Hello again, everyone! After a few weeks off, "Mind" is finally back for the second half! This time, we're gonna be going through the Rollercoaster of Friendship special from Equestria Girls!
I'll preface things with the truth that I didn't really care that much for this special. Sure, it had some really good moments, but I do wish it could've done something a little different in terms of the conflict like in Forgotten Friendship. Then again, this is a story that mainly focuses on Rarity and Applejack's relationship, so I guess it makes sense how it played out.
Anyways, I'll let our esteemed narrator take it away and get things started. Welcome back to "Mind"!
MIND
Oh, hello again. It's been a while since we last got to catch up, hasn't it? There's a lot that needs to be covered, isn't there? Well, I suppose I shouldn't keep you all waiting on the details…
The Mind Stone has been found by our heroes, though not in the greatest of ways. Through some memory mayhem and multiversal mischief, our heroes emerged with half of the Infinity Stone in their possession. The other half was obtained by the Black Order, who've escaped for the time being.
With those fiends on the run, Sunset Shimmer has vowed that she and her friends will join Izuku Midoriya and the others to find the Black Order. It's been two weeks since that exciting clash in the parking lot. Ooh, I'm drooling just thinking back to it…
Ahem… Since that much time has passed, Sunset and the girls are finally out of school for summer vacation. And as such, they're free to help their multiversal guests search for the missing piece of the Mind Stone, along with the Black Order. Little luck has come their way thus far though. And unfortunately, another event is going to interfere with their search…
"Experience the world like you've never seen it before…" a voice announced within a massive amusement park, "at the one, the only, Equestria Land!" she exclaimed as a float with a quartet of performers dressed as white shapes came out, with them waving, "Stop! Cut! Cut!" she yelled, causing the vehicle to halt. Those aboard it looked down to see the person there. She was a light yellow-skinned girl with short and wavy, grayish crimson hair that had had light grey streaks, and a beauty mark under her right eye. Around her head with a leather headband that had oak leaves on each side with berry-like decorations upon them.
For clothes, she wore a large brown vest with frills at the ends, reaching below her knees. She had it over a white top with lavender edges and jean shorts with a belt that had a leaf-shaped buckle. A leather choker was around her neck, and she donned a pin on the left side of her vest that was a tiny oak leaf. She seemed relatively annoyed.
"Why is everyone dressed like they're not dressed?!" she questioned, gesturing towards the performers.
"Because you keep changing your mind about the costumes, Vignette Valencia," the designer responded in a Russian accent as she approached, folding her arms over her chest.
"Do you know what it means to be in charge of public relations for this park?" the greyish-crimson-haired girl inquired, holding up her phone in her left hand, "It's my job to make sure the world knows how amazing Equestria Land is gonna be," she boasted, walking past the designer and gesturing toward the rest of the park, "And in two weeks, when there's fifty thousand people here for opening day," she continued, "the last thing they'll see before they leave at night will be this light parade," she pointed out, motioning to the float for emphasis, "And, by extension, your costumes, which apparently do not exist as of this moment!" she mentioned emphatically in a cross tone, folding her arms underneath her chest. However, she did give off a small smile as she approached her designer. "BYBB," she spelled out, taking a picture of herself with her phone as a camera flash went off, "Be yourself, but better," she said, "Do you even have a philosophy?" she asked of the person beside her.
"GWIQ," she spelled out, raising a finger with each letter, "Guess vhat. I qvit," she decided in her thick accent, turning away in a huff and walking off. Vignette was evidently irritated by her designer's sudden resignation.
"Huh…" she sighed deeply, rubbing the right side of her face. She then took a deep inhale. "I need a stress salad!" she demanded with a snap of her fingers, enticing one of the performers to immediately zip off of the float in such of the food her boss requested. She quickly returned with a bowl of salad as the public relations head sat down at a table dramatically. "Where am I gonna find a new costume designer for the light parade with only two weeks left?" she wondered aloud as the performer was about to put pepper on her salad, perking up upon hearing that there was an open position. She was about to say something… "I'm not promoting you," Vignette interjected, putting her hand onto the performer's mouth before she could speak. She sadly trudged away afterwards. "Huh…" the public relations head sighed again, setting her phone aside onto the table, "If only I could put a filter on real life to make everything the way I want it…" she muttered out with a hopeful as she ate a slice of tomato out from her salad bowl.
As she ate contently, she failed to notice the sparkling purple streak of light soaring down to the table. It merged with her phone, causing its case to change from a happy face of a girl into an angry one. Vignette overheard the noise, but didn't appear to really notice anything different. She set down her fork.
"Only way to feel better is getting ten thousand likes with the perfect salad pic," she decided with a shrug, picking up her phone. She aimed it at the bowl, pressing her finger upon the camera icon at the bottom of the screen. In that moment as the picture was taken in a flash of light, the salad bowl completely disappeared like bits of data in a computer. Vignette blinked in surprise. She looked around, completely bewildered. She then swiped through her phone, coming across a fruit salad bowl. "Hey, did somebody install a new app on my phone?" she inquired aloud reaching out to where her salad bowl had been on the table.
She put her finger onto the camera icon again, watching as her phone projected a holographic version of the fruit salad onto the table. Reaching out to touch it, the public relations head found that her hand phased right through it with electronic buzzing sounding off. An intrigued smile came across her face.
"'Cause I like it!" she exclaimed excitedly with a smirk, looking at her enchanted phone.
Oh dear… More Equestrian Magic on the loose. Honestly, it's becoming a bit much these days. But so long as it leads to a fun little skirmish, I don't think I'll mind.
We should check in with our heroes though…
ROLLERCOASTER OF FRIENDSHIP
PART I
At Canterlot Mall, patrons were conversing about the food court. Applejack returned to a table with a smoothie in hand, sitting down across from Rarity. The two girls seemed relatively stressed and worried.
"Anything?" the fashionista asked of her friend as she looked up from her phone, getting her attention. She pulled out her own device, checking the screen.
"Nothin'," she replied as she put her right hand against her chin, causing Rarity to wince, "You?" she questioned back.
"Nuh-uh," her friend responded with a shake of her head, which she lowered. At that moment, Pinkie, Twilight, Rainbow, Fluttershy and Sunset approached, getting their attentions. The former of the arriving five took notice of how worried her two friends at the table seemed.
