Episode 3: Tickets for the Grand Galloping Gala? We Need to Run!

Sometimes, Nagisa forgets that she used to be a human. I mean, not actually forget. How could she ever forget her friends and family back home? It's more... 'comforting'? Maybe that's the word. Nagisa feels comfortable as a pony. So comfortable that it's kind of frightening for her.

Since the Nightmare Moon incident, it was surprisingly... calm over here in Ponyville despite the bits of trouble here and there.

While Princess Celestia is still searching their way back home, the Pretty Cure were given plenty of lessons on Equestria itself by Twilight, who was more than happy to 'play' teacher for them. Nagisa found the lessons to be boring, especially since Honoka and Hikari were given much more exciting additional lessons, like how to use magic or how to fly. Sure, being a little stronger than her friends is cool, but it isn't on the same level as being able to lift things without using hooves or your mouth, or being able to fly whenever you want (though Honoka and Hikari still haven't to learned these abilities to their full potential yet).

On top of the lessons, they don't have the food she likes!

"Adzuki beans? I'm pretty sure I would had remember such a funny name before, but hey, I like the idea of little cakes that look like fishies."

"Octopus? I've never took care of a octopus before. ...Oh, um, ponies don't eat meat or seafood. I'm sorry."

"I think I've read something like that in a book once, though I'm pretty sure they're from somewhere faraway or outside of Equestria, so I'm not sure if we could be able to ship those ingredients to Ponyville unless we want to face with a hefty bill."

Not even an attempt at trying to make dorayaki with a chocolate filling didn't even taste similar to the ones back home (they still taste good though), so it feels kind of hopeless in the familiar food department. Sure, she and the girls can eat grass and flowers just fine without throwing up, but it that really a good sacrifice?

"Nagisa, don't look at your food like that." Honoka scolded her like a mother would to her child.

"Yeah-mepo. You shouldn't be so angry at it because they don't have takoyaki here-mepo." Nagisa look away at her grass-filled sandwich to look at her mascot.

You're only saying that because you still have those food because of Omp. Nagisa thought rather bitterly.

Since Ponyville pretty much knows about the Pretty Cure, it feels unnecessary to just keep it a secret from them, so the mascots are happily allowed to roam and talk freely whenever they want to even in front of other ponies.

Nagisa pouted at him as Honoka pushed the plate closer towards her. With a sigh, the earth pony said, "Fine."

Curled up on the red and white checkered blanket, Nagisa picked up the sandwich with her mouth. As she chewed on her sandwich, she enjoyed the view the grassy hill brings while Hikari played with Pollun and Lulun.

"Isn't this nice?" Honoka asked, which Nagisa simply nods to.

It's surprisingly calm. Nagisa thought as her sandwich drops onto the plate.

Nagisa wishes she hasn't thought of that.

"Hello." Nagisa almost jumped at the stranger who suddenly appeared right next to her.

"Hello?" Nagisa echoed, not sure what to say.

"Is there something you want?" Honoka ask.

"No, unless there's something I could do for you." The unknown pony said with a smile that was a bit too wide.

"What?"

Lulun's crying got their attention as they turn their heads to see another stranger polishing the rubber ball Hikari and her mascots were playing with.

Using her wing, Hikari took the ball away and said, "No thank you. You need to go away. You're making Lulun very uncomfortable."

"Go away-popo!" Pollun shouted.

The other stranger didn't look offended at all. "I'm sorry. Is there anyway I could make it up to you?"

"Huh?"

A low rumble in the ground suddenly appeared as they heard, "They're here!"

Suddenly, the Pretty Cure were surrounded by a giant crowd of ponies offering goods and services to them.

"Hey! Hey! We're trying to relax here!" Nagsia shouted as Mepple climb onto her back.

"What's going on-mipo?!" Mipple squeaked, clinging onto Honoka's neck.

"I don't know-mepo!" Mepple shouted, freaked out by all of this.

"We need to run!" Hikari shouted as the Pretty Cure ran off, trying to stick together.

They ran and ran with the large crowd after them through the town, through the marketplace, through pretty much everywhere except for one.

"They stopped-mepo?" Mepple questioned as the three ponies slowed down.

The Pretty Cure panted, looking back on the now shrinking crowd. There were some ponies lingering around, but it was definitely smaller than before as the Pretty Cure notice they've stopped at a certain place.

Looking at the area around them, they realize why the crowd had stopped in the first place. "We're in the Everfree Forest." Honoka pretty much said the very reason why the citizens of Ponyville won't go in, though they weren't too deep into the forest, just maybe a couple a feet away from the entrance itself.

