Below are stories of G3 Ponyville residents taking part in stories similar to FiM stories in an attempt to fix the latter's poor way of telling stories.

Break a Leg

*At Minty's house...*

      "What a hot day today. Anyone have any ideas for how to cool off?" asked Minty.

      "We can get ice cream from the Sweet Shop or Cotton Candy Café," suggested Pinkie Pie.

      "That sounds cool but it's far away and the heat is unbearable," replied Minty.

      "What about trying to pass the time instead? We could have a race of some kind," said Twinkle Twirl.

      "Most races would be too much to do on a hot day, Twinkle," noted Pinkie Pie.

      "That doesn't leave much to do," added Coconut Cream.

      "What about Butterfly Island? It's generally much cooler there and you could play in the water," suggested Star Catcher.

      "How would we get there?" asked Skywishes.

      "The butterflies," replied Star Catcher.

      "Are there enough of them to carry each of us?" asked Pinkie Pie.

      "Not many are needed and we can make a race out of this," assured Star Catcher.

      "Sounds like fun," said Sparkleworks.

      "Wait. Not all of us have been on the butterflies. Are they safe?" questioned Twinkle Twirl.

      "I have. They are safe but since we don't fly naturally, they do take some getting used to. It's all about balance," replied Skywishes.

      "Then let's give it a try. We've also mostly never been to Butterfly Island before," stated Pinkie Pie. *The ponies head outside and Star Catcher gets her butterflies ready.*

      "Is everyone ready?" asked Star Catcher.

      "I think so," said Twinkle Twirl.

      "I'm not so sure about this," said Coconut Cream.

      "It'll be fine, Coconut. I've been on them before. They can totally support you," assured Skywishes.

      "Let's get this race started. Then we can cool off," announced Star Catcher before sending her butterflies around each pony.

      "Whoa!" reacted the ponies as they were lifted into the air.

      "Now try to remain balanced while you're on them. Once you're balanced, you'll feel better about the experience," explained Skywishes. *Everyone works to get balanced but some struggle.*

      "Don't worry about falling either. We can catch you. Island Delight and Island Rainbow will be lookouts," added Star Catcher.

      "Here we go. Race you to Butterfly Island," said Pinkie Pie before she and the others took off.

      "This is one race I won't forget," muttered Coconut Cream as she worked to stay upright. *Later that day...*

      "What a ride. Finally we can cool off and forget about the heat for a while. That was a lot of fun," remarked Pinkie Pie.

      "See? I told you it would be. It just takes practice. I know I didn't have an easy first time at it," agreed Skywishes.

      "This place is really magical," stated Minty.

      "It sure is, Minty," replied Skywishes.

      "Butterfly Island is the most magical place in the world," said Star Catcher.

Name of the Game

*At Pinkie Pie's house...*

      "What a day it's been. All the fun we had has made me so tired. Better get some sleep," yawned Pinkie Pie before getting into bed. *Inside her dream...*

      "Good morning Rainbow Dash," called Minty.   

      "Rainbow Dash? I'm not Rainbow Dash. I'm Pinkie Pie.

      "No, you're Rainbow Dash. Look at your cutie mark," protested Sunny Daze.

      "Wha? Where'd that come from? That's not my cutie mark at all," stated Pinkie Pie.

      "You've always had it. I've always had mints. Rainbow Dash has always had a sun," added Sunny Daze.

      "You've got it all wrong. This isn't who we are and these are not our cutie marks. What's going on here?" complained Pinkie Pie.

      "Nonsense, Rainbow Dash dahling. You're who you're meant to be, our friend," assured Sunny Daze.

      "Twinkle Twirl, can you understand what's going on?" asked Pinkie Pie.

      "I'm not Twinkle Twirl. That's Twinkle Twirl," replied Coconut Cream.

      "That's Kimono. She's the wisest in all of Ponyville, remember?" questioned Pinkie Pie.

      "Don't be silly, Sunny Daze. That pony there is Kimono," stated Minty.

      "I need to sit down," said Pinkie Pie before doing so.

      "Are you alright, Rainbow Dash?" asked Minty.

      "No. This whole thing is all wrong. Everyone's name and cutie marks are not where they should be," answered Pinkie Pie.

      "She must be sick or something," remarked Sunny Daze.

      "Sick? I'm not sick. I feel perfectly fine. You are all confused because you're calling each other the wrong names and have the wrong cutie marks. Did something magical happen here?" continued Pinkie Pie.

      "Not at all. We've always been this way. Something could've happened to you though," said Skywishes.