"Somebody has unspilled beans at this table, and it's not me, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, or Sunset Shimmer!" she quickly pointed out as the other girls sat down. Realizing that their friends were showing their concern for them, Applejack and Rarity smiled. The former of the two then took a deep breath.
"Rarity and I applied for summer jobs at the new theme park," she told the others.
"Equestria Land?" Pinkie assumed, seating herself down between her and the fashionista, "Wait…" she uttered, putting her left hand onto her chin, "Will you get to go there for free?!" she questioned on, sounding quite stunned.
"Actually…" the cowgirl started to reply, "they pay us to go there," she pointed out. Hearing that made the puffy-haired girl squeal with excitement. "We applied to work side-by-side as caramel apple girls," Applejack mentioned to her friends, handing her smoothie off to Pinkie.
"Yes," Rarity confirmed, "It's not that I'm nervous, but…" she started to say, "Applejack, you're perfect for the job," she noted to the cowgirl, "And, well…" she continued somewhat ashamedly, "my résumé is less apple-centric…" she admitted with a sheepish grin. Applejack chuckled.
"We'll be together," she affirmed, folding her arms underneath her chest, "I got a good feelin'," she added confidently. The fashionista smiled, but then picked her phone up from the table to check it closely. She huffed after a moment.
"No missed calls while we were talking about caramel apples…" she noted aloud, "Shall we practice answering our phones and sounding calm?" she suggested. As if on cue, her device suddenly vibrated. So did her friend's.
"AAAAAHHH!" they simultaneously screamed upon hearing the buzz from their phones, with the latter standing up as Pinkie stopped sipping her drink in surprise.
"That was about as calm as Pinkie Pie on Cake Day..." Sunset bluntly noted in a jocular manner, having her arms folded underneath her chest.
"Was it today?!" the puffy-haired girl suddenly yelped in surprise as she zipped up to her, "DID I MISS IT?!" she exclaimed worriedly, making the Omni Force squadron leader flinch along with those near her. She was about to reply, but then decided to merely gesture toward her hyperactive friend with a grin, as she had proved her point.
"One new email!" the fashionista excitedly noted upon looking at her device, sitting back down in her seat.
"It's from the park!" Applejack added while viewing the screen of her own phone, having a huge grin of anticipation on her face.
"You open yours first!" the pair simultaneously insisted, "No, you open yours first!" they told each other again, laughing afterwards as they both placed their hands onto the table, with the cowgirl's over her friend's.
"Okay, okay," the former repeated, calming down, "Same time," she recommended, "One, two—" All of a sudden, a certain figure crashed into the table they were sitting at and broke it in half, interjecting their moment as they looked to see it tumble and crash against the water fountain. It turned out to be Izuku, who grimaced as he lied on his back.
"Deku!" Sunset exclaimed upon recognizing the freckled teen's costume, getting up from her seat with Rainbow and going over to help him back onto his feet, "Are you alright?!" she asked worriedly as she held him up by his left arm.
"Heads up!" another voice cried out, catching their attentions as they saw Francis jump back and land beside the girls still near the broken table, preparing a trio of arrows on his bow. He fired them off directly ahead, letting them strike what he had been targeting as a burst of smoke followed.
"Oh my..." Fluttershy uttered in surprise, placing a hand over her mouth.
"Francis, what's going on?" Twilight asked, arching an eyebrow in concern.
"Ugh..." he groaned in response upon hearing his name, "For one, it's Hawkeye," he told her in a threatening tone, much to her surprise as she flinched a little, "And two..." he continued as the group could hear the sound of something towards them through the smoke.
"Grrrr..." the figure growled, coming into view to reveal himself as none other than Obsidian.
"Eep!" the animal whisperer yelped in shock, hiding behind Applejack out of fright.
"That's the big lunk who was with the creepy no-nose guy back at CHS!" Rainbow remembered as the aspiring hero in her arm grunted as he stood up fully.
"You found him, right?" Sunset inquired of Izuku, who nodded as he suddenly let green sparks emit from his body, enticing her and Rainbow to let him go.
"And we're gonna get answers this time, "he vowed in response, jumping in an instant and landing beside the young Avenger, "You ready to do this, Barton?" he inquired to his partner, who let off a smirk as he pulled out an arrow from his quiver, setting it onto his bow.
"Only if you are, Deku," he retorted, causing him to nod in reply before dashing out towards Obsidian.
"RRRAAAAAGGGHHH!" he roared, charging at his foe with his multi-tool hammer. The One For All inheritor was quick to leap over him, letting the outer layers of his gloves jolt forward. Flicking his fingers, he unleashed pressurized blasts of air onto the brutish alien from behind. They struck, making him falter forward.
He growled, shifting his weapon into a flail as he launched it out at Izuku, who jumped away, landing on the second floor. Any patrons lurking about the mall took notice of the battle, running away in a panic. Obsidian swung his chained hammer around, bashing through glass windows and nearby shops.
Meanwhile, Francis prepared another arrow upon his bow, pulling it back on the string quickly and firing it. The arrow struck the back of the brutish alien's leg, freezing it in ice. He turned his head and gnashed his teeth together angrily, retracting his hammer back to its original form before using it to shatter the ice off of him.
"Well, that worked…" Rainbow grumbled, causing the archer to groan in frustration.
"We can't just let them be the ones fighting!" Sunset insisted of her friends, "Applejack, Rainbow," she began to the cowgirl and the athlete, getting their attentions, "we're gonna help them out," she decided, activating her Equestrian Magic as her pony ears and long ponytail appeared upon her form, while a pair of shining gold wings flickered off from her back, "Everyone else, help evacuate the mall," she advised of the others.
"We're on it, Sunset," Twilight responded, hurrying off with Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rarity. The latter of the group looked back worriedly, watching as both Rainbow and Applejack ponied up, gaining their pony ears and ponytails, while the former spreading a pair of wings out from her back. Francis pulled out a new arrow from his quiver, setting it onto his bow.
"You girls better be ready to put in the work," he advised of his colleagues, "'Cause this guy's not gonna go down easy…" he pointed out.
