013 Bushels ❦ [Video/Action for Mahogany]

[buckyouup]

[It's been a couple days since that weird swarm of flying reindeer descended upon the world. Through a bit of clever herding, she managed to catch one of her own. It didn't even have any wings, and yet it could fly. This thing had to be rare as can be. It might even be worth a thing or two.

All the commotion of the season has started to die down, and things are starting to go back to normal. Maybe now's a good time to check out her score. She'll retrieve the ball and let the critter out.

Except what is released is... a bit smaller.

]

What in tarnation is this!? Somepony ran off with my pokey-mon!

Then they had the gall t'swap it out with...

[She blinks, bending over to inspect the playset, and the tiny plastic horses inside.]

Little... toys a' me an' my pals? [She huffs, picking herself up.]

S'this supposed t'be me? My mane looks nothin' like that. They didn't even give me my hat!

[Well, AJ, you said you wanted your old body back. Looks like you got it!]

Comments

[sitdownbecider]

This certainly ain't somethin' I remember catchin'.

[She inspects the ball. Nope, it looks pretty normal to her.]

Somepony's pullin' a prank on me.

[foolishwren]

Could be.

... Or maybe it's one of those weird Christmas things.

_{[She hasn't thought to open her OWN red-nosed Stantler ball yet. Once she does, she'll be in for a rather unpleasant surprise.]}

[sitdownbecider]

I still don't get this whole "Christmas" thing. What kind a' holiday makes it okay t'pull pranks like that?

[foolishwren]

_{[At that, Heather blinks.]}

Huh?

... Oh, that's... uh, not what Christmas is about. There's a totally different holiday for that.

[sitdownbecider]

You're kiddin'.

[foolishwren]

Not at all. I just explained it to someone else a little while ago, even.

S'called April Fool's Day.

Christmas hasn't got anything to do with pranks. So... yeah, if someone's playing a joke on you, dunno what their problem is.

[sitdownbecider]

...What in tarnation's it bein' April have t'do with foolin' somepony?

[Sounds like one of Pinkie's random holidays.]

[foolishwren]

No idea, that's just what it's called.

Not a fan of pranks, huh?

[sitdownbecider]

I reckon they got their place. I just don't appreciate folks messin' with my head.

[foolishwren]

_{[... Yeah, her expression sobers up a little at that.]}

Well, I'm with you there.

_{[She steps closer to take a better look at the castle.]}

At least your Mini-Me gets a swanky place to live in.

[sitdownbecider]

[Once you have a chaotic deity springing a trap to reverse your entire personality, you tend to not enjoy being tricked.]

It's a little too fancy, for my taste. [She chuckles.] This is the weirdest-lookin' castle I've ever seen.

[foolishwren]

_{[Heather sits down and reaches out to prod at the moving parts.]}

Oh, come on, like every girl doesn't fantasize about living in a castle every now and then.

_{[With a wolfish grin, she looks back up at AJ.]}

I used to draw up big blueprints in crayon when I was little, with moats full of sharks and holes in the ceiling to dump hot oil on trespassers.

I got sent to the office a lot.

[buckyouup]

[Moats full of sharks? Sounds like something her sister and her friends would cook up. Those crazy kids.]

I never dreamed a' anythin' like that. All that fanciness, goin' 'round thinkin' you're better than anypony else. That ain't for me.

[foolishwren]

Hey, I didn't say you'd have to think you were better than anybody.

Just that it'd be cool to have a castle.

Think of all the staircase bannisters to slide on.

_{[... Yeah AJ your sister and her friends would probably get along with Heather.]}

[sitdownbecider]

[She'd be a Cutie Mark Crusader by the end of the day.]

Maybe. I reckon if you've been in as many castles as I have, it tends t'lose it's charm.

[foolishwren]

All right, touche.

I've never actually been in a castle...

_{[That's what happens when you never set foot outside of Maine, which is surprisingly absent of castles.]}

[sitdownbecider]

[Well Applejack has never been to Maine, so you have something to brag about there.]

They can be real nice. All depends on who owns it, really.

[foolishwren]

I guess that makes sense.

... But wellp, you own THIS one. Whatcha gonna do with it?

[buckyouup]

Ain't too sure. Reckon I should probably keep it, somewhere. I ain't too keen on the idea of somepony I don't know walkin' around with my likeness on 'em.

[foolishwren]

... Yeah. Good point.

_{[That would be... creepy.]}

... Maybe you could let your Pokemon play with it. That wouldn't be TOO weird, right?