      "Okay. It's official. I must be dreaming but I have to figure out how to get out of it," thought Pinkie Pie.

      "Anyone up for a game of hopscotch?" asked Minty.

      "Finally, something normal," remarked Pinkie Pie before heading over.

      "I've got the pieces," said Sunny Daze.

      "I've got the board. Now let's play," added Skywishes.

      "Wait a minute. This isn't hopscotch," protested Pinkie Pie.

      "Oh Rainbow Dash. You're so silly. It's always been this way," giggled Twinkle Twirl. *Back at Pinkie Pie's house...*

      "Pinkie? You okay? We heard you screaming," asked Minty.

      "Minty? Is that really you?" questioned Pinkie Pie.

      "Who else would I be? asked Minty.

      "I had a terrible dream. Everyone had different cutie marks and names and I was called Rainbow Dash. Then we played a game of hopscotch but it wasn't the way it's played," explained Pinkie Pie.

      "Then it's a good thing it was just a dream. I can't imagine what it was like for you," said Sunny Daze.

      "Phew. What a relief. I'm glad that I'm here with my real friends," said Pinkie Pie.

Out in the Elements

*Outside the Cotton Candy Café...*

      "It's raining, again. We can't have a picnic outside. What're we gonna do?" complained Minty.

      "We can have it indoors but that's no fun," noted Sweetberry.

      "Plus if we have it out here anyway, everything will be wet. We need to make something to put over our heads," agreed Pinkie Pie.

      "Like what?" asked Skywishes.

      "Like a tent or something," finished Pinkie Pie.

      "It's gotta be pretty big," realized Minty.

      "We can get Sew-and-So to make it for us and then we'll all set it up," suggested Twinkle Twirl.

      "The only problem is, she's generally busy with her own projects," protested Pinkie Pie.

      "We'll have to try and see," said Cotton Candy before she and the others race to Sew-and-So's house. *At Sew-and-So's house...*

      "A giant tent? Sure. I'll see what I have and then you all can pick out the colors you want and how you want them arranged," replied Sew-and-So.

      "We'd like something large and colorful. Maybe with a giant rainbow on both sides," explained Pinkie Pie.

      "Let's make it pink with a rainbow on each side," stated Twinkle Twirl.

      "I like that, dahling," said Rainbow Dash.

      "Any objections to that?" asked Pinkie Pie.

      "Not me," said Skywishes.

      "We should have glitter too," suggested Sparkleworks.

      "Is that all?" asked Sew-and-So.

      "Anyone else?" questioned Pinkie Pie. *Everyone shook their heads*

      "Alright, I'll get to work on it. May not be ready for your picnic though. I'll drop it off at your place when I'm done, Pinkie," replied Sew-and-So.

      "Thanks so much, Sew-and-So. See ya then," said Pinkie Pie before she and the others leave. *Later that day...*

      "Wow! It looks beautiful, dahling," remarked Rainbow Dash.

      "It's big enough for lots of ponies and should keep us dry when it rains," added Minty.

      "It took several hours to do but I'm glad you like it. May I come to your next picnic?" said Sew-and-So.

      "Of course. It's the least we could do after what you did for us. We'll have it tomorrow," answered Pinkie Pie.

      "This'll be so exciting," said Sparkleworks. *The next day...*

      "More rain but we're ready this time," said Minty.

      "Let's get to work getting it ready," suggested Pinkie Pie. *The ponies set up the tent and anchor it down.*

      "There we go. Now we can finally have our picnic," said Skywishes. *Everyone puts out the food.*

      "The food looks so good. I don't know which to eat first," remarked Sweetberry.

      "Well there's no stopping any of us. Let's just serve ourselves and dig in," suggested Twinkle Twirl.

An Idea

*At the Twist 'N Style Petal Parlor...*

      "It's that time of year again," began Pinkie Pie.

      "What time is it?" asked Minty.

      "2:30, but not that kind of time. It's time for Kimono's birthday. We need an idea for a party," explained Pinkie Pie.

      "What about a rainbow party, dahlings?"

      "Nah, that's more for you," replied Pinkie Pie.

      "Dance party?" asked Twinkle Twirl.

      "Could work, but let's keep thinking," suggested Pinkie Pie.

      "What if we made it some kind of hairstyling party?" suggested Daffidazy.

      "We need an idea that applies to all of us and not just one of us," protested Pinkie Pie.

      "Let's create a list and ponies can add to it," suggested Minty.

      "We can't let Kimono see it though," warned Pinkie Pie.

      "I can hold onto it," giggled Minty.

