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MrDragon

233

Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy

The Ascension

incomplete

<p>When a Pegasus pony called Shadow is attacked and left to die in the Everfree forest, his only hopes come from a pony he had never met before. In a frantic rush to save his life others join the fray in order to help.<br /><br />The dark secrets he must present to the 6 ponies that had taken care and helped him took their entire minds by storm. A dark threat to attack Equestria forever, and one that only they could stop.<br /><br />Can all seven of them take on this upcoming threat? Or will Darkness take their hearts.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T14:30:37+00:00

The Attack has been so sudden, Shadow never had a chance to defend himself the assasin had been through and to the point. Aiming at immobilising hitting both a wing and leg instantlly, pinning Shadow to the floor with small but effective sticks. Shadow knew what was supposed to happen now, once he could no longer move he was to be executed in a way to suffice the demon these ponies now worshiped. But it never happened, either that or being left to bleed to death on the ground was seen as a sufficent enough sacrifice to this pony. Either way, he had ran off leaving Shadow to lie there motionless and in constant pain. His dark smile still wedged into Shadow's mind as he trotted off happy with his accomplishment, knowing that in only a couple of hours Shadow would die from bleeding out. It had only been an hour, but to Shadow this was a eternity. His entire body no longer functioned and he begun to pant, his shortness of breath causing sharp pains throughout. His right wing and left hindleg were no longer apart of him, all ffeeling from the stabbed areas were being given anylonger. He was slowly losing it, and he knew that at this rate he wouldn't have long. Moving his head slightly to his right, trying to get a better look at his impaled wing. He could see it was all the way though, and had even spiked through into the ground below. Such force.. I guess that is the demons magic at work. No pony should be able to shoot such a basic spike that hard.. Looking towards his left hindleg it was the same story, hope was now lost. Attempting to remove the stake was now out of the question, and attempting to shout for help was no good either. Shadow may have been at the edge of the forest, but he was still to far away from anypony to ask for assistance. Tears began to form at his eyes, the small droplets slowly dripping down his soft midnight color coat. Stopping at his dark midnight mane, he was slowly losing his mind. He could only shed tears, his voice was lost to him as fear began to choke at his being the realisation that. He was going to die. The tears were no longer slow but forceful, streaming down his coat and finally past his mane. They beat down upon the earth below, making a small plop as they dropped. His mind was now lost to him, he had no feelings left in his body and the being he once was became a shell. A once proud and gentle Colt, Shadow had become to love the life which he had taken. A small Cult known as the Everfree Tribe had taken him in as a small foal when he turned up in the forest, he had taken on the simple role of carrier. The tribe's main goal was a simple and noble one, to preserve the Everfree Forest's natural balance and refuse it to take the path of true evil. The tribe was split down into a select few groups, Unicorns were taken into the arts of deep elemental magic. A very strict and hard magic, mistakes were far to costly to make their training was very hard. They created potions, spirits, medicine and ancient spells which would hold the forest together and maintain it's balance. All things they created which may be spread or given to the forest were then given to the Pegasi, somepony like Shadow. They would take it were it was needed and use it as instructed. Earth ponies were the back bone who gathered food and water for the rest of the tribe, all living in harmony with each other. That was at least, until the demon erupted. A spell gone wrong for the first time since the creation of the tribe, and boy did it go wrong. As the dust had settled after the spell erupted what could be seen in the middle was no stranger to Shadow, he knew a true demon when he saw one. Without a moments hesitation he had fled that day, he knew what would happen if he stayed. The screams and destruction behind him were more then clear, even after several minutes of flying. Tracing down a old friend he had explained the news, and recived instruction to find what were known as 'The Elements of Harmony and it's Users'. He had no time to ask questions as the demon was fast approaching. With his friends regards upon the matter Shadow had been sent out into the night, in search of a town known as Ponyville. He had flown for over a day to reach the far end of the forest, Shadow had never been this far out before and know nothing about the land. It's emense size shocked Shadow as he finally saw the end in sight, reaching down to the floor of the forest he had intended to trott the rest of the way in order to gain some strength in case it was still longer towards the town. He had almost made it when the black pony had attacked him, and now he was here. Close to death and certain failure, the entire of Equestria doomed. The sound of wings forced Shadow awake from his thoughts, they were faint but closing in. The thought that this must be either a new assasin or a helping hand were weighing around in his mind. He was out of options, he needed help and if it was another assasin what was the worst that could happen? Death was a fine release for Shadow right now. He had no way to say anything, his voice was still removed and he could not move. Think Shadow, think. There must be some way of telling them I am here.. but how! his mind forcing through memories in order to gain something to call this approching being with. But it was not needed. It was a Pegasus, a pale yellow one with a light pink tail and mane. She had on her back some small birds, one with a bandaged wing, she was also carrying some saddlebags small ones but they seemed to be filled. One of the birds on her back had seen Shadow and begun a flustered flapping and squaking, attempting to bring Fluttershy's attention towards the lying Pegasus down below here. As she looked down towards were this bird was flustering about, the horror attacked her at once. A sharp gasp escaped her mouth and without a moments hesitation she began to work on helping him. "Quick, fly back to Ponyville and get as many ponies as possible to fly back with you" She instructs to one of her birds. Taking off at once, this bird takes the trip back towards Ponyville. She decends at once, landing with a soft thump right beside Shadow. "omygodnessomygoodnessomygoodness" She repeats after taking in the full extent of his wounds. "This is really bad" She removes her saddlebags at once, opening both sides to reveal medical bandages. She had been out helping some small animals when she had found him, thankful to have suck equipment with her. "Fluttershy! Were are you!" A new voice had appeared, it haden't taken long for that bird to get someone. Zipping over the trees above Shadow and Fluttershy was a light blue pony with a rainbow mane and tail, spotting her friend in the blink of an eye she was landed beside her. "WOAH! What in the hay happened to this guy?" Shock racing through her system, she had expected to find Fluttershy stuck in a bush or something. Not some colt bleeding to death in front of her. "Thank goodness Rainbow Dash, can you fly and get Applejack and Big Macintosh. I'll need them to help, they were not far away when I was flying over here. Then get Twilight to the hospital so we can treat him straight away." Hey voice so soft, but also so clear and instructive. With a salute of her right hoof Dash waste's no time, and before Shadow could follow was already on her way out of the forest. It had taken five minutes for Applejack and Big Macintosh to reach the area were he lay, during that time Fluttershy had the wounds washed and wrapped. She had worked quick and with a delicate touch, making sure to reduce the pain as much as possible. As AJ and Big Mac approched the area the shock hit them fast, Big Macintosh looked close to being sick instantlly. "What in tarnation happened here Fluttershy?" Applejack says, the shock more then apparent in her voice. "I don't know, but I don't have time to figure that out. Quick I need you two to hold him down for me, I need to get these spikes out right away so we can get him to the hospital. Applejack can you hold his head, and can you hold his body" She says looking towards the pair, they move without hesitation. Holding him as firm as they could, but nothing could brace them for the sheer force that was now pinning against them. Without taking any time Fluttershy had grasped the spike in Shadow's right wing and yanked it out at once, muttering her apologies as she pulled. The force that had awoken within Shadow was large, he was pushing with all his might to turn and attack at this new pain. He could see nothing but red and was using every ounce of strength in him to fight back, Big Macintosh was at first holding back but now had no choice but to apply every bit of weight and strength upon Shadow. His nostrils blasting out pure rage, and his hooves digging into the earth trying to push up. After a few minutes of this Shadow eventually wore out and colapsed once again, he was begining to pass out now darkness in his vision he had wasted to much strength and now time was even shorter. His head hit the earth with a thud and at last Shadow was lost to his body, he was unconcious and his breathing had grown faster and heavier. "ohmygoodness we need to get him out of here now. Hold him again, I need to get this other spike." Once again wasting no time, she removed the last spike. This time to no resistance, as Shadow was out of it. With a flurry of dust, Dash landed not to far away and jumped over to were the others were. Before she could even speak Fluttershy was once again ordering her around. "Thank goodness, Dash do you think you can fly him to the hospital? He's out of time now, I don't know if he will make it" Dash didn't even answer, but instead in one fluid motion had Shadow upon her back. The fastest pony in all of Equestria now had a challange ahead of her, to get this pony to the hospital in 10 seconds flat. Licking her lips Dash took that challange she had made and shot off into the sky at speed, gone in a blink of the eyes. Fluttershy and the others breathed a short sigh of relief knowing that, no matter how crazy Dash maybe, she would get him there in one piece and in no time at all. As the others were able to at last relax they knew that it wasn't over just yet, once he got the hospital it was all down to the medical team and Twilights extensive knowledge of magic to save his life. Fluttershy repacked her saddlebags, but before she could plalce them on her back Applejack had taken them instead. "I think you've been through enough today, let's get back to town." She says smiling, the tiredness was all to aparent on Fluttershy. She had been taken by shock and was acting only on instinct, and it had slowly eaten away at her. Now that she was relaxed the weakness was more then showing. Following the others at a walking pace towards the town, she said a few muffled prayers towards Shadow.

MrDragon

233

Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy

The Ascension

incomplete

<p>When a Pegasus pony called Shadow is attacked and left to die in the Everfree forest, his only hopes come from a pony he had never met before. In a frantic rush to save his life others join the fray in order to help.<br /><br />The dark secrets he must present to the 6 ponies that had taken care and helped him took their entire minds by storm. A dark threat to attack Equestria forever, and one that only they could stop.<br /><br />Can all seven of them take on this upcoming threat? Or will Darkness take their hearts.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T21:10:15+00:00

As the hosptial doors burst open to reveal a tired Pegasus with a injured one on it's back Twilight knew at once what was happening, her horn glowing into action she used her magic to lift the injured Pegasus from Rainbow Dash and onto the waiting bed. The hospital staff wasted no time at all, rushing Shadow at once into the waiting operating room Twilight trotting behind. Dash picked herself up at once, not wanting to let it look like she was weak to anyone else in the vicinity. She proceeded into the waiting room just down the hallway, watching the team she had left the injured colt with rush away all the way to the bottom of the hallway and through the double doors at the end. The doctors and nurses begun work at once, removing the now blood drenched bandages and letting their horns begin to glow and work. Using delicate medical magic they worked in pairs as they stiched and sowed Shadow's leg and wing back together, Twilight was using her extensive range of spells to try and reduce the bleeding as much as possible. But what she was really aiming at was to delve into his mind, and reveal the true extent of his recent happenings. And what she found shocked her, even though she could only go back upto the point of the attack as the pain was also attacking at her mind as well as Shadows. She had seen enough to raise a numerous amount of questions, putting them aside for now she focused her attention at last on just fixing Shadow up. It had taken quite sometime to get Shadow into a stable condition, both Twilight and the medical team were exhausted. It had been far to long since they had such a operation on their hands, many of them making small mistakes they were so out of practise. At last leaveing the operating room and proceeding towards the close watch unit, the operating team left Shadow in the hands of the night crew as they revised his current condition taking notes at all times. After several minutes of full checks and procedures they concluded their notes as 'Stable but life threatening', making sure to place him under twenty four hour supervision. As the crew begins to settle into their shifts looking after all the other ponies, another set of ponies is about to discover a few things about Shadow thanks to Twilight's intuition. "Ok Twi, what did you want to see us all here for at this time a night?" Applejack ask's, all six ponies were sitting in Twilights room in the library at this point. She had called them here after managing to get away from the hospital at last. "Well I was hoping that those who had helped this pony, would like to know he is stable at this time" She says, searching for a book at the sametime. "Well that's mighty fine, but you didn't just bring us all here for that. I know you too well Twi, you know something about him don't you." Applejack ask's. "Yes I do, whilst I was studying his wounds I also used my magic to peer into his mind. To try and get some information onto this, strange pony. What I found is this, he comes from the depths of the Everfree Forest." Hearing the gasp of the other five ponies behind her didn't slow her search for a certain book. "And by deep, I mean. At least over a days full flight from here deep." Her search is complete, placing the found book upon the stand her horn comes to life, searching deep into the books contents. "Ok, so what is he doing here?" Rarity pips up, her question supported by the others nod. "Well. I don't know, but what I do know is this. He came here for some sort of help, and before he got here someone attacked him and left him to die. If Fluttershy hadn't come along when she did, then I don't think we would be seeing him at all." They were all worried now, nopony had ever attacked another like that around here. "It's the attack which has interested me, I read not to long ago of such a thing happening deep within the Everfree Forest. But I never expected it to happen so close... Ah here it is." She begins about reading into the book, dubbed ancient callings and prophecies. "Ok, so we don't know who he is or.." Dash begins. "His name is Shadow" Twilight pips up from her book. "Ok so we KNOW who he is, but why would he come here for help? I mean if it's really over a days flight from the depths of the Everfree Forest, it must be a really big problum going on in there." Looking towards the others for support. "O my.. Ermm, I think Dash is right. It's a REALLY BIG problem. It states here that a old prophecy called the Darkness of Demonic Light will bring around the death of both Sun and Moon. Creating not eternal night, but eternal Darkness of Pure Demonic Light. It is also said that the only thing to stop it, is the power of the Elements of Harmony. The source of this disaster will eminate from deep within a forest, controlled by a demon of power that no one dares attack." Twilight recites from her book. "Ok, so what does that have to do with him?" Dash ask's. "Becouse he comes from the exact same area that this prophecy is said to begin at. We need to wait until he awakens, and we need to find out exactlly what is going on here. Becouse if this comes true, we will never see any light ever again. And the only way to do that is to... remove both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. I need councel both at once, this is really important now." Twilight was now becoming ever more worried about the prophecy she was now reading. "Ok everypony, now that we know this I say we all get prepaired. Because if this is going to happen then as the element users we need to be ready." Rarity pip's up once again. "Now now girls, I wouldn't get to worked up just yet, at the rate he is healing I wouldn't be looking at going anywere for at least a few days. Also I want to know what our Princess's think about all this first, it's a really old prophecy. So I don't know if it could come true or not, I just hope it can't.." Twilight says, placing the book in a memorable place for later reading. "It's late, and I think we should all get some rest for now. I'll see you all tomorrow, I just hope he can pull through all this after the attack he has had on him." As the girls say their goodbyes leaveing Twilight by herself, Fluttershy was reluctant to leave after the others were gone. "Erm.. Twilight. Could I at least talk to you for a second?" Fluttershy asks. "Sure Fluttershy, what's the matter?" "Ermm.. well it's just..." A small pause as Fluttershy thinks about what she is asking. "Do you think he will make it at all?" The look of concern was more then visible. "I don't know Flutter..." "Please, just a yes or a no." "...Yes, I hope." "Thank you, it will make it... ermm.. easier to sleep for me to know he is ok." At last leaveing. As Twilight returned to her room after closing the door she begins to write a letter towards the two Princess's explaining the situation. After doing so, she uses her magic to send it away, usually spikes job but he was away on offical buissness at Canterlot so she had to do it the old fashioned way. Before at last taking the rest she was so desperate to have, a thought pipped into her mind about what she had said to Fluttershy. Could she really believe those words? Would he really make it ok? she shook the thoughts from her mind, she needed rest and thinking such things would not help. * - * - * It had been around two days since Shadow had been brought to Ponyville and left in the hospital as Fluttershy made her way there, she had been worried about him since she had left the forest after Dash had taken him away. Today she was going to cure her worries by at least visiting him, she knew nothing of his current condition, but she was determind to find out. Entering the hospital she headed over to a pony behind a reception desk. "Good morning, what can I do for you?" The reception pony ask's. "Ermm.. Is there a pony.. called Shadow here?" "Hmm letme check for you." Looking through her various notes, she finds him. "Ah yes, wing 2. He is open to visitors as well, another pony has already been to see him and I think she is still there. "Another pony? O ermm thank you." Fluttershy proceeds down the hall after the thanks, looking for wing 2. It wasen't to far, and opening the door she was quite shocked to see Rainbow Dash. "Dash? What are you doing here?" She ask's, quite intriged. "O hey Fluttershy, I was just checking up on Shadow here. I was a tincy bit worried about him, but I was ermm just poping in quickly." As Dash tries to pop up a few other excuses as to why she was here, the very pony Fluttershy had come to check up on inteupted them all. "Well I must say you do make up some silly stories" Shadow pips up at last, after being awoken by this new disturbance. Opening his eyes to reveal bright blue eyes. "But I take it from your worries that you are the ponies that helped me through all of this, thank you for that. I felt sure I was not going to make it." Lowering his head a little as to show his appreciation. "O hey, pfft. It's no biggy, just so happens I was flying around when Fluttershy needed some help with you." Dash's boastful style in full force. "I see, well once again thank you. But I do feel as if you need to know something, you have that look about your stance and face as if you need to get something off your chest." This caused Dash to go into a flurry of mubbled words, she wanted to ask him about this prophecy and other stuff. But not really now. "O it's erm.. nothing no I'm good. Ermm, anyway. I'm going to leave you two alone, I need to get back to my practising. Not going to get into the wonderbolts lazing around." And with that she was gone. Leaveing Shadow and Fluttershy alone. "Thank you by the way, if you hadn't come along I was forever lost. It means a lot to me what you did, even if I did act out of rage it was still very much needed at the time." Shadow says towards a now blushing Fluttershy. "O.. I.. erm.." Her voice became to quiet to make out. This only made Shadow smile. "O you are something, I've never met a pony like you, you can be so calm and collect when a issue arises. But so shy at the sametime when things are quiet. I think your quite cute." Forcing Fluttershy to really blush now, she dosen't know anything to say. All she can do is hide behind her mane. Scuffing a hoof accross the floor. It took her a while, but she finaly got the courage to reply to him. "Erm.. your.. welcome" she says from behind her mane, slowly backing out of the door. Leaveing Shadow to go back to rest, smiling as she left. She didn't know what had gone wrong with her, but the moment he said she was cute she just lost all ability to speak. "Hey Fluttershy... Whatever is the matter with you? Your brighter then the sun!" Twilight had approched from behind her, along with Applejack. "You look kinda cute like that." Smiling towards the now really shy Fluttershy. She could only hide her head again. "O.k. Well were here to see Shadow, do you know if hes ok?" "Ermm.. hes.. awake.. if thats what you mean." She responds finally getting her more normal coloration back. "Oh really? That's amazing! I didn't expect him to have recovered even close to that fast. I'd better get in there and check up on him then, are you coming back in Fluttershy?" She nods slowly. "Ok then, lets go." As the three enter the room, Shadow once again awakens. Opening his eyes to again reveal the pure blue eyes. "I see I have even more company, I knew there was a few of you who saved me but I didn't think to get to say thanks to them all in one day." His voice full of life. "Yes, I only came to check up on you but man you really shocked me. I expected a few days for you to recover to a more stable condition, not a couple and you were up and talking!" Twilights supprise more then relevent. "Not to mention I've never met a pony with your strength before, it took me and Big Macintosh all our might to keep you held down as we got those spikes out of you. So it's no supprise a pony like that can recover in this short amount of time." Applejack states whilst standing next to Twilight. As Shadow looked over at Twilight, his gaze was aluring to her. "Did you get the information you needed by the way? Or would you like me to fill in the blanks you have at this time in your memory." Twilight was taken aback at once, she never knew that he had seen her enter his mind. "I see it that you don't know the answers to everything, but you have most. I have been sent here to find the 6 Elements of Harmony and it's users. If you could get all six, I will explain at once what must be done. This land is running out of time, fast." This was the moment Twilight had been eager to reach, and she was going to hear it all. Nodding to both Fluttershy and Applejack the three rush to get the others as fast as possible. Allowing Shadow to gather his thoughts at once about the upcoming meeting. It had taken little over a few minutes to get them all together, but as they all entered the room Shadow knew that this was the point that he had been needing to reach. As he forced himself into a sitting position, allowing his bandaged wing to get a little movement he began to study the six ponies in front of him. I was expecting some strong and tough colts to have mastered such powers, but I have no choice but to accept what I see in front of me. Either fate had it to me that the other day my life would be saved by them, or that it was by shear coincidence that such things happened. And I tend to favour the first at this time. He thought to himself, again catching himself he took a deep breath. "I have been sent here to find you all and stop the Dawn of Demonic Light." Twilight had not wanted to hear that, it was the last thing. Both Princess Celestia and Luna had said it to be false, but here in front of her was the very pony that the prophecy had sent to find them. "I will tell you all a story. A story that marks the begining and ending of a tribe of ponies who's mission it was to preserve the balance within the Everfree Forest. But what they were in fact for, was to power the demon now in control of that forest. So that his dream of pure darkness may come about.

Jenohart

234

Derpy Hooves,Gilda,Main 6,Comedy,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Rainbow Dash 'n' Ghosts 'n' Stuff

incomplete

<p>Rainbow Dash has an unfortunate and unusual accident that causes her to have an out of body experience. She finds herself in a coma while her conciousness has manifested in a semi-etheral state. Despite the curious circumstances she finds herself in, she decides she may as well have fun with it.<br/>However, in the depths of her chaotic mind she is confronted with the ghosts of her past and a darkness that threatens her future.<br/>Amongst other stuff.</p>

everyone

2011-07-30T14:06:22+00:00

2011-07-30T14:06:22+00:00

Rainbow Dash ‘n’ Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff A My Little Pony derpfiction Prologue: Voodoo Ponies --- “Rainbow Dash, I appreciate that you’re willing to help me validate my theory, but you really don’t have to-“ “You just think I can’t do it don’t you!?” Rainbow Dash yelled over her shoulder at Twilight, her competitive nature overriding rational thoughts. I’ll show her! I perfected the legendary Sonic Rainboom! I’ve lived and worked in Ponyville for years! Of course I could fly a course through the streets of Ponyville blindfolded! I’ll do it in ten seconds flat! Rainbow Dash's desire to perform such a dangerous feat didn't just come from the urge to rise to any competition or challenge. Blindfolded “Voodoo” races were annually held in secret on the darkest night of the year. The most foolhardy, brave and stupid ponies gather to recklessly gallop through the quiet streets of Ponyville completely blind, while other ponies place bets on them. It was named after a rumour that Zebras in their native country would host similar races but with the runners being bewitched (or perhaps simply intoxicated) instead of blindfolded, and the town streets replaced with dangerous and harrowing rainforests. It’s amazing and yet quite frightening what ponies do to escape the monstrous boredom of a quiet farming town. Rainbow Dash was in fact a veteran of these races. She never did too well in them, but she blamed it on the fact that wings were not allowed (as if flying at near super-sonic speeds blindfolded was better than just running it). Yet she kept coming back, in hopes of one day beating Applejack in the races… even if she never definitively knew whether or not Applejack actually participated in these races (racers were lead to the starting location already blindfolded). All she did know was that old Granny Smith was always there to bet big bits on her racer and Big Macintosh never showed any signs of fatigue or injury the following day, nor was there an Ardennes-sized trail of destruction in the streets. Hours earlier Rainbow Dash had arrived at Twilight’s tree house to help her with a little experiment. Normally Twilight’s antics only spelled egg-head boredom for Rainbow Dash, but she owed the librarian one after she managed to trick Spike into sending a forgery of one of Twilight’s friendship reports to the Princess (much to Twilight’s confusion and embarrassment when the Princess wrote back asking when she was expecting). Twilight explained to her that she had a theory about the passive magic that enables pegasi to fly. While it was common knowledge that this magic was concentrated in the wings (like a unicorn’s horn) the ability to physically interact with clouds seemed to hint at pegasi emitting an ambient magical field. Unicorns also have magical fields and those most attuned to magic could sense and in rare cases manipulate things within the field passively, hence why the most common starting specialization for those in the study of magic is “parlour tricks”. Twilight often witnessed her friend perform such reckless and death-defying aerial tricks almost literally in her sleep (as the rainbow-maned pegasus often boasted). Rather than simply accept that her friend is a God among angels in flight, she set forth to determine if pegasi, or at least just Rainbow Dash, could sense things with their magical field and thus maintain constant spatial awareness even without sight. She had planned a few simple and relatively safe tests, such as having Rainbow fly around stacks of books or around an area of Sweet Apple Acres. It was just a simple offhand jest on how dangerous it would be to fly about the streets of Ponyville blindfolded that had set off Rainbow Dash’s competition alarm, or so the lavender mare thought. So now the two ponies waited in the street outside the library. One on the ground and the other high above in a hot air balloon. This street was not normally on the Voodoo race’s course, but Rainbow Dash figured she’d be able to “wing it”, so to speak. Fortunately it was a quiet weekend morning with the streets being mostly empty. Spike had not yet awoken, having spent last night on another of Twilight’s “Rarity induced” errands while she caught up in studying specific forms of magic she’d rather not have anyone (even the Princess) knowing she practiced. Spike had returned late that night curiously hogtied and covered in bruises, muttering something about babysitting the “Stupid Mark Idiot Monster Hunters”. “It’s not that I don’t have complete faith in your skills, Dash. It’s just… well… this seems kind of… reckless and dangerous, even for you.” Twilight called out from her balloon, where she will observe Rainbow’s path through Ponyville. She was understandably apprehensive of Rainbow’s current goal. While this would be the most direct way of getting conclusive data thanks to a variety of sensitive instruments aerodynamically duct-taped to Rainbow Dash’s body, she would never be able to live with the guilt if Rainbow Dash (or any of her friends) was injured because of her experiments (barring that one time when she discovered the magical properties of diamond dog gunpowder and spent the following week looking for Spike in the mountain range beyond Everfree Forest). “Pfft, whatever! I’ve done WAY more reckless and dangerous stuff than this! Y’know why that hydra in Froggy Bottom Bay has four heads? Me ‘n’ Gilda went there years ago to film our entry for the Jackmule TV show!” Rainbow Dash lifted her (already blindfolded) head in pride. On that day, Gilda got to show off her badass hydra fighting skills, while she got to experience being swallowed by one. They won the award for best stunt that season. Shame that the show was canceled in Equestria before that episode could air. At least I’ll always be known as “Daregriff: the Mare Without Fear” in Gilda’s hometown Gryphomanum. The only thing Rainbow Dash’s boasting did for Twilight is confirm to her that her friend would do any life-threatening thing if it somehow seemed “cool”. “Well… if you’re really dead set on doing this-“ “DUH! In case you haven’t noticed, I’m all ready to go here!” “You remember the course?” Twilight had drawn out a course through Ponyville on a map, which Rainbow immediately rejected and scribbled over in favour of one that more closely followed the course of the Voodoo races. Twilight didn’t object, seeing as it was up to the subject to remember to follow the course. “Yeah yeah, I’ve done it a million times already! It-uh, it’s one of my, um, weather patrol routes. Yes. We have those.” Rainbow Dash hadn’t told the librarian about the races, rules 1 & 2 of the Voodoo club. “Well okay, in that case…” Twilight made one last check of her measuring equipment before slowly forming a sparking spell. “On your marks…” Rainbow Dash spread out her wings and crouched into a wide stance, legs ready to spring up for take-off. “Get set…” I’ll show that egg-head, I can do ANYTHING when it comes to flying, and then do it again blindfolded! Once I fly the course I’ll get a much better feel of it than running, then I can beat Applejack and be crowned the Voodoo runner prodigy! The racing mare tensed up and let out her favourite battle-cry in the final second as Twilight prepared to fire her spell. “Let’s DO THIS!” --- *CRACK* *CRASH* “WHAT THE BUCKING LUNAR HELL!?” Pete Brown was almost hysterical in a maddening mix of utter confusion and boiling anger. The burly brown pegasus descended down to where the Ponyville delivery caravan lay upside down, the front half that contained the driver’s seat where the magic locked brakes were held (an expensive upgrade) was submerged in four feet into the dirt road of the Ponyville street. The whole thing was also, somehow, on fire. Fortunately, the two draft pegasi were not on duty due to being on a lunch break. They were now staring out of a nearby café window in total shock. Two pegasus mares stood beside the wreck, guilty expressions on their faces. Flaming packages and mail littered the disaster zone like presents and confetti, as if Pinkie Pie held a postal-related party out on the street that went horribly, horribly wrong. “OH CELESTIA YOU CRASHED MY BUCKING VAN!” Pete howled at the two young delivery mares. “I TURN MY BACK FOR FIVE BUCKING MINUTES AND YOU CRASH MY BUCKING VAN!” The grey mare with a blonde mane and seven bubbles on her flank looked up and gave a sheepish wall-eyed chuckle. “W-well you always said you wanted to replace the old thing and since it was insured-“ “THIS ISN’T BUCKING FUNNY!” Pete threw his black cap on the ground in rage. Behind him colt adorned in a navy coloured uniform that matched his coat cautiously approached the scene of postal apocalyptica. “I’m a police pony, what happen-“ “THESE BUCKING FOALS BROKE MY VAN!” Pete roared without turning to address the newcomer. It took every bit of his mental strength to not buck his two employees’ heads in. “HOW THE BUCKING LUNAR HELL DID YOU CRASH THE VAN!? I TOOK OUT THE BUCKING KEYS! IT WAS MAGIC LOCKED! IT CANNOT PHYSICALLY MOVE WITHOUT THE BUCKING KEYS!” The golden mare with a blue mane and a raindrop cutie mark spoke up this time. “W-well we saw there was a-an important light s-sensitive package in the front seat a-and it was in the sun s-so we went in to move it out when the van j-just suddenly started moving! We swear we didn’t touch anything!” These two mares had always been trouble for Pete. He employed them because he felt sorry for them. He heard that nopony would hire the grey one, Derpy, just because of her funny stare, and her friend Raindrops had a reputation of being a little slow. Pete always believed in giving others a fair go, and hired the two ponies after meeting them and seeing their honest intentions to work. He learned that day to never be prejudiced towards a pony, as all the things he heard about them were wrong. He also learned the real reason the two ponies couldn’t hold down a job. They were cursed. There was no other explanation to the mind-boggling misfortune that struck whatever task they were doing, no matter how dedicated they were to it. The grey one was a bit of a scatterbrain and extraordinarily clumsy, while the gold one tended to think with some extremely weird logic. A week after being hired there was an incident where Raindrops insisted on suddenly unloading the deliveries in the van mid-air because she heard somepony yell “itchy whales!” which was apparently a military code-phrase for “there’s a bomb in the cargo!”, whereupon Derpy promptly dropped every delivery item in the van on some poor mare’s head. The aftermath was a pile of destroyed goods and an already crippled pony being sent back to the hospital. She got better, thankfully. Despite these incidents, there was something about their innocence and desire to prove themselves that kept Pete from firing the two unfortunate mares. They provided a good laugh every now and then. They were the reason he went to Canterlot and payed a lot of bits to install the driver’s seat that could magically brake and lock the vehicle from any movement, just to accommodate the antics of his two special employees. However, the current situation was pulling his patience paper thin. Pete rubbed the sides of his head with his hooves. Calm down ol’ Pete, they didn’t mean no harm. You told ‘em to take care of the packages and that’s exactly what they did. You can’t be mad at a pony just doin’ their job. Hell, you should be impressed they remembered what you told ‘em. He was about to open his mouth to forgive the two when Derpy spoke up. “Also the muffins were getting hot in the front seat and I may’ve bucked the hand brake trying to get to them…” Derpy gave another sheepish wall-eyed smile, ignorant of the fact she had somehow broken the expensive Royally-certified enchantments through sheer overpowering unluckiness. It was the straw that broke the draft horse’s back. “You… you… you… BAREBACK BARN-SOUR THRUSH-RIDDEN FROG-HUFFING FARRIER-STUFFING CHESTNUT-GRINDING BEAT-BALKING GLASS-EYED CURRY-COMB LAME-LEGGED WEANLINGS!” The sudden explosion of obscenities caused nearby bystanders to faint, and bring the two deliveryponies to frightened tears. The two mares huddled together as they felt themselves wilting under the now unbridled fury of their boss. Pure anger overcame self restraint and he began to scream whatever came to mind. “I PAYED OVER FIVE THOUSAND BITS TO INSTALL ROYALLY APPROVED MAGIC BRAKES JUST FOR YOU TWO AND YOU DESTROY THE WHOLE CARAVAN IN RETURN!? THAT CARAVAN BELONGED TO MY GRANDFATHER YOU HALF-WITS! I have half a mind to buck the two of you back into the last millennium and let the WARRING PRINCESSES sort you out! You… YOU…” He braced himself as he prepared to utter the foulest obscenity in all of Equestria. DOUBLE GELDING “Dash! Look out for the-“ *THUNK* Anypony who hadn’t already fainted would’ve probably lapsed into cardiac arrest at hearing such a horrible curse. The silence following the shocked gasps allowed everypony present to hear the sound of something hitting into the (mercifully, now only smouldering) wreck of what was the Ponyville delivery caravan while travelling at high speeds. The police pony shook himself from his swear-induced stupor to check side of the van where the sound originated from. “Um… is this mare one of yours?” --- Author’s notes: Pete Brown is Derpy and Raindrops’ boss in FPK (I gave him a variation of one of his popular names, the name is a reference to Pete of Disney fame). I decided to have a different characterisation of Derpy. I don’t know where “Derpy the sole mailmare” idea came from since she’s just shown to be a clumsy deliverypony working under Pete. As cute and endearing as the speech-impediment/mentally handicapped characterization of her is, I prefer to think of Derpy as just a clumsly airheaded pony, as she’s shown as being perfectly capable of functioning in Ponyville (she was part of the judgmental fashion crowd in Green Isn’t Your Colour) and that her derp eyes is a thing she can do voluntarily (she’s seen derp’d and underp’d in the same episode in the episodes following FPK) and she does it all the time just ‘cause. Raindrops is characterized due to her cutie mark and the phrase “waterhead”: www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=waterhead, specifically the mild definition “someone who lacks common sense and intelligence”. I can’t believe there aren’t more Derpy & Raindrop fics. The first part of the mail scene is a reference to the sequel of the infamous moonbase alpha video that spawned the meme that is quite popular amongst the other pony-crossed memes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8uLT_EIJjs. For the purposes of making said reference and the direction of the story, I made up a sort of “magical driver’s seat w/ brakes” for the purpose of the story. They function like the superfluous train engine in Over a Barrel. It has a key that allows the brakes to be engaged/disengaged. Once engaged the vehicle is prevented from moving, frozen in space. A powerful and expensive magical charm purchased and installed in Canterlot, mostly applied to flying vehicles (presumably including the royal chariot) where brakes are important for allowing the vehicle to be suspended in the air without pulling and to prevent it from being taken out of the air forcefully, while not significantly adding to the weight while boosting the ambient magical charm that allows it to fly in the first place. Broken by the sheer power of Derpy’s derp curse.

Jenohart

234

Derpy Hooves,Gilda,Main 6,Comedy,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Rainbow Dash 'n' Ghosts 'n' Stuff

incomplete

<p>Rainbow Dash has an unfortunate and unusual accident that causes her to have an out of body experience. She finds herself in a coma while her conciousness has manifested in a semi-etheral state. Despite the curious circumstances she finds herself in, she decides she may as well have fun with it.<br/>However, in the depths of her chaotic mind she is confronted with the ghosts of her past and a darkness that threatens her future.<br/>Amongst other stuff.</p>

everyone

2011-08-13T09:27:17+00:00

2011-08-13T09:27:17+00:00

An impenetrable fog clouded Rainbow Dash’s vision. The air was dense and smelled of decaying leaf litter. She found herself standing once again on the other side of a broken bridge in the middle of the Everfree Forest. Rainbow… Rainbow… “I ‘aint scared of you! Show yourself!” The azure pegasus reared onto her hind legs, kicking at the fog with her forehooves at some unforeseen threat. We’ve been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the best flyer in Equestria… Rainbow Dash peered into the fog, not suspecting a response like that. Who would be waiting for Spitfire in the Everfree Forest? Were the Wonderbolts secretly training here? Wait, what if they were talking about Soarin’? Rainbow Dash had often wondered who the best flyer amongst her idols was. Perhaps this voice held the answer. “Who?” Why, you, of course! “Really!?” It took her a moment to realize the voice was complimenting her. “I mean, Oh yeah, me!” It was nice to know she had fans even in this Princess-forsaken cesspit. Perhaps with a large enough fanbase the Wonderbolts would finally take notice of her. “Hey, uh, you wouldn't mind telling the Wonderbolts that, would ya? 'cause I've been trying to get into that group for like, ever.” No, Rainbow Dash. We want you to join us, The Shadowbolts. She heard the sound of hooves in full gallop. Three pegasi emerged from the fog and slid to a stop in front of her. The leader a white mare with a sky blue mane grinning proudly, flanked by two colts with darker coats and navy blue manes who wore stoic expressions on their face. Their full-body suits were reminiscent of the ones The Wonderbolts wore, but were black and purple. Their emblem a winged skull, reminding Dash of her favourite band; Avenged Sevenfoald. As if some unknown force was reading her thoughts, The Shadowbolts struck new poses as the monstrous guitar riffs of Synyster Gaits and Jacky Vengeance roared out from all over the forest, sending skull-headed bats screaming out from the unseen canopy line. The sound swirled in a cacophony of noise before coalescing into the familiar chugging riff of The Shadowbolts’ theme, one of Rainbow’s favourite songs. The song faded enough for her to hear the leader of The Shadowbolts speak. “We're the greatest aerial team in the Everfree Forest, and soon we will be the greatest in all Equestria.” The leader suddenly flew up and hovered next to her ear. “But first, we need a captain…” Dash’s face lit up as the (curiously seductive) voice whispered into her ear. Her eyes glistened as she took in the magnitude of what the voice was saying. A chance to lead her own flying team! Even if she never heard of this team before, with her at the helm she would turn the team into a breakout act, and gain enough popularity to attract more fans, more sponsors and may even lead to a tour with The Wonderbolts themselves! Maybe once she’s proven her skills, won a few awards, she would get the chance she was waiting for her whole life; a chance to join The Wonderbolts. In the back of her head, another voice spoke, the sneering yet equally seductive singing voice of M. Skyros. There's more than meets the eye round here, look to the waters of the deep… Rainbow Dash felt something change in her mind at that moment. A sudden crack in the fog encapsulating her stagnant mind, letting in a rush of air. The aromatic smell of freshly baked goods filling her senses as she entered a certain bakery. A wave of clarity dawned on her, along with a powerful feeling of familiarity, as if she’d already experienced this moment. For the first time in her memories, certain things occurred to her about the situation she was reliving. “The most magnificent-“ “Wait a second!” The Shadowbolt leader was surprised at the interruption, and flew back between the other two members. “NOPONY lives in the Everfree forest! How can you be the best aerial team in a place without any other ponies? If you’re as good as you say you are, how come I haven’t heard about you in Aerial Aces Weekly? They always run stories on even new talent from everywhere, even in Gryphomanum. From the customized skysuits I’d say you already have funding, yet how can you not have a captain? Why were you waiting for me here of all places? And most importantly, why is your offer of team captain only valid if I abandon my friends? It’ll take all of five seconds to fix this bridge and if you’ve made it so far without a captain, I don’t understand why you guys can’t just wait a minute for me to finish my business. If you knew I’d be here, you should know what I’m doing and why it’s more important than anything. Why were you waiting for me anyway? Isn’t it protocol to first forward an official letter through the Olympus Aerial Guild? You are registered there right?” The Shadowbolts were left dumbstruck by the sudden onslaught of questions. Rainbow Dash looked at the now slack-jawed pegasi with suspicion. The leader opened and closed her mouth, desperately trying to formulate some response, until she suddenly turned to her compatriots with a look of anger. “PLAN B! PLAN B!” The three pegasi suddenly collapsed into a pile of cosmic smoke. It began to churn in on itself, growing darker and larger with each violent movement. The remaining pegasus stepped back as the swirling vortex grew higher than the forest canopy, belting forth black winds that dissipated the fog and threatened to send her into the ravine. The background music reached a chaotic crescendo and howled above the sounds of the reshaping darkness. In an instant the winds stopped and the black mass erupted in a primal scream, the form of an almighty black dragon unfurled from the darkness, sickly green flame oozing out from its giant maw. It spoke in a voice as deep and fierce as a manticore’s roar. "Your friends can’t protect you from me forever. In your heart, there is darkness just waiting to be awakened." Fear ran through azure mare’s body. This dragon of darkness was far more threatening than the red dragon she and her friends banished, the gaze of its flaming eyes was like staring into Hades itself. “I… I don’t know if I can do this on my own…” "You won't ever be alone sugarcube…” Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder at the origin of the new voice. Behind her stood Applejack, clothed in a green vest and baggy yellow leggings, her Stetson accompanied by red goggles. A round blue shield was strapped to her right hoof. “It's always been the three of us and we stick together, ah-yup..." The earth pony smiled and motioned to her left. Next to her, trying in vain to hide behind a crystal rod was Fluttershy, wearing a blue jacket and matching beret. “Oh… um… quack?” She smiled at her friends and turned back to face the black dragon. The thought of her friends behind her was enough for her to face down the looming darkness. "That's not true! The heart may be weak, and sometimes it may even give in. But I've learned that deep down, there's a light that never goes out!" She pointed a giant key at the beast which was joined by the rod and shield of her friends, now standing by her side. “My friends are my power!” The dragon howled in laughter at the ponies’ pathetic display. "You poor, simple fools! You think you can defeat me?! ME, the mistress of all evil?!" The dragon landed on all fours and barrelled towards the three ponies. Bracing themselves, they galloped to meet the beast. As they drew close, Rainbow Dash took to the air, giant key clenched in teeth, and aimed to strike down on the head of the beast. It raised its head to meet her and prepared to launch a torrent of green flame. “WAIT!” A shrill voice took the attention of all those involved in the battle and even the dragon stared in confusion as a pink shape came bouncing out from the trees. The pink mass came to a halt in front of Rainbow Dash, who had lowered herself back to the ground. She met the newcomer’s face to see huge puppy-dog eyes. “How come they’re your best friends Dashie? What about me? What about all the fun things we did together? All those special moments we had? How come I don’t get to be a part of this?” Pinkie Pie was on the verge of tears at being completely left out of her best friend’s dream. Rainbow Dash grasped for a response, but was halted by the sudden realization that she had no idea what was going on. Fortunately, Applejack was the first to respond to this new awkward situation. “Consarn’ it Pinkie! Y’are too part o’ this!” Applejack pointed a hoof behind the dragon at the decrepit tower where the Elements of Harmony were held. From one of the top windows of the tower a pink pony reached out, dressed in some sort of school uniform, holding a short improvised banner that read: ‘SAVE ME RAINBOW DA’. At the sight, Pinkie Pie’s sad expression was swept away by one of pure joy. She leaned in close to the confused pegasus (who shared a confused look with the dragon she was supposed to be slaying) with a teasing expression. “I’m the love interest!? OooooOOOOooooohh Dashie, I didn’t know you thought of me that way…” Before she could reply, she found her lips tasting Pinkie Pie’s strawberry flavoured tongue. In her panicked struggle to free herself from Pinkie’s lustful embrace she fell off her haunches and now found herself smothered under kisses and inappropriate touches from the hyperactive party pony. “Oh Dashie! Our love makes the whole earth move!” “Um… I don’t think that’s coming from you two…” She managed to push Pinkie off her and looked to Fluttershy, who herself had stopped hiding her eyes in embarrassment and was now staring fearfully in the direction Pinkie originally appeared from. Rainbow Dash followed Fluttershy’s eyes through the trees of the forest and noticed a blinding white light in the distance, growing larger with each second. She realized that the ground beneath her was beginning to shake violently, and the white light was the source of it. “Um… Pinkie?” Fluttershy slowly turned to the pink pony. “How… how did you get in here?” “Like I usually do,” Pinkie said with a joyful hop. “I just found Dashie’s dream and let myself in!” A howling wind began to whip up around them, forming a great vortex that pulled everything in the vicinity. The entire forest seemed to disintegrate before Rainbow Dash’s eyes. Trees began uprooting, the soil they stood on unravelling, even the dragon appeared to be dissolving into a wave of speckled blue smoke that was drawn out in a long spiral towards the light. With a roar the dragon collapsed into a plume of cosmic dust and was swept away in an instant. The swirling matter concentrating at the hole in her dream gave the appearance of a galaxy drifting off into space, like the ones Twilight pointed out when the group went out stargazing. Behind her the sound of cracking stone signified the forgotten tower crumbling away, sending the other Pinkie into the light. “Darn’ it Pinkie, what did I tell you ‘bout closin’ the door behind ya!?” Applejack yelled over the deafening roar of wind, digging her shield into the ground in an effort to resist the pull of the swirling vortex. Rainbow Dash could just make out a high-pitched squeal of terror as she saw Fluttershy tumble through the air behind Applejack. “Ah’ told ya, ya damn filly! Ah’ told ya about makin’ dream holes!” “It keeps happening!” Pinkie yelled back. She still had her hooves wrapped around her new love, while Rainbow Dash struggled to remain on the ground. Her forehooves wrapped around a large rock that fortunately was embedded far enough into the ground to not give way. The strong winds lifted the two off the ground and Dash had to struggle to maintain her grip. “What the hay is going on!?” She tried to yell above the noise over her shoulder. As she readjusted her grip she saw Pinkie Pie’s face; a mask of pure joy, as if their whole predicament was just some sort of game. But then, perhaps it was? What other reason was there for what was happening? That one second they hung in the air seemed to slow to an eternity for Dash as she looked towards her joyful pink friend. Who couldn’t help but envy that unshakable carefree attitude? It was one that seemed as if it could lighten any situation, brighten the darkest nights and lift one’s spirits to the stars above. It was something that reminded Dash a lot about herself. “Don’t worry Dashie, this is my favourite part of dream hopping! It may seem scary but it’s really fun, just take my hoof and let it come!” There was something about the way Pinkie responded that laid all of Dash’s fears to rest. Her hooves slipped off the rock as she was pulled into the swirling vortex. Suddenly, things didn’t seem so scary anymore. She didn’t care about the chaos that tore up the world around them, only the laughing friend at her side. What was there to worry about? She had always lived her life one day at a time, with her goal hanging high in Celestia’s sun. She wasn’t worried about what tomorrow held, she’d just let it come… let it come… let it… --- Rainbow Dash opened her eyes to a blinding view of white, causing her to shut them again almost immediately. She blinked a few times until her eyes adjusted. Before her was an infinite expanse of white. A few feet away from her sat her pink friend, still dizzy from the sudden transition. “That was the BESTEST DREAM ENDING EVER! It’s like a super fun roller coaster that’s gone off its tracks! Just like that one time at the Ponyville Fair! I don’t care what dream-Applejack says, I’m gonna do that in EVERY dream!” “That’s great ‘n’ all Pinkie, but I’d prefer you not do that in my dreams” Dash said, trotting up to sit next to her still-hyperactive friend. “What exactly DID you do anyway?” “I just came and visited you Dashie! It's been SO long since I've been out of my body with you. I always wondered what you’re dreams are like. I didn’t think you’d dream about black-snooty ‘cuz she’s all mean ‘n’ stuff, but you looked like you were having lots of fun fighting her! Oooh, I hope she comes back when we go back on air so we can all go fight her again and have lots of FUN doing it!” She threw up her hooves to accentuate the “fun” in her rant. Rainbow Dash was on the cusp of pushing for further clarity of their situation, until she considered just who she was dealing with and decided not to press the issue, resorting to her standard response to the pink pony’s antics. “Pinkie Pie, you are SO random.” An indeterminable amount of time passed by with Pinkie Pie humming a song she was thinking up on the spot while Dash simply laid down on the indescribable white floor, as if trying to go back into her dream. Growing bored of having nothing to do anymore she sat up and turned to Pinkie. “So, what do we do now? And no, we are not going to make out again.” She added, seeing Pinkie Pie give her a suggestive look. The pink pony rested her head in her hooves for a moment, before reaching into her puffy pink mane and pulling out a baking tray and a hacksaw. “Wanna make cupcakes?”

Jenohart

234

Derpy Hooves,Gilda,Main 6,Comedy,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Rainbow Dash 'n' Ghosts 'n' Stuff

incomplete

<p>Rainbow Dash has an unfortunate and unusual accident that causes her to have an out of body experience. She finds herself in a coma while her conciousness has manifested in a semi-etheral state. Despite the curious circumstances she finds herself in, she decides she may as well have fun with it.<br/>However, in the depths of her chaotic mind she is confronted with the ghosts of her past and a darkness that threatens her future.<br/>Amongst other stuff.</p>

everyone

2011-08-03T03:01:05+00:00

2011-08-03T03:01:05+00:00

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes to a blinding view of white, causing her to shut them again almost immediately. She blinked a few times until her eyes adjusted. Before her was an infinite expanse of whi- no wait, it was just the fluorescent lighting of the Ponyville hospital. She was lying on a stainless white hospital bed. The room held six beds, three along each side, a standing curtain separating each. To her left the window curtains were drawn shut, though she could see the faint outline of daylight around the edges of the cloth. To her right was the door to the rest of the hospital. Ponyville seldom saw anypony seriously injured, and so the corridors of the hospital were silent in inactivity. The room itself was quiet, punctuated by the steady beep that told Rainbow Dash that she was still alive. She attempted to sit up in her bed and was surprised to be met with no resistance, from either her injured body or any medical equipment attached to her. She gave herself a quick once-over, relieved to find nothing wrong with her. There wasn’t so much as a single bandage or bruise on her. Well, looks like I’m okay. I don’t even know why they even bothered to check me in here. NOTHING can hurt the indestructible- She stopped mid-thought. Wait, why am I here again? Her mind raced back, before the heavy-duty baking with Pinkie Pie in the space between dreams, before the memory that had been twisted by the unnatural presence. She remembered soaring through a black void, aided only by her gut feelings to stop herself from crashing. She remembered the trial she put herself through not just for Twilight’s experiment, but also for her own benefit. She remembered the librarian’s voice overhead trying to warn her of something. She remembered the smell of burning paper and baked goods. She remembered tasting steel for a split-second. So I crashed, she thought, probably a food cart or something. I shouldn’t be surprised I’m fine, I’ve crashed into whole mountains with barely a fractured collarbone! Content in her own apparent invincibility she raised her hoofs to throw off her covers and get out of bed. She raised them again to throw off her stubborn covers. She raised her hooves a third time, much more frustrated now, to throw off the white covers that seemed to loosely cling to her body. In her frustration she took off from the bed, flying in tight circles around the small room to try and throw off the clinging sheet of cloth. What the hay is this!? I can’t see under this sheet! Wait, I can see from under this sheet? She stopped, hovering above her hospital bed. It occurred to her that although she appeared to be draped under some sort of material, she had no problem seeing through it, or seeing herself. As she looked down to her bed she noticed three things. One; the stainless white of the bed sheets was actually due to the strange cloth that covered her while she was lying down. Looking at it now she could see the sheets actually still held a few unsightly stains from when the hospital wards were full from food-poisoned patients from Applejack’s “baked bads”. She had to admit, the hospital staff did a decent job cleaning that mess up, especially considering Pinkie Pie’s initial jet-stream of vomit that propelled her around the hospital ward like a violently-shaken soda bottle. Two; she was still lying in bed, unconscious. Her head was wrapped in bandages and several cables were connected to her leading to the electrocardiogram that continued its reassuring beeping. Her bed covers weren’t ruffled in the slightest from her struggle to get up, which reminded her she was somehow staring at herself while hovering above her bed. Three; at the foot of her bed a grey deliverymare was soundlessly sleeping, her hooves clutching a “Get well soon” card with a muffin on it. Rainbow Dash, ever the observant quick-thinker, turned her attention to the most pressing of these observations. Bed number 53? Ewww, that was Pinkie’s first bed! She totally hurled chunks all over it and I’m sleeping on it! Wait… Her keen mind began to piece together the evidence before her. THIS IS THE SAME ROOM THEY KEPT ALL THE MUFFIN-POISONED PONIES! EWWW! This whole place is covered in pony vomit! That’s disgusting! She loudly retched as her own imagination conjured scenes of a gastro-intestinal armageddon that she was forced to bear witness to on that day, having been checked into the hospital after being launched into the balcony railing of Twilight’s library and falling unconscious. She began to think passing out due to injury was just becoming another one of her bad habits. A soft murmuring brought her attention to the second most pressing issue. Derpy came to see me? I didn’t know she cared, we don’t even hang out that much. She lowered herself back onto the bed, lying in front of the sleeping grey pegasus. She couldn’t help but smile, Derpy looked the perfect picture of bliss while sleeping. She supposed she wouldn’t mind waking up to such a peaceful sight in the morning. If she liked mares that way. Which she didn’t. She went through… great lengths to prove that point to her friends when the topic was brought up for discussion at one of Pinkie’s parties. Still, she found herself subconsciously playing with the sleeping mare’s mane. Suddenly the deliverymare stirred, snapping her attention away from her thoughts and causing her to quickly shuffle into a “cool” pose. She had appearances to keep up, after all. “Mmm…h-huh? Dash?” Derpy opened her eyes to see the rainbow-maned pegasus lying on her side trying to look as nonchalant as possible. She quickly sat up, eyes wide in attention as the purpose for her trip returned to her mind. “Dash! You’re awake! You’re okay!” She lunged forward to grab Rainbow in a hug, which the receiving pegasus returned with one hoof in a casual manner. “Of course! Nothing can keep me down for long!” Rainbow Dash less replied and more announced to no-one in particular. She turned towards the other pegasus for a more personal response. “Sorry to make you worry. I’m feeling fine right now.” “Oh it’s okay, I was just feeling guilty about- oh! The card!” Derpy suddenly remembered the card in her hooves and quickly thrust it towards its recipient. Dash took the card and examined it more closely. The cover depicted a freshly-baked still-steaming muffin sitting on a baking tray, decorated with streamers and confetti. “Get well soon” was written in green icing on top of the baked treat. She didn’t have to look at the back to know it was a Sugarcube Corner greeting card. Inside the card the same muffin had a bite taken out of it, a generic message sprawled next to it. Below was Derpy’s messy hoofwriting. dear rianbow dosh sory for crashing the delvery van in front of you I always say muffins make evrything better so you should eat lots of muffins to get better seafoam says bluebery muffins are bestest for headaches but I say banana ones are better colgate is weird she likes minty muffins they taste weird shes weird we should go out for muffins somtime hope you recover quickly and arnt crippled lots of love derpy Rainbow Dash chuckled at the sincere and cute message. She noticed a slip of paper in the card as well, a coupon for one bag of muffins valid at Sugarcube Corner courtesy of the “Muffin Club Crusaders”. “Aw, thanks Derps. I’ll take you up on your offer sometime.” She smiled at the grey mare. She hadn’t really considered Derpy as one of her friends, but they had known each other for a long time. Maybe this was the starting point for a new friendship… Derpy smiled back, crossing her eyes in her usual cute manner. Rainbow Dash would have to get use to that if she was going to hang out with her. Through her walled-eyes Derpy could see her new friend smiling warmly at her, and her new friend lying battered and unconscious in the hospital bed. “Huh!?” she quickly refocused her eyes and stared at Dash lying in front of her and still smiling at her. She looked to her left and for the first time noticed another Rainbow Dash, this one still in bed. Her eyes darted between the two pegasi as she noticed that one of them was wrapped in bandages and not moving, while the other had some sort of transparent shroud surrounding her. Her normally unfocused mind quickly put together the most obvious conclusion, and a look of horror dawned on her face at the realization. “Oh my Goddesses! I killed Rainbow Dash and now she’s come back as a ghost to haunt meeee!” She stumbled backwards off the bed and continued till she reached the farthest corner from the double Rainbows. The still conscious Rainbow Dash looked over to her unconscious counterpart, as if only giving it serious thought now. The electrocardiogram (or “beeping thingy” as she knew it by) still continued to assure her that she was alive, and it seemed her new ghostly form had no problem being noticed by others or touching things. As far as she was concerned, she wasn’t in any immediate danger. Then again, as far as she was concerned she wasn’t in any immediate danger zipping through the streets of Ponyville blindfolded. The sound of terrified sobbing halted Dash’s thoughts and brought her attention back to the deliverymare, trembling in a frightened wreck in the corner. “T-this can’t happen! I’m too young to be haunted! What if I angered the ghost of Rainbow Dash? What if she haunts the whole Muffin Club? Wasn’t there another club we could call to deal with ghosts? Will she haunt my muffins? How will I eat muffins when they’re haunted? Will she possess my body when I eat her!? I don’t want to taste the rainbooowww!” Derpy’s ranting escalated into hysterics, before she settled for just crying into her hooves. Despite her own confusion at her current situation, Rainbow Dash knew she had to calm the frightened pegasus down before she could really do anything. “Derps calm down, I’m not mad at you and I’m not gonna haunt you” she said, cautiously approaching her friend. Derpy looked up towards the poltergeist that had addressed her. She opened her mouth and tried to say something in between her sobbing. Dash smiled, hoping this meant she was calming down. “G-g-g-g-giggle… a-at.. th-th-th-the ghost-t-ties…?” Well, crap. This isn’t going to be easy… --- One hour, two tissue boxes and a bag of muffins from the hospital canteen later, Derpy had finally come to accept that Rainbow Dash’s ghost was not a vengeful spirit and was not out to haunt her. The experience had been productive for the ethereal pegasus, as she found out she did indeed have many properties of a ghost when she wanted to. She discovered during her trip to the canteen that she could phase through walls when she wanted to, but unfortunately could not phase objects with her, much to the confusion of several orderlies at a floating bag of muffins gliding their way down the halls of the hospital. She also found she could alter her visibility, solidifying her shroud into a true ghostly visage or dissipating into an almost invisible cloud if need be. All this she found out through some trial and error, thinking up a whole new level of pranking; ghost pranking. The reactions of some staff and unfortunate patients gave her many new ideas for pranks. In fact, the only pony who didn’t seem fazed at all by her supernatural shenanigans was the lunch lady who pointed out that she took no liability as to what the hospital decides to serve their staff and patients. Now the two mares were back in the room where the ghostly pegasus’ physical body lay. Derpy sat in front of a small desk eating her muffins while Rainbow Dash flew around the room, still getting use to phasing into things. “I still feel bad…” Derpy began, sniffling as she finished the last muffin in the bag. “I mean, it is kinda my fault that you’re dead…” “How many times do I gotta say it, I’m not dead!” Dash yelled, more in fear of the mere thought of being permanently dead than annoyance at having to repeat herself. “Beepy is still singing so that means I’m alive!” She pointed towards the electrocardiogram, still amplifying the electrical changes on her skin caused by the heart muscle depolarization during each of her normally paced heartbeats. A passing janitor who overheard their conversation was surprisingly knowledgeable on the machine, although neither could really understand what he said and so at one point in their discussion the machine was referred to as “Beepy” and has been christened that ever since. “But, you gave up your ghost, doesn’t that mean you’re dead?” Derpy asked. She raised a hoof to her chin and scrambled her eyes in thought. “Not necessarily,” Dash replied, “didya see that one sappy movie about the mare who got into a carriage crash and ended up in a coma on the way to a blind date, and so then the colt moves into her apartment and her ghost ends up haunting him but in a good way and she has amnesia so they figure out who she is and they fall in love and then she wakes up and she doesn’t remember him but they’re still in love and then they kiss ‘n’ stuff?” she recounted the romantic comedy they saw the last time she and her friends had a group-sleepover, much to her and Applejack’s chagrin. Derpy blushed suddenly. “Does that mean in order for you to wake up we gotta fall in love and then… kiss… ‘n’ stuff…?” She shifted in her seat timidly. “I-I’m not sure if I’m ready for that kind of commitment yet Dash, what will I tell Dinky?” “W-what!?” Dash suddenly became flustered, breaking her concentration where she was hovering and sending her crashing onto the floor. “No, no! I’m just saying I could be having an ‘out of body experience’ or something, and I’ll just wake up later.” “I don’t know Dash…” Derpy said from under the paper muffin bag where she was busy licking the crumbs. “You’re not like any ghosts I’ve heard of. Everyone can see ‘n’ hear you, and you can touch things too.” To prove her point, she extracted her head from the paper bag, rolled it up and tossed it towards the ghost mare. Despite her newfound ability to become intangible, Rainbow Dash instinctively caught the bag. “See! You can touch stuff. You’re not like a normal ghost…” Derpy suddenly tensed up. “Maybe you’re a… z-z-z-z-zombie!” “No way!” Dash threw the trash up and bucked it into a nearby bin before phasing through the table where Derpy was eating. “Zombies can’t phase through stuff like this.” “Maybe you’re a… s-s-s-super z-z-z-zombie!” Derpy suddenly became fearful again. Aw damn it, and I just calmed her down too! “Don’t be ridiculous! I don’t want to eat anypony, and that wouldn’t explain why my body is still here- ALIVE no less.” “Well, what do you think?” “Hmm…” Rainbow Dash tried to think just why she was in her current state. She always knew she wasn’t like any other pony. She was at least 20% cooler than the next pegasus. Had her sheer awesomeness made her ghost so awesome that it could function just like her body? No, as cool as that would be. But there was something else about her, something definitely magical. “Well, I am an Element of Harmony, that probably has something to do with it.” She nodded at herself, convincing herself that that was the answer. “Yeah, it has to be that.” “Well… okay then. But what are you going to do now?” Rainbow thought about this. It was a question that had bubbled in her head ever since she managed to stop Derpy from covering her ears and tearfully singing Pinkie Pie’s “Giggle at the Ghosties” song, (for use “when confronted by ghosts or ghostly beings” as the pink pony put it on the liner notes on her latest album “Filly-age Dream”). She should go see what happened to Twilight, the librarian was probably feeling pretty guilty about what happened. Of course, appearing in front of her as a ghost probably wouldn’t help at all, given Derpy’s reaction. In fact, she was starting to feel quite unsure of herself. She had no idea what was going on, and she’d bet even Twilight wouldn’t know what to do. It was a terrible feeling of uncertainty that slowly seemed to crush her spirits. She was in a seemingly impossible situation and although she didn’t want to admit it, she was scared. What if her time as a ghost was just a prelude to her death? What if there was something she needed to do while she was in this state? What would life throw at her next? It may seem scary but it’s really fun, just take my hoof and let it come! Pinkie’s words from a vision she shouldn’t remember surfaced in her mind, and the voice was right. As crazy as the situation was, she had to take what was given to her and do something about it. Derpy was there with Twilight and her other friends before Dash gave up her ghost. The doctor had said something to the effect that she suffered no permanent injuries and would fully recover in a few days. If she was right and her current state was somehow due to her being an Element of Harmony, then there probably wouldn’t be anything to worry about. It didn’t seem like there was anything she could really do about it. She’d make a point to tell Twilight, but only once she’d found a way to break it to her without having the unicorn freak out. Still… her new ghost abilities presented her with many unique opportunities. She already had a few laughs trying out her new ghost powers on the ponies in the hospital. A prankster at heart, there was no way she’d let this pranking opportunity pass her by. This was likely going to be her only chance at being a ghost, and she was going to play it right. “Well, I don’t think there’s much point in me staying here” she shrugged. “I guess I should get out of this place.” She made her way to the window and prepared to phase out. “Wait!” Derpy called out before the ghost mare could leave. “Didya have anything on you? I think the doctor put some stuff in the drawers over there.” She motioned a hoof towards the drawer next to the bed where the unconscious mare lay. Rainbow didn’t recall having anything on her during the blind flight, but Twilight did strap a bunch of stuff to her. It wouldn’t hurt to check. Maybe her friends left something for her? She quickly flew over to the furniture in question and quickly pulled out each drawer. The first contained her blindfold and some odd things that looked like it came from the equipment Twilight had strapped onto her. The second had some documents she neither understood nor cared about. The third drawer however, contained a few vials of drugs. They were clearly commonly used ones that had been left in the drawers out of convenience. While most held no interest in Rainbow’s magenta eyes, there was one label that did catch her attention. Ketamine, 1000mg. Now, most ponies in Ponyville know Rainbow Dash as the laid back yet loyal and hardworking weather pegasus that would never leave her friends hanging. What they don't know is that she's… dipped her hooves into the black end of the rainbow during her days in Cloudsdale, so to speak. After all, there was a reason that Gilda, ferocious and brutal even for a griffon, held a great amount of respect for the young sky-blue pegasus (and not just because of that one night at flight camp). No, of the dubious activities she and her beast friend partook in, familiarizing themselves with the drug trade of Equestria was one of them. A successful venture that left the pegasus with enough bits to construct her own sky-mansion above Ponyville with a real flowing rainbowfall. This meant she knew of the uses of one of Equestria's more common drugs known as "Pony Tranqs" on the street. Medically, it was still used as an anaesthetic, generally in conjunction with either other drugs or unicorn magic. Recreationally it was a dissociative that produces short hallucinatory effects similar to another common drug known as "PrinCess Pure" or "Alicorn Dust". Dash had long left that part of her life behind, but she liked to think that a few hits here and there helped ease the stress of the various duties to her job, friends and dreams she was honor-bound to. She had a small stash of the less illicit drugs in her cloud home, ones she could excuse as being old prescriptions or not belonging to her without raising too much doubt, or at least suffer the lesser penalty if worse came to worse. The vial in front of her had a thin layer of dust, probably recently forgotten. Ponyville's hospital was pretty lax about drug security with crime rates so low and drug addictions near-unheard of. This one vial would not be missed. But if she took it, would that not be stealing? Something she was quite against. A quick look back at her own medical records, however, showed that she had been treated with Ketamine on arrival, so technically it was kinda like a doctor's prescription! That was all the self-convincing she needed to take it. Who knows, it may even help her get out of her ghost state if she took enough. Hell, for all she knew that was the doctor's plan all along! But this presented a problem. She couldn't yet phase objects along with her. The windows in the room were oddly shut and locked, and she couldn't just float it down the halls, there's no way the staff (lax as they were) would allow that. She had to smuggle it out, just like the early days in the trade when she was the drug mule. But could she properly be a carrier in her ghostly state? As her eyes glanced around the room for some sort of ideas, they found themselves resting on the cross-eyed mare still in the room with her. "Dash? You okay? Do you need something?" A slight grin crept onto the edges of Rainbow Dash's mouth. This time, she would be the one to pack her own mule. "Hey Derps, you wanna truly make it up to me for makin' me push ghost-daisies?" "Ghost daisies? What does that have with you being dea- oh! Absolutely Rainbow Dash, I'll do anything!" "Great" Dash said, trotting up to Derpy with a sinister smile on her face. "In that case… turn around and bend over..."

Jenohart

234

Derpy Hooves,Gilda,Main 6,Comedy,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Rainbow Dash 'n' Ghosts 'n' Stuff

incomplete

<p>Rainbow Dash has an unfortunate and unusual accident that causes her to have an out of body experience. She finds herself in a coma while her conciousness has manifested in a semi-etheral state. Despite the curious circumstances she finds herself in, she decides she may as well have fun with it.<br/>However, in the depths of her chaotic mind she is confronted with the ghosts of her past and a darkness that threatens her future.<br/>Amongst other stuff.</p>

everyone

2011-08-14T16:36:16+00:00

2011-08-14T16:36:16+00:00

“Whoa!” A rainbow-streaked blur crashed into the earth pony and unicorn mares below, sending up a plume of dirt from the dry path through Sweet Apple Acres. The apples the two had spent so long collecting (to be eaten or thrown out by the purple dragon on the unicorn’s back) exploded out of their baskets, destroying the productivity of the last three hours in an instant. When the dust had settled (and all the apples spilled), the two mares could see just who had so rudely interrupted their conversation. “Are we talking about The Grand Galloping Gala?” The newcomer asked, a hoof each resting on her two floored friends who seemed less than impressed by her sudden intrusion. “Rainbow Dash…” Applejack began, pulling herself from under the pegasus. “You told me you were too busy to help me harvest apples. What were you busy doin’? Spyin’?” “No,” the accused pegasus turned around sharply, flicking her mane dismissively. All eyes suddenly moved to the top of the tree where she fell from, a pillow and blanket precariously balanced on a branch. “I was busy… napping” In an instant the azure mare was somehow hovering upside down in front of the lavender unicorn. “And I just happened to hear that you have… an... extra… ticket?” “Yeah, but-“ “YES!” Rainbow Dash screamed and immediately began somersaulting in the air. “This is so awesome! The Wonderbolts perform at The Grand Galloping Gala every year!” She looked up to the sky as she imagined her deepest desires coming true. “I can see it now…” --- “All rise for the oath of our order.” Seven cloaked ponies rose from their seats around a round wooden table. The table was draped in navy blue cloth with a sun in the centre. From it seven lightning bolts radiated out, each pointing towards one of the seven ponies gathered around it. The ponies all raised a hoof to the centre. Each hoof bore a blue hoofband with a small yellow gem the shape of a lightning bolt set in it. “In brightest day, in blackest night, We gather to watch our heroes in flight. We who bask in thunder’s light, Official Wonderbolts Fan club unite!” All but one of the ponies took their seats. The standing pony lowered her hood to reveal a white pegasus mare with a sky blue mane. “Forgive the sudden nature of this meeting, but sister Dash claims to have some urgent news.” The speaker motioned towards the pony opposite to her who stood and drew back her own hood. “Sisters,” Rainbow Dash began, “I have secured myself a ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala!” There were a few incredulous gasps from the hooded ponies. “That’s amazing!” “I can’t believe it…” “Sister Bolt should be the one to go.” “The tickets are enchanted, forgeries won’t work.” “This is no forgery Cloudkicker, I’ve been formally invited as a friend of the Princesses’ student.” Dash began to reply. “And as such only I can go. Lightning Bolt, this is the chance we’ve been waiting for! The chance for somepony in the Ponyville division to get a personal interview with our heroes!” The unhooded white mare brought a hoof to her chin as she considered this news. “This is indeed an opportunity of a lifetime, but just being invited to the Gala won’t guarantee you would be able to meet them.” “I know,” Dash replied, looking over the other hooded ponies. “That’s why I need the help of our fellow members. Tracy Flash,” A pony to her right lowered their hood to reveal a yellow pegasus mare with a centre-parted white-striped teal mane. “I need you to get me a VIP press pass, fake it if you have to. That’ll get me into the VIP section. I’ll also need some cameras and recording stuff to do the interview.” The yellow mare nodded, somewhat uneasily. “They’ll probably be talking to all the ponies there so I’ll need the means to create a distraction. I can probably get those materials myself, but I may need some extra bits. I’m requesting to access the club’s funds.” One of the cloaked ponies rose from her seat. “Sister Dash, that money was pooled together by all our members-“ “For situations just like this!” Dash interrupted. “I’ll mainly be buying prank items so it shouldn’t cost too much.” Lightning Bolt held a hoof up to prevent the other pony from arguing further. “Sister Dash is right and so I will allow this. However, I would advise Sister Dash to be frugal with using the club's hard-earned funds." Dash nodded before turning to her left and facing another hooded pony. "This is our chance to put the club's grandest plans in motion. Rainbow Day, I'm enacting Operation Filly Flasher." Another round of shocked gasps arose from the gathered cabal, although this time with an air of excitement. The hooded Rainbow Day spoke up. "So that means you'll be needing some sparkling wine, a girdle, blankets, a trampoline, lamp oil, rope, smoke bombs-" "Ball gags, fluffy pink hoof-cuffs, cello cases, rohypnol and chloroform." Dash finished listing for her. "We gotta make this count. Raindrops, I need you to come with me and have the caravan waiting just outside the palace to receive the 'packages'." The hooded yellow pegasus nodded in affirmation. "Are you sure you're up to the task Sister Dash?" Lightning Bolt asked. Rainbow Dash gave her a look of steeled determination. "120% sure. It will be a night to remember. A glorious new page in the Ponyville Chapter of the Bolter's legion, and I will be the quill that writes the passage." Rainbow Dash spoke with the grandeur of a rousing speech which had the effect of moving the rest of the council members to light applause. Lightning Bolt motioned to the rest of the ponies. "Let us take a vote of approval. All in favor of approving Sister Dash's actions?" A few hooves shot into the air immediately, others rose slowly with uncertainty. Still, after a few seconds every voting had their hoof up. "And those against?" The hooves lowered. A few seconds made it clear that, despite a few reservations, none opposed the notion. "Then it is decided. The Ponyville legion of Bolters approve and support Sister Dash in her plan. Godspeed sister, do your chapter proud." Rainbow Dash snapped to a quick salute before sitting back down into her seat. "Now are there any other matters that require our attention?" A gray hoof slowly raised itself. “No Derpy, we are not going out for muffins.” The gray hoof lowered as slowly as it was first raised. “Anypony? No? Very well then. The 482nd Ponyville Bolter’s gathering is officially adjourned.” “Um… you know… I’m pretty sure that, um, an emergency meeting like this doesn’t really, sort of, count-“ “Shush Fluttershy. The Nightmare take me if I let the stupid Manehattan chapter look busier than us. Stupid club-master. ‘The chapters in more established communities deserve more funding’, my flank! I’ll show them! Go ahead, give those stuck up pricks the bits we deserve, see if I give a f-“ --- “-uck.” “Huh!?” “Ah’ said,” Applejack began. “Could’ya hurry it up some Rainbow? If’n ya don’t mind I still got a lotta apple trees left ‘ta buck.” “Oh, right.” The azure pegasus smiled sheepishly before turning back to the lavender unicorn. “Don't you see, Twilight?” The excited pegasus lifted herself up in the air to animate what she was saying. “This could be my one chance to show 'em my stuff. You gotta take me!” She brought her face mere inches from that of the Canterlot unicorn. Before either pony could react, Rainbow Dash suddenly found herself roughly pulled by her tail. She landed on her hooves and dug them into the ground to resist the sudden movement. “Hold on just one pony pickin' minute here!” Applejack grunted through the multicoloured tail in her mouth. Dash quickly curled it away as the farmpony spat it on the ground with more spit than necessary. “I asked fer that ticket first!” She leaned into an accusing glare at Rainbow as she said this. Rainbow Dash remembered this moment. She knew where this would lead to, they all end up arguing over the ticket and then realizing how bad they were making Twilight feel and they’d all get a free ticket anyway. She couldn’t help but feel that the Princess was at fault for the situation that ensured, having already met all of Twilight’s friends before. Probably engineered the whole thing to teach the egghead another friendship lesson. If it were her writing the friendship report, she knew what she’d write. “Yo Principle Celest Why would you only send me two tickets? You know I have FIVE friends and now they’re going ape-shit over them! Did you forget or something? You met them all last week and I write to you about them EVERY DAY. Tirac's asscrack, our country is being run by a senile horned bat. C'mon pops, get your shit together before you forget to raise the sun again. Your unfaithful delinquent Rainbow Dash” In her mind, Rainbow Dash thought that was the level of informality Twilight operated with when alone with the Princess. At least, that’s the level of informality she was on with the Principle of the last flight school she attended. However, she knew that right now Applejack was angry at her and had every right to be. Applejack was the one who staked the first claim to the ticket and Twilight had more or less agreed to it, and then she swooped in and tried to take the opportunity like a selfish vulture. It was only much later, after the Gala itself that she began reflecting on how poor a friend she had been in the past. The guilt of being the Element of Loyalty, yet also quite the selfish jerk at times hit her like a brick one lonely night. That night she reflected on ways she could’ve been a better friend in times past. In this moment, not only was she trying to steal something that her friend had already laid claim to (and ignored the fact that the decision belonged to neither of them), but she had also shirked her duty to help Applejack in order to lounge about in the very trees she was suppose to be bucking. On that night she resolved that she should’ve apologized to Applejack, to defer the decision to Twilight before starting an argument, or even just agree to help Applejack so that she could’ve been part of the conversation all along. That night she resolved that if she could, she would go back to this moment and fix her mistakes. So why, in this moment she had dreamed of changing for the better, was she feeling so full of hate? “You don’t deserve that ticket!” she yelled back, the anger in her voice twisting it until it sounded totally alien, yet horribly familiar. She pushed into her own glare so fierce it caused the receiving fampony to stumble onto her haunches in surprise. Applejack and Twilight both gaped at Rainbow’s outburst in shock. Applejack was the first to respond, meeting fire with fire. “What the hay is wrong with you Rainbow!? Ah’ never knew you were such a selfish jerk!” Selfish!? I’m not selfish! I’m the god-damned MILKPONY of generosity! “Buck you Applejack! You’re so stubborn you can’t even see I’m doing you a favour!” “What!?” Applejack almost screamed. Her face was flush red with anger, steam bellowed from her flared nostrils. She looked just about ready to rip off a pony’s head and eat their heart. Maybe I’m being too hard on her. it’s not her fault she doesn’t understand, Rainbow thought to herself. Other ponies can’t figure me out, they can’t process me, I don’t expect them to. You can’t process me with the normal brain. Dash suddenly turned and pointed and accusing hoof at the stunned librarian. “YOU!” she yelled. “This is your fault!” This jolted Twilight out of her shock, an indignant look on her face. Dash cut in before the lavender pony could defend herself. “How could you lead Applejack on like that!? Even I know the Grand Galloping Gala is fully catered by the best chefs in the royal castle! It’s renown for being the one time where anypony can eat like the Princesses do. There’s no way Applejack would be able to sell anything there! And even if the food there wasn’t royal quality and free, she wouldn’t be able to open shop anyway! You of all ponies should know that all tradesponies, retail or market vendors require an official permit to sell anything, anywhere in Canterlot, and you can’t just get a permit on the day, you have to put a request in and wait months in hopes it gets through. I know because I once tried to sell some Wonderbolts merch for the Bolters Club there. Don’t you DARE say you didn’t know all that, I saw those open regional law books on your study table!” By the end of the rant Twilight was on the verge of terrified tears, curled into a ball and wincing at everything the enraged pegasus had said. Dash smiled at the sight of the quivering wreck of a pony before her. It’s about time she learned. She’s my friend, she’s part of my family. And if you’re a part of my family, I will love you violently. A tense moment passed before she leaned back and gave the terrified filly an arrogantly patronising smile. “Well, I can see that you feel bad about it. In my infinite wisdom and kindness, I forgive you. But you should probably apologize to Applejack.” Hesitantly, Twilight got to her feet and walked over to where Applejack was. “Applejack I’m sorry-“ Applejack held up a hoof to silence her. “No need ‘ta apologize sugarcube, ah’ know ya didn’t mean any harm by it.” The farmpony motioned to where the azure pegasus was standing. “Though I wish Rainbow Dash wasn’t such a snake-eyed jerk about it.” The words tore through Dash’s confidant façade like a bullet to the heart. What had she done? This outcome was even worse than what happened originally. She lowered her head in shame as she felt the unnatural feelings bleed out of her. “AJ, Twi, I’m really sorry about that, it was totally uncalled for. I don’t know what came over me. If it’s any help, I won’t ask for the ticket anymore. It’s Twilight’s ticket and it’s up to her to decide.” She nervously pawed at the ground while waiting for a response from her friends. Was it too late? Had she already ruined things beyond fixing? Applejack was the first to speak. “Well, that’s mighty respectable for you to pony-up like that and apologise for your mistakes. Why, in fact ah’ don’t think you’ve ever done that before.” Don’t get used to it, she fought against herself to not think out loud. What was wrong with her today? “And you’re right,” Applejack continued, “It’s up ‘ta Twi to decide, and with what ‘ya told me it sounds like I’d just be running a huge loss tryin’ ‘ta sell mah’ wares at the Gala. Not to mention, ‘ah wouldn’t be enjoyin’ it for the occasion.” Stupid mule, you had no right to doubt me. That was it, she couldn’t continue like this. Rainbow Dash shook her head violently, as if trying to detach whatever venomous creature had latched onto her thoughts. She felt her whole world shake around her, almost as if she was falling into the white void again. Something seemed to tear itself from her mind, eliciting a small gasp of pain from the pegasus. When she finally stopped and looked up she saw Twilight looking at her with a smile. “Well, if you’re so sure about this then I guess I’ll take you to the Gala, Dash.” She made to go for another round of aerial somersaulting, but the thought of recent events made her decide to celebrate in a more controlled manner. “Thanks a bunch Twi, you don’t know how much this means to me!” Twilight smiled before tucking her khaki undershirt into her white rayon bellbottoms. That’s odd, Dash thought, I don’t remember any of us wearing clothes a second ago… “You’re going to need plenty of legal advice before this thing is over,” the librarian said. “And my first advice is that you should rent a very fast car with no top and get the hell out of Ponyville for at least forty-eight hours.” She shook her head sadly. “This blows my weekend of studying, because naturally I’ll have to go with you.” “Why not?” The rainbow-maned pegasus offered. “If a thing like this is worth doing at all, it’s worth doing it right. Well need some decent equipment and plenty of cash on the line- if only for snacks and a super-high quality video camera, for the sake of a permanent record.” Twilight took a moment to digest what her pegasus friend said. “Well,” she began, “as your attorney I advise you to buy a flightsuit. How else can you cover a thing like this righteously?” “No way,” Dash replied. “Where can we get a hold of a Luna Black Shadowbolt?” “What’s that?” “A fantastic suit. The new model is something like twenty thousand cubic inches of zero porosity double ripstop fabric tied up with polyfill corespun thread with durable oxford nylon for reinforcing, neoprene collars and a total weight of exactly one point four two kilos." “That sounds about right for this gig.” The attorney-librarian replied. “It is” Dash assured her. “The bucker’s not much for turning, but it’s pure hell on a slipstream. It’ll outfly the Wonderbolt standard suit until we reach mach 1.” “Mach 1? Can you handle that much drag?” “Absolutely. I’ll call Cloudsdale for some bits.” They turned and began walking down the road that lead out of Sweet Apple Acres to prepare for their trip. “By the way,” Twilight turned to ask, “How’d you do that thing with your eyes? Is it kinda like Fluttershy’s ‘stare’ thing?” “Eh, something like that... I guess...?” Dash replied. Truthfully she had no idea what Twilight was talking about, but the way things seemed to be going there didn’t seem to be much point in questioning anything, and just treating it all like a day with Pinkie Pie. Especially not with that annoying noise that was slowly working its way into her head again.

PokerFace

235

Main 6,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Elements of Tragedy

incomplete

<p>A series where all 6 ponies we know and love face their elements head-on. Will this end well? ..Probably not. I'm pretty sure it's in chronological order.. XD Sorry if it's not -shrug- I'm just not that smart XD EDIT: I'm completely re-doing this. So don't bother reading it. XD</p>

everyone

2011-07-17T07:37:58+00:00

2011-07-17T07:37:58+00:00

The sky was just darkening, gradually changing into dusk, as the sun of Celestia left the sky to make way for Luna’s moon. The sky was shrouded in clouds, and the stars were making their appearances in the inky vista of the night. Darkness was spreading across the land of Equestria fast, and the mood of the land was matched perfectly with the emotions of six figures slowly making their way through the unnatural Everfree Forest. If you looked closely, you could tell that the six figures were all different kinds of ponies. A purple unicorn in the lead, a bleach-white unicorn mare following suit, two brightly coloured pegasi watching the skies behind them, and two peachy earth ponies taking the rear. The purple unicorn stopped to check her rather small map. “Well, Twilight? Are we going the right way?” The blue pegasus asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion and a hint of worry. She spat the word ‘right’ with contempt, for she was sure that the purple mare was getting the group lost for the 10th time. Really, what was the point of a map if you didn’t know how to read it? The blue pegasus earned herself nothing but a look of irritation from the orange earth pony with a cowboy hat. “I think so. We should be at the Royal Pony Sisters castle in about an hour if we pick up the pace. That encounter with the trees back there really slowed us down.” The lavender unicorn’s face was grim, her eyebrows lowered and her violet eyes more serious than anypony had ever seen them- even when she was studying. The rainbow-maned pegasus snorted, rolling her magenta eyes to the sky. Why did the unicorn have to act so darn important all the time? “Don’t forget how me and Fluttershy saved your tail back there at the cliff. I mean, it was Awesome!” The blue pegasus then began to describe the amazing feat that had taken place not even ten minutes ago. “You were all ‘I will not!’ then AJ was like ‘Yes you will, let go and you’ll be safe!’” The pegasus did a terrible job mimicking their voices, sounding like she was mocking them rather than imitating them. Both imitated ponies sighed. This was going to be a long walk. The group kept moving at their unique paces: The purple unicorn looked as if she wanted to break into a trot, but restrained herself; the white unicorn was walking on her tip-toes, afraid of getting her precious white coat dirty; the orange earth pony was walking with her head low, glancing from side to side with her ears pricked for danger; the pegasi were taking it easy, fluttering along slowly to accommodate the slower ponies below them; and the frizzy-maned pink earth pony was bouncing along, feeling optimistic as ever with a gleaming smile on her muzzle. After twenty or so minutes of walking, the whole group was tired. All except one multicolor, winged pony, who seemed to have a jolly good time telling stories about her friends near-death experiences. “After that, me and Fluttershy looped the loop around and WHAM! We caught you right in the nick of time!” She gloated, doing a barrel roll in the air and landing next to the dark-fringed pony, who snorted in contempt but covered it with a faux smile. “Yes Rainbow, I was there. But we need to- A manticore!” She screamed, staring at the beast that was not even 20 feet away. The buttery yellow pegasus covered her face with her hooves, squeaking in fright. A manticore? How did such a rare creature arrive here? The beige beast looked like a lion: It was brownish-tan, had a beautiful maroon coloured mane and large, square paws. Two small green eyes glowed in the dim light, and a large triangular nose rested on its muzzle. It looked feline enough... except for the fact it had a scorpion tail and two dark maroon bat wings. All ponies except the pink-maned mare crouched into battle stances. The azure-eyed mare closed one of her eyes and turned away as she heard a loud smacking noise followed by a roar of pain. “Take that you ruffian!” Rarity’s shout of accomplishment sounded like she was showing off, but why would the yellow pony exploit her when Rarity looked so proud of her— Her thoughts were interrupted by a roar, a scream of anguish, then a similarly sounding scream of “My hair! My hair!” As Rarity clopped away. Her hair looked like it had been blown back by a tornado! But she didn’t blame the manticore. How fair was it that the butter pony let her friends torture this poor beast? It wasn’t like it was hurting anyone before Rarity went ahead and kicked it in the face. Who wouldn’t be mad if a unicorn back-kicked them in the jaw? The beast expressed its rage with a deep bellow, charging forward and swiping at Applejack. Fluttershy flinched, fluttering back a little bit. It is a little bit scary.. but..The apple-bucking rodeo pony leaped up onto its back, waving one of her hooves in excitement as it began to jump around. Alright Fluttershy, enough is enough. “Wait...” She flew over to the manticore, trying to get Applejack’s attention. Nobody bat an eyelash at her. They were, however, doing everything they could to make the Manticore leave them alone. Applejack was eventually thrown off of the lion, muttering something to Rainbow Dash when she went airborne. Fluttershy frowned. Why wasn’t anypony listening to her? They needed to be nice to this poor, unhappy animal! And not get too close to it, those teeth looked sharp! “Wait..!” Fluttershy tried again, looking around to see if anypony had heard her. Of course, once again, no pony noticed. The other pegasi was flying circles around the manticore, leaving a rainbow ribbon behind her as she flew. Fluttershy didn’t understand how that was going to achieve anything, except for maybe making the manticore even angrier. Fluttershy watched in horror as the lionesque animal swiped one beefy paw out, smacking Rainbow Dash to the ground and sending her skidding face-first towards the other four ponies. “Rainbow!” Twilight gasped, eyes wide. Fluttershy frowned. No, no, no! Being angry at it won’t solve anything. Her purple friend’s once blank expression turned into one of hatred. The unicorn curled her lip, grit her teeth and pawed the ground once with her right hoof, Applejack following the motive. Fluttershy bit her lip, considering what she was about to do. Or thought she was about to do, at least... She was so nervous for her and her friends she couldn’t even think straight. Rainbow Dash got up and joined the group. As one, they galloped in a line towards the manticore, all wearing the same faces of fury. Fluttershy, do something! The pegasus looked around, unsure of what to do. The ponies were drawing closer. How dare they hurt an innocent creature? How dare they want to injure it for no reason? That wasn’t nice.. Fluttershy’s face twisted into one of anger and desperation for just a fleeting moment, realizing what she had to do. Be loud, Fluttershy. You can do it. “WAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTT!” A screaming Fluttershy zipped in front of them, raising a hoof to tell them to stop. All the ponies skid to a halt, staring at the dandelion coloured pegasus with bulging eyes. Had Fluttershy, the pony afraid of her own shadow, just screamed at them- or was the heat getting to their heads? Smiling, the yellow pony trotted over to the manticore, eyes soft and kind. It growled a little bit, taking a cautious step back. She tilted her head, her teal eyes forming into pools of compassion. “It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you.” Fluttershy batted her eylashes, nuzzling the manticores paw. It still looked suspicious, raising its paw away from her. Fluttershy looked into the beasts eyes, smiling as best as she could and tilting her head to look cute. The manticore frowned, it’s eyebrows lowered. It whimpered a little bit, and held out one of its paws. On it sat a small grey thorn, probably picked up from one of the many sharp rose bushes growing around the area. Pus oozed out of the wound, and a little bit on blood. “Ooh, you poor thing! Now this might hurt for juuust a second.” She lidded her eyes a tad bit, looking up at the beast with shining eyes. She leaned forward to get a grip on it, but heard a warning from Twilight and Rarity. “Fluttershy.. I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Twilight was skeptical. “Fluttershy, sweetie! Who knows what kind of diseases that thing is carrying? Don’t touch it!” Rarity looked more disgusted than anything, with her nose curled up and the sides of her lips pulled down. The other three ponies nodded in agreement, shaking their heads. “Yeah, Fluttershy. Don’t do it.” Rainbow Dash craned her neck and flapped her wings nervously. “Fluttershy, we can just go around it!” Pinkie Pie squealed, her eyes wide. Fluttershy ignored them. She was great with animals! She didn’t need them to tell her how to do her job. After all, it was her special talent! But maybe they were right.. A little nervously, Fluttershy leaned forward again and bit it, tearing it out of the beast’s paw. The manticore roared in pain, it’s eyes popping in anger. It grabbed her body and bit her flank, slamming her headfirst to the stony ground. “Fluttershy!” The five ponies screamed in unison. The last thing Fluttershy remembered was how much it hurt to feel her skull crack open against the cobblestone.

