I WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR LOVE

Chapter 7: Carnival

As the poster was applied to the store's window, the hanger stood back to admire the workponyship of the advertisement. “Come one, come all!” it proclaimed on the top. The main body of the poster was taken up with a painting of a unicorn facing down an enormous bear made of stars with her magic, while ponies looked on in awe. Below that were the words, “Join the Great and Powerful Trixie for an afternoon of stories, magic, and entertainment. Today only in Ponyville Park at 3:00pm.” In smaller words below that, it read, “Admission is free, complimentary balloon animals for foals, refreshments available for purchase. Bring your enthusiasm, but leave your expectations at home.”

Twilight quirked an eyebrow at it. “Where in Equestria did you have this made?”

Trixie cocked her head to the side and smirked at her. “Impressed? Trixie has her ways.”

“I'm more impressed that you were able to get my likeness without me posing or a picture,” Twilight replied. “And since when do I wear archmage robes?”

Trotting to the next store, she paused at the door. “Your likeness is easier to get than you might realize, my dear.” She waited for her fillyfriend to catch up to her, then said, “Besides, you can't very well face down an Ursa without looking the part.”

The showmare walked up to a brown stallion in a showroom full of sofas, and cleared her throat. “Excuse Trixie, but she would like to know if she may put up a poster in your window.” She held up one of the advertisements in her magic. “As you can see, it's for the enjoyment of the foals, and free of charge; so, may she?”

The stallion cleared his throat and glared down at his muzzle at her. Before either of them could speak, Twilight said, “Hello, Mr. Davenport.”

Surprised, he shook his head as he looked to the lavender unicorn. “Miss Twilight! My favorite customer! What can I do for you today? Here to pick up another gross of quills?”

Nodding towards the mare next to her, she replied, “Actually, my fillyfriend here is putting on a free show for the foals, and needs to advertise it. Would it be okay?” She put on her best cute face, though the effect was somewhat ruined by the blindfold and magical sensor.

“Er, uh, I... suppose?” he stammered.

“Great!” Twilight chirped. “Thanks Mr. Davenport. Oh! While I'm here, could I have a gross of quills after all? I ran out again last night. Had a whole slew of forms to fill out this past couple of weeks.” She grinned sheepishly at him.

Davenport smiled at her. “Sure. Shall I put it on your tab?”

Twilight summoned a money pouch from nowhere with her magic, extracting a hoofful of coins. “No, it's alright. I got it this time. Could you have them delivered to the library though? I have a lot of other stops to make today.”

Nodding, the stallion said, “They'll be there by the close of today.”

“Thanks,” Twilight called over her shoulder as she led Trixie back out.

“Trixie knows what you are doing, and while she appreciates the gesture, she also need to do this on her own.” The azure unicorn shot her a mild glare.

Twilight's sensor swiveled around as she grinned nervously. “I-I-I-I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not doing anything, really!”

Smiling as she got face-to-face with her, she said, “Trixie has noticed that you let your participles dangle when you lie. You can't help it.” She kissed Twilight's nose and took a step back. “Truly, Trixie appreciates your assistance, but she must face these ponies without you to hold her hoof if she is to live amongst them.” Her eyes went half-lidded and she cocked her hips to the side. “Now if you wish to hold Trixie's hoof later...”

Chuckling, Twilight conceded. “Alright, alright. I'll let you get on with making amends and advertising. But at least let me hang some of these up on my way,” She took half the stack of posters from Trixie, putting them in her saddlebags. “I still need to talk to Pinkie-Pie and Applejack, and just seeing those two will take me past half the town.”

“Alright, but you leave the shops to Trixie. If there's one thing she knows, it's how to deal with shop owners.” The showmare gave her a little telekinetic smack on the rear. “Now, Scoot. We both have lots to do before this afternoon.”

Twilight yelped a little, but smiled as she parted ways with her. “You kinky little thing,” she muttered with a chuckle as she walked away.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Two ponies stood in front of one of Trixie's posters. “Do you think we'll be able to attend, News Flash?” the forest green pegasus with a brown mane and tail asked his partner.

“Now, why wouldn' we be allowed in? It's free an' open to the public, in'nit?” A cream colored unicorn with a pink and aquamarine striped mane and tail asked with a strong twang. “ 'Sides,” she added, “s'bein held in the park, an' that's open to ever'pony. Cain't rightly keep us out, now can they?”

“But you heard what happened to Ink Smudge,” the pegasus continued. “Not to mention Byline, Op-Ed, Typo, and Deadline.”

