Red Lily vs. The Horses of the Sun

Chapter 4

While Goldie was starting to cook lunch, Big Mac went to his room. Everyone else sat in silence, trying to think of what to do about the missing princess.

The kitchen door burst open suddenly and Goldie came out of the black smoke, coughing loudly.

"Lunch is *cough* ready!"

The ponies glanced at each other before they walked into the kitchen. Twilight forced Flash to stay on the couch while she checked on lunch.

The ponies attempted to get through the smog but they couldn't quite get through without their eyes tearing up.

"Uh...so yeah. I wanted to make you something special for letting me sleep here. Come on in and sit down." As each of the ponies sat down, Goldie put a platter in front of them. On the platter was a pile of mushy brown stuff.

Fluttershy quietly coughed. "What do you call this...um..." Fluttershy leaned closer to the platter only to leap away because she thought it moved. "Uh...delicious looking meal?"

Goldie glanced down at the platter and swallowed. "Well, it was supposed to be a peanut butter and jelly sandwich."

As everyone watched the gray mush, trying to figure out how anyone could ever mess up this badly, the mush slowly started to move toward the window. All the ponies jumped up and ran to the wall. Except for Pinkie who snapped up the "treat" in her jaws.

"MMM HMM!" She licked her chops to get any remaining morsels. She turned to Goldie. "This is some good eating!"

Spike, curious, walked over to the plate and grabbed a tiny bit of the leftover mush and slowly put his tongue on it. He coughed roughly and ran for the fridge for a drink.

Goldie blushed. "...I should've let Apple Jack make something. I've never tried to bake and I guess I just thought it would be easy." She was so used to being good at a lot of things. She would go everywhere in her castle and explore everyone else's talents. Goldie realized she had never been to the kitchen.

"Well darling," said Rarity. "From the way Apple Jack is willing to hire you on the spot, it looks like you normally pick up things quick."

"Yeah!" Said Rainbow Dash."You must've just thought you would've been good at it right off the bat." She shrugged her shoulders.

Goldie blushed again and raised her gaze to look at Big Mac, who was staring at her. He looked away quickly. She blushed again and Apple Jack took over the kitchen to feed the big group.

Apple Jack had everyone go outside for their meal so everyone wouldn't be coughing up smoke. They all ate on the ground. Over an actually edible meal, everyone discussed where Princess Red Lily could be.

"Maybe she headed to Canterlot. I heard that that's where a lot of runaways head."

"But Fillydalphia seems so much more chic!" Said Rarity, indignantly. "As a Princess she should head to a beautiful amazing glorious town!"

"Of course you'd take this opportunity to try to go to Fillydalphia." Muttered Apple Jack under her breath. Rarity blushed and covered her eyes with her sunglasses.

"But she's smart and wouldn't head to a big town." Said Flash Sentry, looking up at Goldie.

Goldie kept her thoughts on how if she was discovered, she would be forced to go back to the horrors of being a Princess, so she was able to keep herself from blushing. Flash held her gaze for a moment. Goldie realized that staring at him would be very Red Lily-like behavior. She squirmed uncomfortably and looked down so she would seem intimidated by a Royal Guard. She was a normal pony after all. Flash looked at her for a moment longer, realizing his one lead was leading him nowhere.