Spike woke gently from his dreams, a soothing melody playing through his mind. As he sluggishly opened his eyes and stretched, he yawned deeply. Standing, he noticed a blanket draped over him and the lack of ponies in the room. The 'prisoners' were also absent. He assumed that Twilight had taken care of them and the matter had mostly been resolved.

Noticing the mess of books, he sighed and folded the blanket. Taking to humming the tune that played through his mind, he sat the blanket down on the table and began returning the books to their normal places.

He found an unusually heavy book, but he didn't pay it much attention and simply hefted it up to it's place on the shelf. Soon he finished, roughly half an hour had passed, and he found a few leftover gemstones to munch on.

He was used to Twilight's crazy book searching sprees, having lived with her as long as he could remember, and he paid no mind when he found the missing space. Twilight was sure to replace it when she was done.

After cleaning he had found himself without much to do until Twilight woke up. He ended up looking through a book on different types of magic, trying to find something interesting.

Earlier, with Bet and Simon...

Bet woke to his sharp ears hearing a familiar tune. It was the same melody he was humming last night. Yawning, stretching, then yawning once more, he sat up and surveyed his surroundings. It was an old habit from his days learning.

Noticing the day had arrived not long ago, he guessed by the general position of the sun that it was around nine o' clock, if the ponies went by a twenty-four hour system as they had in their home universe. With great care, he climbed down to the observation deck next to Twilight's room. Peering in, she was still asleep.

Bet sighed, and thought, 'She must have been up quite a bit longer than we were. Or perhaps she's just not a morning person?' He heard a voice eerily similar to Simon at the back of his head mutter 'Stalker...' but he brushed it off as nothing.

Climbing back around to the branches he had slept on, he closed his eyes and listened for the telltale signs of the Mane 6 returning.

Back with Spike...

After only a few minutes of skimming the book, a quiet knock arrived at the door. He placed a sliver of one of the streamers into the book as a bookmark, and answered the door. As it opened, he came face to face with a cyan hoof. Flinching at the surprise, he recognized Rainbow's hoof as he backed up. Behind her stood Rarity.

Shaking himself out of his stupor, he tried to say a few words, “Hey Dash, Rarity, what's-”

He was cut off as Rainbow Dash barged her way inside, Rarity exasperatedly following behind her. Rarity apologized for Rainbow, “Sorry, Spike, She's just a little... anxious.”

Spike grinned dumbly as he played down the action, “Don't worry, it's no biggie.” He then closed his eyes as Rarity walked to the table, repeating her words in his head like a loon drunk on love.

As Spike came to his senses, Twilight walked down the stairs with a case of bedhead. Floating with her was a brush, alight with the glow of Twilight's magical aura. Following the brush was a book. Spike couldn't read the title from where he was standing.

Twilight brushed her mane as she greeted Dash and Rarity. She was going to suggest something but Rarity cut her off. “Sorry, dear, but I can't say anything until everypony else gets here. Applejack and I have... something to say, and it's going to be hard enough the first time; I don't want to explain this twice, so please wait for them to get here. It shouldn't be long.”

Confused and a little curious at Rarity's attitude, Twilight just continued to brush her mane back to it's original shape. Rainbow Dash snickered at a thought she had, but Rarity's look stopped her from going any further.

Back with Bet and Simon...

Bet had heard the conversation start in the Library below, Simon was still unconscious. Or asleep? It's hard to tell with him.

Bet expected the others to arrive soon, so he carefully crept into the hall at the top of the stairs from outside, much like he had done the day before. This time, however, he was alone and Simon was still tied up and asleep on the roof.

He sat and waited near the end of the hall and crouched down, well within earshot but just out of sight.

Spike answered the door as another knock commenced, somewhat louder than the previous one. He opened the door to Applejack, and let her inside. Rarity shared a look with Applejack, both nodding.