      "I don't know, Minty. Last time you had to keep a secret you almost let it out. We can make the list at my house and keep it there," continued Pinkie Pie.

      "Good idea. Then she'll never know it was here," agreed Twinkle Twirl before she and the others head there. *At Pinkie Pie's house...*

      "Remember, we need ideas that work for all of us," reminded Pinkie Pie.

      "We could do rollerskating," suggested Minty.

      "That's good. I'm not sure how Kimono would feel about it but she might be up for it," pondered Pinkie Pie.

      "We could all make kites," added Skywishes.

      "Does she even like kites? I mean sure, we know you do, Skywishes, but most of us don't even have a kite. It's a nice idea but we'll need to keep thinking," questioned Pinkie Pie.

      "Has she been to the amusement park?" asked Coconut Cream.

      "We do all enjoy that. I don’t think we've had a party there before. Let's see if we can set one up there. It won't be easy because we'll need a lot of decorations and such," stated Pinkie Pie.

      "Then let's go get some," declared Skywishes before she and the others race off. *Later that day...*

      "I think we got it. Now we just need Kimono herself," stated Pinkie Pie.

      "Minty went to go get her," replied Coconut Cream.

      "Minty? Oh dear. I hope she's back in time for the party," remarked Pinkie Pie. *Elsewhere...*

      "What's this about, Minty?" Where are you taking me?" asked Kimono.

      "It's a big surprise," giggled Minty as the two of them raced ahead.

      "Everyone get ready," called Pinkie Pie. *Everyone takes hiding places.*

      "Here they come," whispered Skywishes.

      "Where are we?" asked Kimono before removing her blindfold.

      "SUPRRISE! Happy birthday, Kimono!" shouted everyone excitedly.

      "The amusement park! What a wonderful surprise. Oh and there's cake and decorations too. Thank you, everyone.," remarked Kimono.

      "Now let's party!" declared Minty.

Private Pie

*At Celebration Castle...*

      "Did any of you hear that rainbows are made with pixie dust? That can't be true can it?" asked Minty.

      "What? No way. We know the unicorns in Unicornia make rainbows. What would make someone say otherwise?" replied Pinkie Pie.

      "I sure didn't and thought Unicornia was responsible too," added Minty.

      "Besides, if rainbows were made of pixie dust, I'd know," assured Rainbow Dash.

      "Is anyone else gonna talk about how dancing brings special gifts?" asked Twinkle Twirl.

      "Does it? I don't know about that. I mean, don't we always have a Friendship Ball with dancing and nothing is truly given to us out of the blue?" questioned Pinkie Pie.

      "I suppose that's true," pondered Twinkle Twirl.

      "Still, we do give out a gift so it's partially true," noted Minty.

      "Yeah but mostly it's for a reward. It's not a given that someone will give you a gift just because you start dancing," protested Pinkie Pie.

      "Good point, Pinkie," remarked Twinkle Twirl.

      "Alright, I think we need to find out where these rumors are coming from. Would anyone here have any ideas?" realized Pinkie Pie.

      "This newspaper might be a good start," said Minty.

      "I forgot we even get that every week," stated Twinkle Twirl.

      "Most of us don't even read the whole thing," added Skywishes.

      "Let's take a look. There's a bunch of rumors in here. What's this even called anyway? Rumors 'R Us. That figures," read Pinkie Pie.

      "So is there a publisher?" asked Minty.

      "I'm still looking and haven't found that part yet, Minty," replied Pinkie Pie.

      "Well I know that none of us would send them. Are we sure we even opted to subscribe to this?" asked Star Catcher.

      "Come to think of it, I don't remember signing up," said Pinkie Pie.

      "That may mean this was sent without our knowledge," concluded Star Catcher.

      "That's kinda scary," remarked Minty.

      "What'll we do about it?" asked Skywishes.

      "We need to find the source but I doubt there's one on here because if someone is making all this up, it's unlikely they'd give themselves away. We can ask the mailpony what he thinks when it arrives next week," answered Pinkie Pie.

      "That's a long time from now as it just came today," recalled Minty. *A week later...*

      "Um, excuse me, Mr. mailpony. Where exactly did that newspaper come from? We didn't sign up for it," questioned Pinkie Pie.

      "Some rogue company sends them out to everyone. I guess they're looking for a good chuckle. If ya want, I can stop giving it to you and your friends," replied the mailpony.

      "That'd be great. Thank you. Anything else for us?" continued Pinkie Pie.

      "Just a few things," replied the mailpony before handing them over.

      "Glad that's over," said Minty.