"Yes!" Nagisa happily cheered. She slump against a tree. "We can relax!"

"But why were they chasing after us?" Hikari ask.

"I don't know. They were just asking if they could do things for us for some reason." Nagisa shrugged.

"I think they want something from us, but what?" Honoka wondered out loud.

"Well, I don't want to be squished by a bunch of ponies again-mepo." Mepple sighed.

"But shouldn't we try to find out why they were doing that-mipo?" Mipple asked.

Mepple seemed to change his mind. "You're right-mepo."

Nagisa groaned. "How are we going to find out?"

"By asking-popo?" Pollun said, hopping off Hikari's back.

"Pollun," Hikari lightly scolded at first until his little feet took him towards the entrance, where there are a few lingering ponies waiting for the Pretty Cure to come out of the forest.

"Why were you chasing after us-popo?" Pollun innocently asked.

Surprisingly, the small group of ponies didn't crowd around him. Instead, one pony happily answered him, "They have extra tickets for the Grand Galloping Gala!"

"That was surprisingly easy." Honoka said in credulousness, as Pollun walk back to them.

"Grand Galloping Gala? What's that?" Nagisa asked.

"It's a celebration for the building of Canterlot. Don't you remember that from Twilight's classes?"

Nagisa sheepishly smiled. "You know I'm not that good with school." Honoka just gave her a little sigh as her friend nervously laugh.

"Anyway, so they were chasing us because we have extra tickets?" Hikari said.

"Okay, now we know why they were chasing after us, but how are we going to get them off our backs?" Nagisa sighed.

"Easy." Off to the side, Honoka pushed some fauna out of the way, allowing them to walk through the forest.

"So, what's the plan-mipo?" Mipple ask.

"I was hoping that we might try to find an alternate path so we don't get surrounded again."

"But wouldn't we get lost-mipo?"

"As long as we stay close to the edge, I'm certain that won't get lost. We just need to make sure to see familiar locations and no ponies around."

"See? Easy, like Honoka said." Nagisa proudly said with a big smile.

"And what are we going to do after that-lulu?" Lulun asked.

Nagisa's smile slightly dropped. "...Honoka?" She was greeted with a nervous smile from the unicorn. "We could always go to the Golden Oak Library. Maybe we can find Twilight there and figure something out with the tickets."

"See? Easy, like Honoka said." Nagisa repeated what she've said a few moments ago.

Mepple didn't look impressed. "Easier said than done-mepo."

The Pretty Cure walked for a bit on the forest's edge, seeing if they were getting any closer to... somewhere.

"I see apples-lulu!" The rabbit mascot gasped.

In the distance, the group could see trees filled with the bright red fruits, filling them with hope.

"Oh thank goodness!" Hikari said as they ran towards the trees.

Right where they are, they could see a familiar red building: a barn house.

"Sweet Apples Acres! That's step one." Nagisa smiled, tail practically wagging.

"Do you really need to do that?" Honoka murmured, sweatdropping.

"And step two isn't going to be checked off because there's going to be ponies around here-mepo." Mepple complained.

The earth pony just felt irked at her mascot's comment. "At least I'm trying to be hopeful. What else are we going to do besides being trampled? Besides, Honoka was the one who thought up the idea!?"

"Are you my sis's friends? The one with the talking plushies?"

Step two of having no ponies around was ruined by the face that this yellow filly was here. She was a filly they knew as Apple Bloom from the few times they've visited the farm for either errands or trying to help out Applejack, but they've never actually formally met.

"Hey... You're Apple Bloom, right?" Nagisa gave her a nervous smile. "You've haven't heard some news around Ponyville, have you?"

"Oh, the one about the Gala tickets!" The little filly's eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement.

"Oh no-popo!"

"Do you think you can give me one?" Apple Bloom asked, almost bouncing in place. "I promised to be good there!"

"I think Applejack wouldn't let you go there." Hikari said, trying to be sympathetic.

The yellow filly's cheeks puffed out, kicking a little rock close to her hoof. "I bet Applejack wouldn't use that ticket for fun."

"What do you mean-mipo?"

"AJ will use the ticket to sell our apples. I know we have a bunch of old stuff, like the roof and Granny's hip, but the Gala's suppose to be for fun, right?"

Nagisa shrugged. "I don't know. Never been there."

"Would Applejack really do that?" Honoka asked.