Immediately afterward, a single book fell from the bookshelf. With a yawn that was extremely familiar, a figure pried itself out of the small hole the book left in the row. It was Pinkie, as crazy as can be, and she didn't knock down a single book more than the first. As Spike reached down to replace it, he realized it was the heavier one that he had put away earlier that morning.

Rainbow Dash giggled, then grinned. “Pinkie Pie, you're so random!”

Twilight stared at the book, before looking between the shelf where the book was and the book itself again. After a moment of thought, her head drooped and she muttered, “It's too early for this...”

Finally came a very quiet knock, almost not there in the first place. Bet heard it, but the others didn't seem to. He imitated a knock with his knuckle on the wood, using his mana to direct the sound toward the door.

It worked, and they opened it and greeted Fluttershy. Bet muttered to himself, “Need to work on that...”

Now that everyone was here, Rarity and Applejack reminded those present of what had happened here the day before.

Pinkie couldn't resist, so she made a dramatic noise, “Dun dun dunnn!” She received stares for her trouble. “What?”

Last Night,

Immediately after Bet had dashed out the door with his friend in tow, the six ponies had clamored after him. They saw him turn around the library, but when they followed they found the trail had suddenly gone cold; he was nowhere in sight. There were no hoofprints to follow; he seemed to just disappear.

They walked back inside and had a discussion over what had just occurred. Twilight headed the discussion, being the most logical of the ponies, and stated three questions she wanted to find the answer to. “Okay girls, we need to know three things before we can do anything about this. First, we need to know what they are. Second, we need to know why they're here. Third, we need to know what they can do.”

Pinkie interjected, “Fourth, we need to know what food they like!”

Twilight sighed, but allowed it. “We do, strange as it is.”

Rainbow Dash answered first, “Well... whatever they are, the bigger one is really heavy. It took almost all I had just to knock it over!”

Twilight added on to it, “They both seemed pretty intelligent... they did talk with us, after all.”

Pinkie had a thought, and wasted no time in voicing it. “Uhm, Dashie... Ya think the big one might be mad at you for hitting him?”

Rainbow Dash blanched, “Uhm... maybe?”

Fluttershy tried to garner attention, but was ignored for her soft voice. “Hey, girls, I think-”

Twilight thought back again. “The bigger one grew a giant daffodil from somewhere. In fact, it's still over there now.” She pointed with her hoof to the corner, showing that there was in fact a giant daffodil in the room. “There's also the vines he called from the same place.”

Fluttershy tried again to get their attention, and was again ignored. “Girls, I think we need to-”

Rainbow Dash brought up something odd that happened, “Wait a minute, Remember the big one wrapped the skinny one up in the vines after he untied him? That seemed kinda odd to me. Why would he untie him only to tie him back up?”

Pinkie bounced up to garner attention as Applejack muttered under her breath, “Leave it to Dash to notice the bindings...”

Pinkie bounced again, “Ooh! Ooh! Did you see the skinny one? He looked kinda pale! And not just because he wasn't colorful, like me!” She continued to bounce, though with a little less energy and not quite as loud. “Maybe he's sick?”

Fluttershy tried a third time to get their attention, “Girls, we need to-”

Rarity got their attention for Fluttershy, “Excuse me, ladies? Fluttershy has something to say.”

Fluttershy squeaked and thanked Rarity for the help, then said, “I think we should be careful with the bigger one. It seem like... like he recognized my Stare. He didn't even flinch when I used it on him, but it worked on his friend like it works on everypony...”

Twilight was confused, but the other four stopped moving almost completely. She voiced her confusion, seeing the reactions of the others, “What do you mean, Stare? I don't get it, what's the big deal?”

Applejack took a moment to explain, “Well, Fluttershy takes care of the animals, right? Sometimes they don't listen well, so she figured out she can Stare them down and get them to behave. No animal's resisted it before, even a little bit.”

Twilight looked unconvinced, but trusted her friends. “If you say so, but... I don't get why that makes it special.”

Rarity spoke up, “Him, dear. They're both male, I'm sure of that.”