      "Yeah. I'll settle for regular mail we did ask for any day," agreed Skywishes.

      "I'm sure glad they were all wrong. I mean could you imagine if stars were just painted on? That'd take all the fun of finding out more," stated Star Swirl.

      "Either way, we can go back to our normal way of life," said Skywishes.

Early to Bed

*At the Cotton Candy Café...*

      "Look what came in the mail. It's an invitation to a sleepover at Sparkleworks' house," said Pinkie.

      "We've never been to her house before," said Minty.

      "Says there will be fireworks and fun games too," added Pinkie Pie.

      "Let's go then," said Cotton Candy.

      "We can bring dessert over too," added Sweetberry.

      "Good idea, Sweetberry. We'll have to be quick about it, though," agreed Pinkie Pie. *Later that day...*

      "What a nice house, Sparkleworks," remarked Pinkie Pie.

      "Thanks. I decorated it myself. All set for tonight's slumber party?" replied Sparkleworks.

      "Absolutely, dahling. We've even brought goods for later," answered Rainbow Dash.

      "So what're we gonna do first?" asked Minty.

      "I thought we could tell scary stories before bed," suggested Sparkleworks.

      "Bed? Do you even know how a slumber party works?" giggled Pinkie Pie.

      "Yeah, we're not supposed to go to bed early, silly," added Minty.

      "Oh I know. That's why it's for later, like after fireworks," assured Sparkleworks.

      "What games do you have here?" asked Pinkie Pie.

      "Pin the Pony Tail sound good?" asked Sparkleworks.

      "I love that game," said Minty.

      "Me too," agreed Pinkie Pie.

      "We can let the pony that went choose next but it has to be someone different," added Sparkleworks.

      "That sounds fair to me," remarked Pinkie Pie.

      "I'll go first," said Twinkle Twirl.

      "Alright and then you can pick afterwards," replied Sparkleworks before setting up Twinkle Twirl.

      "Am I ready yet?" asked Twinkle Twirl.

      "All set. Just start moving around and we'll tell you whether you're closer or further away from the proper place," explained Sparkleworks. *That night....*

      "Anyone tired yet?" asked Minty.

      "Not me. I feel I could be up all night," replied Pinkie Pie.

      "Me too," agreed Minty.

      "Me three," said Desert Rose.

      "Especially with hot cocoa," added Sparkleworks with the drinks.

      "It is pretty cold tonight," remarked Coconut Cream.

      "The fireworks are starting," noted Star Catcher.

      "They're so pretty," remarked Pinkie Pie.

      "Are they yours, dahling?" asked Rainbow Dash.

      "No. I just planned my slumber party the night they were going to happen. It's a yearly thing," explained Sparkleworks. *Later that night....*

      "So tired but I must stay awake," yawned Pinkie Pie.

      "Cannot....give......up...." stated Minty.

      "No.....sleep.......for me," added Twinkle Twirl before all but Sparkleworks fell asleep.

      "Goodnight, everyone," whispered Sparkleworks.

The Fear

*At the Rainbow Wishes Amusement Park...*

      "That looks like fun," stated Rarity.

      "Rarity? Is that you?" asked Pinkie Pie.

      "Yep. It sure is and I'm gonna ride that rollercoaster next," replied Rarity.

      "Okay but first I think we owe everyone an explanation. See, we already took the trip to Rainbow Land but it wasn't enough for our little unicorn. Since Ponyville isn't that much further away, we opted to came here and stumbled upon the rollercoaster ride. Mind if she joins you?" stated Cheerilee.

      "Of course," replied Pinkie Pie.

      "Come on, Rarity," said Minty as she and others got in. *Rarity jumped into a cart by herself.

      "Oh boy! This Is it!" said Rarity excitedly.

      "Be careful," called Cheerilee.

      "I will, Cheerilee," answered Rarity before the rollercoaster began. *Later that day...*

      "It's time to go, Rarity. We've had plenty of fun for one lifetime," stated Cheerilee.

      "I don't want to go back home. I don't like our home," complained Rarity.

      "What are you talking about? You've been at the Crystal Rainbow Castle all your life. What's so scary that you can't go back there?" questioned Cheerilee.

      "I just don't like it," replied Rarity.

      "Perhaps I can offer some help?" asked Spike.

      "Don't be silly. Rarity is fine," protested Cheerilee.

      "A fear of back home is rather unusual. Perhaps it's the type of home she's afraid of," said Spike.

      "She's been in Crystal Rainbow Castle before. It's nothing new," replied Cheerilee.