“Buried Lead, this's why yah've yet to advance beyond field reporter in the last twenny years,” News Flash replied. “If'n you ain't gonna take the chances, you ain't gonna go nowheres.” She walked off, saying “Now, c'mon. We gotta set up if'n we want good seats to take pictures.” She looked back at the nervous pegasus with a smirk. “Or are you gonna s'plain to your boss jus' why Ah managed to get some pics when you couldn', an' we was at the same event?”

The pegasus sighed as he brought out his camera and flapped after News Flash. “I've got a baaad feeling about this.”

(\ /)
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*(“)(“)

“What do you mean, 'the park's been booked'? Who would have booked an entire park in this backwater, podunk excuse for a hick town?”

“Sorry Freaky, but that's what the mayor's assistant said,” answered a small dark blue stallion. “She said to try again in a few days. Besides,” he added, “you've been to this town before, so you know that park isn't that big. Booking the whole thing for a function is entirely plausible.”

“Well there's your problem!” shouted Freaky McFreakerson, owner and ringmaster of the McFreakerson Freakytown Freak Show. “Who told you to stop at the mayor's assistant? You keep going until you reach Princess Celestia if you have to! And I don't care how big the park is, we need that space! Now go back in there and get us that performance permit, and you don't come back out until you've got it! IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?” she shouted at the top of her prodigious lungs.

The stallion ran from the much larger, strawberry roan earth pony mare with his tail tucked between his legs. She bucked the wheel of the manticore's cage behind her so hard, she set it to rocking. This, quite naturally, upset the manticore that had been dozing in the cage, causing the creature to give a mighty roar that echoed throughout the forested hills that surrounded the road. “Ah, shaddup!” Freaky shouted at the monster in her Hooflyn accent, who quieted down, though still growled low. She began pacing back and forth in front of her wagon train as she often did when things were going badly. “Bucking hay! What's the use of hiring a PR pony if he doesn't do his bucking job?”

A wizened old griffon draped in a cloak that hid her face sauntered over to her. “He's hung like a dragon and keeps you satisfied?” she ventured in a raspy voice.

“And don't you be thinking you can steal him away from me, either! Public Face is all mine, you hear me, Aura?” To an outsider, Freaky's voice would be full of venom, but to Aura, there was nothing but affection.

The graying griffon smiled at her, the only part of her face visible from under the hood she wore. “The way you treat that poor boy, I think he'd handle the tender mercies of a griffoness quite well. You know how much we like to scratch.” She flexed a foreclaw at her for emphasis.

Freaky shook her head with a chuckle. “Handle it or not, neither of you would survive my finding out. But enough girl talk. How's the caravan set for supplies?”

“If we go on short rations, we can last a week, maybe longer. The way we've been putting it away? Less than three days,” the crone replied. “They're getting restless, though. They can smell the apple orchard from here.”

Nodding, the mare looked towards the town settled just down the road and to the orchard just beyond it. “I'm not surprised. I've been smelling it myself since last night; and we're all sick of trail rations by now.” She sighed as she looked back down the trail to the largest wagon in the caravan. “What I'm really worried about is that baby hydra. You sure that friend of yours can keep it tame around ponies? I mean, around us is one thing; we're used to things like that, but civvies?”

Aura shrugged in reply. “She says that she can, but Leather Lash herself is a bit of a loose cannon. Too much of a thrill seeker, even for my liking.”

“I wish you'd use your future sight for us sometimes. It'd be nice to have warning now and then,” Freaky said.

Sighing tiredly, Aura replied, “I've said it before, and I'll say it again: true prognostication is sparse and intermittent at best. Reading fortunes for the public may pay the bills, but it's mostly guesswork combined with observation.” She gestured to the sky before pulling back her claw in arthritic pain. “I have as much chance of predicting the weather on my own or what stocks to buy as I do future events.”

“Except, you know, when you do it.”

“Yes, except then.”

Freaky sighed as she set aside the old argument. They stood for a moment in silence, then she stamped her hoof in frustration. “Oh, buck this! I'm going to go see what the holdup is. Can you keep these miscreants in line, Aura?”

Aura nodded once. “Of course. They know better than to go against 'Granny Griffon'. I'd feed them to the hydra or something.”

“Good. I'll be back as soon as I can. Try to keep them from burning down the forest, okay?” As Freaky trotted down the road at a good clip, she worked over some worries that had been weighing heavy on her mind lately. Oh, Celestia, please don't let this one fall through, too. As it is, we're searching the sofas for bits. Losing this one could ruin us.

