the same rumble like a moment ago. For a second she thinks it's an earthquake, but she notices a strange tone that starts to rise in volume. A loud explosion is followed, creating a noise that echoes on for miles. The noise is created near Rarity, making her victim of the devastating pitch.

"Ah! My ears! My sensitive ears!" she yelps and covers with her hooves.

She remains like this, cowering to the ground, waiting for the tones to pass. It feels to her like an eternity. 'When will it finaly end?' she thinks. Just when she prays for it to end, the noise is fading. Rarity dares to take her hooves away again, slowly.

'Pfoe, what in Celestia's name was that?' she sighs and looks around her. When she notices nothing odd, she turns around to walk on to her home, But is shocked from her sight and screeches in despair.

"My-My house! My windows! Ruined!" she panics.

The noise didn't just make Rarity a victim, but her home as well. Every single window that was part of the building has been shattered by the ear-deafening noise, littering the floor with sharp pieces of glass. The mere sight at her home gives a feeling of disorder, completely contradicting Rarity's personality and making her look foolish.

"WHO! Who could do such a terrible thing!" she yells, ready to burst into tears any moment.

The air around her remains silent, leaving her all alone with a broken display of her home. Sniffing in sadness, her attention is caught by a colorful display that circles behind her home: A rainbow.

"A rainbow...," she sniffs. "A rainbow?"

She frowns when she considers the most obvious culprit. An explosion plus a rainbow can only mean one thing to her: A Sonic Rainboom; A unique skill that is preformed when somepony breaks through the soundbarrier, creating an explosion of sound and colors. And the only pony known in Equestria that is able to pull it off is, ofcourse,

'RAINBOW DASH!'

***

'Wow, where do you think you're going?' the pegasus laughs, chasing a cloud that floats away.

Rainbow Dash is once again working against the clouds that threaten to cloud up all of Ponyville. But thanks to the flying mare, the sky will remain summer clear like this for coming weeks. Flying high in the sky, Rainbow Dash is in her never ending struggle with the weather.

'How'd you like THIS?' she laughs and bucks against the cloud, launching it towards horizon. 'See you in a couple of days! Any volunteers left?' she asks rhethorically. The mare looks around her, noticing only one small cloud.

'Ah, another perfect job, preformed by the perfect pegasus,' she sighs happy and drops herself unto the cloud. Feeling the burn of the excersize in her muscles, she decides to take a little rest before focusing on anything fun for the rest of the day.

'I believe I deserve a little rest...,' she yawns, letting the cloud float her through the air. She closes her eyes, just for a moment, to get a little rest.

'Ouch!' Rainbow Dash exclaims in pain as she gets struck by something on her back 'What was that?' she grunts, followed by looking confused at a red fruit that drops down to the ground, which hit her a moment ago. 'An... apple?' she ponders.

'Ooph!' she grunts again. This time she got hit on the head. 'Ok, who in the hay is doing that?!'

She looks down, realizing that the cloud has drifted her above a large patch of appletrees. It's Sweet Apple Acres. The fact that she got hit by an apple sound reasonable now, but from this distance, the only pony that could shoot this far and precise would be Applejack!

'Oh, hehe,' Rainbow Dash chuckles. 'Alright, Applejack. If you wanted to keep your rainclouds over your little land, you could've just told me!' she yells down to the ground.

Rainbow Dash remains quiet and waits for an answer.

'UGH!' she gasps when being struck by another apple on her head. Getting provoked by the second assault, Rainbow Dash jumps off of the cloud and starts to fly out of herself again. 'That's enough, Applejack! You're starting to get on my nerves!'

She ducks quickly for another apple that was aimed for her head. 'Haha, missed-' she tries to laugh from victory, but is silenced by an apple that is shot directly into her open mouth.

In need for air, Rainbow Dash spits it out. 'Are *cough* Are you insane?!' she yells angry.