"Yeah, I think we noticed…" Rainbow grumbled in response, rolling her eyes. She dashed forward, running around Obsidian as a rainbow-colored trail was in her wake. He couldn't keep track of her as she was too fast. And by getting distracted, it allowed for Applejack to lunge out and strike him in the face with a powerful right hook. He stumbled back, allowing for the athlete to trip him up as he fell over onto his backside.
"Manchester…" Izuku started to bellow as he came down with his right leg up, about to slam it down, "SMMMMAAAAAAAAASSSSSHHHHHHHHHH!" he yelled, swinging his iron-soled foot to strike Obsidian. He quickly reacted by forming his multi-tooled hammer into a shield, blocking the kick as a burst of wind rushed out from the resulting impact, causing everyone around to flinch.
"RRRAAAAHHH!" the brutish alien roared, knocking the One For All inheritor off of him as he flew back, landing down and sliding to a stop beside his allies. They watched as their foe stood back, shifting his weapon into a form of a pickaxe.
"Okay, is this guy for real?" Rainbow questioned out of annoyance.
"What in the hay is he even doin' here?" Applejack wondered aloud.
"We'll get answers once we catch him!" Sunset decided, disappearing in a flash of amber light. She reappeared behind Obsidian, who took notice too late as he was struck in the back by beams of reddish, sparkling light she fired onto him, making him falter forward. What followed was Rainbow dashing in, ready to trip him up again.
However, he used his pickaxe to keep himself from falling, grabbing his foe by the head and tossing her aside as she screamed. Fortunately, Sunset teleported herself over to catch her before she could crash through the window to a clothing store. The brutish alien then stood back up fully, charging out at Izuku and the others. He and Applejack ran forward to catch their foe's weapon as he morphed it back into a hammer. They stood their ground, clenching their teeth together.
"Barton… any time now!" the One For All inheritor yelled to the archer in a panic. He pulled back the arrow on his bow, aiming it at Obsidian's head.
"Gotcha'," he remarked, firing the arrow. However, it whisked by his target as he moved his head aside in the nick of time. He pressed down harder against his two foes, causing the floor beneath their feet to crack.
"Ergh…!" Applejack grunted out as sweat trickled down her face. Fortunately, she and Izuku were saved as Rainbow dashed by and clocked Obsidian's head with a left hook, followed by Sunset firing a beam that struck him in his chest. He stumbled back, regaining his footing as he glared at his five foes. Francis smirked, watching as his arrowed deflected off of the columns around the mall, coming back and landing upon the brutish alien's back. He took notice, gasping in surprise.
"Tick-tick boom," the archer said. An explosion engulfed Obsidian, making everyone brace themselves.
"Whoa!" Rainbow exclaimed with widened eyes, "That… was… AWESOME!" she yelled as she pumped her fists into the air. However, her excitement was brought to a screeching halt as she saw Obsidian leap out from the smoke. He went through the skylight, causing bits of glass to rain down. Acting quickly, Sunset stuck her hands up, encasing the pieces in a reddish, sparkling light and levitating them safely off to the side.
"Dagnabbit…" Applejack grumbled out, "We had 'im beat, too," she noted, putting her hands onto her hips as her pony ears and ponytail disappeared.
"That's the fifth time one of those Black Order guys has shown up in the past few weeks since school was out…" Sunset muttered additionally as she lost her energy wings, pony ears, and ponytail as well.
"Wait… what?" Rainbow said, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
"We get close to nabbing one, and they just book it…" Francis mentioned as he folded his bow and set it onto his back.
"I think we're gonna need a better strategy than what we've been doing so far," Izuku concluded, putting his gloved right hand onto his chin.
"Yeah…" Sunset agreed.
"Okay, slow down!" Rainbow yelled with outstretched arms, causing the Omni Force squadron leader and the multiversal guests to look over at her in surprise, "What 'strategy' are you guys even talking about?" she questioned as she placed her hands upon her hips.
"Basically, we're baiting those alien guys," Sunset answered.
"Huh?" the athlete uttered in confusion.
"How?" Applejack asked, chiming into the conversation. The red-and-yellow-haired girl reached into her satchel, pulling out the piece of the Mind Stone she had. Both of her friends gasped.
"You've been carrying that in your purse?!" Rainbow inquired emphatically, grabbing at both sides of her head. Sunset gave off a blank, exasperated expression.
"First off, this is a satchel," she pointed out, gesturing to her bag, "And second, this is the thing that those Black Order guys are after, remember?" she noted to her friends, "I can't leave it out in the open for them to take it under our noses…" she mentioned with a shake of her head.
"So you've been holdin' onto it to lure those monsters out?" Applejack assumed, arching an eyebrow.
"Basically," Sunset replied, putting the piece of the Infinity Stone back into her satchel.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Rainbow asked.
"Huh…" the red-and-yellow-haired girl sighed, "After what could've happened back at CHS with Wallflower and you guys, I didn't wanna put you at risk," she told them in admittance.
"Plus, those alien bastards are more likely to go on the hunt if they think she's by herself," Francis mentioned, earning himself an elbowing from Izuku, "Ow!" he yelped, rubbing his right arm gingerly.
"Sunset, ya don't have to worry so much about us," Applejack assured as she walked over to her friend, putting a hand onto her shoulder, "We're gonna stick with ya this time," she promised.
"Yeah!" Rainbow agreed, "And if our memories get wiped again, you can just fix 'em right up like the last time!" she mentioned confidently.
"Uh, I don't think that's how it works…" Francis chimed in bluntly.
"Is everyone alright?" Twilight asked as she jogged back over alongside the other girls.
"We're fine," Sunset assured in reply.
"But the big guy got away…" Rainbow muttered additionally.
"Oh dear…" Fluttershy said, "I hope he's not going to hurt anyone else…" she added as she glanced up at the hole in the skylight.
"Well, at least it's over…" Rarity noted as she trotted over to Applejack, "So, did you open your email yet?" she asked of the cowgirl, who perked up.