PokerFace

235

Main 6,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Elements of Tragedy

incomplete

<p>A series where all 6 ponies we know and love face their elements head-on. Will this end well? ..Probably not. I'm pretty sure it's in chronological order.. XD Sorry if it's not -shrug- I'm just not that smart XD EDIT: I'm completely re-doing this. So don't bother reading it. XD</p>

everyone

2011-07-17T07:30:55+00:00

2011-07-17T07:30:55+00:00

“Only ‘cause you cheated!” Applejack yelled, staring up in the sky at her competitive pegasus friend and foe, Rainbow Dash. “What?!” The cyan Pegasus blinked, swooping down to level herself with the southern earth pony. How dare she accuse her of doing such a thing? Maybe she had stretched the rules a little bit.. but cheating? It wasn’t in the Rainbow Dash code. It just wasn’t. Her orange friend raised her eyebrows, the corners of her mouth turning down just a little bit. The two hot-headed mares had just completed an Iron Pony Competition- a battle to see which pony was the most athletic. The orange cowpony had started off the first 10 rounds tied with her rainbow-maned competitor, but started to notice her friend.. stretching the rules a little bit.. with her wings. “You used your wings to help you win over half those races!” Applejack snapped, straightening her hat with her right hoof. She wasn’t about to back out of this argument. Not even close. Rainbow Dash frowned, her face twisting in shock. “You never said I couldn’t use my wings!” Rainbow exclaimed, frowning. She felt a pang of… guilt? The colourful pony shook it off, quickly conjuring up an excuse to help her. It’s true! She never said I couldn’t. But she knew that it was a loophole, and she knew that she was supposed to know better than to take advantage of their indifferences. Applejack sighed, biting her lip a little. “I didn’t think I needed to tell you to play fair!” The orange cowpony couldn’t believe her best friend would do something like this. Rainbow Dash was a good pony, and she might do some things that were out-of-line, but… cheating? That wasn’t like her. After bantering back and forth for a while, Applejack seemed to have the upper hand in the argument. “If you think you would’ve won without your wings..” Applejack looked down, deep in thought. Suddenly, she perked up with her ears pricked. Rainbow Dash took a step back. Applejack probably had an idea, and ideas from Applejack weren’t the best.. “I challenge you to race me in the running of the leaves tomorrow! But the point is to run. No wings allowed!” Applejack smirked, her face smug. Rainbow couldn’t say no. “Alright! You’re on!” The blue Pegasus spat onto her hoof, holding it out. Applejack did the same, and they shook. Rainbow Dash grinned and blew a raspberry, sending spit flying into Applejacks eye. Though competitive on the outside, both had one thought pricking the back of their minds like a loose splinter: This isn’t going to end well. Rainbow Dashes eyes fluttered open, filled with excitement. Her dreams had been filled with vivid images of her and Applejack racing at the Running of the leaves, of course with her winning each time and leaving Applejack in the dust. Inevitably that’s going to happen..! She leaned forward, stretching her hooves towards the sky and yawning. She got up and did her morning routine, which consisted of some basic yoga and stretches, taking a quick shower to relax and having breakfast. Today, however, she wasn’t feeling very hungry, so she just took a half a cup of Red bull. I’m going to beat AJ so hard Big Macintosh will feel it! Rainbow Dash grinned, feeling extremely energetic. She checked a clock on her wall. 5:45am. The race doesn’t start for another hour! I should go practice at the course to get a feel of it. She opened the door of her cloud home and began the journey. Beep! Beep! Beep! “Whoa!” Applejack fell out of bed, awoken by the sound of her alarm clock. Was it morning already? It had been a long night, her sleep had been troubled with nightmares of losing the Running of the leaves to Rainbow Dash, being mocked by her and her other four best friends for the rest of her life.. But that won’t happen, Applejack! Getting off of the floor, she opened her eyes. She scolded herself, walking to the bathroom to wash up. She was swaying from side to side a little bit, still under the influence of sleep deprivation. Yer going to beat her. It’s really not gon’ be that hard, hm? I mean, she ain’t goin’ to have the use o’ her wings. She picked up her toothbrush with a hoof and began to brush back and forth with even strokes. Since she was little, Applejack had found brushing her teeth a time to think over things, and it comforted her to have solitude. So how am I gonna’ win this..? The earth pony ran through different running strategies she had picked up running with her big brother and her grandmother. I suppose ah could use that sprinting tactic that I learned with Bic Mac the other day.. Well, however this turns out, I just hope she dusn’t cheat t’day! She put the brush down and spat in her sink, making her way downstairs to have breakfast. “Morning Applejack!” Big Macintosh grinned, waving a ruby red hoof at his sister. He was seated at the round ebony table that the Apple family had breakfast at every morning, chewing away on a bowl of cereal. “M..mor.. mornin’ AJ..!” A frail-statured, lime green pony gave her best attempt to wave at her granddaughter. Applejack frowned. Granny Smith was getting older and frailer by the day. The pony that had been raising her since she was a filly was losing her life. The orange earth pony knew her grandmother was going to be leaving them sooner or later.. “Morning Big Mac. Morning Granny.” The cowmare smiled, nodding to her grandmother and brother in turn. I’m going to win the race. For you, Granny Smith. The green pony winked at her. “..Y-you’ve.. got to win the- the race. For me..! I’ll make you some apple pie if y.. you do..” Granny Smith smiled, nodding at a pair of blue oven mitts resting on the counter beside the stove. Apple pie? It had always been Applejacks favorite food. After all, Granny Pie had been making it for her as a treat ever since she was a filly, and whenever she saw, smelled or tasted the food, a wave of nostalgia took over her and she thought instantly of her grandma. After having a quick slice of cold apple pie(even when it was cold it was still delicious) and some eggs and toast for breakfast, Applejack quickly checked the time. It was almost 7:30am. “Oh hayseeds!” Applejack frowned, dashing out the door. “I’ve gotta go!” Rainbow Dash’s hooves touched down at the racing grounds just in time to see the ponies line up at the starting line. Spotting a orange-and-hay figure in the crowd, Rainbow Dash trotted over to Applejack and knocked her hat off with a hoof. “Ready to win 2nd place today, Applejack?” The Pegasus grinned. Applejack rolled her eyes. “I’m ready to run a good, clean race!” Applejack frowned, staring at Rainbow Dash intently. Rainbow Dash muttered something and blinked slowly, tilting her head towards the cowpony. “You are not allowed to use your wings!” “I could win this race with both wings tied behind my back.” Rainbow Dash challenged, taking a step towards Applejack angrily. Now there’s an idea. Applejack laughed to herself, shaking off the thought of the Pegasus with her wings literally tied back with a rope. “Alright ponies, are you ready?” Spike's voice boomed through the speakers. He had been designated the official announcer for the Running of the Leaves(replacing Pinkie Pie, who had died a month earlier) and wasn’t about to let anypony down! “On your marks.. get set..” The small, purple dragon reached over and rang the bell sitting in the corner of her hot air balloon basket. Everypony at the starting line shot off, with an orange earth pony in the lead with a blue Pegasus not that far off behind her. Applejack went ahead and made a good lead, going a few hundred feet in front of her main opponent. “Ha!” She kicked up dust in Rainbows Face before sprinting out of sight. A good halfway through the race, nothing much had gone wrong. Applejack had kept her place at the lead, but Rainbow Dash was closing in on her. The finish line was close now, and the cowpony didn’t intend to give up her spot. For you, Granny Smith. Rainbow had done her best to catch up, but her stomach was growling and she suddenly felt lightheaded. I’m so hungry! I should’ve had a better breakfast.. oh Celestia. The ground started to sway under her. No! I have to focus! I’m almost caught up with her! Rainbow Dash was a good 10 meters behind her friend, but she knew she could catch up. Push it! She sprinted harder than ever before, rushing forward and closing her eyes. Her hooves drummed against the groud with a steady 4-beat pace, her neck craned forward and her rainbow mane streaming out behind her. “Consarnit!” Applejack growled, Rainbow Dash pulling up beside her. The finish line is literally in my line of sight! How am ah going to get ahead now? Oh yeah! The sprinting method. AJ slowed down, breaking into a trot, and let Rainbow Dash get ahead of her. Why’s she so slow all of a sudden? Oh well, I’m winning! Rainbow thought, running a little bit lopsided. I’m so tired.. But I’ll make it! Applejack waited a few seconds, just long enough for Rainbow Dash to let her guard down, before speeding forward and passing her, keeping the pace until she was back in the lead. Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped in surprise. No! I've got to catch up! She sprinted so hard, so fast.. I’m going to make it! I’ll pass her! The last three steps to the finish line were neck and neck for Rainbow Dash and Applejack.. until Rainbow Dash started seeing purple spots. Oh, Celestia.. And then she blacked out. “Heh heh, Rainbow. You sure did look funny when you fell.” Rainbow Dash blinked open her eyes sleepily, only seeing a pair of emerald eyes and nothing more. She felt like she was laying on some sort of bed, and her head was resting on a rather uncomfortable pillow. The Pegasus was cold. Shivering, in fact. “I fell?” Rainbow asked drowsily, leaning away from Applejack. Looking around, she saw she was in a white room, on a hospital bed. Four seats in the corner of the room were occupied by her two other friends: Twilight Sparkle and Rarity. Two of the seats however, was empty. I miss Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.. The Pegasus thought, shaking her head to clear it. "Yeah! You blacked two feet from tha finish line!" Applejack exclaimed, beckoning her other friends over. Twilight and Rarity got to their feet, walking calmly towards Rainbow. “Darling, we were so worried! I’m extremely grateful you’re alright. I was afraid we were going to lose another friend..!” Rarity smiled, her blue eyes filled with grief. Everypony in the room remembered very well how they lost their other two friends.. “Yeah, Rainbow! I’m glad you get to see daylight again.” Twilight chuckled, and Applejack tousled Rainbow Dashes forelock. “I thought ya’ll were actin’ a little odd today, Rainbow.” She laughed, jumping off the table and joining her other three friends. “You feeling a’ight?” The cowpony frowned. “Y-yeah.. but my head hurts.” Rainbow muttered, rubbing her temples with her hooves. “By the way, who won the race?” “Ya’lls truly.” AJ grinned, winking at the blue mare and tilting her head. Rainbow Dashes mouth dropped in shock. “You?!” How could Applejack win!? I didn’t want this to happen! This wasn’t supposed to happen! No, no, no! Rainbow Dashes eyes began to water. “Dash? Sugarcube, what’s wrong?” Applejack took a step towards the Pegasus, but got pushed away. A sobbing cyan pony shot out of the hospital room and flew out the door. This is all Applejacks fault. If she hadn’t made me enter.. I wouldn’t have lost! I hate losing. I hate it! Rainbow was now angry more than sad. Landing in her cloud home, she began pacing back and forth in front of her couch. Grr.. I’m such a loser! Her ears folded back and her expression softened. I’m a loser with no life! I can’t even win a race against an earth pony! Rainbow Dash jumped onto her couch, buried her face in a pillow and sobbed. Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie and Rarity exchanged looks of surprise, confusion and worry all at once. “..what just happened?” Applejack asked, her southern accent dripping like thick honey. Twilight frowned, looking around. Rainbow Dash had left.. she had been crying.. Since when? Oh, when Applejack mentioned her win. A couple of gears clicked in Twilights head. “I think that Rainbow Dash is mad.. or maybe upset.. because you won.” The purple unicorn nosed Rarity’s shoulder. “What do you think?” “I think the poor dear is mentally ill!” Rarity pouted, shuffling her hooves. If Rainbow Dash was indeed on the brink of insanity, then this situation was either going to turn out very well.. or terribly. Twilight considered Rarity’s opinion for about a millisecond before brushing it off. “Applejack, you’ve got to go and talk to her! She’s your friend.” Twilight grabbed Applejack’s hooves and proceeded to drag her out of the hospital room, leaving the white-and-purple mare behind. “Have fu-un!” Rarity smirked, trotting off to get back to Carousel Boutique to work on a new dress design she had in mind: One that used real plant leaves! Ooh, she couldn’t wait to get it done… Purple unicorn and Orange earth pony made their way to Rainbow Dash’s home in the clouds, Twilight using her magic to levitate Applejack onto the cobblestone driveway. What should ah do? Applejack glanced around awkwardly, looking for a door or something to knock on. Ah, screw it. The orange mare took in a deep breath, then called out as loudly as she could: “RAINBOW DASH! Get your patootey out here!” She tried to force her way through the wall of cloud to no avail. A muffled, hollow wail was heard, ringing in Applejacks ears. Wus that Rainbow..? Nah, couldn’t be. But still, the apple-bucking earth pony felt a little bit of guilt rise up her throat in a lump. ‘t sounded like her.. “Twilight! Can yuh pull me up higher?” AJ called down, looking at Twilight expectantly. She heard a quiet response, then felt herself begin to levitate, glowing with a pink aura. She was almost at a window.. A little more.. There! She wriggled inside, sending puffs of condensed water up with her hind legs. Landing with a thump on the floor, she began searching for her technicolour friend. Applejack muttered her name, trying to listen out for her more than call her. After stepping down onto the second floor of the house, she began to hear something.. heavy breathing, coughing, and maniacal laughter.. She is crying! Applejack rushed forward, galloping towards the source of the noise. “Rainbow? Rainnnnbooow?” Applejack entered a room, probably Rainbow Dashes bedroom. It was blank, except for a rainbow puddle here and there and a fluffy cloud bed in the center of the room. A couple of Pony Gaga and Hilary Fluff posters hung on the walls, and a small cloud-patterned dresser sat in one corner. But the one off thing about the room was that Applejack could hear somepony muttering to herself.. Rainbow! Applejack stared at the bed, noticing a lump under the covers. The cowpony pulled the rainbow duvet off of the bed and staring at the horrid sight in front of her. Rainbow Dash was curled up, her eyes flickering open and closed, one more dilated than the other. Her hair was messy and tousled, bangs falling in front of her face. The rest of her mane and tail wasn’t much better, knotted and damp with tears. Saltwater ran down Rainbow Dashes cheeks, the corners of her mouth curled up in a maniac smile. A small puddle had formed under her, her front hooves drenched in tears. Her usually bright mane was slightly desaturated, looking silvery and grayish. Applejack nudged her friend, frowning. Was she really that upset about not being able to finish the race? “Rainbow, get up.” Applejack tugged on Rainbow Dash’s tail, dragging her to the edge of the bed. She felt the slightest resistance from her, then felt the rainbow tail being torn out of her grasp. “No.” She coughed out the words through her tears, inching away from her and back into the puddle of tears. “Rainbow, get –mmph- uph!” AJ grabbed her friend’s tail again, pulling her out of the bed completely. “I said NO!”Rainbow Dash kicked Applejack in the face, sending the orange cowpony flying across the room. AJs face was throbbing, the most swollen spot on her forehead was the mark of a horseshoe. A little blood and pus poured out of the wound, and Applejacks face was completely shocked. Rainbow Dash, however, looked grim and reserved. Applejack gently reached up with a hoof, feeling her forehead. “You really just did that, didn’t ya’?” Applejack slowly walked out of the room, keeping one eye closed to accommodate her throbbing and swollen forehead. Rainbow Dash trembled, eyes darting from side to side. I’m nothing but a loser. I lost to her, I lost now. She deserved that kick in the face! The Pegasus pondered this for a while, the adrenaline leaving her veins and the realization of actual reality ebbed in. I just kicked my best friend.. In the face. Images of her friends gruesome wound bore their way into her head. Oh my gosh.. Oh my gosh.. Rainbow Dash found tears squeezing their way out of her eyes, stinging her raw cheeks. I’m such an idiot! The cyan mare shook her head, trying to clear it. This is just a dream.. just a dream.. ! It’s going to end soon. I’m going to wake up..! “Okay sweetie, you’ve got us all here. Now tell us, what’s the matter? And- Uahh-hhahh-ahh!” Rarity squealed, finally turning to look at Applejack and seeing the terrible damage on her forehead. Twilight grimaced, her forehead hurt suddenly. Pinkie Pie’s nose curled up, her face surprised and disgusted at the same time. The gang had been gathered by Applejack in Twilights den, for a ‘super secret meeting’. “What happened to you?” They all said in unison, Pinkie Pie leaning forward to stare AJ in the eyes. Applejack pushed Pinkie Pie’s face away, looking down. “Rainbow Dash kicked me.” Twilight raised an eyebrow, thinking. That was quite unlike Rainbow Dash.. “Are you sure it was her?” Applejack looked at her dismissively, ignoring the stupid question. Applejack then proceeded to explain the situation and everything so far that had happened to her between her and Rainbow. All of the ponies in front of her had expressions of shock at first, but then they changed to disbelief and then finally downright bafflement. “Rainbow Dash really did that? I never knew she was such a sore loser!” Rarity observed, thinking. “Rarity! What a thing to say!” Twilight rebuked her, giving her a signature ‘You’re-being-dumb’ glare. The ponies erupted into conversation, everypony talking at once. “So, what do we do?” Applejack demanded, staring from friend to friend desperately. “I think that you need to go ahead and fix this on your own. Your problem should stay your problem!” Rarity muttered, her face unreadable. “Although, if you want my advice- I think that you should just talk to her about it!” “Yeah! How hard can it be?” Twilight grinned, optimistically patting Applejack on the back. “Alright, I’ll do it!” Rainbow Dash was still curled up in a ball, twitching eratically. It’s a nightmare.. It’s going to end soon.. I need it to end soon.. It’s going to.. it’s going to.. She flinched when she heard a thud and her bedroom window slam shut. “Rainbow.. We need to talk.” A southern accent.. oh no. Rainbow Dash got up and slowly walked to another room, opening the door to one of the many balconies in her cloud home and trotted through. The whole way, a muscular orange pony galloped behind her, struggling to catch up. “Rainbow!” Applejack leaped forward and pinned her down, forcing eye contact. Rainbow however, still refused to look at her friend. She muttered something quietly. “What’s that?” Applejack strained to hear, leaning down to listen to the cyan mare. “I want this nightmare to end.” Rainbow Dash mumbled, looking down. Applejack was getting annoyed now. “What the hay girl! Just say it!” “I WANT THIS NIGHTMARE TO END!” Rainbow Dash screamed, leaping out from under Applejack. “Now don’t be like that, sugarcube..” Her expression softened. Rainbow was trembling.. not a good sign. “I hate losing.. I’m just a loser.. I don't deserve to be your friend. I hurt you. I hurt you.” Rainbow Dash mumbled, getting up and fluttering her wings. What's she doing.. Applejack thought, watching her uneasily. Rainbow Dash edged over to the railing of the balcony, landing on it with precise balance. Her wings stopped flapping, and she began to flex her legs. Up, down, up, down. The movement was making Applejack sick. “What exactly are ya’ll tryin’ to do?” Applejack demanded, stepping forward. “I'm going to leave- go to a place where I can win and never hurt you again!” Rainbow Dash turned to face Applejack, moving too quickly. Her legs slipped on the balcony and Applejack watched in horror as her friend silently tumbled Down Down Down Until she landed on the ground with a sickening THUD. “Rainbow!” Applejack ran down to meet her friend as fast as she could, finding her cyan body cold, unmoving and lifeless. Blood was oozing out of her mouth, and her body was covered in scratches. One of her back legs seemed to be bent at an odd angle, and bone splinters lay on the floor everywhere. A quiet ‘no’ escaped her lips, her eyebrows lowering in mourning. “Applejack..” She heard a quiet moan from.. Rainbow Dash! “I’m happy now.. I won..” “N-no! Stay with me, Rainbow! It didn’t have to be this way, i- it was just ah race!” Applejack shook her friend, but all the Pegasus did was shake her head. “The nightmares gone now, Applejack. You're going to be alright.. I won..” Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, her body going limp once more. Applejack lay down next to her friend, curling up beside her. The cowmare lay her head on the pegasuses neck, closing her eyes slowly. Together, they spent the night there.

PokerFace

235

Main 6,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Elements of Tragedy

incomplete

<p>A series where all 6 ponies we know and love face their elements head-on. Will this end well? ..Probably not. I'm pretty sure it's in chronological order.. XD Sorry if it's not -shrug- I'm just not that smart XD EDIT: I'm completely re-doing this. So don't bother reading it. XD</p>

everyone

2011-07-17T08:21:57+00:00

2011-07-17T08:21:57+00:00

It was a typical, peaceful morning in Ponyville. The sun was rising at its normally rapid rate, the birds chirped and the animals slept undisturbed in their burrows. A pink flash zipped through the main Ponyville road, coming to a sudden halt in front of a giant floating cloud castle in the sky. Rainbow waterfalls fell from the roof of the building, collecting into a delta at the base of the cloud. A clear path wound it’s way around to the front door, and pillars of cloud vapor and water stood proud, supporting the large roof. The flash appeared to be a pony, wearing a pair of green hypnotism-glasses, a red clown nose and a fuzzy black moustache. An arrow-through-the-head headband was on her forehead, and a she was blowing a blue party horn repeatedly, creating a squeaking noise that rang up to the sky. Just a normal day in Ponyville. “Rise and shine, Rainbow Dash! We’ve got a brand new day of pranking!” The flash called, staring up at the cloud with her neck craned back. Pinkie hoped her cyan friend Rainbow Dash would come out soon, she was really bored and wanted to get pranking! When a face did finally appear, popping out from behind a cloud, it wasn’t a Pegasus- actually, Pinkie Pie didn’t know what it was! It had shaggy white feathers on it’s head, chest and neck, but sky blue feathers dappled in the white like salt and pepper. It’s eyes were golden, but had flecks of rust at the edges, like a magnet had pulled them there. The rest of it’s body was brownish-tan, furry but not feathery. For some reason, it had two claws for front feet and.. lion paws for back feet? It didn’t make any sense to Pinkie Pie! Why would a lion-bird thing with ginormus brown and beige wings be up in Rainbow Dash’s house? The thing’s pupil shrunk down to a slit, and it disappeared momentarily. She let out a “oooh” in surprise. “Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie was relieved to hear the familiar voice of her best friend Rainbow Dash calling to her from her castle. A cyan blur shot out from the bottom of the cloud, landing next to Pinkie Pie with a splat. Pinkie Pie squealed and hugged her best friend briefly and bouncing away, running her mouth and trotting about. “So, who are we going to prank today?” Pinkie Pie asked, hopping circles around her friend. “Well, actually, Pinkie Pie- I wanted you to meet somebody. Gilda, this is my gal pal Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow Dash called up to the cloud, and it flew down, landing on all fours. It lashed it’s lion tail and looked over at Pinkie Pie, unimpressed. “Sup.” The thing asked, brushing back three out-of-place feathers in it’s forehead. Pinkie Pie waved a hoof at the thing, blowing the party horn a couple of times. “Pinkie Pie, this is my Griffon friend Gilda.” Rainbow Dash introduced her friends, and they exchanged a quick nod. “What’s a Griffon?” Pinkie Pie tilted her head, looking Gilda over. “She’s half lion, and half eagle!” Her feathered friend explained, taking a step towards the griffon. Gilda gave Rainbow Dash a side hug and growled playfully. “And all awesome!” Gilda gave the Pegasus a noogie, scratching her head with her sharp black talons playfully. Rainbow Dash laughed, pushing her friend away from her. Pinkie Pie giggled, snorting and slapping the ground in laugher. “Me and Gilda were best friends at Junior Speedster flight camp.” The cyan Pegasus’s eyes lit up, and she nudged the Griffon with a blue hoof. “Remember the chant?” “Ch’yeah, they made us recite it everyday.” The griffon rolled her eyes. “I’ll never get that lame thing out of my head.” Pinkie Pie watched in confusion as Rainbow Dash looked the griffon in the eyes, raising her eyebrows and gesturing to the sky. “Only for you, Dash.” They both floated up a couple of meters and began to sing, “Junior speedsters are our lives! Sky-bound soars and daring dives! Junior speedsters its our quest- To someday be the very best!” They swooped down, landing in front of Pinkie Pie and waving their arms. Pinkie Pie broke out into gigglesnorts, patting the ground with her front hoof and blowing the party horn again and again. Bashfully, the griffon smoothed the feathers on her forehead and Rainbow Dash scratched her forelock. “Ooh, that was awesome you guys!” Pinkie Pie choked out, in between giggles and snorts. “And it gave me a great idea for a prank!” If Rainbow Dash had been embarrassed, it certainly didn’t show now when a smirk of excitement crossed her muzzle. “Gilda, you game?” “Well Pinkie,” The griffon began, “I groove on a prank as much as the next Griffon. But Dash, you promised-“ Her wings stretched to full-span, flapping impatiently. “That we’d get a flying session in this morning!” The smile disappeared off the cyan pegasus’ face, replaced with a look of surprise. The griffon began to fly up towards the nearest cloud, not looking back to see if her friend was following. “O- oh yeah, you don’t mind, do you Pinkie? Gilda just got here.“ Rainbow Dash fluttered her wings, backing away from Pinkie Pie slowly. “We’ll catch up with ya later, alright?” She turned around and flew after the griffon, also not looking back. “Oh. Um, well sure, no problem. Have fun you guys, so I'll just catch up with you-“ She sighed. She blew the party horn, but the sound didn’t come out as happy and exuberantly as usual. It sounded lifeless and hollow. “..Later..” Pinkie Pie wandered aimlessly through Ponyville, bored and lonely. She dragged her feet and hung her head. Rainbow Dash and Gilda were probably having the time of their lives up in the clouds.. too bad she didn’t have wings. But hey, she could roll solo for a while.. right? It’s alright, Pinkie! She reassured herself. Dashie is still your partner-in-pranks and your best friend! She’s just hanging out with an old bestie, that’s all! Feeling better, she looked around for ponies to talk to in the meantime. An orange pony with a straw hat caught her eye. There’s Applejack! She quickly returned to her classic Pinkie-bounce, hopping her way over to the cowpony. When she was close enough, she called out, “Hi AJ!” The orange pony saw her, trotting over to her magenta buddy. “ ‘Ey Pink! Whatchyou doin’?” Applejack tipped her hat, and the two proceeded to exchange small talk: How the weather was so nice that day, future parties Pinkie was planning, how stressful the Apple family harvest was going to be. The orange cowpony frowned, interrupting Pinkie as she was explaining a great idea for a party that involved three zebras and two giraffes. “Pinkie, that’s nice and all, but I’m a might busy. I’ve still gotta move these apples to my new apple cellar, and Big Macintosh hurt himself again. So I’ve gotta buck all the apples by myself today!” She made a move to leave, but Pinkie Pie blocked her, a smile on her face. “Ooh, can I help? I’m super extra-lonley today, because Rainbow Dash is off with a friend!” “I- ah don’t know, Pinkie..” Applejack fumbled, eyes flickering from side to side nervously. Pinkie Pie? In her farm? This was either going to end extremely well, or terribly. “Pleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaase?” Pinkie Pies eyes widened, pupils dilating and shiny. Her cyan irises turned into pools of pleading, pools that Applejack simply couldn’t resist. “I- okay.” Applejack gave in. How bad could it be? “But Pinkie Pie, when you’re bucking you—“ But Pinkie Pie was long gone. In her place was a cloud of dirt that lead to Sweet Apple Acres as the crow flies. The green-eyed mare stared after her in bewilderment, chuckling and following after her. There was no explaining Pinkie Pie. “Applejack! What took you so long!” Pinkie Pie whined when Applejack finally arrived. She was standing next to two wooden barrels, each almost taller than her. One was almost overfilling with bright, shiny apples- all a deep red in colour. However, the other one was only half-full of applecores. All trees within a 10-foot radius of Pinkie Pie were bare, no apples on them at all. Pinkie Pie was standing in a few applecores. The orange cowmares jaw dropped. “Pinkie! What happened to all the apples!” She demanded, staring at the mess. Humiliated, Pinkie Pie looked down, pawing at the ground and taking a step back. “I- It was hard work bucking the apples and running here so fast..! I just took a snack!” Pinkie Pie blinked, staring at Applejack. Oh no.. she’s not going to be my friend anymore! She hates me..! Applejack looked at the mess and shook her head. “Pinkie Pie, I’ll give ya another chance. But this time, no eatin’!” The orange pony shouldered Pinkie Pie, then got to bucking apples, walking away from Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie looked around, walking to the nearest apple tree. She faced away from it and bunched up the muscles in her forelegs, tightening them until they hurt. Then Pinkie Pie exploded with a blast of energy, kicking the tree and sending a shower of apples down. She picked up the apples and dumped them in the half-full barrel, eating a couple on the way there. She continued to do this, finding herself getting hungrier and hungrier. All this work is making me hungry! Pinkie Pie said, chomping away on an apple as she dumped half of her harvestings into the other barrel(she had filled up the first one by this time). “Applejack! I’m hungry!” The orange pony turned to look at Pinkie Pie in surprise. “Are ya done with ya’lls part?” Applejack asked, walking over to the barrels. They were both full, but every tree between Applejack and Pinkie Pie was bare- and then some. “Where ah the rest of ‘m?” The cowpony looked around, her gaze searching the whole farm and then resting on Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie smiled, guilty. “You ate them, didn’t ya?!” Applejack snapped, stepping towards Pinkie Pie, who in turn took a step backwards. “I-I-“ “I told ya no eatin’, Pinkie Pie! You ate almost all of them! How am I supposed ta explain' this ta Big Macintosh and Granny Smith? Get off mah farm!” Applejack chased Pinkie Pie, who ran away as fast as she could. Dashing off the farm, Pinkie Pie didn’t stop running until she reached a large, purple building that resembled a two-tier cake. It had stained glass windows with beige curtains, and to top it all off was a small red flag on top. Carousel Botique? Trotting near it, Pinkie Pie eyed it curiously and debated whether or not to go in. Maybe Rarity will be want to play with me than Applejack did! Pinkie Pie smiled just a little bit, trotting inside the purple door. “Raaaaaaaaaarity? Rarity?” Pinkie Pie trotted along the pale linoleum floor, looking from side to side for her white unicorn friend. “Ah, yes! Hold on, dear. I’ll take just a moment.” A purple tail was poking out of a small closet that Pinkie Pie had never noticed before. The rump attached to it was wiggling around, probably searching for something. Rarity emerged from the closet carrying a square of golden silk. Turning tail, she walked over to her sowing machine and placed the silk down, then began walking over to Pinkie Pie. “Oh! Pinkie, it’s you!” She said, surprised. “I thought you were someone else. Is there something I can help you with?” Rarity asked, walking back to her sowing machine. Pinkie pie bit her lip, thinking for a moment. “No. I’m just really bored because Rainbow Dash is playing with her new friend Gilda, and I don’t know what to do!” Rarity’s face lit up in curiosity. The white unicorn zipped over to Pinkie Pie, eyes aglow with interest. “Who’s Gilda?” Pinkie Pie couldn’t understand why Rarity enjoyed gossip so much, or why she wanted to know about the griffon. But Pinkie Pie didn’t mind her asking.. much. “Oh, she’s a griffon. They were friends at—“ Rarity cut her off, her eyes sparkling. “A griffon! Oh, they’re so rare! I have to meet her! What’s she like?” Pinkie Pie thought back to the meeting that they had had. Well, we didn’t talk a lot. What do I tell her? The first thing that came into Pinkies mind about the griffon shot out of her mouth. “Oh, she was really mean, actually! I wasn’t surprised, because I hear that Griffons eat ponies! I didn’t say anything about it, though.” Pinkie Pie immediately regretted the lie as soon as she said it. Gilda hadn’t shown any signs of being a mean griffon, and if Rainbow Dash liked her.. then she couldn’t have been that bad! “Oh my!” Rarity exclaimed, her mane bouncing to the dramatic movements that the unicorn was making with her head. “I never expected that! I hope I don’t run into her- She sounds like an absolute brute.” Pinkie Pie was about to explain she actually didn’t know when the phone in Rarity’s boutique began to ring. The unicorn’s horn glowed with grayish-pink light as she pulled the phone over with her magic, pulling up the headpiece and answering it. “Hello? Oh, yes. Yes, definitely! Really, by next Thursday?” The pony engaged into conversation, waving Pinkie Pie away with a rather rude gesture. Pinkie Pie’s ears drooped. Another friend I can’t play with. And with that, she left the boutique. Walking about, the small pink equine pondered the possibilities. I can’t go to Applejack now, she’s all angry at me! And Rarity’s being a meany-pants.. Rainbow Dash is busy- I know! I’ll go see Twilight Sparkle! The frizzy-maned mare bounced off in search for her flowery unicorn friend. Pinkie Pie hopped through the door of Twilight Sparkles tree house, trotting past the downstairs library and whisked up the stairs. She found Twilight sleeping in a cozy-enough looking bed, looking exhausted. A pile of open books were on top of her, and she was snoring louder than Pinkie Pie thought she was capable of. Her messy purple fringe fell in her face, and her lavender body was scarcely visible under the pile of duvets she was under. Her face looked extremely disconcerted, Spike was curled up in the crook of her stomach, their purple colours schemed perfectly. The green spines on his back were flat and his tail was curved into his stomach. He looked much like a sleeping puppy with his owner. Pinkie Pie smiled, a feeling of warmth igniting within her from seeing this adorable sight. I’ll just wait for them to wake up.. Pinkie Pie grabbed a pink-and-green book off Twilight’s chest, flipping it over to a random page and beginning to read it. The page appeared to contain some sort of spell. It was in the older Equestrian language, but Pinkie Pie could make out but a couple of words- The word dream here, the word future there, the word ancestor dabbled back and forth. Luckily, it was illustrated(Pinkie Pie didn’t know Twilight read picture books!). There was a picture of a unicorn, seemingly casting some sort of spell. Another of the same unicorn curled up in sleep, and the last one at the bottom was much like the one above it, except the unicorn had a thought bubble on top of it and a picture of a very old unicorn inside it. Hm.. future, ancestor, and dream? Is Twilight trying to see the future? Pinkie wondered, glancing at her purple pony pal. She looked very content now, her face settling into a small frown, her cheekbones obtuse and her eyes squeezed tightly shut. I wonder what she’s looking at? Pinkie Pie took a step towards Twilight, resting her chin on the unicorns chest and watching her flanks rise up, down. Up, down. The curly-maned pony sighed. This wasn’t how I wanted to spend my day.. The earth pony just watched Twilight Sparkle, staring at her eyelids. She kept in this position for what seemed like forever, but in actuality was only an hour and a half. During this time, Pinkie had inched closer, and closer, and closer to Twilight until she was touching muzzles with the pony, keeping her gaze on her eyelids. The pair of purple blinds fluttered open, revealing a pair of deep indigo eyes. The lavender unicorn sat up straight in her bed, pushing both her Amethyst duvet and the pink earth pony off of her, shouting in surprise. “Ahh!- Oh, Pinkie Pie! ..What are you doing here?” Twilight slowly got out of the bed, looking at Pinkie Pie curiously. “Oh, you’re awake! What was that suuuuper-cool, uber-neat spell you were doing in your sleep?” Pinkie Pie asked excitedly, beating around the bush of Twilight Sparkles question. “Oh, it’s a—“ “Is it a spell to see the future? Huh huh huh?” Pinkie Pie took three steps forward, pressing her nose against Twilight Sparkles. The surprised unicorn took a step backwards, only finding the wall of her tree behind her. “Yes, actually. I found a spell in one of my books that supposedly shows you the future.” The lavender pony restated everything she had learned from her slumber. “I also learned that by next year..you’llbedead.” Twilight trailed off at the last part, mumbling softly. Pinkie Pie frowned, bouncing closer to her. “What’s that, Twilight? I couldn’t hear you!” She angled one ear towards the unicorns mouth, listening closely. “By next month you’ll be dead.” Twilight covered her face with a hoof, half expecting Pinkie Pie to lunge at her. Pinkie Pie shook her head, her ears flopping from side to side. “Twilight, I still didn’t hear you!” “By tomorrow you’ll be dead!” Twilight flinched, taking a step back. The pink earth pony just laughed nervously, her sky blue eyes shimmering uneasily. “Haha! That’s silly. There’s no reason for me to die!” The unicorn frowned. “Look at the evidence, Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy’s gone. Who next?” Her tone was serious. Oh no, she’s not kidding around! Pinkie Pie turned around. “Okie Dokie Lokie! We’ll just have to see, I guess.. Buh-bye Twilight!” Pinkie Pie hopped down the stairs and out of the treehouse. That was odd. Oh well, Twilight can’t be a smart smartie-pants all the time! A smile crossed Pinkie’s face as she bounced along, passing through the town square. It was quiet. Too quiet, actually. The town square was full of ponies- why not loud, too? Ponies were all gathered around, and they seemed to be talking about something- something urgent. Pinkie Pie spotted a purple-and-white coat, she dbounced over to Rarity. “Rarity, what’s going on?” The magenta mare asked, curious. Raritys eyes lit up in delight. “Pinkie, I’m glad you’re here! I was thinking, and I thought that we could drive that revolting griffon.. Grina, was it? Ah, no matter. Drive her out of Ponyville!” Pinkie Pie’s mouth dropped. Oh, no! This isn’t going to turn out well! Not. At. All! Looking up, Pinkie Pie could see a brownish figure and a blue figure soaring through the sky, both settling on the cobblestone street outside the town square. Rainbow Dash exchanged a few words with the griffon, then took off again. The griffon began to walk towards town square, curious what was up. As she walked, the crowd of ponies parted to let her through, horrified expressions on their faces. Murmurs of “It’s the griffon!” and “Pinkie Pie said that she was a monster!” Rang throughout. The griffon picked up on every phrase said- most of them containing the name of a certain frizzy-maned pony. “Who’s this Pinkie Pie I’m hearing about?” The griffon demanded, growling angrily. How dare they talk about her like that! The ponies all pointed at a small pink filly with frizzy maroon mane, her eyes reflecting the colour of the sky.. and fear. “You dweeb! How could you talk about me like that? You’re so lame! At least Rainbow Dash was cool! I thought all ponies were nice, but you’re just a loser!” The griffon roared, blowing Pinkie Pie’s hair backwards. Said pony stepped forward to the griffon, rage crossing her face. “I’m not the loser! YOU are!” She walked forward, sizing up to Gilda and pushing her backwards. “Because you’re stealing Rainbow Dash from me! You’re just a big, fat, mean… MEANIE-PANTS!” Pinkie Pie growled with the same tone the winged lion had used, her blue eyes flashing with blinding rage. Without thinking it over, the pink pony lunged forward and bit the griffon on a paw, twisting it and flipping the lionesque creature over. The griffon screeched in pain, but got to its feet anyway. While Pinkie Pie was attached to her paw, Gilda raised her up and slammed her into the ground, her legs shaking with the effort. The two creatures soon became a writhing, screaming, dust-spraying cloud of claws, beaks and hooves. “You stole her!” Pinkie Pie screamed, latching onto Gildas tail and pulling it as hard as she could. Gilda pulled her tail(and the magenta equine) out in front of her, slamming her into the ground. “I did not!” She growled as they tussled. “You’re just a stupid, dumb, DWEEB!” Rainbow Dash kicked out the last cloud, watching it evaporate into dust and water vapor. Ten seconds flat! She thought proudly, floating easily towards Ponyville. Looking down, her eyes widened. In the town square, ponies were gathered in a circle, all seemingly chanting something. Their expressions were unknown to Rainbow, as she couldn’t see from her point of vision. A party? Without me? The Pegasus fluttered her way over. The ponies in town square were all cheering Pinkie Pie on, but despite the encouragement, she was losing. Gilda picked up the weak equine, flapping her large wings once, twice. The two animals soared up, higher and higher, until they reached the cloud tops. Rainbow Dash looked over and saw them. Gilda? What’s she doing with Pinkie Pie? The sky-blue Pegasus shot over, arriving just in time to hear Gilda whisper in Pinkie Pies ear, “Sweet dreams.” And then she dropped.

Pkrockinomega

240

Adventure,Romance

The Strike of a Blade

incomplete

<p>Neonite, a loyal guard of Ponyville and Cloudsdale, has a crush on another pegasus that lives in Ponyville. Everyday he tries to tell her his feelings for her, but whenever he does, he just hesitates and avoids her, making him angry at himself. One day, a horde of monsters attack Ponyville and Cloudsdale, and takes the pegasus far away, very deep into the Everfree Forest. He&#39;s given an order from his master to drive back the monsters that invaded Ponyville and Cloudsdale, and to go retrieve the kidnapped girl pegasus. Neonite sees this as his chance to finally confess his love for her.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T22:13:36+00:00

It was a beautiful morning in Cloudsdale. The sky was clear, and the sun shined it's beauty all across Equestria. A pegasus with a dark blue coat and a black mane exits his house with a bag on his back. A brown pegasus stops him. "'Ey, where ya going, Neo?", said the brown pegasus. "Ponyville. Why?", responded Neonite. The brown pegasus became suspicious of what Neonite had. "What's in 'dat bag?", asked the brown pegasus. "Oh, n-nothing. Look at the time! Gotta be off! Bye!", and Neonite flew off. "That guy is so weird...", the brown pegasus mumbled to himself. Neonite landed in Ponyville, with the mysterious contents of his bag intact. "Oh Celestia, if Samuel knew what I had in here, I'd never hear the end of it from that guy...", Neonite thought. Neonite casually walked toward a house with many plants and animals infront. So much, infact, that it almost looked like a barn. It even had a chicken coop in front. Whoever owned this house must have really loved animals. Neonite walked up to the door of this house, and raised his left hoof to knock. Just then, Neonite pulled his hoof away and thought "No...not today.", and flew back up to Cloudsdale. Back in Cloudsdale, Neonite entered his house, threw his bag onto his bed in anger of himself went to his desk. He slammed his head on his desk and yelled, "Damn it! Why am I so hesitant?! Why can't I just tell her?! WHY?!?!", and he fell asleep on his desk.

Pkrockinomega

240

Adventure,Romance

The Strike of a Blade

incomplete

<p>Neonite, a loyal guard of Ponyville and Cloudsdale, has a crush on another pegasus that lives in Ponyville. Everyday he tries to tell her his feelings for her, but whenever he does, he just hesitates and avoids her, making him angry at himself. One day, a horde of monsters attack Ponyville and Cloudsdale, and takes the pegasus far away, very deep into the Everfree Forest. He&#39;s given an order from his master to drive back the monsters that invaded Ponyville and Cloudsdale, and to go retrieve the kidnapped girl pegasus. Neonite sees this as his chance to finally confess his love for her.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T22:06:41+00:00

"Ugh, what time is it?", Neonite mumbles as he wakes up. Neonite looks out his window and sees a full moon in a star-covered sky. "Oh no, I'm late!", thinks Neonite as he quickly gets up from his desk and gets his trusty sword, the Lunar Punishment. The Lunar Punishment is a big two hoofed sword with a purple blade. Supposedly, the sword's blade was crafted out of a special mineral only found on the moon. With the Lunar Punishment strapped on Neonite's back in a big metal holster. Without hesitation, he flies to the outskirts of Ponyville, where a big green pegasus with brown hair and blazing red eyes waited. Neonite said in a frantic voice "I-I'm sorry, sir, I was just--", "No time! Look!", interrupted the other pegasus as he pointed toward a horde of monsters rushing from the front of the Everfree Forest into Ponyville. "You're slacking off allowed those fiends to escape the Everfree Forest! If it were up to me, I'd throw you in a dungeon, but the princess gave you orders to drive back those monsters!", yelled the big pegasus. Just then, two beat up looking Earth Ponies rushed from the village and collasped in front of Neonite and his master. "The Hydra, it got a pegasus!", answered one of the exhausted ponies. "Who? What's the pegasus' name?", begged Neonite's master. "I'm not sure, but her coat is pale yellow and her hair is pink.", said the earth pony. "She really loves animals, woodland ones especially.", added the other earth pony. "Flu...Flutter...", Neonite mumbled. "What the hay are you babbling about?!", demanded Neonite's master. "N-nothing...", answered Neonite. "I want you to get in there and kill as many as those monsters as you can! That's an order!", yelled Neonite's master. "Y-yes, sir!", responded Neonite. And just like that, Neonite dashed into Ponyville, thinking "...I hope she's okay...".

TigerDusk

242

Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life

Dusk in PonyVille

incomplete

<p>Tiger Dusk, a pony who has been away from PonyVille for the longest time has finally come back to start life a new and finds that a few of his old friends are still there. Amongst them being the filly of his dreams, Apple Jack.<br /><br />Romance, and action.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T23:13:53+00:00

Chap 1 Tiger Dusk stood at the entrance of Ponyville and took a deep breath. He was a pony with a charcole black mane, and orange body. His eyes looked around glowing an almost mysterious green. The sun was going down, but he was happy that he had finally arrived. "I haven't been here for almost 15 years... I wonder if my friends live here still?" he said outloud to himself. Nothing had changed... not that much anyways. There was the Sugar Cube Corner and the Library. He smiled as he started to walk towards the pastery shop. He had fond memories of this place. As he was about to open the door to the shop, another pony opened the door knocking him to the ground. "Oof," he closed his eyes in a slight pain as he rubbed his nose. "Omygosh sorry! Hereletmehelpyouupnewpony!" a pink pony with seemingly 'balloony hair if you will' offered a hoof."It's ok...umm Pinkie Pie? Tiger looked at her for a moment. "YUP! that's my name!" she smiled and then looked at him with a confused look, "how do you know my name strange I don't remember telling my name to a Tiger colored pony like you?" "It's been a while but I guess you don't remember," Tiger laughed, "the name is Tiger Dusk". "Tiger ... Dusk.." Pinkie Pie thought for a second and her eyes grew wide, she seemed to float in mid air for a second as she let out one of those big gasps. "TIGER!" she hugged him tightly. He laughed. "We GOTTA HAVE A PARTY!" Pinkie Pie bounced in the same spot. Tiger smiled, "maybe a bit later... but definatly! I remember your parties being the best!" "Okie doki lokie!~" Pinkie Pie said in a sing song voice. "So what brought you here Tiger?" Pinkie Pie asked as she motioned for him to enter the shop. "Actually, I'm on vacation for the first time in forever," Tiger said almost quietly as he looked down at the floor. "Ooooo!" Pinkie Pie smiled,"the last time I saw you, we were like only little ponies! and and yeah! APPLE JACK will so be happy to hear that you are back!" "She's still around?" Tiger's eyes grew wide as he felt his heart rate jump slightly. "Hee hee, of course silly, Apple Jack would never leave the farm!" Pinkie Pie jumped in a circle around Tiger who's face had turned a slight brighter orange, "that's really good to know..." "Ummm excuse me... Pinkie Pie? Ma sis is asking if those cupcakes are ready?" came a small filly's voice from behind Tiger. "Oh hey Applebloom!" Pinkie Pie quickly grabbed a small basket filled with cupcakes filled to the brim in her mouth and handed it over to the small filly. She was a yellow cream color and had a big bow in her red mane. "Applebloom! you won't guess who this guy is!" Pinkie Pie had a large grin on her face as she pointed to Tiger. Applebloom put down the basket and trotted over to get a closer look. "Huh..." she examined him closley. "Oh common Pinkie... she was really little back then," Tiger looked away. "But! she was always hanging off your tail! And she called you brother just like Big Macintosh!" Pinkie thought of it for a second and giggled, "aww it was the cutest thing!" "...." AppleBloom stopped and took a good look at his face. "...hmm... looks familiar," AppleBloom frowned as she thought. Tiger turned around to face Pinkie and as he did that his tail swished for a moment. AppleBloom's eyes lightened up as she quickly grabbed it and laughed, "BIG BROTHER TIGER CAME BACK!!!" Tiger's eyes widened as he felt the filly hanging off his tail, and turned his head to see her clinging to it tightly. "SEEEEE?" Pinkie Pie grinned, "we didn't totally forget about you!" Tiger looked at AppleBloom again and smiled, "been a while hasn't it AppleBloom? and you grew up to be a big pony huh?" "That's right!" AppleBloom smiled as she let go, "told ya Imma big pony! Omygosh Big Sis and Big Brother are so going to wanna hear about this!" Pinkie Pie tilted her head upside down and in a sing song voice once again said "PARTY!~" "Pinkie Pie, I just gotta see how everyone is doing before we have a party" Tiger insisted. "Where did you go big bro? after you helped with that one apple sale.. you left and we never saw you again... sis was so sad, I was pretty sad too!" AppleBloom's eyes were wiggling with tears. "Hey now... big ponies don't cry" Tiger knelt down and gently brushed away the tears, "tell ya what, I'll tell you all about it when I come to meet your sis and bro, how's that sound?" "Okay!" AppleBloom grabbed Tiger's hoof and picked up the cupcake basket. "I'm coming too!" Pinkie Pie grinned. She bounced alongside the two. "One thing's for sure" Tiger sighed, "it's good to be back."

TigerDusk

242

Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life

Dusk in PonyVille

incomplete

<p>Tiger Dusk, a pony who has been away from PonyVille for the longest time has finally come back to start life a new and finds that a few of his old friends are still there. Amongst them being the filly of his dreams, Apple Jack.<br /><br />Romance, and action.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T23:15:04+00:00

Chap 2 Inside the library a purple unicorn pony was running around franticly. "Spike! Spike? Have you seen my spell book on how to 'untrol..'" she stopped as she saw the baby dragon hold up the spell book she was looking for. "Thanks Spike! I'm sure this will help Celestia GREATLY" (frowns at all you people who think Celestia is a troll) "Twilight, it's getting kinda late, are you gonna stay up again?" Spike asked. "Not as late as last night but I might have to stay up to get this spell working," she flipped open the book. "AHAHA and you know what? it was ALL about the oatmeal... I thought it was crazy at first but it TOTALLY makes sense now!" Pinkie Pie's voice could be heard outside from Twilight's window. Twilight climbed up to the window and opened it. "Hey Pinkie Pie... what are you doing out so late? And... who is that pony?" Twilight looked at the group and she noticed AppleBloom and the new pony. "This is a really really super super old old friend of mine!" PinkiePie jumped up to the window and was face to face with Twilight Sparkle now. "Hey... I think I know you?" Tiger looked up at Twilight, "you were with Princess Celestia as her selected student right?" Twilight blinked a few seconds and asked, "how did you know?" "I used to live in Canterlot too... while I was training to be a gaurd" Tiger brushed the back of his mane with his left hoof. “Well welcome to PonyVille… I am sure it’s quite the change of scenary from Canterlot, but you have got to excuse me… I have to get back to this spell, have a good evening,” Twilight nodded her head as she closed the window. “Twilight do you know that guy?” Spike asked. “I know I’ve seen him somewhere before,” Twilight Sparkle thought out loud. ---outside--- “Ah wonder what’s got her in such a hurry?” Apple Bloom asked Pinkie Pie, “oh you know Twilight! She’s always hitting those books… I still think she should read them” she stood there a moment pondering and quickly changed the subject, “Tiger you went to Canterlot?” “Yeah… I’ve been around equestria…” he paused at the uncomfortable subject, he thought about it for a moment and shook his head, “I’ll tell you about it later though, we should really get going though your sis is probably really worried about you not being home yet” Tiger turned his head to Apple Bloom who’s eyes grew wide. “YOU’RE RIGHT!” she took off in a hurry. “We’d better hurry too,” Tiger motioned for Pinkie Pie to follow. ---Sweet Apple Acres--- “Apple Bloom, where in tarnation have you been? Ah send you to get a few cupcakes and ya disappear for more then an hour?” a orange pony with a cowboy hat and blond hair was scolding Apple Bloom. “Aw.. don’t be so hard on her Apple Jack,” Tiger came down the road towards the farm, “besides we were with her”. Pinkie Pie jumped along, “guess who? Guess who?” Apple Jack looked suspiciously at Tiger. “Yer new here… aren’t ya?” “Mmmm… nope” Tiger shook his head. “…” Apple Jack stared. “Sigh…” Tiger shrugged at Pinkie Pie. “Funny… you used to always talk about the pony who got you that hat a long time ago..” Pinkie Pie helped with a cheerful smile. “Mah hat?” Apple Jack paused as she grabbed it with a hoof and held it, “…it was given to me by a precious friend a very long time ago, he spent all his hard earned bits to get me this hat and disappeared after that” Apple Jack looked up at Tiger Dusk who looked away with a small smile. “It’s kinda nice to see you kept it in such a nice shape Apple Jack” he said quietly. “Mah stars…” Apple Jack walked over and softly nuzzled him, “yer back”. “…” Tiger turned a very bright orange, “uh umm yeah!” he smiled nervously. “That’s what I was tryin to tell you SIS!” Apple Bloom cried out. “Ya still should’ve been back sooner! Ah was worried about you!” Apple Jack turned around back to her little sister, “ah well.. the important thing is that your home and sound safe, thanks Pinkie and Tiger” Apple Jack smiled. “No problem!” Pinkie Pie bounced up and down. “You stayin anywhere Tiger?” Apple Jack asked Tiger who paused to think and realized that he hadn’t thought about that. “Uh… actually” Tiger looked down at his hooves for his stupidity. “Say no more, you can stay here,” she ran around behind Tiger and started pushing him towards the farm. “Are you sure..?” “Ah won’t take NO for an answer” Apple Jack gave him another gentle push as she turned around to Pinkie Pie. “Thanks again fer the cupcakes sugarcube” Apple Jack smiled. “Hope you like them! TIGER remember we gotta have that party!!!” Pinkie Pie waved as she turned around and skipped for home. “See ya Pinkie!” Apple Bloom waved as she followed her sister and Tiger into the farm. “Big Macintosh you ain’t gonna belive who I found outside!” Apple Jack exclaimed as she opened the door to the house behind the large red barn. “Naw… it couldn’t be?” the big red pony lifted a eye brow and walked towards Tiger. “Eeeeeeyup?” Tiger grinned. “Commere little bro!” he laughed as he gave Tiger a noogie. “Hee hee” Tiger laughed. “Ya got some might big explainin to do mister,” Apple Jack looked at Tiger with a small frown. “I guess I do.. don’t I?” he looked at the family. “Oh… before I begin where’s Granny Smith?” he looked around. “She’s upstairs sleepin, you can say ‘hi’ tomorrow” Big Mac nodded. “Ok.. so here’s my story…” Tiger took a deep breath.

TigerDusk

242

Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life

Dusk in PonyVille

incomplete

<p>Tiger Dusk, a pony who has been away from PonyVille for the longest time has finally come back to start life a new and finds that a few of his old friends are still there. Amongst them being the filly of his dreams, Apple Jack.<br /><br />Romance, and action.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T23:16:04+00:00

Chap 3 “It all started on the day we had that crazy apple sale, remember? No one was buying them so Apple Jack and I went into town and advertised…with not much luck, that’s when we figured out that we’d have to do something different with the apples rather then just selling them as is. It’s always about the options! Anyways we decided to ask Granny Smith on how to make apple treats,” he paused and smiled fondly at the memory, Apple Jack added, “it was mah birthday that day too!” “Yup, and I had the most marvelous plan up my sleeve, earlier that day when we had gone into town that day I saw AJ here eyeing a pretty cool looking Cowboy hat, and I knew then and there it would be the best present for her, so we both worked hard that day, and after we got our shares of bits I hoofed it back into town, and bought it” “Ah couldn’t belive it… he used every single last bit he earned to get me that hat… it was so expensive” Apple Jack blushed. “Well.. it was a birthday present… but at the same time it was a apology present as well.. you see earlier that day my parents had told me that I would be enrolled in Canterlot to become a guard… personally I hated the idea, I never liked standing still in one place or fighting. I was so sad. I was leaving ALL of my best friends behind,” Tiger sighed remembering just how depressed he was about that day, “when we first moved to PonyVille you and Pinkie Pie were the only ones that played with me and then I met Big Mac and cute little AppleBloom was born. Those days are irreplaceable.” “So that’s why you were in such a hurry that day, why in the hay didn’t you tell me?” Apple Jack almost glared at Tiger, who looked away, “I..didn’t want to say good bye” he said quietly. “Ya KNOW I worried a LOT about you!” angry tears filled Apple Jack’s eyes, “Ah ran up to PonyVille the next day only to find a completely empty house where you and yer family were stayin!!” Apple Jack exclaimed. “I’m so sorry, for everything” he backed away. “Sis let him tell his story,” Big Mac had taken a seat in a comfort chair. “It better be good or else I’m gonna buck you so hard you ain’t gonna know what hit you” Apple Jack looked away. “I went to Canterlot, and I started training as a guard. Surprisingly I wasn’t too bad with the sword, but I still hated fighting. Years passed, not a day went by when I didn’t think of you AJ,” Tiger murmered the last bit out and was barely out of hearing range which made the 3 other ponies look at him, “I didn’t hear that last part Tiger,” Apple Jack looked at him with curiosity. “Nothing” Tiger shook his head and continued, “I got promoted to Knights. Princess Celestia has guards who stand watch and protect her and Canterlot… but Knights are the ponies who are sent all around Equestria to protect other ponies and nations. “Ah didn’t know there was another group like that!” AppleBloom’s eyes went wide. “Trust me…it isn’t that glamorous” Tiger muttered, “I was first assigned to a place called Hoofington, that place apparently had been under the attack of a certain darkness…” Tiger winced at the thought of the place. “Darkness?” Apple Jack looked at him. “Yes, according to the Princess it was the same darkness that had attached to her dear sister Princess Luna, that darkness wasn’t just limited to ‘Nightmare moon’ you know, it was a much greater force before… before the elements of Harmony were created. Princess Celestia used those elements and shattered the Darkness, but that same Darkness managed to survive and take a hold of many areas of Equestria… along with Princess Luna. That is why Princess Celestia formed the Knights of Equestria to protect where she could not reach, 1000 years along with a 100 generation of Knights. She desperately wanted to protect everyone from the Darkness but those areas are always shrouded … you all should know, the Evergreen forest is one of them” Tiger mentioned the name sending shivers down Apple Bloom’s back, she remembered that one incident with the Cockatrice, and how Fluttershy’s bravery had saved the day. “So what do ya’ll do there in these ‘shrouded areas’ then?” Apple Jack asked. “We go inside… to the very core, and we stamp out the darkness mirror… once that happens light is let in and the Darkness dissipates” Tiger explained. “That doesn’t sound too hard” Big Macintosh said. “Stamping the mirror isn’t that hard… it’s just what the Darkness does” Tiger closed his eyes, “it tests your very resolve, it stretches your mind to the limits and leaves a cold fear inside of you… that’s why only a select few ponies are ever made into Knights, I didn’t like it one bit, but I was one of the only ones who could do it along with the other Knights… dear Sol Lune my friend … how I miss you” Tiger seemed to stare off into the distance. “Tiger ye aren’t gonna get anywhere if you keep on mumbling like that!” Apple Jack had gotten a little annoyed at Tiger’s dazed states. “I’m sorry” he shook his head, “anyways Hoofington was a actual town that had been taken… there were no ponies there anymore, houses were crumbling and it was colder then winter inside…” ---Skies above PonyVille--- “Well that takes care of tomorrow’s forecast!” a light blue Peguses pony with rainbow hair stretched. “Though… the skies are looking pretty different tonight,” she tilted her head and shrugged as she flew off into the clouds.

TigerDusk

242

Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life

Dusk in PonyVille

incomplete

<p>Tiger Dusk, a pony who has been away from PonyVille for the longest time has finally come back to start life a new and finds that a few of his old friends are still there. Amongst them being the filly of his dreams, Apple Jack.<br /><br />Romance, and action.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T23:16:50+00:00

Chap 4 ---Back on the farm--- “So did ya stamp the Darkness Mirror out?” Apple Jack asked as she walked over to Tiger and sat down beside him. “Yes…but at the cost of a friend that was with me,” Tiger gritted his teeth trying to hold back his tears. “Sol Lune was one of my best friends within the Knights, his skill with the lance was unparalled, they say he was the pony who could jump as high as the sun, and strike the heart of darkness like the moon,” Tiger brushed a few tears away. “By golly, what happened?” Apple Jack’s anger had died down and was feeling sympathetic with him now. “It was just the two of us… if we had, had more ponies with us it wouldn’t have ended the way it did…the whole town might have been empty of ponies… but shadows of the Darkness kept on attacking us from every direction. It’s as if they were tearing away from the very fabric of the shadow and forming physically in front of us. We fought and fought. We fought for what seemed like hours. Our muscles ached. We had so many cuts and scratches, and I felt as if I were about to pass out. We managed to finally reach the center, the very core of Hoofington. I could tell… it was the darkest there. Usually only one pony is allowed into the core to destroy the mirror. It’s all the space it has. We were back to back. I was facing the mirror’s direction, and he was fighting off the shadows. ‘Get your flank in there, and stamp that mirror out!’ was what he yelled at me before he smirked and bucked me into the core. The moment I entered, I felt as if an icy griffon’s claw had clenched itself around my heart. It was very difficult to breath, but I saw the mirror gleaming in front of me. As I looked into it I saw a reflection of something horrible, something I won’t share … not now anyways,” Tiger shuddered, “I stamped it with my hooves, I stamped it with all my might, and as it shattered the whole world seemed to leak out with color. The shadows were blown away and light seemed to rain in. I could see the grass, and flowers. Everything was warm once again. I turned around to congratulate Sol Lune…” Tiger’s head hung low now, “he was on the ground, and he wasn’t moving” “Oh… hun..” Apple Jack held Tiger close. Apple Bloom had run over and was hugging him too. “That day, I ran away, I never wanted that to happen again… I wanted to run away to the far ends of Equestria, were no one would find me..” “But runnin ain’t gonna solve anything” Big Macintosh shook his head. “I know,” Tiger nodded his head. “That’s why I came here, I came here to destroy the Darkness Mirror in the Evergreen forest,” he said. “Actually… Ah don’t think ya have to worry too much about the Evergreen forest anymore,” Apple Jack gave a warm smile, “while you were gone, me and my group of friends, took care of Nightmare Moon inside of the Evergreen forest” she said proudly. Tiger stood there his eyes bulged for a moment, “ho.. how?” he stuttered. “There was a pony that came down from Canterlot, her name is Twilight Sparkle, and she’s really into studyin… and apparently Nightmare Moon was comin back after being trapped on the moon for 1000 years and all that. At first I thought she was hoppin mad, but Nightmare Moon really did appear and she had captured Princess Celestia, and was threatenin every single pony with eternal night. Twilight really seemed to know what was goin on, so I followed her along with mah other friends, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. The forest itself was pretty darn dangerous… traps, monsters and obsticles that we probably wouldn’t have been able to overcome if our friends weren’t there. It wasn’t until later when Twi was being attacked by Nightmare Moon that we discovered that we were the spirits of the elements of Harmony,” Apple Jack looked at a completely stunned Tiger. “You are… one of the spirits of Harmony?” Tiger’s mouth was wide open now. “Eeeyup,” Big Macintosh conformed it. “Ah’m the Element of Honesty, Rainbow Dash is Loyalty, Fluttershy is Kindness, Rarity is Generosity, Pinkie Pie is Laughter and Twilight is Magic, we destroyed the Darkness that surrounded Nightmare Moon… come to think of it, when Ah saw that armor of hers that she was wearin it looked pretty shiny and dark… kinda like a mirror almost you could say,” Apple Jack finished with a thoughtful look. “I can’t believe that two of my first friends were elements of harmony!” Tiger exclaimed, still in kind of a shocked state. “It took real friendship to create the magic that destroyed that darkness, and to top it off… we saved the Princess and her sister” “Well.. I guess I’m not needed here then,” Tiger laughed, almost sadly. “Whatcha going on about now?” Apple Jack frowned. “Well I came back to destroy the darkness inside of Evergreen forest, but you all took care of it yourselves,” “so? That doesn’t meen you ain’t needed here!” Apple Jack’s voice rose again. “Ya can stay as long as ya like,” Big Macintosh smiled. “Please don’t leave again…big brother Tiger” Apple Bloom’s eyes wiggled again with tears. “Can work with us again,” Apple Jack turned her head away, in a huffy sort of away, “ya know… buckin the apples like we used to do?” “You’d let me do that?” Tiger turned to Apple Jack, who was blushing now. “Hey.. Ah don’t go back on my word ya know? Yer gonna work hard though…” “Yeah I know” “And it ain’t like that Knight fancy shmancy stuff” “Doesn’t matter to me,” “Alright then let’s all mosey on to bed,” Apple Jack turned around and started for the stairs that lead upstairs, she had a small smile on her face, “Tiger, you can use the upstairs room of the barn tonight, while we get the guest room set up fer ya. I’ll bring out some warm blankets and pillows in just a bit,” she said as she climbed the stairs. “…Thanks Apple Jack,” Tiger smiled. “I only like hard and honest workin ponies,” she called back. “Common, I’ll show ya the room, Apple Bloom, you’d better get to bed, you silly filly don’cha got school tomorrow?” Big Macintosh asked. “Oh yeah…” Apple Bloom sighed, “well anyways! It’s good that yer stayin here Tiger! Goodnight!” she waved as she climbed up the stairs too. “Follow me bro,” Big Macintosh said as he opened the door and the two walked outside. “You know… Ah haven’t see her swing her moods so much in a long time… I reckon she’s just really happy to see you again,” Big Macintosh gave a small chortle. “She seemed kinda angry at me..” Tiger Dusk laughed a little nervously. “Eh she’s just a little ticked that you didn’t come back sooner,” Big Macintosh smiled as he opened the door to the barn, “you’ll find the room just up these stairs,” “thanks big bro,” “it’s good to have ya back Tiger Dusk, oh and sis should be out soon, have a good night bro,” Big Macintosh waved and left. “Night,” Tiger called out, and headed up the stairs. It was one of those spacious rooms, with bales of hay lined up nicely against the wall. He walked over to a small desk and saw a lamp. He turned it on. He took a deep breath and let it out. It smelled so nostalgic. He saw the bed sitting next to the window. “Ya like it up here Tiger?” Apple Jack’s voice made him jump. “Uh yeah,” Tiger smiled, “I was just remembering how we used to play up here” “I’m glad yer back Tiger,” Apple Jack walked past him and lay down the blanket that was draped over her back, she then went about setting up his bed. “Remember, yer gonna work hard!” she reminded him over her shoulder. “Don’t worry… I know how to work hard” Tiger answered. “Good..wouldn’t have my stallion any other way” she whispered to herself. “Huh?” Tiger asked. “Nuthin!” Apple Jack answered quickly as she finished the bed, “there ya go, Tiger all ready for ya” Apple Jack turned around and walked towards him. “Umm Apple Jack?” Tiger blushed, “hmm?” “thanks again” “you got a lot of time to make up for ya know that right?” “I’m not going anywhere for a long while” “Good, seeya in the mornin then!” Apple Jack walked by, and as she did she swished her tail against his. “Wow..” Tiger Dusk breathed out as he watched her close the barn door.

TigerDusk

242

Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life

Dusk in PonyVille

incomplete

<p>Tiger Dusk, a pony who has been away from PonyVille for the longest time has finally come back to start life a new and finds that a few of his old friends are still there. Amongst them being the filly of his dreams, Apple Jack.<br /><br />Romance, and action.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T23:17:37+00:00

Chap 5 The sounds of birds chirping, told him he had to get up. It had been like that for when he was a little colt. Tiger sat up, and found a puppy curled up on the foot of his bed. “Hmm? Oh!” Tiger smiled at the familiar face. “You are Wiona?” he looked at the puppy who stirred a little and got up. “Woof” she panted. “Time to get to work huh?” Tiger asked as he got out of bed and quickly ran down the steps. The cold morning air greeted him as he opened the barn door. “Just like old times…” he started for the shed where the apple buckets were always kept. He then grabbed a saddle with 2 hooks on each side and placed a bucket on each hook. “The apples are callin,” he gave the Apple Jack accent a try, and grinned at Wiona who ran around with happy yips and barks. Tiger ran over to an apple tree and gave it a well aimed buck, as this happened the tree shook hard and the apples started to fall. “Hmm… I guess all that training did come in handy after all” he smiled, as he got all the apples into the buckets. “Though… I think I am gonna need more then just buckets now… hehe..” ---Later--- “Hmm Ah wonder if Tiger’s awake yet” Apple Jack rubbed her eyes as she tied her hair up into the usual pony tail. She grabbed her cowboy hat as she left the room and left the house. She came up to the barn and called out “hay, sleepy head wake up!” “Who’s the sleepy head now?” Tiger’s voice came from across the yard near the fences. “Huh?” Apple Jack’s eyes grew wide as she saw the large wagon filled with apples along with multiple buckets filled to the brim littered around him. “Hehe… I kinda forgot where they go after I pick em though…” Tiger gave a sheepish smile. “How in wide world of equestria did you get so many?” Apple Jack asked. “I just bucked the trees like I usually do…?” Tiger answered. Apple Jack then looked over at the area behind Tiger and saw that the apple trees were all empty. “You got them all.. down?” she asked in a small voice. “Yup” Tiger nodded. “Just how far did you go?” Apple Jack started walking over to him. “Mmm.. I did about a quarter of Apple Acres?” “What in the hay? How early did you wake up?” “Just 2 hrs ago..” “And you did all of that?” “Uh huh,” Tiger tilted his head a little confused at Apple Jack’s reaction. “No pony around here can buck that hard to get apples clean off a tree in one go..” Apple Jack stared at Tiger Dusk’s flank. It was the first time she had noticed his cutie mark, a small black paw. “Well here, grab that empty bucket over there and I’ll show ya,” Tiger motioned for her to follow him. Wiona came out from the mass of trees with an apple in her mouth. “Hmm I see ya found one that went astray” Tiger laughed, “good girl~” Wiona dropped the apple by Tiger’s front hooves and panted. “You sure have a way with dogs huh?” Apple Jack came over to Wiona and nuzzled the puppy. “She’s really cute, and really smart,” Tiger nodded. “Well anyways show me this so called amazing method of knocking them apples down from the tree with a single buck,” Apple Jack turned her head to Tiger who walked over to another apple tree that was filled with ripe apples. “All I do is…” Tiger turned around so that his hind legs were facing the tree.  The tree shook and the apples started raining. “….” Apple Jack stood there dumbfounded. “Umm maybe it’s cause I ran with the Ferrari brothers,” Tiger laughed a little. “The Ferrari brothers?” Apple Jack looked at Tiger with a lifted eye brow. “Yeah, when I was in Stallioni, I was really pushed around by a lot of the bigger ponies over there… I was determined to out run them all someday, so I practiced every morning building up the muscles in my legs” Tiger smiled, “and eventually I was able to out run a lot of them.. cept the Ferrari brothers hehe… I guess you could say they are the equivalent of the umm what were they called in Cloudsdale again? Oh umm the Wonder Bolts! Yeah the Ferrari brothers are the fastest on land! They always wear these cool red and yellow uniforms, and they are pure black ponies. We’d race and race, but I could never keep up with them, but we did become good friends,” Tiger explained. “Jus how far did you travel across Equestria?” Apple Jack asked a little amazed, Stallioni was on the farthest parts of Equestria. “Hmm.. not sure,” Tiger tilted his head, “like I said last night, I wanted to run away as far as I could…” “sorry, Ah won’t dig into it too much Tiger” Apple Jack apologized. “Nah.. just give it some time, I’ll tell you some time,” Tiger blushed a little at how close that she was standing so close to him. “Well.. Ah guess since you took care of ALL the apple buckin chores for the both of us this mornin we could go about with the other jobs earlier after breakfast then,” Apple Jack said. “Yeah, sounds like a plan,” Tiger said as he started to pick up the fallen apples and put them into the bucket that Apple Jack had brought. “Hay, let me do that you silly colt,” Apple Jack pushed him playfully. “What the?” Tiger let out a laugh as he fell over. “Ya did most of the work, common, Ah’ll show ya where the apples go,” Apple Jack picked up a few of the buckets and motioned for Tiger to follow. ---Twilight’s Library--- “Oh yeah! I remember him now Spike!” Twilight looked at the sleepy baby dragon who had just woken up. “He was one of those Knight’s of Equestria! He met the quota for the Elements of Harmony. I remember the Princess telling me about the Knights once. All the Knights were chosen for the strengths in friendship, it was the only way to “fight” the Darkness. I didn’t believe the Elements of Harmony existed at the time so I shook it off as another tale. I thought they were just Knights who went out to help protect other ponies around the world…” Twilight said trying to remember more. “He had a friend, but after they went on their first assignment I don’t think either of them came back to Canterlot with the other Knights..” Twilight slowed down. “He never came back? Why?” Spike asked. “I’m not sure…” Twilight yawned a little, she hadn’t realized it till now, but she had stayed up the entire night again. ---Sweet Apple Acres--- “Ah hope Ah can get my cutie mark today!” Apple Bloom said excitedly as she put on her backpack saddle. “How many times have Ah gotta tell you Apple Bloom? It’ll come when it comes,” Apple Jack smiled at her little sister. “But … but we’ll find it! Just you wait! The Cutie mark Crusaders will never surrender to defeat!” Apple Bloom pumped a hoof into the air. “The Cutie mark Crusaders huh?” Tiger grinned thoughtfully. “Yup! Me and a few other ponies who don’t have our cutie marks made a group, and we are gonna find our cutie marks together,” Apple Bloom smiled. “It’s an awesome name I’ll give ya that,” Tiger pumped his hoof in the air too, “I’m sure you can find your cutie mark if ya think of the stuff that you really enjoy doing”. “Aww.. that’s what sis says too…” Apple Bloom frowned. “Hmm, tell you what, after school how about I tell you how I got my cutie mark?” Tiger looked back to his cutie mark. “YAH! That would be so terrific!” Apple Bloom skipped around Tiger who laughed. “We’d better mosey on then Apple Bloom” Apple Jack opened the door, “ya gonna be alright with the chores till I come back Tig?” “Tig?” Tiger laughed again, but blushed a little at the same time, was it a pet name? “Err Tiger,” Apple Jack blushed, “I’ll be ok,” Tiger brushed the back of his mane. “Kay, Ah’ll see ya later then, got a lot of apples to sell this morning Ah reckon,” Apple Jack laughed.

TigerDusk

242

Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life

Dusk in PonyVille

incomplete

<p>Tiger Dusk, a pony who has been away from PonyVille for the longest time has finally come back to start life a new and finds that a few of his old friends are still there. Amongst them being the filly of his dreams, Apple Jack.<br /><br />Romance, and action.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T23:18:24+00:00

Chap 6 Tiger first fed the pigs, then he went over to the fields to look over the plants that had just started to sprout. “Whew..” he wiped a bit of sweat his forehead, “what was next now?” he asked himself, “oh yeah the hay!” “Hey!!!” came a voice from the sky. “Hmm?” Tiger looked up to see a light blue peguses  filly, who had rainbow colored hair, flying over him. “Haven’t seen you around here? Are you one of Apple Jack’s cousins?” she asked as she flew down. “Ummm I’m not a cousin,” he laughed a little before saying, “I’m an old friend of hers” “Ooooo mystery colt, what’s your name?” “The name is Tiger Dusk? And may I ask yours?” “Rainbow Dash, and no need for the formalities,” she did a simple back flip and grinned, “hmm you look fast, wanna race?” “Ah.. I gotta finish some chores first,” Tiger looked back at the barn where the hay was waiting for him. “Aww, well it’s ok, you wouldn’t stand a chance against the best young flyer anyways,” Rainbow Dash laughed as she started to fly away. Tiger felt his competitive side starting to swell. “Alright let’s have it out here!” Tiger looked up at her with a smirk, “you can fly cause your gonna NEED ALL THE HELP YOU CAN GET!” “Hay ya, that’s what I’m talking about, get ready to have your tail whupped by a future Wonder Bolt!” Rainbow Dash flexed her wings. Tiger pointed in the direction of the mountains, “wanna race there and back?” “Sounds like a plan to me!” Rainbow Dash nodded. “Alright…ready… steady… “ he started, “GOOOOOOO!!!” Rainbow Dash took off first leaving a trail of prism colors from her hair. “Heh, should have seen that coming,” Tiger shrugged as he took off as well, letting the leaves fly in the wind his speed created. “Common! I thought you were gonna be faster..?” Rainbow Dash looked behind her to find that Tiger was jumping through the trees. “Heh, I was thinking the same thing!” he grinned as he leaped past her. “Hay what the? Can ponies even do that?” her mouth opened wide for a second. She started to flap her wings faster and darted ahead of him again. “Not bad,” Tiger watched as she flew ahead, “but you’ll find…” he said as he jumped up high into the air, “that I’m pretty good too!” he finished as he landed and bent the top of a tree back, which in turn launched him forward. “Hey, that’s not fair!” Rainbow Dash called after him as she saw his blur fly by. “Didn’t say nothing about rules~” he’s voice zoomed by with him. “Grrrr” Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth as she flew up high. “That’s it.. time for the ..Sonic Rainboom,” Rainbow Dash flew higher and higher. “Hmm.. she’s up to something..” Tiger looked over his shoulder as he landed on the ground and started galloping faster. “Here we… GOOO!!!!” Rainbow Dash aimed herself towards the ground as she folded her wings. As she did this a bright light seemed to bend in front of her. “C .. come ONNNNN!” she felt the force of the friction hit her hard. “…” Tiger’s eyes opened wide as he saw a large rainbow halo rush over head of him. “SEEEEYAAAAAATTTT THE FIIIIINNNISHHHHLIIINNNEEE!!!!!” Rainbow’s voice echoed as she flew around the mountain leaving the trade mark rainbow behind her. “…I’m NOT gonna lose!” Tiger seemed to almost growl. His eyes flashed a bright green. “Let’s do this!” he forced his body forward. He circled around the mountain too. As he rushed in between the trees he left behind shadow images of himself. His heart was pounding so hard it felt as if it were in his throat. “Come… ON!” Tiger felt the friction of the air hit his skin as well. “I won’t let them down!” he thought about the Ferrari Brothers. His hooves started to glow a bright yellow as he too broke the sound barrier. Everything was a blur in front of him, it was one of the most amazing feelings he had ever experienced though… then a thought hit him, “what if I jump?” without thinking his legs did just that. The orange flash appeared behind Rainbow Dash who was almost at the finish. “What the hay?” she looked back. “YAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Tiger couldn’t control his direction as he crashed into Rainbow Dash and the both of them tumbled down to earth. “Ooo…” Tiger groaned. “Oww… earth ponies don’t fly,” Rainbow Dash rubbed her head as she tried to get up. “Yeah… I kinda figured that out” Tiger stood up, and lent a hoof to Rainbow Dash and helped her up. “I guess you win..” Tiger sighed. “You were fast though, I’ll give you that, but yeah I won~” she dusted herself off. “Heh.. you are the fastest pony I’ve seen since the Ferrari brothers” Tiger said. “The Ferrari brothers? Who are they? Are they as fast as the Wonder Bolts?” Rainbow asked suddenly interested. “Well.. they are kinda the ones who taught me how to be fast on my hooves,” Tiger grinned. “By the way… how did you do that back there?” Rainbow Dash asked suddenly. “Huh?” Tiger looked behind him and saw that beside the rainbow that Rainbow Dash had left behind, the sky seemed to have been covered in the color of ‘dusk’. “I don’t know actually..” Tiger paused and wondered, “all I remember is, me wanting to beat you and pushing my legs to move as fast as I could… then I wondered what would happen if I gave a jump a try… and well we all know that wasn’t the brightest idea,” Tiger laughed. Rainbow Dash laughed too. “Hey Tiger, you’re pretty cool, we should race again sometime,” Rainbow started to flap her wings again. “Sure,” Tiger smiled. “Oh, and another question,” she looked down at him. “Hmm?” Tiger asked looking up. “Well, I was wondering what you thought about Apple Jack?” “What the? That’s kinda out of the blue..” Tiger blushed suddenly. “Ahah!” Rainbow Dash giggled as she flew circles around him, “you like her don’tcha?” “Umm” Tiger stuttered, he was frozen now. “Yeah I can tell,” Rainbow Dash laughed again. “Well.. I.. “ he stuttered trying to think of something to say, which made Rainbow Dash laugh harder as she flew to the ground and collapsed in a heap laughing. “Hey… it’s not that THAT funny,” Tiger looked away totally embarrassed now. “No no.. it’s just, whew, your expression, it was too funny,” Rainbow Dash wiped away a few tears, her sides were aching. “You can’t tell her!” Tiger looked at Rainbow who stood up and gave him a smirk “and why not? She’s like one of my best friends and what if she likes you too?”. Tiger was starting to panic now. “You could be something more,” Rainbow Dash’s expression turned suddenly serious. “Huh?” Tiger’s panic didn’t know what to do with itself anymore and he decided to just listen. “Listen, Dusk, tell you what, I’m gonna help you out since you’re so fast and all,” Rainbow Dash walked over to him. “What do you mean… help?” Tiger asked nervously. “I’m gonna look at how the two of you act, from the clouds, and I’ll let you know if she likes you or not!” she said with a grin. “…” Tiger looked away for a second, his mind thinking about the possibilities. “Err…” Tiger started. “You can’t say no…she is my friend and I’m doing this for her too you know,” Rainbow Dash cut him off, “and well I think you’d go well with her, since you look like you work hard, and your fun and kinda cute I guess”. This made Tiger blush again, and he shook his head. “I don’t know if it’s such a good idea Rainbow…” “Your wishy washy though, minus points for that,” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Listen, I’m going back to work…I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t tell her.. please?” Tiger asked with pleading eyes. “Mmm…” Rainbow Dash flew up again. “Nah.. I’ll stick with my plan, later!” she flew away. “WAIT…!” Tiger sighed, she was already gone. “Gah.. the hay” he ran towards the barn and started on his chores again. “Apple Jack…” he said to himself as he tied the hay into bundles. “She’s gotten real pretty now..that I think about it..” her face popped up in his mind over and over making him shake his head. “Gotta get the work done!” he forced himself to push the thoughts out. “What if she likes you too?” Rainbow’s voice echoed in his head. He sighed in defeat as he tied down the last bundle of hay and decided to sit down. He walked over to the steps that lead up to his room and sat down. “What if she does really like me?” Tiger asked himself, “would it change everything? And what if she doesn’t like me that way?” the thoughts circled around him. “I’d be too embarrassed to be around her anymore… if that were the case. I’d have to leave,” he realized suddenly. “Yeah.. I’m not gonna tell her anything…” Tiger’s ears drooped a little. “It’s for the best, she’s my best friend and I don’t want to lose that…” Tiger’s ears drooped even lower. “Though… I wish, I could tell her my feelings I guess…”

TigerDusk

242

Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life

Dusk in PonyVille

incomplete

<p>Tiger Dusk, a pony who has been away from PonyVille for the longest time has finally come back to start life a new and finds that a few of his old friends are still there. Amongst them being the filly of his dreams, Apple Jack.<br /><br />Romance, and action.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T23:19:19+00:00

Chap 7 ---PonyVille--- “That is quite the load of apples you have there today Apple Jack!” Twilight exclaimed as she met her friend. “Yup, a old friend is stayin for a bit at the farm and he’s workin, just like old times,” Apple Jack smiled. “Would it happen to be that umm Tiger Dusk guy?” Twilight asked. “Yeah… how did ya know?” Apple Jack asked. “Oh I saw him walking through PonyVille last night with Pinkie Pie and Apple Bloom,” Twilight answered and realized suddenly, “wait he’s an old friend?” “Uhuh” Apple Jack nodded. “What’s the story Apple Jack?” Twilight asked. “Well…” the two fillies exchanged their stories. “So it’s true that he’s a Knight then..” Twilight thought. “Yup… he told us the whole story.. or most of it, I reckon,” Apple Jack answered. “But… aww that’s so sweet!” Twilight giggled. “Huh?” Apple Jack asked. “He bought the hat for you when you both were little ponies,” Twilight had a small grin on her face, “he must like you,” “err.. you think so Twi?” Apple Jack asked with a small blush across her face. “The REAL question here is DO you like HIM?” Twilight Sparkle pointed at Apple Jack. “Wha.. err hmm.. “ Apple Jack stuttered, “that’s kinda a weird question to ask out of the blue sugar cube…” “Why is it so weird AJ?” Twilight looked at her friend who was a slight pinkish shade of orange now with a lifted eyebrow. “Well err,” Apple Jack couldn’t lie. “Ok ok, but keep it hush hush alright?” Apple Jack looked around and whispered. “Yeah.. Ah do like him, and Ah wanna tell him, but he always seems so distant.. when Ah try to get close to him, or even this morning.. Ah tried something and well Ah don’t know if it worked or not..” Apple Jack rubbed her left leg with her right hoof embarrassed. “Hmm how about I check how the two of you behave while you hang out together? Then I’ll do some research in my books and I’ll come up with the answer! It’s the perfect plan~” Twilight clapped her hooves together. “Ah… don’t know sugar cube.. that sounds like some might trouble there…” “No trouble at all Apple Jack! It’d be fun even!” Twilight answered. “Ah .. Ah don’t know,” Apple Jack said with uncertainty in her voice. “Apple Jack I haven’t seen you act this way before… you really must like him,” Twilight wiggled her eye brows. “Aw cut it out Twi..” Apple Jack tried to hide a smile. “Anyways… 2 apples please,” Twilight smiled as she pointed to 2 shiny red ones. “On the house fer ya Twi… jus don’t let anyone know about ya know..” Apple Jack blushed again. “Pinkie Pie swear” Twilight did the motions and managed to close her eye this time for the cupcake in the eye. ---Sweet Apple Acres--- “Hmm.. well I guess I’m done all the chores for now.. so maybe I should go and check out PonyVille” Tiger thought out loud. “Or am I just going to go see Apple Jack?” he mumbled. He shook his head again, “gotta get my head on straight, I promised myself to keep quiet about it”. Tiger Dusk walked out of the barn and headed for the gate. ---PonyVille--- Tiger looked around the town, trying to see if he could recognize any of the buildings. “Oh..yeah that’s right! I promised Pinkie Pie a party…” he reminded himself. “Hmm,” he tried to remember where Sugar Cube Corner was. “You look a little lost there dear,” came a polite filly’s voice from behind him. “Ah.. sorry miss, it’s just I haven’t been around here in a very long time,” Tiger bowed his head a little. “Aren’t you the polite colt,” said the pretty white unicorn pony. She had well brushed and curled long violet hair and had one of those ‘proper’ feeling type of feelings around her, the kind that Tiger remembered that a lot of ponies had back in Canterlot. “The name is Tiger Dusk, miss..?” Tiger put his manners to work. “I am Rarity,” she did a curtsy even though she didn’t have a dress on. “You don’t seem to be from around here Tiger, what has brought you to our humble PonyVille?” Rarity asked. “To tell you the truth Miss Rarity.. I am not quite sure anymore,” Tiger chortled a little. “You look like you just came from Sweet Apple Acres, judging from the direction your standing. Are you a friend or relative to Apple Jack?” Rarity asked. “A old friend, I guess,” Tiger’s voice trailed off, and he shook his head, “pardon me Miss Rarity, I was being rude there for a moment.” “Not at all! Though you do seem to be thinking quite a bit if you’ve got your head in the clouds like that,” Rarity giggled a little. “Actually I have a question if I may?” Tiger asked. “Please ask away,” Rarity smiled. “Are by any chance the lady.. who weaves the fine scarf that I always find in Canterlot? The one with the nice looking ‘R’ on the tip of it?” Tiger asked. “Why yes,” Rarity smiled proudly that her work had been recognized. “I just wanted to thank you Miss Rarity, because without that scarf I probably would have frozen myself when I went venturing into the far parts of Equestria,” Tiger bowed again. “No no.. there’s no need for that Tiger Dusk,” Rarity flushed in the face a little. “If you’d allow me to ask one more question,” “it’s no problem at all,” “where might I find Sugar Cube Corner?” Tiger asked. “Oh, I was just heading there actually, a friend of mine, Pinkie Pie told me she was planning a party and needed some ribbons to decorate,” Rarity motioned for Tiger to follow. “What a coincidence,” Tiger smiled as he followed, “I was going to go meet with Pinkie Pie as well”. “Oh do you know Pinkie Pie?” Rarity asked, suddenly interested that this new pony knew 2 of her close friends. “Yes, and just this morning I met a… oh yes Rainbow Dash, she was quite lively, very swift if I do say so myself,” Tiger laughed remembering the halo of rainbow that he had saw as Rainbow Dash flew at mach speed. “Why yes! Rainbow Dash is a friend of mine as well!” Rarity exclaimed. “I think all the ponies in this town are really nice,” Tiger brushed the back of his mane again as they walked together, “though there is one particular pony.. “ he stopped again. “Tiger you seem to be infatuated,” Rarity smiled slyly at him, “who’s the lucky mare?” “Lucky?” Tiger blushed a little, could he tell Rarity about his problem? “It might be improper to tell a secret though Miss Rarity..” Tiger turned his head away. “It’s also improper for a gentle colt such as yourself to refuse a question asked by a lady,” Rarity shot back with a smug look. “…Nothing gets by you does it, Miss Rarity?” Tiger gave up. “Almost nothing, I like details,” Rarity tossed her mane. Tiger started to tell Rarity about how he was thinking about Apple Jack, and how they were child hood friends. He then told her about his dilemma and how he just could not tell Apple Jack for the fear that he might mess up their friendship. “Why, Tiger Dusk I did not know you were the shy type!” Rarity let a small giggle slip. “I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t let anyone know,” Tiger was starting to regret this now. “Now Tiger, I think it’s very important that you let Apple Jack know about your feelings at least! Otherwise you’ll find yourself feeling very awkward whenever you are around her, and that itself could lead to hurting your friendship with her!” Rarity explained. “..That is true,” Tiger thought about the bit of wisdom he had just been given. “Besides, I think it’s rather marvelous that Apple Jack has such a gentle colt as a secret admirer,” Rarity teased Tiger. “Miss Rarity, you really do know how to make a colt’s head spin,” Tiger laughed. “It’s a gift darling…. IDEA!!” her eyes brightened up. “Yes?” Tiger looked at her curiously. “Why not give her a gift along with your confession?” Rarity asked. “Wait.. I didn’t say I was going to confess to her now did I?” Tiger thought for a second. “We are here,” Rarity smiled.