Her question is answered by more apples. More than one apple. A rough amount of fifty apples is launched in an enormous barrage into the air, all aimed for the pegasus.

'Wowow! Time-out, Time-out!' she yells, while dodging every fruit that comes at her. But the attack doesn't stop. In fact; the apples are being thrown faster and harder by the second.

Her luck runs out when an apple strikes her face and blinds her sight from the juice. Before she could make another move, she is struck several times by the painful rain, making her plummet to the ground.

'Ack!' Rainbow Dash yelps in pain. She slowly recovers from the attack, waking up in a barrel filled with apples, all squished to juice by her fall.

'Grrrr, APPLEJACK, YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!' she screams out in anger. Rainbow Dash tries to pull herself out of the barrel, being left with a flank covered in applejuice.

***

Meanwhile, there are friendlier moments happening in the town square of Ponyville. four little ponies are truly enjoying the day, messing around with each other.

'Tag, you're it!' Sweetie Bell laughs.

Scootaloo shakes her head in denial. 'No way! Poking me with your horn doesn't count!'

'It does!' Applebloom responds. 'We went over this a million times.'

'Ah, don't be a sore loser, Scootaloo,' Dusty Gust laughs at her. 'Just try and reach me, if you can.'

The four friends have forgotten about their quest for a moment. Instead, they are having plain fun with a game of tag.

'Tell you what: If you manage to tag me, I'll use my move to tag you back. Deal?' Dusty Gust jokes, knowing that Scootaloo is still eager to see his leap.

'Deal!' she smiles and starts to hurry after the other pegasus.

Clearly, the colt has underestimated Scootaloo again. Even with her lack of flight, she is very fast on hoof! And considering Dusty hasn't played with tag in Canterlot with the unicorns, he starts to feel how the distance between them is slowly shrinking.

'Miss!' Dusty laughs when Scootaloo fails to tag him.

She hurries and tries again.

'Miss again!' Dusty laughs, having jumped over Scootaloo right before she could tag him.

'Hold still!' Scootaloo grunts angry.

The colt only gets more and more entertained when Scootaloo starts to get irritated from not being able to tag him. She hurries on and tries again.

'Miss for a third time!' Dusty laughs as he tries to jump over her again, unprepared that Scootaloo would jump up when he would.

Feeling Scootaloo's head press into his stomache, Dusty drops on the ground, coughing for air.

'TAG!' Scootaloo laughs. 'I got the last laugh, Dusty!'

The other fillies have to laugh as well, completely unexpecting this turn of events.

'Ha-Ha, very funny,' Dusty gasps. 'Want a medal for it?'

'Nope, I want your promise!' the filly tells as she smirks.

'Ok, Ok, a promise is a promise,' the colt chuckles. He doesn't seem to mind at all to show off what he can. He gets up from the ground and takes a deep breath. 'Ready for this?'

The colt takes a few steps back, ready to dash. The fillies are giggling over the idea that Dusty could tag them at an impossible speed, like when he surprised them at their meeting. When the colt stands ready, they remain silent for his concentration. And then, Dusty starts to run!

'Ready or not, here I come!' he laughs. when he starts to reach a fast pace, he ducks to the ground, ready to leap.

'BANZA-' he yells his battlecry, but ends all his actions when he realizes that a pony has enter the town square and takes notice of his loud noise.

'Wait a minute... Isn't that your sister, Sweetie Bell?' Dusty asks, noticing the blue-maned mare walking into the town square with angry hoofsteps.

'Hey you're right,' Sweetie Bell replies. 'Hey, sis!'

'Hello, Sweetie Bell...,' Rarity mumbles. She barely looks at her sister. All her attention is focused on something else.

'What was that about?' Scootaloo asks. 'Rarity doesn't seem to have a good time.'

Mumbling something to herself, Pinkie Pie moves into the town square as well. Her glare feels intimidating and misplaced, considering she's the happiest pony you can find.