(\ /)
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*(“)(“)

“Come on, High Hide. Keep it together.” the sky blue pegasus mumbled to himself. “She's not going to bite your head off for bringing her bad news.” The soldier, fresh from the academy, took a deep breath, ran a hoof through his white mane, and knocked twice, then once more on the backdoor of the furniture/stationary shop and waited.

It didn't take long before he heard a quiet buzzer ring, and he entered a smallish office with no other entrance. Filing cabinets lined the walls that reached the ceiling except for one small corner where a desk sat. Behind the desk, his immediate superior sat, filling out a report. “What is it, High Hide” Plain Sight asked without looking up.

“Um...”

Plain Sight sighed as she dropped her pen and put her face in her hooves. She had found that it was never good when her subordinates came to her hesitantly.

The colt licked his suddenly dry lips. “Er, this just came in. Minuette thought you might want to see this right away.” He placed a file onto her desk.

The mare looked at the blank file folder as if it were a pile of half chewed oats. With a noise of disgust, she gestured for him to take a seat in the only other chair in the room and sat back to read the field report. When finished reading the brief file, she set on the desk next to four others and gestured to them all. “Do you know what these are, High Hide?”

“R-reports, Ma'am?” he ventured.

She cocked her head at the colt and smiled the kind of smile that set him to sweating. “You would think that, wouldn't you? I mean, they look like reports. They tell you things the way reports do. They even send my blood pressure skyrocketing like reports often do, but you'd be wrong. They're not reports.”

A moment of silence filled the office with it's oppressive air before the colt couldn't take it anymore. “W-w-what are they, Ma'am?”

“These,” she replied with a wave of her hoof and a disgusted grimace on her face, “are the ingredients of one of the biggest roadapplestorms you are likely to see in your young career, if you're lucky.” She pointed to the first file, saying, “Not only do we have that business going on in the Everfree, but this one tells me that hot little vixen, Trixie, is holding an impromptu show for the kiddies today, after filing for the permit this morning. As she is one of the delicious Twilight Sparkle's main squeezes, her request was quite naturally, rushed through approval.”

“This one,” she pointed to another file, “tells me that Pinkie-Pie, adorable paperwork-making font of trouble that she is, is planning a surprise party, if not today, then soon; celebrating Twilight's getting together with her little herd, and baby shower for their first foal. How she found out that Cheerilee is pregnant is still a mystery to me.”

Pointing to a third file, she continued, “This one tells me that a traveling carnival-slash-freak show-slash-menagerie-slash-whatever is currently trying to get a permit to book the park for the same day as the show, namely today.” She sighed as she looked to the ceiling as if appealing to the heavens for help. “Our newest civilian collaborator, Amethyst Star, may be eager to help her friend Twilight, but she's still too green to be able to hold them off. Odds are good that they will get that permit.”

Gesturing to a fourth file, she said, “This one was my favorite up until a few minutes ago. It states that the Griffo-Minotauren Hegemony has informed us that a militant group seeking reparations from Equestria for the last war, which have originated from their nations is going to try to kidnap either one of the Princesses, or somepony close to them. Guess who tops the list of targets after the Princesses?” she asked with a rictus grin. “Go on, ask.”

“Er...”

“And now,” Plain Sight interrupted, “You come bearing even more spectacular news!” She threw her hooves up in the air in mock celebration. “Because the Hoofington weather team decided that they simply must have a storm this very instant, the dragons returning from their migration have been diverted right THROUGH PONYVILLE!” She had stood from her chair and leaned over the desk until she was eye-to-eye with the poor frightened colt.

The manic gleam in her eye and heavy breathing had High Hide sweating bullets and looking longingly towards the only exit in the room. “Uh...”

Plain Sight plopped down into her chair and picked up a rubber stress ball in her forehooves from her desk, and began to quickly squish it between them, causing it to squeak with each flex. This went on for far longer than High Hide found to be comfortable, but he kept still so as to not draw her attention; not when her face wore that expression of rage. When she finally exhausted her anger, she let the ball fall to the desk, where it lay smoking; while she reclined back in her chair.

Running a hoof through her disheveled mane in an attempt to tame it, the gray mare pulled a brass rod out from a drawer in her desk and ran it over the closed files, magically producing another of each. She hoofed over the copies to her frightened subordinate, saying, “Deliver these to Princess Celestia. They are 'her eyes only', understand?” The colt nodded in response. “If she isn't available, then Princess Luna is to receive them. Nopony else. Stick around while she reads them, destroy them when she finishes, then return here with her orders.”

