Thirty Minute Pony Stories

Applejack’s head slowly twisted to the side as she looked at the pumpkin.

“I don’t get it.”

“Applejack, Darling, please,” Rarity said, her voice haughty. She smiled at Applejack, “It really is rather obvious.  It’s… clouds.” She deflated with a wry, yet defeated, smirk.

“I can see that. What I’m asking is, how in the hay is that scary? Even Fluttershy ain’t that bad.”

“Perhaps it was merely the scariest thing she could bring herself to carve.”

A beat and a blink, then Applejack’s hoof became acquainted with her forehead with a dull thud.

The sound of the barn door opening pulled Applejack’s attention away from her attempted concussion.  There, just coming inside, were Pinkie, Dash and Twilight; each with a carved pumpkin on her back. Like Applejack’s own, Pinkie and Dash’s pumpkins were carved into the faces of garish Everfree monsters. 

Rarity’s, which currently sat on a table on the other side of the barn, had a masterfully carved portrait of Opalescence.  When Applejack’d asked about it on Rarity’s arrival, the fashionista simply said, “we did agree to carve the most frightening thing we could imagine, did we not?”

Twilight’s pumpkin, which she was then placing on a nearby table, had a number carved into it. 

Applejack came over. “En Cee Cee - Seven four six five six?” She looked to Twilight.

“It’s a horrible place.” Twilight’s eyes grew distant and haunted as she spoke. “It’s where science goes to die.”

“Twi, I…”

Twilight leaned in until her nose touched Applejack’s. “Tri. Polymer. Plasma.” She punctuated every word with a hoof-poke to Applejack’s chest. 

“Right…”

A smile returned to Twilight’s face. “So, is Fluttershy here yet?”

Rarity was the one to answer. “She was here, darling, but I’m afraid she’s seemed to have brought her pumpkin only to leave us again.”

Applejack stepped out of Twilight’s way.

“Clouds?” Twilight asked, “how are those scary?”

“We were just wondering that ourselves.”

Pinkie bounced up to Applejack’s other side. Together, the four ponies looked at the strange pumpkin.  Behind them, they heard the whump of a pony landing hard on the earthen floor. 

Applejack looked back to where Rainbow Dash now sat. “Ya okay there, partner?”

“That’s her mom’s cutie mark.”

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 A/N: Sorry. Couldn’t resist.  

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RWL’s Commentary

Heh, this was great. I really liked AJ and Rarity’s perplexed discussion of Fluttershy’s pumpkin, and the payoff at the end when Dash reveals what it means is great. I love that the surprise knocks her onto her butt. Twilight’s pumpkin is a fun reference too. I take it she’s a Next Generation fan. Great stuff!