There was a bit of an awkward pause. Twilight spoke first, a little shaken, at the revelation. “Rarity... How... do you know that?”

Rarity blushed as she caught her meaning, “Celestia, no! They simply told me is all. Why, half an hour of making them something would be rather boring without conversation, dear! Besides, who do you know other than the Princesses that is both a mare and taller than Big Macintosh?”

Nopony spoke up, unable to thing of anypony who fit the bill.

Rarity grinned triumphantly, then hid it behind a smile. “That's what I'm talking about, darling.”

Twilight then caught something in her explanation, “Wait... you made them something?”

Rarity began to get nervous. “Ah, the... pale, skinny one asked nicely?”

Surprisingly, Applejack spoke on Twilight's side. “Sugarcube, that skittish thing wouldn't have asked you to make him a tie, let alone a full-on suit.”

However, it backfired. Twilight turned her attention to Applejack, “And how would you know he's skittish?”

Applejack nervously backed up as Twilight approached. “He... uh... uhm...” She sighed, “Ponyfeathers. The two of them had supper with me an' my family, alright?”

Fluttershy managed to work up the courage to add something. “When I Stared at him, I saw something weird flash by, I don't know what it means, but... I think that may help. I mean, if it helps...” She blushed and went silent, unable to say more.

Twilight paused, then sighed. “I think we all need a break. Everypony, come back here tomorrow and we'll discuss this some more. Don't be late; and get here before ten!”

Mostly everyone then left to go their separate ways home; Applejack followed Rarity to have a little chat and Rainbow Dash stayed the night at the Library, her home far away for how tired she was.

Back to our Morning in Ponyville Library,

Pinkie then added, “So she said, 'And that's when I discovered Oatmeal could be used in cookies!' so I said, 'Oatmeal, are you Crazy?!'”

Everypony stared.

“What?”

Twilight cleared her throat, “Alright. You said you two had something to share?”

Rarity nodded and took the floor. “Yesterday, before our... escapades, here at the Library, both Applejack and myself interacted with the two. Their names are Simon, who is the skinny one, and Bet, who is the bigger one. They asked me not to share their story until we were all gathered together... so I don't know if I should.”

Applejack nodded at her resilience and will to keep her word. “Then we'd best wait until they come back. From what I got, they can be really sneaky-like.”

Up on the rooftop...

Simon stirred, roused by the sounds of conversation from below. He flinched as he opened his eyes, not prepared for the light. 'Oh yeah, Tia and I are going to be BFFs' he thought sarcastically, waiting for his eyes to adjust. As his vision cleared, he made out a short phrase spelled out with the branches. 'Clever, that Beary.' It read: Stay there, don't make noise. I'm running damage control.

Simon moved to sit up, but found himself tied to the branch. The vines reacted to his movement, restricting him tighter and gagging him. Simon sighed in defeat, 'Horseapples.'

Movement caught his eye, and the message before him shifted. It now read, Don't worry. It won't take too long. You might want to be still, though. The vine doesn't have an upper limit.

Simon sighed, without a method to abuse the contract he would be stuck there. He resigned himself to his fate of boredom, and began to hum to himself a dark little tune.

After twenty seconds, he quit and tried to escape with renewed fervor. As he tried to make cutting movements with his index and middle fingers, he mumbled into his gag. “Come... on... acid. Work... already... I'm bored... and hungry... so work!” 'Heh, it's almost like he doesn't want the company of a mostly morally bankrupt necromancer that he himself sought out.'

Back with Bet...

Bet stopped a sneeze, then thought 'Must be Simon...' He then grinned at what Applejack had said.

Turning so he could see into the room, he saw the daffodil in the corner of the room, where they had left it last night. His hands glowed green, and the daffodil began to move. As it grew into a more humanoid shape, leaves as hands and the flower itself as a head, the ponies – and Spike – in the room turned towards the commotion only to discover it.