TigerDusk

242

Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life

Dusk in PonyVille

incomplete

<p>Tiger Dusk, a pony who has been away from PonyVille for the longest time has finally come back to start life a new and finds that a few of his old friends are still there. Amongst them being the filly of his dreams, Apple Jack.<br /><br />Romance, and action.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T23:20:06+00:00

Chap 8 “Rarity wait..” Tiger was interrupted by Pinkie Pie who pounce hugged him. “YAY! It’s party time!~” she giggled. “Wait Pinkie Pie was the party for Tiger Dusk here?” Rarity asked a little surprised. “Yeah silly, I told you, you remember?” Pinkie Pie jumped on the spot, practically floating. “All I remember, Pinkie Pie, is that you told me that you were setting a party up for an old friend who had come to visit!” Rarity said in a huffy manner. “He IS an old friend,” Pinkie Pie grinned as she nodded. “Well, then… I suppose we should wait till we finish decorating and sending out the invitations!” Rarity suggested. “Aww… “ Pinkie Pie looked disappointed. “I’m sure it won’t be long now Pinkie” Tiger smiled, almost sighing in relief that the subject matter had changed, “YEAH! We should invite all of our friends!” Pinkie Pie smiled excitedly. “INCLUDING Apple Jack?” Rarity patted Tiger on the shoulder who had suddenly frozen up. “Yeah! Of course we gotta invite Apple Jack!” Pinkie Pie agreed. “…” Tiger slumped in defeat. “Rainbow Dash, Twilight and Fluttershy too!” Pinkie Pie ran across the shop and grabbed some invitation cards. “Great! While you do that Pinkie Pie, Tiger and I shall head on over and check on our friends,” Rarity pulled Tiger who with pleading eyes followed. ---PonyVille--- “Miss Rarity..” Tiger was interrupted again as they stopped in front of Apple Jack’s apple stand which was bustling with business. “Thank ya kindly,” she smiled at a few customers who had bought the last few apples. “Whew, that takes care of sales fer today!” Apple Jack said as she started to pack up and noticed Rarity and Tiger standing there. “Oh hey Rarity… TIGER? Watcha doin all the way up here? What about the chores?” Apple Jack lifted an eyebrow in suspicion. “I.. I finished them Apple Jack” Tiger answered. “Oh whew good… Ah thought you were slackin off like that lazy filly Rainbow..” “HAY who’s the lazy filly here?” Rainbow Dash yelled from a single cloud from the sky. She flew down and glared at Apple Jack. “Ah’m only tellin what Ah see,” Apple Jack returned with a smug look. “Grr…” Rainbow Dash was face to face with Apple Jack now. “Fillies…” Tiger stood in between them and pushed them apart. “Common.. your both friends right? You shouldn’t be fighting like that!” Tiger shook his head, his eyes were rather narrow. “Sorry Rainbow Dash,” Apple Jack saw the look from Tiger and backed down. “Yeah… wow Tiger, I haven’t seen you with that kind of expression..” Rainbow Dash backed off as well. “Friendship is very important.. without it you’ll be alone,” Tiger turned around and started walking back towards Apple Acres. “Tiger wait!” Apple Jack called out. “I’ll see you back at the farm Apple Jack,” he replied. “Ah wonder what got him all flared up like that?” Apple Jack asked herself. “He seemed pretty passionate about ‘friendship’” Rarity broke the silence. “But he didn’t have to get all angry about it…” Rainbow Dash muttered. “By the way..how do ya know Tiger, Rainbow?” Apple Jack asked. “Oh well we raced each other this morning, he was really fast… I haven’t seen a pony move that fast on land before,” Rainbow Dash remembered the race. “Ah see..” Apple Jack stopped for a moment, “hay.. you innerupted his work for a silly race?” “hahaha, he has some cute secrets too!” Rainbow Dash flew up into the air. “Come back down here Rainbow!” Apple Jack shook her hoof at Rainbow Dash as she watched her take off into the distance. “Indeed, he does have a cute secret,” Rarity giggled. “Wah? What’s all these secrets popping outta no where now?” Apple Jack turned to Rarity with a frown. “Come no Apple Jack! It’s nothing to be frowning about! I’m sure you’ll find out one way or another,” Rarity smiled as she tossed her hair and started walking, “now if you’ll excuse me… I need to go see Fluttershy about a party”. “What in the hay could Tiger’s secret be?” Apple Jack wondered as she packed up her shop cart. “We’ll maybe Ah’ll ask him when Ah get back,” she told herself as she started to pull the cart down the winding road back down to the farm. “And then after we can go an pick up Apple Bloom,” Apple Jack nodded at the plan. ---Sweet Apple Acres--- “I shouldn’t have gotten so heated about that..” Tiger muttered to himself as he took a seat again on the steps, “but… friends are precious, and you never know when they’ll leave you” he looked at his hooves and realized tears were falling to them. “Stupid..” he gritted his teeth, “I should have had his back, I should have waited. Instead … instead” Tiger felt his throat tighten up, he hadn’t thought about that incident in a while, not ever since that day, he had tried to bury his past and leave it behind and now it was leaking out. “Tiger?” Apple Jack’s voice came from the door way softly. “A.. Apple Jack?” Tiger wiped his eyes, “uh.. sorry about earlier,” “nah…friends really are precious, it’s jus sometimes Rainbow and Ah don’t always see eye to eye ya know? Were you jus cryin?” Apple Jack walked over quickly to Tiger who shook his head. “Ya can’t lie to me, Tiger” Apple Jack sat down next to him. “It’s … just I was there Apple Jack.. and I could have waited till all the Shadows were gone…” Tiger shivered a little. Apple Jack took her hat off and leaned her head against his shoulder. “Ah.. don’t know what to say Tiger.. but Ah do know.. Ah’m here for ya..” Apple Jack said with sincerity in her voice. “Thanks Apple Jack,” Tiger’s voice came out softly. “Ya faced it all alone after.. it must have been tough huh..?” Apple Jack asked. “Yeah… but one thing kept me going I think,” Tiger looked up at the ceiling. “What’s that hun?” Apple Jack asked. Tiger then realized what he had unintentionally boxed himself into. “Uh…” he turned a bright bright orange. “Common Tig.. don’t be like that,” Apple Jack turned to look him in the eyes, “ya’ve been always gettin like this ever since you came back… and your keepin, yer distance…” Apple Jack turned away, her ears drooping a little, “it’s like.. we ain’t close friends anymore or anything…” “No no.. Apple Jack that’s not the reason,” Tiger almost let it slip. “Then tell me already… Tiger, tell me what’s goin on?” “Well the truth is.. I..” Tiger was about to tell her his greatest secret when the barn door burst open. “SOMETHING BIG’S GOING DOWN IN PONYVILLE!” Rainbow Dash was panting as if she flew there in a hurry, “oh… I didn’t mean to interrupt anything… but… now wouldn’t be the time! HURRY!” Rainbow Dash flew out. “…” Tiger got up. “Ah wonder what’s up..?” Apple Jack stood up beside him. “Let’s go,” Tiger had a bad feeling about the urgency in Rainbow’s voice.

TigerDusk

242

Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life

Dusk in PonyVille

incomplete

<p>Tiger Dusk, a pony who has been away from PonyVille for the longest time has finally come back to start life a new and finds that a few of his old friends are still there. Amongst them being the filly of his dreams, Apple Jack.<br /><br />Romance, and action.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T23:20:49+00:00

Chap 9 ---PonyVille--- “What’s going on?” Tiger looked up as he ran into PonyVille which had a large shadow hanging over it. The sky was darker than usual. “Oh no…” Tiger whispered. “Tiger?” Apple Jack looked at him. “Find Apple Bloom.. HURRY! And try to get as MANY ponies away from here!” Tiger exclaimed. “What the?  Hay wait TIGER!” Apple Jack called out to Tiger who was running towards the center of town. “You took my friend… but you won’t take my home…” Tiger growled into the sky. “Now now… is that anyway to greet a friend?” came a familiar voice. “No..” Tiger looked confused. “No? come on Dusk, I’m hurt,” a dark blue Unicorn pony with a cutie mark of a eclipse along with pitch black armor that seemed to have stars sprinkled through it decended from the clouds. He took off his helmet reviling his face and light blue mane. “Sol.. Lune,” Tiger looked up in shock. “Surprised? Why?” Sol Lune asked as he landed in front of Tiger. “… But I thought you..” Tiger fell back. “I did, but I guess you could say the Darkness saved me?” Sol Lune said in a cool silky voice as he held a hoof up and gently waved it about. As this happened a dark oily type of substance seemed to float about above it. “…” Tiger looked at it. “Amazing isn’t it?” Sol Lune mused at the substance, “I missed you Tiger Dusk.. and the Darkness wishes for you to join us.. you see the thing is, we need all the ponies on Equestria that are strongly in tune with the night or Darkness,” Sol Lune smiled back down at Tiger. “Tiger DON’T LISTEN TO HIM!” Twilight yelled from a few meters away, “it’s the same evil that possessed Luna!” “Twilight Sparkle, you’re needed too,” Sol Lune turned to the purple pony. “I’ll beat your darkness just like I did for Nightmare Moon!” Twilight yelled. “Oh please… Elements of Harmony?” Sol Lune laughed. Tiger’s world was moving in slow motion. “Do you know why your Princesses aren’t here right now?” Sol Lune turned around and held his hooves up in the air. “Cause my MASTER has trapped them, there will be nothing but the Darkness now! NO DAY… NO NIGHT, NO SUN, NO MOON!” Sol Lune laughed. “You’re crazy!” Twilight yelled. “Twilight we’re here!” Rainbow Dash landed beside her friend. “We’ll show this no pony not to mess with the elements of harmony!” Rainbow focused. “He is rather rude isn’t he?” Rarity stood beside Twilight and closed her eyes focusing as well. “I’m so sorry I’m late..” a yellow pegasai who Tiger guessed was Fluttershy said in a quiet voice. “He’s gonna ruin Tiger’s party! I won’t let that happen!” Pinkie Pie stood beside her friends as well. “Tiger… we’re gonna have to stop yer friend…” Apple Jack looked at Tiger who looked back with a blank stare. “You… can’t stop him… no WAIT!” Tiger yelled as the group of fillies started to glow. “All it takes… is a spark!” Twilight yelled. Necklaces of the fillies’ cutie marks appeared around each of their necks. A rainbow lightning bolt, a butterfly, a diamond, an apple, and a balloon. Twilight had her crown once more. “The elements of HARMONY!” Twilight’s voice shook with power. A tornado rainbow seemed to spin around them, and shot up in the air and landed in front of Sol Lune who stood there with a smug look on his face. “Really..” he cracked his neck a little, “I thought it would have more of a bite then that” he laughed as he stomped the ground causing the earth to shake violently. As this happened the 6 fillies fell to the ground groggy. “Such a shame…” Sol Lune tisked, “but now I have it, and your only means of defense is gone,” he smiled as he held up the dark oily substance again. This time it was shining brightly with what appeared to be a rainbow trapped inside. “What.. what have you done?” Twilight asked as fatigue closed in on her. “NO!” Tiger got up. “No? what are you talking about Dusk?” Sol Lune looked at Tiger who had gotten up. “Let that magic go Sol Lune! It’s friendship.. if you take that away..” “so you won’t join us?” Sol Lune cut Tiger’s words short. “I won’t!” Tiger glared at him. “…Is it cause of these fillies?” Sol Lune looked at the group that were still on the ground. “…” Tiger looked at Apple Jack who was trying desperately to stand up. “Ah…I see” Sol Lune smirked as more oily substance began to form in front of him. It grew longer and longer, until Sol Lune bit down on it. It was his lance. “I’ll start with the cow girl,” Sol Lune laughed as he started charging at Apple Jack. “YOU WON’T!” at that moment Tiger’s voice echoed, and everything seemed to move slowly for him. A bright light engulfed his head and body, and a gold armor replaced the light. A regal red cape flew from his back. In front of him, it shone brightly a broad sword which was glowing the colors, of the elements of harmony.  the two weapons met and sparks flew. “WHY TIGER? YOU ARE MY FRIEND ARE YOU NOT?” Sol Lune pressured his lance against Tiger’s sword which was shaking violently. “BECAUSE…” Tiger looked back at Apple Jack who’s face was in awe. “BECAUSE I LOVE HER” he yelled as he pushed Sol Lune back, and swung his sword in front of himself and took a defensive stance. “Love?” Sol Lune almost seemed surprised for a moment, and then started to laugh, which turned into an intimidating cackle. “You are a foal Tiger Dusk,” Sol Lune sighed as he grabbed his helmet and slipped it on over his head, he then picked up his lance once more. “Sol Lune… I know you are in there somewhere… FIGHT IT!” Tiger started to move towards him, still holding his glimmering sword up. “This isn’t some sort of fairy tale Dusk,” Sol Lune’s eyes started to glow a sinister dark blue, “I have ABSOLUTE alliance to my MASTER!” Sol Lune jumped into the sky, with his lance pointed up. “SOL LUNE!!!!” Tiger roared as he leaped up too. Sol Lune turned his body in mid air so he was facing Tiger Dusk now with the tip of his lance. The two met. There was another blinding flash. “So that’s what a Knight looks like..” Twilight gasped. “We need to help him!” Pinkie Pie’s legs shook as she collapsed on to the ground again. “We can’t…” Rarity shook, “we barely can stand!” “Common don’t give up!” Rainbow Dash was trying to get up with Fluttershy, but it was no use. “Tiger…” Apple Jack watched as Tiger Dusk dodged an incoming barrage of thrusts from the lance. “MIGHT CONTROLS EVERYTHING!” Sol Lune held the lance high. As he did this the lance started to glow a dark purple. “And without it… you can’t PROTECT ANYONE!” the lance was thrusted against Tiger’s sword which sent him flying into a building. “Guh hah!” Tiger Dusk gasped as the air left his lungs. “Let alone… yourself” Sol Lune started to walk towards Tiger Dusk. “Git UP TIGER!” Apple Jack yelled, “GIT UPP!” “You’ve got a really annoying voice you know that?” Sol Lune switched walking directions, “watch me Dusk… watch me as I end your so called LOVE” Sol Lune pointed the lance at Apple Jack now. “NO!” Tiger’s eyes started to glow green. He left the hole in the building and slashed his sword with all his might down on Sol Lune’s lance. The lance shattered. Sol Lune’s eyes grew wide, he did not even see Tiger’s hind legs hit him straight in the chest. He flew back and tumbled across the ground. “Apple Jack… are you alright?” Tiger looked over his shoulder. “…” Apple Jack was silent. “Say something dear!” Rarity was blushing at the sight. “Ah… Ah’m ok,” Apple Jack stuttered. “Hang tight… “ Tiger turned his head back to Sol Lune who was getting up. “Very well, TIGER DUSK, I shall take my leave for now… but know this… you are no friend of mine anymore!” Sol Lune seemed to coil up in the Darkness as it shivered into the sky and darted in the eastern direction. “WAIT COME BACK!” Tiger yelled, but he felt the strain on his body takeing over, as he fell to his knees. “Uh..” Tiger gasped as his armor disappeared as did the sword. The last thing he could hear was Apple Jack’s voice calling out to him, as his consciousness seemed to slip. ---A few days had passed--- “Sol Lune!” Tiger gasped as he sat up. He was in a bed. “Hang on there sugar Tig, lay back down right this instant!” Apple Jack’s hoof gently pushed him back down. “Apple Jack, where did he go? I have to stop him!” Tiger tried to move again but to no avail. “Yer gonna rest until your good an ready,” Apple Jack had tears of relief flowing down her cheeks. “You’d better listen to her, she’s been by your side for 3 whole days,” Big Macintosh said as he came into the room. “So this is the youngin that was on our farm all these years ago.. and to think? An actual Knight!” it was Granny Smith, an old mare who had a pale green color, her mane was grey and her age was showing yet she looked very wise. “To think… one of my grandchildren with a Knight,” Granny Smith smiled, “it’s so romantic!” “Grandma!” Apple Jack blushed. “I.. I can’t stay here in bed!” Tiger struggled again. “Listen here you,” Granny Smith walked over to Tiger and stared at him. “Mah granddaughter here has been taking care of you and your wounds for 3 straight days, have a little respect!” “I.. I’m sorry,” Tiger stuttered. “That’s better! Come along now Macintosh, we gotta let the love ponies have some private time,” she started for the door. Tiger realized it at that moment that he was in Apple Jack’s bed. “Take it easy little bro,” Big Macintosh waved as he closed the door behind him. Tiger looked around and saw Apple Jack looking at him. “Are you ok hun?” Apple Jack asked. “…Yeah,” Tiger’s face got hot, “Apple Jack um well.. I guess you know my secret now huh?” “Why did ya keep it a secret Tig?” “I thought, well you wouldn’t feel the same way!” Tiger looked away. “Ah do..” Apple Jack blushed. “I thought you wouldn’t like me and well.. what?” Tiger’s eyes grew wide. “Ah do love you too Tig..” Apple Jack leaned in closer to him, “ever since Ah was a little filly… and you came down to the farm to do the work.. and when ya got up and left… it broke mah heart, I thought about ya every day Tiger..” she nuzzled him. “Apple Jack..” Tiger closed his eyes and nuzzled her back. “I thought about you every day too.. not a day went by when I didn’t think of you..” tears were slowly rolling down his cheeks. His arms reached around her and pulled her close to his chest. She held him close as well. “Ah’ll say this Tig…” Apple Jack smiled, “you looked might handsome with that fancy armor” Tiger chortled a little before he felt Apple Jack’s lips touch his.

TigerDusk

242

Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life

Dusk in PonyVille

incomplete

<p>Tiger Dusk, a pony who has been away from PonyVille for the longest time has finally come back to start life a new and finds that a few of his old friends are still there. Amongst them being the filly of his dreams, Apple Jack.<br /><br />Romance, and action.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T23:21:53+00:00

Chap 10 “Whew” Rainbow Dash whistled from the door.  “What the hay?” Apple Jack pulled away from Tiger quickly with a large red blush spreading across her cheeks. “Aww don’t be shy AJ,” Twilight laughed as she appeared behind Rainbow Dash. “Yeah! It just isn’t like you!” Pinkie Pie added in as she hopped into the room. “Apple Jack, I am jealous!” Rarity pouted, “you have a KNIGHT!” “Um.. hi.. I’m Fluttershy” the yellow pegasai was hiding behind Rainbow Dash. “Um nice to meet you,” Tiger smiled, he too had a blush that was spreading across his face. “Tiger.. what are we gonna do?” Twilight asked with a serious look now. “The Princesses were captured,” Tiger looked outside the window. The sky had a monotone color about it. “We need to rescue them… and destroy the Darkness once and for all,” Tiger tried to move but was pinned down by Apple Jack again, “what were we just talkin about earlier Tig?” Apple Jack frowned at him. “But Apple Jack… this is serious,” Tiger looked at her. “Yeah.. it is but what happens when you git yer self banged up and aren’t able to move huh?” Apple Jack asked. “…” Tiger sighed. “Umm excuse me..” Fluttershy moved in closer, “what’s up Fluttershy?” Twilight asked. “I was umm just thinking maybe we could ask Zecora.. for some medication you know.. for Tiger?” Fluttershy said in a quiet voice. “Now that’s an idea!” Pinkie Pie cheered at the thought of another friend. “That is actually a very good idea!” Twilight nodded. “What are we waiting here for then?” Rainbow Dash asked, “maybe while I am there I can see about some skin rejuvenation potion” Rarity smiled. “Wait!” Apple Jack exclaimed. “We can’t just leave him here alone…” Apple Jack lifted an eye brow at Tiger, “knowin this boy, he’ll up and leave on his own!” she was eyeing a rope. “Wh.. wha do you mean Apple Jack?” Tiger laughed nervously. “Fluttershy you stay here with him then!” Apple Jack looked at her friend who’s eyes widened and curled a little. “Wh.. why me Apple Jack?” Fluttershy asked timidly. “Cause, Tiger won’t be able to force his way out or convince ya,” Apple Jack smirked at Tiger who scowled back. “We’ll be back soon, just talk! I mean we should all be friends,” Apple Jack looked back and Tiger. As soon as they left, Tiger tried to get out of the bed. “Wait!” Fluttershy stood in front of the door. “Fluttershy.. there’s something dangerous that’s about to happen to Equestria… I can stop it!” Tiger looked at her with pleading eyes. “I know what you can do..” her voice was small, “but I can’t let Apple Jack’s colt friend get hurt” she looked up at him. “Woof woof” Wiona ran underneath Fluttershy and nuzzled Tiger’s right front leg. “I guess, I’m not going anywhere huh?” Tiger laughed a little. “She’s worried about you too,” Fluttershy walked over to the puppy and nuzzled her. “Do you like animals Fluttershy?” Tiger asked as he got back into bed, he realized at that moment that his body was very stiff and he let out a small groan as he felt a sharp pain shoot through it. “Tiger! Are you ok?” Fluttershy rushed to the side of the bed. “Y.. yeah, I guess I really shouldn’t move…”Tiger winced a little. “Yes.. just relax” Fluttershy smiled, “and I do like animals, small and big.” “You must be kind, and very brave to handle all types of animals,” Tiger said. “It’s what I love to do,” Fluttershy’s voice came out tiny. “Aww don’t be shy about it,” Tiger smiled, “you should be proud!” he nodded, “I’ve never been able to be around animals that much…my parents didn’t like having pets, and I was always training in Canterlot…” Tiger felt Wiona lick his cheek and laughed. “Though there was this one time when I was still little, I saw a real tiger,” Tiger lay his head back thought about it, “it was amazing, I didn’t get close to it or anything. I just watched it. It’s fur was like fire when it moved, it was so powerful and the way it jumped made it look like it was flying, and it’s proud roar lighted my soul on fire,” Tiger smiled, “I wanted to become as strong as the tiger to protect my friends…and after I thought about that I ended up with my cutie mark.” “So that’s how you got it big brother!” Apple Bloom was standing at the door way with a small soup bowl. “Hey Apple Bloom!” Tiger waved, “I’m sorry for worrying ya” “Big sis was really worried too..” little filly walked over and put the soup bowl down on top of the desk with a lamp on it. “Really worried,” Apple Bloom let a small grin spread across her face. “Hee hee” Fluttershy giggled. “Oh come on! Not you two too!” Tiger blushed. “But anyways, got any tips on how to get the cutie mark?” Apple Bloom smiled. “The secret to the cutie mark is that, it only appears when you find what you want to really do, what you love to do,” Tiger tried to explain. “Aww… but the teacher tells us that all the time,” Apple Bloom sighed. “Hehe, it’ll come, I’m sure” Tiger smiled. “Yes, you can’t rush those things Apple Bloom,” Fluttershy agreed. “I know I’ll find it!” Apple Bloom raised a hoof in the air. “Hmm I wonder how Apple Jack is doing..” Tiger looked out the window again. “Common Tiger.. it’s sis, you know her” Apple Bloom reassured Tiger. “Yes, I am certain that they will be back as soon as possible,” Fluttershy got up and gently petted Wiona who panted happily. “It’s just… all this sitting around is pretty frusterating,” Tiger sighed as he turned his head on the pillow. It smelled like Apple Jack, he breathed it in relaxed. ---Zecora’s hut--- “You need a potion for this colt, then I shall make it quick… like a lightning bolt!” Zecora swung herself around and move across the room, gathering ingrediants. “Thank you very much Zecora” Twilight was glad Zecora could help. “There anythin we can do to help ya Zecora?” Apple Jack asked. “Yes, please wait, because I need concentration, it will decide this potion’s fate,” Zecora opened a book and started pouring various different colored liquids into her cauldron along with herbs. “Come on, then, let’s let the lady focus,” Rarity motioned for everyone to leave. “Twilight.. do you think we’ll be able to save Celestia and Luna?” Spike asked, Twilight had taken Spike along with them worried about leaving him alone.“We have to Spike,” Twilight looked up at the sky which was peaking in through the trees. “Yeah we totally have to.. how is anyone going to be happy with the sky like that?” Pinkie Pie chipped in. “All the pegusai landed in PonyVille too! We can’t fly in whatever that sky is!” Rainbow Dash complained, “there is no wind! And all the clouds are starting to disappear!” “So Twi.. do you know anything else about the Knights?” Apple Jack asked Twilight. “All I know is that they all carry the elements of harmony inside them, a fraction of each element at least,” Twilight thought about the sword that had appeared in front of Tiger Dusk. “That armor he was wearing was so fashionable!” Rarity cooed. “And the way he jumped! Woosh!!” Pinkie Pie giggled as she bounced around. “Ah admit… Ah was kinda impressed too..” Apple Jack blushed. “Ahhh you should have seen the look on your face darling,” Rarity gave a really smug look to Apple Jack. “Especially when he yelled ‘it’ out,” Twilight joined Rarity, “it’s too bad… I didn’t get a chance to do my spy work~” “Hay you were gonna spy on them too?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Spy?” Apple Jack looked at Twilight then Rainbow Dash. “Hey we were just going to do it to see if you two really did like each other… but from the looks of it we were both wrong” Rainbow Dash laughed, “BECAUSE I LOVE HER!” Twilight tried to imitate Tiger’s voice and rolled on the ground laughing. “…” Apple Jack scowled at the two for a second and smiled, “thanks you two”. “Huh?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Fer lookin out fer me,” Apple Jack answered. “Aww it’s no problem AJ, we’re all friends right?” Twilight hugged Apple Jack. “Well once we get the Princesses saved we’ll ALL have to have a HUGE PARTY!” Pinkie Pie let some streamers fly up in the air. “Yeah… actually that’s a very good idea, to celebrate both of them,” Twilight smiled at a blushing Apple Jack. “I agree,” Rarity walked over to Apple Jack and seemed to be examining her. “What are you doing Rarity?” Rainbow Dash asked curiously. “Oh I am thinking of an outfit for Apple Jack,” Rarity answered. “Wha.. nah that’s not… “ Apple Jack was hushed by Rarity, “Apple Jack! You’re colt friend is a K.N.I.G.H.T even for just one night!” Rarity eyes flashed, “you must… YOU MUSSSSSST!” “Aww.. shucks,” Apple Jack sighed. “The potion is ready! Just remember while he drinks to keep his lips steady!” Zecora held up a potion bottle which was glowing a bright blue. “Thank you so much Zecora!” Twilight walked over to Zecora “Be swift like the wind child, save Equestria before our days are filed..” Zecora handed the bottle to Twilight. “Let’s go Twilight! I really want to see what a Knight looks like” Spike imagined himself in an armor holding Rarity in his arms, “hee hee” his eyes went dazey. “I’m sure you’d look handsome as well Spike… when you grow up a little,” Rarity said as she walked by. “Let’s go every pony!” Apple Jack started galloping. She hadn’t felt like this before, but being away from Tiger made her jumpy, and worried even. Something seemed to be tugging at her. She just wanted to be beside him. ---Apple Jack’s room--- “So you don’t like to fly much?” Tiger looked at Fluttershy, in almost disbelief. “No.. I know it sounds silly, but I am really scared of heights..” Fluttershy blushed and curled inwards. “That’s not really a problem,” Tiger answered, “but.. I am a little jealous” he laughed, “I wish I could, fly sometimes… the feeling of freedom and just to be able to go anywhere in the air with the wind blowing in your mane” he closed his eyes imagining it. “But you can fly,” Fluttershy said in a tiny voice. “Huh?” Tiger looked at her. “Yes.. I saw you when you fought against .. that Sol Lune, you flew in the air,” Fluttershy answered. “No.. that’s a jump,” Tiger sighed, remembering Sol Lune’s face. “Oh.. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to remind you of that,” Fluttershy apologized. “No, no need for the apology,” Tiger shook his head, “I’ll stop him.. cause I am his friend,” Tiger said as his ears perked, he heard the clopping of hooves. “They’re back,” Tiger smiled as Wiona started to bark leaving the room.

TigerDusk

242

Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life

Dusk in PonyVille

incomplete

<p>Tiger Dusk, a pony who has been away from PonyVille for the longest time has finally come back to start life a new and finds that a few of his old friends are still there. Amongst them being the filly of his dreams, Apple Jack.<br /><br />Romance, and action.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T23:22:38+00:00

Chap 11 “We got it!” Apple Jack rushed into the room first and ran to hug Tiger. “Welcome back” Tiger nuzzled Apple Jack, “I missed ya” “Ah see you were a good boy, good job Fluttershy” Apple Jack turned to Fluttershy who blushed, “he was really nice and we talked a lot” “Sis where’s the medication?” Apple Bloom asked, “Ah… oh Twilight has it!” Apple Jack blushed as she remembered rushing ahead of everyone. “Whew Apple Jack you didn’t have to leave us back there,” Twilight was panting as she entered the room after. She sat down and took off her saddle pouch that had the potion in it. “Would you like to do it Apple Jack?” Twilight winked at her friend who jumped at little. “M.. m me?” she stuttered. “Come on!” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “I think I can just drink it..” Tiger blushed a little. “N..no you don’t have to trouble yerself or nuthin..” Apple Jack grabbed the potion bottle and walked over to the side of the bed. She popped the cork stopper on it. “Ah..well just drink it all down Tig..” Apple Jack leaned closer and gently pressed the lip of the bottle against his lip and tilted it a little. Tiger started to sip it. The strange liquid rushed through his insides, and it felt surprisingly fresh. He drank more and more of it. The aches and pains started to dissolve from the inside out. “Ah..” he closed his eyes, the bottle was empty now. “How are ya feelin hun?” Apple Jack looked at him. “Hmm..” Tiger looked from left to right for a moment, and flipped out of bed. “Hehe!” he grinned, “how’s that for ya!” he laughed. “Boys” Apple Jack shook her head as she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Aww… they’re so cute!” Pinkie Pie giggled as she entered the room along with Rarity. “Indeed, they are very sweet together,” she smiled. “Thank you everyone,” Tiger looked at the ponies. “Should we get a moving then?” Rainbow Dash asked. “No…” Tiger answered, stopping Rainbow Dash in her tracks. “You girls have got to rest,” Tiger answered. “But!” Rainbow Dash started. “What’s the point if we go to where ever we are going and we are all tired?” Tiger asked. “He’s kinda gotta point there Rainbow,” Twilight agreed. “So he’s the Knight?” Spike asked as he entered the room too a little disappointed. “Why do you sound so disappointed Spike?” Twilight asked. “It’s just I thought he’d have armor and a sword or something,” Spike shrugged. “Tiger can you..” Twilight looked up at Tiger who smiled and closed his eyes. A bright light filled the room. He was standing in his full armor with his sword standing next to him. “Something like this Spike?” Tiger asked with a small grin. “Woah!” Spike ran over and looked the armor over. “That’s SO cool!” Apple Bloom joined Spike. Tiger blushed a little. After the armor had disappeared once again, Tiger started to discuss a plan. “I have a few thoughts on where they might be hiding, and we’ll need a few things to take on the Darkness,” Tiger started, “we’ll need a map of Canterlot, and we’ll need a spell book…” “A spell book?” Twilight asked, “what kind of spell book?” “One that has a spell that can cast the light of your heart and surround you with it,” Tiger said, “I know it’s a simple spell… but I can’t remember which book it was, I’m not much of a magician you see..” Tiger looked up at his forehead. “Oh that one!” Twilight smiled clapping her hooves together, “common Spike let’s find it!” “coming Twilight!!!” he followed her as they both ran out the door. “Anythin else Tig?” Apple Jack asked. “We’ll need to be prepared, basic survival equiptment like water cantines and ropes..” he started to list, “the Darkness likes to really test your endurance… are you really sure you girls to still come along?” Tiger looked at them. “It’s all our problems, and we can’t let you go alone Tig” Apple Jack answered as all the ponies nodded. “Alright… we’ll leave tomorrow then,” Tiger announced. “All right, we’ll go gather some survival supplies and get a little rest then,” Rarity started for the door. “Take care of Apple Jack, sir Tiger,” Rarity added. “I will Miss Rarity” “Come along now Pinkie Pie” Rarity grabbed Pinkie Pie who was dragged out. “But… but..” Pinkie Pie reached out. “Later you two, I’ll go check on how the pegasai are doing, wanna come along Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash asked Fluttershy “oh my.. yes that would be a good idea!” Fluttershy started to follow, “it was very nice meeting you Tiger, let’s do it again sometime,” she smiled. “I’ll go and see what grandma is up to,” Apple Bloom caught on to what was happening with a small grin. “Well..the room sure got empty quick huh?” Tiger brushed the back of his mane. “It sure did…” Apple Jack leaned in close and kissed him. He returned the kiss as they both sat down on the bed. “Where were we?” Tiger smiled. “Heheh,” Apple Jack nuzzled him and held him close. “Tiger…we’re gonna be together right?” Apple Jack asked as she pressed her head against his chest. “Always,” Tiger said softly gently stroking her back. “Promise me,” Apple Jack looked up at him, as she did her hat fell off. “I promise,” Tiger looked back at her. “Good,” she said as she leaned into his chest again, “cause it feels so nice..being like this and Ah don’t want you to go and disappear or anthin like that,” she said quietly. “…” Tiger looked at Apple Jack fondly, and gently kissed the top of her head, “we’ll make it through Apple Jack, together, and I won’t disappear I can’t,” Tiger said quietly, “cause I love you too much”. “Tig..” Apple Jack looked up at him again. “There’s a place I wanna show you when we bring the sun and moon back,” Tiger said, “I discovered it while I was bucking the apples, and the view could be amazing, if you were there with me” Tiger blushed a little. “It has to have me to be amazin huh?” Apple Jack looked up and nuzzled him pushing him down. “With you everything is amazing Apple Jack,” he kissed her again. She lay beside him. It was so warm, the feeling between the two. “You’ll make a filly’s head spin with those kinda words Tig,” Apple Jack giggled. “Only for you, Apple Jack,” Tiger grinned. ---The Darkness--- “My master, your plans are coming to fruition,” Sol Lune knelt down in front of a looming black cloaked pony. A hoof gentley rose signaling Sol Lune to stand up. “We have captured all of the ponies that are in tune to the night and dark… all except the ones they call Twilight Sparkle… and Tiger Dusk,” Sol Lune gritted his teeth, swearing vengeance. “…” the cloaked pony was suddenly surrounded by the dark oily substance. It spun rapidly around it, and suddenly stopped. It slithered down to its hooves. A long object was starting to form in front of Sol Lune. “…” a new lance that was pitch black was held for Sol Lune. “Master… you didn’t have to..” Sol Lune bowed. “…..” the shadow almost seemed to smile. “I am truly greatful,” Sol Lune gently took the lance from his master’s hooves. “It shall be named… Eclipse, for that is what it shall do, create an eclipse for any hope that those foals think that they have!” Sol Lune held the lance up into the air. He bowed once again and left the room. “I think I shall go and check on our … guests,” he said as he trotted down to the dungeon. “Sol Lune! You don’t have to obey the Darkness!” a dark blue mare with wings and a horn yelled at him from a cell, her cutie mark was the night sky with a crecent moon. “Princess Luna, you should have kept the Darkness close to your heart!” Sol Lune turned to her, “it matters not anyways, you will join the ranks as Nightmare Moon once more, once the Master gives the signal” Sol Lune smiled. “You will do no such thing to my sister!” a white mare with a mane that looked like an aurora stood up from another cell across from Luna. Her cutie mark had the sun. “Save that energy Princess Celestia, though I doubt you have any… since the sun has been blotted out from Equestria, Sol Lune leaned in closer to the cell. “Sol Lune, how could you do this? You were a Knight of Equestria… do you not hold friendship in your heart anymore?” Celestia asked. “…” Sol Lune’s eyes turned sharp, “friendship… is a bunch of garbage”. He turned around and was about to leave when he added, “Tiger Dusk, another one of your pitiful Knights will be joining… if he does not… I will slay him myself,” with that he left. “Tiger Dusk?” Luna’s eyes went wide. “Oh, yes I do remember him,” Celestia recalled. “Celli… I was the one who created the ponies that were more in tune with night… Tiger Dusk, do you remember sis?” Luna asked. “…Of course,” Celestia’s eyes opened as she realized something she had forgotten a long time ago.

TigerDusk

242

Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life

Dusk in PonyVille

incomplete

<p>Tiger Dusk, a pony who has been away from PonyVille for the longest time has finally come back to start life a new and finds that a few of his old friends are still there. Amongst them being the filly of his dreams, Apple Jack.<br /><br />Romance, and action.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T23:24:09+00:00

Chap 12 ---Apple Jack’s room the next morning--- “Mmm..” Tiger groaned softly. His arms were still around Apple Jack who was sleeping. He smiled and moved in closer. “Mornin hun,” Apple Jack opened her eyes and yawned a little. “Sorry pretty lady, I didn’t mean to wake you up,” Tiger nuzzled her. “Naw.. it’s ok,” she nuzzled him back, “got a lot of work to do today huh?” “Yup,” Tiger hugged her close one more time before getting up. “A lot of work..” he got out of bed and stretched. “You worried?” Apple Jack asked him. “A little… but I got you with me,” Tiger looked back at her. “Like Ah told you Tig.. Ah’m here for ya,” Apple Jack said as she walked over to him. (Gotta be strong) Tiger thought to himself, “well, since you’re here,” Tiger grinned, “I feel like I can do anything!” “haha settle down there lover boy,” she laughed as she grabbed her hat and put it on. “Let’s go!” Tiger started for the door. ---PonyVille--- “Tiger! Apple Jack! Over here!” Twilight held up a red colored book as she ran towards the two. “This is the spell!” Twilight turned through the pages and showed Tiger. “Hmm…yes, this is it!” Tiger nodded, “this will help greatly when we enter the darkness…” “And here is the map!” Spike held up a map of Canterlot. “Alright, this is perfect,” Tiger looked through the map. “The thing is … I think they are most likely in the lowest part of Canterlot,” Tiger said, “namely cause Canterlot itself is usually located closer to the sun. So I am guessing that they will be underground somewhere,” Tiger pointed to the caves underneath Canterlot castle. “And this here spell’s gonna protect us from the Darkness?” Apple Jack asked. “Since you girls lost a lot of the element’s power from our last fight with Sol Lune…I have an idea on how to protect you with my elements,” Tiger tried to explain. “Is that even possible?” Twilight asked. “Yeah… you just have to focus on your element and I’ll do the rest,” Tiger nodded, “would it be possible to gather everyone here?” “Sure.. Spike?” “I’m on it Twilight!” Spike saluted and ran off. ---Soon--- “Alright, everyone here?” Tiger asked. They all nodded. “Ok, we are gonna test run this spell,” Tiger looked at them, “Twilight if you could..” Tiger asked Twilight who’s horn started to glow. “Now… I need you all to focus on your element, focus on it hard,” Tiger instructed. Everyone’s eyes closed. There was a bright flash from Twilight’s horn and everyone but Tiger was surrounded by a clear glowing sphere of light. Tiger then closed his eyes and started to glow the familiar gold color. He was in full armor now. “Ok.. focus….” Tiger murmered. There was a bright flash from him that shone on the spheres. “Honesty,” Apple Jack exclaimed as her sphere turned a bright orange. “Laughter!” Pinkie Pie giggled as her sphere turned a bright pink. “Loyalty hay ya!” Rainbow Dash grinned with confidence as her sphere turned a light blue. “Kindness..”Fluttershy turned her head shyly as her sphere turned a bright yellow. “Generosity,” Rarity smiled proudly as her sphere turned a creamy white. “Magic!” Twilight’s sphere turned purple. “There!” Tiger breathed out. The girls looked at the newly formed spheres. “What are they?” Pinkie Pie asked as she touched her sphere, “it’s so warm and it makes me feel happy!” she bounced up and down exicited. Apple Jack touched hers and giggled. “These are my feelings towards you, my friends,” Tiger smiled. “Ahhh that explains that,” Apple Jack turned to look at him with a wink that made Tiger blush. “Oh my…with this I feel brave,” Fluttershy said as she touched her sphere. “How exquisite!~” Rarity smiled, “the value of friendship!” “We so totally have to race again after this Tiger!” Rainbow Dash turned to him. “You bet Rainbow,” Tiger grinned. “Tiger? How do you hold the elements of friendship?” Twilight asked. “I honestly have no idea Twilight… but one thing’s for sure… I’m glad to have friends like you all,” Tiger looked around at all of the ponies,” and friends to me.. are a real treasure, that’s why I won’t let anything happen to any of you” he finished and his armor disappeared along with the magical glow from all the fillies. “Tig, don’t try to do it all by yerself!” Apple Jack frowned at him, “you’ll git hurt jus like last time if you do”. “Yes, a gentle colt knows when to ask for help too you know,” Rarity added. “It took our elements of harmony… so we need to help you get them back!” Twilight nodded. “We are so totally gonna kick flank!” Rainbow Dash did a backwards somersault in mid air and then posed. “He really is like you AJ,” Twilight laughed. “Hay…” Apple Jack blushed. “Ohhh yeah I remember!” Pinkie Pie thought of it, then she shivered, “BAKED BADS, guh…!” “Huh?” Tiger looked at Apple Jack. “What they are tryin to get at is that, you gotta ask for help when you really need it Tig,” Apple Jack summeraized. “Alright… we’ll do this all together then,” Tiger said, “let’s go to Canterlot, does everyone have their equipment?” they all nodded. “Let’s go”. ---Dungeon in the Darkness--- “He was the one that … I accidently dropped in your sun tears sister,” Luna reminded Celestia. “Yes, I do recall that happening to a pony,” Celestia answered. “A pony made from the night who was dipped in morning,” Luna smiled, “I remember how happy I was with the colors that flew from that. The color of dusk, but sister.. wouldn’t that mean?”Luna’s eyes went wide. “He is over a thousand years old,” Celestia finished, “I kept him safe and released him on Equestria when I thought the time was right. He was one of the only ponies I knew of at the time that could fight off the Darkness without falling into its clutches,” Celestia explained, “I am guessing that’s why the Darkness wants him so much, since he has the affinity for both day and night… they would be able to stretch across patches of land that the light only touches”. “He always had an amazing way with friendship as well,” Celestia remembered Tiger Dusk training in the academy. “If he is that in tuned with friendship… it will be chaos if the Darkness touches him though,” Luna said, “it’ll turn to pure hatred, and chaos. He’ll become a pony that will destroy everything dear sister… we must get out of here!” “But how Luna? Our cells hold us tight and restrain our powers. The sun and moon can’t rise or set while we are in here. All I can think of is the Elements of Harmony, and my dear student…Twilight Sparkle, I do hope she is alright,” Celestia felt worried tears fall from her eyes. To her Twilight was a like a daughter of her own. There was a cloud of ink black smoke that appeared in between the two sisters’ cells. “…” it was the hooded pony. “Please don’t do this to our Equestria!” Celestia protested. “…” the hooded pony tilted its head. “What can you accomplish by making everything disappear?” Celestia’s eyes went wide with shock. Luna was silent. Her sister seemed to understand the silence from the hooded pony. “Who are you?” Celestia narrowed her eyes at the Darkness. “…” the hooded pony simply turned on the spot and disappeared, and reappeared in Celestia’s cell. Two gleaming red eyes were glowing in front of Celestia. “I.. it can’t be,” Celestia moved backwards, pressing herself against the wall. “Sister!” Luna yelled, slamming into her cell door. “…” the hooded pony lingered for a moment and slipped out of the cell in another cloud of smoke. The smoke spiraled towards the exit of the dungeon, and seeped through the door with ease. “Sister…it’s him,” Celestia seemed to be out of breath. “Who?” Luna asked. “The pony who was exiled for touching the darkest of dark Ailcorn magic,” Celestia whispered. “…”Luna’s mouth opened. She felt her heart beat rise.

TigerDusk

242

Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life

Dusk in PonyVille

incomplete

<p>Tiger Dusk, a pony who has been away from PonyVille for the longest time has finally come back to start life a new and finds that a few of his old friends are still there. Amongst them being the filly of his dreams, Apple Jack.<br /><br />Romance, and action.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T23:25:13+00:00

Chap 13 Tiger looked around as they stepped hoof in the Canterlot region. “…This is bad,” Tiger muttered. In front of the group was a large dome of darkness that covered every inch of Canterlot. “We need to get in there!” Twilight started running towards the dark dome. Tiger held his arm out and stopped her. “Before we even think about approaching it…” Tiger pointed at the spell book. “This darkness isn’t the comforting type that you see before you go to bed everypony…” Tiger gritted his teeth remembering the cold feeling. “Alright..” Twilight said as she closed her eyes. Her horn started to glow. Tiger doned his armor and added his elements of harmony to each of the girls’ spheres. “Be careful everypony, we don’t know what’s in there,” Apple Jack warned. “…Somehow I have a feeling I know,” Tiger gripped his sword. They walked through the wall of Darkness and were greeted with a sudden chill. “What.. what happened here?” Twilight’s mouth opened in shock. All the structures were pale ivory in color. The atmosphere seemed to have an inky feel to it. “It’s been touched by the Darkness,” Tiger looked around as he drew his sword. “Tiger, what’s wrong?” Rarity asked. “..Something’s around here,” Tiger looked around. “Just point it out and I’ll get rid of it in 10 seconds flat!” Rainbow Dash reared up and punched out her hooves in an intimidating fashion. “It’s so dark in here… how can you see anything Tiger?” Fluttershy was looking around as well. “FLUTTERSHY BEHIND YOU!” Tiger’s eyes flashed has he leaped over the yellow pony and slashed at a shadowy figure which was bareing it’s fangs. It instantly dissipated into cinders as Tiger’s sword slashed through it. “What in tarnation was that thing?” Apple Jack asked as she helped Fluttershy up, who had taken a slight fall due to the fright. “It’s a shadow … as long as we are in the Darkness, they will keep on coming…” Tiger’s senses were on high alert. “May I suggest that we get moving then?” Rarity pointed to a large amount of shadowy figures that where approaching them. “Let’s go!” Tiger motioned for them to run. He couldn’t leave them to fight if he were to keep them protected with the elements. He had to find the darkness mirror and stamp it out. “Twilight, the map!” Tiger called out as he slashed a shadow that appeared to the side of Rarity, he then flipped over the group to the other side. He then dragged the sword upwards as he slashed another shadow causeing sparks to fly. “If we are where I think we are…” Twilight was trying to focus, “it must be this way!” Apple Jack pointed down a narrow street. “Let’s go!” Pinkie Pie looked worriedly at Tiger who was standing in front of her, he had taken down a scary shadow that had wanted to eat her. Her sphere had dimmed in color, “Pinkie Pie.. don’t be scared, remember what Grammy Pie used say?” Tiger looked back at her with a smile, “yeah! Pinkie Pie giggled a little. “Keep moving. I’ll protect you! Just remember to focus on your elements!” Tiger yelled. The ponies ran through the street until they saw a large shadow crawl across the ground and manifested in front of them. A large claw formed on one of its arms and threatened to swing it at Apple Jack. “HAH!” Tiger jumped up and removed its claw with a quick swipe of the sword, then bound back and forth using his sword on the rest of the creature. He finished his attack with a somersault over the shadow causing it to fall over with a dozen burning slash marks before dissipating into the cinders. “Everypony ok?” Tiger looked back. “Y..yeah” Apple Jack looked back at him with a small smile. “Ohh.. I wish I could use a sword!” Rainbow Dash said, frusteration in her voice. “Tiger, you have such grace when you swing your sword” Rarity commented, “did you take dancing as well?” “Umm…” Tiger brushed the back of his mane. “Ya really did?” Apple Jack’s eyes grew wide as she started to laugh. “..Yeah,” Tiger blushed, “I learned how to sing too… but it doesn’t help during a fight, that’s for sure. Honestly I don’t like fighting,” Tiger said, “it really isn’t my style”. “Hmm according to the map, the cave should be around here somewhere,” Twilight looked at what was in front of them. It was a very steep hill which was pure white. Tiger shivered a little, he felt the atmosphere starting to get to him. “I can sense it behind that hill,” Tiger took an attack pose. “Tiger, what are you doing?” Twilight asked as she watched him swing his sword at the hill. There was a bright flash and the hill itself disappeared. “What in the hay?” Apple Jack’s eyes grew wide. “If, I am not mistaken, this hill is known as the hill of mist?” Tiger looked back as they all checked the map. “It looked so real!” Pinkie Pie looked at the map and then back at where the hill used to be then back at the map. “We need to find the Darkness Mirror, it’ll get rid of the Darkness that is shrouding Canterlot,” Tiger motioned for them to follow him. “That is where you are WRONG!” Sol Lune laughed as he dropped from the sky and stuck his lance into the ground in front of Tiger. “Wha..?” Tiger’s eyes grew wide as he felt the ground give way from underneath. He and the others fell through the ground. Tiger felt the Darkness slowly creeping up on him. The spell had been broken. “No!” Tiger cried out as he reached out his hoof, “Apple Jack!!!” ---Inside the Darkness--- It was cold. Apple Jack looked around, and found that she had been separated from the others. “Where the hay am Ah?” she asked herself as she dusted herself off and put her hat back on. “Tiger! Twi? Rainbow!! Rarity!! Pinkie Pie!!! Fluttershy!!!” she called out. Her voice didn’t seem to travel in the endless Darkness that was in front of her. “…” worry started to close in on her. “Wh.. where is everypony?” she noticed that it was abnormally cold here, where ever she was. She started to move and felt her hooves touch something smooth underneath. “…” she looked down and saw a reflection of herself looking back at her. Something was out of the ordinary though. The Apple Jack that was looking back at her had a nasty sneer spread across her face. “Hay there… pardner,” her reflection said in almost a cold voice. “…” Apple Jack started to move backwards nervously as she tripped over her hind legs. “Wass the matter? Too good to look at yerself in the mirror?” the Apple Jack in the mirror seemed to ripple for a moment and slowly rise up through the mirror’s surface. “How… are you doin that? And what are you?” Apple Jack looked up at her. “Ah am the opposite, ya could say,” she tipped her hat as she walked towards Apple Jack. “Ah am the Element of Untruth, trust me sugar, it ain’t no simple lie that Ah’m gonna tell you,” she grinned, “Ah’m gonna show you all the lies and secrets that you hope that you’d never see yerself”.

TigerDusk

242

Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life

Dusk in PonyVille

incomplete

<p>Tiger Dusk, a pony who has been away from PonyVille for the longest time has finally come back to start life a new and finds that a few of his old friends are still there. Amongst them being the filly of his dreams, Apple Jack.<br /><br />Romance, and action.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T23:26:20+00:00

Chap 14 Tiger felt as he had been dropping for a long time. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Sol Lune standing right in front of him. “Awake Dusk? Good,” he grinned as he held up the Dark Oily substance that held the Elements of Harmony. “Give them back,” Tiger tried to move, but realized his whole body was being restrained. “Hmm… no” Sol Lune let the Darkness return to his body, “you shouldn’t be worrying about this… when your ‘beloved’ and so called friends are not in the best of positions right now” he pointed to the 6 uncontious ponies laying around him. “What did you do to them?!” Tiger’s eyes narrowed in a sudden fury. “Hm hm hm hm,” Sol Lune grinned, “let’s just say… they are facing their inner demons right now,” Sol Lune looked down at Apple Jack who appeared to be in a cold sweat. “DON’T YOU TOUCH HER!” Tiger struggled. “My my… that powerful of a feeling hmm?” Sol Lune let his new lance form, and held it up under Tiger’s chin, “I’ll give you one more chance Dusk, and I’m being nice here… normally I’m not that forgiving. We need you the in Darkness, unless you want to see these poor defenseless fillies taken instead? I mean I could save time, take you and Twilight with me to the Master right now, but what’s the fun in that hmm? So… what’s your answer Dusk?” Sol Lune looked up at Tiger again. ---Inside the Darkness--- “Remember when Tiger disappeared?” the Untruth asked Apple Jack, “we sat there wonderin why the hay he ran away, and without so much as a word to us”. “He was in a rush, he explained it,” Apple Jack. “He said he didn’t want to say goodbye, such a sweet guy huh?” the Untruth stroked the words fondly, “Ah love him just as much as you do, Ah am you, you know? But as Ah recall another thought passed our minds” her smile curled a little at Apple Jack. “What do ya mean?” Apple Jack was trying to stand up, but found her legs were not responding to her. “What if he thought we were not friends hmm? Remember that? I do recall we were kind of a bully to him,” the Untruth looked straight into Apple Jack’s eyes. “No! Ah was just playn with him and he knows that!” Apple Jack yelled out. “Well if yer so sure, why are ya panicin like that?” the Untruth smiled softly. “It’s not true!” Apple Jack yelled. “Remember? When he started workin at the farm? Ya teased him about the way he couldn’t buck a single apple off the trees, and told him he was lazy, and Ah do recall it pretty well, aren’t we the guilty party here?” the Untruth asked her words were starting to make Apple Jack cry. “Cryin now?” the Untruth lifted a eyebrow, “guilty as charged huh?” “But… Ah was jus foolin, Ah really liked him…” she stuttered, “Ah.. Ah didn’t mean to hurt him or nuthin” Apple Jack looked down at the floor. “Ya told ourselves that every night before ya went to sleep for a month,” the Untruth laughed, “a pathetic attempt at askin for forgiveness?” “…” Apple Jack couldn’t find her words, had she really hurt Tiger Dusk as much as her reflection was telling her? ---Elsewhere inside the Darkness--- “Oww… that was quite the doozy,” Pinky Pie groaned as she looked around, “where am I?” she asked. “Oh it’s you,” came a depressed voice from underneath Pinkie Pie as she realized she was standing on top of a large mirror. “Wha…?” Pinkie Pie’s mouth opened wide as she saw the reflection of her slide up in front of her. “Who are you?” Pinkie Pie tilted her head. “I’m you silly!” the reflection imitated Pinkie’s cheerful voice, but retained her gloomy disposition. This version of Pinkie Pie had her hair down, it was not bubbly, and her face was frowning. “You’re me?” Pinkie Pie backed away slowly. “Are you afraid? Pinkamena?” she sighed, “I am the Element of Depression” “Why are you so sad?” Pinkie Pie asked nervously. “You should know Pinkie, we are the same,” the Depression crept in closer towards Pinkie Pie. “…” Pinkie Pie stumbled backwards and was now looking up at the Depression who was looming over her. “Parties are a great way to make friends… yes,” the Depression looked down at Pinkie, but then added, “but what if they are just attending cause they take pity on you?” “Pity?” Pinkie Pie asked softly, her hair had gone down. “Yes, your friends might be pretending that they like you, and don’t try to refuse that… we both know you have thought about that! Remember how you reacted to a simple surprise birthday party?” the Depression almost looked as if she were about to cry. “But… but they did that surprise party for me!” Pinkie Pie remembered. “It still doesn’t change the fact… that we doubted our ‘friends’ after that somewhere at the back of your mind, you thought about how they might have reacted to our untrust…” ---Still elsewhere inside the Darkness--- “Help…someone!” Fluttershy called out. “No one’s gonna come and help a weak pony like you!” Fluttershy’s eyes opened wide as she jumped up into the air. “You’re always so quiet and you even end up being rude when someone asks for your name!” her voice seemed to angrily yell back at her. “But.. “ Fluttershy was scared, where was this voice coming from? “I’m down here, you sad excuse for a Pegasus pony!” an angry looking version of Fluttershy stood there as she crawled up to the surface in front of Fluttershy. “I am the Element of Rudeness,” she tossed her hair and glared at Fluttershy. “But.. I don’t mean to be rude, I want to be kind,” Fluttershy had tears in her eyes already. “Sure sure sure, that’s what you spout all the time right?” the Rudeness laughed mockingly, “and lemme guess, you act all shy cause you don’t like other ponies paying attention to you right?” “…” Fluttershy was quiet. “I think you actually like the attention,” the Rudeness got closer with an intimidating look on her face. Fluttershy curled up into a ball and hiccupped a small cry. “Remember when Rarity sprung us that job?” “Bu..but I didn’t like it one bit,” Fluttershy’s voice came out small. “See? Not only are you rude, you’re ungreatful!” the Rudeness yelled at Fluttershy. “Rarity wanted that job more than anything else and what do you do? You UPSTAGE her and later REFUSE the job!” the Rudeness turned around and huffed, “I can’t even look at you!” “But…Rarity understood,” Fluttershy said quietly, “and it was a big misunderstanding that could have easily been avoided if we just told each other the truth at the beginning”. “Oh don’t get all holier than thou on ME!” the Rudeness turned back around. ---Still elsewhere inside the Darkness--- “This place is so dreary..” Rarity sniffed, “I must find my way out of here!” “Always thinking about yourself hmm?” Rarity heard a familiar voice. “Who’s there! It’s very impolite to sneak up on a lady!” Rarity looked around. “I am the Element of Greed,” the Greed rose slowly from the ground that Rarity realized was a mirror. “But enough about me Rarity, let’s talk about you!” the Greed walked over to Rarity and smiled. “Greed?” Rarity looked appalled, “I am not greedy!” “Oh please Rarity, you can fool the other ponies, but you can’t fool yourself,” the Greed said smugly as she examined her hoof for any imperfections. “What are you talking about?” Rarity looked insecure. “Remember when we wanted every single Pegasai in Cloudsdale to look at our … beautiful wings?” the Greed grinned as Rarity’s mouth slowly opened in surprise. “Now now Rarity, heh heh, it isn’t very lady like to gawk like that,” the Greed laughed curtly. “But…I apologized to Rainbow after that!” Rarity protested, “I understood that what I did was wrong, I should have been supporting her rather than showing off my… beautiful wings,” she thought about the wings again. “See? Even now you think about those wings and how much admirers you had,” the Greed giggled. “But…” Rarity started. “You went further as to have a tinge of jealousy am I wrong?” the Greed was relishing this conversation. Rarity collapsed, unable to bare the words that rang true… but something just felt wrong about all of this. ---Still elsewhere inside the Darkness--- “Hahhhhh!” Rainbow Dash yelled as she tried to fly as fast as she could to get out of the Darkness. “Where is every pony!” she called out. “Why do you care?” came a reply that sounded remarkably like her own voice. Out from underneath Rainbow Dash, a ripple in the mirror she was flying over appeared. From the ripple another Rainbow Dash flew out, and stopped in front of her. “Girlfriend, we need to talk… about number one” she grinned. “Huh?” Rainbow Dash slowly flew back to the ground. She was stunned that another pony that looked exactly like her had appeared. “Can’t get enough of me? Hay yeah, neither can I” the Rainbow Dash doppelganger flew down to meet face to face with Rainbow. “They call me the Element of Vanity,” she pointed to herself and a proud smile. “Ok… but how does that get me out?” Rainbow Dash asked the Vanity. “Why are you in such a hurry to get outta here anyways? You’re with number one! Yourself!” the Vanity grinned. “But I need to go and rescue my friends! They might be in trouble!” Rainbow Dash started to flap her wings to fly forward, but was stopped by the Vanity. “Are you really worried about them? Or do you just wanna show off your stuff like you always do?” the Vanity smirked. “What the hay? I’m no show off!” Rainbow Dash frowned at the Vanity. “Oh? Ever so loyal right? What about that time when we wanted those tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala?” the Vanity shrugged, and remember how we treated Apple Jack during the fall of the leaves? I mean, I like to win sure, but even I think we cheated just a bit, but hay I got no problem with that, gotta keep the appearance up for Cloudsdale’s number one best young flyer right?” “But…” Rainbow Dash stopped. “I mean we could be modest…but hay we’d end up like Fluttershy right?” “Hay don’t go and insult Fluttershy like that!” Rainbow Dash glared at the Vanity. “I’m just voicing your thoughts ya silly filly,” the Vanity laughed. ---Outside--- “So what’s the answer Dusk?” Sol Lune asked again. “…”Tiger struggled a little, he watched as tears started to run down Apple Jack’s cheeks. “Either way my Master wins you know,” Sol Lune smirked. (What am I going to do?) Tiger winced at his options. He watched as his friends twitched in what seemed to be pain. Twilight wasn’t in any better condition. She was rolling from side to side as she let out a small groan.

TigerDusk

242

Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life

Dusk in PonyVille

incomplete

<p>Tiger Dusk, a pony who has been away from PonyVille for the longest time has finally come back to start life a new and finds that a few of his old friends are still there. Amongst them being the filly of his dreams, Apple Jack.<br /><br />Romance, and action.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T23:27:16+00:00

Chap 15 “Why are you doing this Sol Lune?” Tiger gritted his teeth, “is it revenge? Is it cause I let you die?” “what do you mean Dusk?” Sol Lune looked surprised. “When we went to Hoofington, I went into the Darkness Mirror, but when I came back out you were already dead, I was too late,” Tiger struggled in his binds. “…I never thought of you as coming out too late my dear friend,” Sol Lune looked at him, “why would I want revenge on you? We were the best of friends you and I!”. It might have been the room that Tiger was in but it felt exactly the same as that day he had entered the Darkness Mirror for the first time. He cried out as he felt the familiar feeling claw at his heart. ---Somewhere in the Darkness--- “Dear Twilight Sparkle, please do not try to struggle so much!” this time it was not a copy, but something far more sinister. “Stop!” Twilight cried out, her hooves had sunk into the mirror as if they had trekked in mud. “Twilight Sparkle, do you realize you are a Pony with a very strong affinity for the night?” the Darkness seemed to slither around Twilight. “Why does that matter at all?” Twilight struggled to get her hooves out. “You will be one of the strongest allies as we take over Equestria, we the Darklings,” it gripped her leg and started to drag her further down into the mirror. “No… HELP!!!” Twilight cried out. ---Outside--- “…” Tiger looked at his friends, and then at Apple Jack, “ALRIGHT!” he yelled. “What?” Sol Lune looked at him. “Ok…I’ll give up, but on ONE condition,” Tiger had tears in his eyes, “you let them all go, every pony”. “You do realize we’ll just end up catching them again,” Sol Lune shrugged. “…I know,” Tiger closed his eyes. “Well if that’s what you wish old friend,” Sol Lune clapped his hooves and the binds released on Tiger. Sol Lune then with a swift movement pushed his right front hoof against Tiger’s chest. “Uh…” Tiger gasped as a bright light filled the room. It swirled around the room in the colors of a prism. The light flew down to the uncontious fillies. “Come along now Dusk, you are back where you belong,” Sol Lune smiled as he helped up a limp Tiger Dusk onto his back. Tiger’s eyes were blank, and a slight dark tinge had covered his whole body. ---Somewhere in the Darkness--- “You let her go now!” cried a voice. Twilight’s ears twitched. There was a bright flash, and there stood a mirage of Tiger. “What?” the Darkling hissed as he tried to attack the image. “Twilight…you have to belive in yourself if you want to get the elements back, Twilight you must belive in your own magical ability,” Tiger’s voice echoed, “I am leaveing you with my element of Friendship,” Tiger tossed a purple, sword down in front of Twilight. “…I can no longer fight, please tell Apple Jack, I am sorry,” he said softly as he disappeared. “WHAT? TIGER NO!” Twilight yelled. “Hehe.. now where were we?” the Darkling turned its attention back to Twilight. “You won’t win!” Twilight’s horn started to glow. The glow seemed to surround the purple sword, as it was lifted from the ground. She then slashed with all her might at the Darkling. “What?!” it gasped as the familiar cinders flew up in front of it. “I am the element of MAGIC,” Twilight’s eyes glowed as the whole room started to shatter. ---Elsewhere in the Darkness--- “Rainbow, I think we’re gonna have to take a rain cheque on that race,” Tiger’s mirage had appeared in between Rainbow Dash and the Vanity. “Just who the hay do you think you are?” the Vanity growled. “Rainbow Dash, you might like to show your stuff… but I also know you are the most loyal pony I know!” Tiger looked at Rainbow Dash who blushed. “Don’t listen to this fake,” Tiger tilted his head over his shoulder, “if you’re good at something you don’t have to show it off, it’ll show itself instead”. Tiger’s mirage started to shimmer as his head bowed, he seemed to be tired. “Tiger?” Rainbow Dash tried to help him from falling over, but felt nothing. “I leave you my element of Friendship,” he replied in a soft voice as a light blue shield dropped in front of Rainbow Dash. “Good he’s gone! Now we can get back to talking about how awesome we are!” the Vanity smirked. Rainbow Dash looked at the shield and saw her reflection, her true reflection, “I never keep my friends hanging, you know that if you are really me!” Rainbow Dash glared at the Vanity as she strapped the shield to her right front leg and flapped up into the air. She then started to glide down at an amazing speed. She became a rainbow streak as she crashed through the Vanity as well as the mirror. The room shattered. “Tough luck, I am the Element of Loyalty ya know”. ---Still elsewhere in the Darkness--- “Miss Rarity,” Tiger’s mirage looked up at Rarity who was crying. “Ti..Tiger?” Rarity tried to retain her composure. “Who has made you cry fair Rarity?” Tiger’s mirage looked behind him to find the Greed sneering back at him. “Rarity, I know you are a generous pony!” Tiger’s voice echoed, “you offered to help someone you didn’t know, and even listened to his troubles and offered advice as well,” Tiger seemed to be struggling to keep his contiousness. “Tiger? What is the matter?” Rarity gasped as she felt her hoof pass through his image. “I am such a foal..” Tiger closed his eyes, “I shouldn’t have run away, I could have met more friends like you, and I could have told Apple Jack my feelings sooner, but now..” tears slipped his eyes, “Rarity… I leave you my element of Friendship,” his voice shook. As his image disappeared a pure white bow and arrow dropped to the ground. They shimmered like gem stones. “I wonder how much those would sell for?” the Greed laughed mockingly. “YOU WILL NOT! I REPEAT NOT LAUGH AT THIS GENEROUS GIFT!” Rarity’s eyes flashed angrily as she lifted the bow and arrow with her magic. A dark shadow seemed to appear from the Greed and lunged towards Rarity. Rarity took aim with the arrow and launched it from the bow. A bright light shone from the arrow as it hit its mark and flew further then a shooting star into the Darkness, shattering the room. “That will show you, you ruffian! I am the element of Generosity” ---Still elsewhere in the Darkness--- “Fluttershy!” Tiger’s mirage stood in front of a quivering Fluttershy, “you are a really kind pony, I said it before but be proud of who you are, and don’t be afraid to show a little pride in yourself” he said as he turned around and frowned at the Rudeness. “Ponies who are kind, are always taken advantage of,” Tiger started, “but that’s where you have to draw the line Fluttershy. Being pushed around just isn’t cool,” Tiger’s image shivered as he stumbled a little. “Oh Tiger! Are you ok?” Fluttershy ran to his side to find that he wasn’t really there. “Fluttershy, keep that kindness in your heart… always,” Tiger smiled as he said, “I leave my element of Friendship”. He disappeared as bright yellow feather fan fell to the ground. “T..tiger” Fluttershy’s eyes filled with tears as he held her hooves up to wipe them away. “Still crying? You pathetic pony!” the Rudeness laughed. “I am kind! I love all my friends! AND YOU WON’T SAY OTHERWISE!” Fluttershy’s voice echoed and made the Rudeness’s eyes open wide in shock. Fluttershy grabbed the fan in her mouth and waved it with all her might. A strong wind filled with images of butterflies flew through the wind and blew the Rudeness away, which also seemed to shatter the room. “Everyone needs a bit of the element of kindness in their hearts… even you” ---Still elsewhere in the Darkness--- “Hey! YOU LEAVE PINKIE PIE ALONE!” Tiger’s mirage seemed to growl at the Depression. “Tiger?” Pinkie Pie looked up at him. “Pinkie Pie, remember when we were small? You’d always have those awesome parties. I had just moved into PonyVille and I didn’t know anyone, and you were there introducing me to everyone,” Tiger laughed, “we had the greatest party that night and we all laughed at the awesome jokes and pranks you pulled”. “Tiger..” Pinkie Pie’s eyes filled with happy tears. “You aren’t alone Pinkie Pie,” Tiger heaved a little and huffed as he almost seemed to fall over. “TIGER!” Pinkie Pie cried out as she ran to him. “You have some awesome friends, don’t ever doubt that Pinkie Pie, come on.. you gotta laugh, it just isn’t like you to be sad like this,” Tiger smiled, “I leave you my element of Friendship” he said as his mirage disappeared leaving behind a pink sling shot with a glowing cupcake in it. “Oooh, pretty!” Pinkie Pie clapped her hooves together, than got serious as her hair inflated into the normal bubblyness. “How do you know what he said was true?” the Depression asked. “Cause he is my friend too!” Pinkie Pie grabbed the sling shot. “Have one… on me!” Pinkie Pie fired the cupcake at the Depression’s face. The cupcake splattered all over the Depression’s face, crumbs flying into the air. “Hee.. hehehe… HAHAHAHAHA!” Pinkie Pie rolled on the ground laughing at the expression on the Depression’s face. The room seemed to shatter as the Depression faded. “Come again and party with me! We’ll have a lot of fun since I carry the element of LAUGHTER!” Pinkie Pie cheered. ---In the Darkness--- “Apple Jack!” Tiger’s mirage ran to his love’s side. “Ti..tiger? Oh … please don’t hate me,” Apple Jack tried to hold him, but her arms passed through. “Apple Jack? Why do you think I hate you?” Tiger’s eyes were looking drowsy. “Because Ah bullied ya so much when we were little ponies,” Apple Jack started to cry. “No way… my love… I knew you were just kidding around those times and to tell you the truth I didn’t mind it at all.. since it was the cutest pony doing that to me,” Tiger looked straight into Apple Jack’s eyes, “I don’t know who told you these lies, but they aren’t the truth that’s for sure!” Tiger turned around and glared at the Untruth, “you may look like my love… but you lack what makes her so special! She’s an honest pony! She works hard, and I love her,” Tiger yelled with all he could muster from his very soul. “Tig…” Apple Jack’s lips quivered. “Apple Jack, don’t you dare listen to her, I hate liers,” he growled. “I’ll give you my element of friendship Apple Jack”. He did not disappear this time, Instead a glowing light appeared in his hooves as an orange whip formed in them. It flew over to Apple Jack and she took it. “You know I love you right Apple Jack?” Tiger looked at her. “Ah do, and Ah love you too Tig! Ah know that’s the honest truth!” Apple Jack swung the whip around in the air and cracked it on the Untruth causeing her to scream as she disappeared. A warm light surrounded Tiger and Apple Jack. “What happened to you Tiger?” Apple Jack tried to touch him again. “…” he nuzzled her as his image faded a little. “Keep the element close to your heart Apple Jack, and never forget I love you,” his eyes started to close as the image faded away. “Tiger?” Apple Jack’s eyes grew wide in shock, “TIGER!!”

TigerDusk

242

Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life

Dusk in PonyVille

incomplete

<p>Tiger Dusk, a pony who has been away from PonyVille for the longest time has finally come back to start life a new and finds that a few of his old friends are still there. Amongst them being the filly of his dreams, Apple Jack.<br /><br />Romance, and action.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T23:28:01+00:00

Chap 16 Apple Jack’s eyes opened. “Uhn…” she groaned as she saw all her friends standing in front of her, looking at her worriedly. “Wakey wakey Apple Jack!” Pinkie Pie smiled as she helped her up. “Wh..where’s Tiger?” she looked around and saw her friend’s eyes turn downcast. “…So it wasn’t a dream huh?” Apple Jack looked down at the ground and found the glowing orange whip along with her hat. “He… he,” Twilight started but couldn’t find the words, instead she looked at her purple sword and replied, “we’ll get him back AJ”. “That cosharn foal..” Apple Jack closed her eyes angrily, “why’d he go and do that! He promised!” “Apple Jack… he wanted to help us,” Fluttershy said in a small voice. “Now we so gotta help him!” Rainbow Dash held her right hoof up, the one which had the shield. “Yer right…after that Ah’m gonna tan his flank,” Apple Jack declared as she grabbed her hat and straightened it up on her head. She grabbed the whip and rolled it up and put it in her saddle pack. “Which way do ya think they went?” Apple Jack asked. “Well the stairs would be a good start would it not?” Rarity asked. “Oh… right,” Apple Jack smiled sheepishly. The six traveled up the stairs and found themselves in the courtyard of Canterlot castle. At this point Pinkie Pie had realized, “hey! That meany meany dark stuff isn’t around here anymore!” “My gosh, you are right Pinkie Pie!” Rarity looked around only to find the pale sky and the ivory color. “Then … the place we were in!” Twilight exclaimed. “Mus have been that Darkness Mirror Tig was talkin about,” Apple Jack muttered. “I totally rocked it!” Rainbow Dash grinned proudly. “Umm..we all did,” Fluttershy added modestly. “Hmm, where do you think we should check first?” Twilight asked. “Do ya think the dungeons?” Apple Jack asked. “I don’t see dungeons on the map though” Twilight examined the map closer. “Ah, I think she’s talking about that place?” Fluttershy pointed at large building that was next to the castle. “But! That was never there before!” Twilight exclaimed. “Must have been the Darkness,” Rainbow Dash answered. “Well let’s git a move on then!” Apple Jack started galloping for the building. ---The Darkness’s throne--- “Here he is Master, Tiger Dusk as you requested!” Sol Lune knelt down and rolled Tiger over onto the floor. Tiger’s eyes were still blank, and it was as if his body had become slightly darker then it was before. “…” the hooded pony seemed very pleased as it hovered across the ground and spun around Tiger Dusk. “Is he really that important?” Sol Lune asked carefully. “Yes…” a quiet, yet cold voice seemed to hiss from under the hood. Sol Lune looked at Tiger, (it’s for the best.. my friend) he thought. Ever since Tiger had reviled what he thought what he had been guilty of, Sol Lune’s head had been filled with a lot of thoughts. (He is my friend…right? And we were Knights of Equestria… fighting off this very Darkness that I wear) Sol Lune looked away. “…” Sol Lune gritted his teeth as he turned to leave. “Where are you going Sol Lune?” the hooded pony’s voice was quiet but it traveled to Sol Lune as if he were next to him. “…To check on the progress of those in tuned with night,” he muttered. “Don’t be too long now. Your friend will be joining you soon,” it seemed to laugh as a hoof from the cloak it wore touched Tiger’s chest. As this happened the dark oily substance seemed to permeate Tiger. Tiger’s body shook violently for a moment, as the orange color from his body seemed to travel to his cutie mark, at the same time the black from his cutie mark traveled outwards coloring him pitch black. Sol Lune shuddered a little without realizing as he left. As he walked down the corridor his horn began to glow. “Hmm..? Intruders in the dungeons…” he murmured to himself, “I am guessing it’s those ponies that Tiger had so much confidence in, and his lover,” Sol Lune stepped his pace up a little. “They will not go far,” Sol Lune said as his body was shrouded in a blue light. He had teleported. ---Dungeons--- “Everypony ok?” Apple Jack exclaimed as she saw several ponies that were locked in cages. “Hey! It’s Apple Jack!” some of the ponies exclaimed. “And look its Twilight you gotta help us please!” “Rainbow Dash came to save us!” “Fluttershy, it’s so great that you came!” “Pinkie Pie!! Let’s have a party after we get the hay out of here!” “Miss Rarity.. it must be a dream come true!” ponies from the cells celebrated. They were all freed with in a flash. “Get going everypony… there are no more shadows outside, so don’t worry!” Twilight pointed to the exit. “Thank you so much!” they cried out as the galloped off. “So you’re all here to ruin the plans hmm?” Sol Lune asked as he appeared in the room. He swung out his new lance and pointed it at the fillies. “Where the hay is Tiger?” Apple Jack glared at Sol Lune who stood there almost indifferent. “He’s joined the Darkness…” Sol Lune looked away. “Why are ya doin this?!” Apple Jack yelled, “wasn’t he your best friend?” “What do you know?” Sol Lune glared at Apple Jack. “Ah’ve loved him since Ah met him when we were little ponies so Ah know plenty!” Apple Jack swung her whip out, as the other ponies took out their gifts from Tiger. “What?” Sol Lune’s eyes grew wide in shock. “Those are the weapons of the founders of the Knights! WHERE DID YOU GET THOSE?” he pointed his lance at all of them. “They were gifts from Tiger…” Twilight held her purple sword up. “He saved us from your dumb Mirror!” Rainbow Dash held her shield up as well. “He left us his friendship, and we are going to get him back,” Rarity held an arrow up. “We’ll show you meany pants what we got!” Pinkie Pie spun her slingshot and joined it up in the air. “I know you have some kindness inside you too Sol Lune… otherwise Tiger wouldn’t have been your friend..” Fluttershy held the fan up. “Hahaha,” Sol Lune laughed mockingly, “what a group, well if you think you can get by me, just TRY IT!” he said as he jumped for the ceiling. He spun upside down and placed his hooves against the surface of the ceiling and pushed himself downwards. “Scatter everypony!” Twilight yelled as she dodged the ferocious lunge from the lance. “Hang on sugar cube!” Apple Jack cracked her whip towards Sol Lune who was thrusting his lance rapidly towards Twilight. The whip cracked against his lance making him stumble for a moment. He glared at Apple Jack at turned towards her. “Very well, you will be first!” Sol Lune yelled as he lunged at Apple Jack who was backing away. The lance was thrust once again. Apple Jack didn’t have much time, but with a quick reaction she managed to tie the whip around the lance’s tip which had stopped right in front of her face. “Grr!” Sol Lune growled as he tried to pull the lance away.  a glowing cupcake hit the side of his head as he was trying this. “Urgh!” he cried out as the frosting covered his eyes. “YAH!” Pinkie Pie cheered. “My turn!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she flew up and swooped down with the shield in front of herself as she crashed into Sol Lune and sent him flying outside the open door of the dungeon. “Am I… being defeated?” Sol Lune gritted his teeth as he stood up. “Sol Lune, you are a Knight of Equestria, why do you fight for the Darkness?” Twilight asked pointing the purple sword at him. “That is none of your business Twilight Sparkle!” Sol Lune roared as he swiped his lance at the sword. Sparks flew as the two weapons met. “This lance will be your doom, you silly ponies!” Sol Lune said as he pushed Twilight back. “Twilight!” Fluttershy exclaimed as she swung herself around and waved the fan at her incoming friend. A gentle wind filled with glowing butterflies flew underneath Twilight and buffered her fall. From behind Fluttershy an arrow flew over top of her and landed in front of Sol Lune with a bright flash. “Gah!” he closed his eyes. “Take that you disrespectable Knight!” Rarity huffed. “Yeeeehaw!” Apple Jack reared onto her hind legs and started to charge towards Sol Lune. She whipped the lance from his mouth and landed behind as she whipped the back of his armor. “…” Sol Lune gasped as he felt his armor of Darkness start to crack. “Quit liein to yourself,” Apple Jack said as the armor fell apart.

TigerDusk

242

Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life

Dusk in PonyVille

incomplete

<p>Tiger Dusk, a pony who has been away from PonyVille for the longest time has finally come back to start life a new and finds that a few of his old friends are still there. Amongst them being the filly of his dreams, Apple Jack.<br /><br />Romance, and action.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T23:28:46+00:00

Chap 17 Sol Lune looked down at the ground in shock, his mind felt cleared. “…” Apple Jack turned and looked at him. “I don’t have the right to ask for forgiveness so instead,” Sol Lune tossed them a metal ring with keys. “The princesses are locked up in the northern tower,” Sol Lune motioned with his head for them to get going. “What are ya gonna do?” Apple Jack asked as she tossed the keys to Twilight. “…I’m gonna go help Dusk,” Sol Lune got up and shone a bright light silver as his real armor covered his body. A light blue cape flew in the wind as he stood there holding a glowing prism lance. “Ah’m commin with ya then,” Apple Jack answered. “But Apple Jack!” Rainbow Dash protested. “Don’t worry sugar cube, if this pony turns face Ah can handle him,” Apple Jack held up her whip. “Alright, we’ll meet up later in the court yard!” Twilight nodded. “We have the same goal… I shall not go back on my word!” Sol Lune motioned for Apple Jack to follow him. Twilight and her group headed in the other direction. “Where in the hay are we goin Sol Lune?” Apple Jack asked. “To the throne room Apple Jack,” Sol Lune looked back at her, “I’ll save him!” “We’ll save him ya mean,” Apple Jack ran beside him. “So you are that filly he was talking about while we were training all those years ago,” Sol Lune looked at Apple Jack. “He talked about me?” Apple Jack blushed. “Only every day,” Sol Lune laughed, “he told me he’d go back to PonyVille one day and tell you his true feelings which I guess did happen”. “Ah shucks..” Apple Jack was blushing furiously now, “all the more reason to rescue him”. “He has a good taste in mares I must say,” Sol Lune said as they ran through the entrance to the throne room. “Dearest Sol Lune…” a cold voice crept into the two’s ears. It was quite dark in the room and neither of them could see anything. “It’s over Lunar Flare!” Sol Lune yelled out. “You’d betray us?” came a hiss. “I do a lot of things!” Sol Lune dashed in the direction of the voice with his lance out in front of him. Sol Lune felt his lance hit something, something rather hard. “Guh?” Sol Lune grunted as he jumped back. “What is it Sol Lune?” Apple Jack asked still trying to make out anything in the darkness. “My lance usually hits the mark,” Sol Lune replied. “Shall I show you what you did hit you foal?” the darkness started to clear in the room. There stood Lunar Flare, and next to him was an armored pitch black pony, with a rather large, dark and glowing purple knight sword out in front of him. “What in tarnation?” Apple Jack gasped, “what did y’all do to him?”. “He’s resumed the form he was meant for,” Lunar Flare chortled as the black armored pony stepped forward reviling his face. It was Tiger Dusk. Tiger’s eyes were cloudy. He had no expression either. His armor looked as if they were made from the darkest dragon scales. “Resumed the form he was meant for? What the hay is that supposed ta mean?” Apple Jack yelled out angrily at Lunar Flare. “So you must be the one that Tiger cherishes,” Lunar Flare curled a smile under his hood, “listen here you foalish filly, Tiger Dusk was a mistake to begin with! Luna created him, but accidently dropped him into something called Sun Tears. He was a pony destined for the purest of pure nights. He will destroy everything in his path… with pure hatred, because I have taken what makes him so strong and turned it in the other direction,” Lunar Flare laughed at his amazing plan. “Tiger won’t do that!” Apple Jack looked at Tiger Dusk who stood there like a statue, “he’s the nicest pony Ah know!” “Apple Jack, wait!” Sol Lune tried to stop Apple Jack from swinging her whip at Lunar Flare. There was a loud crack as the whip hit. “You’ll find that it isn’t quite that easy,” Lunar Flare smirked. The whip had wrapped itself around Tiger’s right hoof. “Tiger git outta the way!” Apple Jack yelled as she tried pulling the whip back. “WATCH OUT!” Sol Lune’s eyes grew wide as he jumped in front of Apple Jack and received a buck to the side of his helmet. “Guhah!” Sol Lune’s head reared back as he flew back. “SOL LUNE!” Apple Jack cried out as she ran to his side. “He’s fast,” Sol Lune got up and pointed his lance at Tiger. “What?” Apple Jack’s eyes grew wide. “Stay back miss Apple Jack, this is a duel between Knights!” Sol Lune’s eyes flashed a familiar green. Tiger stared blankly at Sol Lune. “My lance will pierce your darkness Tiger!” Sol Lune cried out as he charged at him. “Be gone,” Tiger’s voice was cold as ice as he sank into the shadows and appeared above Sol Lune with his sword poised downwards. “What?” Sol Lune gasped as he had barely a second to dodge the blade. “He can manipulate the shadows to his own will?” Sol Lune looked at Tiger who resumed a fighting position. “Very well, we’ll see how you handle this!” Sol Lune jumped as high as he could. “…”Tiger looked up yet again without any expression. “Haaaaaaa!” Sol Lune roared as he flew down towards Tiger with his lance pointed out in front of himself. A bright light seemed to envelop Sol Lune as he flew faster and faster. His lance met Tiger’s purple sword. Light seemed to splash around the room, then instantly dimmed as Tiger swung his sword giving Sol Lune only but a moment to block the slash. “This is bad,” Sol Lune muttered.