"Oh, uh, not yet!" she stammered in reply, quickly taking out her phone, "Same time again?" she assumed, getting a nod in response from her fashionista friend, who pulled her own device into her hands, "Okay, one, two—"
"Too late! I opened mine!" Rarity excitedly interjected as she pressed an icon on her phone, "AAHH!" she shrieked giddily, followed by blinking in surprise, "Oh," she uttered out, "They said I'm overqualified for caramel apple girl…" she read from her phone, sounding upset. But then, she gasped. "They want me to be lead parade costume designer!" she exclaimed as her eyes widened. Her friends started offering her compliments excitedly, all while Applejack sadly looked at her phone.
"You haven't even started and you already got promoted!" Twilight pointed out.
"That's gotta be a record," Rainbow remarked.
"Congratulations!" Izuku complimented on.
"I didn't get the job…" Applejack noted, chiming into the conversation as everyone turned to her in surprise, "But I'm really happy for you, Rarity," she assured to the fashionista.
"Oh, pffft," she scoffed with a wave of her hand, "There must be a mix-up, darling," she claimed.
"Obviously, the internet mailman gave you the wrong letter," Pinkie pointed out, earning herself a skeptical glance from Twilight, who was about to correct her, "I know that's not how it works, but I'm trying to cheer you up," she mentioned to Applejack, putting her hands onto her shoulders.
"Technically, Rarity didn't get the job, either," the spectacled girl noted as she adjusted her glasses, "since she got a different job," she said, "So they're probably about to send you another e-mail with your promotion," she told the cowgirl. Right at that moment, her phone buzzed. She gasped in surprise, looking at the notification. But then she groaned.
"Just a sale at Stinky Bottom's Discount Hat Emporium…" she muttered as she slouched her shoulders.
"Forty percent off!" Rainbow pointed out as she looked at the email, wrapping her right arm around Applejack's shoulders. She just gave her an annoyed look. "Oh, sorry…" she sheepishly apologized, pulling herself away and rubbing the back of her head, "Not helping…" she realized.
"Smooth…" Francis grumbled, rolling his eyes.
"Well, I'm… not going to accept it without you, obviously…" Rarity vowed, folding her arms underneath her chest, "Pfft," she scoffed, accidentally blowing on the cowlick of Pinkie's hair.
"What?!" Applejack exclaimed, "You cannot let this opportunity pass you by, Rarity," she insisted firmly, "Think of all those vision boards, the late-night sewin'," she listed off as examples, "This has been your dream since… since kindy-garten," she pointed out emphatically.
"Mmm… preschool, actually," the fashionista sheepishly corrected, "But that's not the point," she argued, "My mind is made up," she stated, "We planned to spend the summer together and…" she continued, hesitating for a moment, "that's what we're going to do," she affirmed, "Riiiiiiiight?" she asked of her cowgirl friend, giving off a few slow blinks with a wide smile and shaking eyes. Applejack just shrugged.
"You're takin' the job, and that's final," she insisted, pointing to her smiling friend.
"Okay, if you insist!" she rapidly replied, squealing with delight, "I'm gonna be a costume designer!" she exclaimed as the girls went over to her excitedly, chattering away. The cowgirl awkwardly stood off to the side, brushing her fingers through her hair.
"Heh-heh…" she chuckled out, "All right," she said, "I probably shouldn'ta quit my old job this mornin', huh?" she guessed, getting Sunset's attention.
"I'm sure they haven't replaced you already…" she assumed. However, they looked over to the smoothie bar, where Bulk was stationed. He seemed relatively confused about the job, scratching his head as he went over to the blenders behind him. Perking up upon thinking of an idea, he took the blender that was loaded with contents, shaking it rapidly to mimic what the machine itself would've done without him. It resulted in him ending up with the contents splattered all over him. "Eh…" Sunset winced out.
"So, what's the new plan?" Francis chimed in, getting their attentions.
"Not sure just yet…" Sunset replied honestly, "For now, let's stick to you guys staying with each of us, and me holding onto the stone," she decided, patting her closed satchel.
"Sounds good to me," Izuku concluded with a nod.
And so, things are about to get quite crazy with this gaggle of girls up against not only the Black Order, but another round of Equestrian Magic…
"Ah!" Pinkie yelped, "It's the invisible narrator person again!" she exclaimed, hopping back and assuming a fighting stance. Everyone just looked on at her in bewilderment.
"Uh…" Izuku uttered out.
"You'll get used to it…" Sunset promised as she grinned sheepishly.
X
A few days went by as Rarity stepped out from her parked car with a large notebook in her arms. She looked out to see the vast amusement park of Equestria Land before her. She gulped audibly.
"Don't get cold feet now," a familiar voice chimed in, causing her to glance back and see Francis exit the passenger's side of the car. He was dressed in a black jacket over a grey hoodie, carrying his bow upon his back. He also had jeans and white sneakers. "Didn't you want this job?" he inquired of the fashionista.
"Oh, of course I do, Francis…" she replied firmly.
"Hawkeye," he corrected out of annoyance.
"I'm just a wee bit nervous to actually get started…" Rarity admitted, taking a deep breath and exhaling to calm herself, "All right…" she uttered confidently, "let's do this," she said with a pump of her right fist, walking through the entrance. The archer followed her inside. They quickly saw several of the employees working hurriedly, either sweeping up the ground or carrying stacks of paper. Another person they came across happened to be Vignette, who perked up upon spotting them.
"Ah, you must be Rarity!" she realized as she approached, carrying a folder in her left hand, "My name is Vignette Valencia," she introduced as she gestured toward herself, "and to answer your first question, yes, I'm that 'Vignette'," she mentioned as she started walking, enticing the two to follow her, "but no, I do not think I'm better than you just because I have three million followers on SnapGab," she boasted.
"Sure sounds like it…" Francis grumbled under his breath as he folded his arms over his chest.
"Hoo…" Rarity huffed, sounding impressed, "You're up to three million now?" she inquired curiously of the public relations head, "I mean, yes, uh, yes, I-I am familiar with your online repertoire…" she stammered in claim, keeping up with Vignette.
"I have a good feeling about you, Rare!" she pointed out, "Oh, you have to let me call you 'Rare'," she insisted, "It's the perfect name for lead parade costume designer," she emphasized, "Not a… um, caramel apple girl…" she noted as she opened the folder and read what was inside, "I don't even know why you applied for a job like that," she added with a shrug, "Not with a SnapGab feed like yours," she complimented as she pulled out her phone.