"One hundred percent sure she will. She've always cared about the farm since I could remember, so she'll definitely going to use it on selling our products." Apple Bloom said with confidence.

There was a slight moment of silence between them until Hikari chimed in, "I kind of want to give my extra ticket to Applejack after hearing her love for Sweet Apples Acres."

Apple Blook awed in disappointment. "Does that mean I'm not going?"

With a gentle pet on the filly's head, Honoka said, "It's best that you wait til you're a little older."

The apple filly simply pouted. "Alright, but can you make sure she at least dances at the Gala or something? Just so doesn't completely do all that business stuff."

"Of course." Hikari smiled.

The Pretty Cure ran off with their mascots into the direction of the town.

Nagisa practically had to squish herself against a tree as her brown eyes scan the area for anypony around here. "Okay, the course is clear." Her hooves tiptoed towards their next destination: Carousel Boutique.

"Nagisa, we don't need to do that. No one's around." Hikari said, walking up to her side.

"Well, we can't be too careful. If you haven't realize it by now, but I'm pretty sure I'm the only one in town with this coat color." Nagisa gestured towards her dark coloration.

"Let's just go in." Honoka sighed, pushing the earth pony into the building.

The plan for Rarity's place was to rest up a little and then continue on their travels to Twilight's library, but it was interrupted by the fact that there was an unicorn filly, who they recognize as Sweetie Belle from the get togethers with Rarity though they don't know too much about her besides she's Rarity's little sister.

A burnt smell meet their noses, seeing a faint smoke coming from the kitchen. The unicorn filly happily bounced towards them, holding a tray in her mouth with a burnt, black mush on it.

"...Were you expecting us?" Honoka nervously smiled.

The white filly place the tray aside. "No, but I'm glad you're here. I hope you don't mind me asking, but..." Her green eyes seemed to grew in size, showing off how adorable she is. "Can I have a ticket to the Gala? I promise to be extra good."

"No-mepo." Mepple bluntly said.

Sweetie Belle pouted in disappointment. "Why not?"

"You're not old enough, besides I don't think you'll find it fun there. I'm pretty sure it'll be filled adults." Honoka explained.

The white filly's ears flopped against her head. "I guess you're right, but I bet Rarity will use the ticket for him." Sweetie Belle stick her tongue out in disgust at the word him.

"Him-lulu?" Lulun repeated.

Sweetie pushed away some curtains, revealing a shrine to a white unicorn stallion.

"Her latest crush, Prince Blue Blood. I think he's Princess Celestia's nephew." Sweetie Belle said. "Rarity tends to have crushes on a bunch of stallions every other month and this time it's him."

"You don't want your sister to meet him-mipo?" Mipple asked.

"Kind of..." The unicorn filly said with uncertainty. "I just don't like how mushy she gets whenever she gets a crush. I can't imagine what she'll be like once she gets him as a boyfriend, but I bet it will be twice as mushy than before."

"But she'll be happy-mepo," Mepple said. "Like us~." The yellow mascot happily pulled Mipple into a cuddling session, causing the little unicorn to frown.

"Yeah, that's what I don't want. As long as she doesn't do that around me." Sweetie Belle grimanced.

Honoka notice a look on Nagisa's face that can be describe as goofy but blushing. A little smile appear on the unicorn mare's lips, almost smirk-like.

"Yeah, that's the face Rarity gets." Sweetie Belle said.

"Are you thing about a certain someone? Someone back home?" Honoka asked Nagisa, causing the black earth pony to blush a bit more brightly from shock.

"N-No! I'm just thinking about... how cute it'll be if Rarity gets a boyfriend." Nagisa tried to explain, adding a nervous laugh at the end.

Her friend simply giggled, then approach the filly. "I'm sorry, but I decided to give her my extra ticket to the Gala."

Sweetie Belle groaned. "Really?"

"While there's a chance the two won't be together by the end of the Gala, I believe Rarity should at least have the chance to meet him." Honoka explained.

The little filly pouted at first, but said, "Alright, just make sure she's happy."

"I promise."

"Since you guys are here," Sweetie pushed the tray from before in front og them. "Want to try my peanut butter and jelly sandwich?"

"...Did she try to make it completely from scratch?" Nagisa, whispered to Honoka, sounding and looking quite horrified by the sandwich's existence.

"I apologize, but we were planning to go to Sugarcube Corner." Hikari quickly lied, pushing her friends out the door like her life depended on it.

"Aw shoot." Sweetie sighed once they left.