TigerDusk

242

Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life

Dusk in PonyVille

incomplete

<p>Tiger Dusk, a pony who has been away from PonyVille for the longest time has finally come back to start life a new and finds that a few of his old friends are still there. Amongst them being the filly of his dreams, Apple Jack.<br /><br />Romance, and action.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T23:29:26+00:00

Chap 18 Twilight opened the door at the top of the stairs, and saw the two princesses looking back at them. “Princess!” Twilight cried out as she ran over to Princess Celestia and nuzzled her. “My prized student!” “How did you defeat Sol Lune?” Luna asked shocked. “The darkness left him after we used Tiger’s Elements of friendship,” Pinkie Pie jumped up and down as Twilight unlocked the cells. “What about your own?” Celestia asked surprised. “…The Darkness has them,” Twilight winced. “But we’ll get em back for sure you can count on it!” Rainbow Dash pitched in. “I can feel the presence of a great hatred sister..” Luna cut into the conversation. “So it has happened…” Celestia bit her lower lip. “Umm.. if you don’t mind me asking, what has?” Fluttershy asked. “We’ll explain on the way!” Celestia started for the door, “hurry! We must get the Sun and the Moon in their respectable positions!” “I am right behind you sister!” Luna followed behind. “I wonder how Tiger and Apple Jack are fairing?” Rarity asked as she followed Twilight. “They should be alright…I hope”. ---Throne Room--- “Ugh..” Sol Lune collapsed to the ground. “Tig stop this!” Apple Jack cried out with tears in her eyes. “…” Tiger stood before Sol Lune with his front hooves raised ready to stomp him into oblivion. “He cannot hear you,” Lunar Flare laughed yet again. “Then Ah’ll MAKE HIM!” Apple Jack rushed towards Tiger. Tiger disappeared with the shadows and appeared behind Apple Jack. He was about to bring the sword down on her when somewhere deep at the back of his mind told him to stop. He closed his eyes tightly and shook his head, only to open his eyes to Apple Jack’s eyes. “Ah know yer in there Tig..” she leaned in and wrapped her arms around his neck into a close hug. “…” Tiger seemed to wince, the warmth was pushing back the darkness. “You will not mess up my plans!” Lunar Flare roared as he spun the dark substance around his hooves and launched them at Apple Jack, hitting her in the back over and over. “Ah… Ah can take it!” Apple Jack winced in pain. Tiger shook his head as if pleading for Apple Jack to move. “As long as Ah’m with ya Tig.. Ah feel like I can do anything,” she smiled weakly as she felt her legs give way. “NO!” Sol Lune yelled. “…” Tiger watched as Apple Jack fell to the floor. “A…A…Apple Jack..” Tiger’s voice came out raspy. “Wake up you FOAL!” Sol Lune yelled, “you’re love is fighting with all her might and you are just STANDING THERE!” Tiger Dusk turned his head to Sol Lune as tears fell from his eyes. His face had an expression. “VERY WELL YOU USELESS PONIES!” Lunar Flare screamed as he flew across the floor and rammed his hoof into Tiger’s chest. “AHHHHHHHHHH!” Tiger felt as if a claw was reaching and tearing something from inside. “I’LL DO IT MYSELF!” Lunar Flare seemed to be drawing all the darkness from Tiger. Sol Lune struggled to stand, but could not, his fight with Tiger had proven to be too much for him. “Now, it is MINE!” Lunar Flare laughed as wings flew from his back. He flapped them powerfully and left the room with a thunderous crash through the ceiling. “Tiger!” Sol Lune called out as he tried to drag himself over to his friend who was sitting next to Apple Jack in almost a catatonic state. “…Apple Jack” Tiger whispered. His orange color had returned to his body, but his mane had turned pure white along with his cutie mark. Sol Lune had made it over. He checked Apple Jack’s pulse and looked up at Tiger, “She’s alive!” “!” Tiger stared at Sol Lune. Tiger leaned closer to Apple Jack. “…I’m so sorry,” he whispered and kissed her. “Yer always appologizin Tig,” Apple Jack let out a soft laugh. “Apple Jack!” Tiger held her close. Tears falling freely from his eyes down his cheeks as he felt Apple Jack’s arms wrap around him as well. “What are we going to do?” Sol Lune asked after the two had their reunion. “He’s taken…whatever it was he wanted from me,” Tiger realized he felt as if something was missing. “We gotta stop him!” Apple Jack tried to stand up but started to fall again, this time Tiger was there to catch her. “I don’t think any of us are in any position to move,” Tiger said quietly. “That is why I am here Tiger Dusk,” a soft moon beam seemed to shine in from the hole that Lunar Flare and left in the ceiling. “You are… Princess Luna!” Tiger had turned his attention towards the door way. “Yes my night child,” Luna walked forward. “How are the others?” Apple Jack asked. “They are with my sister right now. She is trying to bring the sun in, but as it is only the moon seems to be able to shine in at the moment,” Luna looked worriedly at the sky. “Ugh, if I could only get up!” Sol Lune gritted his teeth. “I’m so pathetic,” Tiger closed his eyes tightly. “And why do you say that child?” Luna asked as she got closer. They noticed for the first time that she was in her full Ailcorn size. She was almost as tall as Celestia. “I am a mistake, somehow I knew something was strange about me, ever since I was little,” Tiger started, “and I tried to make the best of it…but even in the end I went and messed it all up, and in the process the one I love got hurt”, Tiger looked sadly at Apple Jack, who frowned back at him. “Are ya done feelin sorry for yourself?” Apple Jack huffed. “Huh?” Tiger looked back. “So what if ya messed up? We all make mistakes, it’s what ya take from em that makes ya that makes ya so much more,” Apple Jack lifted an eyebrow, “and ya weren’t that strange as a little colt, ya were jus a little clumsy and a little lazy” she giggled. “Hey…” Tiger started. “Such a beautiful flower has bloomed even in the midst of night,” Luna smiled. “Huh?” Apple Jack asked. “Friendship is one thing my little pony… but love is something much deeper. It is as beautiful as a blossoming flower,” Luna explained and then asked, “what are your wishes?” Tiger looked at Apple Jack, then at Sol Lune. The looks they gave him was the answer he had in mind as well. “I wish to protect Equestria, so that I may be able to watch sun sets with my love Apple Jack, and to be able to catch up with my best friend Sol Lune” Tiger answered. “Very well,” Luna smiled as she opened her wings which were a dark ink blue. They were filled with stars as far as the eye could see. It was as if she carried the night sky inside of her wings. A gentle moon light started to sparkle from her wings towards the group. It was so gentle and warm. They felt their bruises and scratches starting to go away. “…Thank you princess,” Tiger said with gratitude in his voice. “Tiger, just remember one thing,” Luna looked at him in the eye with warning. “Don’t let him confuse you with hatred, you have the element of love in your heart,” Luna smiled. “Love,” Tiger repeated. “It’s what I gave you,” Luna smiled, “and Apple Jack, please… look after him? He still has a lot to learn from the looks of it,” “Sure thing Princess,” Apple Jack tipped her hat. “You have my gratitude Princess,” Sol Lune bowed. “I shall take my leave then… I must help my sister,” Luna retracted her wings and left the group. “Were do you think he went?” Sol Lune asked. Tiger’s eyes went wide for a second. “Tig?” Apple Jack looked at him. “I can think of one place…” Tiger Dusk motioned for them to follow him, “PonyVille”.

TigerDusk

242

Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life

Dusk in PonyVille

incomplete

<p>Tiger Dusk, a pony who has been away from PonyVille for the longest time has finally come back to start life a new and finds that a few of his old friends are still there. Amongst them being the filly of his dreams, Apple Jack.<br /><br />Romance, and action.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T23:30:27+00:00

Chap 19 “Why PonyVille?” Apple Jack asked as they exited the throne room and entered the great hall that she and Sol Lune had rushed through earlier. “It’s a precious place to me, and if I know anything he’s trying to make me hate him… he’s going to try and destroy it” Tiger said as he picked up his paceing. “So he can make you into that dark pony again,” Sol Lune muttered. “Yeah… that’s what I was thinking, because if he did anything like that I would never be able to forgive him!” Tiger said as he opened the door at the end of the hall and into the courtyard. There at the center Princess Celestia and Luna were surrounded by the others. “Apple Jack, you’re ok!” Rarity rushed over and gave her friend a hug. “Aww shucks Rarity, ya didn’t have to worry over nuthin,” Apple Jack smiled. “Is that Tiger?” Fluttershy asked a little surprised at the white mane that Tiger was sporting now. “Yeah… it’s a long story,” Apple Jack sighed. “What’s happenin here?” Apple Jack asked quietly realizing that the princesses were deep in concentration. “They are trying to call the sun back,” Twilight answered as she hugged Apple Jack too “we have to help them. We were just waiting for you AJ”. “Tig…” Apple Jack looked at Tiger who nodded, he understood how important it was. “Sol Lune, let’s get a move on!” Tiger’s gold armor appeared once again. “Tiger, please take our friendship with you!” Twilight looked at the others as they held the weapons that Tiger had given them up in the air. Bright lights shone from all of them as they started to fly around Tiger. A familiar broad sword that was glowing like a prism shone in front of him. “Come back in one piece, ok?” Apple Jack nuzzled and kissed Tiger. “You have my word,” Tiger said as he held Apple Jack tightly once more before letting go to grab the sword. “We are going to party after this!” Pinkie Pie yelled out. “Of course!” Tiger held the sword up. “And don’t worry Rainbow, we’ll have that race… this time I’ll be 20% faster,” Tiger grinned, “let’s go Sol Lune!” Sol Lune nodded as his silver armor appeared along with his prism lance. The two ran as fast as their hooves to carry them. “Just like old times eh Dusk?” Sol Lune asked. “Yeah, just like old times, let’s kick some flank!” Tiger’s cape flew in the wind next to Sol Lune’s. ---PonyVille--- “This is where I shall start!” Lunar Flare exclaimed as he landed at the center of the deserted PonyVille. “Like hay you will!” Sol Lune yelled as he and Tiger had just entered the town. “This is the end for your Darkness Lunar Flare!” Tiger pointed his glowing sword at Lunar Flare. “So it’s a fight you want?” Lunar Flare laughed, “what a pathetic attempt… sending but only two Knights, Equestria must be desperate!” he mocked as he tossed off his cloak reviling a pony orange pony with black swirls around his body. “But if it’s really a fight you want… I shall oblige!” his eyes shone a bright red as a large scythe formed in front of him as his wings flapped out. “Let’s go Sol Lune!” Tiger started to charge his sword at the ready. “Ok!” Sol Lune yelled as he jumped into the sky. The two became streaking lights as they aimed their attacks at Lunar Flare. There was a bright flash, which was quickly dissipated by darkness which seemed to slice through the light. “Please… try harder,” Lunar Flare laughed as he spun his scythe around and positioned himself again. “What was that?” Sol Lune asked as he got back onto his hooves. “It was as cold as when we enter the towns that were afflicted with the Darkness,” Tiger muttered as he got back onto his hooves as well. “We’ll use formation Altair and Vega,” Sol Lune said. “Yeah that’s a good idea,” Tiger nodded. The two of them ran to either side of Lunar Flare and pointed their weapons at him. Tiger started the attack as he charged in with his sword pointed out. “Pathetic!” Lunar Flare roared as he swiped his scythe at Tiger who jumped. “What?” Lunar Flare gasped as he saw Tiger do a somersault with his sword. As this was happening Sol Lune had also charged in. His lance thrusts had caught Lunar Flare off guard. “Grr!” Lunar Flare seemed to growl as the sword sliced into his back. He felt several of the thrusts from the lance come in contact with his body as he started to fall. “Hah!” Tiger roared as he landed and bounced from the position dragging the sword across the ground slashing up then down at Lunar Flare. Then he spun around and added a horizontal slash. Sol Lune followed up with a jump over Tiger Dusk. He then pointed his lance towards Lunar Flare. He then flew down, striking his lance against his target, then flew up into the air. “ALTAIR!” Tiger roared. “VEGA!” Sol Lune yelled as Lunar Flare fell to the ground. “Did we do it?” Sol Lune asked as he landed next to Tiger Dusk. “…” Tiger glared at the rising Lunar Flare and held his sword up again, “no”. “Foalish tricks won’t work so easily against me,” he laughed as he swung his scythe sending what appeared to be a black wind towards Tiger and Sol Lune. The two braced themselves as the wind hit. It was as cold as ice as the two flew back. “We have to free the elements of harmony,” Tiger said quietly. “Do you think that’ll help the Princesses?” Sol Lune asked. “Yes,” Tiger answered, “if we can get the elements of harmony back and send them back over to Apple Jack and the others… I’m sure we can have the sun rise again, and the night will be clear”. ---Canterlot--- “Focus …” Celestia’s face was covered in perspiration as her horn glowed brightly. “Yes sister,” Luna looked equally perplexed. “This is would be much easier if we still had our elements,” Twilight looked worriedly at her mentor. “Twi, we can’t give up, we gotta keep the faith,” Apple Jack said. “But it’s still true, we don’t have our elements,” Rainbow Dash sighed. “What if Tiger helped us find our elements before?” Pinkie Pie asked. “Huh?” her friends looked at her if she was crazy. “I mean, didn’t he come to help us when we were inside the nasty mirror?” Pinkie Pie asked. “And, he reminded us about our elements of harmony,” Fluttershy was starting to get it now. “Let’s give it a try then,” Rarity suggested. The ponies all formed a circle around Princess Celestia and Luna. ---PonyVille--- “This is getting us no where!” Sol Lune said as he dodged a swipe from the scythe. “Just keep it up!” Tiger ducked under the blade as spun around towards him. “It is FUTILE!” Lunar Flare jumped into the air in a tornado of darkness. Suddenly six colors flashed from his chest as he cried out in what appeared to be pain. “Hm..” Tiger smiled, “they did it” “Huh?” Sol Lune looked up at Lunar Flare then back at Tiger. “They? They who? And what did they do?” Sol Lune asked. “The spirits of the elements of harmony,” Tiger replied. “Huh.. you made some pretty interesting friends while I was gone,” Sol Lune said. “We’re all friends Sol Lune,” Tiger said as he positioned himself ready to attack the stunned Lunar Flare. “Yeah, we are” Sol Lune did the same. The two jumped towards Lunar Flare, both their eyes glowing green. “NO! STOP!!!” Lunar Flare screamed as the two attacked with their glowing weapons. The six lights seemed to burst from Lunar Flare as Tiger and Sol Lune landed back onto the ground. “Now… it’s up to them,” Tiger looked up at the sky.

TigerDusk

242

Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life

Dusk in PonyVille

incomplete

<p>Tiger Dusk, a pony who has been away from PonyVille for the longest time has finally come back to start life a new and finds that a few of his old friends are still there. Amongst them being the filly of his dreams, Apple Jack.<br /><br />Romance, and action.</p>

everyone

2011-07-16T23:31:28+00:00

Chap 20 ---Canterlot--- “They freed the elements!” Luna gasped as the lights from the elements of harmony flew towards the 6 fillies. “Tig.. ya did it!” Apple Jack smiled as she felt her element return to her. “Let’s do this!” Twilight looked at her friends as the elements sunk back into their owners. Their golden necklaces appeared once again. Twilight had the crown as her eyes shone. “That’s it my student…” Celestia watched as a torrent of rainbow energy gently surrounded her. “I shall do the rest!” Celestia’s eyes were glowing now as well. The light around her horn instantly intensified. With that Celestia jumped into the air and spread her wings out. A light so bright, that no pony could look at with their eyes seemed to flash from Celestia. With that, the monotone color of the sky seemed to shatter as far as the eye could see. As this happened, the warm rays of sunlight started to shine back down on Equestria. Color flooded through the whole world like a wave. ---PonyVille--- “Hahah!” Sol Lune laughed in joy as he saw the sky turn blue. “The nightmare is finally over,” Tiger Dusk sighed, but gasped suddenly as Lunar Flare was in front of him. “You.. think it’s over do you Tiger Dusk?” he’s eyes flashed fiercely. “It is Lunar Flare!” Celestia’s voice echoed as she appeared with Luna and the others. “You were too foalish with the Book of Darkness,” Celestia’s eyes narrowed at Lunar Flare. “I was smart enough to embrace its magic!” Lunar Flare glared at Celestia. “You let it consume your heart!” Luna joined her sister. “It is the ultimate magic! It was mine for the TAKEING!” Lunar Flare laughed as he thrust a hoof into Tiger once more. “Ugh!” Tiger’s eyes opened wide. “TIGER!” Apple Jack cried out. She was about to run for him but was stopped by a wing from Celestia. “I shall deal with this,” Celestia’s wings started to shine once more. “Wha.. what are you doing?!” Lunar Flare hissed. “Doing what I should have done when we first fought,” Celestia’s light intensified. “AHHHHHHHHHH!!” Lunar Flare screamed as the shadows from his body started to vaporize. He let Tiger Dusk go. “Return that gentle night to Tiger Dusk!” Celestia stomped her hooves as Lunar Flare collapsed pathetically to the ground. “N..no!” Lunar Flare shook. His body had shrunk and grown wrinkly and slowly disappearing, he was indeed more than a thousand years of age. “Light… cannot exist without shadow,” Lunar Flare coughed weakly. “You are right,” Celestia walked closer with her light, “but the shadow that a gentle light produces is a gentle darkness, not the malicious type that you have aimed for”. “Ah…” Lunar Flare groaned as he felt his energy leave his tired ancient body. As his body disappeared a soft light was left behind. It floated in the spot for a moment, and if one would take a closer look at it, its color was the same as dusk. “Ah’ve been meaning to ask Princess,” Apple Jack looked causiously at the light, “what exactly did Lunar Flare take from Tiger?” “He took half of Tiger’s spirit, what really makes him complete,” Celestia’s horn started to glow as she lifted the light. “His favorite time of day as he used to say,” Celestia smiled at Tiger Dusk who watched as the light surrounded him. “Ah…” Tiger breathed out as his mane and cutie mark had reverted back to their original black. “How are you feeling buddy?” Sol Lune asked. “Like a new pony!” Tiger got up and posed. “YEAH!” he cheered, “WE TOTALLY ROCKED!” “Hahahaha” Apple Jack laughed. “See?” Celestia winked, “without that, he just wouldn’t be himself”. “Ah think Ah git it,” Apple Jack giggled as she walked over to Tiger. “Hey there pretty filly,” Tiger nuzzled his love. “Ah missed ya… and Ah was so worried,” Apple Jack nuzzled back. “You did a fine job,” Tiger smiled. “Hay… when your colt friend is a Knight ya gotta live up to it,” Apple Jack winked, “Ah can’t be the princess in distress!” “Though it would be intresting to see you in a dress,” Tiger teased. “SEE?” Rarity found the opportunity to break into the conversation. “I.. I was only joking!” Tiger waved his hooves out in front of himself. He knew how much Apple Jack didn’t like ‘formal attire’. “Ah guess… just for one night,” Apple Jack smiled. “Huh?” Tiger’s eyes grew wide. “And we can TOTALLY have it at the PARTY!” Pinkie Pie bounced around them. “Sounds like a plan Dusk,” Sol Lune grinned, “you sly pony… you got all the fillies wrapped around your hooves”. “Hay no…” Tiger blushed, “Apple Jack here is the only filly for me” “Aww… that’s so cute!” Twilight giggled. “Hay Sol Lune, are you as fast as Tiger?” Rainbow Dash asked him. “Heh, I could beat him in my sleep!” Sol Lune grinned. “Really?” Tiger looked at him with a lifted eye brow. “Yeah,” Sol Lune smirked. “Fine… after the party, you, me and Rainbow!” Tiger smirked back. “YEAH!!! THIS IS GONNA BE… SO …. AWESOME!” Rainbow Dash’s voice squeaked with excitement. “Umm I’ll cheer,” Fluttershy smiled. “Alright then! It is settled!” Rarity declared. “Of course the Princesses are invited as well!” Pinkie Pie giggled. “Pinkie Pie! Mind your manners!” Rarity gasped. “It’s quite alright Rarity,” Princess Celestia smiled. “A party would be most delightful,” Luna nodded. ---The next day--- Ponies had come back to PonyVille and had started a celebration. Streamers and balloons flew everywhere. Pinkie Pie, Apple Jack and Tiger had worked hard earlier in the morning to bake one of the biggest cakes that PonyVille had ever seen. Apple Jack had gone home a little after that and had put on a really classy dress that Rarity had made especially for her. Tiger had put on his tuxedo and was waiting by the gates of PonyVille, it was just past afternoon. “Sorry Ah’m late sugar Tig,” Apple Jack walked up to him, “it’s just darn hard to walk in this thing,” Apple Jack explained. “My gosh,” Tiger breathed as he looked at her, she had a fine white dress and her hair was down rather than the usual pony tail, “you look amazing in a dress too Apple Jack”. “Hay remember it’s jus for tonight!” Apple Jack winked at him. The two of them entered the party and started to enjoy. They met up with Rainbow Dash who was performing her new tricks in front of a lot of the town’s ponies. Then they paid their respects to Princess Celestia who was with Luna and Twilight chatting about the magic of Friendship. Fluttershy was conducting her bird choir which sounded very pretty. Tiger bowed to Apple Jack as she awkwardly curtsied back as the two started to dance. Rarity was showing off her latest and greatest dress to many of the fillies which had crowded around her, gasped as she watched the two “it’s so ROMANTIC!” Rarity’s voice squealed as she watched the two. “You dance very well” Tiger said as he held Apple Jack close to him as the music number had come to a end, “ah… well it’s cause you took the lead there Tig,” Apple Jack blushed. Tiger and Apple Jack had finally met up with Pinkie Pie. She could not contain her excitement as she bounced around the two talking about fireworks later that night. Then Tiger and Apple Jack had found Sol Lune who was relaxing in front of sugar cube corner and started to chat and laugh with him, till the sun had started to go down. “Hey Dusk, don’t you have to show your filly friend something?” Sol Lune asked as he nudged Tiger. “What? .. oh yeah!” Tiger realized and thanked Sol Lune. “Hey no problem, I’ll just tell them you are spending some private time together,” Sol Lune smiled as he watched Tiger walk up to Apple Jack. “Hey Apple Jack,” Tiger brushed the back of his mane, “can you come with me for a bit?” “Sure thing Tig, what’s up?” Apple Jack started walking with him towards the exit of the town and down to Sweet Apple Acres. “It’s just something I wanted to show you,” Tiger smiled as they climbed up a hill with a lone apple tree sitting on the top. “Yeah?” Apple Jack smiled back at him. Tiger sat down and leaned his back against the tree and motioned for Apple Jack to sit beside him. “Check it out,” Tiger nodded towards the sun set. “Yer right… it is pretty amazing Tig,” Apple Jack said as she leaned her head against Tiger’s shoulder. “Cause you’re here with me Apple Jack,” Tiger softly kissed the top of Apple Jack’s head. “It’s cause you’re here with me Tiger Dusk,” Apple Jack leaned up and kissed him, “who ever thought that dusk in PonyVille could be so amazing?” Apple Jack snuggled close to him. “I’m just glad to be home,” Tiger smiled, “where I belong… with you Apple Jack”. ~Fin~

doctor dapples

244

Romance

Formal Education

Caramel wants to impress Rarity, but finds himself constantly overlooked for types that appeal to her sense of elegance. So he seeks advice from the most elegant stallion he knows.

complete

<p>Every stallion in town wants to get close to Rarity, but Caramel doesn&#39;t think he has a chance. What can a simple pony like him possibly do to get a fashionable pony like her to notice him? Luckily for him, Hoity Toity is in town, and if there&#39;s one stallion who knows about attracting mares, it&#39;s him&#8230; right?<br /><br />Contains M/M shipping.</p>

everyone

2011-07-18T03:17:31+00:00

"I honestly don't know what I'm doing here." Caramel wasn't lying. He had some vague idea of why he was there. A night at the club to ease some of his frustrations had ended with one too many drinks, and finding himself pouring his guts out to another stallion. The gray unicorn had a strange attentiveness as Caramel spoke of the pony who seemed as out of reach as Celestia herself. When she asked him and Lucky to pull her carriage to the Gala, he had felt honored, despite his knowledge that he would likely serve less as a companion, and more as transportation. But during the trip, he could hear Rarity speak of "him". She was going to meet "him", and he would be elegant, charming, regal, and all the other things that Caramel could never hope to be. Thankfully, "him" turned out to be Prince Blueblood, whose rumors of arrogance turned out to be vastly understated. But while this meant that Rarity was still looking for her other half, she still had no reason to expect a clumsy earth pony with an unkempt mane to give her the finer things she deserved. "You know, I could have had the chance to talk to Hoity Toity..." The increasingly blurry unicorn opened his eyes a little wider. "Really?" Caramel nodded. "He came to town for Rarity's show! Were you there?" The unicorn shook his head, and Caramel continued. "It was crazy! She was all freaked out because she loves everything he does, and her first show was a disaster! It was crazy!" "You said that already," the unicorn said, chuckling. "Don't laugh! She'd do anything for him and why? Because he's this big, glamorous stallion with big city words and big city looks..." "I honestly don't think you need to worry about competing with him for Rarity." "That's not the point! I'm saying I could have learned from him! I could have shown him around Ponyville when he visited for the first time, but I passed it off to the Doctor! Hoity sat on his nose!" He scrunched up his face in a grimace, the ridiculous memory reemerging as vivid as ever. The unicorn began laughing, and before long, the two of them were doubled over in alcohol-fueled hysterics. As Caramel struggled to regain his composure, the unicorn wiped the tears from his eyes. "So you think that spending some more time with somepony like Hoity would train you in what you need to impress Rarity?" Caramel's enthusiastic nodding was met with a sly, inebriated grin. The unicorn prodded him in the chest with a hoof. "You wait here. I'll be right back. You said your name was Caramel?" That was weeks ago. And up until the moment when the almost obscenely long stretch carriage arrived to take him to Hoity's Canterlot boutique, there had been nothing to indicate that his life was anything but painfully normal. Yet, here he was, in the design studio of one of Equestria's most popular fashionponies, being offered a bottle of Fillygrino by one of Hoity's personal valets. "Thank you," he said, taking a sip of the bubbly water. I bet Rarity drinks this all the time, he thought. Then, realizing that Hoity was waiting for a more satisfactory answer to his question, Caramel tried again. "I think I'm here to learn how to impress Miss Rarity." The silver pony smiled. "Right you are, Caramel. I remember you well enough. Apparently, I sat on your friend's nose back in Ponyville?" Caramel nervously shuffled his hooves on the floor. Hoity began to walk around the orange pony in an ever-narrowing circle. "Well? Did I or did I not?" "I...I..." "Spit it out!" "Yes!" Caramel shouted. "You did! But it was an accident, and I shouldn't have said anything, and I'm sor-" Caramel's words were cut off as he felt hooves grab his head. Hoity had removed his sunglasses and was staring determinedly into his own with piercing blue eyes. "Don't you dare apologize, Caramel. This is lesson one." "Lessig wug?" he said, having difficulty speaking with the hooves pressed against his jaw. "Confidence, Caramel. Without it, you are nothing. If you can't defend yourself or your friends with pride, why should any filly bother with you? They want a stallion who will stand up for them! I embarrassed your friend, so you need to do something about it." Caramel shook free of the grip. "Yeah! I am going to do something about it!" His chest puffed up with pride. Hoity was grinning and bearing his teeth, matching his protege's enthusiasm. "And what are you going to do?" "I'm going to tell you where you can go, you pompous old -" Caramel stopped as Hoity shot him a nasty look. "Ummm..." Hoity replaced his sunglasses and clapped his hooves together. "That's enough of that. We're going to assume you understand this lesson and move on before you say something you come to deeply regret." "Err...yes." "There! Now that you are the very semblance of a sure and steady stallion, it's time to make you look as confident as you feel!" The designer reached into a doorway and wheeled out a rack of clothes that stretched the entire length of the studio. "Lesson two, dear Caramel! We'll do you up so fancy that Rarity won't be able to tear her eyes off you." He grabbed a tape measure and began getting his measurements. As he checked the distance from Caramel's chest to his dock, Hoity peered over his sunglasses at him. "And then maybe Rarity can tear a few of these things off of you, hmm?" Caramel flushed and looked away, but he couldn't help smiling. "There! Now that's significantly better!" Caramel had to agree. He certainly looked better. A dazzlingly white shirt unbuttoned at the top to make room for a scarf which resembled Hoity's, but was instead a dark blue that matched Caramel's eyes. Hoity had also taken the liberty of slicking back Caramel's hair with some gel, which gave the pony a more sophisticated look that would be "just the sort of thing any mare would love to run her hooves through". "Now," said Hoity, clapping his hooves together a second time. "I believe it is time for the third lesson. I'm going to go gather some educational tools, and if you would be so kind, pick out a nice pair of shoes. Incidentally, this will serve as an experiment to see how much you've actually been paying attention." And Hoity contentedly trotted out of the room, humming a snatch of classical music. Picking up the rest of the tune, Caramel couldn't help but smile. This was all going so well! He felt in control of himself, and he felt like he really looked like the sort of stallion whom Rarity would want to spend time with. He just needed to convince her that this wa- Caramel's brain froze up as he discovered the shoes from which he was supposed to choose. Most ponies he knew didn't wear shoes in the first place, and here there seemed to be hundreds of different options. His eyes ran up and down the different makes and varieties, but nothing looked right. After a few minutes of fruitless searching, Caramel grabbed a few items that seemed to speak to him. "Well, the odds are already against me being right, so I might as well be comfortable," he said, putting them on. "How wrong can I be?" His answer came when Hoity walked in and gasped loudly, allowing the brown patterned bag to drop from his mouth, spilling out a long piece of purple fabric. "What in the name of Celestia are you wearing??" Caramel shrunk back a little before looking down at his sandals. To be extra comfortable, he had put a pair of socks on first. "They're very warm," he said, smiling. "They're revolting. Forget about the shoes. If you showed up at the Carousel Boutique in those things, Rarity would lock the door. I know I would." "But is that all she wants?" Caramel pleaded. "Another high-fashion pony?" "I rather doubt it's that simple, Caramel. I imagine that, like me, she finds a little folksiness quite endearing." He motioned for Caramel to stand in front of one of the design tables, and then retrieved the ribbon of fabric. "In fact, I would imagine that with a little finesse, she would find herself deeply attracted to even your more, shall we say, uncouth aspects? Close your eyes." Caramel did as he was told, but started a little as he felt the soft fabric wrap around his head. "What are you doing?" "This is to make sure you don't peek during lesson three. I need you to be less focused on what you see and more on what you say and feel. You're going to learn how to TALK to Rarity." He heard the designer pony walk a short distance away, and rummage through what he assumed to be the bag he had dropped earlier. He heard a soft "tsh" sound followed by others. "Umm...well, what do I say to her?" Suddenly, Caramel felt hot breath at his ear, and Hoity Toity's voice came out slow and soft. "Say what you want to tell her." His senses were shocked by the sudden scent of lavender, Rarity's perfume of choice, and he felt his insides warming up. "O-ok. Miss Rarity, I..." "Just call me Rarity, Caramel, please," came Hoity's voice again, softer and pitched a little higher. "Yes...Rarity, I've known you for a while and I've always thought you were..." "Were what?" Caramel struggled for the words. Between the smell in the room, not having his sense of sight, and the sound of someone whom he was pretty confident was still Hoity Toity shuffling around with things in his bag, he was having a lot of trouble thinking straight. Who am I even talking to anymore? His thoughts were interrupted as he felt hooves press him back against the table. "Tell me the truth, Caramel," came the androgynous voice, neither Hoity's nor Rarity's. "Of course, Rarity..." "Do you think I'm pretty?" This time, Caramel didn't need to think. "I think you're the most beautiful pony in Equestria." And he felt the warm muzzle push against his, and Caramel tilted his head to properly receive the kiss, as the design table began to lean back with their weight. Soon Caramel felt the warmth of the other pony's tongue spreading into his mouth, and he removed the blindfold from his eyes, ready to look deep into those blue eyes. But Rarity wasn't the only one with blue eyes. And there was more to see than that. In front of him stood a very different Hoity Toity. No longer was he wearing his trademark sunglasses, collar, cuffs, and ascot. Instead, the fashion stallion was clad in a gorgeous pink ballgown, with trim done in yellow and purple, and a matching cape over his shoulders. He had placed jeweled earrings in his long grey ears. And on his head, in front of his perfectly styled white mane, sat a golden tiara. It was Rarity's outfit from the Gala. Caramel responded the only way he knew how. "Huh?" "I actually think I wear this rather well, don't you, darling?" Caramel opened his mouth to speak, probably another "huh?" but Hoity placed his hoof on Caramel's lips. "The lesson's over, Caramel. You've passed with flying colors. Anypony would be lucky to have you." And Hoity kissed Caramel more forcefully, pushing the design table all the way back, and bringing them both down onto it. Hoity looked at the change in environment, and down at the pony he was now straddling. "Oh, I think we can work with this." "B-but," Caramel stammered, unsure whether he should be upset about thrilled, "what about Rarity?" "You're too good for her, darling," Hoity said, and proceeded to lick the inside of Caramel's neck. Caramel felt he should have some response, but between the compliment to his ego and the stallion's warm breath giving him goosebumps up and down his spine, it was all he could do to suppress his moans. A sudden, more furtive touch from Hoity caused Caramel's eyes to spring open. Clearly he had not suppressed all of his reactions, and Hoity's hooves had found something new to play with. "Promise me something," Hoity said, looming over Caramel, looking elegant. "Anything," he said, a sleepy smile on his face. "Promise me that after I finish here, we can buck like real earth ponies." And his head went down. THUMP Caramel's eyes opened with a start. He shook his head and looked at the darkness around him. "A dream?" he cried incredulously. He looked up towards the sky and said to whomever might listen, "Are you bucking kidding me?" Then he looked at the leg now draped across his chest. "Oh." The blue pegasus yawned. "Oh what?" "Sorry, Soarin'. I didn't mean to wake you." "Having dreams, huh?" "Yep." "Sexy dreams?" Caramel looked over at the Wonderbolt. "How did you know?" Soarin' smiled and pointed to an elevated lump in the covers. The earth pony blushed. Soarin' reached a hoof forward and wrapped it around the back of Caramel's neck. He brought his head forward and kissed him softly on the lips. He tilted his head. "Do you want me to help you with that?" Caramel smiled back. "Yeah..." As Soarin' rubbed his hooves together, warming them up for more playtime, he asked "So do you want to talk about this dream at all?" Caramel sighed. "Not really." "Something personal?" "I dunno. Just thinking about Rarity and how I never felt like I was good enough for her." Soarin' laid his head down on Caramel's chest. "Don't ever feel like that. You're a fantastic guy. Anypony would be lucky to have you. And at least for now, that lucky pony is me." Caramel laughed. "It would seem so." "Oh, and one more thing." "Hmm?" "Who the hay is Rarity?" And Caramel smiled.

CandleEyes

245

Apple Bloom,Cheerilee,Diamond Tiara,Fluttershy,Gummy,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Scootaloo,Silver Spoon,Spike,Trixie,Twilight Sparkle,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

By the Unfaltering Light of the Sky

The tales of six fillies who've suffered and lied.

complete

<p>As night falls over Equestria, our gloomy cast reflects on their troubled lives and find happiness may not be so unreachable an outcome as they had previously thought.</p><p>Feedback appreciated.</p>

teen

2012-02-21T19:16:26+00:00

2012-02-21T19:16:26+00:00

Luna eyed her handiwork wearily. Another night, another moonrise, another audience of sleeping souls. She really should be joining them- it passed the time and helped her forget her sorrow. She had to hide it, after all- for her sister's sake if anything. Tia would be heartbroken if she found out she was just as disenchanted now as she was before the darkness consumed her. Oh, and the banishment. A thousand years spent on the surface of her own charge. They hadn't been pleasant, with or without the bitter resentment she could never explain, to herself or to anypony else. And then she had returned, vengeance in her heart. Friendship had defeated her- but what good was friendship when her life's work went by unnoticed? That wasn't on her mind right now, however. Luna was thinking back to the night of her return... The royal sisters sat opposite each other at the long ivory table- it was made to accommodate a large number of guests for special occasions, and on those the sisters would sit at the ends of it, but when they dined alone, they'd seat themselves somewhere along the middle- or at least that was how it had been before the sudden schism. ("This is how we used to do it, remember?" Celestia had mused). They had sat in mutual silence for most of the meal, and it had been her sister who had opened the conversation at last. "How does it feel, to be back?" Her voice shone with all the eagerness one would expect. "Well..." She chose her words with care. "It certainly feels good. I- I have missed you, and Equestria. But..." The sun goddess lifted her gaze. "I still feel terrible about what I've done." "Oh, Luna, don't be silly! You know very well nopony could ever hold you responsible for all that." "Yes, but I planted the seeds for Nightmare Moon's birth. That thing, whatever it was, took my feelings and turned them into action." Celestia shook her head. "True, true. But we destroyed it, and now it's all over. Right, sis?" Her eyes glittered, and Luna knew she wanted the answer to be 'Yes.' That poor alicorn had probably suffered more than she could ever imagine. "Of... of course, Tia!" She gave her what she hoped was an understanding smile. "What once was is no more. My shell has fallen apart and now we can start anew." The other returned the smile. "Good, good. Oh, and I'd suggest eating your dinner- you haven't touched any of it and it's getting cold!" She found tears had been flowing all throughout the memory. Why did every hour of darkness become her darkness? Why couldn't she just let it all be? Ah, but the answer was obvious- it was her purpose to raise the moon and bring out the stars and begin the night, just as her sister raised the sun to start off the day. Her skills as a leader had been acknowledged and proven many times in the past, and yet nopony ever seemed to recognize the other role she performed, the reason she had been gifted with both a horn and wings... Of course you regularly mingle, don't you? She stared at the ceiling- it was painted a deep, endless blue. Even her surroundings taunted her. She shut her eyes. She wanted, needed to open herself... But who was there to consult? Who didn't trust her to be content and yet knew her enough to listen? Luna groaned and eased herself out of the bed. Perhaps a little stroll through the halls would ease her stress. Perhaps...

CandleEyes

245

Apple Bloom,Cheerilee,Diamond Tiara,Fluttershy,Gummy,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Scootaloo,Silver Spoon,Spike,Trixie,Twilight Sparkle,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

By the Unfaltering Light of the Sky

The tales of six fillies who've suffered and lied.

complete

<p>As night falls over Equestria, our gloomy cast reflects on their troubled lives and find happiness may not be so unreachable an outcome as they had previously thought.</p><p>Feedback appreciated.</p>

teen

2012-02-21T19:17:07+00:00

2012-02-21T19:17:07+00:00

Far away in Ponyville's Sugarcube Corner, a magenta earth pony lay wide awake. In what would have surely shocked her friends, her face was twisted in worry. Not quite sadness- she knew she'd never be able to fully feel that- but Pinkie Pie was quite displeased. She supposed she really oughtn't be upset with herself- it wasn't her choice to be this way, after all- but here she was, awake again and unable to stop hitting herself over all she had done. Her friends were completely unaware of what she was hiding, but what else did she expect, the way she had led them on- led the whole town on- presenting herself as the most outgoing, engaging pony the world had ever seen? But the flank doesn't lie and you know your talents. Pinkie groped around a little, found a lollipop and brought it her mouth. The sweetness rushed over her and she gorged herself on it. And she was newly employed at the Corner again. Pinkie Pie stared out the window, looking to where the rock farm was- or at least where she thought it was; she hadn't exactly bothered to remember what way she had taken on her journey to Ponyville. And why should she? That place held nothing but misery, loneliness, disappointment... and the discovery of her true talent. She smiled fondly. Balloons, so many balloons, and three on her flank! Since then she'd been dedicated to making everypony happy. Except yourself? Now here she was baking treats and bringing sweet sugary joy to all the world. If only those rock farmers could see her now, they'd witness a filly transformed! No more mournful looks and struggles and wishing for a purpose. Or even straight manes and honesty. All that was behind her. "Pinkie?" It was Mrs. Cake. She turned to face her employee and friend "Oh. Hey, Mrs. Cake!" She noticed she wasn't wearing her smile and- Twist your face, Pinkamena, hide your feelings or lack thereof- don't you know laughter is the very best medicine? flashed one. "Well, I know you're on your break, but I was wondering if you could help me with a batch of strawberry cupcakes. The customer wants them rush delivered, so if you could take care of that, too..." "I'm sure it's just Mr. Shears again. You know that stallion can eat!" She giggled, not sounding forced- Because practice makes perfect and you practice, yes you do. in the slightest. "Of course I'll help you!" Cup smiled meekly, and Pinkie cheered inside. "O-okay. And Pinkie?" "Hm?" "Could you... try using less sugar this time?" No, the flank didn't lie, she knew that much. She threw parties and brought joy but did that really mean she had to be so wild and random? All part of the job- reserved ponies make the worst hosts. Maybe so, maybe so. But her whole life wasn't a party, was it? Make it one, then, because we're never going back to the farm. She whimpered but was muffled. No, not the farm, not the farm. No matter what it held... but had she ever asked herself what it actually held? Sorrow and sadness and so many rocks so just leave it alone already. Sure, it hurt her to go back to those days, but hadn't she at least been truer to herself then? This time, the voice was laced with aggressive sharpness. You remember the rocks all too well, don't you? You ain't going nowheres, chump... She frowned, her face cracked- and now she was quite convinced no good would ever come from those memories, not when they had the power to turn her against her friends. Satisfied with herself, the quarrels stopped and she let the graceful moonlight take her away, rhythmically lapping at the sweet in her mouth all the while.

CandleEyes

245

Apple Bloom,Cheerilee,Diamond Tiara,Fluttershy,Gummy,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Scootaloo,Silver Spoon,Spike,Trixie,Twilight Sparkle,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

By the Unfaltering Light of the Sky

The tales of six fillies who've suffered and lied.

complete

<p>As night falls over Equestria, our gloomy cast reflects on their troubled lives and find happiness may not be so unreachable an outcome as they had previously thought.</p><p>Feedback appreciated.</p>

teen

2012-02-21T19:17:29+00:00

2012-02-21T19:17:29+00:00

The blue pegasus angrily gave her pillow-cloud another smack. Another restless night. Her troubles had caught up to her again, and now she couldn't untangle herself- but how did she expect to face the mess of reflections that was flight camp? It still held many a fond memory for her. It was when she had discovered her talents, after all. Oh, and how brash she had been. The spunkiest little filly in all of Equestria! She had grown, however- matured and changed. Now whenever she looked back, she felt so much shame and regret and she just wished it had never happened. But it had, and she didn't like it one bit. The lofty cloud she rested on stayed a cloud... but Dash was a foal again. "Alright, so, first one to get to that funny-shaped cloud over there wins. Ready, everypony and... Gilda? What do griffons call themselves anyway?" "Just shut up before I change my mind about hitting you, Checkers." "Right! Ready?" The three colts muttered their agreement, as did Gilda. Dash eyed the "funny-shaped" cloud anxiously. She hoped she didn't look nervous. Because she wasn't. She was going to win this, no doubt about it. It wasn't as if anypony else had gotten their cutie mark, for flying with speed no less. "Rainbow?" Checkers almost rolled his eyes but caught himself. "Uh... yeah! Let's do this!" "Okay then. On your marks-" I've got a cloud on my flank. "Get set, and..." Dash narrowed her eyes. "Go!" The four fliers- Dashed. You'd have said they dashed. darted off. Rainbow's confidence was sealed the instant she felt the current building up around her. This was her element, and nopony would beat her here. Gilda, on the other hand, seemed less suited for success. The only one she could overcome in terms of agility was Score, but that could easily be remedied. The griffon grinned to herself. Suddenly, the grey colt found he had something wrapped around his left hind leg- something that felt uncomfortably like a tail. Gilda pulled her victim back, released her grip and delivered a good, strong kick that sent him flying in the opposite direction. Her efforts were not for naught; a moment later Score crashed into Dumbbell, creating a definite setback for the pair. Satisfied, Gilda flew ahead. Dash looked behind her, and her smug smirk melted into disappointment, then an angry frown. Hoops was getting closer and closer, but she wouldn't give up without a fight. She watched him carefully- his eyes were narrowed, focused on their common target. Tunnel vision would be his demise, she'd make sure of it. A small cloud presented itself to her, and she gave it a slight nudge- hopefully he wouldn't see it until it had planted itself on his face. The colt surged on, oblivious to anything but his wings and destination- the cloud he'd reach before that dumb filly who thought she was so great just because she had her cutie mark. Then he suddenly couldn't see anything. It took Hoops a few moments to realize what had happened, precious seconds during which he slowed down to brush off the cloud, and by the time he could see again, Rainbow Dash was proudly standing atop a cloud whose funny shape he seriously doubted at this point. The mare wondered what the chances were she was lying on that same cloud right now. She hoped she wasn't, hoped it had been blown to pieces by a pegasus having a very, very bad day. Checkers made his way to the cloud, where the racers were busy throwing insults at each other. "It's not fair! You can't just launch a cloud at somepony!" Hoops was practically screaming. "A-and Gilda cheated too!" "Hey, the rules never said we couldn't do that stuff!" The griffon leered at them. "All we had to do was get to the cloud. And I did." Rainbow flashed a smile that threatened to bring their blood to a boil. "Well, the rules didn't say anything about what they did, so Rainbow Dash wins this race. Congratulations!" He smiled at her in what he hoped was a heartwarming way. The object of his affections frowned. "Ew, nerd cooties. Those are the worst!" "Come on, Dash. Let's leave these idiots alone." "Yeah," she snickered, "Idiots." She sighed. It had taken her so long to realize... and now she wondered how her friends had ever put up with it. Trixie had beguiled them so, but how was her behavior any better? At least the unicorn had had an excuse. So why hadn't she told them about this yet? Why was confessing to her newfound self-image so impossibly difficult? Her reputation, of course. After all, she had been just like that until a few weeks prior- all her friends knew, all everypony she had ever met knew her for was her determined attitude, obsessions with flying tricks, explosive brashness and occasional superiority complex. And her tendency to crash into things. And crashing into walls you didn't even know existed is just what you're doing now. Where are you going, Rainbow Dash? She had to admit she really didn't know. At least she still enjoyed flying- and she had a feeling a little trip through the skies was just the thing she needed now.

CandleEyes

245

Apple Bloom,Cheerilee,Diamond Tiara,Fluttershy,Gummy,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Scootaloo,Silver Spoon,Spike,Trixie,Twilight Sparkle,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

By the Unfaltering Light of the Sky

The tales of six fillies who've suffered and lied.

complete

<p>As night falls over Equestria, our gloomy cast reflects on their troubled lives and find happiness may not be so unreachable an outcome as they had previously thought.</p><p>Feedback appreciated.</p>

teen

2012-02-21T19:18:46+00:00

2012-02-21T19:18:46+00:00

Scootaloo watched the skies grimly through her wide open window. How she wished she could be up there in the clouds, speeding wildly through the air with the wind against her, just like her idol. Hay, like any other pegasus. Why was she always so alone? The only friends she had were with her because they were all outcasts, and the one pony that had inspired her in crafting her personality seemed to think of her as nothing more than a nuisance. Those she could cope with, though. What she couldn't seem to cope with were the neighsayers who never went away, no matter how fast she rode... The scooter raced ever forward, a smug-faced Scootaloo at the handlebars. This was the highlight of the day, when she could just speed ahead and leave her troubles behind. At school, she was just "one of those blank flanks," but out here she was the fastest thing on wheels and nothing could stop her. Until she caught sight of Diamond Tiara's tail behind an approaching corner, and then heard Silver Spoon's voice. She cursed under her breath. Their conversations had a tendency to be long and unpleasant. "...to Scootaloo today. It was, like, so terrible." Of course. She had sat next to Silver today. At least neither of them found it enjoyable. As much as she hated to admit it though, they had gotten her attention. "Ugh, that orange thing? She thinks she's so great with that stupid scooter of hers." Scootaloo eyed it affectionately. "And she's always going about that Rainbow Dash, like she's going to grow up like her!" "I heard she's a filly-fooler!" Scootaloo dug at the ground bitterly. Those damn fillies... She knew the d-word was bad, but they deserved it if anypony did. "How does she plan on being some famous flier if she can't even use her wings yet?" Diamond chuckled. "Still can't fly, still no cutie mark. I almost feel sorry for her. Not!" The pair laughed. She promised herself she wouldn't cry. No, she wouldn't cry, because Rainbow Dash wouldn't cry and even her friends wouldn't cry, would they? As she turned her scooter to another street and fled, the smallest tears formed in her eyes... The tears she shed now were anything but small. She cried for all she had wanted to be and all everypony else was and all she was sure she would never be. Maybe those two were right after all. Maybe she'd never fly, and maybe she'd never get her cutie mark... Scootaloo poked her head out the window and let the wind blow through her mane. Maybe she never would fly, but she wouldn't know until she tried. The filly stepped up, spread her wings, and then she leaped. Pure instinct drove her to beat them frantically, and after the shock lightened, she realized she was flying. Her heart skipped with joy but she checked herself. She couldn't make any mistakes now. Her fluttering slowed to a gentler rhythm and she tried navigating. Her beloved scooter seemed to have been useful after all. She landed on a nearby tree branch and smiled, then she laughed. She had flown, she had flown and they were wrong. She looked up to the sky. How far could she go? After all, she'd never know her limits if she kept worrying she might fall. And so she lifted off, slowly gaining altitude, united with the heavens. The pegasus finally felt alive. She laughed merrily, realizing with pride just how high she had gotten- and as she flew higher and higher, her spirits rose too. Until her wings, unused to the strain, gave out. She yelped as she suddenly became aware she had stopped flapping, and nothing she did would get her wings to work. She was losing altitude fast- Scootaloo screamed as the world around her turned into a kaleidoscopic blur. She braced herself for the impact she knew was coming- for what else had she expected? She was still just a proud blank flank after all... Then a multicolored haze caught her.

CandleEyes

245

Apple Bloom,Cheerilee,Diamond Tiara,Fluttershy,Gummy,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Scootaloo,Silver Spoon,Spike,Trixie,Twilight Sparkle,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

By the Unfaltering Light of the Sky

The tales of six fillies who've suffered and lied.

complete

<p>As night falls over Equestria, our gloomy cast reflects on their troubled lives and find happiness may not be so unreachable an outcome as they had previously thought.</p><p>Feedback appreciated.</p>

teen

2011-10-21T09:42:16+00:00

2011-10-21T09:42:16+00:00

Rainbow Dash skidded to a halt, holding on the orange pegasus tight. Their hearts raced in unison. When asked about it later, the mare would always claim she had seen the little filly's ascent, but the truth of the matter was she was quite lucky to be unhurt. Scootaloo eased herself out of Dash's grasp, who still had not fully realized what had just happened. "Thanks for saving me!" Her voice trembled, not just because she had narrowly missed breaking several bones, but because it was Rainbow Dash who had rushed to help her. "I'm Scootaloo! I'm a huge of fan of your-" "Moves. Yeah, I know." The smaller pony looked down in disappointment. Still just an unwelcome intrusion. "Listen, um." She shook her head in disbelief. "What in Celestia's name were you doing up there?" She backed away. "I... I was flying." "You- you almost died!" She sighed. "Nevermind. I thought you were still figuring that out." "I guess I must have done it. My wings are strong enough now." "If you're crashing down in mid-air, they aren't." "I guess you're right..." "Hey, kid," Rainbow turned to face her. "Don't be so hard on yourself. First time's always difficult." Scootaloo's eyes twinkled ever so slightly in the darkness "I know I've been a little rough on you. And I know you're a big fan of me, in..." She gave a small laugh. "Well, in every way possible. So I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry." The filly looked up, mouth agape. "I just haven't been feeling good at all lately." "What do you mean, Rainbow Dash?" She tried sounding as gentle as possible, but the filly was quite eager to help. "Have you ever..." She couldn't believe she was trying to explain her feelings to a foal. "Have you ever felt like you just have no idea where your life is going, like you've lost sense of it?" Scootaloo sighed and gazed deep into the ground again. "What is it?" "Oh, I'm just a little down with myself." "How come? You should be proud!" "Because..." Proud. Proud of failed attempts that almost killed her? She broke out into a whimpering sob. Rainbow Dash's heart churned at the sight- it was her fault, wasn't it? She nuzzled her with concern. "There, there. It's alright. Please don't cry, Scootaloo." She paused. How could she bring light to this poor pony? "What if I let you fly with me?" The filly glanced up, eyes still moist. "But... but I'm no good at flying." "Oh, don't be silly. You can do it. Are your wings relaxed?" Scootaloo flapped them slowly, the sudden stiffness she had experienced earlier gone. "Yep." "Alright! I'll lead the way and you can follow- and don't worry, I'll slow down for you." With that the two pegasi lifted off. "Ready?" "Yeah!" The pair surged on together. Dash was hoping to slip back into a gentle pace, but her feisty companion would have none of it- Scootaloo had something to prove to herself. Rainbow caught up to her and pondered the fact that a little filly was leading the way. The orange one turned to her and smiled at her before speeding up again. Rainbow returned the smile and followed suit. She just hoped the girl wasn't straining herself too much. This was nothing for her, but Scootaloo had literally just learned to fly. Needless to say, the mare was taken aback when the other doubled her tempo in an instant. That pegasus was fast... But she wasn't going to let her win that easily, no matter how adorable and innocent. The self-proclaimed fastest flier in Equestria still had her pride, and she transformed it into greater, stronger flaps, until she passed Scootaloo, grinning from ear to ear and laughing. Then she crashed into a tree. "Rainbow Dash! Are you okay?" The orange pegasus rushed over to her mentor's side. She groaned. "Yeah... could you try warning me the next time I'm about to fly into someting?" "Well- I tried! You were going too fast!" "I wonder why. It definitely wasn't because of a certain filly who decided to speed ahead of me." Their gazes met, and they realized they were both smiling. And then they both exploded in hearty laughter, heavenly light shining down on them all the while.

CandleEyes

245

Apple Bloom,Cheerilee,Diamond Tiara,Fluttershy,Gummy,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Scootaloo,Silver Spoon,Spike,Trixie,Twilight Sparkle,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

By the Unfaltering Light of the Sky

The tales of six fillies who've suffered and lied.

complete

<p>As night falls over Equestria, our gloomy cast reflects on their troubled lives and find happiness may not be so unreachable an outcome as they had previously thought.</p><p>Feedback appreciated.</p>

teen

2012-02-21T19:29:37+00:00

2012-02-21T19:29:37+00:00

On a moonlit plain- what most ponies would have deemed the middle of nowhere- a wooden caravan was stopped, home to a traveling showmare. The unicorn in question sat upright in her bed, nursing a glass of fine red wine with a mournful look. Having fled from Ponyville after what was surely her least-successful show, she had traveled to Manehattan, where a carpenter had offered to build a replacement for her crushed transportation and stage- for a price. Trixie took a sip of the bitter liquid and let it slosh around in her mouth. And Manehattan rose up around her. Trixie eyed the sign almost reproachfully. Just as she was about to call it a night, this establishment offered itself- "DUSTY WOOD, CARPENTER"- fair enough. There didn't seem to be any other carpenters open at this hour, and the sooner she had it fixed, the sooner she could get back to her shows- So you can forget Ponyville and the Ursa and Twilight Sparkle. and move on. Mistakes happened. Trixie swallowed heavily and sighed. She opened the door sheepishly and entered. A bell shyly twinkled as the door closed, and noted the darkness in which the place was covered. The owner didn't seem to be a strong believer in the wonder of halogen. He did, however, notice her quite easily. "Hey there. I'll be with you in a sec, I'm just finishing up inventory here." Trixie observed the woodworker. He was a unicorn, with a dark tan coat and a ruffled brown mane. He seemed to be just as weathered as his surroundings, but overall there wasn't anything too odd about him- And yet you of all ponies should know appearances can be misleading. and hopefully he'd be able to build her a new stage. "How can I help you, Miss?" Trixie gasped. "Oh! I was looking to have a caravan built." "You make it sound easy. From scratch?" "I've got a few sketches." "Those'd be helpful." She removed her hat and pulled out a few folded pieces of paper. The carpenter unfurled them. "I'd say these are more than sketches. Who drew these?" "The stallion who made the original- a craftsman like yourself." "Ah. Well, these'll make my job easier for sure. Just what do ya need somethin' like this for?" "I'm a travelling showmare." "I see. Got yerself some fancy name too, I bet." "The Great and Powerful Trixie." "Say, I've heard of you! A friend a' mines went to one of yer shows." "Oh?" "Said you were a right bitch." She looked down. "Some would say that." And they'd be right. "Anyway, how much will it cost me?" How much, Trixie? How much has this cost you? "About a thousand bits to start. What I don't need I return." "Fair enough." She produced a small leather wallet from her hat. "If you don't mind me asking..." "Yes?" "What else is there in your hat?" The showmare blushed. "Usually nothing. I came here because my caravan was... destroyed." "So you don't have nowheres to stay?" Trixie shook her head. For once you weren't lying. "Tell you what- you seem like a nice mare, alright? I'll charge ya seven-fifty." "Th- thank you!" She resumed to look in her wallet, then swallowed hard. But of course- those flyers she had commissioned and that fireworks merchant in Hoofington who really knew what he was talking about. "I've only got five hundred here, I'm afraid." He frowned. "Listen, I really wish I could-" "What If I put on a little show for you?" "A show... Well." He grinned. "I suppose a 'show' would do." Trixie sighed. That had been quite a show indeed. But she had gotten what she wanted, hadn't she? A showmare is nothing without her stage, and the show must go on. Even if the actress is all too eager to give up? Even if. For Mother, if anything. Oh, Mother... Words came back to her. Words said by a mare who had decided she would never let her daughter fall prey to the same misfortunes life had thrown at her. A mare long gone but whom she still remembered so well- "Ponies will hate along the way, Trixie," she had told her solemnly, "But they'll hate you because you show them how much better you are than them." Mother hadn't seen Twilight Sparkle coming. In the end she should have known those Ursa boasts would come back to haunt her, but hadn't She encouraged it? It's all for Her. You can't let yourself have dreams, can you? Trixie gulped down more of the brew. That's right, swallow your bitter sorrow, just like She said. How long until you overflow, Great and Powerful? How long until more than just your caravan crashes down on itself? She snorted and hurled the glass at the wall before her, where it shattered and bled. Remind you of anything? The Great and Powerful Trixie crashed into her pillow and let loose a howling sob, until she at last tired of it.

CandleEyes

245

Apple Bloom,Cheerilee,Diamond Tiara,Fluttershy,Gummy,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Scootaloo,Silver Spoon,Spike,Trixie,Twilight Sparkle,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

By the Unfaltering Light of the Sky

The tales of six fillies who've suffered and lied.

complete

<p>As night falls over Equestria, our gloomy cast reflects on their troubled lives and find happiness may not be so unreachable an outcome as they had previously thought.</p><p>Feedback appreciated.</p>

teen

2012-02-21T19:30:45+00:00

2012-02-21T19:30:45+00:00

Celestia tossed and turned once more. Maybe she'd adjust and be able to ease herself into slumber. Then again, the chances of that happening seemed rather slim, what with the thoughts plaguing her at this hour. Oh, little sister, why did it ever have to come to that? A thousand years, and yet still she remembered it all so clearly... Celestia gazed at the empty bed. It was hard to imagine only a week ago the filly she loved so much would have been lying peacefully in it. Glimmering moonlight streamed in through the window. She'd have to take care of that herself from now on... Well, no time to dwell. As much as she wished it wasn't, tomorrow was another day. When she returned to her room, she was quite surprised to see Iris- Luna's maid- attending to her furnishings while humming a jolly little tune. "Well, what brings you here, dear?" "Oh, Princess! You startled me... I- I hope you don't mind. I just felt so unfulfilled, with your sister gone, so I decided to polish up your quarters a little." "No, I don't mind at all. But isn't Camilla in charge of this?" "Yes. She told me a few days ago she caught a rather nasty cold." "Ah. Why was I not informed?" "She... told me you were, Your Majesty." Iris looked away uncomfortably. Celestia observed her body language. No, she wasn't lying... was she? "Very well. Thank you, Iris. You may go." She eased herself into her bed and stared into the night. "Princess, I hope you don't mind me saying this, but..." Iris sighed. "Well, I've noticed you seem a little distracted lately. And I know- we know what you've been through. Luna is in our hearts as well. Just yesterday I found myself going to make her bed and then... Then I realized she was gone. Lost to us." The monarch turned to her. "Loss?" She shook her head. "Tell me, dearest Iris, what do you know about loss?" Iris shrank away. "What do you know about loss?" Celestia spat. The caretaker left hurriedly and Celestia returned to her sister's piece de resistance. (You were always fond of your Prench, weren't you, Luna?) And the raiser of the sun buried her head in her front hooves and wept. Now she was all too eager to do the same, but she knew she couldn't let herself. It was then that she had faltered, let the stark reality of her sister's fall overtake her. The feelings she accepted- even she was equine, after all, but she was a ruler, and how could she begin to take care of her subjects if all she thought of was how much she missed Luna? That time had passed, however. Her servants had pulled her through, somehow even wiser than her, and yet she had been so glad when the Nightmare was defeated without her interference. Now her wish had been granted- the princess of the night was back. So why was she still unsatisfied? Because she never felt as if she had atoned. Atoned for not being there when her sister's resentment was growing, atoned for being so selfish when the darkness that had swallowed her was banished. She had tried, but that required crossing the chasm that had separated them... and this was a chasm her wings could never hope to cross. There was a way, there had to be, but the best she could do was make Luna feel welcomed. Celestia sighed and eased herself out of her bed- she often suspected it had been designed for two. A little stroll through the halls would at least give her other things to ponder...

CandleEyes

245

Apple Bloom,Cheerilee,Diamond Tiara,Fluttershy,Gummy,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Scootaloo,Silver Spoon,Spike,Trixie,Twilight Sparkle,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

By the Unfaltering Light of the Sky

The tales of six fillies who've suffered and lied.

complete

<p>As night falls over Equestria, our gloomy cast reflects on their troubled lives and find happiness may not be so unreachable an outcome as they had previously thought.</p><p>Feedback appreciated.</p>

teen

2011-09-12T04:56:30+00:00

2011-09-12T04:56:30+00:00

As Celestia passed a balcony, a sound caught her attention, a sound she really hoped she wouldn't hear. It was a quiet sob, and the voice behind it was hauntingly familiar. "Luna? Is that you?" The princess gasped and cursed herself for not hearing the hoofsteps. Of all the times... "Oh. Hello, Tia." She stood facing away from her intruder. "What's keeping you up?" "I might ask you the same thing." She sighed. "I've been ruminating. But why the tears, sister?" "It seems there are a few thoughts on my mind as well. You may join me, if you like." Celestia stepped out onto the balcony. Silence. "You're staring off into the night again, aren't you?" "I... yes." "Does it make you feel anything? Sadness, perhaps?" "Hm?" "Does the night make you feel anything?" Luna sighed. "No. Why should it?" "Luna, Luna... you're still disappointed most everypony sleeps through it- so callously." She frowned. Her sister knew. She knew and it had all been pointless in the end. "Tia, I'm not. I've already told you that, and it's the truth." "Is it? Then tell me why you're crying." "I- I have nothing to say to you if you insist on being like this." The white one couldn't help but smile. She was close, and once she passed the threshold, all should work out. Luna whimpered. "I've just felt so... unwanted. Lonely, Tia, lonely." Something inside her raged. It wasn't like her to be angry at anypony, especially her sister, but this... Unwanted. The recluse laments her feelings of rejection. "Oh, I'm sure spending your days in the library catching up on the last thousand years and never going out to actually meet your subjects has helped us all accept your presence." It was out, and she wished it wasn't. What was this doing to her? "Yes, well, I'm sure spending your days with the holders of the Elements and touring the nation in that damned chariot of yours has helped your relationship with your sister." A bitter silence fell on them again, until Celestia found her voice- she had to try. "Luna, I'm so-" "No. Don't say you're sorry. Don't!" She turned to look at her, though the gaze wasn't returned. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I was the mare of darkness." "Oh, goodness. Luna, you... you silly filly. That was never-" "Never me? I know, sis, I know. But it definitely felt like it was me." "I... I told you that you were an unwilling hostage before and you agreed with me. Why?" "Because, well." She sighed. "I wanted to make you happy, Tia." "Oh, Luna. If only you had told the truth." "If only you had told the truth! If only you had told me how you felt all those years! I'm not as weak as you'd like to think." Celestia sighed."Lying... is part of who I am. I can't help it, but I'm good at it. You, on the other hand..." She chuckled. "You're the most honest pony I know. Applejack can't hold a candle to you." "Who?" "The one with the accent. Always wears a hat?" "Ah." "I should really get to introducing them properly." "I'd prefer to do it myself." "Alright then." "Tia?" "Yes?" "Thank you for this. Thank you so much." "You're welcome." She nuzzled her affectionately. "Feeling better, sis?" She was crying again, but her tears were of exalted joy. "Yes. Yes." The words flowed out of her as they embraced each other- and for the first time that day, the pair smiled, as one. Celestia closed her eyes and let the simple pleasure of happiness hit her. Somehow they were together again- and the moment seemed to last forever. Until she herself broke it, the tenseness gone from her voice. "Ah, Luna, I was just wondering if you- if you could give me some room to breathe!" She chuckled. The azure one retreated. "Oh, sorry!" "As I was saying... I was wondering if you'd like to switch places for a day. You raise the sun and I'll take care of the moon." "Seems to me you've taken an interest in my stars." She trotted over to the edge of the overlook. The other skipped after her like a little schoolfilly. "Well, aren't they simply amazing? Great glowing masses of plasma, suspended in the sky, as unique as the populace of our nation. And the constellations-" "Alright, alright. I'm sold!" She gave a hearty laugh. "Anything for you, dear sister." Celestia gave an involuntary yawn. "Thank you. I'm off to bed now." She turned away. "Oh, uh, sis? I was going to ask you something as well." She stopped. "Yes?" "Could I..." She paused. "Could I sleep with you tonight?" "I do hope you aren't planning anything mischievous," the alicorn teased. "Wha-?!" "Only kidding. Of course you can." "Yay!"

CandleEyes

245

Apple Bloom,Cheerilee,Diamond Tiara,Fluttershy,Gummy,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Scootaloo,Silver Spoon,Spike,Trixie,Twilight Sparkle,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

By the Unfaltering Light of the Sky

The tales of six fillies who've suffered and lied.

complete

<p>As night falls over Equestria, our gloomy cast reflects on their troubled lives and find happiness may not be so unreachable an outcome as they had previously thought.</p><p>Feedback appreciated.</p>

teen

2011-10-28T02:48:14+00:00

2011-10-28T02:48:14+00:00

"Well, here we are. Make yourself comfortable." Celestia closed the door behind them. "Did you ever find out why your bed is so big?" "I did not. Though it is quite useful now." The pair slipped under its covers. "We haven't done this in... in forever, it seems." "Back when you were just a little filly! You'd see things hiding in the shadows and come to me. Imagine that- the princess of the night, scared of the dark." "And I always came to you because our parents were too busy being royal." Celestia sighed. "Do you think they knew, that they wouldn't be able to watch over me? Maybe that's why your bed is so inexplicably large." "Maybe, maybe... it is rather nice, I must say. I just wish I had more pillows for the two of us!" "Oh, it's quite alright." She grinned. "You always did like feathery things. Like your phoenixes." "That reminds me- you haven't met Philomena yet, have you?" "I don't think so. When do you come up with all these names anyway?" "You're not the only one who enjoys reading, Luna." "I'm not?" She chuckled. "I... don't suppose Amber is still around." "No. She passed away. Everypony around us does, don't they?" "At least we have each other again." She smiled. "Yes. We do." "Tia?" "Yes?" "Tell me a story." Pinkie blinked a few times. Then her eyes snapped open and she yanked the lollipop out of her mouth. How it had ever seemed like a good idea was a mystery. She stared into it, lit up by the moon. It was a pastel-looking pink swirl- bright and garish and, as she was quite aware, painfully sweet. It was everything she hated about herself. But there had been times when she hadn't hated herself, days of misery shared with her companions that now had become something to threaten herself with. She was sure that was where her happiness was hidden, if only she would stop focusing on the damn rocks. She sighed.When she had arrived in Ponyville, she had buried those memories deep, and all that was associated with them- it was sadness she felt when looking back, but she realized it had never been very strong. In fact, she had never been passionate about anything except pretending to be passionate, which created a conundrum all by itself. That was the problem- she was forcing herself to feel, even though she knew very well it would never be possible. Even the concept of a friend was something difficult to grasp. She did know they were supposed to be supportive, and the ones she had acquired were. They loved her, and they had been there for her, and if there was something they didn't like about her, it was likely going to be the fact that she sometimes got so caught up in exaggerating everything that she lost track of everypony else's emotions. Perhaps confessing was better for all of them, after all... For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Pinkamena smiled an honest smile. Tomorrow she would tell them; Twilight first. Twilight seemed like the sort of mare who would start rambling about the disorder her friend had and how rare it was and how some pony from Stalliongrad with an impossible name had done a study on it. She just hoped she wouldn't ask her to be hooked up to that gadget of hers again. Her mind was clear now, if a little tired. But that was something easily fixed... "Are you sure you're okay?" asked Scootaloo for the umpteenth time. "Look, I know you're worried about me, but when I say I'm fine, that means I'm fine." "So... is that a yes?" She cocked her head. "Yes." Because I found you. "Are you?" "Yup. You caught me!" Rainbow smiled. "Well, good night, then. Wouldn't want to keep you up- you're a growing filly." "Okay." The pair stood unmoving. "Well...?" "Rainbow Dash." "Yes?" "Thank you for this night. I'll remember it." Scootaloo turned and began to walk away as Dash watched her fondly. "H-hey, Scootaloo!" The pegasus stopped and looked at her, uncertainly. Almost frightened. "I was wondering..." She huffed a little. "I was wondering if you'd like to meet again tomorrow so we can practice some more." The little one's face lit up and she grinned. "I'd love to!" Her mentor smiled. "How about we meet out by Sugarcube Corner? Then we can grab a quick snack." "That sounds great!" Scootaloo began walking away again, and the mare sighed when she disappeared behind a corner. She decided to follow suit and set off for home. Yes, they'd meet at the Corner tomorrow, and she could confess to Pinkie. Pinkie would take it in a stride and probably start singing a song on the spot. Though she'd also probably want to throw her a party, which would create unnecessary excitement for everypony. Oh well. She'd already told Scootaloo she'd be there, and she couldn't let her down. And besides, it was a start- if she told one pony, the others would come easier. Just like that, it seemed the wall she had been bashing her skull against for all this time was gone. It wasn't so hard. All she had needed was somepony looking for comfort. She was sure her friends would accept her, perhaps even appreciate her mellowness, and if they didn't... well, what kind of friends were they? They weren't. Friends supported each other and pulled each other through, just as she and Scootaloo had done. Once, the same mare had belittled while the other had placed her on the highest pedestal. Now they were both learning from each other. That was friendship. Rainbow Dash giggled a little. It also made great material for a friendship report to the Princess. That was what Twilight would make of it. She stopped, having arrived, and entered her house. A lofty home where lofty goals could be pondered. She drifted up to her bed and slipped in, snuggling against the clouds. She was filled with a perfect contentment that she couldn't quite put into words, but the pegasus knew it was there because she had opened herself. She just had to do it again tomorrow. As she turned a corner, Scootaloo spread her wings but then stopped. Would Rainbow Dash approve? She had already fallen once, and now there wouldn't be any safety nets. She rested her wings. They would have enough time tomorrow, anyway, and then they would be together. ...as friends, she realized. They had shared a moment together, and now they were united. Scootaloo grinned again. She had made a friend. Speaking of friends, she'd have to tell her fellow Crusaders what had happened- she had learned how to fly, at last! She wondered how they would react. She wouldn't let them be jealous. That wasn't what friends did. The neighsayers had been proven wrong, and that was enough for her. Diamond and Silver would probably be shocked anyhow, so there was no need to brag. Too much. Their envy resulted in hilarity, and that was something she couldn't leave behind. She realized that, much to her delight, she would have to fly to her window if she didn't want to risk getting caught. She did so, still a little shakily, and slipped under the covers, hugging her pillow tight. She'd also have to tell her parents. Except she'd need to explain how she got around to testing her wings at this time... Perhaps she should just tell them the truth. They'd understand, right? Everypony needed some risks and excitement from time to time. She would see in the morning. Trixie opened her eyes slowly, taking in her surroundings. She had slept, but she was certain it wasn't morning- even on her worst days a night's sleep made her feel rested. Now there simply was a gap between sobbing herself to sleep and waking. She reached over for the bottle beside her- Come now. At least give yourself a chance. then sighed and drew back. She'd give herself a chance, but for what? To reflect. That carpenter left his mark on you in more than one way, after all. Though it hurt to admit it, it seemed his appearance was what caused her to end up in this situation. That, and Ponyville. But she could have taken a different path, scurried back to Canterlot where she would have had a moment to figure out just what she was doing with herself. Even Mr. Wood had given her every chance to back out. So why hadn't she? Pride? Pride and a need to please Mother, of course. That had been driving her since the beginning. It was only natural, she told herself. She had been a little filly and they had had each other and not much else. And She had worked so hard and sacrificed so much to groom her into what she was now that she just couldn't live with the thought of leaving her wishes unfulfilled. She had to draw a line somewhere though. And yet Trixie remembered a time when this had seemed not just right, but fun. A moment when she had actually looked forward to performing, and she knew it had only been a moment, so perfect. The talent show. The mare smiled. She had been a little filly, just starting her training. Her act had been simple, and not once had she addressed the crowd. A few simple tricks here and there that looked pretty. Mother hadn't approved, had she? No, she had told her it wouldn't end well. It had seemed she was right- the aspiring magician hadn't even gotten an honorable mention... but was that really what mattered? Was her happiness to be sacrificed for fame? Somehow that didn't make much sense. In the end, she had only wanted to make her daughter live a good life; she couldn't blame her. But a good life included happiness, and if she lived on this way, she was pleasing nopony. Tomorrow she would begin making herself happy. It was time to start living up to her name. "...and the stallion said-" she lowered her voice- "'Don't fret, little one. The path is among the trees, but all one has to do to find it is know where to look!' And his horn glowed as he summoned a lovely golden butterfly that perched itself on her nose. 'But Mister, a butterfly is what got me lost in the first place!' she wailed. The stallion looked at her with understanding. 'Some butterflies get you lost. Others get you where you want to be. You just have to know which is which and which you want.' 'Why would I want to get lost?' He chuckled. 'Well, sometimes a little detour gives you time to think.' She decided she was too tired to argue. 'But... if I go in the forest all alone, won't there be all sorts of fearsome creatures?' 'There's creatures, dear, but as long as you show them you're not afraid of them, there's nothing they can do to you.' The filly smiled. Somehow, it made sense. She walked into the woods, the stranger who had met her with such kindness watching over her. She turned to thank him-" "But then a manticore leapt out of a nearby bush and bit her head off!" "Luna!" She giggled. "I like it better that way." "But you're ruining the moral." "Oh, moral, schmoral. Let me have my fun!" They laid in silence until the older sister yawned. "About time we got to actually sleeping, don't you think?" "It would seem so. Tomorrow I'll raise that sun of yours and go see what my- our subjects are up to." "Well, I'm flattered, Luna, but-" "I'm not doing this because you told me to. Well, I am, but..." She sighed. "I'm not a foal anymore, Tia. I can make my own decisions. And while I do want you to talk to me, I want you to listen to me, too. Promise me you'll do this." Celestia nodded solemnly. "I promise." Luna smiled. "Thank you for this. I just feel so happy. My heart was a hole and now you've filled it with, with..." She stopped, unable to find words. She didn't need them. The two sisters locked gazes and embraced each other, wrapped in mutual appreciation until they dozed off. And by the moonlight, six fillies slept.