High Hide saluted and turned to leave, but was stopped by Plain Sight saying, “Oh, and tell Minuette that if delivering the reports she's supposed to do is interfering with her cover work, then I can find a new cover position for her- like say, sewer worker.” The sky blue stallion smiled as he saluted this time before leaving on his mission.

(\ /)
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*(“)(“)

“Because I know you, Pinkie, that's how I know,” Twilight said firmly. She looked over to Rainbow Dash who sat in one of the chairs provided for Sugarcube Corner's customers reading a newspaper upside-down; but got no help from that corner. “I know you've got some sort of party in mind since the 'After-Marathon Celebration' was canceled. All I'm asking is that you hold off whatever it is you've got planned for another day or two. Things are way too hectic right now to really unwind and enjoy one of your parties.”

The pink party planner rubbed her head under the crook of Twilight's neck. “Aw, you silly filly. Parties is what I do! If not me, then who? If not now, then when?”

Twilight pushed the mare away in an attempt to restore personal space. “Can't you just throw a mini-party for you and Rainbow to hold you over?”

“How do you think I've held on this long?” Pinkie-Pie looked up at her with watery eyes and a quivering lip. “Pretty please, Twilight? I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, REALLY need to throw a big bash! Really! If I don't, I'm gonna explode! Maybe even twice!”

Throwing her a triumphant glance, Twilight exclaimed, “Ah, ha! I knew you had a party for me planned!”

Pinkie looked at her in astonishment, then narrowed her eyes. “Oh, you're gooood.”

“My deductive capabilities not withstanding, this is really a bad time for a big bash, Pinkie,” Twilight said. Her sensor looked again to Dash who just put her paper shield up again when she was caught peeking. “Trixie is in a delicate place right now. She's trying to make up with the townsponies, and they aren't exactly making it easy for her. She's still getting dirty looks from some of them, and I doubt she'll ever be totally accepted here. Moreover, there have been... developments in our relationship that might have upset her, which she has yet to admit.”

Pinkie-Pie sidled up to the librarian until they were cheek-to-cheek. “Ooo, what sort of developments?”

Pushing the earth pony to a more acceptable distance once again, Twilight replied, “Never you mind. Can we just delay this party a few days? Please?” The unicorn tried to give her the wide, watery eyes treatment, but again the blindfold mitigated the effect.

Sighing dejectedly, the party planner nodded her acquiescence. “Okay...” she moped.

Twilight hugged her friend tightly. “Thanks Pinkie. Think of it this way,” she added, “now you get to plan something really special.”

Pinkie-Pie straightened up happily. “Hey, you're right! Sorry, Twilight, but I don't have time to talk right now, I've got a surprise party to plan!” With that, she ran up to her room.

Looking towards Rainbow Dash, Twilight gestured questioningly. Dash simply replied with a shrug.

(\ /)
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*(“)(“)

Freaky led Public Face out of the town hall, a grin plastered on her face. “You see? That's how you deal with red tape, Pub. Don't let them give you the runaround; make them work with you.” The roan mare seemed to be in much higher spirits than just an hour ago, much to Public Face's relief, who grinned up at the larger mare.

“Now, go run back to the caravan, and tell them to come on in, and make a parade of it.” She pointed towards the other end of town where the park was situated. “I'll be down at the park, talking to this 'Trixie' mare. Hopefully, we can work together, or something.” She watched the small stallion run off down the road until he disappeared around a corner. What kind of name is “Trixie” anyway? Who names their filly something so... odd?

The very large mare moseyed through town, taking in the sights of the small hamlet. She walked past the market where she saw the familiar Big Mac tending to his stall, and waved to him as she passed, and he waved to her in return. Better remember to talk to him or his sister tomorrow about replenishing our supplies. Her traveling show had been dealing with the Apples ever since they added Ponyville to their list of stops twenty-two years ago.

Arriving at the park, Freaky noted the small changes that had occurred since the last time she had been here. New benches, trees grown larger, and a small dock with a rowboat now decorated the lake. Near this new dock is where she found her current impediment, a traveling showcart not unlike several in her own caravan. The earth pony noted the craftsponyship of the wagon as she approached, and nodded approvingly. Somepony really knew their stuff when they put this thing together.

“Can Trixie help you?”