      "Some sort of fear must've latched onto her. Large spaces can be scary for anyone and she may not have realized just how big the castle actually is once inside, especially if she's never alone," added Spike.

      "Rarity, are you afraid of how large the castle is when you're alone?" asked Cheerilee.

      "I think so. I can't really explain why though," answered Rarity.

      "The fear is called Castlefobia, fear of castles. We need to show Rarity it's not so bad, even when you're alone. I have a cardboard cutout of a castle to start. Rarity, would you mind stepping inside?" continued Spike.

      "Okay," said Rarity before doing so.

      "Now we need to try her with the real thing," said Spike.

      "No way! I'm not going in there," protested Rarity.

      "We'll have to visit Unicornia to remove her fear," noted Spike. *At Unicornia...*

      "Let's go inside. We must figure out why this is an issue," suggested Cheerilee.

      "Rarity, do you remember what could've started this whole thing? Was it a time of day?" asked Spike.

      "The castle just seemed dark. Must've been at night but I don't know why I was wandering around at night. Everything just looks so different," explained Rarity.

      "She must've been sleepwalking, which is why she doesn't remember it so well. Here. Give these to her before bed. They should keep her asleep" figured Spike.

      "Thanks so much, Spike. I don't know if we'd ever solved this mystery," said Cheerilee.

Flower Con

*In Breezie Blossom...*

      "Breezies, spring is here and we have to check the flowers for issues. Let's split up and get to work," said Zipzee.

      "You're allergic," protested Tra-La-La.

      "That's why I have the clipboard. As much as I love the smell of spring, I can't be the one to check flowers. I'll just have to do without it until I can solve the problem more conclusively," explained Zipzee.

      "Which of us should lead the way?" asked Tiddly Wink.

      "You can lead the way, Tiddly Wink," said Tra-La-La.

      "No, I insist. You lead the way," protested Tiddly Wink.

      "Okay," replied Tra-La-La before she and the other Breezies got to work. *At the Cotton Candy Café...*

      "Wysteria, this came for you," stated Minty.

      "For me? What is it?" asked Wysteria.

      "We haven't a clue. It's something in an envelope. Open it so we can find out," replied Minty. *Wysteria opens the envelope*

      "It's a letter about a Flower Convention. How wonderful to be around so many flowers. It says there's also a bunch of rare flowers too," continued Wysteria.

      "We can all go together. We all like flowers and spring, right?" assured Pinkie Pie.

      "Of course, dahling. I may prefer rainbows more but I will support Wysteria in any way I can," replied Rainbow Dash.

      "Where is the convention exactly?" asked Sweetberry.

      "Says it's just up the street," noted Wysteria.

      "Well then what're we waiting for? Let's go!" declared Pinkie Pie.

      "I'll keep things going here," assured Cotton Candy. *At the convention...*

      "Anyone else feel like there's something missing?" asked Pinkie Pie.

      "Like what?" asked Minty.

      "You know, something for a flower convention," replied Pinkie Pie.

      "Where are all the flowers?" asked Wysteria.

      "Did we arrive early?" asked Minty.

      "It's 12 noon, which is when they said they were ready to go but there's nothing here. Did it get cancelled?" pondered Pinkie Pie.

      "Something's not right," stated Star Catcher.

      "I agree. Let's look around. Maybe there's a sign somewhere," replied Pinkie Pie. *The ponies split up and look in various places.*

      "Find anything?" asked Twinkle Twirl.

      "There's a sign up here," noted Star Catcher.

      "Can you read it?" asked Minty from below.

      "It says no flowers here. You were all duped. Signed, us," read Star Catcher.

      "No flowers?" What an awful thing to do," said Wysteria sadly.

      "I can't believe it was all a lie. Who would do something like this?" remarked Minty.

      "Someone with a pretty bad sense of humor. Let's head back. Doesn't seem like there's anything here after all," figured Pinkie Pie.

      "Cheer up, Wysteria. We'll get you some special roses," assured Rainbow Dash.

      "I suppose you're right, Rainbow Dash. Just wish this wasn't a trick.," replied Wysteria.

Years Gone By

*At Twinkle Twirl's Dance Studio....*

      "5, 6, 7 and 8! Good. Let's keep it moving, girls. You're doing great. We'll be ready with a new dance for sure," stated Twinkle Twirl.

      "Ladies, may I interrupt?" asked Spike.

      "Who are you and what are you?" asked Twinkle Twirl.

      "That's Spike, our friend of 1000 years. He made Wysteria a princess and slept under a castle until we found him," explained Pinkie Pie.

