“Crying?!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, falling off of the ball she was draped over once more.

Apple Bloom nodded, her face one of concern. “Ah don't think she meant it, but it was still wrong.”

“Did you get to see any of it?” Scootaloo asked, grabbing another crayon.

“No! I was under the bed! Ah don't think ah wanted ta see it anyways.” Apple Bloom crossed her front legs across her chest.

“We should tell Rarity that her toys make ponies cry!” Sweetie Belle spoke up, climbing back onto thinking spot on top of the ball.

“And risk getting in trouble? No thanks!” Scootaloo shook her head.

“How can you be so insensitive?” Apple Bloom asked, her eyes wide in surprize.

“Every time we do something wrong, we get punished. It's about time the adults get punished too!”

“But Pinkie is our friend!” Sweetie Belle protested, falling off her ball again.

Apple Bloom sighed. “But she did do somethin' wrong. But if we tell anypony, ah'll get in trouble too! Keepin' this secret is making me feel sick.”

“Maybe we should quit spying. We're not meant to know what's back there.” Sweetie Belle sighed, her eyes drooping in defeat.

Apple Bloom nodded in agreement, staring at the scratches on her forelegs from the roof of Sugarcube Corner.

“Well then, that leaves only me I guess.” Scootaloo sighed. “Have fun without me.” the filly stood and left without another word, leaving her two friends confused.

“Rarity...” Pinkie Pie called out, her voice cracking. She glanced around the shop, looking at all the things the unicorn normally sold, and began thinking to herself why she drifted away from such nice things in favor of stuff that hurts ponies.

“Yes, dear?” Rarity emerged from the room and saw the forlorn pony before her. “Oh my! What happened?”

“I.....I.....”

“Yes dear, spit it out!”

“I....think I...hurt my friend...” Pinkie managed to croak out.

“Oh. Did you misuse the toy?”

Pinkie Pie nodded. “I think so...”

“What did you do, exactly?” Rarity found herself anxious to know, which made the voice in the back of her mind scold herself for being so nosy and such a gossip. The other voice tried to justify the question by passing it off as typical sales fashion to ask how the product was misused.

Pinkie struggled to find the confidence to speak, displaying an uncharacteristic silence. Then she turned and sulked out the door without any further words. Rarity could only stare after her friend, her mouth agape as her mind tried to make sense of this situation. She glanced down to see Pinkie had somehow left the offending object on the floor, right at her hooves. She recoiled slightly, wondering if it was sanitary to take returns on such things, then sighed.

“Spike, ah got a problem.” Apple Bloom confessed to the dragon standing dangerously on the edge of a ladder, attempting to place a book twice his size back on its proper shelf. Twilight was out with the others, so he was left to pick up the mess, as always. Not that he minded the job.

“What's wrong?” he finally asked, clambering down from the ladder, obviously winded from the weight of the book.

“Ah think I heard somethin' that ah wasn't supposed to. I shouldn't have been spyin'.” Apple Bloom stared at the floor. Spike could only blink in confusion.

“What are you talking about?”

“Sweetie Belle said Rarity had a new room full of stuff that she won't let her see, so she came and got us to help and we was tryin to spy on ponies to see what was coming from back there and....”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Spike held up his claws in defense. “That's what this is all about? I can tell you what's back there.”

“Really? What? What? What?!”

“Settle down!” Spike warned, waving his hands to signal the pony to sit down and listen. He glanced around to make sure nopony was around, then whispered. “I found something from there under Twilight's bed.”

“REALLY?!” Apple Bloom sat upright, her feelings of guilt gone now. “What was it?”

“Don't know.” Spike shrugged. “It looked like a...well....a boys.....”

“Willy?” Apple Bloom asked, tilting her head.

“Uh...yeah...I guess....” Spike glanced around, blushing suddenly. “I didn't touch it or anything, but I'm pretty sure that's what it was supposed to be.”

“Well ponies don't wear clothes, so we see those all the time!” Apple Bloom replied, standing back up to venture upstairs.

“I suppose...but this is different.” Spike was beginning to regret saying anything, his face blushing a deep crimson now. “Maybe we shouldn't play with it.”

“It would be too big for me anyway.” Apple Bloom smirked, her eyes narrowing at Spike.

The dragon was caught off guard by this. Is she hitting on me?! He started glancing around more franticaly now, as if trying to find an escape. “Wha...wha...are you suggesting?” he stammered, finding himself being backed against the wall by a slowly approaching filly that had a mischievous smile on her face.

“That you go in there and get somethin' for us.” Apple Bloom replied coolly, as if it were the most casual conversation in the world.

“No way...I'm not getting in trouble!” Spike protested, shaking his head violently.

“If'n ya don't, ah'll tell Twilight you was under her bed.” Apple Bloom's smile grew wider.

Spike hung his head, defeated, and sighed. “Alright,” he stomped off towards the entrance of the library, “but you owe me!” he pointed threateningly in her direction.

“Ah'll pay you back, in spades!” Apple Bloom replied, confident that this was going to work out perfectly. She was finally going to learn what was in the back room, be the hero to her friends, AND net Spike for herself all at once. This was becoming a very good day.

Apple Bloom smiled to herself, her head and tail high in the air as she cantered out of the library, her head filled with thoughts of the coming night.