Chapter One: The Pranking Begins

It was Hearth's Warming Eve vacation, and Rainbow Dash had nothing to do.

She could go visit Twilight. Nnope! She was studying in Canterlot. What about Fluttershy? It was time to bring the little critters into hibernation. Pinkie Pie, maybe! No, she was busy making cakes for a baking contest. Applejack? Away in Appleloosa. Rarity? She'd want to go to the spa, so no. Rainbow Dash flopped onto her bed and groaned. It was the most boring day ever. She gazed around at the walls of her room, which were plastered with pictures of Daring Do, and the Wonderbolts, sighing wishfully. She took a Daring Do book from her nightstand and looked at it, carefully skimming the cover. Daring Do, Book 7. She opened the book eagerly and started to read.

The door flew open. "Surprise, darling!" Rarity's voice could be heard from Rainbow's room upstairs. She closed the book shut. She cursed under her breath. She had been hoping not to go to the spa.

Much to Dash's surprise, when she reached Rarity she saw Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack right behind her. She stammered, "G-guys? What are you doing here?"

"We heard that our number-one-bestest-friendiest-friend was having the BORINGs," Pinkie Pie exclaimed, bouncing up and down. Rainbow Dash smiled. Ah. Now everypony was here, but what were they going to do?

Applejack seemed to be reading Rainbow Dash's mind, because she leaned over and whispered something in Dash's ear. Dash smiled. "We're going pranking!" she announced cheerfully.

A thundercloud hovered in the air. Wait, now there were two. Wait, three. Now four. Now five. Wait, six.

Dash carefully arranged the clouds in a circle. "All ready!" she declared. "What about you, Twilight?"

Twilight muttered the spell that allowed ponies to walk on clouds. "I'm ready," she said.

Rainbow descended down and lifted each pony onto a cloud. "Okay," she said, "whoever walks into this circle will be frightened out of their fur." She giggled.

A group of stallions walked down the street, talking to each other and laughing. Rainbow Dash figured they must've been talking about the Great Mashed Potato Mishap at the Ponyville School, which was the headline of all the newspapers this week. She closely studied their faces and recognized Soarin' from the Wonderbolts and Big Macintosh, Applejack's brother. Following them were some less-known ponies—Fun Bun, Bookster, Coffee Bean, and Humble Touch. Rainbow Dash giggled silently. Okay, not the best group of prankees, but they would have to do. "Alright girls, should we go on with this?"

"Erm…" her five friends said nervously.

"What's wrong?" Dash said, curious.

"Can we talk about it at my house?" Twilight said.

Rainbow groaned. "Okay, fine. If you guys are too scared to prank a few silly colts—!"

Okay. That was a bit loud. Rainbow Dash watched as Coffee Bean whispered to Soarin', who smiled warmly. The stallions then formed a huddle. "Whatevs," Rainbow said quietly as she followed her friends to Twilight's.

The stallions burst into laughter as they watched the mares trot off. Soarin' watched Rainbow Dash walk out of sight, and then he thought of the silly nickname Pie Saver. He chuckled. Coffee Bean bumped him lightly. "Duuude! Now is not the time to daydream! We've got some fillies to catch!"

The stallions walked away, discussing plans. Soarin' excluded himself from the group. He thought about the Pie Saver, Rainbow Dash. He sighed.

"Are you going to help us, Soarin'?" Fun Bun exclaimed. Soarin' huffed. He didn't feel like hurting those mares, but he would lose his friends if he didn't contribute. "Yeah," he grumbled.

"Okay, guys. You've seriously got to get more guts," Dash groaned as she sat down in Twilight's swingy chair. Fluttershy piped up. "We've got guts, (right? If you think so) Um… but… um… (um…) *squee*" She darted underneath a pile of books. Rainbow Dash stared, then snapped back to reality. "Ok, so much for that. What's wrong?"

"Ah'm sorry, sugarcube, this just ain't right. Ah can't do this. It's just that…" Applejack began.

"It's just that…" Twilight said.

"Just that…" Fluttershy's voice was slightly muffled from all those books.

"Just WHAT?" Rainbow said demandingly, getting slightly frustrated.

Applejack snapped under pressure. "Ah have a crush on Coffee Bean!" she yelped, her face turning red.

"I've got a crush on Bookster!" Twilight said, frightened.

"I absolutely favor Humble Touch," said Rarity gently.

"Fun Bun is sooooooo random! Just like me! That would mean that we are similar! And we would be a great match! So I think Fun Bun is soooooooo cool!"

Rainbow Dash was shocked. She looked at her friends. Wait…

"Fluttershy? Everyone's confessed, do you have anything to say?"

"I… I…" Fluttershy stuttered.

"Spit it out girl!" Twilight said.

"Big… Macintosh."

"A-hem?"

"Big Macintosh."

"Diiiiiiidn't quite catch that."

At this point, Fluttershy totally lost it.

"BIG MACINTOSH!"

Suddenly, she realized what she'd just done and she dug herself deeper into the books with a barely audible little *squee* as she hid away.

Ignoring the continuous *WHAT!?*s from Applejack, Rainbow Dash groaned. "You all have CRUSHES on the stallions? URGHHHH! I can't believe you guys! Okay, I'm going to my house to process all of this information. I'll be back… later if you want to prank anypony else." Rainbow stretched out her wings and flapped away. She gazed down at Twilight's house from up above. Wait… what was that thing hanging from her door?

Her five friends opened the door. WAIT! DON'T! Rainbow wanted to call out to them, but they wouldn't hear her anyways. Her friends were drenched in water. And beside them, the voices of six stallions could be heard.

Six stallions. They were those six guys that Rainbow and her friends saw while they were pranking. Apparently they'd come to tease her friends about being chicken.

Tease her friends!? Rainbow wasn't going to let them leave without a warning. She swooped down and peered at them from upside down, narrowing her eyes.

"Oh, look! It's Rainbow Dash. What scaredy-cat friends you have! You deserve better. How about hanging with the cool colts?" Bookster rapped.

Rainbow Dash was the Element of Loyalty, after all. She sighed. "I'd love to… but I have to decline. My friends have always been there for me, it doesn't matter if they have faults. Maybe later. And just because we aren't perfect…" She leaned in close to them. "It doesn't mean we aren't dangerous. So do NOT. MESS. WITH. US."

"Okay! Let's see who's tough. I, Coffee Bean, leader of the (what should our group be called? Munchy Muffins? No. Umm… think quick, those prissy little foals are waiting! Ok, Sharp Colts? That's good, alright) SHARP COLTS, challenge you and your friends to a prank war."

After a small huddle, Rainbow Dash replied, "The Daring Sassbags (ok, seriously, Twilight?) accept. And I did not make up the nickname…"

"Great," Coffee Bean said. "Let the pranking begin!"