CandleEyes

245

Apple Bloom,Cheerilee,Diamond Tiara,Fluttershy,Gummy,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Scootaloo,Silver Spoon,Spike,Trixie,Twilight Sparkle,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

By the Unfaltering Light of the Sky

The tales of six fillies who've suffered and lied.

complete

<p>As night falls over Equestria, our gloomy cast reflects on their troubled lives and find happiness may not be so unreachable an outcome as they had previously thought.</p><p>Feedback appreciated.</p>

teen

2012-03-09T14:47:31+00:00

2012-03-09T14:47:31+00:00

Celestia woke to the rhythmic ticking of a clock, a sound of the highest importance. Time was everything when you had stars to raise. She observed it sleepily. It looked to be around five. They would have to make haste. She placed an arm around her sister's shoulder. "Luna... Time to wake up, dear." The other yawned. "Morning, Tia." "It isn't yet! Somepony's got to raise the sun." "I did say I'd do that today, didn't I?" She sighed. "Five minutes, please?" "Alright. I'll have the servants prepare breakfast." She exited the room, smiling to herself. She'd have to bring the moon down, too. Even the most beautiful things had to rest, after all. Trixie lowered the pillow she had apparently adopted as a shield in her sleep. The sun wasn't out yet, but the sky was of a lighter hue. She'd have to get a move on- few things were worse than having to move a filled cart under the heat of the blazing sun. She rummaged around for her map and looked it over quickly. She'd hoped to make for Fillydelphia, but it seemed a (very) small village that wasn't out of her way would make a better venue to reinvent herself. It was precariously close to Manehattan, but that would be no problem. She stepped out of the caravan and admired her surroundings. Minimalist, but beautiful nonetheless. She would have to attempt to replicate this plain's success. Then her stomach grumbled. Truly the best motivation. She headed to the front of the vehicle, where a modest metallic knob would soon be the focus of her attention. It was made of a material that quite eagerly absorbed magical energy, making the task of moving a whole cart slightly less precarious. It still wouldn't be a light load, she knew. But it helped if you started small. As the two sisters walked along the cobblestone path, the sound of their hoofsteps rang out with an air befitting their emotions- especially Luna's. "Oh my goodness! I haven't handled that star of yours in... a long time. When this mind has trouble remembering something..." "2746 years, 5 months and 19 days." Luna scowled, then smiled again. "Oh, and it will be so delightful! The Royal Equestrian Brass will be there, yes? And they shall play the Song of the Sun as I make my ascent, a glorious melody to bring out an ardent spirit in all our subjects!" She blushed and shrank away. "That... would indeed be the most logical piece for the occasion." She chuckled as they stopped before a corner. "Alright, here it is. Are you ready?" Luna nodded and they walked out onto the square. She immediately wished they hadn't. Their appearance drew the attention of a small crowd, who bowed in respect. A small filly remained standing, watching the new arrivals eagerly, before a hoof pulled her down. The brass section was there, at least. Luna gulped, but then set her gaze straight again. These were her subjects. She couldn't be afraid of them, could she? No, she had a sun to raise and a day to start and these ponies were simply here to watch her. Well, to watch Celestia, but she was sure they wouldn't mind a surprise. She made her way to the gathering, facing them, and cleared her throat. "Greetings, loyal subjects." No response. "I'd bid you good morning, but as my sister kindly pointed out to me, the morning has not arrived yet." Blank looks again. "The more... vigilant among you may have noticed that today it is not Celestia who is preparing to bring sunlight to Equestria. The two of us have decided to switch our duties for the day. I do hope my performance will be adequate for you dedicated spectators!" She added a somewhat forced hint of enthusiasm to her last sentence and resisted the urge to cringe. Instead, she spread her wings and sought out the sun with her magic. Her horn glowed, spurring a light drumroll. The melody developed and grew in volume as her wings began beating with greater determination, and she closed her eyes, taking in the vibrant tune. One drove the other on, it seemed- she yearned to hear their singing and they were... a band. It was their talent, just as raising, well, the moon, but really any heavenly body, it seemed, was hers. Having pondered this, she decided to open her eyes again. Quite a fair bit of progress she had made- she wasn't sure exactly how high she was supposed to take that flaming orb, but the sound would guide her. Perhaps the players didn't know any more than her, but the two parties had confidence in each other and that was what mattered. A ringing, brilliant climax that was everything she associated with Celestia's star reached her ears and she sighed, releasing her hold. She let the magic of the moment wash over her until all was quiet. Then she headed down, stopping before the musicians. They bowed. “An excellent performance, fillies and gentlecolts. I've always been fond of that piece, and your rendition was simply magnificent. Thank you for helping me begin this day on a, if you'll excuse me, high note.” She paused. “Tia tells me my speech may seem a bit dry or overly polite at times. I... truly am grateful. Your talents bring joy to my heart, and to others too, I am sure!” She trotted over to the other group. “My duty has been performed, little ponies. I do hope you've enjoyed it, and wish every one of you the best of luck with the rest of the day.” There were a few scattered thanks. The filly she had remarked earlier grinned at her admiringly. “Good job, Pwincess!” Luna blushed and began walking away, stopping to lower her head and nuzzle her softly. She heard a few murmurs of agreement behind her. Talking to other ponies wasn't that hard, it seemed. And she was only getting started. The warm glow of dawn brushed against Pinkamena's face affectionately, and she gazed upon it. Somehow, it seemed brighter, if that was at all possible. But of course! It had to be brighter- today was the day her friends would see her for what she truly was. Happiness was sure to be in abundance for all, no matter how mystical for her. She turned over in her bed and was presented with Gummy staring at her, wearing his usual poker face.. A kindred spirit. She smiled at him. "Mommy's going to tell the whole world her secret today." And she was. She descended the stairs slowly but with determination. The sound of tea being slurped interspersed with conversation she was too tired to understand greeted her. "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Cake." "Good morning, Pinkie," said Cup as her husband nodded. "Care to join us?" "I'm fine. More than fine, actually." "Alright then." "Um... I was just wondering..." "Yes?" "Could I... Could I take the day off? There's some things I need to talk about with my friends." The stallion lowered his beverage. "Of course, dear. You know how much we care about you." She laughed. "I'll be going, then." She skipped across the room, exited the bakery and was faced with a world in bloom. The town square was as lively as it always was, spotted with vibrant hues in motion, and the light spring air flowed through her lungs. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them again and set off for the library. There was a unicorn she needed to see. As Trixie walked into the village, the sun had already risen. Her first task was to cure her hunger, and she entered a small restaurant. Far below her refined Canterlot standards, and yet its simple, quaint atmosphere appealed to her. The owner greeted her, a smile on his face. "Good morning. What can I get you?" This was no time to be fancy. "Er... hay fries?" A small part of her recoiled. "Alright. Those'll be a few minutes." She took a seat at a table as the stallion went off to do his cooking. She laid her head down on her forehooves and closed her eyes. "Say, what brings you here, if you don't mind me asking?" "Wha-? Oh. You... startled me." "Sorry." "Quite alright. I really ought to be waking up anyway. I'm a traveling magician." "And you came here to do a show...?" "Yes?" "That's, uh... an interesting decision. Not the biggest crowds around here. Only one pony who's ever seen big crowds, really." "Oh?" "Yeah, a carpenter from Manehattan. He's got some relatives here; comes by to visit sometimes." She swore a bit too loudly. "You okay?" "Y-yes! Please do excuse me! Hey, would those fries be done, do you think?" Rainbow yawned, stretched her legs and lay still again. She smacked her lips complacently, then jerked up, remembering what had happened the other night. She hadn't overslept, had she? The pegasus darted down to her living room and checked the clock. No, it was much too early to have missed her appointment. Hopefully. She noted the time and dashed out the door. "Salad, sprinkled with ground rosemary and cloves, topped with a vinaigrette that Her Majesty Celestia is rather fond of, if I recall correctly." The plates were set before them. "Salad. A sensible choice." "Thank you, Your Majesty, Luna." The servants walked off, leaving the two alone at the table. One of them was eagerly devouring the greens. "Alright, Tia... um." She sighed. Celestia swallowed. "Yes?" "I can't talk while you're eating. I feel so rude." "Oh, sorry. Well, I can put that off. Salads don't get any colder." "Indeed. I'll be leaving after this meal. However, I haven't had time to really think of where I wish to go." "Ah. And you want me to offer some destinations?" "Yes." "Well... how does Ponyville sound?" "Somehow I had a feeling you would say that." "Well, there's somepony I can easily contact there who can help you! She, too, was faced with joining society once." "Fair enough. Then the Princess of the Night shall visit Ponyville. You will write that pony a letter?" "Yes." "In that case, we may consume these increasingly delicious-looking salads." The great tree that was Ponyville's library stood before Pinkamena, a familiar destination for her. There was no reason to be nervous; she had been here to visit her friend countless times before. But those butterflies really liked it in her stomach. She approached the door, raised a hoof, and then lowered it again. The world around her continued to move. Bitterly, she stared at the ground as the sun bore down on her. She had told herself she would do this. She had to do this. If she didn't, what had happened last night would happen again, and again, and again... Pinkamena held her breath and knocked at the door. Twilight Sparkle opened it. “Oh, hello, Pinkie!” “Good morning, Twilight. Can I come inside?” “Of course.” Pinkamena heard the sound of the door closing behind her but kept her gaze straight. “So, what brings you here?” “Well, there's... There's some things I wanted to ask you about.” “Ask away.” "It's not really that easy. Kind of private, actually." "I'll listen to whatever you want to tell me, Pinkie. We're friends." She smiled. This was it, then. "Twilight, I think there's something wrong with me, something I've been hiding from ponies. And now I'd like to know what exactly it is." The entrance to Sugarcube Corner burst open allowing a blue pegasus to fly in and skid to a halt before a startled Cup Cake. "Mrs. Cake what time is it!" "Oh, uh... eight twenty-two!" she stammered. Rainbow calculated her time, breathing heavily, then grinned in triumph. "Under three minutes. Ha!" The older mare smiled at her. "Is there anything else I can help you with?" "Hm... No, not right now. I'm waiting for somepony." "That's alright." "It is. I just hope she doesn't leave me hanging." Morning came to Scootaloo on its own, without the somewhat annoying aid of her mother telling her it was time to get ready for school. Today was Saturday, and she wouldn't need to worry about that. She wouldn't need to worry about anything, it seemed. She would be meeting with Rainbow Dash and they would do all sorts of things that involved flying and being friends and she simply knew it was going to be so much fun. She stumbled out of her bed, spread her wings and prepared for an entrance befitting her mood, flying right past the kitchen, where her mother was busy cooking. She saw her daughter out of the corner of her eye and greeted her as she often did. Scootaloo continued into the living room where her father was stretched out in an armchair, still attempting to wake up. "Morning, Scoot- are you flying!?" A grin spread across and she stifled a triumphant laugh. "I am!" Her mother rushed over with a look of joy. "When did you ever learn to-?" "Last night." "Last night... What were you doing up?" "Um, well..." Her grin faded. "It's alright, dear. We won't get mad at you." "I was just... bored. And I tried to fly." She lowered herself to the ground, only to suddenly start hopping up and down excitedly. "Oh, and, and! I met Rainbow Dash, and she said we should get together again today and do some things!" The two looked at her with what she hoped was empathy. Then again, she didn't remember if empathy was good. "Well, that sounds wonderful! It's a bit sudden, but we're happy for you. Really, we are." Scootaloo embraced the warmth of their smiles and walked to the door. "I'll be going then." "Aren't you going to have breakfast?" "Rainbow said we'd meet at Sugarcube Corner and grab something to eat." "Sounds like you've got a busy day ahead of you. Oh, that reminds me! Did you finish your homework?" "Just a few math problems, Mom." "Alright then. Off you go!" The stallion turned to her. "Hold your head up, filly. You've got places to see and ponies to meet." Scootaloo nodded. Trixie stared at herself in the mirror. This was nothing new. She had set up her cart in the spot that vaguely resembled a plaza, put up some flyers (making sure to indicate the time the show started and that donations were very welcome), gotten dressed, and she had even attracted an audience. So why did she have to keep herself from sweating? She turned, the sun peeking in through the veil before her. Whether she was willing or not, it was time to shine. She brought her hoof down on a switch, causing the curtains to swing open. Fireworks and a small fanfare punctuated the entrance. "Fillies and gentlecolts, the Great and Powerful Trixie invites you to feast your eyes upon magic unmatched in beauty in all of Equestria!" Somepony yelled a half-hearted "Yeah!" She gulped. Then she noticed Dusty Wood, carpenter and destroyer of delusions, and almost gulped again. But, she reminded herself, there were roses to produce from thin air. She would win these ponies over. She had performed before royalty, for goodness' sake; a few villagers were not going to end Trixie. And if they didn't enjoy Trixie, they would enjoy her magic. Scootaloo's pace quickened as she left her home, getting quite close to a full gallop as she reached the town's center. She stayed on the ground, however. Not only did she think it best to keep her newfound skill secret for now, but if she knew Rainbow Dash in the slightest, she'd be needing them soon. She stopped, spotting an apple stand, courtesy of the Acres. Applejack was at the helm, with her sister at her side, eying the goods wistfully. She approached the duo. "Howdy there, Scootaloo! Yer here fer Apple Bloom, aren'tcha?" "Yeah. No, wait." She lowered her voice. "Eeyup." The others giggled. "There's something I wanted to show you guys, but it has to stay secret. No telling anypony; not even Sweetie Belle. That goes for you too, Applejack." "Well, a' course! Show us!" "Alright." She grinned again. She really ought to stop doing that. It made her look some giddy little foal. But for now she had to focus on flying. The filly spread her wings and flapped them, gradually increasing her speed until she reached a steady rhythm. As she did so, her altitude increased slightly, and soon she was a whole half-foot above the ground. A modest distance she hoped wouldn't attract attention. Applejack smiled at her as Apple Bloom admired her proudly. The mare was first to speak. "Mighty impressed, Scootaloo. That there is some fine flying, if a bit low." "Congratulations, fellow Crusader! That's another step to getting your cutie mark, ain't it?" "Ha! I hope so." She realized she hadn't even thought of that conundrum until now. That... wasn't bad, she was sure. Her cutie mark was another worry, for another time. She had a pegasus to meet. She bid the others farewell and galloped away. Applejack gave her a mock scowl as she disappeared. "Pegasi." Rainbow Dash sighed. "What time is it, Mrs. Cake?" "Half past nine, dear." "So... I've been waiting for over an hour." "Y-yes." She gave her a look of pity. It stung her a little. "I'll be going, then." She headed for the exit. "Miss Dash, I don't mean to sound overbearing or anything, but-" "Yeah?" She realized she'd cut her off and looked away again. "Please don't be upset. I'm sure whoever you were waiting for just got caught up in something." "Yeah, of course. I'm sure they did. Just... couldn't make it." Her voice wavered and she hurried out of the bakery, eager to avoid any further scrutiny. Instead she found an out-of-breath Scootaloo. “Anything else, Pinkie?” “Anything else? Well, I don't like to talk about this too much, but-” “It's alright if you don't want to.” “No. I need to tell you as much as I can.” Pinkie looked her straight in the eye, and the unicorn resisted the urge to shiver. “Anyway. Remember my last birthday when you ponies surprised me and I was kind of... bitter?” Twilight nodded. “Well, when Rainbow came to pick me up I was in the middle of another party.” “Oh?” “With some rocks.” “Oh. Uh.” She tried to find a polite way of expressing what she felt. “I know it sounds weird.” “It doesn't-” “Yes, it does.” The purple mare grimaced. “I had friends much like those; rocks and vegetables and lint and whatever else I could find on that miserable farm- you know about the farm, don't you?” “Yes.” “Right. Well. Those friends kept me happy. Happier than the others ever could. And when I came to Ponyville, I... tried to forget them. It worked for a while.” “Did anypony else know about them?” “Granny Pie walked in on me once.” “How was that?” “Called me crazy.” Twilight looked at her uncomfortably. “Oh, I was fine. My heart's pretty tough, you know.” Twilight struggled to find her words. “That's it, I think. What's wrong with me, doc?” She smiled. It went unnoticed. "Hello, Rainbow Dash! I came as fast as I could!" "Hi there. Good morning and all that." She sighed. First she had expected a little filly to not wake up late on a Saturday, and then she had almost lost faith in her arriving at all. "Is something wrong, Rainbow Dash?" "No. Well, actually, yes." Scootaloo looked at her worriedly. "What is it?" "You keep using my full name. Don't idolize me like that. We're friends, and friends are equal." She was met with humbleness and confusion. "Alright... Rainbow?" "That's it. Or Dash. Or anything you like. Speaking of which, can I call you Scoot?" "...sure." "Well then. You wanna grab something sweet before we fly?" The question didn't need to be answered and they entered the Corner. Cup, who had been watching the scene, tried to hide her grin. "Welcome back, Rainbow! Can I get you two something?" "How's two slices of pie sound, Scoot?" "Great." "What kind, then?" Cup's smile refused to fade, especially as her suspicions that the pony Dash had been waiting for had arrived became certainties. "Uh... cherry?" "Blueberry?" The two exchanged glances. "Blueberry." "Cherry." The earth pony laughed. "I'll get you one of each." "Oh, and could you cut the slices in half too?" asked the blue one. "Sure thing." She turned to Scootaloo. "I just thought you'd like to share." Trixie gorged herself on the applause, however meager. She resisted the urge to grin, and bowed. "Thank you; thank you, all. You've been a wonderful crowd, but I'm afraid I've been keeping you for as long as I can!" She backed away and delicately slid out a metal box with a slot from behind the curtains. "Donations go here. Not required, but Trixie would appreciate them." She slipped from their view, pushed open the back door lightly, and left her caravan. She headed for the same restaurant that had welcomed her here. After greeting the stallion and picking out a table, she proceeded to lay back and let out a long, deep sigh. "Well?" "I'm not ready to order." "I meant your show." Was this empathy? And, if so, why did she act so awkwardly when met with it? "They liked me, I should say. A good performance, I think." "I guess you'll be leaving us now." "Yes. A traveling showmare must travel. But I shan't forget this day. It means quite a lot to me." "Course." The door opened again. "Hey, Top." The voice snapped her from her lazy rest, familiar in every wrong way. "Morning, Dusty. Want something?" "Eh, just a fruit salad." He noticed Trixie. "Morning," he stated calmly. She froze, staring at him with wide eyes. "H-hello..." "Though, ha, it's evening, I guess." "...yes." "You mind if I sit with you?" "Go ahead." She tried to get her heart to stop thumping. "Rather forward, wouldn't you say?" He laughed. "Always. But you already know that." She wondered if this conversation would test her more than the previous performance. “Okay, let me try it again. Schi...?” “Keep going.” “...zoid. Schizoid.” “That's it.” “Wow, how do you spell that?” “S-C-H-” “Don't answer that. But that's what I've got?” “Yes. Socially withdrawn, emotionally cold and with an- I'm guessing- elaborate imagined world." The magenta one sighed. "Not what most ponies think when they think Pinkie Pie, eh?" "I guess not. But if you say it's who you really are, then I... have to respect it." She nodded. "So I guess somepony like me wouldn't have that many friends." "No..." "I'm not leaving you behind, unless you want me to." "I'll always be here for you when you need me, Pinkie, just like I always have. How can we be anything but happy for you?" She chuckled a little. "Alright, we'll see. I've gotta go." She turned and flashed her flank. "Have to see if I'm still good with parties." The two winged equines ate as they walked, making quick work of the pastries. Neither of them had had breakfast, and they welcomed the still-warm sweetness. Rainbow looked to the sky. "Well, here we are. Ready to go up?" "Isn't it... a little far?" "Well, yes, but I'm sure you can do it. You've got a lot of potential in those wings; I saw that last night. And don't forget I'll always be right by your side." Scootaloo nodded sternly. "Now, you want me to guide you, or...?" "I can do it." She spread her wings and gained some altitude. Rainbow followed her. "Uh, you're gonna have to get a little faster there-" Suddenly the foal flew off, extending her forelegs in instinct as she accelerated. The older mare sighed and began to chase her. The door to Ponyville's most renowned bakery opened and a brightly-colored mare stepped in. "Welcome back, Pinkie! Done already?" "Not yet, I think. I was hoping to host my friends a party, if you don't mind." "A party? With you as the host? Why, I think it goes without saying I'll allow it! Just, uh... if you could host it somewhere other than Sugarcube Corner..." "Sure thing." "Just remember it's coming out of your paycheck." "Mrs. Cake, I thought I got an hourly- oh. Ha." She smiled, though more at the fact she could still have normal conversations than at the joke. "Ah, I just remembered. Some ponies came asking for you." "Who was it?" "First Rainbow Dash, and then later a pegasus filly joined her." "Orange coat?" "Yes." "Scootaloo." "That would be her." "Did they say anything else?" "No. A surprise, perhaps?" "Well. I've got my own surprise coming, and they're both invited." "I'll get out of your way and let you work, then. Good luck, dear." Pinkie wondered if she needed luck for a moment, then hopped off to find some balloons. Luna rocketed through the skies, relishing the feeling of freedom. Tia had suggested a carriage, but she had politely reminded her that she preferred to fly by her own means. Now there were things to attend to. She would have to enter Ponyville, obviously, though she guessed she would disguise herself. She wasn't quite ready to see how the world would react. Then she would have to find that Twilight Sparkle. Apparently she had been in a similar position once as well. There was, she hoped, a thing or two she could learn from her. Her sister had already mentioned a few of the more interesting shops that had sprung up while she had been away, though she remembered Ponyville as a simple little town that she had been fond of visiting in her earlier centuries. She stopped. Below her, it seemed as if somepony had torn off a corner of Cloudsdale and moved it to the outskirts of her destination. She simply had to take a closer look. In her eagerness to explore, Princess Luna even forgot to hide her identity. Exhausted, Scootaloo plopped herself down on a cloud, barely even bothering to keep her eyes open. Rainbow Dash stood by her. "How was that?" "That was... tough. Hey, wait, I'm on a cloud!" "Yup." "That's so cool! Like, I knew pegasi could do that, but it's just so... ha!" Dash only smiled fondly. "Alright. Since you're still not used to long flights or pacing yourself, I don't think you're really in any condition to be doing flying tricks today." "Aww..." "I do see that you're interested in clouds though, so I think I'll introduce you to pegasus magic." "Magic?" "Oh yeah. Unicorns aren't the only ones who have it. Hay, even earth ponies. It's not as flashy, of course, but you shouldn't, you know..." "Make fun of them?" "Yeah." She tried to get memories of insults, delivered and received, out of her head. "Anyway! Let's start with something simple. Clouds are what your magic affects. Pegasi are the only kind of ponies who can stand on them. Well, except alicorns, and I'm pretty sure Twilight knows a spell that- ugh, now I'm rambling. Do you get it so far?" "Mm-hm." "If we just take a little cloud from somewhere..." She searched around, and having found a target, flew up, landing on the wooly mass and maneuvering it to her student. "Now just try bending it a little." Scootaloo reached inside with a hoof experimentally, then pulled it up slowly. Nothing happened. "Uh..." "Oh! Gosh, I'm so stupid sometimes. You can't just bend a cloud if you don't want to. Try again, but this time really concentrate on what you want to do with it." The orange filly focused on the formation determinedly and moved both her forehooves across it, creating an odd bulge on the right side. "Like that?" "Just like that! Really, I'm impressed. It doesn't come that quickly for most ponies. Now you can try other things with it, like... Try hitting it really hard." Scootaloo did, causing the cloud to vanish in a puff. "Best part about being on the weather team right there. Oh, speaking of weather, I need to teach you about that too! Except I'll have to get some more interesting clouds. That's where the real fun is. Don't they teach you any of these things at school?" "Not really." "Such a shame. You should know what you can do!" The two sat in strange silence for a moment. "So that's all I got, Scoot." "Aren't you going to give me homework?" "What? Oh." She giggled. "You kidder." "No, I was being serious." "I guess I am your teacher now, too... Work with those clouds. Form them, shape them, do everything you can with them." "Alright! I guess that's it for today?" "Yeah... Hey, sorry we didn't do much. It's all just so sudden. But I hope we can be good friends." "No, it's fine! I... I still can't believe I've got Rainbow Dash teaching me!" "Hey, what'd I say?" "Oh, sorry. Good-bye, Rainbow. See you around." "Can you make the trip back down?" "Of course." Suddenly a dark figure landed on their cloud. Dash gasped and bowed. Scootaloo turned to see who had intruded on their meeting. "Morning, ponies. I just happened to be flying here and I noticed- oh dear, why are you bowing?" "...shouldn't I kn-kneel before Her Majesty?" "Pardon? Oh!" She blushed. "Please, rise. I am not here as a princess. Not yet." The mare did as she was told. "Anyhow, I was just passing over you when I noticed your house's exquisite architecture!" She grinned. "Thanks. It's a nice little reminder." "A Cloudsdale pony?" "Yes. I moved here when I was little." "It's a pleasant town. And quite vital to the nation's weather. Who are you, then?" "Rainbow Dash." "Oh, yes, Rainbow Dash! Tia's mentioned you. Loyalty?" "That's me." "Ah, and who would you be, little one?" "That's Scoo-" "I didn't ask you. Speak up, filly." "I'm Scootaloo..." She looked up with fear, still not quite sure who the stranger was. "Are you... afraid of me?" "N-no." Luna sighed. "I am Princess Luna of the Night, in case you did not know, which seems to be the case as you are shivering in your horseshoes, so to speak." "Am not!" "That's more like it. Well. I hope our paths may cross again, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo. I'm afraid I have other matters to attend to, but it's been a pleasure meeting you. What you see next is to remain completely secret." Her horn began to glow, and an aura of magic enveloped the alicorn, changing her appearance into something decidedly different. When the spell finished, a shorter mare with a stunning emerald green mane, pearly white coat and a rose for a cutie mark stood before them. Her horn had vanished. "Call me Rose Petal." Her subjects admired the goddess-turned-pegasus. Rainbow was the first to break the silence. "Hello, Rose." "The pleasure is all mine. I believe a filly will be accompanying me?" "Yeah." "Then let us go, Scootaloo." "Okay. Hope to see you soon, Rainbow!" "See you around." Rainbow watched the pair fly off. The little one was still speeding. That made her feel a little relieved. It meant she didn't just feel the need to push herself when near her mentor. And as nice the first day of their friendship had been, she still hadn't had an opportunity to open herself. If Pinkie wasn't available, she would need to seek somepony else. She'd give them a few minutes; running into them again so soon would be odd. Then she herself would leave her home and find another's. "This is the town, Pri- Rose." "I noticed." "I'll leave you to do whatever it is you want to do here." "Wonderful." "Just, if I could ask one thing..." "Yes?" "See, there's these fillies in my class- you know, high-class and stuff- and they're always teasing me and my friends because we're..." She sighed and showed her companion her flank. "Oh. No cutie mark yet. And that's why they... why, how despicable!" "Yeah." "And how can I help you with this regrettable situation?" "Well, I was thinking how you're kind of the Princess of the Night and you could maybe just go and visit them and..." She looked away. "Give them a little scare?" Rose blinked a few times, incredulously. Then she laughed. "Scare those awful fillies?" Scootaloo sighed and began walking away. "W-wait, please! I'm sorry if I hurt you." She stopped. "What I meant was that you shouldn't lower yourself to their level like that. If they want to pester you for something so meaningless as how late you get your cutie mark, let them be. Having me 'scare' them, presumably referring to you by name, is only going to cause them to feel threatened, and that will make their attacks even more vicious. We don't want that, do we?" "I guess not." "Besides, I wouldn't enjoy the company of those ponies either. And one last thing." "Hm?" "Be strong. Don't let anypony own you or get at you. Especially not some shallow, vain socialites." "...thanks. I'll remember that." She blinked. "Wait, what's a socialite?" "Never you mind. You'll be heading home now?" "Yes." "Then I bid you good day. And please, stop being so intimidated around me." "I-I'll try!" "Is that a stutter I hear?" "I said I'll try!" "And may you be unfaltering always." Rainbow Dash stared at the door before her, the door to Fluttershy's cottage. Then, not giving herself time to reconsider, she knocked at it loudly. The mare poked her head out shyly. "Y-yes? Hello, Rainbow. You knocked a little... hard." "Sorry about that." "Oh, it's fine." "Actually, it's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. In a way. It's complicated." "If you want to talk to me about something, go ahead and come in." "Right." She accepted the invitation and entered. "Would you like me to make us some tea?" "Sure." "What kind?" "Just something hot. Help me relax." Twilight opened the door carefully. Yet another visitor? Why couldn't the town just let her finish a chapter of that romance novel Rarity had let her borrow? "Hello. May I ask who you are?" "I am Rose Petal, sent by Princess Celestia with a message." "And why couldn't the Princess send a letter?" "It is a message of the highest importance that requires a messenger to deliver it." The unicorn groaned quietly. "Alright, come in." She closed the door behind them. As she turned she froze and, regaining her sense, stooped. "Wh-when did you get here, Princess Luna?" "Good evening, Miss Sparkle. It is most joyful to see you still remember me." "Of course I do. A disguise spell?" "Indeed. Please never tell anyone of Rose Petal. I'm rather fond of her." "I promise." "Now then. If you'll kindly try to ignore the fact that I am royalty, I'd like to discuss some matters with you." "I'll do my best." "I'm sure you will succeed. My sister tells me you were in a situation much like mine." "Then what is your situation, Luna?" "I... wish to become accustomed with the ways of society once again. I find myself somewhat uncomfortable among ponies and that's no way for a ruler to be, now is it?" "I can see how that would be a problem. Have you already thought of something you can do to, well...?" "Yes." She glared. "I really do wish everypony would stop losing the ability to speak as soon as I address them!" "I'm sorry, it's just... you're the Princess." "Perfectly understandable." She shook a little. "Just a little outburst; everyone I've spoken to today has done that same thing. Anyhow. I wanted to ask you if you happened to know of any occasions I could get involved with today, though in my earlier apparition." "Rose Petal?" "Her. I feel I shouldn't make my entry as Luna quite yet." "Well. There's lots of great places to see in Ponyville! I could show you around the town, if you like- or even better! One of my friends told me she's throwing a party later today, actually. I'm sure she wouldn't mind an extra guest." "That sounds most grand, Miss Sparkle. But I would still like it if you could show me the rest of this town." "Not a problem. I have a feeling you'll like it." "Once, this was one of my favorite villages to visit..." For a moment she stared off at nothing in particular wistfully. "Ah, but that was long ago! Different memories for a different time, no? Let us go out." The sun was smiling upon them.

CandleEyes

245

Apple Bloom,Cheerilee,Diamond Tiara,Fluttershy,Gummy,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Scootaloo,Silver Spoon,Spike,Trixie,Twilight Sparkle,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

By the Unfaltering Light of the Sky

The tales of six fillies who've suffered and lied.

complete

<p>As night falls over Equestria, our gloomy cast reflects on their troubled lives and find happiness may not be so unreachable an outcome as they had previously thought.</p><p>Feedback appreciated.</p>

teen

2012-01-06T22:01:49+00:00

2012-01-06T22:01:49+00:00

Pinkie gave the supplies she had set up one last look, nodding in satisfaction. It would be perfect as long as she could convince Twilight to let her use the library. In hindsight it would have been smarter to take care of that first, but she hoped things still worked out. Sometimes you had to just go for it. "I'm home!" announced Scootaloo before plopping down on the couch and sighing. What a morning she'd had... "Did you have a good time?" Her mother eyed her, eagerness shining in her eyes. She looked up lazily. "...yeah. We, um. We flew an' stuff. My wings are tired," she whimpered. "Aww..." The mare leaned down and kissed her cheek softly. "Then go ahead and rest, dear." "I've still got work to do though. Oh, fine. I guess I won't be able to do much if my wings are all sore. Can you tell me in half an hour or something?" "Of course." "Oh, and one more thing, mom." "Hm?" "Could you get me a pillow?" She smiled fondly. "No problem, sweetie." "Alright, my dear Twilight, where shall we go first?" "That is a very good question. There's a lot of places I could show you." "I suppose it'd be easier for you if we started with one of your friends." "Hm." She gasped. "I forgot to ask about where the party would actually be!" She blushed. "Erm... Rose, do you like bakeries?" "I do love confections." "Then I know just where to take you." Trixie sighed. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" "Only two weeks or so." "It certainly seemed like an eternity to me. Of course, I don't expect you to feel the same. For you I must have just been another random mare, successfully seduced." "Hey, don't be so mean. I remember all the faces I see." "Oh, I'm sure. The flanks too, presumably?" "Hey, quit it!" "Fine." Dusty attempted to steer the conversation towards a more delicate topic. "So... how you been?" "Quite pleasant. Except that you managed to completely demolish my worldview." He gave her a look of regret. "The one good thing you did. Well, two good things." "Huh?" "It's... a bit difficult to explain." "I've got time." "Well, maybe it isn't only about you? Maybe it hurts me to divulge the details? Has the idea that other ponies in the world matter ever even occured to you!?" She became painfully aware of the owner watching them with interest and blushed. "...sheesh. I'm sorry." "I should be the one apologizing. One doesn't snap like that. Even if you deserve it." "Yeah. I do. So..." "Yes?" "Are you going to tell me what I did?" She muttered something about mules, then turned to the counter. "Do you serve alcohol here?" Celestia sighed once more, watching the skies. "It's beautiful, isn't it? That sun is so familiar and yet wondrously fresh every time. The way it unabashedly lights up the world..." "Yup. Amazing," commented Spike, feigning interest. "Um, Your Majesty?" "Yes?" "Why exactly am I here?" "I do believe only you can answer that question, seeing as you came here by your own will." Spike sat in stunned silence for a moment. "Well, yeah, but... I don't usually stay this long." "You usually aren't offered a wide selection of fine gems for your enjoyment." The dragon looked at the bowl before him again, filled to the top with a scrumptious assortment of stones. He decided it wasn't worth arguing against. "So. Anything interesting you'd like to share?" "Not really," he answered, attempting to decide between sapphire and turquoise. He took a bite of each. "Has Miss Sparkle had any developments, or any of her friends?" "They're doing great. It's amazing how... sociable Twilight is now, though. I mean, a year ago-! Well, you know how she was." The alicorn nodded. "I believe a messenger of mine is meeting with her today. Please ask your friend about her after your return." "Will do." "That's everything, then. You may resume gloating about that unicorn of yours." "Hey! Rarity's more than just a unicorn..." Celestia smiled softly. "One more thing. Please stop chewing so loudly." As the two ponies entered the Corner, they were warmly greeted by a (equally warm-hued) stallion. "Hey, Twilight. Who's your friend?" "Hello, Mr. Cake. This is- oh." "Allow me, please. I am Rose Petal, one of Miss Sparkle's cousins." "Pleasure to meet you, Ma'am!" "Mr. Cake, do you know where Pinkie is?" "She's upstairs, planning a- whoops. Almost spoiled the surprise!" "She already told me about the party." "Oh." His ears drooped. "Well then. I'll tell her you want to talk to her." He disappeared, leaving the Element of Magic to voice her concerns. "Cousin? Really?" "You should be flattered." Twilight sighed, bewildered. After a few moments, a magenta mare came down, beaming at them. "Hi again, Twi! And you're... Rose Petal?" "That is correct." "Huh. What did you want to talk to me about, Twilight?" "Well, see, Pinkie, about that party... where exactly is it going to be?" "Right! See, Mrs. Cake asked me not to host it here, so I... kind of planned for it being held at the library. Sorry." "That's fine. I wasn't planning anything today, really- Spike's away for his regular Canterlot meet, so I'm free." "Alright! Then I guess you're invited. Does your cousin like parties too?" "I am rather fond of them." "That's the spirit. I'll be going, then. Nighttime's coming and I've still got ponies to invite." "So, um... What did you want to talk to me about?" "Well. Fluttershy, you know how you're kind of... mellow?" "Yes, I guess you could say that." "Yeah, well, you wouldn't describe me like that, would you?" "I- I suppose not. I mean. You're a bit..." "Rough and tumble?" "Let's go with that. Oh! I should go see how the tea's doing." As Fluttershy departed, Rainbow closed her eyes and groaned. Why was this such an awkward situation for her? The yellow mare was the friendliest pony she knew. A bit reserved and difficult to actually befriend, but once you got there... Her mind drifted off and was only awakened by the scent of lavender. "I hope you like it. It's a personal favorite of mine." "Thanks." She stood up, a tray with two steaming cups before her. She took one of them and sipped slowly. "It's good." "You're welcome." "So, as I was saying. I realized I haven't actually felt that way... since I was a foal, really." "Does this... have anything to do with Gilda?" "Wha- oh, Fluttershy." She closed her eyes and cursed her friend's intuition. "I'm really sorry for what she did." "I already knew that; it's nothing, really." "It isn't. She..." The mare sighed. "We used to understand each other, back at flight camp. We just kind of clicked. Sometimes I wish it hadn't happened. But still, I kept behaving like that- it had brought me friendship before, so why should it bother anyone now? Then she came back." She took another sip, swallowing heavily. "You know how that went..." Fluttershy nodded slowly. "That's when I realized just how dangerous a pony like that could be- so searing with meanness. I don't remember what I felt when it hit me the first time. Fear, shame, anger at myself... But I knew I had to something." "When did that happen?" "A month ago, I think." There was no answer. "It took me a while. Until last night, actually. I was in a funk again, just lying there, trying to get to sleep, and I figured I'd go for a flight. Then I met somepony. She showed me how beautiful it is to..." She looked the yellow one in the eyes, smiling elatedly. "To just be yourself." "Isn't it? We all fit into this whole world so nicely." Dash noted the observation and kept going. "And the funniest thing is, I never even expected that pony to connect with me like that! I mean, sure, I knew she pretty much worshiped me, but... that was different." She laughed. "I guess surprises really are the best. Hey, that reminds me! I should go see if I can find Pinkie." There was a polite knocking. "I'll go see who it is, Rainbow." The blue pegasus mumbled in agreement and leaned back in her seat, relaxing. She heard two voices engaged in conversation- Fluttershy and somepony who she felt she really should be able to recognize by now... "Oh, Rainbow's here too." Her eyes snapped open and joyous recognition spread across her face. "Hey, Pinkie. What's up?" "Well, see, I was just inviting Shy here to a party I'm hosting tonight, and I was going to invite you too. So now I managed to get two for the price of one. Again!" "That sounds great. I'll definitely be there." "I heard you were looking for me earlier." "Yeah, that's been taken care of, thanks to Fluttershy. But thanks for asking." "Of course. I wouldn't forget about my friends." Dash laughed. "And that's why we love you!" "...are you sure there's nothing else you need to do?" "Yes," answered Scootaloo, trying hard to not sound frustrated. "You know Ms. Cheerilee's nice." "Yes, but... oh, okay, I'll trust you." Her father smiled at her knowingly. "Well then. Since you're free for the rest of the day-" He was interrupted by the sound of knocking. "I'll get it." Scootaloo skipped over and was greeted by the smiling visage of a pink earth pony. "Hey, Scootaloo!" She looked at the other ponies. "Hey... Scootaloo's parents." "You're Pinkie Pie, right? Dash's friend?" "That's me." "She was looking for you earlier." "Yep, I heard. Which is great, because I wanted to host a party today. Then I heard you two are friends now, so I figured that if you want, you could come by too." "Oh. Um. Could you give me a sec?" "Sure. I'll be out here." The filly turned to her parents. "So. What do you guys think?" "If you want to go, that's fine with us." The stallion forced a smile. "It's just..." He sighed, and his wife took over. "We wanted to celebrate today. You know, take you out somewhere, have fun together. It's alright, dear. We just want you to be happy." "Then I'll..." She sighed. She hated decisions. They always tore her from things. "I'll have to go with the party. Sorry." "Oh, don't be! Just remember to have fun!" The stallion nodded at her weakly. "Don't worry about me. I'm just afraid we might lose each other. As a family, I mean. It's silly, but-" He stopped as he found his daughter embracing him. "I understand, Dad. Listen, tomorrow we'll all go out together. As a family." She backed off, smiling. "And now I'll go." "Have a good time!" her mother called out as the pony left. Then she turned to the one next to her. "You little tease!" "Hey, I need to get her thinking, don't I? Besides, don't think I didn't see you grinning there." Dusty grinned. "You were expecting something... classier?" Trixie glared at him from behind a mug of ale. "It's quite good, actually. Sometimes one has to step outside their comfort zone, you know? Anyhow. You. You came in at a point in my life where I had just been humiliated, something that hadn't happened in a very long while. I had entered a town, done a show, and been ready to move on.Then by some misfortune a pair of colts managed to anger an Ursa Minor as a result of my boasting-" "A what now?" "A very large bear made of cosmic energy." "Right." "The creature followed the colts to the town I was in, and I attempted to stop it. Of course, my talent, as I would later realize, doesn't extend very far beyond putting on a nice performance. Luckily for everyone involved but me, another unicorn managed to summon her powers and gracefully incapacitate the menace. Then I... sort of ran away as fast as I could. And that's how I found you." "Ouch. That sounds rough." "I thought that too until a certain carpenter decided to rub salt in the wound." He smirked apologetically. "But I only have myself to blame. I was so desperate to just get back to what I was convinced was right that anything could be sacrificed in exchange for a cart. Which isn't to say it was incredibly rude and degrading of you to offer that as a form of payment." Dusty shook his head. "You'll never let me live that down, will you?" "No." "Thought so." "And yet, I wouldn't be anywhere without it. You opened my eyes- showed me that one can in fact go too far. A pony's talents guide their lives, but they should never endanger it. As much as I hate to say this, Mister Wood... thank you. So much." "About time I heard that." "Oh, hush." "What'll you do now?" "I'm... not sure. I was planning on heading to Fillydelphia next, possibly leaving the country for a while... what are your plans?" "Oh, I always go back to Manehattan after this. Never really leave that city all that much." "I'm afraid that means we'll part soon. I do hope your business continues to thrive, however. Though I'm sure you already know this, seeing as you taught me it so recently, always follow your dreams. They know exactly where they're going." "Yup. I knew that." He pretended to yawn. "Gee, I'd love to chat, but for some reason I keep falling asleep." "You really are impossible!" She scowled. "No wonder you ask poor showmares to pander to your needs." "I thought we agreed we'd stop talking about that." "Agreements? With you?" He whistled casually. "...you know, you oughta finish that drink." "It's certainly more interesting than you, I find." They both knew she was lying. Outside, the sun was slowly reddening, awaiting its fall. The way it lingered made her wonder if it didn't want to leave them yet.

CandleEyes

245

Apple Bloom,Cheerilee,Diamond Tiara,Fluttershy,Gummy,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Scootaloo,Silver Spoon,Spike,Trixie,Twilight Sparkle,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

By the Unfaltering Light of the Sky

The tales of six fillies who've suffered and lied.

complete

<p>As night falls over Equestria, our gloomy cast reflects on their troubled lives and find happiness may not be so unreachable an outcome as they had previously thought.</p><p>Feedback appreciated.</p>

teen

2012-02-18T04:06:15+00:00

2012-02-18T04:06:15+00:00

The wind whistled in Celestia's ears as she trotted down the familiar cobblestone path. She stopped and admired her star, perched up in the sky, patiently awaiting the coming sunset. Luna really had done a wonderful job. "And now I must return the favor," she muttered to nopony in particular. The alicorn flapped her wings gently, and proceeded to take to the air. Years (many of them) had turned this task to mindless routine. She was happy to know her next task wouldn’t be so simple. Her horn glowed as she grasped the sun, and she smiled. Traces of her sister’s magic were still to be felt. She began descending, taking her time. Sunsets were opportunities for her to contemplate the day that had just passed. Sometimes there were urgent matters to run over in her head, other times she found her attention drifting off to the surrounding ambiance. Today, she was trying to contain her giddiness at being able to put her knowledge of star charts to the test. She landed gingerly, the skies slowly growing dark around her. She hoped a romantic couple somewhere had been enjoying the moment. Trixie eyed the carpenter sleepily. “Well, the night appears to be upon us, and I’m afraid my drink is finished.” “Alright. Been a pleasure meeting you, Miss... er...” “And you as well- wait.” She blinked, her brow furrowing. “You don’t recall my name?” “I do! Just having a little trouble, is all. It’s somewhere, I swear.” “We’ve been discussing my entire life story here and you can’t even be bothered to remember my-” “Trixie Stardust, stage name 'The Great and Powerful Trixie.' Born and raised in Canterlot, father died when you were seven- no, six. Went to Her Majesty's School for Gifted Unicorns, eventually home-schooled after it didn't meet your mother's expectations. Struggled to make a living on your own after her death, finally getting enough money to have a caravan built. The rest is obvious." She stared at him incredulously. "I... I'm so sorry." She frowned. "Sorry I snapped at you like that. You've obviously been paying attention." "I owe it to you." "We both owe each other. You showed me a way out of my misery, and I- er, let's not start that again." "No, course not. You'll be going now?" "Yes." "Evening, Miss." "And a pleasant evening to you too, Mister Wood. If I ever happen to find myself in your town again, expect me to pay a visit." She got out of her seat and left the building with a slight spring in her step. It was dark, but not that deep all-swallowing blackness that she had awakened to so many times, wishing everything would just end already. The only wish on her mind now was that that stallion didn't start showing up in her dreams. Trixie let out a contented sigh. The day hadn't been so bad after all. Now she would go and get herself some rest and decide what she would do next. Oh, and count her bits. That was always important. She froze. Her bits. She had left her donations out, unguarded, for the past few hours. She was in a full gallop before the connection had even been properly made. "Alright, Shy, now the party's going and everything, how do I tell everypony what I told you?" "Um, Rainbow... I don't mean to complain or anything, but this is the fifth time you've asked me that." "Oh, sorry." "It's fine." "Could you answer me again?" "I said you should just try to act natural and see how people react. You don't need to go up and tell everyone. You know, unless you want to..." "A-alright. I got this. I'm just excited, is all." "I know I would be!" "Whoa, you can be excited? That's a new one." The yellow pegasus glared at her. "Heh, sorry. Okay, here we go. I'm gonna go talk to Rarity. For some reason." "Oh, ask her if she did something new with her mane! See, it's a joke, because-" "That's... actually a pretty good one, Shy. See ya." The mare headed for the unicorn, smirking. Pinkie was greeted by faint cheers as she entered the library. She smirked appreciatively. "Hey, everypony. I brought you another guest." Scootaloo stepped forward and looked around, catching a glimpse of Rainbow. "Hi, everyone!" She turned to Pinkie. "Um, I'll go be with Dash, okay?" "Well, who am I to tell you who you can be with?" The filly wasn't sure how to answer and resorted to simply smiling uncomfortably and walking away. The pink one stopped to ponder what she would do. The more she thought about it, drawing attention to herself- or more accurately, her quirk- seemed like a silly thing to do. She was Pinkie Pie, not "that schizoid pony." And she was going to stay that way. Perhaps she could just try to be herself tonight. After all, there was a party to keep going. "Hello, Dash! How's the party!" Scootaloo grinned. The other mare snorted. "Someone's excited." "It's just... I've never been out this late. Aren't you excited?" "Sure. Pinkie's parties are always fun." "I just wish I could stop thinking about my wings." "I've already covered that with you today. Sorry." "Oh." "But hey, we've got another pegasus here." "I... don't think I can really to Lu- I mean, Rose Petal." "No, not her." She blinked. "You want me to talk about flying with Fluttershy?" "Hey, she's not that bad." "I never said-" "You thought it." The foal grimaced. "Listen, we went to flight camp together. I know the filly." "Scootaloo looked up, a smile on her face. "Okay, I trust you." "That's it." The smaller pony reluctantly left her mentor again. She couldn't always be there, after all. Trixe jumped up onto her staged and gazed into the basket before whinnying triumphantly. All was safe, it seemed. She stepped away, and laughed at herself. How could she think so low of these villagers? Theft, really? Pulling her earnings behind her, she stepped behind the curtains and closed the cart up with a step of her hoof. "Good show, Great and Powerful." She let herself fall on her bed, only now feeling exhaustion come over her. Soon she would be asleep. Tomorrow her career would be reborn, better than ever before. For once, she had actually looked forward to practicing her skills- and she'd have to start experimenting again. The novelty of this was welcomed. Perhaps she would even travel to Ponyville again. She'd definitely have to see Manehattan again. She rolled over and nuzzled her pillow softly, feeling fatigue coming over her. She wondered if Mother would be proud. "Um, Fluttershy?" "Wha-!? Oh, you startled me." The filly stared at her. "...right. I just kind of came over here because you're a pegasus and all that." "Is it something about your wings? I'm sure Twilight can help you with that better than I can." "Twilight can't fly." "Oh." A light rosy blush spread across her face. "What?" "I was... a bit of a late learner." "You know who I am, right?" "Oh gosh, Scootaloo, I just remembered about you and... you know." "That's alright. I figured it all out last night." The daffodil pony smiled at her gleefully. "That's... that's great! I think it's always important to be happy with who you are, and now you've got that..." "Yep. I guess it did just come to me after all." "It's just one of those things that clicks. For some ponies, I mean." "Like your cutie mark?" "Like your- oh. I... didn't mean to." "It's fine. I finally managed to get it out my head! It'll come just like this, I'm sure." "I am too. Don't let anyone rush you. I mean, unless you want to- but oh, rushing never ends well..." "Fluttershy?" "Yes?" "I'm going back to Rainbow now." "Okay! See you later!" "Hey, Pinkie!" Twilight made her way over to her host. "Hey." She turned to fac the source of the sudden greeting. "I see you brought someone along." "Well, I just figured since Rainbow's so excited about her, it'd be nice for both of them." "So when are you going to tell everypony?" "Oh, about that- see, Twilight, I figured making a big fuss over it like that would be kind of pointless; I mean, I'm supposed to accept who I am, not obsess over it, right?" "I guess that's true." "Say, how's your cousin?" "Hm. Rose!" called Twilight. "Yes?" "Could you come over a bit?" The pegasus approached the pair, drinking from a glass of punch. "Hello. The baker?" "Yep." "Pleasure to see you again, Laughter." Pinkie tilted her head. "Odd. I didn't know anypony else knew about that." "I am... in service to Her Majesty. Yes. Anyhow! I hear you're the one who organized this fantastic occasion. My compliments to you, Miss Pie. Did you make this punch as well?" "I did." "It tastes simply magnificent." "Thanks, Rose." She smiled, relieved. "Of course, I've got Twilight to thank too. This is her library." "It takes many parts to make a whole, doesn't it?" "I always appreciate that about my friends." "And I'm sure they feel the same way." The earth mare nodded thoughtfully. "I'll go check on the others now. Have a good time!" "We shall." Rose turned to Twilight. "Celly said she was... different." "She is now!" "If you say so." The princess resumed working away at her drink. "...you knew she had trouble flying too, didn't you?" "Huh?" The mare took notice of the returning Scootaloo, then laughed. "You figured me out." "That... wasn't actually that bad. Except near the end." "Did she start apologizing a lot?" "Yeah." "That can get a bit annoying. We still love her though. I mean, nopony's perfect, right?" "And I'm a bit tired." "I guess it is past your bedtime." "Maybe I'm just not cut out for these late-night things." "Yet." "Yet." She laughed hazily. "We'll get back together tomorrow, right?" "Hey, give me some time to get those clouds for you! I'm not some Wonderbolt." "Yet." "Don't tease me, Scoots." "I'm not!" She winked and trotted off. Rainbow exhaled sharply. "That pony..." Celestia shook with anticipation. The stars had become visible in the growing darkness, and now it was time for them to be joined by that jewel of the night sky. It couldn't be that hard, could it? She decided to answer her own question experimentally. The alicorn once again rose in the chilly air, taking a few moments to find the moon with her magic. Then she started her journey, losing herself in the warm sparkle of the surrounding constellations. They all seemed to be in their positions, and to be frank she had no idea what she would do if they weren't. Perhaps Luna had been kidding about that part. She reminded herself that many of the things that she saw now no longer actually existed, burned out many miles away. But if there was anyone who knew that beauty never died, it was her. How many proteges had she had now...? She chose to leave the question unanswered, floating to the ground gracefully. Princess Celestia had raised the moon. Rose took another sip of her punch, then turned to look outside the window. She paused, her moon shining brightly. Her sister had of course fulfilled her duty. It had been quite a while since they had seen each other, hadn't it? Perhaps it was time to take her leave. She approached Twilight, who had meanwhile left her side, and tapped her shoulder softly. "Yes, Rose?" "Well, Miss Sparkle, as lovely as this soiree has been, I'm afraid it is time for me to go." "Oh, okay. May we meet again...?" "May we do so! Though I may choose another form. You will keep that a secret, a trust?" "Yes." "Excellent. I must say you are lucky to have such friends." "Thanks. I dind't pick them, heh." "That is not for us to do. Friendships form all on their own, whether we like it or not. Anyhow. Farewell." "Good night, Rose." The pegasus turned and slipped out of the library, then walked a few steps until she was safely out of their view. There were still others who could see her, but she trusted te night to be less hectic a time. In fact, she simply trusted the night. She enveloped herself in a haze of magic, shifting back into her true form as she walked. Then she stopped, spread her wings and was gone in a flash. The filly took a deep breath, then knocked at the door gingerly. She heard a few shuffling noises and regretted her sudden intrusion. Then the entrance opened and an earth mare poked her head out. "...hello, Scootaloo. What are you doing here?" She stared incredulously. The pony's cheeks were flushed and slightly moist. "Miss Cheerilee, have you been crying?" She smiled. "Has anypony ever told you you're a bit blunt?" "...sorry." "You're alright. Come inside." She followed her teacher and looked around herself cautiously- then scolded herself for not trusting her. "So. What is it, Scootaloo?" "If you want me to leave, that's okay." "What? Oh, don't mind that. We all cry sometimes." She nodded uneasily. "Well, I wanted to show you something I learned today, actually." The purple pony's face brightened. "I can fly now. I mean, I'm still working on it, but." "That's wonderful! See, I told you you'd get it some day." "Yeah." The filly beamed at her. "And I've got Rainbow Dash helping me out!" "That's nice of her. I wish I could help out, but-" She gazed at her sides. "I guess all I can do is tell you to keep at it. You pegasi stick together." "We will. Wait, pegasi?" "Yes. Irregular plural, remember?" "Oh. Guess I got that wrong on my test then." "At least you'll remember it now!" "Or at least try..." "Trying's always the first step." "Um, Miss Cheerilee? It's getting a bit late for me to be out. Can I go now?" "Of course you can! See you on Monday, Scootaloo." "Uh-huh!" She skipped out of the house again, a relieved smirk on her face. That hadn't been so bad after all. As she walked home under the moon's watchful gaze, she had a pleasant feeling things were going to stay like that for a while. She yawned and quickened her pace. She hadn't really felt tired up until now- perhaps it was having her wings stared at the whole day, or growing closer to her long-time idol, or being filled with that weird fuzzy sense that this was what life was all about. Maybe, thought Scootaloo, it was all three. Rainbow munched another cupcake, her fifth, if her memory didn't fail her. Then she looked down. Orange frosting. The mare groaned. Why was that filly so important all of a sudden? She knew why, of course. Watching little Scootaloo was like looking into a mirror. Or through some foal pictures. She was certain she could ponder these thoughts better alone- and there were only two ponies left in the library. One of them had organized it, the other lived in it. "Alright, guys? I'm gonna call it a night right about now." "It's been great having you, Rainbow," said Twilight, "though I couldn't help noticing you were a bit quieter than usual. Is something wrong?" "No, Twilight. In fact..." She grinned jovially. "In fact, things have never been better." "Alright then! That's nothing to worry about." "Good night, everypony." She stepped out, the wind creeping about her wings. Her grin had meanwhile faded into a content smile. She heard a voice call from the library but couldn't quite figure out the message. It didn't matter. Nothing did. Rainbow Dash was at last just as free as the wind. "See you tomorrow, Dashie!" called Pinkie, watching her last guest depart. She let the silence settle around her. "Guess it's just us two, Twi." "That was a good party, Pinkie." "I still got it?" "I would say so." "Alright, good to hear. You want me to help clean this up?" "Well, that'd be nice. You can sleep here tonight if you want." "Oh no, that's okay. I've got my own place. We all do. For instance, those party hats belong in the trash." "Then let's show them the way." "Let's." The earth pony smiled, still finding it hard to believe she was talking to her friend so effortlessly. She supposed it wasn't anything to complain about. Luna landed right on the balcony, not bothering to check in with the guards. She was their princess, after all. A very excited princess. She walked forward, deciding her best bet for finding Tia would be the Sun Princess' own chambers. Then she found herself walking straight into another pony. "Oh! My apologies, I didn't- Celly?" "L-Luna! Welcome back!" She paused and looked to her right, the direction her sister had been coming from. "You were... in my bedroom?" "Er, yes. I thought you might be there." "Hm." She stared intently. "I can assure you there is nothing of interest to you there." "That's for me to decide. I know you have a tendency to neglect returning books to the Royal Library, for one." "What's a mare to do without books?" "What's a library to do without them?" "I suppose you have a point. Come, there are many things to discuss. Don't bother asking where we're going." Celestia huffed. "I swear I didn't steal anything!" "Good night, Twi!" Pinkie Pie trotted out the door. What a night that had been. She gazed up at the sky, the moon a white orb in the surrounding sea of darkness. Everything had a place. It seemed she had finally accepted hers. She could never understand some things, she knew- but it finally wasn't a painful reminder that she was different, sick. She giggled quietly. Hopefully the Cakes hadn't locked up the Corner. "I don't suppose I need to tell you to get comfortable, seeing as you were just doing that." "I'm sorry for barging in like that. I truly am." Luna turned and locked eyes with her. "Your apology is accepted. Please be more respectful next time." The offending party laughed lightly. "It's hard to believe you're still teaching me morals at this age." "Sometimes we may forget." The younger one slipped under the covers, her sister following suit. "Celly...?" "Yes?" "Do alicorns grow senile?" "I don't know. I suppose we'll find out one day." "If I do, can you watch out for me?" "Why, of course!" She absent-mindedly reached over and began stroking her sister's mane. "But what if we both lose it at the same time?" "Then Equestria shall be ruled by the Mentally Unstable Princesses of the Sky. I'm sure they'll figure out something." "You make it sound so simple." "Sometimes you just have to look at it that way." "...please stop playing with my hair." "Sorry." Luna sighed. "I guess... I guess no matter what you do, you'll always live on. As long as the unfaltering light of the sky is shining down upon you, you just have to pull through and survive." "Luna, how do you go from senile alicorns to that?" "I can't help it! My mind loves wandering as much as your hooves. Don't forget what I did today." "That reminds me- how was Ponyville?" "I certainly understand why you love your students so much." "That's good." "It is indeed." She stared upwards at the ceiling above her, smiling simply as her eyes sparkled. "Tia... I never imagined myself doing any of this a day ago." "Neither did I. That's the beauty of life. It always keeps you vigilant." The pair sat there, absorbing each other's thoughts for another moment or ten. "Alright, Luna, I'll be heading to bed then." "Could I get a kiss?" She chuckled. "You've earned it." The princess turned over and gave her a soft peck on the cheek. "I love you, Tia." "I love you too." The two ponies wrapped each other in an embrace, feeling their calm breaths against one another. Celestia didn't even think about fighting the waves of sleep coming over her.

Nuki Mouse

247

Derpy Hooves,Main 6,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Comedy,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

The Fall of Uber Villain Guy -or- Is That Burnt Ham I Smell?

A comic parody of Equestria being invaded by an Uber Villian Sue, and just who took him out.

complete

<p>When the Mane Six fail, to whom must all of Equestria turned to for salvation.....DERPY?</p><p>This a total comic parody about Equestria being invaded by the very dregs of fanfic cliches, an Uber Villain Sue, and just how he was taken down. Mane Six, Celestia, Luna, and...? No shipping or slash, just insane comic violence.</p><p>Changed rating to teen due to (comedic) character death and some swearing. No gore.</p>

teen

2012-04-01T10:37:30+00:00

2012-04-01T10:37:30+00:00

The Fall of Uber Villain Guy -or- Is that Burnt Ham I Smell? By Nuki Mouse Note: UBER MARY SUE's never work unless in a total parody. This parody started out as part of a posted review (by me) on Ponychan of a way over the top Uber Villain Sue called Cold-eye in another’s story. Thanks to Midnight Shadow for proof-reading this and correcting all my many grammar & spelling errors. The golden sun shone brightly through the high arched windows of the grand throne room, its rays illuminating the modest 20 tiered golden dais capped with a very plain and understated ivory and mother of pearl divan, and upholstered with mediocre quality Corinthian leather. Casually reclining upon the divan was the always-humble alicorn Celestia, Crown Princess of Equestria, Ruler of Canterlot, Supreme Commander of the Royal Guard, Head-Filly of the Royal Academy, and Goddess of the Sun. Nearby, off to the left and slightly behind a support column, was a regal single-tier dais made of the finest plywood and PVC the Palace coffee fund could spare, and elegantly appointed with cushions from such elite suppliers as “Holiday Barn”, “Comfort Stalls” and “Stable-Six”. Upon them squatted the noble and aloof Luna, princess without a kingdom, temporary ruler of the local servants union, new head maid of the royal household and goddess (pro-tem) of the moon. Before the two sisters were arrayed the kingdom’s finest defenders, the Elements of Harmony, otherwise known as the Mane Six. There was a sudden BOOM and the mighty doors of the throne room were ripped ajar. There stood the kingdom’s ultimate Nemesis, Uber Villain Guy. “CELESTIA,” bellowed Uber, “It is time for you to die and your kingdom to fall!” Celestia’s two ever present and loyal Royal Guards seized their weapons, turned, and galloped like hell out of the throne room. “I’m only in this for the College fund!” yelled loyal Guard #1. “Right behind ya bro,” answered loyal Guard #2. “Twilight, my beloved pawn... I mean STUDENT,” cried Celestia, “I implore you and your friends to make the supreme sacrifice to save me... um... the kingdom!” "Oh no, without my books to consult first,” whined Twilight, “what can I do?” "Watch me! I’ll just fly headlong into certain...” but surely 20% cooler than most, hoped Dash, “...death!" Moments later to everypony’s surprise, she literally did just that. “I reck'n I'll just throw me some apple pies at ya, y'all might taste one 'n turn good.” Heck it worked once before, thought AJ. "Bleat!" cried out Fluttershy as she rolled over on her back. "Shush," she whispered, "I'm doing my fainting goat impersonation again!" "Darling, how can you stand to be seen like that? I mean really, flat black with dull gray highlights? You should know that this season's colors for uber villains are GLOSS black with GOLD highlights!" chastised Rarity as she searched though her emergency fashion supplies for the proper Battle-suit accoutrements. "I know! I’ll just throw you a party!" gleefully sang out Pinkie Pie as she danced and burst in to song, “This is a singing telegram....” Crash! Suddenly the prancing pony was knocked silly, or at least sillier, by the bulk of the kingdom’s finest plywood dais. “What?” questioned Luna, as everpony stared at her, “somepony had to do it.” Shit, thought Celestia, all I can do is turn the lights on and off, or trick barely grown fillies into doing my dirty work. Wait I know...! "Luna, my beloved little sister, you must aid me in...” "HELL NO, Big sis! You locked me in the moon for 1000 years!” interrupted Luna as she ran out of the room via the maid’s exit, with "HEY UBER GUY! KICK HER ASS FOR ME!” echoing behind her. With that said, Uber Villain Guy, all 50 feet of him with buzzsaw teeth, laser eyes, a veritable Swiss army knife selection of weapons built into each fist and flatulence known to have depopulated mid-size cities, stormed into the throne room. He looked down at his cowering victims and smirked. "OH-OH-OH" reverberated the standard evil cliché villain’s laugh, “I'll crush you all into strawberry jam! I'll grind your bones! I'll kill you, then I’ll kill your parents, and then I’ll kill your parent’s parents! I'll even get your little dog too," his voice of utter doom rang out while pointing at AJ. "Then, I'll.... "Muffins?" Uber Villain Guy looked up from his victims. Hovering just in front of him was a small gray Pegasus with a blonde mane and tail, and huge golden yet crossed eyes. Upon a hoof was a tray with several muffins on it. "Muffins?" repeated Derpy Hooves, as she held out the tray. "Do you not KNOW who I am? I am your death, look upon me mere pony and despair! I am....” "Muffins?" Derpy repeated once more, as her huge golden eyes suddenly un-crossed and looked directly at Uber. While the glare of Rarity been known to wilt badly dressed fillies at 100 feet, and the stare of Fluttershy could make grown dragons cry, they were nothing when compared to the uber cute ultra kawaii look of Derpy's un-crossed eyes. "OK OK, I'll eat one!" cried out Uber Villain Guy, unable to resist the cuteness. He snatched up a muffin and swallowed it whole. First there was a grumble. Then there was a rumble. Sudden the entire form of Uber turned bight red, then yellow, and finally lime green with purple polka-dots. Next, he bloated up 3 times his normal size, right before bursting into flames that left nothing behind but a pile of soot and the faint odor of over-cooked ham. With her eyes now crossed again, Derpy calmly glided down to land among her friends. Among the first to greet their savior was Pinkie Pie. "Baked Bads!" gasped out Pinkie, as she recognized the muffins on Derpy's tray. Apparently their effects only intensive with age.. "Baked Bads!" echoed the rest of the Mane Six, including Rainbow Dash, whose limp form suddenly sprung back to life. Self-resurrection is 40% cooler than certain death! She thought to herself. They all thought those weapons of mass-indigestion were destroy in the best interest of kingdom security long ago. "Young filly, I'll take those," demanded Celestia as she seized the tray, while thinking "I'll just invite Luna to tea and MUFFINS tomorrow....." The next day was somber, as funerals were held throughout the city, but none more poignant then the one for their beloved Princess Luna. Though she survived the battle in the throne room, the stress was apparently too much for her. Celestia assured all ponies present in the Royal Dining Room that although rare, it was not unknown for overly stressed alicorns to turn multiple colors and then burst into flames whilst eating breakfast. “It is much like my beloved pet phoenix Philomena,” confirmed Celestia, “just without the resurrection part.” Later, standing upon a mound on the far eastern edge of Canterlot, and near to where she insisted the moon would next rise, Celestia spread her sister’s ashes into the wind. With a sad look upon her face, Celestia silently forgave her little sister as she watched Luna’s ashes slowly settle all over the Greater Canterlot Combined Landfill and Manure Treatment Plant. Still later, and bowing to much public pressure, Celestia crowned Derpy Hooves as the new Lunar Princess and Goddess of the moon. And the ponies were happy. (YEAH). Epilogue: Moon rise that very night. “Muffin.” “Yes yes, I know,” replied Celestia, “you like muffins but the moon...” “Muffin!” “You must understand, Derpy,” explained Celestia, “it is traditional at this time of the evening for you to raise the moon...” “MUFFIN!” yelled out Derpy, as her eyes un-crossed while looking directly at Celestia. Those eyes, those eyes! Celestia wilted, all resistance sapped away. “OK, you win!” cried out Celestia, as she fled from the eyes; suddenly overcame by an immense desire to clean the Palace bathrooms. And from that day forward, as Princess Celestia set the Sun in the west, Princess Derpy Hooves raised the great lunar Muffin into the eastern sky. The End. As anyone knows in a parody it's best to kill off the overly ranting villain in a really dumb way by the least likely character, plus I just like Derpy Hooves.

Nuki Mouse

247

Derpy Hooves,Main 6,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Comedy,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

The Fall of Uber Villain Guy -or- Is That Burnt Ham I Smell?

A comic parody of Equestria being invaded by an Uber Villian Sue, and just who took him out.

complete

<p>When the Mane Six fail, to whom must all of Equestria turned to for salvation.....DERPY?</p><p>This a total comic parody about Equestria being invaded by the very dregs of fanfic cliches, an Uber Villain Sue, and just how he was taken down. Mane Six, Celestia, Luna, and...? No shipping or slash, just insane comic violence.</p><p>Changed rating to teen due to (comedic) character death and some swearing. No gore.</p>

teen

2012-03-10T17:56:04+00:00

2012-03-10T17:56:04+00:00

. Just radom notes about changes in this story This story was initially submitted last July. After revisting the story on this site I realized the rating was wrong, it should be TEEN due to both Luna's and Uber's deaths. Rainbow dash doesn't count since she came back to life. Also there is some actual not ponyized swear words like shit and ass, this maybe minor but enough that it should be teen IMO. Plus it was posted incomplete instead of complete, this was and is just a one shot parody. HOWEVER the biggest change was in Ditzy Doo, she now morphed into Derpy Hooves in my story. Last summer it was still very much in the air whether the grey wall-eyed pegasus was called Ditzy Doo or something else. Some posting I read stated Studio B was calling her Ditzy, and she (wall-eyed grey pegasus) was the pony refered to as Ditzy in Winter Wrap-up. But I was also aware of the fan base calling her Derpy Hooves instead. I had NOTHING against the name Derpy, I just liked the alliterate name Ditzy Doo better at the time and figured most readers would realize this was also Derpy. But since the Last Round-up fiasco, with first calling her Derby and having a deep (for a filly) slow voice, then removing the name "Derby" and giving her a higher pitch "cutesy" vioce in the I-Tunes version. I agree her name IS Derby Hooves from now on and I changed my story to reflect that. BTW "The Last Round-up" wasn't changed on the HUB On Demand channel when it ran the last 2 weeks of February. But it also has not been re-aired on the HUB itself yet. It is the only episode not showed again since its initial air date, so until it finially airs again we (the fans) won't know if all versions of TLR are to be editted or just the I-Tune version. P.S. I actually like the cutesy vioce better, it is more like I thought Derpy should sound, but I don't agree with dropping her name, changing her eyes, or changing the frustrated tone of RB to a more conciliatory one.

Harp's'ong

249

Main 6,Spike,Adventure,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

At the Heart of the Rainboom

complete

<p>Rainbow Dash has spent the past two months performing as the opener for the Wonderbolts and stunning crowds with her wicked awesome skills. But when the Wonderbolts are finally ready to let her join their ranks can she reconcile the growing gap between her friends and the closing gap between her biggest dream?</p><p>This is only part one, part two will be up the coming Sunday or Sunday after that. I apologize to those who first read this if there is a drop in quality from my last story. I will probably edit this over the course of the week as I'm not completely satisfied with it and in keeping with true writer habit I wrote part of the story while inebriated.</p><p>Enjoy.</p>

everyone

2011-07-17T16:08:29+00:00

2011-07-17T16:08:29+00:00

"Just breathe Rainbow Dash. You got this. They're going to see you're the best flyer in Equestria." She took a deep breath. On the other side of the curtain she heard the mumbled roar of the crowd outside Fillydelphia. The sun hung low on her back and Rainbow Dash knew the time to make her dreams come true was here. Like all shows, the audience waited on the Wonderbolts, and didn't quiet when the announcer read his script. Rainbow Dash whispered the words with him, "Winner of the Young Flyers Competition in Cloudsdale, a pony known for creating a sonic rainboom, this is Equestria's newest star pegasi&#133;" Rainbow Dash crouched low and fanned her wings out. She'd done this routine a dozen times, it didn't have a sonic rainboom in it, even if Rainbow Dash could pull it off every show there wouldn't be a point for her to be the Wonderbolts opener. "She's promised a show that only the best flyers in Equestria can give, it's&#133;" the announcer said her name with a gusto she couldn't repeat. Deep breath. She knew she was good, not like arrogant ponies thought they were good. When you're born with a talent, when you spend your whole life rocketing up the ladder faster than anypony ever&#151;she knew she could stun this crowd. But at the same time&#133; what if she wasn't as good as she thought? No, she was the best flyer. The best flyer. Breathe, Rainbow Dash. "Miss Rain-bow Dash!" The pegasus launched through the curtain so fast the fabric ripped in half, so fast the mic and pedestal of the announcer fell over. She was in the air. Her wings beating. She spent the past ten minutes warming up for this half minute of glory. On both sides of her she saw the blur of temporary stands on the wide field outside Fillydelphia. The field was a hundred pony lengths long, and on its floor rested a carpet of fog the pegasi set team for the Wonderbolts laid out an hour before. Rainbow Dash ascended, her mane pressed against her back as she shot in an oblique line across the field. She reached the end of the field, and felt the pressure of this most difficult part. She tipped her wings and body against her own momentum and went head over hooves in the air. Equestria spun and she felt the contents of a light afternoon dinner bounce around her stomach like an apple in a barrel rolling downhill. Her mane and tail flew out though, and at the speeds she went the crowd saw the spinning circle of rainbow shoot the length of ten ponies like whirling sparkler. She regained control and dove, the audience applauding while the speed ripped at her senses and flushed her whole body with its toxic joy. She needed to fly just outside the field so that when she got ten wing spans from the ground she swept up and came so close to the ground she could put her hooves back down. Rainbow Dash did, bounding through the fog, the thick waters soaking her and blinding her. She felt the stirs of panic, because if each bound wasn't paced she risked messing up the entire show. It happened before, on her second night. She cut swaths through the fog, carving out a lightning bolt before she leapt back into the air. She spun, beating her wings to create a furious updraft of gust until the wind pulled the fog into the air and twisted about and she lost sight of the crowd again. She shot upward and the mist exploded at the top, blooming like a bouquet of flowers the height of forty ponies. The sun caught the top of the bouquet and a rainbow poured over it. The crowd went wild while they watched Rainbow Dash ascend. Because Spitfire shot past her, down to the fog and swept around the bouquet, following the arc of the rainbow. Rainbow Dash put on the breaks and spun to watch while Soarin plummeted past her. Spitfire finished half of her circle, the plume of thunderclouds shooting from her was complimented by Misty and Blast shaping the points on either end of the circle while Spitfire completed it, so that their contrails shaped a sun. All three finished at the apex and shot downward to meet Soarin when he shot through the middle of the sun, the massive friction in the air caused a spark of lightning, ignited by the misty vapors and thunderclouds. A blinding flash left most of the ponies of Fillydelphia blinking and mouths agape while the massive blue sun exploded into being, first as veins of lightning from the center like a crack in glass, then those filled with light and the sun hung in the air above the field. The explosion rocked the stands, the air rushed up and Rainbow Dash felt the heat prickle along her hide and the wind almost knock off her balance. The sound reached her then, like the hammer of ten thunderstorms striking the anvil at once. And that was how they opened their show, every night. Even the ponies still in the city were left in awe. Spitfire sighed and pulled the curtain back. She turned and said, "There's another line outside the tent." Soarin frowned. "Aww man, how is my pizza supposed to get here if the delivery guy can't get past the crowd?" "You know how we appease them," Spitfire stepped away from the tent flap. A team of brawny earth ponies kept the crowd from getting more than ten pony lengths to the wide open tent. Inside every piece of livable furniture could be found, the Wonderbolts relaxed in peace while Rainbow Dash sat at a table. She looked over a half-finished hay and sunflower seed sandwich to two of her idols. Spitfire said, "It's your turn anyways. I'll keep Tyco off your pizza while you're busy." Rainbow Dash watched Spitfire lean over and whisper something, when her eyes flicked to Rainbow Dash the pegasus found her sandwich fascinating. Then she heard, "Hey Rainbow Dash, how about you join Soarin out there?" Rainbow Dash head darted up. "What? Really? You mean, sign autographs and stuff, right?" Soarin said, "Well, yeah." "Yes, yes, yes!" She leapt over the table in front of the two ponies, her wings sprung up. Spitfire chuckled and walked away. Soarin said, "Let's go then." They passed through the tent flap and on the other side a crowd of ponies cheered. There must've been a hundred of them. They all stomped their hooves and whistled and shouted when Soarin stood on his hindlegs and fanned out his wings. Cameras flashed and Rainbow Dash felt sheepish. She knew a lot about showboating, for sure, but only did it in front of her friends. Soarin used his wings to balance himself and grabbed Rainbow Dash. She blushed as the Wonderbolt raised her hoof in the air. The crowd kept cheering and Soarin leaned over and said, "You gotta learn to have fun with them, otherwise you'll just go nuts." A warmth flowed through the pegasus pony's body, she felt like hours of practice worth this moment of glory, it felt justified. She didn't know how Soarin could think anypony could go crazy when so much adoration was thrown at their feet. A few ponies from the security team brought out a table and then bunched around it, bristling their muscles to warn overenthusiastic fans. They didn't care. When Rainbow Dash and Soarin reached the table the ponies rushed them. At once it all came down. "Oh my gosh Soarin I love you&#151;" "You guys were just so amazing&#151;" "For an opener you put on a heck of a performance&#151;" "When will you make this one a Wonderbolt Soarin&#151;" "Sign my cutie mark!" Rainbow Dash felt emotionally exhausted, but it had all the same enjoyable twinges she got when she had a day of really good practice. Her head was awhirl with compliments and adolation and how she earned it. Because she did, she was one of Equestria's best flyers. Heck, one pony even threw a bunch of diamonds onto the table. Soarin had told Rainbow Dash, "That's typical." The last fan, a little pegasus filly with big green eyes for Soarin approached the table and said, "I don't have anything to sign, but I was wonderin' if you think, well, maybe someday I could fly with you guys." Soarin chuckled. "I think with tons of practice you can do anything. But it's hard. Like I love sleeping and pigging out on a nice pie every now and then, but sometimes you have to give up that stuff. It's awesome though. And you know what? I think you'll be an awesome flyer one day." The filly gasped and swooned. One of the security ponies snatched her up before she fell, and helped her leave. Soarin sighed and said, "Glad that's over. I'm going to look forward to this next week." Rainbow Dash pulled her gaze away from the filly and asked, "Huh, why?" "Because we're going to take a break, but the next month is going to suck. We'll have to practice day in and day out to get our new routine right." Rainbow Dash wings perked up. "A new routine? Are you guys going to bust out some sweet new moves, because I've been thinking of some and if you want I can show you, but that's only if you want because you guys are so awesome and&#151;I mean&#151;you wrote the book on tricks." Soarin laughed. "No, it'll be an all new routine with some killer new tricks. But here's the thing&#151;well first I got to know if you can keep a secret." "Umm&#133; umm&#133;" Rainbow Dash licked her lips. "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." "Haha. Look at you getting all worked up. You sure you can handle this, dude?" "Yes! I mean&#151;of course I can, dude. I can handle anything," Rainbow Dash said and forced a smirk. Soarin leaned in and said, "Well, if you can keep it between us. We're starting a new routine because we need to change things up if we want to add the pegasus we've been using as our opener to the team." Soarin leaned back. He winked. "But don't tell her. We don't think she's ready for the big news yet." Rainbow Dash's legs became weak. For a moment she thought she would fall over. Soarin said, "But I've got a pizza waiting for me. Later, Rainbow Dash." He went back to the tent, the pegasus watched him go, she realized her mouth hung open. The shock simmered a moment longer, she heard the security team put up the table before it exploded in her. Rainbow Dash leapt into the air. Her heart racing, she was shouting. She screamed her throat raw. "I'm going to be a Wonderbolt! Yes! Yes! Everpony is going to know my name!" And she climbed and climbed, spiraling through the air until she rose so high the air became too thin for her to breathe. She dropped and dove. Her wings surging forward. She felt speed and force close around her. To a point. It spiraled up her body until she couldn't do anything but follow through. Her heart beat so loudly she didn't even hear the explosion behind her. She raced across the sky, over the city and back again, lighting up the night with an impossible rainbow. She could feel tears streaming down her cheeks. Equestria whirled underneath her. She landed in the empty field again. Alone, with the abandoned stands on both sides. She could hear in her ears the chant, "Dash, Dash, Rainbow Dash! Dash, Dash, Rainbow Dash!" This was her dream. Now it was her reality. Her heart pumped so fast she felt blood racing behind her eyes. She didn't realize she pushed herself too hard until she fell over. She didn't care if no pony helped her or not, if she lied there until the sun rose. She did it. Breathe, Rainbow Dash. The next day went by in a blur. The official announcement was made and Spitfire gave her a crash course on what it meant to be a Wonderbolt. After some begging, Rainbow Dash convinced them that an empty field between two hills east of Ponyville was the perfect place to learn their routine. With that said, the team split to return to friends and family, and Rainbow Dash went home. She wanted to fly. She felt like she could stay in the air forever, but she strained the other night and her wings could barely lift her off the ground. So she took the train. She stared out the window the entire time, watching the clouds go by and thinking of zooming through them. She felt impatient, like if she did fly she could beat the train. By afternoon she got off at a station and walked the last hour into Ponyville. The trip did do her wings some good. She stretched them out and tried her best to work them to their old flexibility. By the time she reached the quaint town she felt like she could fly again, and leapt into the air. Between imaginings of her future glory she thought of a killer way to announce her new title. She flew to Sugar Cube Corner and found the window to the second story open. Rainbow Dash floated in. On the bed on the far side of the room lied Gummy. The alligator opened one eye, then nuzzled himself deeper into the bed. Rainbow Dash frowned. She hoped Pinkie Pie would be home&#133; The door to Pinkie Pie's room and opened and Rainbow Dash heard, "I'm gonna check on Gummy real quick. Be back down faster than you can say, 'Well I wonder what's taking Pinkie Pie so long. I mean, really? That silly pony needs to hurry up. Yeesh.'" Down below Applejack said, "Ah'll be able ta say it twice if ya don't stop blabberin', sugar cube." Rainbow Dash sped to the door as Pinkie popped her head in. The pony's eyes popped, but Rainbow Dash slapped her hoof over Pinkie's mouth before she could gasp. Rainbow Dash whispered, "Don't say a word, Pinkie. I need your help with a prank." Rainbow Dash allowed Pinkie Pie to creep inside before she closed the door with her wing. When she did, Pinkie Pie tackled her and said, "Oh my gosh what are you doing back in town Dashie? My eyes thought they were nuts when they saw you because they were all like&#151;" "Pinkie." "well that can't be her because she's with the Wonderbolts. But then I noticed you're cutie mark and&#151;" "Pinkie." "then I thought gosh it must be her, especially when you knew my name and stuff." "You done?" Pinkie Pie grinned and nodded her head like a hummingbird flaps its wings. "Okay, can I get up?" "Oh, gee, sorry about that, Dashie." Rainbow Dash got up and said, "Look, no pony knows I'm back in town yet. I'm going to sneak back over to my house, and later tonight, when the sun's coming down, can you bring the girls here? Just right outside, though. I've got a wicked prank planned." Pinkie bounced onto all fours and took the stance a dog would when it wants to play. "Oh what? What? Can you tell me?" Rainbow Dash shook her head. "No, I need this to be a total surprise. Can I trust you?" "Of course you can Dashie. And it's so good to see you, we'll have to throw a party when we get back. Oh, horseshoes I forgot about Applejack. I'll see you later, Dashie!" "Just remember, at sundown." "Of course," Pinkie Pie said. She bounced to her door and opened it. Rainbow Dash heard Applejack say, "Ah reckon if Ah waited a moment longer Ah'd have been able ta say what ya said a dozen times. What took ya girl?" "Sorry Applejack. Gummy left me a surprise in my room." "Eh-heh&#133; that might be too much information for me, sugar cube." Rainbow Dash returned to her home without any incident. No pony disturbed it. She found all the cloud sculpted furniture the way she left it, if it was a little worn. Cloud buildings needed occasional maintenance to keep them from evaporating. She remembered spending so much time on her home. When she first made it she figured she'd have the biggest house over Ponyville, all to herself. She loved her home. But when she got there and had a moment to relax, in the open spaces and relative silence, with the lazy sun her only piece of company, she remembered why she disliked staying there. "Okay Pinkie Pie. We've waited five minutes now while you just stared at the sky. What's going on?" Twilight asked. "Yes, I'm sorry dear, but if I'm going to stay on schedule I have to finish one last dress tonight. Is this really important?" Rarity asked. Pinkie Pie frowned, she kept looking up, searching the skies. She glanced at the five ponies waiting outside Sugar Cube Corner and said, "Oh I'm sorry girls, but she swore she'd be here by now." "Who swore they'd be here?" Applejack asked. Fluttershy wasn't sure she liked waiting, especially this close to being dark. Some nights she had problems with the dark, especially when it carried a chilly wind like this one. "Oh, I can't tell you though! I promised!" "Um&#133; well, did you promise to make sure we'd stay here? Because if you did I'd be happy to stay, but&#133; well, it is getting dark," Fluttershy said. "And I'd prefer not staying up too late," Rarity said. "When I do my mane is such a mess in the morning." "Just five more minutes. Oh please you guys&#151;" Pinkie Pie stopped and pointed her hoof behind them. "There!" Fluttershy tried to turn around, but a blue blur fwooshed overhead. She squeaked and shut her eyes. She heard Twilight sputter, "R-Rainbow Dash." She opened her eyes and no pony was there. But everyone was looking up. Fluttershy frowned and heard Twilight say, "I can't see her. She disappeared behind those clouds." Fluttershy scanned the sky and spotted the outline of a pegasus zip outside the clouds. She said, "Is that her?" "Where?" The ponies became frantic again. Rainbow Dash moved so fast they couldn't keep up with where she went. "What in the hay was all that about?" "Indeed, that was the most bizarre," Rarity said, "Was that even her?" "Was that who?" Fluttershy squeaked again and almost fell over, she spun around and their stood Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow Dash!" Applejack swept a hoof over the pegasus' neck and gave her a noogie with her other hoof. "Ah don't know if Ah should hit ya or hug ya with that stunt you pulled." Fluttershy got her hooves under her while Rainbow Dash slipped out of Applejack's grasp. "Stunt, what are you talking about?" "You flew right into the middle of us and then shot into the air," Twilight said. "You ponies crazy? I just got here. And I walked." Behind them Fluttershy heard Pinkie Pie giggle. "Aww forget ya then. Watcha doin' home anyways?" "Oh that?" Rainbow Dash's head perked up. She strutted between the ponies, reached the steps to Sugar Cube Corner and said, "The Wonderbolts are taking a weeklong break before they work on a sick new routine." "Really? So what are you going to do while they're busy with that?" Twilight asked. Rainbow Dash hopped into the air, landed on the roof of Sugar Cube Corner and spun around. She said, "Well&#133; I might be a little busy myself, since I'll be practicing the same routine." Fluttershy gasped. A soft little thing no one heard, but&#133; wow. She said, "Oh good for you, Rainbow Dash!" "Now what's goin' on now?" Applejack asked, looking from one pegasus to another. "Don't be playin' around Rainbow Dash. We're happy ta see ya and all but we can't take much more foolin' around." "You ponies are only looking at the next and greatest Wonderbolt to ever live," Rainbow Dash said. "That's fantastic, Rainbow Dash." "Bravo, Rainbow Dash." "Oh, Dashie, that's great." Applejack said, "Ah can already see it gettin' to your head. But Ah reckon you deserve it. You are the best flyer in Equestria, after all." "Course I am. But I got a week to rest, and then the Wonderbolts are coming here and we're gonna practice our new routine right outside of town. It's going to be so awesome!" She jumped off the roof and fluttered down to the girls. Pinkie Pie squeezed her into a hug and the others joined in. They had their moment and Rainbow Dash said, "Hey easy on the wings. I'm gonna need those." The library door flew open and Spike almost fell. He grabbed the side of the ladder he stood on and looked over his shoulder. Twilight and Applejack entered the library, in the middle of a conversation. "Well Ah'm glad she's here. Even if it's for a short while, anyway. Pinkie Pie needs someone who can keep up with her," Applejack said before she closed the door. "Who's here?" Spike asked to remind them he still existed. "Rainbow Dash came back today," Twilight said. "And she told us some great news. She's going to become a Wonderbolt." Applejack nickered. She said, "Ah'm not so sure if it's great news or not, though." Spike said, "But it's her dream. I mean, she's been drooling over the Wonderbolts for so long&#151;" "Spike." "What? She has, I don't remember her not talking about them and getting a cloudy look in her eyes," Spike said. He decided to turn away from the ponies and keep on with his dusting. He stretched his tiny limbs far as he could to reach a book on far side of the shelf. He'd rather risk falling over than climbing all the way down, nudging the ladder over, and climbing all the way back up. His chores were already chores enough without stacking another chore on top. Twilight said, "You know, I thought I did notice something go across your face when she made her announcement. What's worrying you?" "Just that there's more hot air under her wings than wind," Applejack said. "Ah love Rainbow Dash, Ah do, and Ah wish the best for her, but ya know how she gets. All bluster and such. A pony can't hardly tell when she's upset or not. And she was just the opener for them Wonderbolts and we didn't see her for two months." Spike balanced on his toes. Just one more corner... "You make a good point," Twilight said, "But if it's what she wants&#133; we're her friends Applejack. We have to support her no matter what." Ah-ha! With one more flick of his wrist Spike got that final spot. But he couldn't get himself back onto the ladder, he was poised with his duster propped against the nook at the back of the bookshelf. Neither pony noticed. "Um&#133; guys." "Ah know. But a pony can worry. Ah reckon we'll just see what happens." "Help." Dust still lingered in the air. Spike's nose began to twitch. "If it's bothering you so much, why not talk to her about it?" Spike's eyes watered. "Hey guys." "Suppose Ah will, guess Ah came here first ta get my feelin's sorted. Thanks, Twilight." "Anytime, Applejack. How are things between you and your brother?" "We made up. He apologized for leavin' and Ah, well Ah apologized myself. We're not sure how ta tell Applebloom 'bout it. Far as she knows, he went ta Fillydelphia to pay that pony." Spike's arm began to ache. He couldn't fight it anymore. He just needed to turn away from the bookcase so he didn't fry any books. He spun and sneezed, "Achoo!" A jet of green flame shot up to the ceiling and seared the wood. It had a fire retardant finish, for obvious reasons. The floor met him and Spike's skull bounced on the floor. "Oh my gosh, Spike!" Spike groaned and rubbed his head. Twilight knelt behind him and propped the baby dragon up with her hoof. Applejack asked, "What happened?" Spike closed his eyes and waited for the throbbing in his head to stop. He felt the creep of magic spread across his scalp and a tingling soothed his pain. He said, "Thank you. I guess I was trying to get this spot on the shelf up there, but when I got it I couldn't get back to the ladder." "Well why didn't you say something, you silly dragon?" Spike clenched his fist and glared at her. "Hey ya, Applejack." Applejack looked up from her work. She hitched a line around the end of the tree Big Macintosh ruined. Her brother asked her to take care of it. He wasn't comfortable with the site. Applejack figured she owed her brother as much, and there was more than enough work for him to do while she took care of this little favor. Above her Rainbow Dash perched on the branches of a nearby tree. Applejack said, "Howdy Rainbow Dash, never expected ya up this early in the mornin'." Rainbow Dash said, "Well now that I'm a Wonderbolt I've got to keep up a daily regimen." "Mmhmm. What are ya doin' here?" Rainbow Dash shrugged. "None of the other ponies are up yet. Hey what happened to that tree, it get struck by lightning or something?" "Somethin' a little more mighty than that." With the help of hooves and teeth, she cinched the rope tight around the mass of branches. She felt rainbow Dash watching her the whole time and it made her a tad bit uncomfortable. She faced the blue pegasus pony and asked, "So how was flyin' around with the Wonderbolts?" "Oh, it was awesome. You should see them Applejack their show is just&#133; it's amazing." "Ah bet it'll be even better a month from now." "Oh, yeah, well duh." She jumped down from the tree and said, "The only thing they've ever been missing is me." Applejack said, "Now, don't ya forget about us simpler ponies when ya become a big star." "I'll send you guys postcards or something," Rainbow Dash said. "Course ya will," Applejack said. "But Ah mean it, don't go chasin' stars if it means givin' up the ground." She kicked the branches with her hind-hoof and said, "How 'bout ya remind yourself by helpin me move this?" "Pfft. I can move that by myself." "Oh really? Ya wanna make that a bet then?" "Only if you're prepared to lose," Rainbow Dash said. Applejack took the rope she planned drag the branches with and tossed it to Rainbow Dash. "It's all yours then, sugar cube." Pinke Pie poised on the edge of the fountain, her arms stretched out like a diver. She made a show taking long, deep breaths. "Just go for it Pinkie," Rainbow Dash said. Pinkie Pie twisted her head around and stuck her tongue out. She held her nose up and said, "I've never. I'm an artist. An artiste! And I must have absolute silence, or as much silence as one can get with a fountain making noise. Anypony need to go to the bathroom by the way? Oh, I mean&#151;I am an artiste!" She bent her knees, and leapt backwards, away from the fountain. She twisted her body and extended her front hooves. The top of her head hit the ground with her hooves and she spun herself. Rainbow Dash, the fountain, and park warped into a multi-colored haze. She spun and spun and shifted her body weight and came to a stop on her side, an elbow on the ground, hoof propping her head up. She reclined on her side and said to Rainbow Dash, "Draw me like one of your Manehattan girls." Rainbow Dash chortled. She almost fell over while Pinkie Pie got up and shook dirt from her mane. They'd been having tons of fun these past few days. The Cakes didn't mind her absence, one day they even let Rainbow Dash help with cooking. Oh, she was so awful, but in a good way. Like a funny awful, at least, she thought it was funny to see a Wonderbolt cook. Mrs. Cake didn't want them cooking again after that. She had a policy against Pinkie's friends and Baked Bads. Rainbow Dash said, "You're so&#133; how does that not hurt?" Pinkie Pie poked her mane, "Poofy." She noticed a pegasus flying towards them. Pinkie Pie pointed the pegasus out and said, "Hey who's that?" Rainbow Dash turned around and gasped. "Spitfire!" Rainbow Dash's knees wobbled, but she shook her head and mumbled something before the other pegasus reached them. The pegasus was pretty flying. She looked like a streak of flame. Pinkie Pie wondered why her name wasn't comet, or meteorite, but she supposed meteorite would be bad. Twilight said they always burned up before they could ever land. And even pegasus ponies needed to put their hooves on the ground sometime. Rainbow Dash said, "Hey Spitfire. It hasn't been a week already, has it? Not that I'm not ready or anything. I'm always ready." "We still have another day," the other pony said. She tilted her head towards Pinkie Pie, "Who's your friend?" Pinkie Pie smiled and bounced to the other pegasus. "I'm Pinkie Pie&#151;are you new to town? Because if you're going to be here for a while then the whole town's going to need to meet you and the best way to do that is with&#151;" "Pinkie Pie is a friend of mine," Rainbow Dash said. She chuckled and scraped the ground with her back hoof. "I&#133; so why did you come early?" Spitfire said, "To visit the town. Get to know it beforehand. I don't think we've ever gotten the chance to do a show here. Normally these small places are just too small. But I like it." "Just wait until you try some of the food here&#151;" Rainbow Dash rested a wing on Pinkie Pie's flank. She said, "How about I give you a tour then? I mean, we can visit that spot I was telling you guys about and maybe talk about our wicked new routine." "Sounds great. Guess I'll see you around&#133; Pinkie Pie?" Pinkie Pie said, "See you around, Comet." "Right&#133; lead on, Rainbow Dash." Spitfire and Rainbow Dash flew away, chatting all the while. Pinkie Pie frowned and watched Rainbow Dash go. Stupid bed and stupid soft pillows and stupid everything. Thank Celestia Pinkie Pie decided to bug her. She would've slept even longer, she shouldn't have given up on her sleep schedule. She just knew she was out of shape and everything else, she had to have flew faster days ago than she did right now. Rainbow Dash sped over Ponyville and to the field. Spitfire told her they would be there at the crack of dawn to plan out their routine and then start with some basic maneuvers. She wouldn't know a thing about the routine and they'd hate her before she ever got the chance to fly. Rainbow Dash reached the field. It was pockmarked with different colored flowers, and swept down off a south hill the length of a hundred ponies before it rose to meet the crest of a hill to the north. On the northern hill Rainbow Dash made out a group of pegasi. She sped to them and when she reached the hill a few spared her a glance. Spitfire broke off from the group and met her. She said lowly, "This isn't a habit, is it?" "No, course not. Somepony was supposed to wake me up and she didn't. It won't happen again." Spitfire nodded. "Just make sure it doesn't. Nopony's going to make a big deal out of it since nothing much has been done today. Tomorrow may be a different story, though." Rainbow Dash nodded. She didn't dare ask what she missed, she'd pick up her slack, not give more. Both approached the group. They stood around a large scroll rolled across the grass with several different sketches for different maneuvers and tricks. Tyco, a fire maned pegasus with a white streak, led the discussion. Rainbow Dash scanned the scroll, but couldn't make any sense out of it. None of the ponies were labeled, so she couldn't tell who was who. Tyco said, "Then if you look right here, we're going to have Misty come through going full speed. She's going to stretch these clouds out so they look like a funnel, Blizzard and Blast will spiral around them from the other side." Rainbow Dash gasped. She said, "You guys are gonna&#151;" "A belly up tornado isn't anything we haven't done before," Blast said. Blast matched Spitfire in most looks, she missed the yellow streak in her mane, and her wings were larger. The two were cousins. "I've got something to put a twist on it." Soarin chuckled and Blizzard glared at him. "What? I thought it was funny. Twist, twister?" "No one else appreciates your puns, Tyco. For our benefit, why don't you tell us what you got drawn there," Misty said. She pointed her hoof at a sketch of a tornado, a pegasus barreling to the twister's tip. "Soarin is the biggest, so he's going to shoot right up the middle," Tyco said. Rainbow Dash said, "You can't just send a pony through there." "Hey I don't know if I'm too comfortable going through that, either," Soarin said. "A crash and burn isn't any fun." "Don't worry about it. Spitfire and Rainbow Dash are going to lead you in, you're going to use their speed to help slingshot you into the thing. Then boom," he pressed a hoof on the last stage of the sketch, "out the other side." Everyone squinted at his next sketch. Misty asked, "What is that exactly?" "It's a rose." "Uh-huh..." "Look, cloud sculpting is abstract at the best of times. Let's just move on to something else." They made it through the rest of the scroll. At first Rainbow Dash tried to make herself a part of the conversation, but she was never the star of any of their wicked awesome tricks. She supposed she didn't mind, but she just flew alongside ponies and didn't do a single thing the Wonderbolts were known for. And she noticed, every time she spoke nopony really listened to her. Her words passed them over like a cloud too high for a pegasus to clear. She didn't mean to, but well, she started watching the field. At first she imagined all the cool tricks she'd show them, but then she watched a pair of hummingbirds zipping around, fighting over territory. Their aerial duel reminded Rainbow Dash of thunderclouds, shooting lightning at each other. Bam, flash, in one place, then another the next&#151; Tyco cleared his throat. "For the finale we're going to need you at you best." "Huh?" Rainbow Dash flinched. "Oh. Oh right&#151;um&#133; I'm always at my best." Tyco glanced at Spitfire. Rainbow Dash didn't see the look Spitfire returned, just that the pegasus shrugged her wings. Soarin said, "Hey look at those hummingbirds go at it." Misty smacked his shoulder. Tyco said, "Alright. I need to know right now. Can you do the sonic rainboom? I know you've done it twice for us, one time when you didn't mean to. But you need to be able to do that every show. I'm thinking I want to debunk it as an old mare's tale." Rainbow Dash made herself as tall as she could. She didn't even mean for her wings to fan out when she said, "Does Celestia make the sun rise?" "Good to hear it. Now what I'm thinking is using that as the closer, about at the height of the cumulus cloud. I don't want anyone in the audience to get hurt, you get any closer to the ground and you call it off. I mean it. Last thing we want is the another show where somepony messes up and ponies get hurt." Rainbow Dash heard everything he said, but the only thing she listened to was the word "closer". Any show started with its second best trick and closed with its best. The first to get the audience riveted, the last to make them remember. Her heart sped up. Even if she just spent the next month practicing the sonic rainboom, she'd have it down so good she could pull it off in ten seconds flat. "Now, with that said, Rainbow Dash is going to blow up the sky, which means the audience is going to be looking up. We'll have some petty thing to keep their attention while you're getting ready Rainbow Dash, and then we'll divert them to you. After the rainboom is the important part. At the front of the field, you're going to make a lightning bolt, just sort of make it and loop back around. We'll all join up and meet you through it at the center. This trick is yours Rainbow Dash, it's what you'll be practicing the second half of this month. You need to be able to do it in your sleep." Rainbow Dash smirked. "Please. I'll do it in my sleep, and I'll do it backwards." "Sounds like somepony's ready to go," Spitfire said. "Okay, thank you, Tyco. Now let's run through warm-ups and then we'll start with some formation flying just for today." Scootaloo sat at the crest of the southern hill while her friends watched. The filly perked up her wings and said, "There's Rainbow Dash." Out on the field spun a twister, recently created by the Wonderbolts. Clumps of dirt and flowers spun through it, and at the sharp end Rainbow Dash and another pony swept down together with a bigger one right behind them. Rainbow Dash and the other Wonderbolt split and the bigger pony flew right into the cloud. A second later he shot through the side, spinning and hurtling to the ground. He righted himself in time and landed on his hooves, tripped and fell over. One of the ponies in the air shouted at him. Sweetie Belle could just hear the crashed pony say, "A wad of dirt flew into my face!" Sweetie Belle sighed and said, "Hey Scoot, come on. You've been watching these ponies fly around sun up to sun down forever now. We're wanting to do something else for once." "Just a minute," Scootaloo said without looking at Applebloom or Sweetie Belle. "They almost got it that time." Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. She said to Applebloom, "I don't think she's ever going to move." Applebloom frowned and said, "Aww, come on, Scootaloo. These guys ain't even fun ta watch crash no more. Ah know there are plenty of fun things to do. How 'bout it?" Scootaloo shoulders heaved as she let out an exaggerated sigh. She turned and said, "Alright. I guess I can for you. But it better be something awesome." Scootaloo trotted past Sweetie Belle, her eyes narrowed on the pair as they started away. She mumbled, "But you can't for me, huh?" Rainbow Dash kicked the front door closed. With that blessed moment of privacy, she fell onto her haunches and groaned. Her everything hurt now, not just her wings. She didn't show it or she tried not to, in fact she thought she hid it pretty well. A few twinges here when they stretched, but nothing bad. No groaning, she'd never do that in front of a Wonderbolt. With knobby knees and dead weight wings, Rainbow Dash stood and made her long trek to her bedroom. But there were things to be excited about. Every morning they ran through the first half of the show, and they had it nailed down. It was so awesome, she couldn't wait until ponies everywhere saw it. Already plenty of the ponies out in Ponyville would picnic on the southern hill. As she ascended the stairs to her room Rainbow Dash thought of her own ascension. In the past three days she managed to pull off two sonic rainbooms. In another week she wouldn't need to try anymore. Just sweep down and stun every pony ever with how awesome she was. Rainbow Dash reached her bed. The most awesome bed ever. The best bed, no bed could be soft like it could be soft. Like sleeping on a cloud&#133; Knock. Knock. Rainbow Dash groaned and turned back around. Downstairs somepony knocked on the door again. She sighed and said, "I'm coming." Rainbow Dash reached the door and took a deep breath. She opened it and Pinkie Pie's head popped in. She leaned out the balloon she rode there and said, "Oh my gosh Rainbow Dash we haven't done anything together in three weeks! Can you believe it? I couldn't, I mean we talked a few times but you were always so tired and like, 'I need to go to bed so I can wake up early and be awesome with my awesome Wonderbolts because we're like twenty percent cooler than every other pony.'" She leaned back into her balloon and glanced away. "And I suppose that was okay but&#151;" Rainbow Dash closed the door, gently. She still heard Pinkie Pie muffled blabber sound off. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and opened the door, "&#151;and holy smokes here you are now. We just got to make up for lost time, don'tcha think?" Rainbow Dash said, "Now's not the best time Pinkie Pie. I've been working my tail off lately&#151;" "Oh then we can play pin the tail on the pony then!" "No," Rainbow Dash said. She sighed, "I'm sorry Pinkie, I just... I need a break, a nice long break. The first chance we can get, we'll have some fun, okay?" "Well, okay. See you later Dashie." "See ya," Rainbow Dash said. She closed the door and sighed. She fled to her bed and nearly leapt in. She snuggled herself deep into her sweet mattress. Knock. Knock. "Gah&#151;no, go away!" Rainbow Dash rolled over and squeezed her eyes shut. Knock. Knock. Rainbow Dash nickered and dragged herself from the bed. She returned to her front door and yanked it open. This time she spotted Fluttershy flying away. Rainbow Dash flared her nostrils. "Fluttershy. Was it you knocking on my door?" Fluttershy wheeled around and cringed when she saw Rainbow Dash. "Oh, I'm sorry Rainbow Dash. I&#151;you we're probably sleeping. I'll just go." "Well I'm up now," Rainbow Dash said. "What do you want?" Fluttershy hesitated, then flew to Rainbow Dash's doorstep. "Well&#133; if you don't mind&#133; there's this dried up garden patch of carrots. Wild carrots, and there are so many cute little animals that use it for food&#151;" "Spit it out, will ya?" Fluttershy squeaked and cast her gaze down. "I'm so sorry. I just&#133; I was hoping you could maybe help me move some clouds over there to get it to rain. You're just so much better at it than me, and if you&#151;" "Some other time." Rainbow Dash closed the door on her face. "Oh, well, okay. I'm sorry to bother you," Fluttershy said before she drifted down to the ground. There Applejack and Twilight stood with Pinkie Pie, the balloon right beside them. Applejack said when Fluttershy landed before them, "Ah don't suppose she's just tidyin' up the place before you two leave." Fluttershy shook her head. "No, she didn't want to talk to me at all." "Ah see." Applejack narrowed her eyes at Twilight. Twilight ignored her and said, "It's okay Fluttershy. You and Pinkie Pie don't worry about it. We just wanted to see if she could. We'll make up for it with her surprise party next week." Twilight's legs began to burn, she felt tempted to just lie down, rather than remain in this crouch. Applejack shared her sentiments. The farm pony said, "If she doesn't show up soon Ah'm goin' ta fall over." All five of Rainbow Dash's friends waited in Sugar Cube Corner, only the windows allowed soft moonlight to creep into the shadow wrapped room. Rarity asked, "You did give her the right time, dear?" Pinkie Pie said, "Oh I'm sure I did. I left her a dozen invitations too, all over the place. In her house, her mailbox, in the field, even between her wings." Applejack sighed. "Um&#133; I think I hear something," Fluttershy said. The door opened. With her magic, Twilight turned on the lights. Rarity and Applejack jumped up from behind the counter, Pinkie Pie bounced around the corner, and Twilight leapt to her feet. "Surprise!" they yelled. "Surprise." Fluttershy had just came down from the stairway. Her gaze swept the room and she climbed a step back up the stairs. "Oops, I didn't mean to be late." Rainbow Dash smiled. "Aww, you guys shouldn't." Rarity gasped. Twilight almost did too. Their fastest flyer's wings were a mess, the feathers unkempt and desperate for a preening. There were bags under her eyes, matts in her mane, and a general stench that drifted from her. She stepped inside. "Sorry I'm late. I just got done with our last day of training." "We know," Twilight said. She watched them run through the show once, it was an impressive sight. The Wonderbolts practiced the whole show at least four more times, over the course of the day they saw five sonic rainbooms rattle the chimneys of Ponyville. Pinkie Pie popped in front of Rainbow Dash like a jack in the box. "Don't worry about it now Dashie. We got this super mega awesome party for you. We spent all day&#151;well I spent all yesterday too&#151;getting it ready for you. We've got the best cake ever, and I borrowed a record from Lyra of that one group you like, and all sorts of games&#151;" Rainbow Dash yawned and smacked her lips. "I think we need to take it easy on the games Pinkie." Twilight glanced around the room. Rarity and Applejack both gave her a look. Twilight said, "How about some tunes then? Where'd you put that record, Pinkie?" "Oh my gosh I'll go put it on right now. Thanks Twilight," Pinkie Pie said and sped to grab her phonogram. Rainbow Dash stepped inside and closed the door. Her eyes lingered on the poster of pin the tail on the pony and apple bobbing barrel beside it. Twilight asked, "So how is all the practice going, Rainbow Dash?" "Huh? Oh it's great. I'm fitting in way easy. They love me." "And they're not working you too hard, darling?" Rarity asked. Rainbow Dash said, "No. I mean it's tough, but awesome tough. Like always hitting that next challenge and everything. I'm really good now, like loads better than that silly pony flying around a month ago." "Uh-huh&#133;" "Here it is everypony," Pinkie Pie said. She hefted the phonogram down the stairs, standing on her hind hooves with the music player wrapped in her front. Fluttershy gasped, hesitated, then helped her. They got it to the floor and after Pinkie Pie caught her breath, she put on the record and started it. After a short pause, the phonogram squealed with the high note of a guitar. The noise broke into a high-octane solo, with drums and a thrumming bass falling in behind it. Then music took a turn for a slower tempo while some rock pony belted out lyrics. No pony moved for a moment, then Pinkie threw up her hooves and said, "Let's dance." They tried. Pinkie Pie made sure everypony got to moving their hooves, but well, Rainbow Dash's taste for music was not the best for dancing. Fluttershy and Rarity bumbled about, the swinging guitar hooks and thumping drums did not offer them a rhythm they found natural, Applejack was just bad at any dance not a square dance, and Rainbow Dash was so tired&#133; Pinkie Pie tried, everypony tried. Twilight regretted her suggestion. Five minutes later Rainbow Dash stopped and said, "I don't know if I'm up for dancing yet." Pinkie Pie froze. She stood on her hind-hooves, Gummy hanging from her mane, and a glowstick in a hoof. Applejack grabbed her and said, "We'll bring out your cake then, Rainbow Dash. Twilight, turn the music down, if ya would." Applejack whisked Pinkie Pie into the back of the bakery. Twilight used her magic to turn the phonogram down while Rarity said, "I think you're going to find your cake simply smashing. I designed it, took most of my afternoon. The taste is just a divine, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie outdid themselves. Didn't you dear?" Fluttershy nodded and said, "Oh yes. It's&#133; well Pinkie Pie did most of the baking. I helped pick out ingredients mostly. But it should be very good." "Okay," Rainbow Dash said. "I'll take your guy's word for it." "Here it comes now," Twilight said and turned on the door when she heard it swing open. Applejack and Pinkie Pie carted out a massive cake. It was in the shape of the Wonderbolt lightning bolt, with the wings sprouted from the sides. The point met at a green pedestal, and some pony used several dyed icings to show the spread of an explosion of color. The sonic rainboom. Six small pegasi flew out from the back and arced over the cake, their contrails of thunder clouds made from black licorice. Twilight heard a long and low, "Whoa&#133;" She felt a small flush of relief ease the tension in her belly. They all wanted Rainbow Dash so badly to have a fun time. Rainbow Dash floated into the air and swirled around the cake, taking in every aspect of it. "This is so awesome. I've never seen a cake so cool. Do we have to eat it? I mean. Can we keep it like this? It's just&#151;whoa thanks guys!" "Not a problem, sugar cube," Applejack said. Twilight said, "How about a picture before we eat. You've got a camera, don't you Pinkie?" "Well of course! I'll go get it." Pinkie Pie raced upstairs with her improbable pet latched onto her tail. In an instant she was downstairs again and past the five of them. She said, "Gather up everypony. Let's take a picture." They all gathered around, Twilight and Fluttershy sat together at the base of the cake. Rainbow Dash hovered over it and Applejack and Rarity stood at its side. "Say dapple apples!" The camera flashed before they even got past their grins. Pinkie Pie set down the camera and said, "Okay, time to eat&#151;" "Wait!" Rainbow Dash said. "I'm sorry guys, but it's just so cool. Can we keep it up for a minute longer?" Twilight said, "Sure? Rarity, you and Fluttershy had a present for her, didn't you?" Rarity held her head higher than she already did. "I don't know how Fluttershy and I had time to make something this fabulous. You'll simply love it." Rarity's horn glowed and in the corner of the room a dressing screen folded up. Behind it waited a dressed mannequin, with a suit like a Wonderbolt's, only the cuffs and ankles held a rainbow lightning bolt. The bolt started on the side and wrapped down behind the sleeve. The normal lightning bolt on the outfit reflected Rainbow Dash's cutie mark. The rest of the suit seemed the same. Rarity said, "It's your own personal Wonderbolts outfit dear! We tried for something that would make you standout, but wouldn't look gaudy beside those other outfits. There was so much more I wanted to do with it, but Fluttershy reminded me you weren't supposed to steal the show." "I didn't want you getting in trouble," Fluttershy said. "It's great you guys," Rainbow Dash said. She approached the mannequin and looked it over. She nuzzled the fabric and asked Rarity, "Hey, what's this stuff made out of?" "It's two layers of fabric, dear. Silk on the inside, to keep you comfortable, and a sleek satin to get that color." Rainbow Dash frowned. Her wings drooped and she faced the girls again. "I'm sorry, but I won't be able to wear this. All the Wonderbolts have to wear this sweaty, poly-something something. It's supposed to protect us and stuff." "Oh&#133; I&#133; I suppose it will just look magnificent when you wear it while giving autographs," Rarity said. Twilight intervened again. "How about we get some cake then?" "I'm down for that. Going to miss that cake, though. It's so awesome." "Pinkie Pie will send ya the picture," Applejack said. "I'll make copies for everypony," Pinkie Pie said. Pinkie Pie already busied herself grabbing a knife. When she found one, Twilight offered to cut off a piece from the top before the pink pony could cause a disaster. She took off six neat slices and dropped them on waiting plates before she levitate the plates around. "Let us know what you think Dashie," Pinkie Pie said before she chomped off a massive wedge of cake. "No problem, Pinkie Pie." Twilight watched Rainbow Dash take a bite. She chewed the cake for a minute, her eyes screwed up in mock concentration then they went wide. She swallowed and stuck out her tongue. "Bleck. I hate blueberries." Out the corner of her eye, Twilight saw Fluttershy grimace. Rainbow Dash noticed the donkey she made of herself and shook her head. "The rest of it's great, I swear. It's awesome, but I just can't stand blueberries. You guys can eat, though." Twilight caught Applejack looking at her. She glanced at the orange pony and saw the intense stare that said, "Do something." Twilight opened her mouth to make another suggestion when a bell tower in Ponyville began to its slow bong&#133; bong&#133; bong&#133; Rainbow Dash glanced at the door and said, "Gosh is it that late already." The bell rang seven more times. Rainbow Dash said, "I need to go. Got to get up super early. I guess I'll see you guys?" "Um&#133; I guess?" Twilight said. "Right, thanks," Rainbow Dash said before she retreated out the door. Applejack blew past Twilight, and chased Rainbow Dash outside. Applejack rushed into a gallop when she noticed Rainbow Dash already took to the air. She shouted, "Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash! Wait just an apple pickin' minute ya stinkin' pegasus." Rainbow Dash spun around and Applejack stopped. They made it half a hundred pony lengths in a few seconds. "Why are ya so eager ta leave?" Applejack demanded. Rainbow Dash floated down to a few paces before her. Her face hard to make out in the moonlight. She said, "I just have to get to bed early. I'm not going to sleep in again." "That's fine and dandy. Shucks if ya want Ah can wake ya up tomorrow to be sure. But ya just don't run out on your friends like that." "I didn't run out on anyone." Applejack snorted. "Okay, ya didn't run out. Ya zipped out on your wings so fast every other pony didn't hardly get the chance ta blink." "Fine, maybe I was a bit rushed. But you know what? I have a right to act this way. I'm tired Applejack. I'm just tired and while I'm happy with everything I've done and I don't regret a second of it, it's still the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I wake up and even my aches have aches, okay? I know it'll get better after tomorrow. When we don't have to spend every moment of the day perfecting a routine, but for now I'm tired." Applejack scratched the dirt with a hoof. "That still don't give ya the right ta treat your friends like a bunch of rotten apples." "Maybe that's what you saw. But that whole party was an awkward mess and we both know it. Look, I loved the cake and the gift, and I loved what you guys were trying to do, but I can't deal with it right now." "My party was a mess?" Pinkie Pie's squeak made Applejack freeze. She glanced over her shoulder and saw everypony now stood ten paces behind her. Rainbow Dash just noticed them as well. She said, "No, it's not you Pinkie. I'm just tired." "Well if you're tired take a day or two off. Ya can't kill yourself, you're just a pony&#151;" "No, I'm a Wonderbolt now!" Rainbow Dash said. "And if every other Wonderbolt is handling this just fine, well then so can I. If that's what it takes&#151;" "This isn't about what it takes or what it don't take ya stupid pony!" Applejack said. "It's about your friends, worryin 'bout ya and tryin' their best ta understand and support ya, but ya don't hardly give us the time of day no more." "Because I don't have the time. Aren't you listening Applejack? I'm so tired it hurts to just stay in the air like this." "Then put your hooves on the ground before Ah force ya to!" "I won't. I can't let something like this beat me. You know what? You aren't even listening. Some friend you are. I'd hope somepony would at least try to support me with this, but it always has to be about yourself. Fine. I'm done. I didn't want to go to your stupid party anyways." Rainbow Dash turned and catapulted into the air. Her flight path wavered, but she soon dropped out of sight behind the roofs and homes of Ponyville. Rainbow Dash felt like her whole insides were ready to come up. She didn't care. She wanted them to understand. She wasn't trying to be awful or anything, but stupid Applejack and her stupid pride. She made her say those things in front of Pinkie Pie and the others. Rainbow Dash didn't want to turn back now, she didn't want to face any of it. She wanted to fly all the way to Canterlot where she would do her first show as a Wonderbolt for the princess herself. The princess would be stopping to see her, just her. And none of them cared. None of them. Rainbow Dash sped through the night, with no flight path, no destination. But she reminded herself of the Wonderbolt's camp outside of town and changed her course. She'd show them, show them all. Breathe, Rainbow Dash.