"Okay, change of plans. We're going to Sugarcube Corner, rest up in Pinkie's room, then go to Twilight's palce." Nagisa determined as the Pretty Cure tried to sneak around the area.

"Would Pinkie mind?" Honoka asked.

"Doubt it."

Nagisa pretty much jumped in the air when she heard, "Hey! Wait!"

On a scooter, a pegasus filly approaches them in great speed, but in a screeching halt, she stopped. Now this is a filly they don't recognize that well besides maybe a few bumps here and there.

"Look, I'm sorry but we're not going to give you a ticket, kid." Nagisa hoped she doesn't sound too harsh.

The little pegasus shook her head. "I don't want the ticket."

"Huh?"

The little pegasus took off her helmet, revealing her purple mane. "I'm Scootaloo and I want you to give that Gala ticket to Rainbow Dash."

"Huh?" The Pretty Cure exchange glances with each other.

"I'm a big fan of Rainbow Dash because of how cool she is. I mean, who wouldn't be a fan? Have you seen this trick she practiced last week?" Scootaloo's wings seemed to be practically buzzing, making her hover for a bit. "She was all like WOOSH! Then BAM! Then-" She suddenly shook her head, letting out an embarrassed laugh. "Anyway, while I think it would totally be awesome for me to go to the Grand Galloping Gala, I want Rainbow to go there WAY more."

"Why-mepo?"

"The Wonderbolts, of course! With Rainbow there being so cool, the Wonder Bolts have no choice but to let her join them!"

There was another round of exchanged looks between the magical girls and their mascots.

"What are the Wonderbolts-mipo?"

Scootaloo let out a gasp. "You don't know who the Wonderbolts are?!"

Nagisa sheepishly smiled at her. "Well, we are from another world, you know?"

"...I almost forget about that. Anyway, you need to let Rainbow go to the Gala. Being part of the Wonderbolts is Rainbow's dream!"

"Her dream?" Nagisa quietly murmured.

"Yeah, her dream! You want her to achieve her dream, don't you?" Nagisa felt a small pang of guilt in her chest.

"But what about Fluttershy and Pinkie-lulu?" Lulun whispered to Pollun. "Wouldn't they be left out-lulu?"

Nagisa's ear and eye twitched.

"I think Twilight might have an extra ticket-popo."

"But that would leave only one of them behind-lulu."

Is the world trying to make feel bad?! Nagisa thought in frustration.

Nagisa let out an annoyed groan, but gave an apologetic smile to Scootaloo. "I'm so sorry but I need to know why my other friends want to go to the Gala first. I'm pretty sure Pinkie would go there because it's a big party, I don't know about what Fluttershy would go there, but I'll admit that Raibow has a great dream and I hope she achieves it some day."

Still, Scootaloo looks disappointed. "Okay, I get it."

As the little pegasus scooters off, Nagisa let out another groan, but in anger. "Let's just go."

Nagisa muffled her screams into Pinkie's pillow as Hikari said, "It was nice of the Cakes to let us hang out here."

In the background, the mascots were pretending to be knights and princesses with Gummy as a dragon.

Nagisa rolled over in Pinkie's bed until she was staring at the ceiling above her, clinging onto the pillow. "What are we going to do? We have two extra tickets and three friends. I'm not good at math but I'm pretty sure that doesn't add up!"

Honoka laid a hoof on her shoulder to comfort her. "I'm sure they'll understand."

"We're playing favorites! I don't want to make them mad or sad at us, or more likely ME! I already disappointed one filly over the fact that I can't give her idol a ticket, and I don't want to add more to that list of disappointed ponies."

"Actually, Honoka and I disappointed the other fillies when we didn't give them tickets." Hikari said, sitting at the bed's edge.

"Yeah, but at least they kind of changed their minds about it. Scootaloo just really wants Rainbow to go to the Gala and I couldn't do that because I want to be fair." Nagisa buried her face into the pillow. "Since when having a lot of friends became so hard?"

In the background, Gummy was being hit by Pollun's foam sword while Mepple rode on his back. Mipple and Lulun looks worry at this.

"They'll understand." Honoka determined. "They might be disappointed that they weren't chosen, but in a few days, they'll have to calm down and talk to us like normal."

A sense of relief came over Nagisa, hearing Honoka's words. "Maybe you're right. One of them will hold a grudge against us, most likely Rainbow Dash, but it wouldn't last forever."

Sitting up, Nagisa gave out a confident smile. "Okay, guys, let's g- Gummy, no!"

