"Agent Bloom, do you repeat?"
"Agent Scoots, roger that."
"Sweetie Belle- I mean, agent Belle, do you repeat?"
"Agent Belle right here!"
"No! Sweetie Belle! That's not how walkie talkies work-!"
"Scootaloo, what's the point of all this?"
"We're hiding! So that nopony will find us!"
"Why do we have to talk all fancy-like?"
"Because- Ugh. Never mind. Let's just get on with the plan."
"Okay. I got the string."
"I have the picture!"
"Good, good. And I have the broken glass. Everything's in order."
"Hey, anypony seen Silver?
"Don't worry, she's coming."
"You sure?"
"Yes, Sweetie Belle. She's an important part of this mission. Who else is going to lead Diamond back home?"
"Oh, right."
"Yeah. Anyway, back to business. Applebloom, are outside the basement door?"
"Yeah, do you have the keys?"
"Mmh-hm. Silver Spoon goes home with Diamond Tiara every Tuesday, so since Diamond's at the country club, Silver has to go to Diamond's house alone."
"Wow, what a brat."
"Sheesh, you thought this out, didn't you Scoots?"
"Yes and yes. I told you, Sweetie Belle. I've been preparing this all night."
"Scootaloo, you were at my house last night."
"Oh, whatever. Applebloom, there's a piece of string above you're head, can you reach it?"
"Uhm, yeah. How'd you get this up here?"
"I already told you guys, I'm ready."
"Er, girls? Not to but in or anything, but wouldn't it be better if we all did this together...as in, not be totally separated all throughout this humongous mansion?"
"No. It has to be timed just right in order for this plan to work. One of us can't just hurry as fast as we can to the side, pull the string, then another one gallop to the other side, and pull a string. This is too big of a house, the code will time out."
"Code? Are we secret agents hacking into a safe or something?"
"Oooh! That sounds fun! Let's pretend we're agents breaking in!"
"Yeah! Oooh, ooh! Let's have code names!"
"Alright! I want to be Fashionista!"
"I want to be Cutie Mark Crusher!"
"I want to be Rainbow Dash!"
"...Seriously?"
"What?"
"Just, ugh. Never mind."
"Come on guys. Let's get back to the whole reason we're here. Scoots, what do I do now?"
"Right. Apple Bloom, give that string a little tug."
"Uh-huh."
"Okay, the basement door should be open now.
"...Whoa."
Creak!
Wooden stairs sank under the weight of the small filly. Her scarlet mane lay invisible under the darkness of the underground. She could feel cobwebs pull at her tail, but her amber eyes stared straight ahead, hypnotized and dazed from what sat in front of her.
Her hooves trembled as she forced one in front of another. Her legs seemed to be the only part of her moving, for her expression was paralyzed. Eyes as wide as butterfly wings, and ears held flat against her head.
"Agent Bloom, do you repeat?"
Apple Bloom clicked the walkie talkie. "Agent Scoots, roger that," she squeaked, voice meek.
"Applebloom? What's wrong?" She heard another voice chime in. "You sound...weird."
"Please be quiet," Apple Bloom muttered.
"What? Excuse me, but you do not talk to her that way! You know, I'm friends with Rainbow Dash, and she could fly over and kick your butt so far!-"
"Scootaloo, shut up!" Apple Bloom's hiss was barley a whisper, but the fury and terror was loud and clear. She clicked the walkie talkie once more, "Look, if you were here, you were here, you would understand."
"Just tell us what the matter is!"
Apple Bloom looked back at the walkie talkie in her hoof, with an exasperated sigh, flicked a switch from the back to "off". She shoved it into the saddle bag upon her back, and continued to lightly trot through the darkness. After many steps of silence, she whipped a hoof across her sweaty brow. "Phew!" she grinned, proud to have avoided such a situation.
Seconds later, she heard a growl from behind.
"Apple Bloom!" Scootaloo furiously shook the walkie talkie in her hooves. "APPLE BLOOM!" She heard no response.
"Ugh!" Scootaloo slumped in her posture. Her walkie talkie had become sweaty from the filly's hoof, and the Celestia's sun began to rise higher. "Why does it have to get so hot?" Scootaloo whined aloud. She slowly flapped her wings, losing enough energy to lack the ability to fan herself.
A neat, clean garden full of petunias sat in front of her. Their leaves drooped, healthy, yet so depressed. The quality of work that had been put into the bed suggest a professional had come to care for the flowers. "Spoiled brat." she mumbled. Then immediately felt bad. "It's not he flowers fault." Scootaloo said. "I would take care of you, I promise." Her mouth stretched into a wide yawn. "I...would...take...care...of...the...flowers..." Her violet eyes drooped, and her pose fell deeper onto the lawn. "I...swear..."
"Scootaloo? Apple Bloom? Anypony?!? Hurry up and finish with the picture--I think somepony's coming!