      "Right you are, my dear and I have a special announcement to make. My long-lost dragon pal Spikeus is paying a visit to Ponyville," stated Spike.

      "Who's Spikeus?" asked Minty.

      "He's my cousin, though he and I hadn't spoken in years after we went to the ball before midnight. No, that was a fairy tale. Actually it was from an argument we had years ago. He wasn't thrilled about Ponyville at all and had all sorts of ridiculous beliefs about them, despite having never been here before. Finally I've convinced him to come out here and I hope he'll be better behaved," replied Spike.

      "Does he look like you?" asked Twinkle Twirl.

      "To an extent, yes. He's much taller and his spikes are actually dangerous. He could cause serious damage in an instant," added Spike.

      "And you just invited him to come here to Ponyville?" questioned Pinkie Pie.

      "Well I wanted him to see for himself what this place was like. I guess I hadn't thought about what may happen as a result," admitted Spike.

      "Is there anything special we can do for Spikeus, dahling?" asked Rainbow Dash.

      "Won't do any good. Spikeus needs to see for himself what this place is like. Any changes would make him believe a lie," noted Spike.

      "Is the ground shaking or is it just me?" asked Twinkle Twirl.

      "Oh good heavens! He's coming! Grab the sturdiest objects you can to cover your head. He's a monster!" shouted Spike.

      "What a dump! All this color makes me nauseous. What are you doing with these rejects?" questioned Spikeus.

      "Now wait a minute, Spikeus. I'm Pinkie Pie and that's no way to treat anyone you've never met before. I can't say we would've all necessarily been willing to say hi if we'd met you first but to make assumptions about us and our town is no way to treat us when we've done nothing to you," protested Pinkie Pie.

      "So what? I don't need a reason to call something bad. Where's my cousin? I want to make him pay for sending me all the way out here," replied Spikeus.

      "I'm right here, Spikeus. I brought you out here to show you that what you saw and what you believe aren't the same thing. You've continued to show no respect for the ponies of Ponyville and that's truly a shame. These ponies have done much for me over the years. They cleaned me up when I first came out from my underground slumber. They also showed me where I went wrong with Wysteria's duties as a princess. These ponies are my family. I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. If you aren't willing to befriend them, fine but I will not stand by and let you berate them on their own turf," stated Spike.

      "What a loser cousin. I'm out of here," said Spikeus before flying away.

      "You did it, Spike. You stood up to your cousin," said Twinkle Twirl.

      "Ah yes. I did didn't I? I knew that's the way it would go," assured Spike.

      "Sure you did, Spike," said Pinkie Pie before she and the others laugh.

Compliments of Kimono

*At Celebration Castle...*

      "Kimono, this is a lot of stuff. Are you sure we need to do all of it?" asked Pinkie Pie.

      "It's an essential list," agreed Kimono.

      "Repainting the castle will take all day in itself. What's so important about it?" replied Pinkie Pie.

      "Every year at this time, there's a Town Inspector that looks for imperfections that need to be addressed. Things like cracks in the foundation, paint chips and even decorations out of place. He's very specific and very strict. We could've had these done by now but it seems everyone was too busy," explained Kimono.

      "Until now, I didn't even know we had a Town Inspector," stated Minty.

      "Technically we don't but they come to us every year, just not us only," corrected Kimono.

      "So what order do we do these in, Kimono, dahling?" asked Rainbow Dash.

      "We'll have to do the quick ones first and save the longer ones for last," suggested Pinkie Pie.

      "We'll need to divide up jobs so the work is shared between us," added Kimono.

      "We can handle the food mess," stated Sweetberry.

      "Good. That's a start but that doesn't take very long. Someone will need to get paint ready for application to the castle, not to mention we'll need ponies that can fly to reach the top," replied Kimono.

      "We'll report back in a few hours to check on progress," stated Pinkie Pie before everyone raced off. *An hour later...*

      "There. All clean, dahlings," noted Rainbow Dash at the Cotton Candy Café's counter.

      "Now all we have left to do is the castle. Star Catcher, can you and the other pegasus ponies do the top part and we'll handle the bottom?" requested Pinkie Pie.

      "Consider it done," said Star Catcher.

      "When you say paint, do you mean painting a picture or the entire castle?" questioned Thistle Whistle.

      "It'll be fine, Thistle. We'll all be painting together. Plus the castle will look brand new," assured Island Delight.

      "We don't have a moment to lose. Let's get painting," stated Kimono. *6 hours later...*

      "Whew, that was a job and a half," said Minty.

      "You said it, Minty. I'm all worn out," agreed Pinkie Pie.