Back to the mascot's game of pretend, Gummy was nomming on Pollun's head while standing on top of Mepple. Meannwhile Lulun and Mipple was trying to get the little alligator to stop.

The Pretty Cure finally reach over to Twilight's library. Nagisa let out a sigh, then they entered.

On, no, wait. What I meant to say is Honoka and Hikari entered the library normally after Nagisa crashed through the door, practically sliding on her knees to bow to them for forgiveness.

The Mane Six and Spike practically jumped when Nagisa entered.

With her front hooves clapped together over her head with a loud clap, Nagisa pledged, "I can't decide! I can't decide!"

"That's quite the overdramatic entrance." Spike murmured.

Nagisa quickly stood up. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't decide one of you three. Honoka and Hikari picked Rarity and Applejack, leaving Rainbow, Pinkie, and Fluttershy to me."

"I feel like she's trying to throw you guys under the bus-mepo with that." Mepple sighed, shaking his head.

The black earth pony ignored him. "I know Rainbow has a big dream she wants to accomplish, but I also wanted to know Pinkie's and Fluttershy's reasonings." She shook her head. "At the time, I feel guilty if one of you aren't able to go either."

Her ears drooped down as she frowned.

Twilight let out a nervous chuckle, pawing at the ground a bit. "I may have made a decision without your permissions."

"...What?"

"I've send the tickets back because our friends refused the extra tickets when I decided to give up mine, so I came up to the conclusion that if they're no going to Gala without me, then it's pointless to go when we can't share this blessing together." Twilight gave her a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry if I made you go through all of that."

Nagisa paused for a moment until she decided to return with a big smile. "It's nothing. We just have to walk around a lot... and sneak around... and avoid strangers who almost trampled us like a bunch of-."

"Nagisa," Honoka sternly interrupted.

Nagisa shook her head. "Right. Right. What I'm trying to say is that while we went through some... troubles, I'm just glad that we didn't have to pick anyone."

"Hikari and Honoka did pick somepony." Pinkie said.

"I'm just glad that I don't have to pick anyone." Nagisa corrected herself.

A burp was heard as green flames spew out of Spike's mouth.

"Whoa Nelly!" Applejack shouted when the flames almost hit her.

Those flames quickly turn into a scroll.

"A letter from the princess? That was fast." Twilight commented.

Unraveling the letter, Spike read, "My faithful student Twilight, why didn't you just say so in the first place?" Golden tickets popped out, making him gasp. "Nine tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala!"

Now it was the ponies turn to gasp.

"Now we can all go!" Twilight exclaimed.

The ponies happily cheered. "Oh, thank you Princess Celestia!" Nagisa shouted for joy.

A growling stomach was heard, causing Twilight to nervouslyhuckle.

"Allow us to treat you to dinner." Rarity said.

Nagisa slowly slide towards her and whispered, "Does that include us too?" She notice the disapproving look on Honoka's face. "Sorry, I was just asking."

Still, the girls left with their tickets floating above them one by one.

"Wait-mepo." Mepple realized something. "We don't have tickets to the Gala-mepo!"

"She doesn't want to us to go-popo?" Pollun said as Lulun looked a bit teary eyed.

"You want to go? The Gala is for girls." Spike said, trying to hide his disappointment with disgust.

As if Princess Celestia heard the yellow mascot's realization, Spike burped up another letter with five more golden tickets. "And I couldn't forget about you five."

"We got a golden ticket-popo!" Pollun hopped up and down with Lulun following behind him.

Mepple and Mipple could see Spike's giddiness over his ticket as they chuckle to themselves. Noticing the two smirking at him had made Spike a little defensive.

"I mean, gross, I have to go too?" Spike said in fake disgust.

Still, Spike giggled, running out of the library with the mascots following behind him.

AN: Just in case you guys don't remember who 'Omp' is I mentioned from the beginning, he's the chef from the Heart Commune cards from the anime. Anyway, you know, I wish there was a proper map of Ponyville and the surrounding area. The closest one I could find was Granny Smith's map from Family Appreciation Day, and I was just guessing the whole forest surround Ponyville was the Everfree Forest, so I hope no one is too bothered by that. By the way, have any of you guys seen Star Twinkle Pretty Cure yet? I think it has a solid start, I like the characters so far (I really like Lala, especially her transformation sequence), and I hope there will be more zero gravity battles in the future because I really like the one from the first episode (Five episodes came out during the time I'm writing this). Anyway, hope you like this episode and see ya on the next one. Bye!