While the daffodil grew, it seemed to sit upright. The 'arms' of the thing crossed. Bet threw his voice so that it sounded like the plant was speaking.

He said, “I dance through trees, nuzzle birds, and aloft, to all I whisper.

The lands I know, plants I help grow, and to life I bring wonder.

My voice graceful, light as a feather, your breath I make ever crisper,

A good friend I make, your breath I take, for each time you hear my thunder.

What am I?”

As their attention was kept by the daffodil, Bet crept down the stairs behind them.

Applejack spoke first, “Beg pardon?”

Twilight was next, “I... uh... what?”

Rarity recognized what it was and elaborated, “It's a riddle, darling.”

Twilight's eyes shone with realization.

Dash then spoke up, “The wind.”

Everypony turned to Rainbow Dash, surprised. “How'd you figure that out?” Applejack asked.

She flapped her wings exaggeratedly in the air to emphasize her point, “I'm a pegasus, and I work with the weather. It's simple enough for me.”

Clapping sounded from behind them, Bet startling them again. “Very well done, Dashie. You're smarter than you look.”

Dash blushed for a moment before she mastered her look. “Of course, I am the most awesome pony in all of Ponyville!” She then thought on it for a moment. “...Hay!”

Pinkie giggled, then Bet chuckled, before all save Dashie were laughing. She chuckled to herself, “I guess I flew right into that one, didn't I?”

Bet's laughter subsided, “All joking aside, I really think we should get to business. Rarity I believe has told you a bit about... ah, us, if I'm correct?”

Applejack tried to keep a straight face, but failed. Pinkie brought it up, “You do realize that-”

Bet sighed, “As soon as I said it, yes. Now if you'll get your mind out of the clouds – no offense, Dashie – and realize I'm talking about Simon...” He cleared his throat, blatantly ignoring the glares he got from Spike.

He extended his arm, hand glowing green once more. The daffodil shrunk back to it's original state, a seed, and was left on the ground. After a tiny gust of wind blew it up into the air, Bet caught and pocketed it. He the spoke, “I'm sure you have plenty of questions, so I'll answer a few outright. We're humans, we're not evil, there's a good reason for Simon's nickname for me, I'm a Druid, I can talk to animals and plants, yes Fluttershy I see the gleam in your eyes, being a tree is annoying, I know firsthoof. Simon so far has been concussed, from what I could guess, twice over at least.”

He continued, “Twi, I'd love to learn more about your magic and I'm sure you're ecstatic to learn about ours... or at least, mine. You should probably not tell the Princesses about us until tomorrow so you've not got a fully biased opinion and you know things from our point of view, yes I know about the princesses, yes we know about each and every one of you, I can kinda read minds, Simon's cynical and annoying... and we had help.”

Gathering his thoughts, he kept on the assault of information. “Dashie, I know all your secrets. Not really, but I had you going, didn't I? Pinkie, be yourself for a moment. We don't need your... Pinkie-ness right now, okay? We'll have a party afterward. Yes everypony, I know what I agreed to. I, for one, think I would enjoy her parties.

“Fluttershy, I'll talk to you about The Stare somewhere away from prying eyes and ears, and why it doesn't effect me. Finally, we slept on the top of the Library. It's pretty comfortable if you know what to do. Simon's still tied up.”

Everypony was digesting the information as Bet grinned sheepishly.

There was a shout from above, “I got loose, Bosco!”

Bet's hands glowed green and he pointed them towards the ceiling. He shouted back, “Not anymore!” as there were sounds of a struggle from above.

At their worried looks, he placated their fears. “Don't worry, that was Simon. He's in the vines again.”

He then sat on the floor, still a bit taller than them. “So, any questions?” Another thought crossed his mind, “And no, Dashie, we're not spies.” She wilted at that.

Bet's mind went back to the melody that woke him. “Spike, do you know where that tune came from?”

Spike coherently supplied, “Huh? What tune?” Bet then hummed a few notes. “Oh. That one. Not really... I just... heard it while I was dreaming, I guess. Wait... how do you know it?”