      "Don't look now but the inspector is coming. Everyone be ready," whispered Kimono.

      "So this is Ponyville is it? Well I expect cleanliness everywhere. Shall we begin?" asked the Inspector.

      "Lead the way," answered Pinkie Pie.

      "It had better not be dirty anywhere. Failure will have grave consequences," warned the inspector. *The ponies tour the town.*

      "So, Mr. Inspector. Did we pass?" asked Minty.

      "Only just. Seemed there was still work going on inside as I was passing through, as if you all weren't ready for my arrival. Until next year, farewell," noted the inspector before walking away.

      "That was too close. I thought we'd fail for sure," said Minty.

      "All that matters is we didn't fail. We did it as a team," said Star Catcher.

Rainbow Land

*At the Cotton Candy Café...*

      "Wow! Would you believe it, dahlings? I got tickets to visit Rainbow Land," called Rainbow Dash.

      "What's Rainbow Land?" asked Minty.

      "It's an amusement park filled with all kinds of rides, bigger than even our park," explained Rainbow Dash.

      "Where'd you get the tickets?" asked Pinkie Pie.

      "It was a random draw, dahlings. I took a shot at having some fun and there were multiple ticket prizes available. Unfortunately, there's only enough for 3 to go," added Rainbow Dash.  
      "Uh-oh! That can't be any good if not all of us can go," protested Minty.

      "Yeah. None of us should go if there isn't enough," agreed Skywishes.

      "We could have our own contest to see which of us gets the 3 tickets and then that pony can pick whom they'd want to go with but that would still mean others are left out," pondered Pinkie Pie.

      "What if we give the tickets away?" asked Twinkle Twirl.

      "Who would we give them to?" asked Minty.

      "What about Storybelle or the unicorns in Unicornia?" asked Cotton Candy.

      "Why them?" questioned Minty.

      "They're all pretty far away, but if we couldn't use them, they may have less ponies to be left out, increasing the chances for all of them to go," explained Cotton Candy.

      "We'd have to take a balloon to visit either of them. We need to decide which, if either location, we want to visit," said Pinkie Pie.

      "Why not just visit Unicornia? Rainbow Dash has already been there and would know the unicorns better than the rest of us," suggested Cotton Candy.

      "Rainbow Dash was also the pony that won the tickets. She could give them to the others personally," added Minty.

      "I can head out but I'd need someone to watch the balloon while it's on the ground," stated Rainbow Dash.

      "I'll go with you, Rainbow," stated Pinkie Pie.

      "I still need flying lessons anyway," giggled Minty.

      "Then it's settled. Rainbow and I will head to Unicornia to give up the tickets. We'll be back soon," confirmed Pinkie Pie.

      "Good luck," said Twinkle Twirl.

      "Bye, dahlings. We'll return soon," called Rainbow Dash as she and Pinkie Pie board her hot-air balloon. *The hot-air balloon takes to the skies.* *3 hours later...*

      "We weren't expecting visitors today," stated Cheerilee.

      "One of them is Rainbow Dash. She visited many years ago," noted Brights Brightly. 

      "Dahlings, so good to see you again," stated Rainbow Dash.

      "What brings you back?" asked Cheerilee.

      "You see, dahlings, I won these three tickets and since we have more ponies than tickets, we thought you three should have them. They're tickets to Rainbow Land," explained Rainbow Dash.

      "Rainbow Land? Oh wow! I wanna go right now," remarked Rarity.

      "We'll think about it. Thank you, Rainbow Dash. We'll use these tickets well," said Cheerilee.

The Puzzle Queen (Part 2)

*Last time...*

      "Long ago, there lived a pony called the Puzzle Queen. She had her subjects solve puzzles in order to gain the right to even talk to her. Everyone feared her but knew the only way she could possibly be reasoned was to solve her puzzles.
      "Stop the party! This party is out of line!" shouted a voice.

      "Who said that?" asked Minty.

      "I am the Puzzle Queen and if you want this party to resume, you're going to have to solve some puzzles," explained the Queen.

      "No-no-no. There's no way that's true. It was just pretend," protested Pinkie Pie.

      "You DARE accuse me of being a phony and make believe? Allow me to show you the puzzle. If you fail to solve the puzzle, you'll never have the Friendship Ball again!" declared the Queen.

      "What do we do, dahlings?" asked Rainbow Dash.

      "Looks like we have no choice but to solve the puzzle. We can do it," stated Pinkie Pie.

      "The puzzle has arrived," declared the Queen.

      "I can't make heads or tails of this one," remarked Minty.