Harp's'ong

249

Main 6,Spike,Adventure,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

At the Heart of the Rainboom

complete

<p>Rainbow Dash has spent the past two months performing as the opener for the Wonderbolts and stunning crowds with her wicked awesome skills. But when the Wonderbolts are finally ready to let her join their ranks can she reconcile the growing gap between her friends and the closing gap between her biggest dream?</p><p>This is only part one, part two will be up the coming Sunday or Sunday after that. I apologize to those who first read this if there is a drop in quality from my last story. I will probably edit this over the course of the week as I'm not completely satisfied with it and in keeping with true writer habit I wrote part of the story while inebriated.</p><p>Enjoy.</p>

everyone

2012-01-08T04:28:26+00:00

2012-01-08T04:28:26+00:00

“—it’s not fair, though. I’ve known Scootaloo longer than Applebloom has.” Rarity did not want to be reminded of that. The filly was an atrocious influence on her Sweetie Belle. Rarity frowned and examined the scarf in front of her. It was still too warm for scarves, but she wanted to wear more than just her hat. Rarity put the scarf away and faced her sister, “Just talk to her, dear. I’m sure whatever it is can be solved with polite conversation.” “She won’t talk to no pony but Applebloom, though,” Sweetie Belle said. Rarity almost winced at the improper grammar, no doubt the influence of the other girls. Rarity faced her sister, who stood at full height with a pout on her face. Rarity approached and nuzzled her. She said, “Then talk to them both. Now, I have to go watch Pinkie Pie.” “Again?” “We’re taking turns, and I volunteered for the first day so it’s my turn again,” Rarity said. “I’ll leave you the spare keys for the boutique, but I’d prefer if you locked up and spent the day with Apple family. Dirty as it can be—well you know I want you safe more than anything else.” Rarity took the robin’s egg colored hat from a nearby table and headed for the door. “Lock up when you leave darling, love you.” Sweetie Belle’s answer was begrudging. “Love you too.” Rarity walked along the public track of the park with Pinkie Pie. She said, “How’s your week been, Pinkie dear?” “Fine, I suppose.” “I heard Applejack and Twilight took you to a carnival. That must’ve been fun.” “Oh we had a few laughs, I guess,” Pinkie Pie said. Gummy rode on the pink pony’s back. She walked at a slow lope and Rarity could not encourage her to travel faster. By now Rarity was used to the stench of her friend, she had not done a thing to take care of herself in the past week, but Rarity did not want to tell her otherwise. Without Rainbow Dash to reconcile, none of them were sure how to lighten Pinkie Pie’s spirits. Rarity wound into a scowl. No this was not hopeless, nothing ever was, she just needed a plan of attack. A vector of subtlety only she could see… Rarity scrubbed off her scowl before her friend noticed and said, “Pinkie, dearest. You know what I think?” “Hmm?” Rarity’s tone made her finally look at the fashionista. “Buck up. Come on,” Rarity reached over and made an awkward swing with her hooves. She smacked Pinkie Pie’s flank and said, “We are ladies of pride and dignity. And if you can’t get that silly old Rainbow Dash out you head then, well, don’t think of what she did, but what she would do if she were you. And you’d know what she would do? Why she would say, ‘I’m far too cool to let these trivial concerns ruin my mood.’” Pinkie Pie became dubious. “What?” “Since when does Rainbow Dash use the word trivial?” “Tsk. I think it’s trivial to wonder whether or not Rainbow Dash would use the word ‘trivial.’” Rarity flipped her mane and said, “The important thing is that you don’t linger on what Rainbow Dash did. If you can’t stop thinking about that, well, awful night, think about what you would do in Rainbow Dash’s place. There are a million things that she could have done to better handle things. It’s not your fault.” Pinkie Pie glanced away and stared down the path. “Do what Rainbow Dash would, hmm?” “Yes, now how about a trip to the pond?” “Be nice to go for a swim.” “That’s the ticket dear.” Twilight said over her shoulder, “I’m going to visit Pinkie Pie, keep everything clean while I’m gone Spike.” “Nothing else to do around here. See ya Twilight,” Spike said. Twilight slipped on the satchel hanging beside the door and opened it. Mrs. Cake was already on the porch. Hoof raised to knock. She put the hoof down and said, “Oh thank goodness. I hate knocking, and wouldn’t it be my luck that the door opens when I just work up the courage?” Twilight frowned. “Something going on Mrs. Cake?” “Wouldn’t ya just know it? Something’s always going on. Pinkie Pie didn’t wake up this morning when we opened the shop, so I trotted my little hooves up to her room, but she was gone. All she left was this note,” Mrs. Cake said. She reached behind her shoulder and plucked the note from where it sat snug between her coat and apron. Twilight took it off her with magic and levitated the note before her. “I don’t think it’s anything too dire, and we don’t need Pinkie Pie around right now. Just thought it might make more sense to you.” Twilight scanned the note: Take care of Gummy, don’t give him too many sweets though because his teeth are coming in and they can’t be falling out all over the place. I don’t think alligators have a tooth fairy. But I’m leaving to join the Wonderbolts, I’ll be back as soon as I can. Twilight frowned. “She does know she has no wings, doesn’t she?” Mrs. Cake said. Twilight put the note aside. “I’m not sure if she does or not. But thank you Mrs. Cake, I’ll go round up the girls. I think I know what’s going on.” Twilight passed the note to Applejack, who read it under her breath before Rarity took a look at it. Applejack scratched the back of her head and said, “She does know she doesn’t have any wings, right?” Rarity passed the note to Fluttershy. Twilight said, “I don’t think that’s exactly what she meant.” “Oh no this is my fault,” Rarity said. “I’m so sorry, I don’t think I can rectify this, either.” Fluttershy finished reading the note. She scooted it towards Twilight and while Twilight set the note aside with her magic Fluttershy said, “I’m sorry, Rarity, but I don’t think we know what you mean. Well, I don’t, at least, I can’t speak for the other girls.” “We don’t,” Twilight said. “What did you tell her?” “Only that if she must think about Rainbow Dash she should think about what Rainbow Dash would do, not what she’s done.” “Well there’s your problem right there,” Applejack said. “Ya can’t be messin’ with an earth pony’s head by askin’ her to behave like a pegasus pony.” “I didn’t mean in that sense. I meant personality wise.” “It’s okay, Rarity,” Fluttershy said. “We know you didn’t mean to.” “Pinkie Pie is just very literal,” Twilight said. Spike came up from the basement with a set of saddlebags. With a huff, he dropped them beside the door and closed it. “You guys don’t actually think she wants to be a Wonderbolt, do you?” “It’s written plain as day,” Applejack said. Spike sighed. “Come on, you guys are thinking too much about what you’d expect her to do. She wrote it, but it’s not what she meant.” “Explain it for us, then,” Twilight said. Spike said, “Look, she wouldn’t say, ‘Be back as soon as I can,’ if she meant to become a Wonderbolt. Pinkie’s, well, she’s Pinkie Pie, but she’s not stupid. You guys do this all the time to her and just ignore what she’s trying to get at. Sorry to say that, but it’s true. I know she’s nuts, but she isn’t nuts nuts. She went to go get Rainbow Dash back. I mean, come on, duh.” Twilight glared at him. “That was a bit rude, don’t you think?” “Hey, I’m sorry. But somepony needed to say it,” Spike said. “I’ll go get some food from the pantry.” “Just enough for Twilight and Fluttershy, honey,” Applejack said, which made all the heads in the room swivel to her. “And thank ya for your honesty, we do appreciate it.” Spike said, “Aww, it was nothing.” Though his step became lighter. Twilight ignored it and asked, “You aren’t coming with us?” Applejack said, “Sorry, Twilight. Too much work still needs ta be done on the farm.” “I must apologize too, but I can’t leave Sweetie Belle, and well I got a letter from Hoity-Toity this morning. He wants my line of dresses finished by the end of the month, and, well, afterwards he’s going to host a tour.” Rarity could not keep the enthusiasm out of her voice. “There’s going to be a whole set of shows in Canterlot, Manehattan, and Fillydelphia!” She stopped herself, “But this problem with Pinkie Pie is much more dire. I’m sorry I can’t go.” “It’s okay, Rarity,” Fluttershy said. “Congratulations on your shows. I’m glad you’ll be the star this time.” “Thank you darling.” Applejack ignored the two and asked Twilight, “So where ya thinkin’ on startin’. There’s no tellin’ where Pinkie might’ve gone.” “If she’s just following the Wonderbolts that means she’ll be following the path of their tour. If we discover where the Wonderbolts are going to be a few days in advance, we can go there and intercept them both,” Twilight said and glanced at Fluttershy. “You don’t mind coming along, do you, Fluttershy?” “Me? Oh no, well, I do worry about Angel and all the animals at my cottage, but this is more important, isn’t it? Yes. We should definitely go with your plan.” “Me and Rarity will find somepony to watch your critters, sugar cube,” Applejack said. “I’m sure if we spun it just right the crusaders would be eager to.” Fluttershy cringed. “If they’re the only ones who can, I suppose that’s okay. But if you can, can you find somepony else, first, if it’s not too much trouble?” Fluttershy and Twilight watched a pony dressed in a homemade Wonderbolt costume step up onto the small stage. “Welcome everypony, to the weekly Wonderbolts fan club. We have two new bolters wanting to join the club. Let’s give them our usual welcome.” They stood beside the stage. Everypony turned to them and raised a hoof and said, “Bolt-hoof.” Fluttershy took a step back. Twilight resisted rolling her eyes and said, “Um… we aren’t actually sure if we want to join your club yet.” Fluttershy told Twilight about the club, she knew it because Rainbow Dash was a part of it a long time ago. But she left because she said they were too… well she said some rude things Fluttershy knew better than to repeat. They met in a town south of Ponyville, and represented all the Wonderbolt fans in the area. The leader nodded. “That’s fair, every future bolter feels a little trepidation at first. What are your names?” Twilight didn’t wait for Fluttershy to work up the courage to give hers, so she said, “My name’s Twilight Sparkle and this is Fluttershy. We actually know one of the Wonderbolts, she’s a friend of ours.” Somepony scoffed. “Everypony says that.” “No, we really know her. Her name’s Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said. One of the earth ponies in the crowd popped out of their chair and said, “So you think you know me, do ya?” She wore a Wonderbolts outfit with fake wings sewn on and dyed her mane rainbow. Twilight said, “You can’t be serious.” “Um…” Fluttershy whispered, “I think we should go, Twilight.” Fluttershy peeked around the patchwork tent at all the stern faces. About forty ponies stuffed themselves under the fabric, the air was stuffy and hot. It smelt too much of sweat for her tastes. Many of the ponies wore Wonderbolts memorabilia, if they didn’t outright cosplay. The Rainbow Dash doppleganger stamped her hoof. “More serious than you can ever be!” She shoved her way through the crowd. The doppelganger flared her nostrils and said, “Seems like there’s a neighsayer in our midst. I say a challenge. Anypony, Ask us both a question and we’ll see who the real Rainbow Dash is.” Somepony said, “How long has Rainbow Dash been a Wonderbolt?” Twilight shook head. “Are you ponies crazy? She hasn’t been one for more than a week and already you’re—” “They made the official announcement a month and a half ago,” the doppelganger said. “I can give an exact date if I need to, but obviously she doesn’t know. But I was practically a Wonderbolt before that. They naturally let me do their opening act for two whole months.” Twilight pursed her lips and held back a low growl. She said, “Fine, ask me another question.” “Where was Rainbow Dash born?” “Cloudsdale.” “Too easy,” the Dash doppelganger said. “How about this? Favorite and least favorite food?” “Um…” “Wrong. Pumpkin bread and anything with blueberries.” Blueberries. Fluttershy didn’t want to be reminded of that, it was the last straw, and it was her idea to put that straw there in the first place. Now it was all her fault these ponies bullied Twilight, she knew the answers to all these questions. And if they kept this up, well… well… she wasn’t sure what she would do, but she wouldn’t let them pick on Twilight. Twilight grumbled, “I knew the last one.” “You probably don’t even know what her cutie mark is, do you?” “Now see here,” Fluttershy said. She fanned her wings out, her tail raised a little, but when every gaze turned to her she wilted. “Oh, I’m sorry.” No, she needed to stand up for Twilight, and for Rainbow Dash. “But see here. We do know Rainbow Dash, I’ve even known her most of my life. And I’m sorry, but you aren’t Rainbow Dash, she’s not quite so tall. You also haven’t talked like her at all, because, well because Rainbow Dash likes the words awesome and cool and fast and things like that and you haven’t used one. In fact, none of you probably know her catch phrase, and I’m not sorry, no I am not sorry that you don’t.” She silenced the ponies in the tent. Then somepony demanded, “Rainbow Dash has a catchphrase?” The Rainbow Dash doppelganger shook her head. “No. A Wonderbolt has an official catchphrase. You must tell us, please?” Fluttershy looked at Twilight for answers, she leaned over and whispered, “Not until you meet our demands.” “Umm… not until you listen to us.” The leader still on stage said, “Absolutely friend of Rainbow Dash.” “We want to know the best time and place to meet the Wonderbolts.” “We were wondering, if you guys don’t mind, if you could tell us the best time and place to meet with the Wonderbolts.” Somepony muttered, “Winnywood.” This turned into a buzz of answers about Winnywood. Eventually the club leader, who Fluttershy supposed dressed like Spitfire, despite being a stallion, said, “Quiet down everypony. No pony can hear a dozen voices at once.” He turned on Fluttershy and said, “Every year the Wonderbolts hold a Q and A and for a select few a meet and greet in Winnywood.” Twilight blanched. “Why Winnywood?” “It’s where they got their start,” the Rainbow Dash doppelganger said. “They’re very loyal, and it’s sort of a festival down there.” Fluttershy said, “Rainbow Dash has taken a few trips down there, Twilight. But you probably didn’t know because it was before you moved to Ponyville.” Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but the Spitfire impersonator said, “The catch phrase?” Fluttershy said, “Oh, that, well all the time she says she can do things in ‘ten seconds flat.’ So I suppose it’s her catch phrase. But that all depends on what she thinks—” The Rainbow Dash doppelganger jumped up onto the stage. “I think ten seconds flat is an awesome catchphrase. Bolt-hoof my bolters.” “Bolt-hoof!” Twilight said, “Come on. Let’s go, Fluttershy.” “Wait, friends of Rainbow Dash. You must tell us more,” the Spitfire beseeched them. Twilight turned on her hoof. “Sorry, but Winnywood is about twice as far away as Canterlot. We need to leave as soon as we can.” “You can’t go, though!” “Uh, yes, we can.” “Um… Twilight? I’m sorry, but you really can’t.” Twilight turned on Fluttershy. “Why not?” “Well, because…” “There’s only so much space at the festival,” the Rainbow Dash doppelganger said. “You have to reserve space ahead of time.” “Fantastic. How much do these reservations cost?” Several of the ponies in the tent laughed. “They’re sold out. So are next year’s and the year after that.” “But,” the Spitfire impersonator said, “if you join our club you may come.” “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Fluttershy said, “I’m sorry, Twilight. We just need to remember we’re doing it for Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash.” Twilight ground her teeth, then sighed. “Fine. We’ll join you’re club.” “Let’s welcome our new bolters!” “Bolt-hoof!” “Ugh. I’m going to regret this.” This might be Super Sleuth Pie’s toughest case yet. The Case of the Furious Flying Filly was a caper with mystery, intrigue, and twists and turns even she couldn’t predict. Super Sleuth Pie was on the trail, prowling the seedy underbelly of Canterlot for clues. “Hey, didn’t I see you earlier this year. Twilight Sparkle’s friend, right?” Pinkie Pie nodded. “Yes. Two raspberry filled chocolate donuts, please.” “Alrighty miss. I’ll give you a discount then. Three bits.” “Three bits? Are you crazy, I wouldn’t spend three bits on my own poison.” The pony behind the counter stared at her. Pinkie Pie giggled, “Oh, I mean, three bits is fine.” Despite getting cheated at the local dive, Super Sleuth Pie accepted the exchange and walked out of the shop with bag held in her teeth. She took it to a nearby bench and examined the goods before she took a bite. “Mm… these were definitely worth the three bits.” Super Sleuth Pie finished her meal and quested further into Canterlot. She came here looking for answer because she had nowhere else to turn. She only knew Rainbow Dash’s tour began here, but the pegasus was miles away now, in some other town, under the mercy of her captors. Well, Super Sleuth Pie wouldn’t stop until she uncovered the truth. One way or another she’d— Pinkie Pie stopped when she noticed from the corner of her eye a maroon pegasus filly wearing a Wonderbolts shirt. Super Sleuth Pie had found the clue she needed. She launched herself at the filly, who yelped when Super Sleuth Pie landed on top of her and said, “Hold it right there.” The filly squeaked and kicked before she rolled into a ball and said, “I’m sorry. You can have anything, just don’t hurt me.” “I want your shirt, punk.” “My shirt?” “Your shirt!” “Okay, okay.” The filly scrambled out of the apparel. Super Sleuth Pie smoothed it out on the ground. On the front was a print of the Wonderbolts zooming out of a storm cloud, and when she flipped the shirt over she found exactly what she was looking for: a list of towns and dates for their tour. The filly began to edge away, but Super Sleuth Pie said, “Don’t move a muscle.” She scanned the shirt again and added dates in her head and decided the date in Winnywood her best bet. Finished, Pinkie Pie looked up and saw half a dozen stunned ponies watching her. Pinkie Pie said, “What? I just wanted to look at her shirt. Geeze, you Canterlot ponies freak out about everything. You really do need to lighten up more.” With a swift kick, Pinkie Pie flicked the shirt back over to the filly in a single smooth motion. “There you go.” Super Sleuth Pie strode away from the stunned crowd. A scowl on face. She needed some gum to chew, or a toothpick to hold. Yeah, definitely a toothpick. More importantly she needed something else, something far more valuable. Something that could make or break this case. “I need a map to Winnywood.” Rainbow Dash’s mood for the week peaked after the Wonderbolt’s show in Manehattan. They just finished a killer show, and even now the crowd outside Manehattan made its way to their tent for autographs. Rainbow Dash was eager to give them, she didn’t wait to take turns with the Wonderbolts, she went out there every show. The fans reminded her why she did this, more than anything else those cheers reminded her why she was here. Why all of her hard work paid for this. And her mood could only get better when the seven of them reached the tent. Rainbow Dash was the last one to leave it, and she would be the last one to enter. One of the security ponies yanked a rope and pulled the tent flap open. Rainbow Dash slowed her pace and watched the chatting Wonderbolts enter the tent, Tyco first. He tripped a fishing line. The line snapped and a bucket of coarse green paint fell from where it hung above the entrance. It missed bonking Soarin on the head. Misty yelped and security ponies rushed into the back while the pair at the front shoved them inside the tent. Rainbow Dash took to the air before they could catch her. Ponies piled into the tent to protect their charges and the whole tent became a bubbling mass of panic while Rainbow Dash breezed over the mess. Ten poles lining the top of the tent held up the domed center, Rainbow Dash, landed on each one with speedy precision. Snapping them out of place before the tent came down on top the thrashing mess of ponies. She landed in front of the tent and laughed. She said over their shouting, “Man I got you guys so good. It’s been forever since I got to pull off a prank like that.” The thrashing in the tent stopped. Somepony said, “Rainbow Dash?” The pony near the entrance dug themselves out of the tarp. It was Spitfire, her mane and wings were a ruffled mess. But the scowl on her face changed Rainbow Dash’s outlook. Soarin and several other ponies poured out the tent. Soarin chuckled and said, “That was pretty good, dude. Can’t remember the last pony who pulled one over on us like that.” “Eh-yeah. Pretty awesome…” Rainbow Dash glanced behind her and realized a line of Wonderbolt fans watched the whole debacle. “Pretty awesome?” Tyco came out of the tent. “You threw us for a loop, but don’t you know anything?” Spitfire turned to Tyco, “I’ll take her aside.” She faced Rainbow Dash, “Fly with me.” She took to the air. Rainbow Dash hesitated until she met the glares on half the Wonderbolts and all of the security team. She leapt into the air. Her and Spitfire rose to a comfortable height. They rested on a cloud and for a time, Spitfire didn’t look at her. She sighed and faced Rainbow Dash. Her mane was the only thing illuminated the fading twilight. She said, “I like you a lot Rainbow Dash, I do. You’re a fantastic flyer, with a lot of potential, but this?” Rainbow Dash flinched. “You’re lucky I’m the one handling this. If it were Misty or Blast, they’d tear your wings off.” “Yeah, I should’ve known better…” “No, you couldn’t. You just wanted to have some fun, but you need to understand there are consequences here that affect all of us now. You can have fun with that stuff with your own friends.” Rainbow Dash looked at her. “Hey, but we’re friends, right?” Spitfire shrugged. “Not right now. We can be friends after the show, after all the fans have left and it’s just us. Most of the group liked you before tonight, but look. You embarrassed a lot of ponies with that stunt. I’m mad, they’re mad. Our fans saw it and now everypony’s going to know that the prank you pulled made us look like a bunch of fools.” Rainbow Dash glanced at the ground. A handful of lights showed the figures of ponies setting the tent up again while a few Wonderbolts dealt with the crowd. She winced and said, “I’m sorry I screwed up. It won’t happen again. I guess… I just wanted…” “Wanted what?” Rainbow Dash shook her head, “No, it’s nothing. I should help put the tent back up. And apologize.” Spitfire studied her in the dark and Rainbow Dash shuffled her hooves. Rainbow Dash wouldn’t leave until she was ready, they were up here because Spitfire wanted to scold her, after all. Spitfire said, “That’s probably for the best.” Rainbow Dash swallowed the knot in her throat. “Yeah.” The bolters adored Fluttershy. She sat on a cushion, in the back of wagon while they followed her on foot. Twilight walked beside the wagon, trying not to gag while Fluttershy said, “—and then Rarity flew up to the sun, but it was much too hot for her to be that high, and her wings evaporated! Poor Rarity just fell out the sky, but the Wonderbolts saw it and they swept down to save her, but, well Rarity was so frantic and she just flailed her hooves and kicked the other ponies. Then they were unconscious and everypony was really worried, until Rainbow Dash swooped down. And she was going faster and faster and thinking just about saving them and then…” Twilight heard one of the bolters ask, “What? What?” Several unicorns at the front levitated journals, quills, and ink and wrote down every word she said. They’d been doing that for the past day, everything Fluttershy spoke became Wonderbolt scripture. Fluttershy clapped her hooves together, but it was so soft Twilight hardly heard it. Fluttershy said, “Boom. She shot down and caught them and it was so amazing. Gosh, I hadn’t hollered like I did then ever since. But that’s where that story will end.” Twilight rolled her eyes when she heard several, “Aww!”’s. The Spitfire cosplay pony, whose real name was silver Lining said from upfront, “Best if we do. I can see the Winnywood cropping up over that hill over there.” Finally. Sweet mercy. Soon as they got there Twilight would ditch the bolters. Several of the ponies cheered. Twilight heard Fluttershy’s soft, “Yay,” tangled up in the noise. When they got the chance Twilight needed to remind her that they didn’t like her for her, but because of what she knew. In fact… Twilight dropped behind the wagon so she could see Fluttershy and said, “Fluttershy. You want to head into town ahead of them. See if we can’t find a certain pink pony around?” “Hmm? Oh, of course Twilight.” She said to her admirers, “You guys don’t mind if we meet back up later tonight?” Somepony said, “Just don’t keep us waiting.” It was the Rainbow Dash cosplayer. The dye in her mane faded into a tarnished mesh of colors. Twilight didn’t think she ever got out of her costume. “Of course, um… we’ll be back in ten seconds flat? Bolt-hoof everypony!” “Bolt-hoof!” Twilight almost face-hoofed. She trotted ahead of the group while Fluttershy floated over the wagon. They reunited in front of the wagon and made sure to keep a pace that would pull them away. Fluttershy said, “I really enjoy spending time with them. They’re all very nice.” Twilight sighed. “Yeah, they’re nice alright… they’re a lot things, actually.” “Like what, Twilight?” “Eh…” “Oh, if you don’t want to tell me you don’t have too. I don’t want to put any pressure on you.” Twilight said, “Well, it’s okay. It’s just… sometimes I get sick of how much they obsess. If I were Rainbow Dash I’d be terrified to know ponies like that idolized me more than Princess Celestia.” “Oh, but it’s all done in good fun, I think.” “If you say so…” They walked into Winnywood. It sprouted out of a forest that continued its sprawl to the west. They passed a small bunny farm, which Twilight had to drag Fluttershy away from. They entered the town on the south side, it sloped down gentle sweep of hill twice the length of Ponyville. Below this sweep the ground leveled out and Twilight could clearly see the carnival-esque festival rising from the ground. Along the town she spotted several more cosplaying Wonderbolts and a whole host of fans walking the streets. Twilight groaned. “How is anypony supposed to be found here?” “If you want, I can fly up and look for her Twilight.” “Are you okay with that?” “Well, it does make me a little nervous. I don’t want to get lost, but this is more important.” “Okay, we’ll meet back here in an hour.” “Okay… um… see you,” Fluttershy said. She took to the air and Twilight sighed. She glanced around the town, shrugged, and decided to start walking. Most of the town was built in a T shape, with the top-bar running north to south along the forest edge. The town of course splayed out in more general directions, but Twilight stuck to the main roads, for the most part. She saw Fluttershy drift south, so when she reached the branching road, Twilight headed east. A slow frown stretched over her face. She paced to the edge of town, she scanned the road. And didn’t find a single pony at all like Pinkie Pie. Her eyes lingered on a sweet’s shop named Dough, Re, Mi, but became distracted when she heard a pony shout, “You. The lavender unicorn, over here.” Twilight turned around and saw a small stall with an old brown unicorn standing behind it. He said, “Today’s you’re lucky day missy filly. Got deals out the wazzoo.” The stall held several books, most looked like old tomes no pony touched in years. He waved his hoof and said, “Come on over. I’m emptying out my personal library, and you look like a unicorn who could use something to read.” Pinkie Pie said, “Ooh, these mint chocolate chip cookies look great.” The pink pony behind the counter smiled. “They’re my brother’s specialty. Guaranteed to be good.” “I’ll take three then,” Pinkie Pie said. While the pink pony retrieved them Pinkie Pie noticed the question mark cutie mark on her flank. She said, “Whoa, I’ve never seen anything like that. I mean, every cutie mark’s different, but most are just something simple, you know? Like a flower or piece of food, maybe a tool, but nothing ever so… different. How did you get it?” The pink pony slid the bagged cookies across the counter and answered while Pinkie Pie dug some bits out of the satchel over her shoulder. She said, “My family bakes, but I’m not a baker. I’m secretly a detective.” Pinkie Pie gasped. “A detective! I was one a couple days ago. It was fun, what do you usually detect?” “Not much thanks to my brother. He keeps me chained behind this counter.” “That’s horrible. If you want, I can sneak you a cake with a file in it,” Pinkie Pie leaned over the counter and whispered, “Bust you out of here, if you know what I mean.” The detective giggled. “Oh I’ve already got plenty of cake, all I need is for you to bring the file…?” “Pinkie Pie.” “Pinkie Pie. My name’s Cookie Doe, but come back in, sometime.” Pinkie Pie took her cookies and nodded. She said around the bag, “Of course. Wouldn’t let a pony stay in a prison. Promise to be back with that file.” Pinkie Pie bounced out of the shop. Across the street she spotted a stall where a lavender unicorn bargained with a much older one. Pinkie Pie thought for a moment it was Twilight, but that was just silly. Twilight wouldn’t come all the way out here unless Princess Celestia forced her. Pinkie Pie bounced down the road, zigzagging between buildings towards the festival. Less a show than a burgeoning of force. What happened to the old days where the Wonderbolts stunned crowds with grace that matched their magnificence? For this pony, those days seem dead and gone with the Wonderbolts newest arrival. The rightly called “Sonic Rainboom” is a tour de force with its own raw beauty, but it speaks of laziness. The team does nothing with their new member and their new member adds nothing to the team, aside from a shock value that will dry up after ponies have witnessed it a few times. Rainbow Dash nickered and shoved the column away. It was a review of their show in Canterlot, a special editorial from Equestria Daily. “Told you not to read it,” Tyco said from across the room. He lounged in their tent, the farthest tent from Winnywood. Tyco lied on a plush mattress he always used when he read. Rainbow Dash said, “What does some stupid unicorn know about flying, anyway?” Rainbow Dash said. “Bet she doesn’t know a single pegasus.” “Easy, Dash,” Blizzard said. He and Misty played cards on a table not far from Tyco. “This is what happens. Doesn’t matter how good the show is, there will always be that one pony that’s going to say we’re bad.” “I bet that’s easy for you to say. The pony’s not ragging on you, now is she?” “Read the rest of the article,” Tyco said. “She has some choice words for all of us.” “Except for Soarin. She’s in love with Soarin,” Misty said. She played her next card without watching it and Blizzard’s hoof slapped down on the small pile in the middle. “Darn it. This is what I get for trying to be a part of the conversation. You’re such a cheater.” Blizzard said, “The game is slaps, not which pony can wait politely for the other to notice.” Misty fumed for a moment then said, “Just play a card.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. She didn’t get to be part of the meet and greet or the Q and A, they excluded her. Part of her ongoing punishment for her prank. She wanted to go… flying… do something that got her out of the tent, especially after reading that stupid review. She could be tons graceful when she wanted. There was a reason she was a Wonderbolt, wasn’t there? Rainbow Dash asked, “Hey Tyco?” Tyco didn’t look up from his book. “Yes?” “Can I do some warm-ups or something? I’ll do it north of here, where no pony will see me, I swear.” “Antsy after that review, huh?” “Uh…” Rainbow Dash’s tail flicked. “A little.” “Get some air, clear your head. Clouds behind your eyes does no pony good. Especially one with a big show tonight.” “Thanks.” “Get going. Before somepony on security hears and tries to catch you.” Fluttershy hovered over the festival grounds. Several clouds had been moved in place for pegasus ponies to rest on as well. She didn’t do that, they were much too crowded. She felt like a silly filly for searching this far, Pinkie Pie didn’t know any bolters, or shouldn’t anyway… No, she didn’t know any bolters, so she couldn’t be this far out. But she searched everywhere else across town and missed her. Her gaze traced north to a large, solitary tent where she saw a pony fly away from it. They coasted low to the ground to avoid attention. If Fluttershy squinted she could see the flurried rainbow mane of the pony. She gasped and whispered, “Rainbow Dash.” She hesitated. They came here for Pinkie Pie, but maybe Pinkie Pie already found Rainbow Dash and headed back to Ponyville, and if that was the case she should talk to her, but… oh she just didn’t like the idea of interrupting her. But she needed to, if Pinkie Pie did get sent back to Ponyville then it meant they ran a wild goose chase, and chasing geese could be just awful. Rainbow Dash plowed through a set of clouds, she felt the moisture create a wet sheath around her. It soon slipped off under the speed of her flight and heat of Celestia’s sunlight. It hung high in the northern hemisphere and mocked Rainbow Dash because she knew she couldn’t fly into it. She didn’t care some stuck up unicorn in Canterlot didn’t like the show. She didn’t care one of her pranks backfired and just made ponies embarrassed and angry. What it threw in her face, though. Well… it was like how impossible the sun threw itself in her face. All that heat and radiance and warmth, and no pony could touch it. She couldn’t touch it. She knew the world didn’t work in rainbows. She knew she couldn’t just follow a path and reach some stupid pot of gold. That’s why she made the sonic rainboom hers, to prove she could make her own rainbow to whatever she desired, but now… She didn’t know what she wanted. Rainbow Dash hung in the air, floating there with the sun the only thing in the sky. She felt it shift, sliding across her, the rays slipping off her wings. She petered out and leveled herself, she flew so high the festival spilled out like a patchwork quilt. None of it made any sense to her anymore, but Rainbow Dash never knew a thing about stitching. She coasted above safe altitudes and felt cool air slip under her wings while the sun heated her back. The air was so thin here that if she pushed herself it could get to her. The altitude felt comfortable. For the first time in a long time she just wanted escape. She hadn’t forgotten, hadn’t forgotten for a second what she said to her friends, to Applejack and Pinkie Pie both. And she regret it, but she convinced herself she could make amends, or at least, they would understand. And here came the question she found so impossible to answer. Did the one’s close to her matter as much as the desire she always harbored in her heart? “Dash… Rainbow Dash…” Rainbow Dash snapped out of her trance so hard she almost forgot to fly. She dropped in altitude, but with a panicked flurry of flapped wings she saved herself. Below her Fluttershy struggled to keep an altitude within shouting distance. Rainbow Dash gasped and swept around to her. She glided past Fluttershy and said, “Let’s get lower.” Fluttershy nodded and both circled down like spiraling hawks to a cloud drifting not far from the ground. Rainbow Dash landed and Fluttershy followed. Rainbow Dash asked, “What in the hay are you doing here?” “Oh, I’m sorry it’s just—” Rainbow Dash felt herself doing it again. She shook her head and said, “No, don’t be sorry. I’m sorry, okay? For what I said during the party. Now why are you here?” “Well, me and Twilight came to the festival with the Bolters…” “Bolters? Those guys are nuts. Even I don’t drool over the Wonderbolts like they do.” Fluttershy blushed. “Oh, um… I thought they were nice enough people.” Rainbow Dash snorted and shook her head. “Gah, I’m sorry I’m so bad at this. The Bolters are fine. What did you come here with them?” Fluttershy said, “It’s kind of embarrassing, but, well… you see Rarity didn’t mean to but she told Pinkie Pie ‘what would Rainbow Dash do’ so Pinkie Pie did what she thought you would do and ran away to join the Wonderbolts.” “What!” Fluttershy flinched. “Join the Wonderbolts, doesn’t she know she doesn’t have any wings?” “That’s what we thought, but then Spike came in and he scolded us for being plain silly before he told us Pinkie Pie was really looking for you. And so, we’re here to find her because we thought she would go where you went…” Rainbow Dash nodded. “Keep going.” “Well, then I just saw you and I thought you must not want to be interrupted, but then I thought ‘What if she already found you?’ So I flew over here to talk to you and ask you if you might’ve already sent her home.” Rainbow Dash sighed. “Fluttershy… I haven’t seen Pinkie Pie since that… night.” “Oh, I’m sorry to have bothered you then.” “No, it’s okay. Really, I’m glad you’re here. You and Twilight will be cheering me on tonight, right?” Rainbow Dash asked. Fluttershy smiled. “Oh yes, we wouldn’t miss your big night for anything.” She squeaked. “Oh my gosh. I was supposed to meet Twilight half an hour ago.” Rainbow Dash said, “You better go. And I’ll keep an eye out for Pinkie Pie. Thanks for coming Fluttershy, and I’m sorry about what I said.” “It’s okay, um… see you later, then?” Rainbow Dash nodded. “Definitely.” She watched Fluttershy go and sighed. As her friend flew away she felt her gut cinch in knots. Pinkie Pie left Ponyville to chase after her, when she was the jerk to her? Rainbow Dash didn’t deserve a friend like that. She needed to find her. Needed to apologize and set things right. She took to the air and returned to the Wonderbolt’s tent. Rainbow Dash trotted inside and found Spitfire, Blast, and Soarin waiting with the rest. Tyco said as she entered the tent, “See? Told you she’d be fine.” Blast glared at the stallion before she faced Rainbow Dash. “You better have a good excuse for why you flew off like that.” “Easy, Blast,” her cousin warned. “No, it’s time we stop playing soft with her. You know how many ponies asked me how I felt about a tent falling on my head? That happened two days ago and already it seems like everypony knows about it. She made us all look like a bunch of dunderheads and now she thinks she can just leave? No.” Rainbow Dash said, “I’m sorry, I just needed to clear my head.” “There’s plenty to do in the tent to clear your head. Worse comes to worst I can kick you until you don’t have anything to think about,” Blast said. “Blast!” Soarin said, “Yeah, lay off her.” Blast glared at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash flared her nostrils and said, “I’m sorry, okay? But it was important. And this is important to. I need to take the night off. Just the night—” “Whoa, hey.” Tyco shut his book. “You can’t just ‘take the night off’ on one of our biggest shows of the year. There are ponies who’ve waited months for today.” Spitfire shook her head. “He’s right, Rainbow Dash. We can’t close the show without you.” Rainbow Dash nickered. “But this is important. Look, there’s a friend who may be out there and I need to find her before the show. I won’t get the chance tonight.” Spitfire pursed her lips and turned away. Blast said, “Hey you can’t seriously be letting her go again, can you?” Soarin asked, “How important is it, Dash?” Rainbow Dash scraped the ground with her hoof. She said, “Before I left I said some things I’m not proud of. And now because of me there’s a pony who just uprooted her whole life to find me. And if she’s here, then I need to see her and set things straight.” Everypony watched Spitfire, whose wings parted slightly, they quivered in the air before she pulled them back beside her. She turned on Rainbow Dash and said, “You can take the night off, but don’t expect security to let you back in.” Blast stamped her hoof. “Thank you Celestia, some sense!” Soarin mumbled, “But Spitfire…” Spitfire kept her gaze on Rainbow Dash. “We are Wonderbolts. There are thousands of ponies out there who will be getting more than just their feelings hurt if somepony fudges our show. We can’t take responsibility for you, Rainbow Dash, not for what you’ve done. But we also can’t chain you down and expect you to perform for us when we release you. So if you walk now, you walk for the rest of your life. If you really think your friend’s here, you can look tomorrow morning.” Rainbow Dash’s jaw hung open. Soarin gawked too. Tyco shook his head and went back to his book while Blast sneered and Misty and Blizzard pretended not to watch over their ongoing card game. “I’m sorry, but that’s the way it is,” Spitfire said. She turned on her cousin. “Get that stupid look off your face.” She then said to them all, “We’ll go through some warm ups in an hour like we planned. To tease the audience. Whether or not there are six or seven of us, we will do a show tonight.” “It’s okay, Fluttershy. Really. I lost track of time reading that book anyways,” Twilight said. The two walked to the festival. The Bolters long since set up their little camp. They spotted the patchwork tent used before and headed to it. “I’m still really sorry to keep you waiting, though.” “And I said it was okay. Did you find Pinkie Pie at all? Fluttershy shook her head, “Oh no. But I did talk to Rainbow Dash.” Twilight almost tripped. “You talked to Rainbow Dash and didn’t tell me first thing? Well go on, tell me what she said! Has she seen Pinkie Pie at all?” “No, she hasn’t. I just told her about how we got here.” Twilight frowned. “That’s it?” Fluttershy stopped mid-nod. “Wait… no… she acted, well, sort of… funny.” “Funny?” “Funny.” Twilight said, “Anything more than just funny?” Fluttershy said, “It’s just hard to explain, I guess… I think it was like she wanted to hug me, but she couldn’t. I sometimes get that way when I see a cute porcupine all by itself.” Twilight was sure Fluttershy tried anyway. She sighed. “That’s it?” “She just said if she saw Pinkie Pie she would send her home. Oh, and I promised her we would see her show.” “Guess we don’t have much of a choice there.” Rainbow Dash stared at her suit. Soarin retrieved it for her, off the peg on the opposite side of the tent. He laid it out in front of her and said, “Warm-ups are in ten minutes.” Rainbow Dash lied in the dirt, she wished Soarin hadn’t laid the thing right in front of her. She turned her head away and Soarin sat down beside her. He said, “I’m sorry about your friend.” Rainbow Dash’s dry throat did not add any pleasantry to her voice. “Yeah?” She already cried, but never once did she get a drink. Now she wanted one, just something to soothe it. Then she’d lie back in her corner and not make a decision at all, because she couldn’t choose. Soarin laid a hoof on her shoulder. “Hey. I know it’s not fair, but Spitfire’s right, you know? She didn’t want to tell you no, either. She went through a lot of the same stuff, if it hadn’t been for her cousin she would have quit.” “So you’re saying I should just give up?” “Not that, no. But Spitfire found out her friends just didn’t abandon her. She still had them after everything blew over.” “Had?” Soarin sighed. “It does weigh on you. Tyco has a saying from one of his books about all the world being a stage and everypony’s players and what not. I can’t remember it. But the gist of it is that ponies don’t see us as Soarin or Spitfire or Rainbow Dash. They see Wonderbolts, and the longer you’re a Wonderbolt the more the Equestria sees you as a Wonderbolt until even your old friends stop saying Soarin, and start saying Soarin the Wonderbolt.” Rainbow Dash felt bile rise in her throat. She didn’t want to hear that. Soarin kept talking. “I mean, if you told me four years ago that my best friend would be a pony who enjoyed books and planning tricks more than he did flying and that the only thing we had in common were our loves of puns and pizza, well, I would’ve laughed at you.” Rainbow Dash said, “So you are saying I should just give up.” “Gah—I’m awful at this, aren’t I?” Soarin stood up. “What I’m trying to get at is, there will always be somepony there who understands you. Don’t fret about that, it just depends on who you want that to be. If I were you, don’t throw this out just yet. Do the show, and tomorrow, when things are better, when Spitfire can’t threaten you, go.” Rainbow Dash looked up at him. He smiled. “Being a Wonderbolt means being a lot of things. But don’t stop being yourself.” “Oh, there they go,” somepony said, and a whole clump of Wonderbolt fans went quiet to watch seven Wonderbolts take to the air. They glided over to the field and began to make formation runs, and a whole bunch of stuff Pinkie Pie didn’t care about. She could only see there little tiny figures swooping around. “Still can’t believe they’re letting Rainbow Dash fly after the stunt she pulled,” one fan said to another. Both stood at the back of the crowd, under the shade of a tree. Pinkie Pie bounced beside the one who spoke, a crimson unicorn with black hair. She said, “What did she do?” The unicorn started and bumped into her smaller friend. A white pegasus who grunted. Both spun on Pinkie Pie and the unicorn said, “Who the hay are you?” “My name’s Pinkie Pie. I’m a friend of Rainbow Dash’s.” The pegasus snorted. “Please.” “Please what?” Unicorn shook his head. “Never mind. Are you supposed to be here? You don’t look like a fan of the Wonderbolts.” “Course I’m supposed to be here. I’m standing here aren’t I? If I wasn’t supposed to stand here then I’d stand elsewhere, but I’m standing here so I must belong here. Can you tell me what Rainbow Dash did now, please?” The unicorn shook her head, but her friend said, “She pulled a prank on the team in front of a bunch of fans.” Pinkie Pie laughed while the unicorn swung her flank into the pegasus and glared at her. The pegasus muttered, “The sooner we tell her the sooner she gets off our back.” Pinkie Pie frowned. “That seems silly. I’m not on anypony’s back. I’m on the ground, I am an earth pony after all.” “Let’s just ignore her,” the unicorn suggested. “But what about Rainbow Dash’s prank? I just gotta know what she did.” The pegasus wheeled around on her and demanded, “If we tell you will you bug off?” Pinkie Pie nodded. The pegasus rolled her eyes and said, “Rainbow Dash collapsed the Wonderbolt’s tent on top of them and made everypony there angry because she embarrassed the team.” Pinkie Pie asked, “What would they have to be embarrassed about? It’s all in good fun.” Neither pony answered her. They refused to face her again and like all the other ponies around her they watched the Wonderbolts run zigzags across the sky. Rainbow Dash had her flank in the air, her front hooves stretched out as far as they could go. She stretched her shoulders, and bounced low to the ground before righting herself. The flight did make her feel better, if it only distracted her. She heard Spitfire say her name and turned towards the entrance to the tent. Spitfire stopped before her and said, “They’re setting up the field now.” Rainbow Dash nodded, it meant half an hour before show time. Spitfire said, “You up for the show tonight?” Rainbow Dash said, “Course I am. I’m always ready.” “You don’t look very convinced.” Rainbow Dash knew she didn’t. She couldn’t ply the lingering regret off her, and it crept along her features, hid behind her eyes and dragged in her throat, making her voice leaden. “I can do the show.” Spitfire studied her for a moment. Smiled and said, “Okay.” She approached Rainbow Dash and nuzzled her cheek. “I’m glad you decided to stay.” Rainbow Dash didn’t know what to say to that. It was the first time Spitfire showed any interest in friendship. She turned away and lifted her left hind leg, her right wing splayed out and stretched the opposite direction. She said, “No problem.” “Tyco will escort you to the stage. I’ve got to go,” Spitfire said. She retreated from the tent. Tyco sat on his mattress twenty paces away. He flipped a page of his book and said, “I’m not escorting you anywhere.” “You haven’t yet.” “She just needed an excuse to leave. Between the two of us? Spitfire was the one who pushed for you to be on the team. She likes you, really likes you.” Rainbow Dash almost blushed. She stopped her stretching but did not look at Tyco. “I’m flattered, but…” “Don’t swing that way? We know. She knows,” Tyco said. “But it’s why she gave you that ultimatum. She doesn’t want to see you go. Frankly, none of us do. Even though Spitfire pushed for you, if any one of us thought you didn’t deserve to make the team, you wouldn’t have.” Rainbow Dash thought of Blast and said, “I find that hard to believe.” “Believe what you want. I’m not here to change what you see, just what you think is the truth.” Rainbow Dash glared at him. But Tyco refused to look at her. Twenty minutes later he got up and said, “See you in ten.” He left the tent, and Rainbow Dash was alone. Twilight sat with Fluttershy in the stands, surrounded by bolters, many of which had their current affection riveted on her friend. Twilight ignored this and thought of spells she could use to mute all the noise so maybe she could sneak in a few pages of reading before the show got under way. It was an hour before the sun slipped off the western horizon, the stands ran parallel to north and south. The field stretched two hundred paces wide and eight hundred long. Along it twenty pegasus ponies busied themselves with setting up fogs and several other ambient clouds used for the show. Roughly half a hundred security ponies paced the grounds and stands to make sure no rogue pony ran onto the field and endangered themselves and the Wonderbolts. A few pegasus ponies floated in the air above the stands as well, to insure everypony remained seated. On the northern face of the field waited a small stage. Twilight’s hopes of some mute spell became moot when the audience erupted. From a nearby tent emerged a single figure, who walked forty paces and took her place on the stage before the field. It was Rainbow Dash. Shouting matches between various clubs emerged. Twilight’s ears rang with, “Bolt-hoof,” and a slew of other chants. The fans built themselves into a frenzy. Twilight turned on Fluttershy to ask if they could leave, but Fluttershy was too busy clapping her hooves and getting swept away in the building craze. It seemed the whole world would go mad for one pony. Rainbow Dash felt her knees wobble. She didn’t have an answer, to anything. The past three months weighed heavily on her mind. She thought about all the time she spent with the Wonderbolts, all the careful encouragement and support to groom her into one of them. And she let them because it was what she wanted. But she thought about what Soarin said and what she said to Applejack. She was a Wonderbolt now, and all these ponies, thousands of them screamed and hollered for her. For a Wonderbolt, there was no Rainbow Dash here on this stage. If she stayed a Wonderbolt, would the same happen in Ponyville? She thought of the distance already there, everypony treated her differently and she them and neither wanted that. The only pony who didn’t seem to notice a change was Pinkie Pie, and now… Pinkie Pie could be anywhere right now. She wanted to complete this show. She knew when she began flying her whole body would fill up with that poison. A noxious, horrible part loved the crowd too much. Showboating and arrogance was the only thing that kept her standing here. She wanted to run, but she reminded herself of everypony she disappointed by doing so. She had to do this, for everypony, for everything she gave up in the past three months. She crouched low and fanned out her wings. The volume of the crowd doubled. Breathe, Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie tried to get around the large security pony, but he stepped in the way and said, “Uh-uh, no ticket, no show. Sorry miss.” Pinkie Pie peeked over his shoulder out onto the field, where Rainbow Dash stood alone on the stage. “But I just got to see her. I came all this way—” The stallion swung his green head into the way. “Hey, a lot ponies came a lot of ways to see the Wonderbolts, and you aren’t going to ruin it for them. You have two choices. You can go, or if you need help me and some of the boys will escort you back into Winnywood.” Pinkie Pie glared at him. She knew she could outrun this bozo if she got past him. It would just take the right kind of move… Rainbow Dash launched into the air. Pinkie Pie gasped and watched her shoot all the way to other side of the field where she twirled and became a spinning ball of rainbow color. She dove and glided along the ground and Pinkie Pie tried to run into her path, but the stallion and a friend of his blocked her way. “Rainbow Dash!” She was moving too fast to hear her, and those stallions blocked her from sight. In the blink of an eye she was in the field again, amongst the fog. “That’s it, come on miss.” Pinkie Pie almost struggled, but she saw they were bigger, tougher, and a dozen more ponies watched them to make sure she didn’t get away from them. She knew her best bet would be to wait when all eyes were on the Wonderbolts, then she’d make her move. Pinkie Pie slipped out of the grasp of the green stallion and said, “Okay. Okay. I’m leaving, and I’m never coming back. I hope you’re happy.” The stallion shrugged. “Seriously. You’ll never see me again. So don’t bother trying to stop me because we won’t ever see each other. Ever. I won’t ever come back to one of these shows ever again.” He turned away and Pinkie Pie spun around and bounced away. She fooled him. Her plan worked perfectly… She made about twenty paces before the field lit up with the Wonderbolt’s lightning sun. The show had begun. Breathe, Rainbow Dash. “It’s all you!” Soarin shouted as he sped by. It was the end of the show. The other Wonderbolts formed up at the south side of the field for some performance flying to distract the audience while she prepared. Rainbow Dash began to ascend. The show had not changed anything. All the same feelings riled through her. She still did not know which path to take moving forward. Both sides were laced with their own triumphs, their own failings. She would disappoint ponies no matter what she chose. She knew both could lead her to happiness. She remembered what Soarin said, and she knew the same could happen to her. Ponies lost friends all the time and moved on, but at the same time… Those five were her best of friends, the only real friends she ever had before, and she knew that like friends, dreams fade and change, too. In the end, whichever choice she made would be like stepping into the heart of a rainboom. Destructive and beautiful, brief yet always permanent in memory. She felt somepony rush beside her. She looked to her right and there flew Tyco. He shouted, “Call it off.” Rainbow Dash stopped her ascent, about as half as high as she needed to be. Tyco told her, “Somepony ran onto the field. It’s too dangerous.” Rainbow Dash looked down. On the field scrambled dozens of tiny figures, they all tried to close on a pink dot, darting around the field. “Pinkie Pie…” “What?” Rainbow Dash didn’t have an answer for the future. She was sure she would never have one, but she did know that she would never abandon Pinkie Pie or anypony ever again, not like she did that night. Rainbow Dash dove. Twilight yelled, “We need to save her before she gets hurt.” On the field Pinkie Pie bounced into the air, landed on the shoulders of a stallion and sprung off. Confounding a swath of security ponies who thought her cornered. Twilight pushed her way past a pair of bolters and made for the stairs. A pair of hooves grabbed her. They forced Twilight to turn around and in front of her was Fluttershy. She pointed a trembling hoof into the air and said, “Um… Twilight… she’s not slowing down…” Twilight eyes almost popped from her skull. She gasped and said, “Celestia save us she’s going to be way to close.” Fluttershy asked, “What can we do? Twilight’s eyes scanned the crowd. No pony seemed to care, none of them really knew just how powerful the sonic rainboom could be. They couldn’t evacuate everypony there, not enough time. Rainbow Dash still picked up speed. Twilight pursed her lips and said, “I’ll try my best, but…” she closed her eyes and began to focus her energies, “You may want to get down, Fluttershy.” Shields were paltry magics. Usually placed around a single object to keep it from getting damaged. All it took was a picture in the mind’s eye of what needed to protect, and then coalescing one’s energy around it. She could see the field, the stands, but it was impossible to see everypony there, so she focused on the air above the stands. She shaped her energy around it, the height of a hundred ponies in the air, and began to stretch it from a single point across the whole field. Over it, forming a dome. Only a few sharp-eyed unicorn ponies noticed the air ripple like it was in the throes of a heat wave, the magic remained invisible to other ponies. Some realized the danger, because Twilight felt small pockets of energy fill on her shield, perhaps two dozen unicorns pitching in. The effort of magic slowed down time, all they had to do was finish the dome and… “Twilight!” A bloom of energy, Rainbow Dash punched through the shield in an instant and Twilight screamed, it was like the pony punched through her own skull. The remainder of the rainboom exploded over her shield, it held the force for a moment, then a searing pain laced its way up Twilight’s horn until she could feel it on the border of cracking. She had no choice. She released the magic. She opened her eyes and felt the force of the rainboom shove her flat against the stands. She gasped and blinked, trying to regain her senses. Her ears popped when the roar reached her. Underneath them the stands swayed and rocked. She heard ponies shout and scream, the wonder gone. She fought for consciousness, but the pain that bloom in her horn now flushed through her body like a poison, and for a moment, she blacked out. When the force of the rainboom hit, Fluttershy felt herself almost blown over, but the solid hooves of the bolters behind her caught her and propped her up. Fluttershy didn’t notice Twilight. For a moment she caught the sight of Pinkie Pie and several security ponies struggling to their hooves, but then Rainbow Dash was there. She went far too fast to sweep down, grab Pinkie Pie, and leave. So she swept around them, went the length of the field before she could turn again and sped towards the party pony. But some of the security ponies piled on top of her, thinking to protect Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash changed her plans and swept around them, veering hard and sweeping into a circle. She orbited them faster and faster until every one of the ponies was lifted in the air. Fluttershy felt a surge of wind tug on her mane, the stands creaked and leaned toward the twister Rainbow Dash created. But soon it wasn’t a twister, Rainbow Dash kept spinning and spinning around Pinkie Pie until the stallions fell to the ground, dropping a distance that wouldn’t harm them until there was just Pinkie Pie in the core of a balled rainbow. The pony barely visible through the vapored colors of light. Then Rainbow Dash swept up, around, and the vortex suddenly stopped. Pinkie Pie fell an instant before Rainbow Dash sped through her own vortex and caught her. The vortex exploded and followed the pegasus in a long, narrow cone of multi-colored vapor trails that hung heavy in the air. They sped straight, for the Wonderbolts tent and disappeared within it. A pair of Wonderbolts followed, the face of the stands on the opposite end of the field collapsed. Ponies yelled warnings and began to scramble to safety, and Fluttershy finally remembered poor Twilight beside her. Groaning and struggling to come to her senses. “Oh I know, Twilight. I’m sorry, but you just got to move, okay? It’s not far, and it’s just too dangerous here. Come on, ugh, move please!” Twilight felt somepony grab her and try to lift her onto her hooves, but when they released her her knees buckled and she fell again. “Gosh, I’m so sorry, Twilight. Here—” Hooves wrapped around her again, but they quickly let her go. Twilight heard a squeak. She tried to open her eyes and lift her head, but she couldn’t. She heard, “She okay?” “Oh… I’m not sure… um… she tried to… um…” “Here, it’s going to be okay.” Twilight saw hooves land in front of her face, they were hidden underneath the familiar navy blue suit of a Wonderbolt. A pair of strong hooves wrapped around her and lifted her into the air. “Follow me, I’ll drop you guys off over there.” Twilight’s head hung limp in the air. The stands swayed below her, shrinking away until she pitched left and glided over the air to where a crowd of ponies waited. But she stopped and her limbs swung in the air like pendulums when she heard, “Wait!” “What is it?” the Wonderbolt asked. “We’re friends of Rainbow Dash…” She hung in the air, drifting up then down with the beat of the pegasus pony’s wings. “Hey, yeah I recognize you now. You guys are from Ponyville.” “Yes.” “Well, shoot. Follow me. I’ll get you to Rainbow Dash. I’ve got a feeling she’ll be wanting to see you guys to.” Twilight swung around and the Wonderbolt carried her to the tent. Rainbow Dash hugged Pinkie Pie and said, “What in the hay were you doing?” The two of them sat on Tyco’s mattress, catching their collective breaths. Pinkie Pie coughed. Rainbow Dash let up her grip and she said, “I was doing what you would do.” Rainbow Dash glared at her. “Don’t ever do that again. Obviously I’m not very smart.” Pinkie Pie giggled. “Whatever you say, Dashie.” Rainbow Dash poked her in the ribs. “I mean it. You scared me senseless.” Both ponies heard: “Senseless? I’ve got a lot words for it, and senseless is the nicest.” Rainbow Dash looked behind her and started. In the entrance of the tent stood Spitfire and Tyco. Tyco with a scowl on his face and Spitfire a stern glare. Both approached and Tyco added, “We had a clear height you had to be for when you hit the rainboom. A clear one you had barely cleared when you began your dive. It’s only by sweet Celestia herself that no pony got killed. It was a miracle no pony should ever see again.” Spitfire eyes flicked from Pinkie Pie to Rainbow Dash. “She was the friend you were talking about? Did you think she was in some kind of trouble when you made that dive? She wasn’t until you did.” Rainbow Dash stepped between the two and Pinkie Pie. “I wasn’t going to abandon her.” Tyco nickered. “I don’t care if it was Princess Celestia out there. You don’t endanger a thousand for one.” Pinkie Pie spoke up, “Well did anypony get hurt?” The flap came open again, and everypony turned their gaze on Fluttershy. Who squeaked and wilted away until Soarin entered the tent with Twilight draped across her back. Pinkie Pie gasped. “Twilight!” Twilight groaned and tried to raise her head to face Pinkie Pie, but she couldn’t. Pinkie Pie rushed to her side while Soarin said, “She’s okay.” Spitfire demanded, “Who are these two?” Soarin looked at Rainbow Dash. “Friends?” Rainbow Dash nodded. With Pinkie Pie’s help, Soarin set Twilight down. The dazed unicorn leaned against the pegasus while Soarin said, “Fluttershy here says this unicorn’s the reason Rainbow Dash didn’t flatten the field.” Twilight muttered something. Soarin listened, nodded and said, “She says she had some help.” Tyco turned on Rainbow Dash. “What do you have to say for yourself?” Rainbow Dash pursed her lips. She already said it all, and she still stood by it. Misty barreled into the tent. Fluttershy yelped and ducked. Misty said, “You guys should get out here.” “What is it?” Spitfire asked. Misty shook her head, “You need to see,” and she flew out the tent again. Spitfire said to Rainbow Dash, “This isn’t over.” Soarin and Pinkie Pie helped Twilight follow the two Wonderbolts outside. Fluttershy looked at her, opened her mouth then her ears perked and she said, “Hear that?” Rainbow Dash did, at first it was indistinct. Fluttershy drifted outside, lured by the noise. A knot rose in Rainbow Dash’s throat, but she swallowed and stepped outside. And before the tent, amassed hundreds of ponies, a Wonderbolts flag waved over them, and she heard the clear chant now, “Dash! Dash! Rainbow Dash! Beats the best in ten seconds flat!” Rainbow Dash barely heard Fluttery gasp. “The bolters!” Out on the field, it still hung in the air, the torrent of colored vapors from her sonic rainboom. The burst dissolved overhead, below it, underneath the spot Rainbow Dash created her tornado hung the remains of the vapors, where she shot through it and stretched it over the field. The stands sagged, and looked they would collapse with the next breeze. But before her… “Dash! Dash! Rainbow Dash! Beats the best in ten seconds flat!” Her knees wobbled, and she felt the same emotion well up in her that Soarin left when he told her she would be a Wonderbolt. She felt Fluttershy beside her, she heard her friend say, “I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash. I didn’t know if you wanted to—but I sort of told them your catch phrase.” The crowd continued its chant. Pinkie Pie twisted around and waved her hoof. “Hello? Equestria to Rainbow Dash? Get out there, they want you, Dashie.” Rainbow Dash took a few weak steps forward, at least until the crowd could see her clearly. The chant broke into raucous applause, whistles, hooting and hollering. Some sections swung back into their cheer. Her cheer. And she knew this moment… she’d felt it twice before a year ago and when she was filly… and now again… Standing at the heart of a rainboom. “We aren’t going to hold a double standard,” Spitfire said. All of the Wonderbolts stood behind her now, it was the morning of the next day. Rainbow Dash stood outside the tent with her three friends beside her. Spitfire said, “I’m sorry Rainbow Dash, but—” “She did something super-duper amazing, though!” Pinkie Pie protested. “You can’t kick her out for that—” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “No Pinkie Pie, it’s fine.” Twilight said, “Are you sure?” Rainbow Dash nodded and said to the Wonderbolts, “Spitfire’s right, there shouldn’t be any special treatment with the team. But more importantly, I’m not ready yet. I mean—I’m ready to be a Wonderbolt, I know I can do that in my sleep. But I’m not ready to give up everything, I don’t think I ever will be able to. If it makes any sense—I don’t know.” Rainbow Dash pointed at the Wonderbolts, “You guys can bet your bits I’ll be back though, and well, if I can’t be a Wonderbolt still then I’ll just start my own group and it’ll ten times cooler.” Spitfire smiled. “I fear the day.” Rainbow Dash did too. “Hey you ponies better. I’ll be shooting up the ladder so fast it’ll leave your heads spinning when I blaze past you.” Soarin spoke up, “See you around Dash. Me and Spitfire may pay you a visit in Ponyville once we finish this tour.” And he winked, but it wasn’t directed at Rainbow Dash. She glanced over her shoulder and found Twilight blushing. “See you guys!” Pinkie Pie said. “Let me know next time you guys are in town so I can throw a party.” Spitfire chuckled, “Sure will, Pinkie Pie.” “Thanks a bunch, then, Comet.” “It’s Spitfire.” “Spitfire, well that’s just silly—” “Come on Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said, “Before you embarrass us anymore.” Fluttershy giggled. “Don’t you mean, embarrass you?” Twilight almost glared at her as they turned away. Rainbow Dash heard her say, “Oops, I’m sorry. That wasn’t too far was it? I just thought we were joking…” Twilight said, “Oh, it’s fine. Coming, Rainbow Dash?” Rainbow Dash spared the Wonderbolts one last look before she joined her friends. “Course I am. I just figured you guys could use a head start.” Pinkie Pie said, “Head start? I didn’t think were racing home.” “Um… were not. I asked Silver Lining, and he was nice enough to let us travel back with the bolters,” Fluttershy said. Twilight whined, “But I still have a terrible headache!”

SlyWit

250

Angel,Fluttershy,Rainbow Dash,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

One Problem Child

Fluttershy is at a crisis that breaks her spirit. As the ponies rally around her for support, none are more determined than Rainbow Dash to see Fluttershy better. Angel just might have other plans, though.

complete

<p>Fluttershy is at a crisis that breaks her spirit. As the ponies rally around her for support, none are more determined than Rainbow Dash to see Fluttershy better. Angel just might have other plans, though. </p><p><i>Written for a friend off, the picture the story is based off of is included.</i></p>

everyone

2011-07-18T03:59:36+00:00

2011-07-18T03:59:36+00:00

The wood banged under Fluttershy’s hooves and the door flew back on its hedges under the force. She galloped inside with her characteristic lack of coordination. The fact it was Fluttershy bursting frightened the queens favored student. “Rarity, Twilight! Angel ran away!” Tears streamed down Fluttershy’s cheek, and the words nearly tripped over themselves as she let it out in a rush. “I just got up this morning and he had left his bunny-house so I thought he must have been in the fields, but he wasn’t there, so I searched the gardens and the river and he wasn’t there either. I’ve been looking everywhere, but he left! He ran away.” She collapsed her hindquarters and threw her head down so pink hair veiled most of her face. Tear drops fell to the floor as she tried to subdue loud sobs. Rarity and Twilight stared in shock. The tiara Rarity had been prepping for Twilight fell to the floor in a clatter. Twilight sat with confusion, shock, inexperience, and concern melting into a bath of indecision. The intensity of the emotions left her overwhelmed and underprepared. She was still new to this friendship thing, and had never seen anyone so distraught. Between the two, Rarity acted first. “Oh, you poor darling.” She moved to Fluttershy’s side and straightened out her hair with a warm, magical touch. “We’ll help you look. Clean yourself up in my bathroom, have you had breakfast? Twilight and I will get Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, and Applejack to help. Maybe Wynona can sniff out the bunny’s trail? Well now, off you go. Get some refreshments and we’ll start the search anew.” Fluttershy nodded and slowly walked to the other room, heavy footfalls clomped on the floor with each step. Twilight, clothed in a half complete outfit that Rarity had been working on, stared after Fluttershy. Relief washed over her to see Fluttershy comforted. Yet still, a nagging doubt plagued her mind. “Rarity?” “Yes, darling?” Twilight struggled off the unfinished dress. “I get that Fluttershy cared for that bunny, but Angel is a bit of a . . . problem hare. Maybe it’s better for Fluttershy that he actually left.” Rarity closed her eyes in a moment of silent contemplation. “I can see why you’d say that Twilight. You haven’t known Fluttershy as long as I have. Angel is more than that than a mere problem. Especially,” She gestured with her nose toward the bathroom. “To her.” Rarity exhaled a regretful sigh. “We all have our talents, dear. You have your magic. I have my unbelievably good eye for color, arrangement, fabric, as well as sophistication and grace.” Rarity let out a short laugh before her face turned serious again. “Angel was the first animal she ever tried to care for. Perhaps she made a few mistakes, spoiled him or what not. But Angel is . . . Twilight, imagine if all your grades at Canterlot had been a mistake, and they sent you an updated diploma filled with Fs.” Twilight grimaced and did her best to resist the thought. “I see. Angel is proof to her that she does have talent mothering, in addition to the mere attachment. If Angel ran away, she’d see herself as a failure.” “You’ve always understood quickly, darling. Come on,” Rarity gestured to the door. “Let’s start a search party.” * * * Rainbow Dash soared high overhead. If her gaze could burn, scorch lines would be drawn all over the field. Twilight had gathered every pony and organized a search based on abilities and skills. Pinkie took to asking around town. Applejack traveled with Wynona through the woods. Rainbow Dash, her pegasus view and speed, was suited for the fields and places a little too distant for others to reach. After Twilight broke down the search pattern, she brought in Fluttershy. Fluttershy gave tips on places to look out for, things Angel enjoyed and would be around. It had been painfully obvious to all that she had been crying mere moments before, and talking about Angel brought up the tears anew. She did her best to put on a brave face, but her voice squeaked too much to be understood and she was led back to the bathroom. Now, the sun crested halfway on the horizon—the signal to return. Dash took one swing back over the fields and returned for Ponyville. By the time she arrived, having the widest searching ground, all the rest had gathered. Fluttershy came at a gallop with Rarity in tow, her hind and front quarters bobbing on each step in her awkward way. “Did you find anything?” She beamed with a fleeting hope, looking at each pony in turn. One by one, they shook their head no. Applejack and Wynona, Twilight, even Pinkie Pie realized the gravity of the moment and answered with a somber shake of her head. Each time Fluttershy’s eyes fell on one of them and was answered with nothing, her hope crumbled some small amount. Her eyes watered half way through and her lip quivered as she sensed the coming answers. The last, her face turned to Rainbow Dash, the first of her tears rolled down her cheeks. Dash felt her insides twist up and shred themselves against that look, the last glimmer of hope lingered with a sense of doom. Dash knew her answer would destroy the last of it and break her. Excruciating pain tightened its grip on her heart, chest, and stomach, and forced Dash’s own tears to the surface. She closed her eyes, turned, fled, and bolted into the sky. “Dash? Dash!” Twilight’s voice called, but Rainbow Dash did not turn back. Ponyville was left in her multicolored wake. She let wind wipe away the fledgling tears and steeled herself up to resume the search, sun or no. The moon was full, and for that Rainbow Dash let a little thanks pass through her thoughts for Luna. Dash tried new paths, places she did not have time to search, and did so on sheer intuition and luck, no organized pattern. Off on a cliff side, her sharp sight spotted a single white dot that moved every few seconds. High overhead, she circled the dot and made out the distinctive features of Angel. Dash folded her wings and dove like a hawk down on its prey, giving Angel the least chance to slip away. “Gotcha.” But Angel made no move to escape, only looked up and waited. Dash opened her wings and slowed the descent at the last instant and coming to a hard landing which knocked Angel off his feet. “You little jerk! You grump with big ears! You . . . ” words began to escape her. “meanypants!” She reared up and stomped her feet back to earth, resisting the urge to pound him into dust. Towering over the rabbit, she leaned down, face to face and snorted with flared nostrils. “I ought to trample you right here.” Much to her amazement, Angel calmly rose to his feet and stared her down without so much as a flinch. The intensity of the stare made Rainbow stand straight again. “You have any idea what you’ve done?! Why did you leave?” Defiance in his stance, Angel raised one bunny paw and pointed straight to Rainbow Dash. “ME?!” Her wings flared with anger and her gaze filled with rage. “MY fault? No, what WILL be my fault is all the bruises on your white heinie when I kick you from here back to Ponyville.” Angel merely crossed his arms. For an instant, Dash considered pounding that look off his face. “I’m taking you back to Ponyville.” Dash went to scoop him up, but he ducked her hooves and hopped away. “Get back here, you little—” She leaped to follow, but skidded to a stop when she saw Angel holding out one paw with the gesture to halt. What caused Dash to stop, she wasn’t sure. She labeled it curiosity. After all, forcing Angel back might not solve the problem. “Alright, you rascally rabbit.” She narrowed her gaze with skepticism. “Why is it my fault?” The bunny started to hop around, making various gestures and expressions and poses. Dash groaned, a hoof rising to her face. “A three legged donkey went to a dance off and placed second?” He shot her a confused expression and shook his head violently. Looking to both sides, Angel found a stick and crudely etched a stick-figure of a pony. But the long hair and wings made it recognizable. “Fluttershy.” He nodded. With a paw he pointed down at the drawing, then pointed at Dash. “Fluttershy . . . . what me?” Angel let out a sigh of resignation. He clasped his hands in front of him, blinking rapidly at Dash, making the biggest eyes he could manage as he swooned. “Fluttershy . . . likes me!” She retreated a step back. Her rear legs gave out so she sat on her haunches. For a long moment, the message sunk in and she stared blankly to the side. “Why?” She finally spoke up again to the rabbit. “Why would she like me?” Using the stick, Angel sketched a scary face on the ground, full of teeth and angry eyebrows. To the face, he turned and lowered himself ready to pounce or fight. “Because I’m brave.” Standing up tall, Angel stuck out his little bunny arm and flexed confidently. “Because I’m strong.” Licking both paws, Angel slicked both ears back and shot Dash the finger guns. “Because I’m cool.” Angel seemed satisfied and sat down, waiting. Dash let the thoughts sink into place. As they did, another question arose. “So why did you leave?” He pointed to her. He swooned again. Then, gestured down to Fluttershy. Dash’s wings shot out in surprise, and she tried to hop backwards with a surprised whinny, but only managed to scoot her hindquarters back a few inches. “Mares liking mares?! That’s ridiculous!” His stern eyes narrowed at her. Those eyes knew a misdirection when they saw one. “But,” Dash shied away from his gaze. Her ears and neck lowered in shame. “Mares with mares. Ponies will talk. What will my friends think?” Angel placed his paws on his hips. That answer would not fly with this bunny. Dash let out a sigh. “So what will it take to get you back?” The little white rabbit turned and hopped behind a bush. After a rustle, he emerged with a flower, cut cleanly at the stem by his bunny teeth. In the bright moonlight, the features could be easily seen. Vibrant, light blue petals that stretched out from the center in a color reminiscent of Dash’s coat. Inner petals of magenta, the same as her eyes. And a center bulb of yellow, like the strand of hair she wore closest to her face. Angel must of spent some time in search of a flower so unique. “You want me to give her this?” Rapidly, he gave a nod of his head. A blush rose slowly on her cheeks. “But . . .” Angel shot her a glare. She exhaled a choking sound. “Fine!” She stood up. “I’ll give her a flower. But,” she lowered herself on her front legs, face to face with Angel. “I bring you back first.” Angel thought for a moment, then spat in his paw, offering it to Dash. Dash did likewise, touching wet hoof to wet paw. “Deal. Don’t you ever do anything like this again.” He turned his back and crossed his arms. He made no promises. For a moment, she looked Angel up and down, a slight smile coming over her face. “You really care about Fluttershy, don’t you?” Angel nodded in his rapid bunny way. “You know you’ve made her cry.” His shoulder quivered, but he stiffened it up and kept his nose high and away from Dash. “Come on, time for you to come back.” She turned around and stretched out her tail. “But remember this. From here on out, I’m watching you.” Angel turned and shot her a fearless look, but hopped on over. Tucking the flower in the protective layers of Dash’s tail, Angel climbed on her back. The night grew late by the time they returned. The streets long sense emptied, gas and fairy lamps glowed at each intersection, and nearly every house was dark and still with sleep. Still feeling a little resentment, Dash resisted the urge to give Angel a hard landing as she swooped low to Fluttershy’s house, a living space that vaguely resembled a tall hill with its roof. Dash’s hooves trotted on the stone as she touched down and slowed to a walk. A single light showed in one corner of the house, having never been shut off. Holding her breath, Dash knocked her hoof against the door. From inside, she heard a tumble and spill of something wooden and rolled her eyes. “That scaredy-cat . . .” but the comment was softened with a smile. As troublesome as that habit was, there was something endearing about it. Lights came on, one by one, and in a moment, the door unlatched. Hovering at the crack, Fluttershy peaked out. She must have never gone to bed, her hair was as nice as when Rarity cleaned it off for her after the meeting. But her eyes still had the look of recent tears. “Rainbow Dash?” Her voice squeaked at high pitch, pain mingling with a kind of relief at the company. “Fluttershy . . . I . . .” Angel hopped from her back and sprung toward the yellow pony. She gasped and threw open the door, scooping up Angel and forgetting any demeanor of shyness. “Angel! Angel, you’re back!” She hugged the bunny tight in her arms, nuzzling it with her cheek as she went on and on like a mother reunited with a child. “. . . I was so worried! I searched everywhere, you left without a note. Don’t ever, I repeat, ever do that again . . .” Angel took it all in stride, the affection and gentle scolding, hugging himself to Fluttershy’s embrace. “Oh, thank you, Rainbow Dash! Thank you so much!” “Yeah, I just . . .” Dash kicked at the ground. “He never did run away, by the way. He just had something to do.” “Still, thank you, Dash.” In the embrace, Angel had cleaned up her coat, under her eyes. Now that she smiled, with her hair still nice, it was beautiful. Angel squirmed out of the embrace and shot a look at Dash. “Oh, I-ah . . .”Dash craned her neck and rifled through her tail, taking the flower in her mouth. A profuse blush grew sharper and sharper on her cheeks and she half turned away, but held out the flower’s bloom toward Fluttershy. “For you . . . just found it or something.” She cast her eyes away, trying her best to look disinterested despite the blush. Fluttershy gasped quietly and pulled up alongside the blue pegasus. She looked into the bloom, then leaned forward to smell it’s fragrance. “It’s beautiful, Rainbow Dash. This is my favorite kind of flower.” She even smiled as a confused lady bug crawled across the stem. Taking the bug with a gentle hoof, she helped it to the ground. “Could you . . .” She turned her head away, with her own blush. “Tuck it in my hair, Dash? I can’t do it myself and I want to wear it.” Wordlessly, the blue pegasus complied. She nuzzled aside the mane and pushed the stem into the pink hair, at the parting next to her ear. “Thank you, Dash.” She flicked her ear, getting it comfortable. A breath of awkward silence past. Fluttershy turned back to her house, but stopped when Angel used his foot to thump her flank. “Oh, umm,” she turned back around. “Dash, would you like to come in with me for tonight?” Her voice grew quieter with each word. “I mean, I know you have this beautiful house in the clouds with colors, and probably very comfy beds . . .” She cut herself off with a timid mew. Dash glanced down at Angel. No threat or intention shot back, he just waited with interest. It was the look in Fluttershy’s eyes that moved Dash. A ray of hope for the answer, somewhere deep in that shyness. “I’d like to, Fluttershy. I’d like to a lot.”

