"Okay, so we know Cutie Mark Crusader Demolitionists doesn't work..."
"Ah'm sorry, Scoots, ya know I only meant to take out part of that wall!"
"You're welcome to sleep over at my place until... um, until you... have a house again."
Three fillies trotted down the road, wearing capes and covered in dust, splinters, and small scorchmarks. In any other town, this would have been cause for concern. In Canterlot City, though, such a sight wasn't exactly uncommon; these particular young mares were often sighted covered in far more bizarre substances and the citizens had long ago learned that if they were walking around calmly there was no need to worry. It was only when they were excited or scared that a human should be ready to bolt.
The orange girl waved off the statements. "Whatever. The point is, we need to do SOMETHING different. We've been ping-ponging around for who know how long with these ideas, and they've never worked!"
"Hey! Maybe ping pong is our special talent!" The yellow earth human grinned... before remembering something. "Oh, wait. We tried that didn't we..."
Shuddering, the white human rubbed her horn. "I thought we promised never to speak of that dark and terrible day."
"Oh, right... uh, sorry bout bringing that up."
Their winged friend snickered. "You got to admit, though, what the weather ponies did to fix that was pretty cool-"
A single glower from the unicorn caused her to shut up with a cringe.
"Hey... who's that girl?" The yellow human pointed at a personage coming into view.
The pegasus, glad for some excuse to break from her friend's angry gaze, looked in the direction that she was pointing. "...I don't know, but she looks weird."
Truer words had never been spoken. The young girl was probably just a year older then them, by the looks of it, The girl's fiery red hair is worn in braids that are so tightly wound that they stick out sideways from her head. She's dress in a long sleeved red dress with the sleeves rolled up underneath a blue apron with a large yellow colored pocket in front. She wore large blue boots, a pair of mismatch color socks one purple and the other a strip yellow and red one that went all the way up to the bottom of her dress. On her back was a trunk that looked too heavy for a workhorse to lift, some suitcases that had a few more oddly colored socks hanging out of them, and a strange brown creature gripping onto them casually.
To top it all off, she was walking backwards as though it was the most normal thing in the world.
The three girls stared at her. She noticed them and waved. "Hello! Do you know the way to Villa Villekulla?"
"The old house across the river from Sugarcube Corner?" The girl nodded. "It's on the way to our home, actually. Well, me and Apple Bloom's. Scootaloo, um, doesn't... doesn't have a home at the moment."
"Ah said Ah was sorry!" Apple Bloom protested. "Besides, Sweetie Belle, ya'll were right thar long with me! And it's not like tha house is completely gone-"
"Why do you have a trunk on your back?" Scootaloo asked bluntly.
"Well because I haven't put it down yet, silly filly!"
The little girl grinned as the strange brown creature hopped onto her head. The three caped kids took a moment to process the statement.
"Ooooookay. See, what I meant was-"
"Why are ya'll walking backwards?" Apple Bloom interrupted.
"Is there something wrong with walking backwards?" the girl asked haughtily.
"Well, no, but-"
"Then why are you asking me?"
Apple Bloom opened her mouth... then realized that the other pony had a point. Some ponies could be a bit weird, yes, but that was no reason to point it out. She had learned that lesson with Zecora.
The little girl huffed, looking up at the sky. "Darn it, I'm late now. If you three aren't going to show me to Villa Villekulla, I'm afraid I shall have to say goodbye and well fare you." She began trotting backwards again, the brown creature hopping off and following her with a rather odd gait.
"Wait! We'll take you there!' Sweetie Belle dashed forward, her friends rushing after her. "It's down this road and across a bridge... What's your name?"
"My name is Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Makrelmint Fruitmane's Daughter Longstocking." She grinned again, mischievously. "It's extra long so as to scare away the sea creatures."
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. "Oh come on. Thar's no such thing as sea creatures."
"Oh yes there is. I've seen them myself." The girl tapped her earring. "Where do you think I got this from? The sea ponies tried to kidnap me back when I was a foal!"
"No way!" Scootaloo shouted. "Wait, why did they put an earring on you?"