Bet chuckled, “It's one of my favorite songs from when I was a child. You see... I grew up in the forests of my home. There were trees twice as wide as this one here, maybe more, that were as tall as mountains. It's there that I learned the melody from the spirits in the forest.” He chuckled, “And now that I've come here, I've learned the words to the music I've loved for so long.”

He sighed, “Back to where we were before... Does anypony have any questions?”

Twilight looked conflicted; it was like she wanted to raise her hoof to be called on. Rainbow Dash however, just asked. “How did you do the thing with the air, earlier? When you grabbed the seed?”

Bet smiled, “I've been friends with nature for nearly all of my life. Plants, animals... even the wind, and the earth are my friends. However... my oldest friend has been the wind. She's always been there for me, whispering encouragement in my ear as I went. Perhaps you will hear her voice one day, too, Dashie.”

Dash then added, “One more question. Why do you call me Dashie?”

He grinned, “Now that would be telling.” He motioned to Twilight. “I know you've been wanting to ask it. Go ahead.”

Twilight was surprisingly calm. She'd held back her questions as one came to the forefront of her mind. “You've done lots of magic... but... you don't have a horn? How do you do your magic?”

Bet chuckled. “It's actually very similar to how you unicorns use your own magic. However, with my... 'type' of magic, I guess you could say... I don't need a horn to focus the abilities as you do. And I suspect that neither does your magic truly require it.”

Twilight would have asked more questions, but she was stopped by Bet. “I would love to continue the discussion on our different magicks at a later time, Twilight, but I believe that Fluttershy has something to say.”

Twilight looked a little sheepish, as Fluttershy spoke up. “I... uh... thank you for the help. I want to ask about your... uhm... well... your teeth.” The others in the room raised their eyebrows. “Well, uhm... you've got canines... doesn't that mean... that... well...”

Bet understood, “That I'm an Omnivore? I am.” Fluttershy looked more than a little scared and hid behind Twilight, back in Meek Mare Mode. “However, that doesn't mean I have to eat... 'meat' or similar. I've been a vegetarian for most of my life; talking to animals does that to a pony. I can't speak for Simon, but I promise that I won't eat anypony.”

Another shout came from above them. “Haha! Bosco, I've freed myself again! Oh, wait... I shouldn't have said that.”

Bet followed the previous procedure, “No. You shouldn't have.” Bet dusted his hands, “Now that Simon isn't being silly for the moment... Back to where we were. I believe that Rarity was next?”

The pony in question nodded. “Yes... well... I want to ask if it's okay to tell them what you told me?”

Bet thought on it for a few moments. “I don't think so... at least, not right now. Perhaps at a later moment when they don't have so much to take in.” He turned to Applejack, “Alright, and now, your question?”

Applejack pondered her question, searching for the right wording. “Ah... would like some help with the farm. It's doing great, and the planting season's about to get here, and... Ah'm sure we'd appreciate a helping hand, especially from you. Not to mention, Apple Bloom would love to play with yah again.”

Bet smiled, “I'd love to. But first, we have to deal with Simon.” He stood up, then raised his hands towards the ceiling, once more glowing a shade of green. After a few moments, the ceiling itself rent in two, before Simon dropped in and the hole grew back together.

As he fell, the vines binding Simon fell away towards Bet. Right as he hit the floor, Simon's form exploded into a cloud of dust and smoke. With a quick breeze from Bet, the room was clear and Simon was standing, fists on his hips with a big smile. He proclaimed, “I am Simon, hear me roar!” He then roared, which due to Bet's interference sounded like a kitten mewling.

Simon grinned, then turned to Bet and asked, “So, Bosco, How'd I do?”

The vines that had fallen on Bet turned into a six. Bet grumbled, “Don't call me that.” He then pointed behind him towards the other ponies. Pinkie was holding a card that said six point five, and Spike held a card that said seven.