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2011-07-18T06:33:02+00:00

2011-07-18T06:33:02+00:00

Author’s Note: Some lines of dialogue are taken directly from Episode 24 of My Little Pony. Special dedication and thanks to my good friend MarickLOA for his outstanding job on the custom image. Irreplaecable Prologue - Exile "WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY CAVE? AND WHY ARE YOU EATING MY GEMS?" Hastily spitting out the long topaz gem he'd been sucking on, Spike's mind raced. The dragon was colossal, easily fifty, no, a hundred times his size, maybe even bigger. Scrambling to his feet, he began to backpedal as he attempted to reason with the snarling giant. "Uh, Heya, bro! I didn't know this was your cave, and I didn't know these were your gems! But, we're cool, right? Woah, WOAH, we're like brothers, you know! Us against the world, right?!" He looked about, seeking an avenue of escape. How had he gotten himself into this mess? He thought back to several hours ago, as a furious Twilight Sparkle had stormed out of the Ponyville library, that owl- THAT BLASTED OWL- sitting on her back. As she left, it had slowly turned hits head to watch him, those smug eyes letting him know full well that he'd lost. Twilight was HIS now, Spike had officially been replaced. Ever since that smug, condescending featherbag had flapped its way into his life, he'd had nothing but misfortune, culminating in the loss of his best friend. She was more than my best friend, he thought. She was like my sister. Almost like my mother. But she's gone now, replaced me with HIM. Spike's eyes and heart grew hard. If he was going out, it would be on his feet like a man, not babbling apologies like a coward. "You don't scare me!" he yelled, claws outstretched in a defiant address. "So you're big... really big... And your claws're super sharp... and your tail... extra spiky..." Shaking away his trepidation, he again shouted his challenge. "You don't scare me!" Inhaling, he drew back and blast forth a plume of green flame. "How d'you like that?!" The great green and gold beast rose, rearing to its full height. It drew in a great breath, threw back its head and laughed. Its deep, throaty chuckle echoed throughout the cave. "Well, little one. That is certainly a mighty roar you have there. You could almost toast a marshmallow with it." Reaching down, he gingerly lifted Spike with two claws. Placing him in the palm of his other hand, he raised him up to eye level. "What is such a small and, if I may say so, fierce" here, the dragon chuckled again, sending wisps of smoke from its nose and mouth "young one doing out here on his own? Where is your clan?" Spike's voice faltered as he answered. "I- I`m alone. I don't have a clan. No family". His mind turned to Twilight and the rest, how they'd replaced him with that thrice damned buzzard. "No friends.". The dragon cocked an immense, scaly eyebrow. "Is that so? How then, I ask, did you get here?" Spike sat down, leaning against the other dragon's scaly fingers. Taking a deep breath, he began his story. He told him of his life, from his birth in Canterlot, as part of Twilight Sparkle's entrance exam to Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, to the present day, his rejection and self imposed exile from Ponyville. The great beast listened to his story with interest, remaining silent throughout. As Spike finished his tale, the dragon spoke. “You have suffered through much, young one. Our kind are not meant to be servants, nor are we pets. Although you took to your position willingly, and fought to keep it, you were still cast aside. You are blameless in this affair, it is all you were raised to know. To be raised in servitude...” He shook his head in disgust. “Unforgivable.” Spike shrugged his head, despondent. “What can I do? Like you said, it’s all I’ve ever known. What do I do now?” A slow grin spread across the great beast’s fanged mouth. “ I believe I know exactly what to do from this moment forwards. Tell me, young one... Have you ever dreamt of the sky?” TO BE CONTINUED

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2011-07-18T06:31:57+00:00

2011-07-18T06:31:57+00:00

Irreplaceable - Chapter 1: The Search “SPIKE!” The early morning calm of Ponyville’s library was shattered by the outburst. From the main room of the library, Twilight Sparkle (looking a mite perturbed) was busy, digging through shelves and stacks of books, briefly scanning covers before tossing them aside. Again, she called for her assistant. “Spike, have you seen my copy of Magical Mysteries and Practical Potions? I need to... Spike?” More confused now than anything else, she began to head up the stairs towards the bedrooms. Spike had always been a deep sleeper, but he’d never been one to ignore her. She supposed he was still upset over the whole mouse incident the day before. In a fit of jealousy, he’d attempted to frame Owlysius for killing a mouse in the library, and she’d scolded him quite harshly. Maybe TOO harshly, she thought. So he made a mess of the library and tried to blame Owlysius. It was plain to see that he’d been really jealous. I guess I should’ve paid more attention to his feelings, and let him know he’s still my #1 assistant. I know I expect him to know that already but still is it too much to ask for me to occasionally give him the thanks he deserves and reaffirm his position all the books I read on psychology said that much at least that you should always give love and affirmation when a new member of the family comes along I know that’s more child psychology but still Spike’s only a baby dragon and I guess- Twilight shook her head. She was doing it again, getting caught up in the science of a thing when all that was really needed was some love and understanding. Trotting down the hall, she came to the door to Spike’s room. She tapped gently. “Spike? You alright? Look, I’m sorry I got mad yesterday, but-” she stopped short. She’d peeked in the partially open door, and seen his empty bed. “SPIKE?! Where are you?” This was VERY unusual. Spike, up and about before she was? She could barely get him out of bed most mornings. Hay, she could barely get him out of bed most AFTERNOONS. Where could he be? I should go check with Pinkie Pie, maybe he went to Sugarcube Corner for an early snack, or he could’ve gone to see Rarity, or Fluttershy, or- No. Okay. Calm down. We got a bit angry, some hurtful words were said. I really should give him some time to cool off. Besides, I’m SURE he’ll be back for lunch. In all the years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen him miss a meal. That night, there was an impromptu meeting in the library. After Spike hadn’t shown up for lunch, Twilight’s initial worry had returned full force. After he’d missed dinner, it escalated to full blown panic. After a quick but furious search of the town, with nopony remembering seeing him at all that day, it had been all her friends could do to prevent Twilight from charging out into the Everfree Forest that very night. “C’mon now, sugarcube,” Applejack said, “Ah’m as worried ‘bout the lil’ guy as you are, but there’s no use chargin’ out there in the middle o’ the night. What d’ya think y’all can accomplish like that?” “I CAN FIND HIM! Look, something’s wrong. I don’t know what-” “EXACTLY, dear!” Rarity cut in. “You don’t know WHAT’S going on right now. You don’t even know if he’s in the forest! He could’ve just dropped off to have a nap somewhere!” Twilight fixed her with an icy stare. “A nap. For an ENTIRE DAY. Missing THREE MEALS. Look, we ALL know something’s wrong, and it’s entirely MY FAULT.” Rainbow Dash put her hoof on Twilight’s shoulder comfortingly. “Look, Twi. You know me. If I thought there was ANY chance we could do ANYTHING tonight, I’d be the first one out there. It’s just not safe. If you go out there tonight, all you’re gonna do is get yourself eaten by something”. With a resigned sigh, Twilight slumped back. “But...” “But NOTHIN’, sugarcube. Look, if y’all REALLY want to do summat tonight, why don’cha get everything organized and ready for tomorrow? I’m sure y’all can drum up a couple dozen folk ready ta help ya search”. Leaping to her feet, Twilight raced towards her desk. Tossing aside crumpled scrolls and cracked quills, she spread a fresh sheet of parchment and began scribbling furiously. “That’s IT! Okay, we’ll need to spread out over a 5 by 5 grid, organize separate search teams, get some pegasus ponies doing aerial recon...” As she busied herself with her work, her friends slowly let themselves out. As they departed, Applejack spared a second to glance back towards her friend. “Poor gel, workin’ herself all in a tizzy o’er this. Ah know they’d had a fight, but I never thought that Spike’d do sumthin’ so dang foolhardy like this.” By morning, Twilight had a search plan organized. After explaining the situation to the mayor, she was able to rally almost every pony in Ponyville for help. But, as day turned to night, one by one, ponies began to drift away from the search, returning to their daily lives. By the night of the third day, the only ones still searching were Twilight and her friends. However, even they eventually departed. It was true that he was an important part of all their lives, and it pained them to see Twilight so sad, but they just couldn’t afford to keep searching. “We’re really super sorry, Twilight,” said Pinkie, unusually despondent. “But we just CAN’T keep this up much longer. We ALL miss him SO MUCH... It’s just that we’ve all got so many things to do that we just CAN’T put off any more!!” As an outraged Twilight rounded on her, but before she could speak, Applejack stepped between the two. “She’s right, sugar cube. The Cakes are havin’ trouble at Sugarcube Corner, Clouds are startin’ ta pile up around Ponyville, Rarity’s WAY behind on her orders, Fluttershy’s animals need her help, an’ Big Macintosh ‘n Apple Bloom can’t handle the farm alone. I miss th’ lil’ guy powerful, but there comes a time when y’ just need ‘ta accept that... Well...” She paused, at a loss for words. “Accept what? That he’s gone? And that he’s never coming back?” “Look, Twi. All’s we know fer sure’s that he’s not here. We’ve been out here fer three days without any sign o’ him. It’s time we git back t’our lives. We just can’t do this no more.” They stared at each other in silence for a full ten seconds. It was Twilight who looked away first. “We’re sorry, Twi.” Applejack said sadly. “We just can’t do this no more”. Twilight bowed her head. She knew they were right, she knew that the longer it took, the less likely they’d ever find him. With a sigh, she began to follow her friends on the long trek back to Ponyville. Meanwhile, much deeper in the Everfree Forest, bursts of green flame lit the darkness, splashing out in strong, clear gouts. “Excellent work, young one, excellent. Your control is greatly improving. Soon, we will be able to take the next step towards making you a proper dragon.” TO BE CONTINUED...

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2011-07-18T06:33:58+00:00

2011-07-18T06:33:58+00:00

Irreplaceable - Chapter 2: Flight ~Three Weeks Later~ Through the darkness of the Everfree Forest, around trees, through the dense woods, through the darkness, with the wind at their backs and sheer terror, like the grim spectre of death, nipping at their heels the two foals fled. Needless to say, they were out of their minds with fear. Brigadier and Sapphire Glory, not more than 15 years between them, dearly wished that they’d stayed home tonight. Brigadier, his usual bluster and bravado nowhere to be seen, looked back at his best friend, mere steps behind him. Her normally perfect golden mane was completely askew, tangled with leaves and twigs, and her cyan coat was splattered with mud. Sapphire met his gaze, their mutual terror plainly visible in her eyes. “I- I’m not s-sure how mu-much longer...” She panted, completely exhausted. Swallowing hard, Brigadier swallowed hard, willing his usual fearlessness to return. Putting on a brave face, he called back to her. “Don’t worry, Saph, It can’t be that much farther! We’re almost home!” It was at that moment that she suddenly dropped, falling flat on her face. Skidding, Brigadier wheeled around and ran to her side. “I’m stuck!” she cried, tears in her eyes. In the darkness, she had strayed too close to a large pile of rocks, and her hoof had become jammed. “Okay, hold on, just hold on!” he said, mind racing. The rocks she had stuck under were unstable; If he moved them to get her out, they’d fall, trapping her completely. Unless... “Alright. I’m going to move the rock. The SECOND you can move, get away from the pile, got it?” “But, th-” “Look, Saph. You’ve gotta trust me here. I’m gonna get you out, but then you have to RUN. Promise me that no matter what, once you get out, you’ll run. Run for home. Okay?” She nodded. “Okay. I promise.” Bracing his back against the pile, Brigadier pushed. He pushed as hard as he had ever pushed anything in his entire life. His exhausted limbs cried out in protest, but still he pushed. As he strained, the rocks began to shift and rumble, bits of stone and pebbles dropping down. As soon as Sapphire realized what was happening, her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to protest, but a single look from her best friend silenced her. “It’s my fault you’re out here... And I’ll be damned if you’re not gonna make it back, with or without me!”. With one final grunt of exertion, the rock shifted.Pulling herself out of the way, Sapphire could only watch in horror as the pile of stone and dirt and wood crashed down around her friend, burying him up to his chest in rubble. “Ngh... GO. YOU PROMISED. JUST GO!” With one final glance back at her best friend, a trickle of blood running down his face, Staining the edges of his bluegold mane and the gray of his face with a deep red, Sapphire Glory ran. She ran like she had never run before. When she had run earlier, she was only running for herself. Now, she was running for the both of them. Oh, why had she dragged him out here with her? True, it had started as a fun little adventure, just the two of them out there in the darkness of the great and mysterious Everfree Forest. It was even sorta romantic, she confessed to herself. But then, the weather had turned, and they had run to a cave, seeking shelter... Sighting a light in the distance, she steeled herself for one last burst of speed. Please, PLEASE let this be it... “Thanks for letting me stay, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash said as she finished towelling herself dry. “I guess I overdid it a bit with the storm, huh?” The yellow pegasus she was addressing nodded, uneasy. Fluttershy had never been the bravest of ponies at the best of times, and thunder and lightning always put her even more on edge than usual. “Oh, I wouldn’t say- EEP!” Fluttershy started, a particularly loud crack of thunder echoing across the night. “Okay, maybe you overdid it a teensy bit...” Dash clopped over to the window, shaking her head at the tempest raging outside. “I hope everyone got inside safely. That’s a NASTY one. Heh, sometimes I impress even myself”. Dash’s self congratulations would have to wait, as it was at that moment that the door to Fluttershy’s cottage flung open with a resounding bang. Sapphire Glory stood in the doorway, tears in her eyes, soaked to the skin and completely out of breath. Immediately forgetting her own fear, Fluttershy bundled her inside and wrapped her in a blanket. “Oh, you poor little thing! Are you alright? What happened?” Sapphire choked back sobs as she tried to answer. “I-in the forest, it’s Brig, he’s stuck, we were running, and I got stuck and he moved the rocks and they fell on him and he got stuck and he told me to run and I left and it’s all my fault and-” “Hush, dear, it’s going to be all right.” Fluttershy hugged her reassuringly. “We’re going to find him, isn’t that right, Rainbow Dash?” All thoughts of a warm bed were now completely gone from the blue pegasus’s mind. Ready for action, she prepared herself to brave the storm yet again. “Okay, kid, if I’m gonna find him, I need to know which way you came”. Sapphire, still fighting against tears, tried several times to start a sentence, but broke down and cried, rendering everything she said unintelligible. “Just point to which direction. Can you do that much?”. She nodded, and raised a hoof, pointing the way into the Everfree Forest. “Right, that’s all I need to know. Be back with your buddy in 10 seconds flat!” As she ran for the door, Fluttershy stopped her. “Wait! It’s too dangerous, we need to go find the others first! You can’t just head off alone!”. Dash shook her head. “There’s no time! We don’t know what’s going on, where he is, or what condition he’s in. If I don’t go right now, there’s no telling what could happen to the little guy”. Spreading her wings, Rainbow Dash launched herself out the door, into the storm. “Don’t worry, little one. Rainbow’ll find him. She’s the best flier in Equestria!” Fluttershy cooed, reassuring the little filly, but her words fell on deaf ears. The night’s events had taken their toll, and Sapphire Glory had finally slipped into unconsciousness. It was half an hour later that Rainbow Dash returned to Fluttershy’s cottage. Covered in mud, hooves scuffed and raw, she carried the limp form of Brigadier on her back. Fluttershy gasped. “Is he...?” Hurriedly, she lifted him from her friend’s back and, laying him on the couch, began to clean his cuts and scrapes.. “Nah, he’s fine” Dash assured her. “Nothing’s broken, he’s only a bit scraped in spots”. She shook her head. “It’s amazing. I found him easy enough, she left a path that a blind pony could follow. I got there, and here he is, buried under a pile o’ rocks at least twice his size. I could barely move them to get him out. From what the little one told us, he’d have had to roll one aside himself so that she could get out.” Fluttershy stroked his brow gently. “Some say that, in extreme circumstances, ponies can do incredible things. There are stories of mothers lifting fallen trees off their children, and I guess, in this case, moving rocks”. Satisfied that the young ones were taken care of for the night, Rainbow Dash dried herself off for the second time that night and, exhausted after the night’s excitement, headed off to bed. The next morning, she awoke to find Nurse Hart in the living room. “I’m happy to say, miss Fluttershy” she was saying, “That aside from a couple bumps, bruises and scrapes, they have a clean bill of health from me. I’ve called their parents, they should be here shortly”. Noticing Dash, Fluttershy ran over to her, the normally quiet pegasus alight with excitement. “Dash! Oh, thank goodness you’re awake!” Taken aback, Dash put a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Whoa, calm down! What’s up?” Still barely able to contain herself, Fluttershy had to take several deep breaths before she could speak. “Oh, Dash, you need to hear this! They’re awake, and- oh, dear! Here, just listen. Brigadier, Sapphire, tell Rainbow Dash what you told me!” The foals looked at one another, before Brigadier spoke, telling the story of the night before. As he finished the tale, Fluttershy and Dash looked at each other, before speaking the same thought as one voice. “We GOTTA tell Twilight!” ~To Be Continued~

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2011-07-18T06:34:51+00:00

2011-07-18T06:34:51+00:00

Irreplaceable - Chapter 3:Change Emerald light flashed through the darkness of the storm, its colours clashing with the blue-white lightning of the storm’s own fury. Deep within the great cave, flames of green and orange clashed, sending flickering shadows and a kaleidoscope of colours across the stone walls as the light refracted off the piles of gold and jewels. Again and again, green met orange in a crackling blaze of glory. Spike rounded on the great green beast, slipping between its legs and blasting his flame at his back. Easily dodging the blast, the larger whipped his tail in a rising arc, trying to swat the purple annoyance like a fly. Jumping into the air, Spike slipped past the attack, hitting the ground in a roll. “Enough!”.The great green dragon stretched, a series of sickening cracks echoing throughout the cavern as the nitrogen bubbles in its joints popped one by one. “You are improving much, young one”. Spike got to his feet, rubbing his shoulder. The young dragon looked much different than he had three weeks before, having shed much of his baby fat. Now lean and muscled from intense training, he was beginning to come into his own. However different his body had become, though, what had changed most was easily his eyes. Once bright and shining, always a cheery smile plastered across his scaly features, those eyes became hard. His emerald irises were now somehow dark and steely. Gone were the happy thoughts of his friends and home, replaced simply with desire. A desire for power, for strength, a desire to throw away the Spike that he once was and become something... different. Something no-pony would be able, no, that no pony would DARE try to hurt. “Why’d we stop? I’m ready for more! I can take it!” Spike stomped a scaly foot. “No, young one. While you have learned much, and gained much control of your own power, your strength, but you are still young. At this stage, too much exertion-” “That’s the PROBLEM!” Spike’s shout echoed throughout the cavern. “I’m too small! This power you keep talking about, what good is it if I’m too small to use it!? You promised me power, old one. You promised me the chance, and the power, to show them just who it was they deserted”. “Aye. You WILL have your revenge. You will have the power to right the wrongs done to you, to fight back against those who shunned you, who used you and tossed you aside. You will attain this power and so much more, but only once you are ready. Several more years, and you will be ready to-” “NO!” Again, Spike stamped his foot. “I can’t wait years, I’ve barely been able to wait this long!” The young dragon stared at his towering mentor, anger in his eyes. Since that first fateful night,the great dragon had begun to train him. Spike was stronger, faster and his breath could do more then simply cook popcorn. His control over his own flame had grown exponentially, in fact. Once unable to summon more than a short burst, only good for sending letters, the colossal plumes of flame he could now call up with a breath would put most dragons ten times his size to shame. However, as his strength grew, so did his temper. The little dragon had, with the help of the incensing words of his master, turned the loneliness that grew inside him to bitter, base rage. Rage at himself for not being good enough. Rage at Twilight and her friends for casting him out and replacing him. Rage at that feathered freak who had ruined his life. In the beginning, he had absorbed the great dragon’s words, doing his best to better himself, to become stronger. With the closest thing to a family he had ever known gone, he began to focus on a new goal. With his new strength, the flames and power to be bequeathed to him, he knew what he would do. He would burn. Burn himself into their minds, a great beast of legend. They would no longer see a weak, pathetic infant, hurt by what they had done to him. They would see him as a DRAGON. As the days passed, his master’s words molded him, incensing his pain and inflaming his desires. The tiny dragon’s body no longer matched his spirit.With one thought on his mind, he continued his training. He would BURN. Waving the older dragon’s words aside, he argued. "It takes hundreds of years for a young dragon to grow to even HALF your size. By the time I grow to where you think I’m ready, they’ll all be long dead!" Spike huffed, a cloud of greenish black smoke spurting from his nostrils. The larger dragon sighed, a giant hot air balloon deflating all at once. “There may be a way...” Stopping abruptly, his head snapped around. He sniffed the air, scenting something. Something that shouldn’t be there.“We are not alone.” he snarled. With a bound, Spike charged towards the entrance to the cave. “Stay Where You Are!...”. But he was too late. Spike had already rushed outside, into the darkness and storm. His sharp dragon eyes darted about, examining the muddy ground outside. Hoofprints. Two pairs. Small. A pair of foals, from Ponyville, no doubt. Out on an adventure in the Everfree Forest. As he began to run through the trees, following the quickly disappearing tracks, a great clawed hand lifted him, bringing him back to the cave. Spike was livid. “Why’d you stop me? I could’ve caught them!” he raged. The other silenced him with a roar. “To what end? What, pray tell, would you have done had you caught them? In all likelihood, you’d have simply gotten yourself lost. You’re of no use to me dead, boy!” The great beast paused, shaking its head. “There will be a time and a place where the significance of tonight’s events will make itself known, but this is not that time.” Spike was still angered, though he was willing to listen to the mighty beast. He was never one to be patient, but his mentor has shown much wisdom in the time they have be together, for now, he decided, he will listen to the dragon’s words. "Very well, Delicraw, while I don’t agree, I am willing to hear you out." “We need to prepare for the eventuality that they will reach Ponyville. We do not have much time, until tomorrow afternoon at the latest, is my best guess. By then, they will have alerted the town to our presence here. They will mobilize, they will find us, and they will attempt to destroy us”. Taken aback, Spike questioned the other. “Are you sure? We’re doing them no harm, why would they come after us?” for a moment, Spike’s new fierce demeanour slipped, revealing a shade of his former self, indecision showing on his face. “We’ve done nothing to them”. “Aye, lad, that much is true. However, ponies are fearful creatures, quick to condemn anything they see as a threat. How have dragons been dealt with in the past in this area? How has your former *family*” The great dragon spit this word through a mouthful of hatred and malice, “acted towards any dragon they’ve seen? I trust their reaction has not been to invite them in for tea”. Spike had to agree. “Princess Celestia had Twilight and the rest drive the last one to try to settle in the mountains away...” “Exactly. They want us gone. Dead and gone. They drove a dragon who settled all the way in the MOUNTAINS away, what do yo think they would do to dragons who live that much closer to them?” Spike grunted, another plume of smoke. “So what do you think we should do, then?” The elder dragon let loose a thunderous laugh, and gave the younger a grin that was simultaneously cheerful and malevolent. “I suppose congratulations are in order. It looks as though you’ll get your wish after all”. Returning to his treasure horde, the great green dragon began to dig, tossing aside gold, gems and other trinkets, muttering to himself. With a roar of triumph, he pulled two items from the heap. As he placed them on the ground, Spike was able to see that he was clutching what appeared to be an ancient book and a goblet emblazoned with the image of a raging dragon. “My wish?” “This is the Lexicon Draconus” he began. “It is an ancient tome, filled with secrets of otherwise forgotten dragon magic. With this, you can continue to grow, to heights far greater than you could ever hope to achieve within the next millennium. However, its use comes at a price”. “What... What sort of price?” The elder dragon looked at him, his stare dissolving any trace of insincerity between them. “A Blood Price.” ~To Be Continued~

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2011-07-18T06:35:41+00:00

2011-07-18T06:35:41+00:00

Irreplaceable - Chapter 4 - Plans “...Are you sure?”. Twilight Sparkle, incredulous, looked at her friends with a look that can only be described as heartbroken. That morning, she had been woken by an insistent banging at the library’s door. Initially, she had ignored it, as she had for the past several weeks. However, this time, whoever it was hadn’t given up and left when she didn’t answer. Finally, frustration outweighing her desire to be alone, she’d stormed down the stairs and thrown open the door, only to see Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash standing outside. Before she could give them a piece of her mind and launch into her prepared speech of how she just wanted to be alone, they spoke. “We found him!” Twenty minutes later, Twilight and her best friends were all gathered in Fluttershy’s cottage. Brigadier and Sapphire Glory were sitting huddled together on the couch, understandably unnerved by the goings on. Upon their arrival, Brigadier leaped up, anger in his eyes. “This is who you brought? We just told you that there are DRAGONS in the Everfree Forest, and you bring your social club?”. Upon seeing Twilight, however, he quickly calmed, addressing her respectfully, but seriously. “Miss Sparkle, you’re close to Princess Celestia, right? Please, ask her to send some of her royal guards, or an army, or, or, SOMETHING! We’re gonna need all the help we can get if were going to kick some dragon behind and send them packing out of Equestria!”.The group tried their hardest to look serious, despite their own amusement at the little colt’s earnest tirade. Even Twilight found herself having to suppress the urge to giggle, despite her current state. “We can’t just force them out of Equestria”, Twilight explained, as gently as possible. “Just the fact that they’re dragons doesn’t mean they’re a threat to us, or even mean us any harm. Even if they were, we always try to resolve things with words first”. Brigadier stood his ground, looking her right in the eye. “I heard them talking! They ARE a threat, and they DO mean us harm!” “Listen, kid” Putting a hoof on his shoulder, Rainbow Dash tried to explain their current predicament. “ The situation we’re in right now is kinda...” “Unique” Rarity suggested. “Yeah, that’s the word! Unique”. Dash looked at Brigadier, and addressed him firmly yet gently. “Now, Brig, are you 100% sure of what you saw?” The colt raised his head, his face set in stone. “200% sure!” “Alright. You told me there were two dragons, right?” The colt nodded rapidly. “Ok, kid. I need you to tell Twilight and the others exactly what you told me”. “There were two of them” Brigadier began.”The first one was huge, absolutely massive. He was-” “Forget him!” Twilight broke in. “Tell me about the other one”. Taken aback, Brig obliged. “He was about this tall” he said, raising his hoof and indicating a point at about ear level. “He was purple, well, most of his scales were, anyways. He also had spikes along his back. Green ones”. Twilight exhaled; she hadn’t even realized she was holding her breath. “His fire. What colour was his fire?” The purple mare asked, in a voice almost completely devoid of emotion. “Green, the same colour as the spikes. It was really weird, though. It wasn't like a fire you’d see in a fireplace.It was kinda... wispy I guess. Sorta sparkly. Almost...” “Magical?” “Hey, yeah! How’d you know-” Applejack stepped in quickly, silencing him. “Brig, honey, just hush fer a sec, ‘kay?”. All eyes were on Twilight as she processed this piece of information. She stood, staring blankly ahead. Her mind raced. It was true, they HAD found Spike! The description was unmistakable, and from someone who’d never met him before. It was a certainty. Suddenly realizing that everyone was watching her, Twilight shook her head. “Please, continue. What were you doing in the cave, and what, exactly, did you see?”. Brigadier looked to Sapphire Glory. Their eyes locked, silently confirming the previous night’s events. Without taking his eyes from Sapphire’s, Brigadier spoke. “We... we wanted to go out and have an adventure. We wanted to explore the forest. We’re sorta new here, and we wanted to make a bit of a name for ourselves, I guess. But yeah, the cave. We really didn’t stay for long but... well, at first it seemed like they were fighting”. For the first time that morning, Brigadier quieted, and Sapphire Glory, who had been silent the entire time, picked up the story. “There was treasure everywhere, diamonds and rubies and emeralds, gold and silver, all sorts of stuff. We went inside, and... they... they were fighting. That’s how we found the cave, actually. It was raining, and it was dark, and we saw the lights, from their fire, and... Well, yeah. We thought they were fighting over the treasure, actually. After we saw them, we started to leave, but...they just stopped. The big one told the little one to stop, and they just started talking.” They broke eye contact, and Brigadier continued where she’d left off. “I could be mistaken. I won’t lie, we were both scared out of our minds, and maybe I don’t remember everything perfectly, but...” The young colt paused, looking at Twilight. Their eyes met. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he knew that what he was about to say was going to break the older mare’s heart. “It looked like he was teaching the little one. And... I don’t think he was teaching him anything good. No matter what else I forget from last night, I know I won’t forget what he said”. The air hung heavy with an unasked question. To everyone's surprise, it was Fluttershy who asked it. “What... did he say?” Brigadier swallowed before answering. “You promised me the chance, and the power, to show them just who it was they deserted’”. Twilight couldn’t breathe. Her head began to spin, and everything started to go blurry, though whether from shock or tears she couldn’t tell. She couldn’t believe it. It couldn’t be true, it COULDN’T. Spike is...is trying to get stronger so he can...so he can... tears welled in her eyes as she tried to finish the thought. For a long time, not a word was spoken. The group had come together, ready for another mission, just like old times. They came together in with a cautious optimism, ready to set out and bring back the dragon that had wedged himself so deep within their hearts. Now, however, it seemed as though they had a newer, much darker task. Applejack, never one to stand idly by, spoke first “I dunno what in th’ hay is going on here, but I, fer one, find it hard ta believe the lil’ guy would evuh say sumthin’ like that, but it’s crystal clear what these young ‘uns saw”. Every pony listened attentively as Applejack began issuing instructions. “Ah’m gonna keep on hopin’ that this all’s gotta be a mighty big misunderstandin’, and that we c’n fix it all up nice an’ peaceful-like, but this ain’t somethin’ we can take lightly. Rainbow Dash, you’re the quickest of us all Get’cher self ta the post office and tell Ditzy Doo to take a letter ta Princess Celestia. Explain th’ sitch’e’ation to the Princes and request some royal guards.” Dash looked to Twilight, hoping her friend would be able to say something, anything, but she simply stared at the floor, remaining silent. Dash, seeing she wouldn’t speak up, decided to herself. “Hold on a second” she said. “Why don’t I just go? Ditzy’s a good mailpony and all, but I’m the fastest flier in Equestria!”. Applejack shook her head. “Two things, sugarcube. First, she’s not just a good mailpony, she’s the BEST mailpony. She may be a bit derpy at times, but she’s got direct access ta th’ princesses. Second, once I tell y’all the rest o’ th’ plan, yer not gonna WANT ta go ter Canterlot. Now, g’won, get. The sooner ya get back, th’ sooner we can get th’ rest organized. As Dash left the cottage, she gave one final look behind her, as if waiting for someone, anyone to stop her. When no pony moved, she took off at full speed, heading for the center of town. Nopony said a word, but all, with the exception of Twilight, looked to Apple Jack, waiting for her next instructions. “Spike is our friend, an’ I got no intention o’ loosin’ th’ guards on him if I can help it. Brigadier, if’n we gave y’all a map d’ya think ya could mark th’ path ya took ta the cave?” The colt nodded “Alright then. Fluttershy, you go get ‘im a map and help ‘im out with that.” Fluttershy nodded and left the room, followed closely by Brigadier. “Alrighty then. Once we got a map an’ know where we’re headed, we move out. Any questions?” “Um...” Sapphire spoke up quietly from her place on the couch. “What’re you gonna do?”. Applejack looked at her. “We’re goin’ ta get our friend back”. “Excellent sentiment, dear! I agree wholeheartedly. While there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that Spike is quite upset and it’s quite possible he may have said some rather nasty things he probably doesn’t even mean. However, I strongly believe we can convince him to come back to Ponyville with his friends, where he belongs. From where I sit, though, there DOES seem to be one teeny tiny little problem.” Rarity walked over to the couch where Sapphire Glory still sat and placed a gentle hoof on her head. “According to this young filly, Spike isn’t alone. There’s a fully grown dragon there with him. I think it’s quite safe to say that he is the one responsible for our scaly friend’s drastic change in personality. How do you suggest we get past that great brute so we can speak with Spike?” Applejack opened her mouth, paused for a moment, then closed it. She had been so caught up in getting everything up and running in Twilight’s place that she’d entirely missed that little detail. The orange earth pony sat there, pondering, before coming to the conclusion that she was absolutely clueless. “I’ve... got nothin’. But yer right, we gotta separate the two of ‘em. Twi?... Sugarcube?” Twilight still stared at the floor, motionless and silent. It was time for a bit of tough love, Applejack decided. “ Look, if’n we wanna go get Spike, we’re gonna need yer help. Now, buck up and help us think o’ somethin!”. Twilight didn’t budge “Twilight Sparkle, are y’all even listenin’ ta me?” “Why?” “Pardon?” “Why would that dragon take Spike in and train him?” Twilight wondered aloud. “Perhaps the dragon saw Spike as a possible companion? Or maybe even a son?” Rarity suggested. “No...No, dragons aren’t like that. Well, at least not those of the age to live outside their society. They’re fiercely territorial, and will attack just about anything it feels is encroaching upon its territory, whether it be young or old, dragon or pony”. Twilight had awakened, it seemed. Almost as if her natural intellect and curiosity had taken over again and were working double time to find a solution to the problem facing her. For the first time in almost a month, she was back to her old self. She began to pace the floor, a look of fierce calculation on her face. Her eyes cold, she paced in a circle, muttering to herself. This is what she did best, she could figure out anything and she could figure this out. She HAD to figure this out. When she finally stopped and raised her head, she had an idea. When she spoke, it was with the confidence and renewed vigour of someone with a plan. She could do it, it would work and she could finally put everything back as it should be. For the first time in a month, Twilight Sparkle felt hope. “Ladies, I think I have a plan.” TO BE CONTINUED...

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2011-07-18T06:36:21+00:00

2011-07-18T06:36:21+00:00

Irreplaceable Chapter 5: The Hunt “Okay. Applejack, did you bring the can opener and the garden hoe?” “Right here, sugarcube”. “Excellent. Fluttershy, have you got the can of silly string and the spoons?” “Um... Yes, they’re right here”. “Perfect. Rainbow and Rarity, I assume you’ve got the paintbrushes, the telephone wire and the sunglasses?” “You know it!” “Of course, darling”. “Alright. Looks like we’re set. Let’s do this!” Armed with a strange assortment of odds and ends, the group left Fluttershy’s cottage, heading into the Everfree Forest. However, this was not the same group of the past three weeks. This was the old group, the true carriers of the Elements of Harmony. In high spirits once again, the prospect of once again getting out and doing what they did best, fixing the world and helping their friend, had given them new life, almost. Twilight, almost completely back to her old self, absorbed herself once again in the finer details of her plan. It did her friends’ hearts good to see her like this, after having endured three weeks of the mopey, depressed Twilight. As they followed the trail left by the two foals, they almost didn’t need the map Fluttershy had prepared. Applejack sighed, shaking her head. “Not the hardest trail t’ follow, eh? Poor li’l mites, they was runnin’ scared”. Rainbow chuckled, hovering slightly ahead. “C’mon, can ya blame them? They were convinced they were being chased by a couple of dragons. Hay, even *I* might think of running in that situation!”. “They were runnin’ from Spike, sugarcube. They were runnin’ from Spike ‘cause he gave ‘em cause to. Just think o’ that fer a sec before ya go laughin’ about it”. Momentarily sobered by that thought, Dash fell back, silent. However, seconds later, she sped forwards with a laugh. “Ha! I know where we are! This is where I found Brig last night!”. They approached the rock pile which, the night before, held captive a young pony. Twilight’s curiosity caused her to pause, to inspect the pattern into which they had fallen. “...This doesn’t make sense...” “Whaddaya mean, Twi?” “Well, look at this. These few off to the side, you moved them there, right, Dash? But before, they would’ve been over here. But.. That’d mean...”. Rarity rolled her eyes. “Twilight, dear, if you have a point to make, could you kindly make it? We ARE in a bit of a hurry, after all”. Twilight snapped out of her reverie. “Well, just look at this. If they fell like this, trapping him, he’d have to be standing right over here, and they would have to be balanced over here”. Twilight gestured with her hoof. “But if they were balanced there, there’s no way-” Twilight paused, her eyes going wide. Dash, deciding she’d had just about enough of Twilight’s sciency rambling. “Come on, Twi, spit it out!” Twilight turned, looking at her friends with all seriousness. “There’s no way he couldn’t have known. If he moved the rocks he did to get Sapphire out, there’s no way he wouldn’t have known where they’d end up. He knew that if he got her out, he’d be trapped instead”. The friends stood silent, stunned by the news. “Well I’ll be. That lil’ colt’s got guts, I’ll give ‘im that”. Approximately ten minutes later, the six had reached what was undoubtably the dragons’ cave. Quietly, they crept up to the entrance. Peering inside, Twilight whispered to her friends. “Alright. You all know the plan. We’re only gonna have one chance at this. Any questions?”. “Just one. What’ll you do if there’s nobody inside?”. “Well, in that case, we can just-” Twilight stopped. Slowly, the six ponies turned. Behind them, its great bulk framed by the sun coming through the trees, stood the great green dragon. Twilight swallowed. “Well, in that case, we’ll probably RUN!”. She shouted the last word as more of an instruction to her friends than as a legitimate answer. Immediately, the six ponies scattered. Oh no no no no NO! This can’t be happening, this CAN’T BE HAPPENING! I had it all planned out, it was going to work, it HAD to work! Twilight shook her head, clearing her thoughts. There was only one thing left to do. Rounding on the dragon she called instructions to her friends. “Rainbow, keep its attention! Applejack, Rarity, try to- GAH!” Twilight stopped suddenly, forced to dive away from the swing of a monstrous spiked tail. As the ponies spread out through the trees, Rainbow dash spread her wings and blasted off, racing at full speed in a blurring figure eight around the dragon’s head. With a roar, he snapped at her, bursts of flame and smoke coming forth from between his teeth. “Ha! Ya can’t catch what ya can’t-Unh!” Rainbow’s boast was cut short as a lucky swing from his clawed hand knocked her from the air. She hit the ground hard, rolling to a stop with a grunt. As she tried to stand, the great beast chuckled, lifting her still form with two giant claws. “It’s been many a year since I’ve had the pleasure of dining upon pegasus.” He opened his mouth wide, far wider than necessary, and lifted her above his head, obviously planning to simply drop her into his cavernous maw. Suddenly, Rainbow’s eyes snapped open. With a quick burst of speed, she pulled something from its place tucked behind her wing and hurled it into the waiting mouth below. Dropping her with a roar, the dragon fell back, clutching his throat. Rainbow Dash fell once more, wings trailing limply behind her, her left wing at an awkward angle. This time, she didn’t move. Still roaring out its wrath, the dragon staggered, slumping down to all fours before collapsing to the ground, blinking slowly. “Oh WOW! Dash, that was AWESOME! He was like ROAR, then you were like ZOOOM, and then he was like NO WAY, and then you were all YES WAY! That was SO COOL!” Pinkie Pie gushed, clearly enthused at the excitement, as she bounced over towards her friend. The rest of the group, satisfied that Pinkie was helping the fallen Dash to her feet, cautiously approached the dragon. “Oh my, what WAS that?” Rarity asked, puzzled. “Dragonsbane” Twilight replied, mentally cursing herself for not coming up with the plan herself. “It’s an herb with a rather pronounced effect on dragons, thus the name. It causes lethargy, dizziness, loss of coordination, and contraction of the flame canals in the back of the throat, with the general-” Applejack cleared her throat. “Um, Twi? English, please”. “Oh, sorry. Basically, it messes up dragons in a big way. Nothing permanent, just makes them sleepy and stops their fire. What I want to know, however, is how Dash got some”. Fluttershy looked at her feet, shuffling awkwardly. “Um... That would be from me. After the last time we had to deal with a dragon, back up on the mountain, she came by and asked me if there was anything you could stop a dragon with. I... I’ve always had... issues with dragons, so I gave her some of mine. She made me promise not to tell anyone, though, so I didn’t...”. Twilight nodded understandingly. “That makes sense, I guess. She WAS a bit... wary of them after that, I guess”. Their deliberation was cut short by Pinkie’s voice, its tone shifting from annoyed to terrified. “Come on, Dashie, just get up. This isn’t funny anymore. Seriously, just get up... Dash? Rainbow Dash, GET UP! PLEASE, JUST GET UP ALREADY! SAY SOMETHING!”. But Rainbow Dash did not get up. ~TO BE CONTINUED~

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2011-07-18T06:37:12+00:00

2011-07-18T06:37:12+00:00

Irreplaceable Chapter 6 - Conscience and Consciousness Pain. Pure and simple pain. Endless fire, running along every inch of every scale, through the cracks and crevices, through every fiber of every cell. Burning, scouring, cleansing, changing. Changing. Changing and growing. Changing and growing and twisting and burning. Similar yet different, different yet the same. What was once is no longer, but still is. What could be is now, but not wholly so. Time is irrelevant, so it seems. What is, was and could be merges with what might’ve, would’ve and could’ve been. Size, space, possibility, flame, ice, burning, freezing, growing, shrinking changing shining glowing raging sparking shifting changing rising falling beginning ending beginning falling rising changing shifting sparking raging glowing shining changing shrinking growing freezing burning ice flame possibility space size. And pain. Whatever changes, pain remains. Pain is the constant throughout flux. Pain is the indicator. Pain means life. Life, though it changes, brings what never does. Through life comes pain, pain cannot come without. Pain means growth. Pain means life. Though life changes, pain never does. Constant tirade, endless wave, endless wave, constant tirade. Strangely enlightening. Pain does not hide, it does not lie, it does not pander or preach. Its message is straight and plain. It speaks of the past and the future, what should have been and now is, though far before its time. The future is the present, though not the past. Change is constant, though not so constant. Time fades, space recedes, fire douses, ice melts, thirst quenches, glows dim, air breathes. Breathing. A strange sensation, to be sure. It’s been a while. Rising now, to be sure. Different than he was before. He. There’s a new word, or is it? He. I. Me. We. They. Well now, that’s a word that brings back memories. They. Who ARE they? They, their actions, their thoughts, their betrayal. Their betrayal. Now THERE’S a memory for the ages. What they did to him. How it made him feel. Rising emotions. Sadness, loneliness, helplessness. Rage. A fun emotion, rage. Quite empowering. Another fun feeling. Power. He had it. He WAS it. Gone was the past, who he once was. He was still he, still himself, but a NEW himself. A new him, but the same. Physically new, physically renewed, but mentally, was he the same? He had the same memories, the same thoughts, the same feelings. He felt the pain, no longer physical, but still present. Once more he rose. Rising above, in more ways than one. He rose mentally, above the changes, returning to who he is, but not who he should be. Physically, as well, he rose. Casting aside expected weight, soaring through to new heights, spotting vengeance down below. He rose, and he flew. He gained something he once thought lost. He gained purpose. He gained a dream. He dreamt of doing what he knew, and he knew vengeance, proof, fear and power. He knew his dream. He dreamt of the sky. It was a sunny day in Ponyville. After the previous night’s storm, the sunlight was all the more welcome. The Mayor of Ponyville was hard at work, dealing with all the various problems that generally arise with the administration of a small town. Today’s workload, however, was considerably lighter than normal, and she was happy for the change of pace. For once, she mused, she might be able to actually get to enjoy the beautiful day Celestia had granted her town. The mayor stood from her chair, as much to trot across the room to a filing cabinet as simply an excuse to take a moment’s break from her paperwork and stretch her legs. When she opened the drawer, however, she couldn't help but notice a single piece of paper poking out from inside a folder. As she completed her intended filing, she plucked the offending folder from the drawer and she returned to her desk. The Mayor was a very orderly pony, almost obsessive about neatness, as was her secretary, so finding anything even the tiniest bit out of place was an event in and of itself, almost completely unheard of. So unheard of, in fact, that the Mayor made a bit of game of it. Whenever she found a folder that seemed untidy and out of order, she would retrieve it and look through the contents. Originally, it was simply to break up the long hours of monotonous reports with just something different, a change of pace. However, after one of her earlier ‘cleanups’, during which she had gone over some extraneous tax records, she realized that an accounting mistake had been made. Due to someone failing to carry a one somewhere, each pony in Ponyville was overcharged by 10 bits. Ever since, she took her game a little more seriously. After all, wherever there is bureaucracy, there will always another mistake to be mended. As she began to sift through the folder, she discovered that it was in regards to this year’s filed emergency reports. The offending paper, specifically, was a report filed by one Twilight Sparkle. The Mayor sighed, shaking her head in sadness at the report. Poor Twilight. Just the look on the young mare’s face when the Mayor had told her that the search was being called off had broken her heart. Under normal circumstances, the searching would have lasted far longer than the three weeks it had. It probably would have been much closer to three months before a single pony would have given up. This situation was different, though. When the ponies of Ponyville had learned that the young dragon wasn’t simply lost, that he had actually run away, most of them had almost instantaneously lost all interest in searching. That’s not to say they didn’t care, of course, just that they just thought it silly. She remembered overhearing a conversation between two young fillies at Sugarcube Corner. They had been laughing about the whole incident, and how the silly little dragon was probably sleeping in some secret spot he kept, munching on a secret stash of gems he kept hidden for just such an occasion. To them, dragons were TOUGH. Almost indestructible, even. Even a baby dragon was seen to be far tougher than most any pony, and had no doubts that the little guy could survive for months, even years on his own, even in the Everfree Forest. They had seen him eat things that had given every pony who had even a bite of them a serious case of food poisoning without any ill effects whatsoever; it was very difficult to imagine him going hungry. It wasn't lack of interest or lack of hope that had stopped the search, it was just a lack of belief that the emergency was even an emergency that ended the efforts. The Mayor herself had subscribed to the theory that Spike would do just fine on his own. However, as she again read through the report, something occurred to her that hadn’t before. Fight or no fight, she knew the little dragon well enough, through personal contact and through reputation, to know that he wouldn’t have stayed away as long as he had over something this trivial. He would at least have sent a letter. The Mayor rose to her feet suddenly, slamming her hooves down on the desk. She was absolutely furious with herself. How could she let herself be carried along by the popular opinion? How could she let them affect her, and decide this wasn't a serious matter?! Spike could be seriously wounded, or worse! All of it her fault, simply because she didn't take the situation seriously. She shook her head. The search would have to be restarted, that much she was sure of. One of Ponyville’s most vulnerable residents was in trouble, and she’d ignored them. Even though Twilight Sparkle herself, star pupil of Princess Celestia and holder of one of The Elements of Harmony had come to her directly and pleaded for help, she had simply dismissed her concerns. Something had to be done, and fast. A search effort had to be organized again. Rotating shifts, spreading patterns, Pegasus air patrol, the works. Miss Sparkle and her friends had left town for the day, no doubt searching for Spike even after all others had given up. Once they returned, The Mayor would turn over the reins of the operation to her, letting her natural talent for organization carry the efforts forwards. Many ponies wouldn’t come willingly, though. They’d complain about lost business, or the natural hardiness of dragons, or the weather, or something, but she’d put an end to all of their complaints. The city’s coffers were doing particularly well this year, as the winter wrap up had gone exactly as planned, thus not necessitating any further cleanup costs, so almost the entire budget for this year was still sitting in the city accounts. She’d offer compensation for anypony willing to resume the search. Even if she had to pay it out of her own pocket, she needed to do this, both for Spike and Twilight Sparkle’s sake and for her own conscience. As she passed through the door into the town hall proper, she nearly bumped into her secretary. “Miss Mayor, is everything alright?” she asked, puzzled. “Hold all my calls. There’s something I need to do”. As she passed, the secretary shook her head. “I haven’t seen her this worked up since she found out that every pony in Ponyville was owed 10 bits!”. She was halfway to her office door when the screaming started. ~TO BE CONTINUED~

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2011-07-18T06:38:01+00:00

2011-07-18T06:38:01+00:00

Irreplaceable Chapter 7 - Smoke on the Water “No no no no NO! Come on, Dash, BREATHE!” Twilight Sparkle knelt by the still form of Rainbow Dash, her hooves pounding her fallen friend’s chest. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening! “Come on, Twi, Don’cha know any healin’ magic or somethin’ like that?” Twilight shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. “I can fix cuts or bruises, but nothing like this! It’s like trying to run a lightbulb with static electricity!” Suddenly, her eyes went wide, a thought. That’s it! A spark! “Okay, I have an idea! Everybody, stand back!” Twilight rose to her feet and took a deep breath, concentrating magical energy in her horn. With a thought, she sent an arc of lightning into Rainbow Dash’s unmoving body. Taken aback, her friends were stunned. “Twilight, what are you-” “SHUT. UP.” Twilight grunted, launching another bolt into Rainbow’s still-convulsing frame. This time, however, Dash’s eyes snapped open as she lay stunned, gasping for air. As she struggled to inhale, she found the breath squeezed from her body again, this time by the arms of a certain pink pony. “OHMYGOSHDASHIWASSOWORRIEDIWASALLDASHWAKEUPBUTYOUDIDN’TWAKEUPANDYOUWEREN’TBREATHINGANDI-” Eyes watering in pain, Rainbow Dash gave a strangled grunt. “Unh...Pinkie...Can’t...Breathe...” Pinkie flew back, eyes wide in concern. “Oh, Dash, I’m so sorry! I was just so-” Applejack patted her on the back. “Easy now, Sugarcube. She’s alright now, so just calm y’self down”. “Yeah, Pinkie. I’m fine, just a bit-GAH!”. Attempting to get to her feet had been a mistake, it seemed. Twilight placed a restraining hoof on her shoulder. “Please, Dash, don’t move. We need to figure out just what’s wrong with you first”. Twilight’s horn glowed again as she called up a scrying spell. She turned the glow on Dash, bathing her in light. As the glow faded, she shook her head. ”You’ve got some damage along your costovertebral joints, a fractured carpus and a damaged fibula on your-”. “Twilight. English”. “Right, sorry. A couple cracked ribs, a broken bone in your wing and your right back leg is broken”. Dash rolled her eyes. “Perfect”. Twilight’s horn pulsed with energy, gathering several branches and vines. Stripping the leaves from them, she wrapped them together into a makeshift stretcher. “There. This should be sturdy enough to hold you. Alright, help me get her on top.” Twilight’s voice was calm, abnormally so. Stepping forward, Applejack and Fluttershy lifted her gently, placing her upon the stretcher. Dash craned her neck, looking up at Twilight. “Can’t you just use your magic to levitate me home?” “Well, the general magical principles of levitation has a different effect on actual living tissue as the-” “TWILIGHT.” Twilight cringed. “Right. English. Basically, it’s harder to levitate a pony than an inanimate object.I’d be able to lift you, but gravity would still affect whatever part I wasn’t holding. I’d need to steady your limbs with another spell. While I AM good with magic, that would take a lot of concentration, and I’m not sure I could walk any long distances while doing it. Not to mention the fact that if I made a single mistake, I could hurt you even more badly”. Dash lay her head back down, more due to exhaustion than any real satisfaction with Twilight’s answer. While Twilight had spoken the truth, there was no magical reason stopping her from simply levitating the stretcher, but, in truth, she was so shaken that the normally simple task seemed almost impossible. Instead she came up with a hasty jumble of magi-babble about pivot points and the effects of levitation on different tensile strengths of wood. In the end, the task of carrying the stretcher fell on Pinkie and Applejack. Rarity, being incredibly well acquainted with the finer points of levitation, perhaps even more so than Twilight, had given Twilight a curious look at this, but opted to remain silent. She was tactful enough to realize that Twilight needed her to keep quiet right now. As the group made their way through the Everfree Forest, the noonday sun beat down through the treetop canopy. Though Ponyville wasn't all that far away, considering Dash’s present condition, bringing her to Zecora’s seemed like the wisest course of action. Zecora’s knowledge of healing was far more extensive than almost anypony’s, so they were suitably comfortable leaving Dash with her while they returned to Ponyville to fetch Nurse Hart. Approaching the hut, Twilight knocked on the door. Zecora answered. Seeing Twilight and the rest, she smiled, but that smile quickly vanished as she noticed Rainbow Dash. “ What has happened to poor Rainbow Dash? There’s more damage here then could be caused by a crash! “. Twilight shuffled awkwardly as she explained the day’s events. Zecora sighed, shaking her head. “You ponies of Ponyville always take on great tasks. What did you think you could accomplish, might I ask?” Twilight opened her mouth, then closed it. She repeated this action several times more before finding the words she was looking for. “We... I just thought... I thought we could bring him back”. Stepping back, Zecora opened the door wide, beckoning for the ponies to enter. “My home and skills I’ll gladly lend, Bring her inside, her wounds I’ll tend”. As Pinkie Pie and Applejack carried Rainbow Dash inside, followed by Rarity and Fluttershy, Twilight hung back. “I said my door is open wide, why hesitate to come inside?“. “I’m... sorry, it’s just... I can’t... I... I think I need to be alone right now!” With those words, Twilight turned and ran, charging off into the Everfree forest with reckless abandon. Stunned, her friends looked at each other momentarily before Applejack gave chase. Galloping at top speed, she easily caught up to Twilight. “Hold on, Twi, slow down. Just talk to me!”. Twilight skidded to a halt, whirling around to face her friend. Tears streaming down her face, her red rimmed eyes locked onto Applejack’s, staring her down. “I don’t understand!” Applejack starred into her friends eyes, filled with sadness and anger. “Wha...” “I DON’T UNDERSTAND! None of this can be real. Spike got upset, I was cross with him, he left. I understand that much. Anyone can become upset, anyone can feel hurt and sometimes they leave because of it. I get it, I understand that. But why didn't he come back? Why did he let that monster train him? Why did he say such terrible things?” Her words were bordering on hysterical, but her voice maintained the same unnatural calm it had held since the fight with the dragon. Applejack couldn't think of anything to say, her mouth closed firm, afraid that if she opened it, what would come out would make matters worse. “Rainbow Dash got hurt. She got hurt badly, horribly, she almost died, all because I was too stupid to take a moment to sit Spike down and just tell him what he means to me, just take two minutes to say ‘You haven't been replaced. You are still and always will be my number one helper, one of my closest friends and very dear to my heart’. That’s it. That’s all I had to say. If I wasn’t so STUPID, NONE of this would have happened.” The purple mare’s eyes were glistening with tears, but her face bore such a look of pure, impossible fury that, for the first time in her life, Applejack wanted to turn tail and run. The look on her beloved friend’s face was enough to pierce something bordering on terror into the earth pony’s heart. Twilight’s front hooves began to pound the ground, over and over, again and again. Applejack swallowed, banishing her fear to the back of her mind. This was her friend, she had to do everything in her power to help her. “Why don’cha calm down a mite, Twi. I understand, I-” Twilight’s hooves paused in their tattoo as her head whipped up, eyes fixed in a glare. Her eyes were dry now, their only occupant raw ferocity, yet her voice still retained its now disturbingly calm tone. “You understand? Do you really?” “Look, we all make mistakes, bu-” Twilight reared onto her hind legs, the calm in her voice replaced by a powerful scream. “How DARE...” “QUIET!” It was Applejack’s turn to yell, Twilight recoiling at the sudden outburst. “I won’t have you standing there interruptin’ me when I am TRYING to speak with y’all”. “But-!” “But nothin’! We all make mistakes, lil’ things that we didn’t think ‘bout at the time ‘cause it was such a tiny detail we couldn’ see the significance. IT HAPPENS. You’re right, though, I spoke outta turn. I don't understand. Maybe someday I will, but at this point I don't, and I don't care that I don't. Dash is hurt bad, Spike is still missing and I think it’s apparent that that there dragon did sumthin’ to him”. The fury faded from Twilight’s eyes, replaced by a deep sadness. “I ain’t about to think any less of you because you failed ta see the significance of reaffirmin’ Spike’s and your relationship, and I sure as shoot ain’t about to let you do the same. Now then, you can leave if you want and give yourself time to think or you can come on back inside. But, if’n you do decide to leave, I’m givin’ you fair warnin’. You’ve got one hour to get’cher self back her afore me and the others come searchin’ for ya”. As Applejack turned and began the walk back to Zecora’s hut, there was a loud magical shing. She didn’t bother to turn; she had seen Twilight teleport enough times to know the sound. “Oh, sugarcube...”. Applejack shook her head as she resignedly returned to Zecora’s hut. As she opened the door, the rest of the group regarded her with surprise. “That poor young mare seemed quite distraught. Your solo return means she was not caught?”. She shook her head. “We had a couple words, then she went an’ teleported outta there. I gave her an hour before we all go out there an’ drag her back, kickin’ and screamin’ if we gotta”. The friends sat together in silence, the worry in the air permeable as a marsh fog. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Burning smashing ripping tearing crushing blasting smiting shredding piercing. The blaze spread across the town, sending up clouds of billowing, spiralling smoke. Debris from smashed houses, toppled trees and broken windows littered the square. Ripping shredding tearing burning smiting blasting piercing smashing crushing. Claws crunched, biting deep into the ground as the great beast stalked through the town. Coldly, almost detached, it surveyed its surroundings, more familiar to it than it would have liked. Carousel Boutique, Sugarcube Corner, the public library. Ah, yes. The library. Shredding smashing crushing burning blasting smiting piercing tearing shredding ripping. It moved through the town, destruction in its wake, as it headed for the library. Noticing the strangely depopulated town, he began to think. Where are they? There should be ponies. Where are ponies? So few... Where have they gone? The town is here, but where is the town? Rage clouded its countenance. They have gone. They have left, too. They’re all gone. They, too, have abandoned us. It was not enough to cast me out, it seems. Now they have abandoned their home in fear I would find them again. I will not be ignored. I will not be cast aside. I WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN. Inhaling, he blasted a mighty gout of flame, raking the city before him with green destruction. The town was indeed empty; currently, the only occupants were those who had stayed behind to grab extra valuables; a keen eyed pegasus pony had spotted the beast approaching and had sounded the alarm. The evacuation had been remarkably quick. As he reached the library, he roared, a terrifying, chilling sound. Again he roared, though this time, words were formed. “FACE ME”. From inside the library, nothing. Hiding. They know our power. They fear our power. Before this day has ended, they will taste our power. Another great roar, met only by silence and the crackling of the flames engulfing the town. Furious, he spat a burst of flame at the great tree housing the library. As the fire blazed, spreading through the canopy, he felt nothing. He wasn’t quite sure what he was supposed to feel, to be honest. Should he feel triumphant? Should he feel powerful? Should he feel accomplished? Should he feel sad? Depressed? Angry? Whatever it was, why didn’t he feel it? Spreading his wings, he shot upwards, leaving the scene of devastation far below as he turned and soared out over the Everfree Forest. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Right. Time’s up”. Applejack got to her feet. “Come on, y’all, let’s git goin’”. Reluctantly, the rest of the ponies, with the exception of Zecora and the sleeping Rainbow Dash, got to their feet. As they gathered outside, Applejack began issuing orders. “Right. Now, if we’re gonna find her, we gotta split up. Now, it’s too dangerous fer us ta be goin’ off alone, so we’ll head out in groups. Fluttershy, you an’ Pinkie head off ta th’ north. Rarity, you’re comin’ with me. We’ll meet back her in an hour. Got it?”. Everypony nodded. “Let’s go”. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Cowards, filthy, blasted COWARDS!.” The words echoed throughout the swamp as the furious dragon gave vent to his fury, roaring the words to the sky. It didn't seem right, though. The screaming felt good, sure, but the words didn't. Calling the ponies cowards wasn't right, it didn’t feel right, but he wasn't sure what was right anymore. Wasn’t sure what to say, what to feel, what to think. He had unleashed his fury upon those who had scorned him, the town that shunned him, and yet he felt nothing. What was he supposed to feel? Surly satisfaction at what he had done, maybe even remorse for the innocent lives that- NO. There are no innocents. They all abandoned us. They are all a part of it. All of them, all, all, ALL OF THEM. They cast us aside, they abandoned us. We were nothing to them, now they are nothing to us. They should die, they DESERVE to die. Well, not really, he supposed. After all it was Twilight that- The dragon’s mind froze, seizing the word. Twilight. It was the first tangible connection he had been able to muster for some time. After all, that word- no, that name was the reason he was doing all this. Wasn’t it? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By a small pond not too far from Zecora’s hut, a confused pony sat next to the water staring at the reflection cast by the still liquid. The pony in the water was her, sure enough, but it wasn’t anypony she recognized. The normally bright eyes were dull and lifeless, red rimmed and bloodshot. Her normally well groomed mane was dishevelled and unkempt. Who WAS this creature? Where was the normally irrepressible magical genius? She stared at a stranger, somepony she had never seen before in her life. She stared deep into those eyes, those worthless, empty eyes, as she sat, trying to figure out exactly who she was looking at. “Twilight!” The purple unicorn started, snapped out of her reverie by a familiar voice. She turned to see Pinkie Pie bouncing towards her, followed closely by Fluttershy. “Oh, Twilight, we were super duper worried! Why’d you run off like that?”. Avoiding her gaze, Twilight studied the ground intently. “Pinkie, Fluttershy... I just needed a bit of time to myself”. Pinkie, ever the irrepressible one, hopped about gleefully. “Well, silly filly, you had your hour, now you gotta come back, okay?”. Twilight allowed herself a small smile at her friend’s antics. “Okay, Pinkie. Let’s go”. They made their way back to Zecora’s hut, Fluttershy deep in thought over the state she had found her friend. Pinkie didn’t really seem to notice, but there was a change in Twilight Sparkle. It was difficult for the shy pony to put into words but it was almost as if Twilight was losing something deep inside of her, part of what made her who she was, and she knew it was happening. It was tearing her apart. “Twilight... Are you okay?” The question seemed so... wrong. It was clear Twilight was not okay, but what else was Fluttershy to say? Twilight forced a smile, but there was no heart in it. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy. I’m fine”. The remainder of the journey was spent with no words spoken between the three, however Pinkie Pie made a point to hum a song the entire time as she bounced her way along the path. Upon their return, they found Rarity and Applejack waiting from them, apparently having only just arrived themselves. “Oh, Twilight, darling, where have you been? We were worried sick!”. “I just needed a bit of time to myself”. “It is good you don’t return alone, I fear there’s trouble at your home!” Zecora, seeming quite agitated, pointed over the trees in the direction of Ponyville. “What do you- Oh my gosh!” Applejack stopped mid-sentence, stunned into silence. Over the treetops, a cloud of thick, black smoke coiled up towards the sky. Without another word, the five ponies took off towards home as fast as their legs could take them. TO BE CONTINUED

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2011-07-18T06:39:33+00:00

2011-07-18T06:39:33+00:00

Irreplaceable Chapter 8 - Fire in the Skies The five friends took off in the direction of Ponyville as fast as their legs could carry them. The closer they got, the stronger the acrid smell of smoke became. Running harder than they’d ever run before, they broke through the treeline and into Ponyville. Chaos. That was the only word suitable to describe the scene spread before them. Ponyville was in ruins. Most of the fires had been extinguished, the pegasus ponies having brought rainclouds from miles around, until only smouldering embers remained. Cries of ponies looking for missing loved ones filled the air amid a mix of screams and moans of pain. Stunned, the friends could only stare. As they stood there in silent shock, the Mayor limped towards them, part of her side severely burnt. “Girls! It’s good to see you safe, especially after what happened to the library. Has anyone filled you in on what’s happened yet?” The friends were utterly frozen. They couldn't move, couldn't talk, couldn't think. They were, quite simply, unable to grasp what they were seeing. “We were attacked. A dragon. It flew in, and it just started burning, and smashing, and...” The Mayor paused, closing her eyes briefly. “We were able to get most of the ponies out before it got here, a pegasus pony spotted it before it arrived, Celestia bless him. I shudder to think of what would have happened had he not. Not everyone made it out in time, though...” The mayor closed her eyes for a moment, pained, before she continued. “As well, many ponies were severely injured dealing with the fires. Please, I understand that you’re shocked, we’re all rather shaken after this, but we need your help. We need to finish dealing with the fires, and we need to continue looking for survivors”. As the friends stood, taking in the scene, the Mayor turned, moving to help a yellow earth pony carry a pegasus towards a medical tent. “Whenever you’re ready”. Applejack was the first to come to her senses. Chasing after the Mayor, she called out to her. “Did the dragon make it to Sweet Apple Acres?” The Mayor shook her head. “No, and thank Celestia for that. That’s where we were staging the evacuation, not to mention the town’s main food supply. In addition I spoke with your brother. He is allowing any ponies whose homes were destroyed to stay in your home and barn until repairs have been made. I hope you don’t mind.” Applejack let out a small sigh, her relief immediately replaced with guilt at doing so in the wake of so much destruction. “‘Course I don’t mind. They can stay as long as they need”. Applejack returned to her friends, all of whom had snapped out of their trances and began to spread out silently, moving to help those in need. The sole exception to this was Twilight, who was still standing stock still, staring at a small, still burning flame a short distance away, transfixed by the flames. Applejack began to approach her, but a wing sprang up in front of her, blocking her path. Applejack looked at Fluttershy in surprise, who shook her head. “It’s best we leave her alone for a few minutes.” The timid pegasus looked over her shoulder at her shaken friend, then back to Applejack with an expression of pure hurt on her face. “Look, Shy. I know this is a lot to take in, but she needs to-” Applejack paused, suddenly realizing why her friend still stared and why Fluttershy was so determined to ensure that she was left alone. The small flame that had stolen the attention of the purple mare, the same flame that had scorched Ponyville, nearly burning it to the ground, was a vibrant shade of emerald green. The wing retreated back to its owner’s side. “I’m not saying it’s...that it was Spike that did this, but...”Fluttershy looked away and began to paw at the ground “Green fire is pretty rare for a dragon... I... I know it doesn’t seem possible that, well that this could have been caused by our little guy but... I mean, I AM sure Twilight knows Spike couldn't be responsible, it’s just that...” “Must be kinda hard to convince yourself your friend ain't responsible for something horrible when he leaves behind a pretty distinct callin’ card”. Fluttershy looked back to Applejack and gave her a weak smile before flying off to help the other pegasi collect rain clouds. The orange pony looked back to Twilight. What must be running through her head? Surely, such a logical pony couldn't think for a second that Spike was the dragon that did all this. Deciding it was best to listen to Fluttershy and leave Twilight alone for now, She trotted off to help a group of earth ponies clear debris from the streets. She did this for some time, trying her best not to stray too far from her friend. It was clear that the others had the same idea because every so often Pinkie Pie or Rarity would show up, as if just to keep an eye on her. After about an hour, Nurse Hart stopped by to speak with Applejack. Rarity had told her about Rainbow Dash’s predicament, and had left straight away. Thankfully, Dash was in much better condition than she looked. With a bit of healing magic to help the process, along with some medicine to take the pain away and help her sleep, she was well on her way to recovery. She assured Applejack that, while she was on the way to recovery, she shouldn't be moved for at least a week. Zecora would have no problem looking after her for that time, and had assured Nurse Hart that she was more than willing. Before returning to the hospital, she gave Applejack a prescription for Dash’s medicine in case the pain became too much or she couldn't sleep. Placing the paper into her hat for safekeeping, she took a moment to simply stop and take in the destruction around her. In reality, it wasn’t all that bad, considering a dragon had chosen it as a good place for a rampage. She hadn’t had either time nor opportunity to ask anypony what exactly had happened, but from the looks of it, the dragon wasn’t quite sure what it was doing. It was as if he’d simply attacked buildings at random. Next to the town hall (which had its first and second floors violently merged), the library had sustained the most damage. There was a lot of damage, but most of it could be repaired with a few months of hard work. It could have been much worse if they hadn’t managed to get the fires out as quickly as they had; with all of the flammable debris scattered over the town, the blaze could have quickly spread all over town and become an uncontrollable conflagration. Applejack looked over to where Twilight had been standing to see that she was slowly making her way towards the nearest pony, a green unicorn attempting to pull a wagon full of burnt wood. Applejack trotted over, curious to see what was going on. “Um, excuse me, sir...” Twilight said meekly “Are you at all able to describe the dragon?” The colt finished his work and turned to face her. “Oh, Twilight! It’s you, excellent! We haven't been able to get a letter out, all of the pegasus ponies are still in search of as many rainclouds as possible, for obvious reasons. Please, you need to send a message to Celestia as soon as possible. We can’t handle this on our own”. “Of course, I’ll do that immediately. In my report, though, I would like to include a description of the dragon“. The colt seemed to think about this for a minute. “Good idea. That way, they can start looking for the monster as soon as possible. I didn’t see it, myself, but I talked with a few ponies who had. By all accounts, it was covered with purple scales, and it had green spines lining the length of its body. Now, hurry up and write that letter. The mayor established a base of operations in Carousel Boutique. It was the only building big enough that didn’t sustain heavy damage. You should be able to find what you need there”. Twilight nodded to him, heading towards Carousel Boutique at a quick trot. Applejack followed close behind, lost in thought. A purple dragon with green spines that spits green fire... The pieces fit perfectly, but she knew it wasn't Spike. It COULDN’T be. It simply wasn’t possible. Spike was smaller then Apple Bloom, for Celestia’s sake, and whatever dragon had done this had been a darn sight bigger. The boutique was bustling, busier than she’d ever seen it. Ponies rushed back and forth, each with an agenda. Bypassing them all, Twilight made her way inside. Applejack watched as her friend wrote what appeared to be a very detailed letter. When she was done she rolled it up and began to concentrate, pulling energy into her horn, which began glowing a bright purple. Seconds later, the letter and the glow vanished with a loud shing. As Twilight left the dress shop and began walking towards her library, Applejack noticed her friend shaking. “I haven’t had to send a letter to the princess like that in years. I hope it arrived”. “Twi, are you-” “He burned it, Applejack. The library. He... He burned it”. Applejack remained silent. What could she say to that? All she could think of to say was “I know, sugarcube. I know”. Thankfully, the library was in better shape than expected. The canopy of the great tree was black, almost entirely gone, as was the door. Several books were charred beyond all recognition, but most all of them had survived intact, and that, at least, was something. Applejack stayed with Twilight, sitting in silence in the burned husk of her friend’s home, until a letter from Celestia magicked itself into existence. Quickly, Twilight read the letter. Then, passing it to Applejack, she asked her to deliver it the Mayor at once. Applejack didn’t want to leave her side, not at a time like this. The girl was one smart filly, but she just had so much to deal with all at once. There was no doubt in her mind that Twilight somehow thought this was all Spike’s doing, no matter how implausible it seemed. Reluctantly, Applejack took the letter and left the blackened shell of her friend’s home. Applejack was entirely correct in figuring that Twilight blamed Spike, and by extension herself, for the destruction. Twilight was far more familiar with magic than the earth pony, and knew that it was entirely possible to age a dragon magically. However, it wasn't her knowledge of magic, the colt’s description of the dragon or even her own general intuition that had convince her. Above the spot Twilight had stood was a rather large hole in the tree roof, most likely caused by the fist of the dragon so that he could rain ruin upon the inside. The walls and floor were covered in deep gouges, as if the dragon had been groping about inside for something. One area caught her eye, though. An area of damaged floor seemed more... deliberate, more structured than simply clawing at the inside could cause. Twilight had stared at those gouges when she first entered her home, and continued to stare long after Applejack left. To anypony else, with the exception of Princess Celestia, they would seem simply vicious claw marks, left in rage by a senseless killing machine. Twilight and Celestia, though, the two ponies who were all too familiar with a certain dragon’s scratchy penmanship, were able to see a simple and saddening message. After what seemed like hours, the purple mare was finally able to tear her eyes away from the floor. She turned and fled, heading towards the Everfree forest, with darkness in her soul. Not long after, Applejack returned. “Sugarcube? You in here?”. When Twilight didn’t respond, she did a quick search of the remaining rooms of the library without any success. “Well, maybe she’s decided to start helpin’”. As she turned to leave, something caught her eye. It was the strange markings on the ground, the ones that had kept Twilight’s attention for so long. She wasn't so sure why those particular marks where so special. The whole place was covered in them. She walked to what was left of the door and put her hoof on the handle. Sighing, turned back. Her curiosity had gotten the best of her yet again, she just had to know what was so special. She looked at them from every conceivable angle, even trying to stand exactly where Twilight had been. Not yielding any luck she gave up and left the library, looking for her friend. If she had only thought to climb to the second floor and look down, she may have been able to read the message, even despite the near illegibility of the writing. She would have been able to see what Twilight saw, three words engraved into the floor. I loved you. TO BE CONTINUED

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2011-07-18T06:40:09+00:00

2011-07-18T06:40:09+00:00

Irreplaceable Chapter 9 - For the Best? Passing through Ponyville, Applejack looked for Twilight. All around her, ponies struggled to douse fires, shift rubble and to help their friends. No Twilight. Noticing Rarity, Applejack picked her way over to her through the debris. Seeing her, Rarity quickly finished snuffing out a flaming tree branch and turned to face her. “Applejack... Is this really happening? I know it is, really, it’s just... I just can’t seem to get my head around it all...”. Applejack nodded sadly. “‘Fraid it is, sugarcube. Wish it weren’t, but it is, an’ we gotta do our best ta try fixin’ it. Y’all seen Twilight about? She’s takin’ it all pretty hard”. Concerned, Rarity looked at her. “Well, as a matter of fact, I DID. She was heading in the direction of the Everfree Forest, come to think of it. I wonder-” Rarity fell silent. Applejack had already gone. At a full gallop, Applejack reached the forest’s edge within a minute. Taking a deep breath, she continued inside, following a trail of fresh hoofprints. Within minutes, she’d caught up to Twilight. No longer running, she’d slowed to a deliberate trot. “Twilight!” Applejack called. No response. “Come on, Twi, let’s get on back to town”. “Leave me alone”. “Twi?” “Leave me alone”. “Look, I know that-” Twilight wheeled around. “I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!” Applejack was taken aback by her sudden outburst. “Everything that’s happened is all because of me. Ponyville, Dash, Spike, everything. It seems, these days, that everything I touch crumbles around me.” “Twi, things happen, ya cant go beatin’ yerself up about it. All ya can do is push forward and do your best to make things right. Its not as if y’all coulda known any... hold on a tic, how is what happened in Ponyville your fault?” Twilight turned away from her friend. “Twi, that dragon wasn’t Spike. That dragon was huge, our Spike is a mite smaller. I ain’t no scholar, but last I checked it takes hundreds o’ years for a dragon to get that big...Twi?...Twilight?” “We live in a world of magic. I move things with my mind, control the wind, I even made Spike into a giant once myself. Is it really so hard to believe there’s magic out there that could age a dragon to such an extent in such a short time?” It was a rhetorical question; Twilight knew very well Applejack was able to grasp such a concept. “Twilight, what makes you think Spike did this?” “I suppose you didn’t notice” “Notice what?” “Those marks. In the library. Didn’t you wonder why I gave them so much attention?” “No...I mean yes...I mean, look there just claw marks from a monster gone wild.” Twilight turned on her friend, eyes wild and furious. “He is not a monster!” “It wasn’t Spike, sugarcube!” “It doesn’t really surprise me you didn’t notice, actually. His penmanship was always so terrible, but he loved taking my letters so much that Celestia and I just learned how to read it.” The fire left Twilight’s eyes as her mind began wander, reminiscing of times gone by. She turned away from Applejack, her head raised. She looked to the sky, watching the clouds as the wind carried them slowly along. Applejack slowly began to inch forward, sensing Twilight was preparing to teleport away again. “Please.” Twilight turned, shifting her gaze from the clouds above to her friend. “Please, Twilight, don’t go off again. I know y’all see me as the rough ‘n tough pony, that I’m never ‘fraid of anythin’, but when ya ‘ported away before, I... I can’t even begin to describe how scared I was that I’d never see you again. So please, please Twilight, don’t leave me here thinking I’ve lost y’all again”. Twilight looked back to the sky. “Friendship is magic, Applejack. A true friendship lasts long after the friends have been forced apart. True friends are never forgotten, and never truly leave. It sounds cliche and silly, but it’s true. At least, I think it is... Do me a favour, Applejack?” “Anything, Twilight.” “Remember the days before. Back in the times when we were all together. Don’t remember Dash wrapped up and in pain, don’t remember Spike as a giant monster that destroyed Ponyville, and don’t remember me as I am now.” “I can do that, just so long as you promise that in fifty years’ time we’ll both be sitting in your library with the rest of the gang, not rememberin’ together.” Twilight turned around, a small sad smile on her face. It was the first time in almost a month that her smile, no matter how sad, seemed genuine. “I’m sorry, A.J. I can’t make that promise”. Before Applejack could reply, the purple mare summoned a fierce glow, which quickly bubbled out to surround her. There was a bright flash that made Applejack turn away. When she looked back, the light had gone, taking her friend with it. Applejack slowly began her journey back to Ponyville, her head hung low. How could Twilight do that to me, especially after what I told her? I have never begged for anything in my life, and I outright pleaded with that girl to stay, and she left anyway. Even at her slow pace Applejack made it back to town rather quickly. Upon arrival she saw Rarity and Fluttershy waiting nearby. The orange mare began making her way towards her friends, who, having spotted her, were likewise attempting to close the gap. When they were in earshot, Rarity called out to her. “Did you manage to catch her, darling?” Applejack looked to Rarity to answer, but stopped when her eyes locked onto the town library. Applejack shot off past her friends, moving towards the burnt tree as quickly as she could manage. She burst into the main library and began reexamining the scratches on the floor. She once again tried every conceivable angle, she simply couldn’t see what Twilight saw. Rarity and Fluttershy entered the building just as Applejack ran upstairs to view them from a different height. “Applejack! Fluttershy and I have been worried sick about you and Twilight, how could you just ignore us like that?” “Consarnit, Rarity, I’ve got to figure this out! Can I please deal with y’all later!” Applejack squinted, turning her head at various angles in an attempt to see just what it was that Twilight had seen. At this height, they almost looked as if they formed letters, but she simply couldn’t make it out. “Applejack, what are you doing? Where is Twilight, and what has gotten you in such a fuss that you feel the need to speak so rudely towards your friends?” “She left. ‘Ported off again.” “Oh my! The poor girl must have a lot on her mind... Even so, that still doesn’t explain what you’re doing”. Applejack kept up her examination, ignoring Rarity. “Applejack! Don’t you dare ignore me! Now, tell me what’s going on!” Applejack found herself frustrated, moreso than she’d ever been with the white unicorn, and just wanted to scream at her to just shut up, but she managed to calm herself. “Twilight said there was something about these markings, that they somehow proved the dragon that did all this was Spike. From this height, it sorta looks like words but fer the life ‘a me, I can’t rightly figure it out”. “I loved you”. Applejack whirled around to face Fluttershy, who had flown up to stand next to her. “Wha...What?” Applejack started, feeling herself begin to blush. “T...that’s what it says.” Tears were falling, now, running down the shy pegasus pony’s face. “It...it sa...says I loved you. An...and it...it looks like Spike’s writing...” Fluttershy turned away, hiding her face in her wing, and began to sob. “Oh, Celestia, what’s hap...happening?” Applejack placed a gentle hoof on her friend’s shoulder. Rarity had joined the two friends on the second floor and was peering down at the marks on the floor. Her face scrunched up in what the others would have, under better circumstances, found quite amusing ways as she tried to see what Fluttershy saw. “We gotta find her. I know we gave her a bit o’ time ta herself earlier on, but she’s not herself at th’ moment”. Rarity gave up her search, from the look in her eye she didn’t need to confirm it herself to believe Fluttershy. Spike, their little Spike, had attacked Ponyville, and was, it seemed, now a hundred times his original size. It was no wonder Twilight had run off. “But, wouldn’t it just be best to give her a bit of time alone? I mean, I can’t even imagine how tough a time she must be having with all this, after all...” Rarity bit her lower lip and looked away, the tears forming in her eyes mixing with her makeup as she fruitlessly tried to rub away the rivulets of colour making their way down her cheek. Always the optimist, Rarity normally managed to find good in every situation, but this time it seems even she couldn’t put a positive spin on this. Applejack embraced both her friends, pulling them close in a tight hug. “Not this time, sugarcube. Normally, I’d agree with ya, but I ain’t never seen her like this. We really shouldn’t be leavin’ her alone.” Rarity nodded. There wasn’t a sliver of doubt in her mind, for even she didn’t believe that Twilight should really be unsupervised. Applejack, releasing her two friends, began to gently issue instructions. “Now then, we need to get to work. Fluttershy, you go find Owlysius; it’s gettin’ dark out, and his eyes are a darn sight better’n ours at night. Meet us at Zecora’s”. “He...”Fluttershy swallowed, doing her best to force back her tears and put on a brave face. “He’s staying at my house. The poor little guy hasn’t stopped searching for Spike since he went missing. He showed up at my house a few days ago, exhausted. Hopefully, he’ll be rested enough to help!”. With that, Fluttershy took off at top speed.. “Alright. Rarity, I need you go find Pinkie Pie and meet us at Zecora’s. I’ma go see if I can find us some lanterns”. ************************************ Twilight stared. This time, the other mare was in a puddle of muddy water. Despite the discolouration, it was clearly the same pony she had earlier seen in the pond. This time, though, she recognized the pony in the water. The useless, worthless mare, red and teary eyed, unkempt and dishevelled. Completely worthless. Entirely useless. A failure. Her. She finally recognized the pony staring back at her. It was her, Twilight Sparkle the failure, Twilight Sparkle the ineffectual, Twilight Sparkle the empty, the useless, the nothing. Nothing. That’s what she was, nothing. Nothing. It struck her, then. Not only did she know who the mare in the water was, she knew who SHE was. Looking away from the water, she knew what she had to do. It was her fault, all of it. She was the one closest to Spike, it was her fault that he’d left, that he’d done what he’d done. It was her fault Ponyville had burned, that Rainbow Dash had been hurt. Almost in a trance, she began to walk. Summoning energy into her horn, turning that energy into a teleport spell. She disappeared midstep in a magical flash, reappearing in a familiar place without breaking stride. Froggybottom Bog. She knew what had to be done, how to make amends. She walked, passing rocks and trees, through patches of swampy mud and wet sand. Finally, she came to the first of her two destinations. The second would be her last. She stood on the edge of the cliff, looking down. She’d taken this fall once before, a freak gas bubble the only thing saving her life. She smiled, almost in spite of herself. No chance of that this time. This time, she’d hit the water. This time, she wasn’t coming back. She debated closing her eyes, but decided not to. She’d faced everything in her life eyes closed, blind to almost everything around her. Now, she would face what was coming with her eyes wide open. She paused a moment, trying to ascertain what she felt, if anything. What SHOULD she be feeling? Should she be sad? Afraid? Happy, even? It didn’t matter anymore. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out into open air and let gravity take hold. TO BE CONTINUED