"If they'd put an earring on both my ears, I'd be a sea creatures myself! Luckily my extra long name managed to hold them back long enough for my papa to rescue me. But now I have to remember to come up for air when I swim."
Scootaloo stared at her. "Whoa. That... THAT IS AWESOME!"
"Wait a minute..." Sweetie Belle tilted her head. "My sister has earrings like those!"
The little girl gasped. "Then your sister must be a sea creatures laying low!" Her eyes widened.
"No! She's a unicorn, just like me!"
"Does she swim regularly?"
"Well... she does go to the spa..." Sweetie Belle conceded.
The little girl nodded, a knowing expression on her face. "Mmm-hmm. And how does she feel about clothes?"
"She's a fashionista, makes dresses and designs clothing lines. She's actually very good at it."
"That must be why the other sea ponies don't like her. They absolutely hate clothes, on account of they get so HEAVY in water."
"So that's why you're wearing socks!" Scootaloo declared.
The little girl paused, lifting a hoof and examining it. Then she laughed. "No, that's not why I'm wearing these. I'm wearing this one," she shook her rear leg, causing one of the suitcases to topple off the chest, "because I'm walking backward, and the other three to keep it company."
She grabbed the dropped suitcase and flicked back onto her back. The three other fillies stared at her, flabbergasted.
"...Ya know, Ah think ya'll're lying bout those sea ponies," Apple Bloom finally offered.
"Well... maybe I am. But there are so many stories out there, I can't be bothered remembering which ones are true." The little girl began trotting backwards again. "Me and papa have sailed, oh, pretty much everywhere. You wouldn't believe a lot of what I've seen, so I'm going to tell you things you won't believe and not waste time telling truths you refuse to hear."
Apple Bloom blinked. Then she shrugged. "Well, just don't let mah sister hear ya. She hates lying."
"Will do!" The girl gave a salute without breaking her backwards pace. "Hmm. That's an odd looking building."
"Oh, that's Sugarcube Corner," Sweetie Belle explained-
A melodramatic gasp suddenly flooded their hearing.
"-and that is Pinkie Pie," she finished.
The pink human in question bounced up to the fillies instantly, her eyes focused on the newcomer. "Ohmygosh you're new I can tell because I know everypony in Canterlot City but you're so young and you have that cute monkey and you're carrying all those things by yourself so I can't host a party now because then the monkey will have to carry things but I can host a party tomorrow I guess which means I get to do more planning so I should ask you some things like your favorite flavor of cake and what your favorite color is and will the monkey be okay at the party and what's your name?"
"Vanilla, Blue, Mister Nilsson will be fine, and my name is Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Makrelmint Fruitmane's Daughter Longstocking." The little girl didn't bat an eye.
"Oooo. Extra long name to scare the sea ponies, right?"
"Got it in one!"
"Ha! I knew it couldn't be rock rats, you're wearing a one sock which you cannot find on a rock farm which I know because I've tried and anyways rock rats were scared away by Pinkamina Diane Pie which isn't as long a name as yours but sea ponies are a lot smarter then rock rats I guess although they're always going shoop-be-doo which doesn't make any sense!"
The little girl giggled. "You know what, I can't wait for that party tomorrow!"
"Well Villa Villekulla is right across that bridge," Sweetie Belle pointed out. "If you put your stuff down in there, I'm sure Pinkie Pie will be able to-"
"Ohmygosh you live across the river from me?! OMYGOSH NEWNEIGHBORS!" Pinkie Pie dashed to the door of Sugarcube corner. "This has got to be one of the most splenderifous parties ever and I've got to host it today because that's what it means when my tongue starts a clicking which it did this morning so I'm lucky I'm almost prepared anyway I just need to round up everypony and finish the cake..."
The little girl grinned and began walking backward towards the bridge. "And now I don't have to wait. Thanks Sweetie Belle!"
"You're welcome Pippilotta Delcata Windowshade... Makeralminute..." The whit human girl grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "Um..."
The little girl grinned. "Just call me Pippi Longstocking." She backed into the old house and shut the door as the brown creature on her head waved.