"Oh," Rarity uttered in surprise from the praise, smiling brightly. Francis rolled his eyes. They continued towards the tents at the end of the park.
"Obviously, I looked you up," Vignette said, turning around and stopping to face her new hire, "Great pictures, by the way," she complimented, "That gingham and linen sundress caught my eye, and your follower count is im-press-ive," she noted in a faux-French accent, causing Rarity to blush sheepishly as she glanced away, "For someone just starting out, of course," she mentioned, "But I can already tell you've got magique inside," she pointed out, using her pointer finger to move the fashionista's chin so that she would look at her.
"Ooh," Rarity uttered in surprise, brushing her hair a little, "Magi— You can?" she questioned, quite humbled by the public relations head's kind words.
"The light parade is the most important event in the park," she told the fashionista, "Over a hundred cast members," she pointed out, "and you are going to make them look perfect," she affirmed confidently.
"Huh…" Rarity excitedly sighed.
"Can we just get started already?" Francis grumbled in question, getting their attentions, "Some of us have other things we need to do…" he noted as he kept his arms crossed.
"Uh… who is this?" Vignette asked, giving off a look of suspicion as she narrowed her eyes onto the archer.
"Oh, uh…" Rarity chimed in, tapping her chin as she glanced up in thought, "he's my… personal assistant!" she exclaimed, causing Francis to blink out of surprise, "He's going to be a big help for me as well," she assured as she blinked rapidly.
"Hm, whatevs," Vignette said with a shrug, "Don't judge a book by its cover," she remarked with a smirk. Francis sighed.
"And I fought Ultron…" he muttered out.
"Oh, and before I forget…" the public relations head began as she led the two toward the tent, wrapping her right arm around Rarity, "don't put anything on that table," she instructed firmly, "Especially your phones," she added to their confusion, "No reason. Just a super-important rule I made up, 'kay?" she told them. The fashionista nodded, excitedly following her alongside Francis.
"Really hope the others aren't dealing with this kinda junk…" the archer said quietly under his breath. At the Apple Family Household's barn, Applejack was dressed in a sparkling red, buttoned-up shirt, having her hair tied in a red bonnet with white spots. She was grunting as she squished whatever was underneath her feet. Hearing her phone buzz, she pulled it out of her pocket and smiled to see who was calling.
"Rarity!" she exclaimed, hitting the answer icon. Back at the amusement park, the fashionista was working at a desk with a sewing machine, while Francis lurked behind her at a table, appearing to tinker with a couple of arrows.
"Applejack! Darling!" Rarity greeted, hitting the speaker icon on her phone and setting it onto the table as she kept sewing the fabric she had readied, "How's work on the farm?" she asked curiously.
"…Fantastic!" the cowgirl replied, though she sounded insincere as she continued squishing whatever was beneath her feet, "I could not be happier… makin' foot-stompin' applesauce the old-fashioned way with my family…" she claimed in between more grunts as she was in the middle of stomping apples alongside Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom in a large wooden bucket, which had a drain to fill large plastic jars. Granny Smith sat beside them on a foldable chair, taking notice of her eldest granddaughter on her phone.
"Less chatter, more splatter!" she yelled, causing her to flinch in surprise before continuing.
"Oh, good," Rarity said over the line, "I'm so happy for you," she noted while continuing to sew the yellow fabric.
"And I'm happy for you and your new job, too…" Applejack affirmed additionally, though she still sounded insincere.
"Oh, yes, well…" the fashionista stammered out, laughing nervously, "It's certainly a big job…" she noted as everyone around was hurriedly giving her large rolls of fabric, tossing them down onto the floor beside where she was stationed.
"I'm sure you won't slip up," the cowgirl assured… right before slipping in the applesauce at her feet, "Whoa!" she yelped, barely managing to get her balance in the nick of them.
"Well, I-I was calling, because, you see, well, it's not that I'm…" she started to say while putting her phone off speaker mode and stuttering, letting extremely nervous noises from her mouth, "nervous or anything silly like that…" she claimed.
"Totally is," Francis chimed in from afar, causing her to shoot a glare at him.
"But I-I-I was wondering if…" Rarity stammered again, trying desperately to calm herself down, "if you and the girls wanted to come on opening night to see the parade," she suggested to the cowgirl, "VIP passes!" she mentioned in a singsong voice, "You can cut the lines!" she added.
"You bet your britches, missy!" Applejack responded with a swing of her left arm, "I wouldn't miss your big night for the world!" she declared in promise, right before she slipped again, "Whoa!" she yelled, about to splash into the applesauce as she dropped her phone. Fortunately, both her and it were caught in the nick of time.
"Perhaps it would be better to answer a call outside of the applesauce," the voice of Torunn assumed as she helped the cowgirl get back onto her feet, floating beside her. She was dressed in a brown jacket over a white tank top with jeans and black boots.
"Huh…" she sighed with relief, "Thanks, Torunn," she said in gratitude to the demigoddess.
"Oh, is that Torunn?" Rarity inquired from the phone, getting their attentions, "Hold on a moment…" she requested. A few seconds later…
"Hey beautiful," Francis greeted from the other end of the line. His girlfriend giggled.
"Hello, Francis," she greeted back, holding the phone up to her ear, "I take it that you're making the most of spending time with Rarity?" she assumed.
"Yeah, as her 'personal assistant'…" her boyfriend answered with an air quote gesture, "But it's not that bad," he pointed out, "Gives me time to work on a few new trick arrows I'd been thinking about," he mentioned, "So, any word from Deku about how we'll find the Black Order now?" he inquired curiously.
"Nay," Torunn replied, "For now, we are each staying with one of the girls for protection as usual," she told him.
"Hence why I'm stuck here…" Francis muttered, only to get the phone yanked out from his hand by a cross Rarity.
"Torunn, sweetie," she began, quickly changing her attitude to a cheerier one, "why don't you and the others come along to opening night, too?" she suggested, "You'll have VIP access and a whole day to not worry about those pesky aliens…" she mentioned.
"Hmm…" the demigoddess hummed, putting her hand onto her chin in thought, "I do suppose we could use a day of merriment…" she concluded, "Very well," she said, "We shall let the others know," she confirmed with a nod.