'Pinkie Pie? Are you alright?' Applebloom carefully asks her.

The filly is completely ignored. Pinkie Pie just walks by and keeps on mumbling angry words while moving toward the center of the square.

'What is going on?' Sweetie Bell wonders out loud. 'Why are they so angry?'

The others shrug. The anger of the mares seems completely pointless.

'Look! There's more!' Dusty remarks and points at the other mares that enter the square.

Six mares, all furious to the bone. They move to each other, creating a circle for confrontation.

The Mane six are together again. But their reasons seem far from friendly today. In fact: In this tense moment, anything bad is possible. The little ponies watch silently at how the six mares are looking at each other without speaking a word. They are waiting in the silence before the storm.

'Ehm, Rarity? I need to ask you something...,' Fluttershy whispers to Rarity next to her. 'Please don't take it the wrong way.'

'Not now, dear. I have an issue that needs solving first...,' Rarity tells her.

'Oh, ok... I will wait,' the pegasus mumbles.

They all remain quiet, waiting for the first words to fall. Twilight dares to step forth first.

'Pinkie Pie, I got a little question for you,' Twilight starts, faking a smile on her face.

The pink earth pony looks up towards Twilight. 'What is it, Twi?'

'Have you eaten anything sweet lately?... Brining your pet along with you to a location you're not supposed to wreck?...,' Twilight asks very "subtle".

Pinkie Pie frowns at her. 'Of course I ate some yummies lately. But that is now taken away from me, thanks to a certain animal loving troublemaker, who's name I won't name out loud... Fluttershy,' she looks at Fluttershy, who looks up in surprise from her accusations.

'Now, hold on just a minute,' Fluttershy speaks to Pinkie. 'What is this about?'

Pinkie Pie rolls with her eyes. 'Duh! Don't play dumb with me! You let all your little friends into Ponyville, wrecking up Sugercube Corner, and got ME in trouble for it!'

Fluttershy desperatly shakes her head in denial. 'I did nothing wrong! My friends got homeless thanks to one gem-greedy pony!'

'Excuuuuuuse me?!' Rarity gasps, surprised to the accusation that was definitely meant to her.

'You heard me, Rarity! How could you crush all those homes for some gems!' Fluttershy asks with a raised tone, feeling pumped from the adrenaline that rushes inside her from the confrontation. 'I never would've thought you could go this low!'

'Well, bringing them to Ponyville was an even worse idea, Fluttershy! Now I am banished from my work for a week!' Pinkie Pie yells offended, feeling like her undeserved banishment is far worse than the demolition of critter homes.

'And you shouldn't have started some 'party' in the library, Pinkie Pie!' Twilight yells as well. 'The whole place is covered in sticky suger and torn paper! And your monster of a aligator pet was even present at the "crimescene"!'

Pinkie Pie looks surprised when she hears her pet friend being brought into the conversation. 'What is Gummy doing in the library, Twilight?! I sought all over for him!' Pinkie Pie continues to throw her anger out on her.

'You tell me! The sugar must have affected your brain, is my opinion!' Twilight insults her.

'I was out for for only a moment. And when I return; I hear a loud explosion and watch at how my beautiful windows are crushed to smittereens by a Sonic Rainboom!' Rarity claims.

'And why weren't you at home what Rainbow Dash did that, hm? On any possible gem hunt?' Fluttershy pokes her.

'Hey! What are you accusing me for?!' the rainbow-maned pegasus grunts at her, insulted.

'It's nothing big, dear... As long as you apologize and promise to never do that again so close to anypony's home,' Rarity proposes.

'This is getting better and better!' Rainbow Dash yells angry. 'I haven't even preformed a Sonic Rainboom today! I'm NOT going to apologize for something I haven't done! And I should take this from you, "miss high-and-mighty"?!'

'Yes, you should just accept your mistakes and make amends!' Rarity yells back.

'You couldn't be more right, Rarity,' Fluttershy backs her up, only to use it against her.