      "Let's see. It's clearly a sliding puzzle. All we have to do is arrange things in the right order," explained Pinkie Pie.

      "How do we do that?" asked Minty.

      "Let me try. I'm great at solving puzzles," requested Puzzlemint.

      "Wait. Remember what she said? If we fail, we can't have the Friendship Ball anymore. We need to all look at this puzzle and figure it out together," protested Pinkie Pie.

      "Kimono would know how to solve this," realized Minty.

      "Yes she would but she's not here right now. Let's look at what we have to work with. All these blocks appear to have letters. We just have to figure out how to slide them around. Anyone have any ideas?" continued Pinkie Pie.

      "What about the empty space?" asked Twinkle Twirl.

      "Good idea. That's where one block can go but we need to find the one that will open up another space to move the next one. I'll go first," replied Pinkie Pie. *She moves one block around.*

      "Ah, I get it," giggled Minty. *She moves the next block and others follow.*

      "Hm. We're not quite there yet but we're getting closer. Keep going everyone," stated Pinkie Pie. *The others continue to move blocks.*

      "That's it. It's complete, right, dahlings?" asked Rainbow Dash.

      "Not quite. We need to move a few more around," noted Pinkie Pie.

      "Allow me," stated Star Catcher. *She moves the final blocks into place.*

      "It spells Ponies, dahlings. Must've been meant for us after all," remarked Rainbow Dash.

      "Very well. You've all proven your worth to me by passing the test. Others didn't do so well and I cancelled their festivities. I bid you all goodnight," stated the Queen before disappearing.

      "Well this will be one Friendship Ball to remember," said Minty.

      "It's not over yet. We can still party," noted Pinkie Pie.

      "So let's party," echoed Star Catcher.

The Puzzle Queen (Part 1)

      "Minty, shouldn't you be doing something more important?" asked Pinkie Pie.

      "Huh? Oh right, the decorations. Sorry but this book Kimono let me borrow is amazing," explained Minty.

      "Let me read that," requested Pinkie Pie.

      "Well okay but I'll probably have to start from the beginning," warned Minty as she handed the book over.

      "Long ago, there lived a pony called the Puzzle Queen. She had her subjects solve puzzles in order to gain the right to even talk to her. Everyone feared her but knew the only way she could possibly be reasoned was to solve her puzzles," read Pinkie Pie.
      "I'd be great at solving puzzles. This sounds like a fun book. What's it called?" added Puzzlemint.

      "Tales from the Rainbow," answered Minty.

      "Minty, you do know these aren't actually true, right?" questioned Pinkie Pie.

      "They aren't?" echoed Minty.

      "Of course not. What makes you think they would be?" replied Pinkie Pie.

      "Well didn't we think pegasus ponies not exist and then we were proven wrong?" asked Minty.

      "Well, yeah but this seems even less likely than that. What are the odds we'd see someone like that in Ponyville. It just sounds silly," giggled Pinkie Pie.

      "I don't know about that. It seems pretty real to me," noted Minty.

      "What else does it say, Pinkie?" asked Puzzlemint.

      "We don't have time to read more. We have to get ready for tonight's Friendship Ball," replied Pinkie.

      "I hadn't even started putting up the decorations. The book was too good to put down," sighed Minty.

      "Dahling, you'll be fine. I'll help you put them up," assured Rainbow Dash.

      "Thanks, Rainbow," replied Minty. *That evening...*

      "Are we all ready for that special dance that only the Friendship Ball can bring?" asked Pinkie Pie.

      "Special dance, special dance, special dance!" chanted the others.

      "Well you asked for it. Twinkle Twirl, will you do the honor?" asked Pinkie Pie.

      "Sure. Everyone, it's called Sunshine and Rainbows with Skywishes, Star Catcher and Thistle Whistle!" announced Twinkle Twirl. *The trio appears*

      "Everyone ready?" asked Star Catcher to her butterflies.

      "Ready!" replied the butterflies.

      "Stop the party! This party is out of line!" shouted a voice.

      "Who said that?" asked Minty.

      "It didn't sound good," remarked Pinkie Pie.

      "Now this is a real puzzle," stated Puzzlemint.

      "I am the Puzzle Queen and if you want this party to resume, you're going to have to solve a puzzle," explained the Queen.

      "No-no-no. There's no way that's true. It was just pretend," protested Pinkie Pie.

      "You DARE accuse me of being a phony and make believe? Allow me to show you the puzzle. If you fail to solve the puzzle, you'll never have the Friendship Ball again!" declared the Queen.

TO BE CONTINUED...