Bet sighed, then motioned for Simon to sit down next to him to be less intimidating. When he saw Simon's hand begin to glow a gray color, he strictly said “No.”

Simon sighed, then complied and sat next to Bet, facing the group.

Bet took a deep breath to clear his mind, then said, “Alright. Now that Simon's here... Fillies and Sir Spike, ask us any question, and we will tell you no lies.” Simon grinned. Fluttershy tried to hide harder. Simon stopped his grin.

He turned to Bet, “Did you tell them-”

He was cut off, “About omnivorous us? Yup.”

Simon sighed, “Ah. That.” He turned towards the ponies and dragon, “To alleviate your fears, I don't eat ponies.” After a moment of thought, he added, “Or dragons. I rarely eat at all if I can, and thanks to Bosco here, I eat mostly vegetables and other plants... so there.”

Everyone let out a sigh of relief at the news. Even Spike, but mainly because Simon was pretty tall.

Twilight spoke first, their unnamed leader speaking for all of them. “Alright... Simon, Bet told us about his magic... but... what about yours?”

Bet grimaced and placed his head in his palm. “I know this is going to end badly.”

Simon, for once, hesitated slightly in his answer. “Uhm... well... I sorta play with the thin line between life and death?”

Everyone but Applejack and Rarity freaked out, Fluttershy even fainted. Bet tried to salvage the situation, “It's not quite what you think. He's told you the bare minimum... and even though many ponies from our home world think otherwise, he's not actually evil.”

Simon shrugged at Bet, “Well, I'm not going to lie, but I'm going to sugar-coat it a bit for my own well being.” He turned to the ponies and dragon assembled. “I deal with death, poisons, acids, ghosts and spirits, bones and dead flesh, illusions and curses, ethereal fire and golems.” With a bit of afterthought, he added. “Oh, and the spectral bones of the god-dragon Trang Oul. He's... kinda big.”

There was a moment of silence before Simon continued. “Get your pitchforks, I'll wait. But before that, also know that I can... uhm, 'kill' diseases.”

Bet sighed again, “And this is why we can't meet nice people, Simon.”

Simon glanced back, “What? You said not to lie.”

Bet gave an apologetic look to the ponies. “He's a little... off, at the moment. The concussions and the fact he's not a morning person is probably contributing to this. He's... nicer, if you get to know him. Trust me on this one, we've spent quite the time together.”

Fluttershy came to, a little woozy. Bet noticed first, the attention to detail paying off once more. “Are you okay, Fluttershy? I know Simon's kinda crazy, but he's not evil. Or all that bad. If you actually stick around and get to know him. He's just a little destructive. He also may or may not be like a bottle with his power and must let a little leak out now and then. I told him to get a mana crystal or something but he was too busy looking at the other weird things the guy had...” He stopped, “Ah, I got rambling again, didn't I?”

Simon grinned, “Yup.”

Bet sighed, “Anyway... on the topic of our abilities, I'm sure you'd all enjoy a presentation of sorts, but I don't think we'll be able to have one for a while.”

Simon pondered, “I wonder if ponies even have pitchforks...”

Bet chuckled and continued, “Anyways.. on to the next question, please?”

Seeing as Fluttershy was still a little loopy from fainting, Dash asked her question next. “I know all three of us hit you. So I gotta know... who hit hardest?” Dash was, of course, referring to herself, Applejack, and Rarity.

Simon then grinned, “And my reputation is quite thrilled with that, let me assure you.” He paused, in thought. “Hmm... well, Bet so far hits me hardest. But... I think Rarity is second-best, she's the only one that sent me into a wall.”

Bet added, “Twice.”

Simon acknowledged it, “Ah, yes, Twice. Thank you.”

Rainbow Dash and Applejack were both flabbergasted. Rarity looked quite proud, if not a little smug.

Before Applejack or Rainbow could voice their complaints, Simon said, “Next question!”