'Ah Hay! I wasn't even around Ponyville, you stuck-up egotists! I WAS flying around Sweet Apple Acres, until I got HIT by a rain of apples!' she yells angry and turns around to Applejack. 'And there's only one pony I know that could've done that!'

'You were at Sweet Apple Acres?!' Applejack asks her, starting to feel like accusing Rainbow Dash for the fire as well.

'Don't play dumb with me, cowgirl! You were there all the time!' Rainbow Dash points out to prove her point.

'Yes. And I found somethin' interesting too. Twilight?,' Applejack attempts to get Twilight's attention from her confrontation with Pinkie Pie.

'Applejack?...,' Twilight responds.

'Would you happen to have an explaination for "this"?' she asks as she drops the roasted spellbook on the ground before Twilight.

Twilight is surprised to recognize the book. It's the book that she was missing in the library.

'How-How did you get this?' she asks.

'So it's truly yers, eh? Would you mind explainin' why I found it flipped open on spells about fireworks, in the middle of a fire in the orchard?!' she asks her with a raised tone.

'I have no idea! Would YOU mind explaining ME what my book was doing in Sweet Apple Acres in the first place?!' she yells, blaming her back for thievery.

Their accusations are turning all the mares extremely hostile to each other, enflaming everypony's hatred. Becoming more aggrevated and insulted by the second, they start to indiscriminitly accuse every pony for their ill luck.

'Burning a quarter of Apple Acres is one thing... But running away and pretendin' that your nose is bleedin' is another, "partner"!' Applejack grunts.

'You call me a liar, Applejack?!'

'Well ah sure ain't calling you a saint, bookworm!"

'What about Rainbow Dash?! She was around Sweet Apple Acres too!'

'WHAT?!" Rainbow Dash rages, feeling like she's backstabbed  by Twilight in order to save her own skin. 'You're  the only pony who can make magic like that! If somepony caused a fire, it's you! ...Or Rarity.'

'I've heard enough of this nonsense!' Rarity yells in anger.

'You crushed my friends' homes!'

'You got me banished from the Sugercube Corner!'

'You wrecked the library!'

'You burned down the orchard!'

'You threw apples at me!'

'You ruined my windows!'

'OK!  THAT'S IT!' Twilight screams in fury, overpowering all the other voices. 'I have accepted a lot of differences between us... I have done my best to show my best side, like you all did... But if this is how my friends truly are... THEN I'M BETTER OFF ON MY OWN!'

'I AGREE!' they all yell.

They turn around and move away in siex different directions, dooming the wonderful friendship they have shared. Once known as the Mane Six; heroines of Equestria sharing an eternal bond of friendship, now on the brink of hating each other for good.

The four little ponies look in amazement about what just transpired here, unable to grasp what happened in front of their innocent eyes.

'Are-Are they mad at each other?' Applebloom asks her friends.

Scootaloo nods slowly. 'I'm pretty sure they are...'

'Applebloom, come over here!' Applejack calls for her sister.

The filly hurries to her side, curious about what is going on. 'What is it, big sis?'

'We're going home. Come along,' she tells her.

'Already? But-But I was still playing with my friends. And we still haven't found Dusty's bro-' she tries to explains, but gets interrupted.

'No, Applebloom. You're coming along right now! I don't want ya' to be with little troublemakers that make your brain rot away anymore!' she orders her.

Applebloom is scared of what she just heard. She isn't allowed to be with her friends anymore? She tries to protest, but Applejack ignores her completely.

'Wh-What about the barrel? I haven't gotten it yet! If you let me go with my friends, we will-' Applebloom tries to find excuses, but stops mid-sentences when she realizes that Applejack has already stopped listening to her.

The others are forced to see at how Applebloom is forced to bid them farewell for an unknown length of time. Why is their friendship suffering because of theirs?

'Sweetie Bell, hurry on now,' Rarity calls out to her sister as well.