"Excellent!" Rarity responded excitedly, "Oh, and tell Applejack I'll see her soon!" she requested, ending the call.
"A day of merriment approaches," Torunn noted to the cowgirl, handing the phone back to her, "Shall we inform the others?" she inquired.
"Huh," Applejack chuckled, "You bet we will," she assured, opening up her contacts app upon the phone.
"Ahem…" Granny Smith faux-coughed, getting her attention as she groaned in realization.
"After we get all this applesauce taken care of…" she grumbled, stomping on it again and falling onto her bottom in a yelp. Rolling her eyes, her grandmother tossed her a towel. Elsewhere in town at the local animal shelter, Fluttershy was using a stethoscope to check the heartbeat of a dog sitting on the table. After listening to it, she smiled and nodded to the canine, who panted excitedly. At that moment, the door opened, with James walking in.
"Hey, how's it going?" he asked in greeting. He was dressed in a blue shirt and black sweatpants, wearing a red, fingerless glove upon his left arm. He also had red sneakers with white soles.
"Good," Fluttershy replied, helping bring the dog down from the counter as he gave her a few affectionate licks, making her giggle, "I should be finished in a few minutes," she assured. Just then, she felt a buzz in her pocket. She reached in and pulled out her phone, blinking in surprise.
"What is it? Trouble?" James guessed in concern.
"No, it's Applejack," the aspiring veterinarian replied, looking at the message on her phone's screen, "She says that Rarity's giving us the chance to go to Equestria Land for free on opening night!" she noted excitedly.
"Wait…" James uttered, "us, as in you and girls, or…?" he started to question.
"I think she wants all of us to come," Fluttershy responded, "Besides, you and the others are supposed to be our bodyguards in case the Black Order attacks, right?" she inquired on.
"Yeah, good point," the Avenger replied with a grin, "Guess we could use the day for ourselves," he mentioned, making Fluttershy smile. Just then, the two of them heard rattling nearby. They looked over to see none other than Angel Bunny crawling up the shelves to reach an open jar of carrots, knocking a few things over in the process, including a metal saucer. Just as he reached the shelf that the delectable vegetables were upon, he slipped and fell.
"Angel!" Fluttershy shrieked. Acting quickly, James flipped the saucer up into his left hand with his foot, flinging it out to catch the white rabbit as he wound up safely on the floor, though he was very dizzied. The animal whisperer blinked twice. "Wow," she said, "You're very good at that," she complimented, causing the Avenger to chuckle.
Inside the Pie Family household, Pinkie was staring intently at prepped pieces of chocolate chip cookie dough on a baking sheet. She watched as a shrunken Henry was pushing one chip into place upon the splotch of dough at the end of the sheet. He grunted, finally reaching the top as he exhaled a breath of relief.
"Perfect!" the puffy-haired girl exclaimed, grabbing the baking sheet with her mitted hands.
"Hey, whoa!" Henry yelped, quickly deploying his wings to fly off of the sheet in the nick of time before Pinkie stuck it in the oven. He then grew back to his regular size, retracting his bug-like helmet. "Huh…" he sighed out of exhaustion, putting his hands onto his knees, "I get putting me to work for staying here, but…" he started to say, "does it have something so… easy?" he questioned.
"HUH!" Pinkie gasped, sounding offended, "Baking is never easy!" she shouted, turning around to glare at the young boy, who flinched in surprise, "But it's always fun!" she assured with a smile, changing her attitude instantly, "Besides, didn't you wanna test out your shrinking suit or something?" she inquired on.
"Well… more for fighting bad guys like the Black Order, but…" Henry started to reply, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. At that moment, he suddenly saw Pinkie shiver multiple times as if she were a vibrating phone, much to his confusion. He watched her reach into her puffy hair and pull out the exact device, checking the notification upon it. She widened her sparkling eyes and gasped again.
"Applejack just said Rarity invited us all to Equestria Land for opening night!" she told the Avenger excitedly.
"Oh, uh, cool…" he stammered in reply, "Hope you have fun," he remarked.
"I said us, silly!" Pinkie exclaimed as she pulled Henry over for a sudden hug as he yelped.
"Oh, great!" he said with a smile. Meanwhile at Twilight's house, the spectacled girl was in her shed, dressed in her lab coat as she was tinkering with chemical compounds, carefully pouring them together into a single glass tube. She then carefully and cautiously grabbed it with a clamp, lifting it up from the rack slowly. Second by second, she moved it over to the beaker that already had a bluish substance bubbling within. She was about to pour what was into the tube into it when her phone suddenly buzzed on the table.
"Ah!" she yelped in surprise, fortunately not spilling any of the chemical compound as she sighed in relief.
"I got it," Azari said, picking the device up in his left hand and looking at the notification. He was wearing a sleeveless, black hoodie with sport shorts and blue sneakers.
"Who's it from?" Twilight asked, going back to pouring in the chemical compound carefully into the beaker, which bubbled momentarily as steam hissed from.
"It's Rarity," the Wakandan prince replied, reading what the notification said, "She's inviting us to the opening night of this… Equestria Land place…" he pointed out, "Isn't that where she got hired for that costume designer gig?" he inquired.
"Yeah," Twilight responded, adjusting her glasses as she checked the contents of the beaker, "I guess that job has some really great benefits for both her and us!" she concluded happily.
"Seems like it," Azari agreed as he shrugged, "Might give us a break from having to track down the Black Order…" he mentioned.
"Well, I've been preparing this special concoction here just in case we're to run into them again," the student scientist pointed out somewhat boastfully, picking up the beaker.
"What is it?" the Wakandan prince questioned as he came over, arching an eyebrow. Twilight chuckled.
"By combining liquid nitrogen with a chemical composition I came up, I've essentially created a way for someone to experience sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia just by making contact with this!" she explained excitedly.
"Uh…" Azari uttered, completely lost.
"Basically, I created a brain freeze bomb," she told him in simpler terms.
"Oh…" he said as he widened his eyes in realization, "Guessing this took a while…" he noted, seeing her carefully pour the concoction into seven separate glass, spherical jars, sealing each of them with a cork plug.
"Yeah, but it doesn't matter," Twilight affirmed in response, exhaling a sigh, "I've noticed just how seriously Sunset's taking all this," she pointed out, "So I don't wanna let her down," she stated firmly. Azari let off a grin.