Fluttershy raised her hoof, so Bet did the school teacher thing and called her name. “Fluttershy? We're not in school, so you don't have to do that.” Fluttershy then lowered her hoof and blushed, embarrassed a bit. “So, what's your question?”

She spoke up, still quiet. “Ah... well... when I Stared at Simon..” The necromancer in question shivered. “I saw a flash of... something, that I don't remember seeing anywhere else when I used it.”

Bet sighed, and turned to Simon. Switching to their unique-to-them language, he asked, “So. Do we tell them? I don't think we should... at least, not right now.”

Simon turned, and contemplated. “Well, then. How do you want answer it? According to 'them,' one of these is honesty... ponified.”

Bet smiled, “Well... We just won't lie. Follow my lead. Maybe we'll tell them the truth after the Princesses meet us? You're getting better, by the way. I think we should thank 'them' for giving us this language to use.”

Simon grinned, “I'm sure they know. So let's go, 'fearless leader!'”

They turned back to the ponies and dragon, Bet speaking first. “Alright, well... first of all, I can't really tell you much about it. We don't exactly know what it is. One of them calls itself a 'fey' though, so we're going with that. So far, it's mostly just been a mutual exchange of information... and maybe a little personality.”

Twilight then asked, “Where did you learn... that... whatever it was you were saying?”

Bet grinned, “It's one of the things my 'Fey' taught me. From what he could gather, it's a language rarely spoken here, if at all, so it serves as a method of speaking in privacy while around others.”

Simon then added, “He's been teaching it to me... I think.”

Bet then said, “So why do you ask, Twilight?”

She looked a little sheepish. “Well... I've read that a group of ponies a long time ago used to speak in that... language, and you said words that sounded similar to what I'd read about them. I think that the name had something to do with the sun, or something. It's why I was intrigued originally.”

Bet closed his eyes in thought, before saying “That makes sense, strangely enough. I think we'll need to talk with the princesses soon...” He opened his eyes and added, “So, next question?”

Pinkie bounced up and down excitedly, “Ooh! Ooh! I have a question! Where did Simon grow up!?”

Bet grinned and answered before Simon could do it himself. “That's easy! He didn't.” At Simon's glare, he added, “What? You know it's true. Most of the time.”

Simon sighed, and answered more truthfully for himself. “It's probably best you don't learn of where, Pinkie. You wouldn't like it there.” His eyes widened in a sudden realization, with a bit of fear. “They banned parties!”

Pinkie looked scared at the thought. Bet eased her worries, “Stop messing with her Simon. You know all too well that we're going to have a party soon after this. Especially if Pinkie brought her Cannon.”

Simon pondered, “Hmm... I do owe her a cake... But I don't think we should make most of the ones I know.”

Bet grimaced, “Good call. But you still owe her cake. Should I make those candies?”

Simon paused, “Wait, the one with the-”

“Yup.”

“...I don't think the world is ready for that, yet.”

“You just can't hold your sugar.”

Pinkie was very, very interested in the conversation.

Simon suddenly stopped, “You're just hoping they forgot Pinkie asked the question, aren't you?”

Bet sighed, “Dang. I was so close... but yes, I don't want Simon to answer that mainly because we don't want to... well, I can't really say. Maybe after we talk with the princesses on what's allowed or not?”

Twilight suddenly got a deer-in-headlights look. “Ah.. well... on the topic of the princesses... I kinda sent Princess Celestia a letter about you two? And I may or may not have included your... ah, 'hitting on' Rainbow Dash?”

Bet sighed, “You need to get out more.” Then it hit him, “Ah, we're in trouble. I do believe we should vacate the premises, yes?”

Simon nodded, then said, “Twilight, dear, I don't think it could be worse if you did, since... well... you put me in that report.” he finished with a sheepish grin.

Bet then stood, dragging Simon with him, and made for the door. “I think we might just be able to-”

All nine of them were teleported away with a small wink sound. Next Chapter: A whole new meaning to 'Burning Mad' Estimated time remaining: 45 Minutes