The voice startled Freaky, who looked around, spotting a blue unicorn mare walking around from behind the cart. “Are you Trixie?” the towering earth pony asked.

Trixie laid a forehoof on her chest. “You have the honor of addressing she. Is there something you wanted to see Trixie about?”

“The name's Freaky McFreakerson, owner of the McFreakerson Freakytown Freak Show,” she began. “I had this park booked for a show, but found out that you had the place reserved ahead of me. The mayor's office said that if you didn't object, we could set up next to you; so I've come to ask you about it.”

Putting a hoof to her chin, Trixie considered the matter. Twilight was saying that being kinder to my fellow pony would get me farther than rudeness. Let's see what she's offering. “Trixie is hesitant without knowing what sort of show you put on. Our styles might clash too much for us to peacefully coexist.”

Freaky brought out a poster from her saddlebags, unrolling it with a flourish. “As you can see, we offer family-friendly entertainment at great value. Is there anything about that that might 'clash'?” she asked with a hopeful grin.

“Do you set off fireworks? Have loud, flashy entertainment that might distract from my own show?” Trixie returned.

The roan mare nodded. “We do, but can hold off on that until yours is over. It's from three to five, right?” Trixie nodded at her. “That's fine. We don't even set off the fireworks until after dark anyways, and the cannon needs to be acclimatized before we can shoot anypony out of it.”

“Then, no, Trixie has no problem with you 'setting up next to her',” she replied with a smile. “Perhaps we could even offer a small exchange of goods? The Great and Powerful Trixie is running low on potassium chlorate, and this town is woefully lacking, charming though it is. Would you happen to have any to spare?”

Immediately, Freaky started warming up to her. “Making your own flash powder, eh? We actually have plenty to spare ever since our stage magician retired to New Mareland last year. We can set you up with some,” she said with a smile.

Trixie smiled back. “What was your magician's name? Trixie may have heard of him. We're a rather small community these days.”

“Ever heard of the Great Presto-Change-O?” the ringmaster asked.

“Heard of him?” Trixie shrieked, “he's how I got my cutie mark!” She proudly showed her flank, displaying the wand and field of stars.

Freaky grinned at the showmare. “Small world, isn't it?”

Trixie's horn glowed, opening the door to her wagon. “Please, won't you come inside? Trixie simply must hear how he's been since she saw him last. Would you like some tea?”

As Freaky followed her in, she shook her head. Unicorns and their tea...

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*(“)(“)

Ava clawed up the ground before her restlessly. How long is that idiot going to take? He better not have gotten caught/. Even though griffons were an uncommon sight in this part of Equestria, that alone could not account for her unease. No, that could only come from why she and her small team were here. The snapping of a twig caused her to spring from the bushes in which she had hid, and whirl around to face the oncoming threat. She saw the cloaked Brute Strength, the stealth component of her team dropping the two halves of a twig to the ground. “It took you long enough. Report!”

Brute Strength glared down at her. “I remind you Ava, that we are equal partners in this endeavor. You do not get to order me around like I was one of your chicks. You would do well to remember that.”

“Oh, quit your posturing and get on with it,” the griffon replied with an eye roll.

The two stood there glaring at each other for many minutes until a muffled gasp caught their attention. Brute Strength rolled his eyes while Ava faceclawed. She went over to the bush from which the sound emanated and picked it up, revealing a young griffoness and minotaur couple locked in a heated embrace. They looked up at her sheepishly, lips still locked on beak. “You two are enough to drive a bird insane. Silva, go check the perimeter. Great Fortitude, go... just go.” she dismissed the youngsters. “Not after her!” she said when the minotaur made to follow the griffon. She looked to Brute, grumpily asking, “Was it really necessary to bring them along? I've spent more time pulling them apart than I have doing what we came to do.”

Folding his arms akimbo, Brute asked, “Have you ever tried to keep young lovers apart? It's like pulling a dragon away from it's hoard. Take one, and you have to take the other or they simply can't go on any longer,” he said, voice dripping in sarcasm.

“You're stalling. You only stall when you have bad news.” Ava sighed. “Well, let's have it. What's going wrong now?”

Brute Strength grinned at his partner. “We really do know each other so well.” When all he got in return was a stern glare, he held up his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, just trying to let you brace for it.” He grew serious again. “Targets one and two are here, but are well protected. I daresay that even if we were to somehow catch one of them at a disadvantage, taking one of them would prove unfeasible for us.”

“And target three?”