"Don't worry, you won't," he assured, grabbing one of the jars. He and the spectacled girl tested the concoction's effects, all while making sure to do so safely. At Sunset's apartment, the red-and-yellow-haired girl was sitting at the table, taking notes as she tapped her red pencil against the tabletop. However, she was struggling to concentrate as she could hear the screeching of tires from the TV. She glanced back to see Rainbow grimacing as she was in the middle of a racing game against Laura, who seemed relatively calm while dressed in her regular clothes.
"Come on… come on…!" the athlete pleaded repeatedly, hoping to have her vehicle on the screen pass her opponent's. But unfortunately, she failed as the mutant's character crossed the finish line first. "Aw, man…!" she groaned, "Ten times in a row…" she grumbled, glancing over to Laura, who merely huffed, "Ugh…" Rainbow groaned, even more annoyed that she wasn't gloating over her victory like she would've expected.
"I hope Laura hasn't been too much trouble for you…" Izuku said, getting Sunset's attention as she saw him sit down across from her, dressed in a light blue hoodie over a plain white t-shirt and cargo shorts with red sneakers.
"No, she's been fine…" the red-and-yellow-haired girl assured in reply, "In fact, it seems like she's made herself at home here," she mentioned.
"Heh, heh…" the freckled teen chuckled, glancing back at the mutant girl as she yawned tiredly.
"Anyways, I'm still not coming up with a good idea for how lure those alien guys out," Sunset confessed out of frustration, "They're too smart based on what we already know," she noted, "Luring them into a trap hasn't worked, and it'll only be a matter of time before they wind up ambushing us…" she mentioned, sighing as she placed her right hand onto her cheek.
"We'll think of something together," Izuku assured as a promise.
"Wait a sec…" Rainbow chimed in, getting their attentions as she paused the race she and Laura were about to start, causing her to growl and glare at her, "Why can't we just track them?" she asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.
"They don't exactly leave much of a trail…" Sunset noted in reply.
"But what about the piece of the stone they have?" the athlete questioned on to her surprise, "We have a piece like it, so can't we track them with it?" she inquired. Both Sunset and Izuku blinked, looking back at each other in astonishment.
"I can't believe we didn't think of trying that yet…" the latter of the two admitted.
"I can't believe that Rainbow was the first to think of it…" the former confessed.
"Hey!" her rainbow-haired friend yelled, sounding offended.
"Okay, I'll text Twilight about the idea and see if she can cook something up for us," Sunset decided, taking out her phone, "Knowing her, she'll have something done by the end of the day…" she mentioned with a chuckle. At that moment though, her phone buzzed in her hands. She blinked in surprise, looking at the new notification.
"What's up?" Izuku asked.
"It's Rarity," the red-and-yellow-haired girl answered, "She says that she can get us VIP passes for opening night to Equestria Land!" she told the group excitedly.
"Whoa, awesome!" Rainbow exclaimed, reading the exact same message on her phone, "First we get a new plan to find those alien jerks, and now this!" she pointed out excitedly. Beside her, Laura groaned and rolled her eyes.
"Well, let's go make sure our plan can work first," Sunset advised, grabbing her satchel off of the table and standing up.
"Ugh, fine…" Rainbow grumbled out, getting up from the couch with Laura as they followed the red-and-yellow-haired girl outside alongside Izuku.
Seems everyone's gotten the message about Equestria Land. But not all of them are going there for the best of intentions… And while we're at it, what's going on with the Black Order by chance?
A haze laid out over Canterlot City as Maw stared out from the rooftop of one building with his hands tented together, narrowing his eyes in disgust. His adopted brothers and sister sat behind him, as Obsidian winced in pain from the injuries he sustained the other day. They watched as the telekinetic turned around to face them, sighing in frustration.
"It seems we may need to take a different approach to retrieving the other half of the stone," he concluded.
"Should we not inform Eon of our half?" Proxima inquired.
"No," Maw answered to her surprise, "He will not accept anything less than the complete Mind Stone…" he pointed out.
"It's more than that, isn't it?" Corvus assumed, "There's something else you're after…" he realized, narrowing his eyes onto his adopted brother.
"…I want Sunset Shimmer dead," he stated, causing his adopted siblings to perk up upon hearing the name, "I'm certain you do as well," he noted on, "So together, we shall find her… and kill her," he decided, "all while taking the Mind Stone for ourselves," he mentioned firmly.
"We will stand beside you, Brother," Proxima promised as she stood up alongside Corvus and Obsidian. The four alien mercenaries were prepared to make their move. And only time would tell if their enemies would be ready to face them.
X
Whether it be a rollercoaster where people aboard yelled excitedly, a Ferris wheel with passenger-carrying components that looked like hot air balloons, or a haunted mansion that a trio of girls ran out of in fright as the sounds of thunder crashing and deep evil laughter echoed, it seemed like Equestria Land was the perfect venue for a weekend. The girls and their multiversal guests had finally arrived, walking through the entrance. Pinkie seemed to be the most excited.
"Equestria Land opening day!" she exclaimed with her fists raised, while Fluttershy and James smiled beside her, "What should we do first?" she asked while having her hands upon her cheeks, "Appleloosa Wild West Stunt Show? Nightmare Moon's Haunted Castle? Sugarcube Everything?!" she listed off as suggestions, popping up in between her friends, including some ways that seemed impossible.
"…How much coffee does she drink?" Azari questioned worriedly over to Henry.
"Uh… I think it's more of a sugar rush…" he answered while rubbing the back of his head.
"Now hang on," Applejack chimed in as everyone else gathered around her, "I got the sense Rarity's overwhelmed," she pointed out to them, "which is understandable," she affirmed, folding her arms underneath her chest, "I mean, she's all alone here without any of her friends," she noted on, "Which is why I wouldn'ta taken the job, but that's just me…" she admitted almost insincerely, while Pinkie was gleefully chewing on some cotton candy beside her, "Uh, point is," she continued with a stutter, "we're here to support Rarity," she stated firmly.
"Forgetting someone?" a familiar voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they saw Francis walk over.
"Francis!" Torunn exclaimed, floating out to approach him. She landed down and kissed him on the lips with closed eyes, cupping his cheeks with her hands in the process.