The three remaining friends are afraid that she gets the same treatment as Applebloom; forced to leave her friends.

'Wh-What is it, Rarity?' the filly asks carefully.

'We shall head home together,' she orders, just like Applejack.

But Sweetie Bell backs away a bit, scared that she has to say goodbye to her friends too.

'B-But Rarity, we're having fun! Please don't make me lose them!' Sweetie Bell begs her sister.

'Oh, dear Sweetie Bell. Trust your big sister when I say that It's simply for your own good. If there's something I've learned today, it's that friends tend to betray you eventually. I won't let that happen to my little sister,' she explains and pushes her forward.

'but-but-but...,' Sweetie Bell stutters.

All that remains are two pegasi: good friend Scootaloo and newcomer Dusty Gust. They are forced to see their two friends being pushed away with their sisters, while the other four mares are also leaving the square in fury. It all seems so terribly unfair to them.

'...What just happened?' Dusty asks confused.

'Is our friendship over? Just like that?' Scootaloo wonders fearfully. How can she be part of the Cutie Mark Crusaders if the other two crusaders are gone! 'Is it all to end like this? Just because bigger sisters say so?! Is it OVER?!'

Dusty Gust looks at Scootaloo, realizing how scared she actually is. Her friendship with Applebloom and Sweetie Bell seems to be more precious to her than he realized. He takes a deep breath and calms down.

'No...,' Dusty grunts. 'It isn't over.'

Scootaloo looks surprised up at the colt. Dusty sounds different than before. His voice sounds strong. Very strong. Strong enough to make her believe that he's right.

'Not as long as we have something to say about it! I may not be friends with you for long, but I still won't let others decide who can be friends and who can't!' the colt promises with all honesty. 'My brother wouldn't let others pick on the "lower class", and neither will I!'

Scootaloo smiles when she hears that challenge. The way Dusty promises to keep the CMC together sounds like music to her ears.

'What do you say, Scootaloo? What do you think about "Operation: Cutie Mark Crusaders  Liberation"?' he asks with a smile.

***

'Bunch of mad, malicious, moronic, monsterous mares!' the purple unicorn grunts in anger. 'How dare they accuse me of crimes, while THEY are the ones that always cause trouble!'

Twilight talks to herself, while moving through the streets. Several ponies that pass by look surprised up at the furious mare, and avoid her when they happen to be in her path. Twilight doesn't care at all. She is enraged enough to ignore everypony else and wallow in her own hatred.

But she does look up when he eye catches a glimpse of a noticeable pony; A mare in a dark-grey cloak.  

'Hey, Zecora,' Twilight greets the approaching pony.

But when they get close, the pony simply walks past her and grunts.

'Oh, wrong mare I suppose,' she mumbles, and proceeds to walk to the library. 'Stuck-up, annoying, noisy...'

With a slam, Twilight throws the door open. She walks inside with angry hoofsteps and talks to herself again.

'Ugh, I can't believe them! What kind of friends would accuse each other without real proof!' she yells angry and drops the roasted book on the table with all her strength. 'I don't even know why I was friends with them in the first place! I was doing just fine without them in Canterlot, I thought they were a bunch of madmares from the start, and I bet I can be perfectly on my own still! What do you think, Spike?' she asks up the stairs.

No response comes from the upper floor. Twilight calms her anger when she realizes that Spike has been gone for an awfully long time now. 'S-Spike? Are you there?' she asks. When no response is given again, Twilight hurries upstairs.

The rooms are empty of any life. The only living thing is, Owlowiscious, her pet owl. Of course, she can't ask him if he saw her draconic assistant. Twilight loses all her anger in that moment that she realized that something may have happened to him. Depeseratly, Twilight starts to search every corner in the library. whether it's to find Spike, or a clue of his whereabouts, the mare wants to learn SOMEHOW that Spike is alright. But her endevours are in vain...

The last true friend she has left is missing!