“Not here,” he answered, moving so that his magically camouflaged cloak freed up that arm, allowing him to place a long-stemmed pipe in his mouth. “I presume she's still in the Crystal Kingdom, but without any intelligence agents there, it's impossible to say.”

Ava nodded at this. She had suspected from the beginning that their first three targets were far too ambitious for their little cadre of freedom fighters. “What about four through nine?”

He sat down on a log, and chewed on his unlit pipe thoughtfully. “All here, and under varying levels of protection. Target seven has the least, but is situated so far in town that getting to her will be... problematic. Same with eight, but she also has target six practically living with her, so their guards are effectively doubled up most of the time. Nine looks inviting, being so far from town, but there are still too many witnesses there to complicate matters. Five would be the choicest of them all, were target two not staying with her.”

“And four?” Ava asked with desperation. “What about four?”

Brute Strength smiled at her. “That's where it gets interesting. Target one is currently staying with her,” he smiled at Ava's crestfallen look, “but! So are her fillyfriends.”

Ava looked delighted, then confused. “Wait, plural? I thought ponies no longer formed herds.”

The minotaur shrugged. “Who cares? All we need to be concerned with is that it gives us three more choice targets to lure out target four.” He leaned forward eagerly. “But that's not even the best part.” At Ava's raised eyebrow, he added, “If we move today, we're even getting distractions for free.”

The grin on the griffoness's face threatened to take in her whole head.

(\ /)
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*(“)(“)

Twilight walked into controlled chaos in the Apple family home. Apple Bloom ran from kitchen to dining room, a tray of apple pastries fresh from the oven balanced on her head, and Applejack and Granny Smith, were baking up a storm. The kitchen itself was a small disaster area, and a fine layer of flour and sugar coated almost every surface. “Mornin', Miss Twilight!” Apple Bloom said as she raced past to place the plate of baked goods on the table next to the growing pile.

“Good morning,” she said cheerily to the filly. “Applejack, you got a minute?”

The farmer looked to the oven and nodded. “Jus' about that, Twi. What can I do yah for?” she asked as she walked into the dining room.

“I wanted to tell you that a carnival is in town,” she said a little nervously. “Is that going to change anything?”

Applejack looked at her in confusion. “Carnival?” She put a hoof to her chin for a moment before asking, “Wouldn' happen to be McFreakerson's, would it?”

Taken aback, Twilight asked, “How did you know?”

“It was about time for her to be makin' her rounds out this neck of the woods,” the earth pony answered. “It'll be jus' fine. That carnival's had a deal goin' with Sweet Apple Acres for almos' as long as Ah've been aroun'. In fact, we're gonna have to step up production.” She turned to the kitchen and shouted, “Hey, Granny! Twi says that Freaky's in town!”

Granny just waved acknowledgment and continued stirring her bowl. Apple Bloom's head popped up from behind the counter that separated the kitchen from the dining room. “Freaky's here? Woo hoo!” she shouted with glee.

She started to run off, but was stopped by Applejack's hoof. “Whoa there, little missy. We got work to do.”

“Aaawww...” she drawled as she walked back into the kitchen.

Twilight smiled at the filly. “Is there anything I can do to help, Applejack?”

“Well, Granny don' like ponies in her kitchen when she's cookin' up a storm like this,” she replied. She saw the slightly disappointed look in Twilight's face and added, “But Big Mac's gonna need to bring out some more cider barrels than what he already did. If'n y'all could do that for us, we'd be mighty grateful.”

She lead the unicorn out to the root cellar which had a small wagon parked next to it full of barrels. The farmer unlocked the cellar door, saying, “Jus' head on down. The barrels we need are out front. If'n y'all could bring out twenty or so, that should be enough. Meanwhile Ah'll take this back to the shed. We're gonna the big wagon for this'n.”

Twilight levitated the barrels out of the wagon and set them on the ground. “Sure thing, Applejack,” she chirped happily. I wonder if my girls would like to go on a date to this carnival?

Author's Notes:

Woof! That's a lot of pots to keep watch over, isn't it? And not one single character knows everything that going on. Cue the shitstorm and dis gun b gud memes.

The normal disclaimers go here. Everything but the arrangement of the words, News Flash, Buried Lead, Freaky McFreakerson, Public Face, Aura, Plain Sight, High Hide, Ava, Brute Strength, Silva, and Great Fortitude belong to Hasbro and Lauren Faust. The rest are all mine, and I'm just playing in the sandbox kindly left open for the public.