"Ugh…" James groaned in disgust, rolling his eyes.
"Ah, you're a sight for sore eyes…" the archer admitted to his girlfriend once they broke away from each other, making her giggle.
"I missed you as well," she responded.
"Okay, can we quit the stupid flirting?" James insisted as he walked over, "Seriously, you've only been a couple for like a month…" he grumbled out.
"Two months, actually," Francis corrected with a smirk, "And it's not our fault you can't get over your stupid sister complex," he mentioned teasingly.
"I don't have a sister complex!" James shouted back as he blushed a bright red.
"Let's calm down now…" Fluttershy advised quietly as she stepped in between the two Avengers, "We're happy to see that you're doing well too, Francis," she pointed out.
"Yeah, it's been alright," he replied with a shrug, "Made a few trick arrows, got to ride some rides…" he listed off in remembrance, "So what's this I hear about a tracker for the Mind Stone?" he inquired curiously. Taking off her backpack, Twilight unzipped it, reaching in and pulling out her scanner.
"Thanks to Sunset providing me with the piece of the stone we have, we're now able to track its similar frequency," she explained to the group, "Uh, so long as it's within the scanner's radius…" she mentioned.
"We're gonna do a sweep around town after today," the red-and-yellow-haired girl mentioned, "The Black Order won't hide from us forever," she affirmed with crossed arms.
"Cool," Francis said, wrapping his right arm around Torunn's waist, "Since we've got the day to ourselves, why don't we have a little date around the park?" he suggested to his girlfriend, who smiled.
"You've gotta be kidding me…" James grumbled, smacking himself in the face. Just then, the group could hear girls yelling with glee as several of them were approaching none other than Vignette. She posed with her fans, allowing for Photo Finish to take pictures with her camera.
"What?" Applejack uttered out, "Uh, which character is that?" she asked, scratching the side of her head in confusion.
"Ah, it's not a character, silly!" Pinkie responded as she had taken out her phone to snap a quick picture herself, "That's Vignette Valencia!" she pointed out, "She's famous on SnapGab," she mentioned as the public relations head was posing for another photo with her fans, "which you'd know if you actually logged in once in a while…" she added somewhat hurtfully, "You're missing my 'One Cupcake Every Day' series…" she noted sadly, handing her phone off to the cowgirl.
"I take it that she's in charge of the park?" Azari assumed, folding his arms over his chest.
"Pretty much," Francis replied with a shrug, "She's… uh… eccentric, to say the least," he added.
"She posts a lot of pictures of her Welsh corgi named Yaas Queen," Fluttershy mentioned.
"And she's friends with, like, every awesome athlete in the world!" Rainbow added excitedly. Applejack looked over to Twilight and Sunset, expecting them to chime in with what they knew.
"Don't look at me…" the spectacled girl said, waving her hands out in front of herself, "I only follow bots that post interesting science facts," she told the cowgirl.
"And I'm more of a lurker that likes pictures of art and stuff," the red-and-yellow-haired girl mentioned. Applejack looked back at Pinkie's phone. She seemed completely befuddled.
"These are her pictures?" she questioned aloud, "'Chillin sandy style'? 'U no how I do'?" she read while looking at a picture of Vignette in a swimsuit buried halfway in the sand while making a peace sign with her left hand. The cowgirl swiped to the next picture. "'I came, I saw, I vintaged'?" she read on, looking at a photo of the social media star sitting on a bench with a racket in her right hand, while a coffee cup sat to her left. Applejack swiped again after a shrug. "Okay, somebody tell me why this picture has twenty thousand likes," she requested of her friends.
"Hashtag… Bangs…" Vignette whispered huskily on the phone as locks of her hair were falling over her face, followed by her seductively biting her pointer finger.
"She seems very… um… promiscuous…" Torunn said as she looked over at the video.
"I don't think that's the word you were going for, Torunn…" Henry chimed in with a grimace.
"Uh, I don't know…" Applejack said with a slight shake of her head, "Spendin' all that time just to look good in a picture ain't my idea of fun…" she pointed out to the group.
"There you are!" Rarity's voice called out, getting their attentions as they saw her skipping over.
"Here comes the lead parade costume designer!" the cowgirl exclaimed, excited to see her fashionista friend. They embraced as the others watched on happily.
"Guilty as charged!" Rarity remarked with a round of giggles.
"So…" Applejack began, "you've been here solo without your best friends all this time," she pointed out, gesturing to the rest of the girls, "How can we help?" she asked curiously.
"Hold that thought," the fashionista requested to her surprise, "Vignette! Over here!" she called out with a wave, getting the attention of her boss as she looked over and approached. Applejack slightly widened her eyes.
"You know Vignette Valencia?" she asked of Rarity.
"Pfft," she scoffed in response, "Do I know her?" she inquired rhetorically. She and the social media star shared kisses to their cheeks in greeting. "Why, she's my best friend at the park!" she pointed out. The cowgirl gasped.
"Oh boy…" Francis uttered worriedly upon noticing.
"Selfie!" Vignette exclaimed, "Oh, but can we use your phone?" she requested of the fashionista, "Mine's been acting super-weird lately…" she noted, enticing Rarity to pull out her device and ready its camera, "Thanks," she said with gratitude, "You're the best!" she complimented, posing with her tongue sticking out while giving off a peace sign. The fashionista just made a kissy face. The two of them had their arms around each other before the phone's camera snapped, giving them a candid capture. As they smiled at each other afterwards, a flabbergasted Applejack could only look back and forth at her friend and Vignette before folding her arms underneath her chest, glaring with jealousy.
Oh dear… Jealousy can be such an ugly trait… But perhaps in this case, it could be warranted. I suppose we'll see what happens the next time. Until then, this is Xiaomei, signing off!
"Huhhh…" Pinkie shuddered out suddenly.
"You okay?" Henry asked.
"I… really don't know…" the puffy-haired girl answered as she looked around in bewilderment.
END
And so begins the Rollercoaster of Friendship arc! Gotta say, I'm interested in how I'm gonna work this out with JoJo knd. So far, progress on this story has gone pretty quickly. It helps to have a transcript readily available.
Anyways, that's it for this chapter! We'll see you next time!