This is my submission for the DA Writer Training Group week 5 theme: the main six are in a room and can’t leave it.

This is more of a segment of something that could have been than anything else. I was looking for ideas that could cause a big arguement between the ponies without getting too serious and the one behind the story seemed pretty good at the time. I just wasn’t feeling this story this week and the results are kind of bland.

Too Many Cooks…
 

“Everypony finished?” Twilight asked, looking expectantly at her semi-circle of friends.  As each pony gave her confirmation, the unicorn telepathically retrieved her paper.  She shuffled them together before holding them up to her face.

The lavender pony cleared her throat, “I’ll start with qualities.  Applejack has hard working and strong.  That’s a pretty solid start.”

She looked up on the off chance anypony had any objections before proceeding, “Rainbow Dash has fast and… kicks butt?”

Dash met Twilight’s arched eyebrow with an enthusiastic grin, “Yea!  What kind of heroine doesn’t kick butt?”

“Actually, I’ve read quite a few books that-”

“I’m talking about the cool ones, Twilight,” Rainbow interrupted, placing extra emphasis on ‘cool.’

Twilight rolled her eyes.  “Fine, whatever, moving on…  Rarity put down beautiful and fashionable.”

“Pff, she’ll be too busy being awesome to worry about that,” Rainbow Dash said.

“A lady must look her best, no matter what other characteristics she may be… stuck with,” the white unicorn replied.

“Right,” the lavender unicorn continued.  “Pinkie wrote… fun?”

“Yea!” the pink pony bounced up and down.

“That’s really broad.  Could you be more specific?”

“Parties and games!” Pinkie answered without missing a beat.

“More than that?” the purple pony asked impatiently.

“Umm…. nope!”

“Well, I guess we’ll figure something out,” Twilight said, shuffling to the last page.  “And Fluttershy put down nice.”

“Nice?” the other ponies echoed, looking at Fluttershy.

“Um, did I do something wrong?”

“No, but… don’t you have anything else to add?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Okay then.  So we have hard working, strong, fast, kicks butt, beautiful, fashionable, likes parties and games and nice.”

Each pony looked dubiously at the other.

“Eheheh, I’m sure we can make it work,” the lavender unicorn said.  “Next is origin.  Ponyville, Ponyville, Canterlot, Ponyville and Ponyville.  Sounds like we have a new neighbour.”

“My, aren’t we just so original,” Rarity said.

“Okay, appearance… ” Twilight shuffled through the papers again, “Uh, you know what, let’s put that one aside for now.  What type of story are we writing?”

“An awesome adventure!” the Dash took to the air as she spoke.

“Gotta agree with Rainbow there,” Applejack added.

“Well, I think she should be on a quest to find her true love!” Rarity said through starry eyes.

“Oh, come on, Rarity, not one of those frou-frou stories!” the orange pony said, a displeased expression crossing her face.

“But that sounds kind of happy,” Fluttershy edged in.

“Adventures can be happy too!” Dash insisted.

“Oh, ohhhh, I know!  She’s a normal pony during the day, but at night, she puts on a costume and calls herself the Party Mare!  And then she goes out and saves Ponyville from her archnemesis, the Boredomnator!”

Everypony stopped to stare at Pinkie.  She tilted her head, “What?”

“Besides, you can’t kick butt in a love story!” Rainbow continued.

“You can ‘kick butt’ at your special talent,” said Rarity.

“You know that’s not what I meant!  She should be out showing the Everfree Forest who’s boss!”

“That sounds kind of dangerous,” Fluttershy said.

“Of course, Sugarcube, a good adventure has to have a little danger here and there.”

“Oh,” the yellow pegasus looked down nervously.

“What are you all worried about, anyway?” Rainbow scoffed, “It’s not like she’s real, unlike us.”

“Pinkie?” Twilight called.

“Yes, Twilight?”

“You’re going to have to be the tie breaker.”

“I still think Party Mare is the bestest idea.”

“No, Pinkie that’s not… nevermind, I’ll just count that as adventure.”

Rarity sighed.

“Next, we need-”

“Cutie Mark!” Pinkie yelled out.  Then the room erupted into chaos.

—

Twilight gave the script one more sleepy glance.  They’d taken all night and only gotten two pages done.  The unicorn smiled, though, knowing the important thing was they all had fun, even if the story was already starting to look a little sketchy.  The debate over each sentence had been so intense that the get together had turned into an impromptu sleepover.

The lavender pony turned from her desk.  Her smile widened as she passed each of her friends on the way to her own blanket.  She settled under the cover and with a satisfied sigh, fell into sleep’s embrace.