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2011-07-18T06:40:47+00:00

2011-07-18T06:40:47+00:00

Irreplaceable Chapter 10- Sudden Death The air rushed past Twilight as she fell, her eyes streaming as she struggled to keep them open. Tumbling head over tail as the wind caught her, she was sent spinning, narrowly missing a rocky outcropping. She hit the water hard, driving the breath from her. Instinctively, she started thrashing and tried to breathe, but the thick muddy bog defied her body’s natural attempts to save itself, and she only inhaled a lungful of slime. Coughing and spluttering, she began to sink. As her vision began to swim and her head sank beneath the surface of the swamp, lungs and stomach full of thick mud, she had time for one last thought before darkness claimed her. Thank you... Thank you all for showing me the spark. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “TWILIGHT!” The call echoed through the depths of the Everfree Forest as her friends searched, the light from their lanterns illuminating a small circle of the wilderness around them. After leaving Zecora’s hut, a sleeping Rainbow Dash oblivious to their presence, they had proceeded to spread out into the depths of the forest, sticking close enough to see each other’s lights through the gloom.Every so often, their calls were interrupted by a mournful hoot, a status update of a fruitless search. “Twilight, dear, where are you?” “Twilight? Are you there? Please come home...” “C’mon out, Twi! Let’s get you home!” “Twilight, this isn’t hide and seek! ...But if it WAS hide and seek, you’d be doing really really good! But it’s not! Come on out!”Four different voices, four different calls, one message. Twilight, come home. Originally, there had been some talk of splitting up to cover more ground, but, surprisingly, it was Pinkie Pie who had been the voice of reason. “Nuh uh!” she had said, shaking her head emphatically. “I know we gotta find her, but we also gotta stay together. There’s all sorts of nasty stuff in the forest during the day, but it’s gonna be even worse at night, when all the creepies and the ghosties and stuff come out. And I don’t think we can laugh these ones away”. And so they’d stuck together, spread apart, but just close enough to see one another. “TWILIGHT!” Again, there came a hooting. This time, however, it was different, almost frantic. Landing near Applejack, Owlysius hooted again and again, a rapid fire tirade. The ponies clustered around the agitated owl, both excited and terrified of the news he brought. Owlysius hopped from foot to foot, frantically flapping his wings. The four ponies listened intently until he’d finished. Applejack spoke first, breaking the silence. “I gotta say, I sure as sugar wish I knew what the hay he just said”. Owlysius covered his face with his wings. Suddenly taking off, he hooted again, pausing a moment to look back at them before heading off at top speed. That, at least, was clear enough. Fluttershy straightened. “I’ll follow him; you girls follow behind us”. “Are ya sure ya can keep up with ‘im, sugarcube?” Fluttershy looked at her, a strange light in her eyes. “Oh, I’m sure, Applejack. I’m very sure”. Spreading her wings, Fluttershy rocketed into the night sky faster than any of her friends had ever thought possible for the shy pegasus. “...Well, I’ll be”. Without another word, the three ponies took off at a full gallop in the direction Owlysius had flown. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A powerful scaly fist crashed into a large slimy head, creating a loud crack that echoed through the swamp. Reeling back, the head slumped to the ground. It wasn’t dead; the blow had simply knocked it unconscious, now only serving as dead weight to the monster it was attached to. Shifting his weight, Spike leapt back as another head lunged, wrapping its maw around the space where his neck had been milliseconds before. Spike and the hydra circled one another, each looking for an opening. The hydra snarled, its unconscious head dragging across through the swamp, unable to assist the other three. The dragon circled and watched, looking for an opening, waiting for the right chance to strike and immobilize a second head. Though harder than simply removing the head, it was, in the long run, the easiest way to beat it. The hydra lashed out, striking at him with two of its heads. Lightning fast, Spike shot upwards, sending the two heads crashing together. Folding his wings, he dropped like a stone. Crashing down onto the stunned heads, he struck, bashing at the heads with fists, legs and tail, delivering as much damage between the two as possible. One of the heads pulled back, rearing up unsteadily, but the other stayed down, the vicious beating having done its job. Spike leapt to his feet and sank into a fighting crouch. Two heads down, two left to deal with. The right head lashed out, snapping. As Spike raised his tail and lunged, ready to deliver another crushing blow. As he swung, the head suddenly fell back as the other head quickly darted in from the side, catching him by the shoulder. Lifting him, the hydra swung forcefully, hurling Spike away. The hydra’s teeth failed to penetrate his thick, armoured hide, but the impact caused the joint to ache regardless. Catching his balance and rotating in midair, Spike landed and immediately pushed off, hurling himself at the other beast. He opened his mouth and struck hard and fast, clamping down onto the side of the hydra’s face. The creature let out an unearthly shriek and tried to rear back, but, even with its overwhelming size advantage, the dragon’s raw strength and ferocity kept the head down and firmly within his grip. Unleashing a flurry of strikes at the head, Spike spat it out and leapt back as the final head rushed past, barely missing him. Spike stepped back, creating a distance between them. The head Spike had bitten thudded to the ground, as immobile as the other three, while the one remaining reared back, still ready for a fight. Perfect Three down, and... Spike froze, unable to believe what he was seeing. The final head opened its mouth and bit deep, but not into Spike. The three unconscious heads flopped to the ground, twitching like fish out of water. The severed necks pulsated and bubbled, the sickly sucking sounds it created mingling with the creature’s shrieks. In a matter of seconds, the necks had split and burst outwards, growing at a rate almost not to be believed. Where there had once been four heads, now there were seven, each of the necks sprouting two additional heads. Well now. That’s just plain unfair. Spike looked from head to head, inspecting each as quickly as the situation would allow. The creature seemed woozy, off balance, as could be expected from the exertion of growing six new heads, but that wouldn’t last for long. Spike needed to find the correct head, and find it NOW. Something drastic had to be done, and quickly, before it was too late. The hydra shook itself, snapping out of its momentary torpor, then hurled itself at the dragon, all seven heads snapping. There! Third from the left! It was all he needed. Again he spread his wings. This time, though, he pushed backwards, forcing himself into the trunk of a great tree. The moment the hydra was in range, he used the tree as a springboard, catapulting himself towards the beast at great speed. His wings catching the night air, he stayed low, gliding, ducking under its guard and slipping underneath the hydra. Lashing out with his tail, he struck at the unprotected belly of the beast again and again, the sharply bladed tip of his tail leaving deep lacerations where it struck. All seven heads shot backwards, shrieking as one. Dodging out from beneath, Spike flipped around the wildly lashing tail. Steeling himself and planting his feet directly in the path of the lashing tail, he readied himself for the blow. Again came the frenzied tail, swinging almost blindly in pain and rage. This time, however, Spike didn’t dodge. Taking the mighty blow full in the chest, he caught the massive tail. Gritting his teeth at the near indescribable pain, he sank his teeth and claws in as deeply as possible, giving a great yank and pulling on the tail with every fibre of muscle in his body. The combination of wounds on its underside and the sudden surprise of Spike’s seizing its tail made it easy for Spike to force the larger beast to the ground. The many headed beast hit the ground hard, shrieking in pain and fury through seven throats. Seizing his chance, Spike leaped into the air, unfurling his wings with a mighty flap for added height. He landed at the base of the creature’s neck, poised behind the head he had targeted. Wasting no time, he tore fiercely at the neck, ripping the head off with a sound unequalled in its nauseating thickness. The other heads, furious at this attack, struck, lightning fast. Spike dove forward, slipping through the forest of scaly appendages. A jolt of pain shot up his side; a lucky blow had managed to force a tooth into a gap between scales. Ignoring the wound, Spike seized the head he had torn off and, pushing off, shot off into the air. Pain racked his body as he spread his wings, soaring off towards a nearby cliff overhang, overlooking the swamp. Forcing the fanged mouth open, he rammed a scaly arm down the dead throat. He actually managed to fit his arm up to the shoulder inside the monster’s esophagus. Come on, COME ON! It doesn’t matter if it swallowed, it still takes longer than that to reach the stomach! Rooting around in the great beast’s severed neck like Santa Claus reaching into a grotesque stocking, he groped blindly until- YES! Closing his fist, Spike gingerly removed the object he had been searching for from the colossal gullet. TO BE CONTINUED

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2011-07-18T06:41:36+00:00

2011-07-18T06:41:36+00:00

Irreplaceable Chapter 11 - Fear Fluttershy flew, fast and strong, faster, actually, than she had thought herself capable. Owlysius had found Twilight, of that much she was sure, and if Applejack was right, that meant she desperately needed her friends with her. As she soared through the night sky, forest beneath her gave way to the swampy marshland of Froggybottom bog. Spotting a familiar silhouette on a cliff’s edge, she sighed, a weight lifted from her heart. “Oh, thank goodness! Owlysius, dear, thank you SO MUCH for finding her! Could you please fly back and make sure the others are on the right path?”. With a hoot, the owl circled and left, returning back the way they had come. Fluttershy smiled. There she was, safe and sound. Twilight was safe. Then she jumped. Fluttershy’s heart, having so recently lifted, dropped like a stone as she screamed, the normally almost inaudible sound immediately whipped away by the wind. Too far away to do anything, even if she flew faster than she’d ever flown before, Fluttershy could only watch helplessly as her friend plummeted, spun around by the winds, and landed with a sickly splat in the marsh, rapidly sinking from view. Snapping out of her daze, she dove, making a beeline for the spot where her friend had disappeared, suddenly stopping as the entire surface of the swamp began to bubble. Rising from the slime and much, four mighty heads rose from the swamp. Before she could react, one of the long necks flicked, as if dislodging something, before snapping at the air. Speechless, Fluttershy stared, disbelief etched into her features. Before she had a chance to move, to say a word, to even fully realize what had happened, a dark shape struck the beast like a thunderbolt, knocking it back. A powerful scaly fist crashed into a large slimy head, creating a loud crack that echoed through the swamp. Reeling back, the head slumped to the ground. It wasn’t dead; the blow had simply knocked it unconscious, now only serving as dead weight to the monster it was attached to. Barely capable of conscious thought at this point, Fluttershy did the only thing she could: she hid. Taking shelter on the shore of the swamp behind a large boulder, she watched as the hydra fought the aggressor, a creature she could now identify as- “A dragon!” she gasped. Could it... Could it be? Was it Spike? And what was he doing? A mighty beast in almost every sense of the word, the dragon was nowhere near fully grown. Standing close to twelve feet high, it was dwarfed by the mighty hydra. Still, though, it pressed its assault, darting, dodging and attacking, delivering punishing blows with head, claws and tail. It was strange, though. Despite the distinct size advantage, the hydra should be clearly outmatched, yet the fight was strangely balanced, as though the dragon were holding back. Mouth agape, Fluttershy spoke softly the only coherent phrase that would agree to be spoken. “What are you doing?”. As the dragon immobilized the second to last head, it spread its wings, creating some distance, and that was when the hydra struck. Horrified, Fluttershy watched it chew off three of its own heads. The yellow pegasus could only stare as, neck stumps bubbling like a vat of tar, two heads sprouted from each severed neck. I’d heard that a hydra could- could- but I never thought-! Renewing its attack, the dragon pounced, striking again and again. Diving under it, the dragon managed to catch hold of the other beast’s tail and pull it over, knocking it flat on its back. As it leaped onto its foe, Fluttershy closed her eyes, knowing what would come next. A hideous ripping, tearing sound proved her correct. When she opened them, the dragon was perched on the great beast, the severed neck on the ground before it. What it did now, however, surprised her. Instead of attacking further, it seized the limp, dangling head from where it had fallen and shot off, disengaging completely from the other monster. Perching on a cliff, the dragon turned its attention to its grisly trophy. For once, Fluttershy’s curiosity overcame her fear, and she winged her way near to its perch, careful not to be noticed. She needn’t have worried, however; the dragon was completely engrossed with its prize. She watched, fascinated, as the dragon stuck its arm inside the great mouth, a look of fierce concentration on its face. Its expression changed, suddenly, shifting from an intense grimace to... well, to what she could only describe as concern, almost fear. The biggest change, she saw, were its eyes. Yellow sclera seemed to drain as the black of the iris boiled and ran, dissolving like ink poured into running water, leaving behind normal green eyes. SCARED eyes. The eyes... the eyes of a lost child, looking for its mother. As it began to withdraw its arm, it reached inside with the other, fitting both arms almost up to the shoulder into the mouth. Finally, he pulled his target from the great throat, carefully laying it down on the rocks before it. It was absolutely fixed on this- whatever it was, this soggy, filth caked- Her eyes widened suddenly. “TWILIGHT!” Still oblivious to her presence, the great beast lowered its head to her chest. It was all Fluttershy could do not to immediately rush to her friend’s side. She bit her lip, tears flowing freely down her face. No... The dragon raised its head and tenderly rolled Twilight onto her back. Grasping her chest between thumb and forefinger, it applied a gentle pressure, over and over again, rhythmically compressing her ribcage. Water began to ooze from her mouth and nose. With a cough and a splutter, Twilight’s eyes snapped open. Rolling onto her side, she began to vomit and cough, great gouts of mud, water and sludge spattering the stone as she emptied the contents of her lungs and stomach. The dragon sat silently, watching. It closed its eyes, squeezing the lids shut as tightly as possible. When they opened again, it was as if a different dragon was looming over Twilight. Gone were the sad, scared green eyes; the yellow and black had returned, as had its fury. Launching itself from its perch, it dove back into the swamp with a snarl. Immediately, Fluttershy left her hiding spot, rushing to Twilight’s side as fast as her legs could carry her. Wrapping a foreleg around her back, she patted her friend’s chest. “Shh, that’s right. Get it all out. You’re safe now. Oh, Twilight, what were you thinking?” From below, the shrieks and roars of combat had begun again in earnest. Slumping back to the ground, Twilight closed her eyes again. Lowering her head, she placed her ear to Twilight’s mouth, the gentle breeze of her breath shifting Fluttershy’s mane slightly. Relieved, Fluttershy smiled sadly. She was breathing, at the very least. With a slight jerk, Twilight’s eyes opened again, as did her mouth. What came out this time, instead of breath, was another torrent of muddy water. Her eyes widening in disgust, Fluttershy shot back, but only slightly. She’d been covered in much worse over her years of treating all sorts of sick animals. Giving her mane a quick shake to dislodge the largest clumps of mud, she continued to soothe her friend. Twilight’s eyelids fluttered as she mumbled something vaguely resembling a question, but Fluttershy shushed her, stroking her friend’s brow until sleep’s gentle embrace took her away. Now that she was completely convinced that Twilight was alright, Fluttershy turned her attention to the brutal battle taking place below her. From the looks of things, Spike had held back before, afraid of harming Twilight. Fluttershy swallowed hard. Spike. It WAS Spike; there was no doubt in her mind, but what had happened? The little dragon, barely up to her shoulder, now dwarfed her, 12 feet of raw muscle and sinew. Gone was the appearance of an almost chubby baby, the dragon below her, though far from fully grown, was nonetheless a vicious warrior. Now that Twilight was no longer a factor, the dragon held nothing back. A fight that had once seemed almost fair was now entirely one sided. The hydra didn’t stand a chance. The dragon ripped, slashed and tore at any part of the larger beast he could reach, his incredible speed keeping him safe from any counterattack. Any head that found itself within his reach was torn off, and the stump immolated with a gout of green flame. He’s cauterizing the necks! Despite her horror at the sheer brutality, she couldn’t help but admire the strategy. Eventually, there was only one head left. The hydra staggered, hissing balefully at its foe. Before it could act, Spike was there, striking at its legs and knocking it down. For the second time during the course of the battle, the hydra found itself face down in the mud. Like a flash, Spike seized the final great head in his claws. Fluttershy’s breath caught in her throat as she watched the scene unfold, waiting for Spike to deliver the final, ending blow. To her surprise, however, Spike let the head drop. Spreading his great wings- he had wings!-, he took off, circling once before returning to where he had left Twilight. The hydra picked itself up off the ground, staggering unsteadily. The remaining head turned, as if to examine the damage, before beginning to pick at the burned scabs left by dragonfire. Not all the necks could be saved, it seemed; seven heads had been reduced to five. Fluttershy nervously watched as it looked up at Spike, fury in its eyes, but she needn’t have worried. The mighty beast, lord of the swamps, turned and walked away. It knew it was completely outmatched against the dragon, and it wasn't about to waste the gift of life the dragon had given it. Spike landed on the cliff, furling his wings as he perched. He seemed much bigger up close, towering above Fluttershy, like a hungry bird staring down a worm. “Hello, Spike.” Fluttershy swallowed, trying to hide her nervousness. “How are you?” Really, Fluttershy? How are you? Come on, what kind of a question is that? Fluttershy silently cursed herself. “I mean...well...uhm...Mew!!” Spike leaned down, bringing his head to her level, and looked her in the eye. Again, Fluttershy noticed the strange shifting of his eyes, colours combining and colliding, as if fighting each other for supremacy. He looked to Twilight’s still form, then back to Fluttershy. She swallowed hard. “She’s going to be alright. She just needs some rest, then she’ll be good as new.” There was an uncomfortable silence. Spike, a look of concern and anguish plastered across his features, seemed... wrong. Could this really be the same dragon who, moments before, had delivered a vicious beating to a hydra? This Spike was much closer to the one she’d known a month ago. “I’m...I’m guessing you saw?Wwhat she did?” The dragon nodded, slowly. Once again, there was silence. Fluttershy couldn't think of anything to say that could possibly improve the situation, so she opted to ask a question that had been eating at her mind. “Spike...Is there any hope for you?” Spike looked at her, his eyes once again making that strange change from terrifying beast to gentle friend. Then he spoke. The voice could have struck terror into the heart of the bravest pony, but the fact that it was emanating from Spike, just the fact that he was still there, still capable of logical thought and conversation caused Fluttershy’s heart to soar like a bird. His words, however, were the windowpane that sent it crashing to the ground in a bloody mess. “I... don’t think so”. Her eyes filling with tears, Fluttershy wanted to run to him, to hold him, to keep him there with her, but she held back, not wanting to leave Twilight’s side. “No... no, please tell me that's not true!”. Spike opened his mouth to speak, but froze. His head snapped up, his eyes scanning over the forest for- “HIM.” Spike raised his head, giving vent to pure, raw fury, a monstrous plume of emerald smoke scorching the skies. Spike whirled back to look at Fluttershy, his face the essence of pure, unbridled fury. And there, eyes wide, staring him down, was Twilight, a look of sheer horror etched upon her face. Spike’s heart shattered, as did his sanity, his mind once again plunged into the mindless psychotic frenzy of madness. He roared once more and took flight, the last remaining fragments of his sanity urging him to flee before he did something he could never recover from. TO BE CONTINUED

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2011-07-18T06:42:19+00:00

2011-07-18T06:42:19+00:00

Irreplaceable Chapter 12 - Spark Twilight closed her eyes as the cool water washed over her, coursing through her coat and clearing muck from her mane. She barely responded as Fluttershy delicately splashed her again, using her wings to flick the clear water of the small tributary stream. Fluttershy had half led, half carried Twilight down from the cliff, the purple unicorn seemingly awake but almost entirely unresponsive. On their way out of the swamp, they had stopped by the little stream as much for a chance to clean Twilight as for Fluttershy to take a rest. Twilight shuddered, shaking water from her mane. Opening her eyes again, she looked towards Fluttershy, not quite meeting her eyes. “Fluttershy... I-” “Shhhh. It’s okay, Twilight”. “But-” “No buts. We’re getting you cleaned up and back to Ponyville as soon as …...” Fluttershy’s voice began to fade away, falling off into the distance, as the events of the night started to sink in. Twilight’s memories, slowly returning, flooding through her mind, a swirling current of horror and realization snapping her to her senses. I... tried to kill myself! I tried... and I failed. Just another thing I managed to screw up, another mistake in the endless line of mistakes that’s been my life. Twilight closed her eyes as she got to her feet unsteadily. “Oh, Twilight, you shouldn’t stand up just yet, you just need to rest... Twilight?” Shifting herself, Twilight paused for a moment, looking into the rushing waters. She’d done it. She’d found Spike. She’d found him, but at the same time she’d lost him. He was... a lost cause. That’s what he was, a lot cause. She’d resigned herself to, well, to the truth. He was... he was wrong. SHE was wrong. She was wrong, not incorrect, wrong. Something was wrong with her. She was broken, a snapped axle on a cart, a shattered china cup. She was quite simply wrong. Wrong about everything she had ever done, wrong about everything she was. She closed her eyes. I am going to do SOMETHING RIGHT! Without a second thought, Twilight plunged her head into the water and held it there, locking her teeth around a submerged root. In less then a second, there was a pull, a pair of legs wrapped around her neck. Fluttershy pulled as hard as she could, with all the strength she could muster, but she couldn’t break Twilight’s grip. Fluttershy locked her hooves together, screaming. There could’ve been words, it was entirely probable, but Twilight was entirely oblivious, all sound obliterated by the rushing waters. Twilight was well read enough to know that it was entirely impossible for her to kill herself this way, her body simply wouldn’t allow it. However, she was entirely beyond caring. Heh, maybe I’ll get lucky. I’ve been the first to do a lot of things, maybe this’ll be one of them. Her head began to swim, coloured lights forming at the edges of her eyes. Any minute now... It was then that something quite unexpected happened. She flew. She flew backwards, ripped from the water, and collided with a tree on the bank. Stunned, she took an involuntary breath, her body fighting for air. Her sides hurt, the impact from her disagreement with the tree outweighed by the pain in her other side, a pain that was focused, almost as if she’d been bucked, hard. Twilight stood shakily, staring at Fluttershy in an almost awed silence. Fluttershy was angry. Panting hard, she glared at Twilight, an almost insane light in her eyes. She was wrong, she realized. Fluttershy wasn’t angry. Fluttershy was furious. “You. Will. Not. I repeat, YOU WILL NOT DO THAT AGAIN!” Fluttershy screamed, rage etched across her features. Twilight huffed, turning away. “It’s my life. I can do what I want, and you-” Twilight was cut off by a hoof slamming into the side of her head. She fell to the ground, coloured stars encroaching on her vision. Looking up, dazed, she saw Fluttersy standing over her. Though Twilight didn’t think it possible, she seemed even more furious than she had been. “Don’t you dare turn your back on me.” “Wow, Fluttershy. I didn’t know you had it in you. Then again, it’s always the shy ones that turn out crazy, isn’t it?” Twilight knew it was harsh, not just harsh, but completely unjustified, but she didn’t care. At this point, she’d given up. All she wanted was to be alone, to be left in peace so she could die properly. “What’s the matter?” she continued. “Is that all you’ve got? I’ve known trees that hit harder than that”. “id...” “I beg your pardon? Speak up, I can’t quite hear you. Then again, that’s usually your M.O., isn’t it?” The words hurt. They hurt deeply. It was as if the letters themselves, sharp edges and points several times too large to fit into her throat, were forced out through her mouth. Twilight couldn't believe that she’d said that. It pained her deeply to say these things, but she simply didn’t care anymore. She was going to be left alone, no matter what it took. “I said you’re an idiot”. The words hit Twilight harder than the punch had. I am an idiot. Twilight squeezed her eyes shut as tightly as she could. She couldn’t take it. She simply couldn’t take anymore. With a cry of frustration, she began to slam her head against the riverbank, over and over again. As Fluttershy advanced to stop her, she charged her horn with energy and let loose with a burst of static that sent the yellow mare flying backwards into the water with a splash. Standing up, Twilight concentrated hard, grasping a sizable rock set into the opposite bank. With a great heave, she wrenched it free from the thick mud of the bank. Lowering her head, she whipped it towards her with all of the magical strength she could had. Stepping into its path, she closed her eyes and waited for the impact. An impact which never came. She opened her eyes to see Fluttershy, standing in front of her on wobbly legs. She’d somehow managed to move herself between Twilight and the stone missile, taking the impact she’d meant for herself. Twilight reared up with a scream of anger, seizing another rock, but stopped. Fluttershy had moved, staggered, really, across the riverbank, again placing herself between Twilight and the rock. Her legs wobbly, tears in her eyes, the furious face gone, Fluttershy spoke, swallowing hard. “wait....Wait, please. I didn’t mean to hit you, or call you an idiot...“ Twilight raised her eyebrows. “...Okay, maybe I did. I- I don’t want to lose you. It was... I don’t even know how to say it, I was just- I’ve never really felt anything like that before. I didn’t even know how I was supposed to deal with it, I just know I did what I thought I had to”. Twilight wanted to stop, she wanted to put the rock down, embrace her friend and apologize and beg forgiveness. She wanted to go back to Ponyville and start over, but everything just seemed so... different. It seemed like it would be entirely impossible. Emotions churned, whipping through Twilight’s brain like the rapids of a river, just pure, brutal, unstoppable force, overwhelming her usual logic and making her nearly blind to almost everything except her own burning desire to atone for what she’d started by destroying herself. Twilight lifted the rock higher, adjusting the angle of her throw so that Fluttershy couldn’t stop her this time. Stepping forward, Fluttershy moved forwards to intercept, collapsing to her knees with a small cry. Twilight’s eyes narrowed in surprise, then shot wide in horror. Her right flank was bleeding, blood running down her side and dripping onto the ground. She’d hit Fluttershy. She’d just struck one of her best friends with a rock. She’d hurt her, and hurt her badly. Twilight dropped the rock and rushed to her side. “Oh, Celestia, I’m so sorry!” Twilight’s horn glowed again as she scanned the injury with her magic to determine the extent of the damage. It was a small fracture, nothing too serious, but it had to be quite painful. Twilight concentrated hard, forcing herself past what she’d previously thought to be her limit. She’d dealt with injuries before, but nothing more serious than cuts and bruises. With a burst of coloured light, she released the built up magical pressure, forcing it into the wound. Scurrying sparks of energy spread along Fluttershy’s leg, sinking into the skin as the magic did its work, repairing the damage the rock had caused. Very soon, the only sign that there had been any injury whatsoever was the trail of quickly drying blood tracing a path through the yellow coat. The light died, Twilight’s energy spent, and she collapsed to the ground. Still conscious, she was nevertheless completely exhausted. “Is... Is that better?” Twilight asked, panting with exertion. She felt a warm body press up against her; Fluttershy had lain down next to her and wrapped her in one of her wings. “It’s much better, Twilight. A little stiff, but just fine. Thank you”. Fluttershy sighed. “You know, Twilight, when I first moved to Ponyville, there were a lot of rumors going around. Ponies would say nasty things about my family, and about pegasi in general. Everyone seemed to assume I was so shy because everyone had treated me horribly, or hurt me, or just been mean to me all the time, or because I’d had a terrible childhood. It wasn’t, not at all. I never really got picked on. Heh, for the most part, I was so quiet that most ponies didn’t even really know I was there. That’s probably the reason I really didn’t have any friends growing up. It wasn’t until I was enrolled in Summer Flight Camp that anyone took any notice of me. When I was younger, I was a very weak flier. I... I’m not quite sure exactly why, but when I was there, for some reason I wanted to improve, to get better, so I started practicing hard. Well, trying, anyways. That’s when that whole Sonic Rainboom thing happened, and I got my cutie mark. Actually, I think I got something more important than my cutie mark. I got a friend. I met Rainbow Dash, and we became friends. She was really the first pony (other than my family, that is) to ever really go out of their way to be nice to me. I loved my family very much, and they loved me. My mother was in charge of rainbow consistency at the weather factory, and my father worked with clouds. He sculpted tables and chairs and shelves, all sorts of things. You could call him a carpenter, I guess. Athough, he used clouds instead of wood, so I guess that makes him a cloudenter”. She giggled a little at this, and even Twilight smilled some at the terrible joke. “My parents where very nice to me,” Fluttershy continued. “They never yelled, and the only time either of them raised their voice was at cloudball games. I... actually signed up for a team, once, and nobody cheered louder. They were very supportive, and weren’t upset at all when I wanted to quit. They never tried to force me to do anything I didn’t want to, and never made me feel guilty about being shy. I really do wish I could give you some big, enlightening explanation as to why I am, but the honest truth is that it’s simply who I am. But you know what? I’m fine with that. It’s who I am, and I’m completely comfortable with it. I do need to try a bit harder to make myself heard sometimes, but it’s alright. While I can’t say that being so shy is a good thing, I will never deny that it has led to a lot of good things. If it wasn’t for me being so shy, I would never have learned to be calm and quiet, which really does help me deal with animals. It’s almost part of my special talent. I’ve learned I can get angry just like anypony, and that I’m able to stand up and be strong when I need to. What I’m trying to say is, basically, that good or bad, mistakes and triumphs, you need to be happy with who you are, and proud of what you’ve managed to accomplish. Things can’t always go to plan, and can’t always be perfect. ‘What’s important is making it through the bad times and not letting them weigh you down. That when you make it out, you can float up and bask in the wonderful moments, the times worth remembering’. That’s what my dad always used to tell me, whenever I was down on myself or upset over anything. Although he was just a simple carpenter, and most ponies wouldn’t have given him a second glance, I don’t think anypony has ever spoken words so wise.” Her eyes damp with tears, Twilight looked at the ground, lost for words. “Fluttershy...”. Pulling her friend in close, they sat on the bank in silence. They stayed that way, huddled together, for some time, until approaching hoofbeats jarred them from their reverie. “Twilight! Fluttershy!” The friends looked up to see Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie approach from across the stream. “Thank Celestia y’all’re alright!”. Crossing the stream, Rarity momentarily hesitating before abandoning the well being of her pony pedi in the face of the muddy bottom. “Oh, dears, it’s so good to see you safe! We were so worried! Oh, and just LOOK at your coat! How did you ever manage to get so filthy, and...” At this, Rarity sniffed, a wry expression of disgust spreading across her features. “Eeeeeugh! What is that stench? You smell as if you’ve been bathing in rotten... I don’t even know, just something rotten. We simply must get you cleaned up immediately.” Twilight couldn’t help but smile. Rarity was direct and to the point, as always. Getting slowly to her feet, Twilight began to stumble, only to find herself propped up by Applejack. “Woah, steady there, Twi. You all right?” “Erm... Yeah, just a bit tired. I’ve had a... busy night”. As the friends turned to head home, they were interrupted by Rarity’s shriek. “Oh my STARS! Fluttershy, your leg!”. All attention was now on Fluttershy, and the now dry bloodstain adorning her flank like a second cutie mark. Twilight looked to her, and their eyes locked. This was it. Fluttershy broke the stare first, looking down at her hooves. Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth. Twilight closed her eyes. “Oh...umm, well... You see, we were in the swamp, and then the hydra...” “HYDRA?!” “Yeah... And... and then Spike came, and he fought it-” “SPIKE?! Are you sure- he WHAT?!” “He... He fought it. It got sort of... messy. I guess I must’ve gotten splashed from one of the heads he tore off...” *THUD* It was all too much for poor Rarity to handle. Her eyes rolling up into her head, she swooned, falling to the ground in an unconscious heap. An incredulous Applejack shook her head. “Well, I’ll be darned. First thing’s first, we need to get y’all home. I’m sure ya got ’cherselves a whale of a tale ta tell, but first thing’s first. Pinkie, would ya mind...” “Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie said brightly, lifting an unconscious Rarity onto her back. “Let’s go!” Applejack turned. “Alright, Twi, let’s- Twi?” Twilight didn’t respond; the night’s events had taken their toll, and the purple unicorn was fast asleep. Applejack shook her head with a smile. “Poor gal. Had quite a night, haven’t ya?” Hoisting her onto her back, the party set out for home. It was almost a full day later that Twilight awoke. The smoky atmosphere and flickering torchlight of Zecora’s hut greeted her as she opened her eyes. “Hey there. Look who’s awake!”. Twilight blinked sleepily. “Hey Dash. What time is- DASH! YOU’RE AWAKE!” Twilight’s eyes shot wide, sleep entirely banished from her mind as she shot across the floor of the hut, wrapping her arms around her friend’s neck. “Urk... Ow, easy on the neck!” Instantly, Twilight released her. “Oh Dash, I’m so sorry! It’s all my fault and if I’d just planned things out better or taken alookbeforehandormadesurethateverythingwasinplaceortha-MMF!” Twilight’s babble stopped abruptly, cut off by a hoof pressing itself over her mouth. “It’s okay, Twi. It wasn’t your fault, and besides, I’m fine!” Dash chuckled, lying back on her pillows. “At least, I WILL be, once I can get outta here and fly again. Being laid up like this is just soooooo boring!”. “I tell her to sleep, she just complains and moans And won’t take the medicine to help heal her bones!” Twilight turned in time to see Zecora, accompanied by Applejack, enter the hut. “You are my friends, and I’ll help when I can, But Rainbow Dash stubbornness I just can not stand!” Getting to her feet, Twilight turned to face her friends. “Oh, Zecora, I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done to help her. To help us. The zebra shrugged, smiling. “No need to praise me like I have accomplished some great feat All I did was give treasured friends a place sleep” Twilight paused a moment. “How long, exactly was I out for?” “Almost a full day, sugarcube. We figured that after all the craziness last night it’d be best ta just let’cha sleep it off. What were ya doin’ down in that swamp, anyway?” “Oh, well, I was just, y’know...” Twilight stammered, fumbling for an answer, as Applejacks eyes narrowed in suspicion. She was saved by the arrival of Fluttershy, Pinkie and Rarity. “Oh, Twilight! It’s SO good to see you up and about, dear!” Pinkie hopped about excitedly. “Hee! Wow, Twilight, usually it’s only Rarity who passes out like that! You musta been really super tired, huh, Twilight?” “You can say that again, Pinkie. Let’s just say I had an exhausting night”. Applejack crossed the floor of the hut, sitting next to Rainbow Dash. “Speaking of which, I’m feelin’ mighty curious ‘bout it. Fluttershy here won’t say much about it, wanted you ta tell the story”. “Oh, yes, darling! Please do! Fluttershy HAS been rather tight lipped about the whole thing, could you please shed some light on last night’s events?”. As she moved to join the other ponies, Pinkie bounced after her, sitting next to them. “Ooh! Story time! I LOVE story time!” Twilight gulped. She hadn’t really had time to think since her time on the cliff, and wasn’t sure where to start. “Well...uhm...hmmmm...” Twilight quailed slightly under the gaze of four pairs of eyes. “Well, after I ran- uh, left, I really just started walking. I didn’t really plan on going anywhere, all I wanted was somewhere I could be by myself. I ended up finding myself in Froggybottom Bog. I wandered a bit, and I stopped at the cliff where we escaped the hydra last time we were there. I figured it was a good enough spot, so I decided to stop there. I was pretty much just lost in thought at that point. That’s why I didn’t notice when the edge of the cliff began to crumble until it was too late.” A collective gasp arose from the assembled ponies. “I... I fell. I hit the swamp, and I sank. I honestly thought that was the end for me. Next thing I knew, I was on a rocky outcropping with Fluttershy... and Spike”. A hush fell across the hut. “Are... Are you sure?”. Twilight closed her eyes. “I’m positive. He was bigger, much bigger, but it was him. I- He-” tears began to form, running down the young mare’s face before dripping to the floor. “It was him, but... It wasn’t him. Not anymore. He’s not Spike anymore”. Her shoulders began to shake as silent sobs racked her body. She was absolutely certain it was him. “I opened my eyes, and h-he was there, an-and he was roaring. And then... he lo-looked at me... and just... his eyes...” Twilight cried. The weight of all those weeks of worry and fear and terror and god knows what else, combined with the trauma of the previous night had compounded on one another, and the poor filly had finally snapped. Immediately, Fluttershy was at her side. Embracing her friend, she simply held her, shushing reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Twilight. It’s all going to be okay. Why don’t you just sit down for now, okay?”. No longer sobbing, but eyes still wet with tears, Twilight sat with her friends, surrounded on all sides by love and support. Fluttershy, however, still stood. Clearing her throat slightly, the shy pegauss spoke. “There are a lot of holes in Twilight’s story. While I’m not arguing with what she saw, there’s a bit more to it than that. I... I saw everything that happened, and I can fill in the holes”. In the hut, there was nothing but silence. All eyes were on Fluttershy, expectant and waiting. She gulped, not quite used to being the centre of attention. Straightening up, Fluttershy stood tall as she began to tell the rest of the tale. “I was following Owlysius after I’d split off from you. I... I saw her fall. I was too far away to catch her, but I headed down as fast as I could. I wasn’t fast enough, though. I couldn’t even get close. I saw the hydra come up out of the water. It moved, flicked one of its heads. I wasn’t sure what it was doing at the time, but from what I know now... well... it... it ate her.” There was a chorus of gasps from those assembled, along with loud thud as Rarity swooned again. Immediately, however, she shot back upright, a wide eyed look of terror on her face. Immediately, she embraced Twilight, wrapping her legs around her neck. “Oh, Twilight! You poor, poor dear! So THAT’S what that... smell was”. Twilight shrugged awkwardly, as best as she was able considering the grip Rarity had around her neck. “It’s... It’s not like I was awake for it. I passed out after I... went under”. “Well, Twi, I’m sure as sugar glad you’re alright now” Applejack offered, throwing a sympathetic hoof around her shoulder while simultaneously removing Rarity’s deathgrip. “And that’s... That’s when Spike came in. I’ll... spare you some of the more... gruesome details...” At this, Rarity coughed slightly and turned what the local colts might’ve considered a rather fetching shade of red, silently cursing herself for her last fainting spell. “I was there when Twilight opened her eyes, and I won’t deny that the Spike that Twilight opened her eyes to seemed a monster, but she wasn’t in my position”. Twilight, her emotional outburst behind her, looked up. Her eyes met Fluttershy’s, just as they had the previous night, but this time the gaze was different. The shy aura that normally encompassed the yellow pegasus was instead projected by the normally robust Twilight. She was just as curious as the rest, if not more so, to find out what really happened that night. “And... what did it look like from your position?” Not moving her eyes from Twilight’s, Fluttershy spoke again. “It was clear to me that Spike attacked the Hydra for one reason and one reason only: to save you. ” Twilight closed her eyes, bowing her head yet again. Almost imperceptibly, she shook it, though it would have been impossible to tell whether in disagreement or despair. “I made it to the ledge where he’d pulled you out”. “No... That’s not true. It can’t be. There was not enough left in him to care that much! I SAW him!” “It’s the truth, Twilight. He fought it so carefully... He got hurt quite badly. He didn’t do anything that would risk hurting you. He reached down its throat to pull you out. He squeezed all the water out of you, got you breathing again. He was so gentle... The monster you saw, the rage, it was AT THE HYDRA. He was absolutely furious with it for daring to hurt you!” Twilight got to her feet, stumbling away from her friends. She shook her head viciously, as if trying to shake loose a thought. “No, That’s... That doesn’t make any sense!” “Twi-” “I saw his eyes, Fluttershy. I SAW THEM. All that was there was just... pure rage! There isn’t anything left of Spike. If he saved me, its because he wanted to finish me off himself. Spike’s gone. All that’s left is just... a monster.” “Would a rage filled monster spare an enemy?” “...What?” “Spike never killed the hydra. After he got you out and made sure you were okay, he was really mad. He was absolutely furious. He flew down, and he attacked the hydra. It was a totally different fight. It was just... brutal” At this, Fluttershy shuddered, still trying to repress the memory of what she’d seen. “He beat it, and beat it badly. I was convinced he was going to kill it. He had every opportunity, it was completely beaten, but he stopped. He let it walk away. He stopped the fight, and he came back to you. The fire in his eyes was back, but... it was different. I’ve taken care of a lot of hurt or sick animals over the years, and one look I’ll always know is worry. He was worried about you, Twilight. He was scared. I’m not sure what it was that made him so angry that he roared the way he did, the change came over him so suddenly, but I DO know that if you’d come to just a few seconds earlier, you would have seen a dragon deeply concerned for your wellbeing.” “Stop it...just stop it. He’s a monster; that’s all there is to it. He’s a monster and there’s nothing that can change that. So just... stop trying to give me hope. Please...just stop...”. The friends rose, mouths opened, but they paused. What would they say? What COULD they say? Twilight, her near manic insistence given way to simple depression, sat alone in the corner, completely despondent. It was then that Pinkie Pie, who had remained silent throughout the entire tale, rose and walked over to Twilight. In an oddly composed tone for the pink party pony, she began to speak. "I’m not sure if Fluttershy is right or wrong. There is a chance she might have made a mistake ,but frankly, I really don’t care at this point. It’s not important in the slightest. I trust her, and I believe her in such a powerful way I don’t think there are big enough words to describe it. If she says that Spike, OUR Spike, the Spike we know and love is still in there somewhere, then I believe her. I trust her instincts. Now c’mon, Twilight, you’re smart, you’re the superest smartest pony I’ve ever met, and I know you trust Fluttershy as much as I do. So use that amazing brain of yours. You can figure all this out, I KNOW it. I trust you to be able to do anything as much as I trust Fluttershy to be kind to animals, or Rarity to have a good fashion sense, or Applejack to buck apples. And that’s a lot. So get that brain of yours workin and come up with an answer that fits. Okie dokie?" Twilight was stunned. The unusual pearl of wisdom had struck home. So what if Twilight had only seen a monster? Fluttershy had said otherwise, and she couldn’t think of a pony who’d done more to earn her trust, especially over the course of the last few days. It didn’t matter what Twilight thought she had seen, what she felt, her trust in her dear friend was all that mattered. Twilight’s analytical brain, outmatched and buried beneath layers of emotion for far to long, buzzed to life. The gears turned in her head as the purple mare pondered. She could figure this out. She WOULD figure this out. She was Twilight Sparkle, personal student of Princess Celestia. And she was back! TO BE CONTINUED!

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2011-07-18T06:43:01+00:00

2011-07-18T06:43:01+00:00

Irreplaceable Chapter 13 - Revelation Twilight paced the floor of the hut, her mind churning. Despite the seriousness of the situation, the atmosphere in the hut was air was upbeat, almost triumphant. Twilight Sparkle, the prize pupil of Princess Celestia, was back on her game. She could figure this out. She WOULD figure this out. If anyone could, it would be her. Back and forth she paced, searching every fiber of her magical experience and knowledge for an answer. True, there was so much information out there, so much old and forgotten lore, that it would be almost impossible for her to have already absorbed the information, no matter how much she’d read. Somehow, though, she knew she could work it out. She had a feeling. Almost a nagging little voice in the back of her mind. A niggly little brain tremor. It was there, all right, just hiding. Always a step away. The harder she searched for it, the harder it became to find. If only she could remember exactly WHY she knew it. She knew this, she HAD to know it. She ground her teeth, upgrading her assault on her memory to a full blown war. If it wanted to hide, so be it. She’d do whatever it took to- Wait- War! “THAT’S IT!” The small group looked to her, a slow smile spreading across her face. “That’s it! War! I’ve got it! I know what’s wrong with him!” Turning to the assembled, Twilight took a deep breath and began to speak. “A while back, before I met all of you and still lived in Canterlot, I began research on a spell that would cause Spike to grow. Not too big, mind you, just a couple decades’ worth. He was having a bit of a macho crisis, if you know what I mean. He didn’t think that anyone could take him seriously, just because of his size and age.” “Well, he IS awfully cute... Um, right, sorry. Go on, Twilight.” Fluttershy blushed. Twilight continued. “I decided I’d do what I could to help him out, basically just give him one day of being big. I started to look through the archives and such, different sorts of magic, all the old draconian records and the like, both pre and post Celestial, although why they wouldn’t shelve the two together is anyone’s guess, what with both being-” Rarity coughed. “Um, Twilight, darling? You had a point to make, if I’m not mistaken?” “Right, right. Sorry, I just get somewhat absorbed when I start discussing the finer points of the filing systems and the-” Another cough, this one slightly exaggerated. “Gah! Okay, sorry. Anyways, the issue ended up getting resolved without magic. I DID, however, find the spell I was looking for. It’s old magic. Dragon magic.” Twilight paused to take a breath. Her previous energy and jubilation began to evaporate, her excitement drops of water flicked onto a hot plate as she became serious. “I did find the spell. Ancient Draconian magic. Incredibly powerful. I may have found the spell, but I never cast it. Even if I could’ve pulled it off, there is just absolutely no way I would, not in a million years. It wasn’t just difficult, it was...” Twilight paused, shuddering. “It was evil. Thousands of years ago, the dragons used to be in a constant state of war and conflict. Hundreds of clans, thousands of grievances and enmities, the entire species was just involved in a constant war, every clan for itself. The spell... It was designed to cause a young dragon to age and grow, creating a new, powerful warrior from an infant. Basically, nigh disposable shock troops”. In the momentary silence that followed this grim pronouncement, Applejack spoke up. “I can see that th’ spell does have some mighty disturbin’ origins, but why’d that stop ya?” Shaking her head, Twilight began to elaborate. “You see, the thing about this spell, what made it just so... wrong... It corrupts them. It takes what they are and just twists it horribly. How could an infant have the will to fight a war? The dragon warlocks needed to fix that if the spell was to be effective; otherwise, the clans would end up with hundreds of fully grown warriors with absolutely no will to fight. One thing they couldn’t do, though, was to control their free will. Even if they could’ve used magic powerful enough to rob a dragon of its free will, it would be almost impossible to maintain for long, and it would be absolutely impossible to field an entire ARMY of them. So the warlocks basically found a loophole. Instead of controlling their will, they...” Twilight stopped suddenly, the last vestiges of her scholarly fervor vanishing as she realized the implications of what she was saying, what it meant for Spike. What it meant for her. “I-in order to get around the problem, the spell... it... it breaks their mind. They go insane. Absolutely, unequivocally insane. Then they’d just let them loose on the enemy“. Twilight paused again, allowing her friends time to digest the information and giving herself more time to steel her nerves against the facts she relayed. It was Rarity who spoke first. “But... I don’t understand. Why would they use a spell like that? Desperate or not, an army composed entirely of mindless berserkers would be incredibly easy to defeat, in a tactical sense? They’d be nearly useless if they just blundered around, completely uncontrollable.” “This is very true. However, that’s why they weren’t, in fact, entirely uncontrollable. In order to control them, the warlock who cast the spell would establish a mental link with them, a powerful magical bond. In their madness, nothing anyone could say to them would be even remotely understandable, except for the warlock. The one who cast the spell would be their commander, their voice of reason, their GOD, for all intents and purposes.” “So... what you’re saying, in essence, is that Spike has gone absolutely and completely mad and that we have absolutely no hope of being able to save him because even if we DID manage to speak to him, he is entirely incapable of understanding a word we say?” Everyone looked to Rarity as she spoke, their hope, newly rekindled by Twilight’s return to herself, beginning to burn away. “Um... but-” Suddenly the center of attention, Fluttershy quailed slightly. Even among her group of friends, she was still rather uncomfortable speaking aloud. “I... I don’t think that’s quite right. Spike didn’t attack me when he saw me. I talked to him, and he understood me.” Twilight sighed. “I know that it may have looked like he understood you, but it just sounded like gibberish to him. He probably didn’t attack you because he didn’t see you as any sort of a threat.” “But he talked back-” Instantly, she had Twilight’s full attention. “What.” “He talked to me. That’s how I was absolutely sure it was still him inside somewhere.” “But... That can’t be! How could he...” Twilight started pacing again, lost in thought as she muttered to herself. How could this be? There was no way he could understand what she was saying, much less actually reply! This just didn’t make sense... “Unless...” Abruptly stopping, Twilight turned to face her friends. “I think I know. I’m not 100% sure about this, but I believe it has something to do with the... uniqueness of our situation. It’s different from the situation the warlocks used the spell for.“ “But, why would it work differently? Didn’t the warguys use the spell the same way?” “That’s not exactly true, Dash. The WARLOCKS had a completely different reason for the spell, and completely different dragons to cast it on.” Dash kept quiet, knowing Twilight was in full scholar mode now. “As I said previously, basically breaks their mind, it makes them go insane. There are many ways for a pony (or a dragon, as the case may be), to go insane, but a spell isn’t one of them.” “What the hay, Tw? You JUST SAID the spell makes them go whacko!” Twilight rolled her eyes, exasperated, as she warmed to the subject, beginning to sound almost as if she were reciting from a textbook. “Could you calm down for just a second, Dash, and let me finish? As I said, there are many ways for a creature to go insane, but the most common would be the brain’s inability to deal with certain situations, emotions and/or memories. For the most part, everyone has certain mental barriers. Their brains do it, instinctively. What the spell does is to break those barriers. Without them, trauma, pain, anguish, whatever would already be in the mind would swell up and drive them absolutely, irredeemably insane. When the warlocks would cast the spell, it would be on infants, barely old enough to walk. Because of their age, they had almost no worldly experience. The...” Twilight’s cracked slightly. “The babies were flown over the battlefields to witness the carnage. That way, when the spell was cast, the pure horror of what they’d seen would entirely consume them. Being babies, the only barrier against such things is ignorance. An easy barrier to break, magic would barely even be needed. This is different though.” “How so?” “First off, Spike is not as young as they would have been. He’s... He’s lived. He’s spent time in the world, time to build up different barriers to keep his mind safe. He has had a chance to live, make friends, see the good in the world. He’s had bad moments in his life, and has learned to get past them. These are the sort of things that helps your mind evolve, to create barriers. The second, and probably most important part, is what, exactly, Spike’s preoccupied with. He’s not wrapped up in the horrors of death and violence, he’s obsessed with his loneliness and how he feels he was abandoned. When someone feels as lonely as Spike does, all they want is just to be accepted, to be happy, to feel like they belong somewhere. More than anything, they want things to go back to normal. I know what I’m talking about here, trust me.“ Twilight gathered her thoughts one final time, confirming to herself that she knew how to phrase it right. “My guess is that when the spell on Spike was cast, that feeling, that deep down feeling of... of wanting things to be the way they used to be basically put a hole in the spell, so to speak. It lost some of its bite. Couple that with the fact that the spell couldn’t properly cope with Spike’s mental barriers, and you’ve got a pretty weak spell. Now, if Fluttershy is right, and I can honesty say there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that she is,” She paused, glancing first to Pinkie, then to Fluttershy. “Then we can still reach him. We can fix his mind, because past the hurt and the loneliness and the revenge lies a part of him we know. The part who was the best little assistant and friend there ever was. The part of him that we’re trying to get back. The part that’s, well, irreplaceable. All we need to do is just make him see that we still love him, and that we’re willing to do anything to get him back”. *********************************************************** Spike soared through the sky, each beat of his powerful wings pushing him farther and farther away from... from what? Spike was fleeing from something, of that he was sure. Having slipped back towards the demented pit of his own madness, the only clear objective he had was the last bit of sane thought he had managed to grasp. MOVE! Go now, go fast. Go as far and as fast as you can. It doesn’t matter where, anywhere but here. GO! The red fog clouding his thoughts mystified him. What was he running from? Why should he run? He was a dragon, what could possibly threaten him? The harder he tried to concentrate, the harder he looked for the answer, the further it would run, leaving his thoughts even more distorted. He could pick up snippets of thoughts, emotions. He remembered feelings, worry, relief. Why would he feel this? Regardless, in his state of constant rage, they were welcome additions to his emotional wavelength. He wasn't sure why but for the first time in a while rage didn't seem to be enough. He needed something else, he needed more. And so, despite the dizziness, despite the haze descending upon him, he thought, and thought hard, delving deeper into his shrouded mind, searching for the memories that would trigger these other, almost alien emotions. Each time, however, something pushed back, darkness pressing in on the edges of his vision. He made a curious sight: A purple dragon soaring across the sky, occasionally seeming to lose control and plummet to the ground, only to catch himself and resume his flight path. After several attempts (and near misses), his brain began to itch. At first, it was a barely noticeable sensation, a slight prickle, but the longer he ignored it, the stronger it got, until, reaching a fever pitch, his mind buzzing, affecting his centre of balance, pushing him in a certain direction. Pausing to hover, Spike turned towards the east, the direction he was seemingly being pulled, and looked out, trying to find the source of the pull. He didn’t particularly WANT to go, but at this point, it felt as though he had no choice in the matter. Unable to make a decision as to whether or not he should follow the itch or ignore it, Spike simply hovered there. Eventually, he entirely forgot why he was hovering. Thoughts turned to mist, to water, running away, droplets running down the windowpane of his mind. He simply floated in the air, his eyes locked onto the forest spread before him, not due to any appreciation of the scene, but because he quite simply couldn’t think of anything else to do. He couldn’t even think of a reason to think of something. Even that itch in the back of his mind, attempting to pull him along, could not spur him from his stupor. Even when the itch grew, from an itch to a burn. He simply hovered there, thoughtlessly, for several hours, until a booming voice echoed through his head. SPIKE! You have lazed about long enough; it is time you held up your part of the bargain. Return to the cave at once! Finally snapping out of his daze, Spike wheeled about and soared straight for the dragon’s cave. A short time later, Spike landed at the mouth of the cave. It was strange, he thought, not remembering much of his journey there. He couldn’t quite remember any of the events that took place before his decision to listen to Delicraw and return to the cave, either. Not that he could even recall making any decision. All he could recall was Delicraw, telling him to return, and then he was landing in front of the cave. Spike made his way into his master’s lair. Not that he could ever recall thinking of him as his master before. Inside, Delicraw lounged atop a pile of gems and gold. “Ah, you have arrived. Good, we must speak of important matters. I have to …......” Delicraw’s voice faded to a low buzz as Spike caught site of a small pile of turquoise gems. Suddenly, all he could think about was devouring all those gems and then having a nice long nap before he had to reorganise the Library. Spike started to lick his lips, but paused, becoming confused. He started looking around the cave. While big, there wasn't any other tunnels or paths to follow, and there was most definitely not a Library. “SPIKE!” BAM! Spike staggered as a giant, scaly hand slammed into the back of his head. “We have important matters to discuss. KEEP YOU MIND LOLY SQUID SOFA BURN CAT!” It was the most curious thing. Delicraw’s speech began to drift, shifting into unintelligible babble. Spike couldn't understand a word he said. Another strike landed, snapping him back to reality. “Did you burn Ponyville to the ground, yes or no?” Spike thought about it. He could recall screaming, and fire, and a pain in his chest. What was it, though? He hadn’t been injured, had he? He could remember a tree, and more fire and claws and screams and... Spike nodded. Yes. He wasn’t sure if he had actually achieved the razing of Ponyville, but saying yes felt right. “And the mare? The purple one?” Spike gave Delicraw a confused look. “Twilight, I believe her name was. Did you make her pay? Did you devourer her body? Did you crush her bones? Did you savour her blood and her suffering?” Again Spike tried to remember. He could recall blood. Lots of blood. He recalled the feeling of flesh being rent, and bone crunched, he recalled the sight of a purple mare, unmoving on a cliff side. More blood, anger and rage, but also worry and happiness. Again, Spike nodded. Yes. Again, he felt that it was the right thing to do. Delicraw smiled, clapping Spike on the back. “Excellent work, my boy. Now that your revenge is taken care of its time you helped me with what we talked about before. Do you recall?” Spike shook his head. He didn’t recall. He really didn’t recall much of anything. “No matter, we only briefly touched on it and you've been though a lot basically rubber chicken hose dogs green flame apple soup man rare, harping giant portal glue stick manifest home land goose net.” Spike tried in vain to make sense of his master’s words, but while some things were clear, the rest was simply an endless stream of nonsensical babble. It reminded him of Ditzy Doo, except that if you took the time to listen what she said, it mostly made sense. Spike laughed, thinking about the wall-eyed Mail Mare. “What is so funny, Spike?” “Oh, I was just thinking about the time Ditzy Doo Crashed into the cave and spilled your tea all over your copy of Levitation and Levity: A Study in Antigravity.” Spike chuckled again while Delicraw gave him a rather concerned look. “Not only do I not recall that particular incident, I do not own such a book, I have NEVER drank tea in all 1356 years of my life and I have never met anyone by the name of Ditzy Doo.” “Ditzy who?” “The pony you were just talking about. I do not know her.” “I don’t recall talking about anyone named Derpy Hooves.” Delicraw’s colossal brow furrowed into a look of confusion, shifting into one of concern, Just now noting Spike’s sorry physical appearance. “My boy. What exactly happened to you?” Spike craned his neck and took his body in. He smiled. THIS he remembered. He was rather proud of it, as a matter of fact, and he was sure his master would be, too. “I had a fight with a hydra. I won.” “Hydra?” “Yes. It’s a multi headed creature averaging on 20 to 25 feet tall. A peculiar evolutionary trait unique to the species is that when a head is cut off, two heads will immediately replace it, creating an exponential increase against the number of heads severed. The Hydra was first discovered 400 years ago by Silver Dollar, a botanist looking for rare plants in the EverFree Forest. 100 years after the discovery by Silver Dollar, a farmer by the name of Hay Stack is noted as being the first to discover the creature’s ability to replicate heads. He witnessed the creature get into a fight with an Ursa Minor, during which the Ursa caused considerable damage to a head, thus causing the hydra to cleave it off itself, resulting in the growth of two new heads. Hay Stacks’ account goes onto say the hydra then killed the Ursa, but only after the Ursa bit off two other heads, resulting in the growth of 4 additional heads, giving the creature a total of 12, which was too many for the Ursa to handle, resulting in its defeat.” Delicraw just stared. He was being given a history lesson. Him, getting a history lesson? Ridiculous. He WAS history. He himself had been aware of the existence of hydras for well over a thousand years. When Spike was done, Delicraw gave his head a shake. It seemed his run in with the hydra had left him a mite scrambled. Hopefully, he would still be able to serve his purpose before he completely lost it. “Thank you for that... informative lesson, Spike. Now, why don’t you go get some sleep? We need to be well rested for the twilight hours.” Delicraw turned away and, with a monstrous yawn, snuggled down onto a bed of riches. Spike stood where he was, intently thinking upon what Delicraw had just said. It was that word, twilight. Something about it. He could vaguely recall fleeing from twilight. He snorted a laugh at that thought. Now that was ridiculous. The very thought of him fleeing from twilight, it was ridiculous, Twilight would never hurt him. ~To Be Continued~

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2011-07-18T06:44:11+00:00

2011-07-18T06:44:11+00:00

Irreplaceable Chapter 14 - ...WHAT?! Spike huddled in a corner of the cave he shared with Delicraw, reading a rather large book he’d found amid a jumble of treasure by the light of a small green flame. It was a simple story book, retelling the exploits of a terrible ice dragon. The book seemed out of place in a dragon’s cave, but Spike didn’t care. He was just happy he had something to read. He had never been much for books, preferring organizing them to reading them, but he had an overwhelming urge to read something, anything. While the book was long, Spike finished it rather quickly, his urge to read doing nothing to diminish his usual predilection to skip the boring parts. Placing the rather large (even to him) tome down, Spike’s eyes wandered around the cave as he wondered what to do next. A low grumble from his stomach tipped the balance toward finding something to eat. He wasn’t quite sure why, but his mind was slowly starting to slip, and he was determined to keep himself busy to take his mind off, well, his mind. Without even thinking about it, he walked outside the cave. Locating a rather luscious patch of grass, he lowered his head and began to eat, tearing up large mouthfuls. It wasn’t until his seventh mouthful that Spike stopped and took the time to think about what he was doing. Why am I eating grass!? Delicraw told me that I could eat any gems I wanted! Returning to the treasure pile deep within the cave, he set out to find the perfect gem to quench his hunger. His search lead him to a rather large spherical ruby, the most delicious gem he had ever seen. It almost reminded him of an apple. Apples, in turn, made him think of Sweet Apple Acres and the Apple family. One member of the Apple family, in particular... Big Macintosh, with those broad shoulders, that ruggedly handsome face of his, that strangely masculine yoke he always wore.Then, of course, there was Doctor Whooves; he was pretty cute, too. That mane of his... Spike couldn't help but imagine his claws running through that silky- *SMACK* Spike’s head shot forward, crushing the ruby with the force of the blow. What in the hay was I just thinking about?! Shaking his head, he decided that sleep was probably more important than what he ate right now. Grabbing a fistful of gems, he gulped them down before curling up to sleep in a pile of gold. ******************************************** Twilight sat on the floor reading a book about dragonic magic. At least, that was her plan. For some reason, even back to her old self, she couldn't concentrate on anything. Often, she found herself skipping ahead and ignoring whole parts altogether, continually having to backtrack to try and understand what she’d been reading. After the fifth time trying to read the same paragraph, she let out a scream of frustration, and kicking the book across the burnt and scratched floor of her precious library. “Somethin’ wrong, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, looking at her with concern. “I can’t seem to concentrate on anything today. It’s just getting frustrating now.” “Perhaps, my dear, you could stand to eat something. Unless I’m very much mistaken, you haven't eaten since we got back from Zecora’s. Last I checked, your kitchen survived unharmed; why not go ahead and get something for yourself?” As if on cue, Twilight’s stomach let out a low rumble. Smiling sheepishly, she headed off to the kitchen to get herself a bite to eat. Once Twilight was out of earshot, Applejack turned to Rarity, shaking her head. “I AM glad ta see the ol’ gal back to her ol’ self, make no mistake, but she’s pushin’ herself awfully hard. I don’t rightly even know what it is we’re all lookin’ fer. I mean, Twi says we can get through to Spike so what exactly is there to read up on? We need ta take action, how’re we gonna do anythin’ sitting around here?” “Oh, you know our Twilight. She is simply making sure that she has everything she might need. I am assuming that, since she has us all looking through old dragon spellbooks, she is looking for a way to reverse what was done to Spike.” “Ah guess that makes sense.” Applejack sounded rather unconvinced. “I kinda wish Pinkie Pie was here, she always had a knack fer finding what we need.” “Indeed. But I dare you to try saying no to Pinkie when she gives you those sad eyes of hers.” “It is p...pretty difficult.” Rarity gave Fluttershy a sympathetic smile, knowing full well she was often the one to deal with Pinkie’s dreaded puppy dog eyes. Once Twilight’s explanation of what happened to Spike had come to an end, whatever sense of propriety had been keeping Pinkie quiet and calm wore off, and she had once again become a bouncing hyperactive ball of limitless happiness and excitement, insisting that she go make Spike’s favorite dessert in preparation for there eventual confrontation with him. She had also mentioned whipping up some of her famous “get better soon” cup cakes for Dash, which she insisted would help the healing process because they are ‘filled with pony magic’, whatever that meant. “GAH!!!!” The three friends whirled around, shooting into the kitchen as quick as they could at the sound of Twilight’s pained scream. Upon reaching the kitchen, they saw her slumped on the floor clutching her jaw, a small bag of quartz sat on the table. “Um...Twilight, dear, you, uh... you didn’t just try to eat a gemstone, did you?” Rarity knew how Twilight missed Spike. She had once heard that some ponies began absentmindedly picking up the habits of missing friends or relatives, subconsciously trying to fill the void they left behind, but this is just plain silly. Surely she must have known she couldn't possible eat a rock. Twilight gave a small, almost ashamed nod of her head. “Now why would ya’ll go and do a darn silly thing like that for?” “I know, Applejack. I honestly don’t know what came over me. I was hungry and looking for food, and I saw the bag of gems, and I just... had a craving. I can’t really say what happened. I wasn't thinking, I guess.” Rarity walked over to Twilight. “Open wide.” “But- “Open.” Reluctantly, Twilight opened her mouth so that Rarity could peer inside. “It’s alright now. Luckily I didn’t bite down too hard. It was mostly just shock.” At least, that’s what she intended to say. It came out more like “Auph mmph muphuh muh, muh muhayah huh.” “That’s nice, dear.” Stepping back, Rarity gave her less than professional opinion. “I, for one, am not really the pony with the most expertise here. Fluttershy, would you be a dear and take a look?” “Oh, of course!” Fluttershy slipped between Rarity and Twilight, inspecting Twilight’s mouth rather thoroughly. As she did so, Twilight happened to notice that Rarity and Applejack had moved across the kitchen to have a word in private. As Fluttershy went about her work, Twilight couldn’t help but let her eyes wander over Rarity’s perfect form. She couldn’t help but understand what the local colts saw in her, there was just so much about her that was just... perfect. Her hair, her legs, the elegant curve of her back, her perfectly proportioned flank coupled with that dazzling cutie mark... Twilight began to long for her to turn around, just so she could get lost in those beautiful blue eyes... When Rarity finally did turn, her heart began to race as their eyes met. “Twilight, my dear, let’s get you some proper food, and then its off to bed with you, alright? You can stay with me, seeing as the library happens to be... less than habitable at the moment. I have a spare room you can use, we just need to clean it out first. I’ve been using it as a supply closet.” Her voice was like the sound of a hundred beautiful birds singing the most amazing ballad ever written. No, it was ten times better then that, a hundred times better! “amythin fur yuh, muh tweet ahrity” Rarity gave Twilight a confused look. Fluttershy was still busy inspecting her mouth, and her speech was quite unintelligible. “I beg your pardon?” Fluttershy finished her inspection and gave her seal of approval; nothing had been damaged. With her mouth free, Twilight was about to repeat herself but stopped when she realized what exactly it was she had just said, and the thoughts that had accompanied it regarding Rarity. Twilight’s eyes shot wide as her cheeks turned a vibrant shade of red. “Anything the matter, dear? You look as though you’ve seen a ghost.” “NOTHING!....um, sorry, uh, no, nothing! Nothing’s wrong! I uh, I’m just tired! Yeah, that’s it, tired!” Twilight mimed a yawn. “ I said ‘anything for you, my good friend Rarity’. Now, come on. Let’s get some proper pony food and then head to Carousel Boutique for some rest.” Twilight finished with a large and admittedly rather creepy smile. “Uh, alrighty then, sounds good. I’ll just go rustle up some grub fer us and meet y’all at Rarity’s.” Applejack turned and left the library, giving the burned library one last concerned glance before running off. Twilight began pacing in circles, trying to figure out what the hay had just happened to her, why she’d thought what she had. Had she always been a fillyfooler and just didn’t know it? No, no, that didn’t make sense. She liked colts, she always had. She KNEW she did. Didn’t she? How many afternoons had she gone over to Sweet Apple Acres and pretended to read a book in the shade, just so she could watch Big Mac and those broad shoulders of his as he worked? “Shall we head out, Twilight?” Rarity’s question brought Twilight out of her trance and caused the blush to return. “YES, LET US HEAD OUT!” Twilight dashed past Rarity and began collecting books. In no time at all, she and her friends were off to Carousel Boutique. Rarity was rather happy her friend wasn’t fighting her, trying to avoid food and sleep, as it was rather clear she was not feeling well and needed plenty of both. ******************************************** Twilight sat in bed, feeling much more focused then she had earlier. The break from reading and the lovely dinner provided by Applejack had obviously helped. The bed in Rarity’s spare room was quite comfortable, and the room itself had a cozy feel to it, even with all the dress making supplies piled up against one wall (organized by colour, size and frequency of use, of course). Now that she had her headspace back, she could finally concentrate. She’d found a very useful book in the library, and had almost read the entire thing. Most of it was, truth be told, rather shocking, and one part in particular made her want to cry when she realized the implications it held for Spike. Unfortunately, there was nothing on how to reverse the spell. She shook her head. Nothing yet. I WILL find it, it’s just a matter of time. Just as she was finishing up the last few pages of the book, there came a soft knock on the door. “Come in, Fluttershy.” she said as loudly as she dared, knowing that Rarity had put Sweetie Belle to bed some time ago before heading to bed herself. The door slowly creaked open and the yellow pegasus poked her head in. “How did you know it was me?” “Lucky guess. What can I help you with?” Fluttershy came the rest of the way in and, closing the door, stood there silently. She was obviously trying to work up the courage, finding the best words to broach the subject. Twilight knew exactly why she was here, and precisely what she was here to talk about. She’d been hoping this conversation would be put off until much later. Actually, she’d been hoping to put it off forever, but Fluttershy obviously wouldn’t let that happen. “I’m guessing you want to talk to me about... what happened in the bog.” Fluttershy nodded slowly. “It was really... surprising. I never really thought you were capable of doing... something like that. I never thought you would ever consider taking that route. I have to say, I really didn’t understand what you were talking about most of the time, either. You... you just weren’t making sense.” Twilight sighed, nodded her head. She could see how, from Fluttershy’s perspective, what she had done and the things that she’d said would have been rather confusing. “I suppose it’s only fair I give you an explanation. Thinking back, I honestly don’t know why I was like that. I’ve always been good at keeping my feelings inside and handling them by myself, but ever since Spike... I’ve just had a difficult time dealing with anything.” “What do you mean? What feelings? That is, if you don’t mind sharing...” “I don’t mind at all. In fact, it really is about time I talked to someone, I think. Do you remember my cutie mark story? How I went to the Summer Sun Celebration and was inspired by the Princess?” Fluttershy nodded. “Before that day, I was... Well, for lack of a better term, a screw up. Look, this is a rather long story. Why don’t you come and join me? Come on, have a seat.” Fluttershy joined Twilight on the bed and draped a wing over her friend. “Thanks. Look, I know you probably think I’m exaggerating, but it’s true. I was a complete failure. My magic skills were worse then terrible. I could barely pull off the simplest of spells, and when I tried, the results were usually...unpleasant, to say the least. I always did poorly in school, and the sole reason I never got held back was that no teacher ever wanted to deal with me for a second year. I was really clumsy, too. I always seemed to be getting into accidents. I’d find myself constantly spacing out, just staring off into the distance. If you combine all of that, it’s no wonder I didn’t have any friends. All the other ponies in my class avoided me. They all thought I was *special*, and not in a good way.” “But you’re nothing like that now. You’ve got plenty of friends, everypony likes you, and you’re the smartest pony I’ve ever met! Well, I mean, you DO tend to space out sometimes and... sorry.” Twilight giggled. “Don’t be. It’s true, I do still do that.Only, now my eyes don’t glaze over and I don’t make funny faces anymore.” Fluttershy tried to hold back a giggle “Okay, so sometimes I still make funny faces. Anyway, me being a screw up all the time led me to become rather depressed. My mother wanted to take me to a psychologist, but my father convinced her to try something else first. Instead, they took me to go see Princess Celestia raise the sun, and that’s basically when everything turned around for me. I was so taken aback by the beauty and power of it all, of what magic could do, it spurred me into action. I completely overhauled my life. You know most of the story from there.” “But... I don’t understand, why were you like that as a filly?” “I was... preoccupied. I was always thinking about something, trying to figure it out. To be honest, I wasn't that different when I was younger, but something that happened basically made me put my life on hold. I was so busy thinking about it, I just stopped caring about everything else. Because I stopped caring, things started to go downhill, and that made me more depressed, which made me care even less. It was like I was digging myself deeper and deeper.” “What were you so preoccupied with? What could’ve been so important that it could just destroy your life like that?” Twilight turned her head, looking Fluttershy in the eyes. “I used to have a friend. Yes, *A* friend. Just one. Even back then, I was often too busy reading to socialize with anypony. She would often come to my house and force me to go outside and play a game with her and the other ponies our age. I can honestly say that, if it wasn’t for her, I would have spent my entire childhood indoors, buried in books. We were friends for about three years when it happened.” Fluttershy was silent, but nodded her head, signalling her to continue. “Her family life began to... degrade. Her parents argued all the time, which led to her becoming a very angry little filly. She got in trouble at school all the time, and began to turn into something of a bully. She was always nice to me, though. We shared everything; our hopes, our dreams, what colts we liked... She began to stay at my house more and more often, just to get away from home. This went on for several months until her parents decided that they simply couldn’t do it anymore. They decided to get a divorce. It was a really tough time for Shadow Dancer, dealing with her parents, being forced to go to court so many times, just so her parents could fight over who got what, and which one of them would be allowed to keep her. In the end, she went with her father. This meant that she had to move, from Canterlot to Fillydelphia. Before she left, we met up for the last time. There really wasn't much to say, it was a bit awkward. When I finally got the nerve to speak up she interrupted me...” Twilight turned away, lowering her head to rest on the mattress. “She yelled at me. She’d never yelled at me before. She told me it was all my fault, and she ran off. That was the last I ever saw of her. It wasn't until I saw the Princess raise the sun and put my life back in order that I was able to understand. She was angry. That’s all she was, just angry, sad and hurt. She needed someone to blame. But, at the time, I believed her. She was my best friend, and I just couldn’t fathom her being that angry with me unless I really did something so horrible to her. For two years, I dug myself into a hole. I honestly thought I had ruined her life. I just wallowed in depression, trying to figure out exactly how I caused what happened to her family. I have long since come to terms with how I felt, though. It took me two years to get over it. While it saddens me to think I let myself live like that for so long, I never let it get me down. Knowing I was past that part of my life, all I could do now was just make sure I never let it happen again... but...” She closed her eyes, lost for words. Fluttershy nuzzled her affectionately. “But when all this happened... I just can’t explain it. It was like everything I had done, all the progress I’d made in all the years since then was just gone, and all those old feelings came back and just... I blamed myself for what happened to Spike, just like I blamed myself for what happened to Shadow Dancer, and all those feelings of just being useless, of being worthless, of being nothing, being LESS than nothing, of everything I touched just turning to failure... It was just too much to bear. I... I just had to end it, somehow. Fluttershy, I...I c- I can’t possibly thank you enough for helping me. If it wasn't for you and Pinkie Pie I don’t think I would have gotten better. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t... I wouldn’t be alive right now. Thank you.” Fluttershy blushed. “It was nothing...” Twilight stopped her. “It was NOT nothing. What you did for me... I do know how I’ll pay you back, though. While I still know that it’s my fault this happened to Spike, I am NOT going to let that hold me back. I am going to get my Spike back. I am going to get OUR Spike back.” The two shared a long silence. “Thank you for sharing you story, Twilight Sparkle.” “You don’t need to thank me. You’re my friend and I owed you an explanation.” “But, that really sorta didn’t...” “Pardon?” “Um... well, that sorta, I mean, it didn’t really explain... um, anything... nevermind... forget I said anything.” “What do you mean it didn’t explain anything? Come on, Fluttershy, you can tell me.” “Well its just... You said yourself that you’ve made peace with your past. And while this whole incident with Spike is really big, I just can’t see it causing you to act how you did.” Twilight paused, considering. “I see what you’re saying. I guess what with my being so worked up and worried about Spike, I just let whatever mental barriers I’d built up-” Twilight froze. “What? What’s wrong, Twilight?” “It... it wasn’t as if. It WAS!” “Pardon?” Twilight wheeled to face her, eyes wide with excitement. “That’s what happened! It was exactly like the mental barriers I’d built up over the years were destroyed! I’ve coped with those feelings all my life, and yet only now they hit me like a ton of bricks!” “But... I don’t understand... How could that have happened? Actually, it sort of sounds like the spell that was cast on Spike. It sounds exactly like that, actually.” Twilight hopped out of bed and began to pace. Her mental barriers had been removed; it’s the only explanation that made sense. But how could that have happened? It was as if the spell cast on Spike had... “leaked over to me...” Twilight stopped her pacing and faced Fluttershy. “I think we may have more hope for Spike then I originally thought.” “Why is that?” “A bond. We share a link, a magical one. That has to be it! It must’ve been created when I hatched him from his egg. This explains so much! My moods, my mental barriers, my brief but serious attraction to Rarity-” “...What?” Realizing what she’d just said, Twilight blushed. “Uh... please forget I just said that.” Fluttershy’s own face turned a little red as she nodded. “Thanks, I *REALLY* appreciate it. Anyways, as I said, there is a link between the two of us. It’s been extending the effects of the spell to me, as well as Spike’s moods and emotions, probably because the barriers we’ve subconsciously built up to prevent our thoughts being shared have broken down. This explains SO MUCH. If I’m right about this link and I can safely say I am, then that means some of my emotions and feelings are leaking over to Spike. And that means....” Twilight began to bounce happily in place, reminiscent of a certain pink party pony. “If you’re not angry when we find him, he won’t be?” “Not just that. You and Pinkie Pie helped me to rebuild my mental barriers, which means there is a very good chance that some of that control leaked over to Spike. That would have helped him repair some of his, too! Things are looking up even more now. We have a great chance of getting through to him!” Twilight continued bouncing, ecstatic. Fluttershy sat on the bed and smiled. Not only was Twilight back to her old self, it looked like the odds of saving their friend had just improved greatly. “That is amazing news, my dear, now why don’t you stop jumping around and get to bed so we are all well rested in the morning?” Twilight whirled around, startled, to see Rarity at the door. “Oh, sorry about that, Rarity. I didn’t mean to wake you.” “Not a problem, dear. I understand you’re happy. I heard most of what you’d said and am overjoyed that our odds have improved. Now will you please go to bed? As for you, Fluttershy, I won’t have you making your way home alone so late at night. If Twilight doesn’t mind, why don’t you two share the room?” “I don’t mind if Fluttershy doesn’t.” “Oh thank you for your hospitality, Rarity. The bed is large enough; I think we can share it just fine. And sorry for waking you.” Rarity gave a small smile left the room, closing the door behind her. Fluttershy got off the bed and prepared the covers for sleeping, placing the book Twilight had been reading on the night stand. Twilight turned off the lights and, climbing into bed, contemplated saying something. At first, she felt she should, but eventually opted not to. “Thank you for sharing your story, Twilight. I know that must have been hard for you, and I promise I won’t tell it to anyone else.” “No, Fluttershy, thank you for listening. And for saving me from myself.” “Anytime.” Twilight turned on her side and, closing her eyes, she began to fall asleep. Just as she felt the gentle embrace of rest coming to her, a voice from directly next to her caused her to bolt upright. “I am sorry to barge in on you again, girls, but I just had to ask. Did I hear you correctly when I head you say you were attracted to me?” Twilight’s eyes bugged out of her head as she stared at the shadow she assumed was Rarity. “Uh, nope! No, I didn’t say anything of the sort, you must have misheard.” Twilight held her breath, waiting for the shadow to move. “I’ll take your word for it. I don’t know what made me think you said that. So sorry to disturb you, sweet dreams.” Twilight could’ve sworn she saw her smile just before she left, but couldn’t be sure. Lying down again, Twilight sighed, praying that she wouldn’t press the matter further. As she began to fall asleep, she caught sight of the book she’d been reading.The memory of a certain passage leaped out at her, ruining her previous good mood. I’m confident we can save Spike from his madness... but can we save him from the consequences of the spell? ************************************************ Spiked floated around in the void. It was a dream, of that he was certain. He watched as horrific images, the product of a broken mind, drifted past. Tiring of this emptiness, Spike imagined himself back in Delicraw’s cave. The emptiness around him started to waver, twist and shift. The sight of it was rather nauseating, though Spike doubted he had to worry about throwing up while in a dream. When the emptiness solidified, it had become Froggy Bottom Bog. Not where he wanted to be, but he wasn’t about to complain. He was knee deep in muddy water, gripping the hydra’s remaining head in his claws. Just as it had happened in reality, he began to fight against himself. Almost everything inside him urged him to finish the job, while a small part of his brain fought against it. Just as it had happened in reality, he managed to stave off his killing urge and, releasing the great beast, walked away. As he did so, the world began to unravel around him, like someone pulling the threads out of a tapestry. He wanted to flee, to run from the destruction of his dream world, but he kept walking forward, unable to stop himself. As the world continued to unravel, the ground beneath his feet disappeared, and he fell into darkness. As he fell, he could feel the emptiness around him changing again. While still in free fall, he turned around and found himself in the middle of a clearing in a forest, feet on solid ground. In front of him stood Delicraw, a sad look upon his face. Then there was pain. Incredible pain. Pain like he had never felt, in his chest. When he looked down, he saw that Delicraw’s claws were buried deep into his chest. He looked back up to see that Delicraw was gone, replaced by an entirely different dragon, the beast from the story book. This one was monstrous, even compared to Delicraw. His body was covered in spikes and scales. He wore armour, a full suit of dragon armour. His head held a toothy grin, each of his fangs dripping what could only be blood. He gave a tug and ripped Spikes heart out of his chest. “Sorry, Spike, but that there is the rules of the game.” as Spike fell to the ground, as if in slow motion, the last thing he heard before his thoughts evaporated into nothing was the deep, evilly screeching laugh of the dragon that killed him and the voices of his former pony friends...chanting. “Kill...Kill...Kill...Kill...Kill Kill Kill Kill Kill Kill Kill Kill Kill Kill Kill Kill Kill Kill KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILL!” Silence. Spike was dead, everything around him was pure blackness. All hope seemed lost. But then, a light, and someone running towards him. He was small again, and the light felt good on his tiny body. The approaching figure became recognisable as a pony. It was Twilight! Spike’s joy was unmatched by even Pinkie Pie on her happiest day. He wanted to scream out to her, to call her name, but found himself unable to talk. Twilight eventually arrived, towering over him, twice as big as she normally was. She leaned down close to his ear. Spike could feel tears in his eyes. She was going to take him back, he knew it! He would be her number one assistant again, he could go home! He closed his eyes as she whispered into his ear. “Kill...” -To Be Continued -

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2011-07-30T05:30:21+00:00

2011-07-30T05:30:21+00:00

Irreplaceable Chapter 15 - To War A mighty roar sounded through the heavens, rebounding off the icy northland peaks, as the order to charge was given. A determined draconic battalion a hundred strong, beat their wings furiously, closing on their enemy with reckless abandon. The mountains rumbled and shook, the ground quaking under the charging talons of the wingless troops keeping pace with their winged kin above. The valley was bathed in flame, trees and grass washed away like shells before a mighty tide. Thick, black smoke permeated the air, roiling up in massive clouds, robbing the fighters of much needed oxygen but providing cover. Even to the mighty wardrakes, used to fighting in such conditions, it was difficult to handle. Their target, the mountain their enemy had claimed for their own, loomed before them. Storming the bulwark, they rained fire upon the mountain, the combined heat of a hundred throats so great the very rock melted, slag oozing down the sides in a glowing heap of pure unfathomable fiery destruction. The dragons continued their assault, either not noticing or not caring that the thick smoke in the air hid the very enemy they challenged. Attention fully on their assault, none were prepared for the retaliatory strike. Outflanking the attackers, two hundred armoured dragons burst through the haze, tearing through those who had been foolish enough to take the bait of an undefended mountain fortress. The comparatively small force, expecting nothing less, turned on the flanking behemoths and roared their challenge, prepared to sell their lives dearly. Though a quarter of their number had already fallen, the remainder of the strike force prepared to charge yet again, this time into the ranks of their more experienced, better equipped foes. ************************************************** The dragon warlord was roughly knocked from his stupor as the door to his throne room burst open. Rising in anger at being disturbed, his indignation turned to confusion and then concern as the state of the dragon stumbling across the floor became apparent. The soldier was half dead, looking as though he had been dragged to hell and back. Leaping from his perch, he landed next to the wounded dragon. “What’s happened? Tell me, what of the fortress? What of the battle?” Stumbling and falling heavily to a knee, the messenger coughed wetly. “The battle is lost, we were overwhelmed. They... They were unstoppable. We can’t win. They can’t... be def...defeated...” With these words, the messenger fell, dead where he lay. Roaring in fury, the warlord lifted the messenger’s body over his head and hurled it mightily into a wall. As he prepared to further vent his fury on the corpse of the dead soldier, he was again interrupted as one of his subordinates entered the room. “SIR! Those dirty ragno-calak have attacked the eastern encampment on Fire Jewel Mountain. We can not afford to lose that base. What are your orders?” the warlord let loose a torrent of flame, further burning the already scorched ceiling. Those thrice damned traitors had caused him nothing but problems since the start of this war. It was supposed to be a simple takeover, a quick overthrow of a neighbouring kingdom. However, it turned out that many of his subjects subscribed to the theory that war doesn’t determine who is right, but who is left, and chose to defect to the defending nation. He fumed at the indignity of it. His great assault, the full might of his armies, had insofar amounted to absolutely nothing. Not only had they been unable to overtake his enemies, but they had actually been pushed back beyond his own borders. He was on the defensive! How? HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?! Nothing seemed to help. No matter how well armed his troops were, or any advantages in numbers. As it stood, right now his men had lost well over 85 percent of all the battles they have engaged in. That eastern encampment was indeed very important, but the only men he could spare was the personal retainer he kept at his side at all times. If they were sent into battle, there was no doubt that the enemy would take full advantage of the situation, and the outcome would be dismal. “Sir, we really should do something about those traitorous garlin-nax scu-!” At that moment, the stunned subordinate discovered that it was, in fact rather hard to discuss battle strategy with a hole in you. The subordinate crumpled to the ground in a heap as the warlord withdrew his scaly fist, snarling in fury. “Temper, temper, my dear Orthanx”. The voice emanating from behind him seemed to chill the very air around him, smug amusement dripping from the words, freezing in midair to shatter against the floor. The warlord whirled, ready to kill whomever had dared to address him so. Freezing in place, he took in the dragon that stood before him. A monster among monsters, the great dragon was far taller and broader than he. His eyes sparked unnaturally, the blue tinge of mystical energy crackling and snapping between his spines marking him as a warlock. A large scar wrapped around his muzzle like a snake, however, gave away the identity of the icy beast in a heartbeat. “Frozen Claw of the White Wastes. You taint my halls with your presence, malefactor. What brings you here? Speak quickly, and watch your tongue or I will tear your head off and piss in your gaping neck cavity” A plume of icy mist shot out of the ice dragons nose as he snorted out a laugh. “Save your bravado for one of your subordinates. We both know it would take nothing less then the combined efforts of- well, what’s left of your army to even come close to truly challenging me.” The warlord scowled, knowing full well the warlock was right. “What do you want ice-tapper?” The warlock furrowed his brows. The racial epithet was not entirely called for at this juncture. “Watch your words, flame-licker, you may regret angering me once you discover my purpose here.” In a unique feat of quantum mechanics and precise biological engineering the result of hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, the warlord managed to deepen his scowl even more without his face collapsing in on itself. The last dragon to call him that had found himself plummeting wingless into a volcano. Unfortunately, he would quite simply have to sit there and take it. “Speak your piece, then.” The warlock smiled. “Smart little hatchling aren't we?” Orthanx’s claws dug into his palms, piercing the thick scales and drawing blood. The warlock smiled sardonically at this “I have come to offer my assistance. The fact of the matter is, quite simply, your current enemy is in possession of something I want. I would simply take it myself, but even I am no match for an entire army, ten thousand strong. So, basically, you just need to let me help you help me help us both. I help you win your war and defeat your enemies, and you help clear a path to my... item. Sound fair?” “How, exactly do you expect to help us? You just said yourself that even you can not take on an entire army and win. Regardless of that, even if, IF, we could defeat these blasted traitors, we are far and away outnumbered. So, unless you have brought with you several thousand warriors, I don’t quite see how you can possibly lend us any kind of aid.” The warlock’s smile froze the air to an extent that even his frigid breath had failed. “My dear Orthanx... It’s simply a matter of how far you are willing to go” ***************************************************** “HeeheehehehehAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” The warlord’s laugh, teetering on the edge between glee and insanity, echoed across the battle field as the traitorous dragons fled for their lives. With the warlock’s ‘help’, the warlord’s forces had managed to gain the upper hand in the conflict in less than a week, and had managed to push back the enemy forces well across the border. After today he would finally be able to take his armies into the neighbouring kingdom. “My dear warlock, heeheehee, you have truly done me a great turn. Look! Look at that!” Orthanx gestured wide, indicating the battlefield, the once pristine field now littered with corpses. “We WILL win this war, and we WILL take this kingdom! You can have your precious trinket, my friend, as well as one tenth of spoils of war. HAHAHAHA!” The ice dragon smiled. “A most generous offer, my friend. However, now that you and I are on... better terms, you may call me Baradur.” Orthanx laughed again, clapping him on the shoulder. “Is that your true name?” Another smile. “No.” “For what you have given me, I would call you no less than KING, if I did not already serve one.” Orthanx laughed again but stopped half way. Some of the ‘special’ troops created for him had turned on one another, attacking each other in a blind rage. With a snarl, Orthanx began barking orders, to no avail. “As I have already said, my friend, they cannot understand a word you say. Their madness has seen to that. That is one of three negative effects of this spell. I will take care of it.” With a word, he instantly halted their scrap. Exchanging a dirty look, the two troopers broke off from each other, and began to feed on the corpses of the fallen. “Yes, I do recall you mentioning that little fact.” Orthanx spat bitterly. “Why so glum, my friend?” “I am not quite fond of this setup. The fact of the matter is, you are the only one able to control them. So long as I had control over you, I would not mind, but I obviously do not. What is there to stop you from simply turning your solders on me? For, in reality, they are YOUR solders, not mine.” Orthanx was glaring daggers at the frozen beast, his good mood obviously soured. The ice dragon regarded the situation for a moment before he spoke. “You don’t. But, as I have said, I want but a simple trinket which I am unable to retrieve myself. I have little interest in ruling another kingdom, as I already essentially rule two myself. From the shadows, it’s true, but you know what they say: ‘the hidden hand strikes hardest’. I can assure you the gold and jewels and whatnot that I could steal from you with such a betrayal hold no interest to me. To be perfectly honest, the only thing ensuring that I will not turn on you is the fact that I quite simply don’t care enough to.” The warlord stared at the warlock for some time before turning and walking away, a small laugh escaping his mouth. “Never thought I would be glad to be insignificant enough that you wouldn’t want to stab me in the back.” He paused, turning back towards the warlock. “After all is said and done, is there any way for you to turn control of the madlings over to me?” He nodded. “It can be done, and seeing as they are, in fact, your peoples’ children, I have absolutely no need of them. I would be more than happy to do so when the time comes.” Orthanx nodded his head and began to walk away again, only to once again stop and address the warlock. “Baradur... you mentioned there are three negative effects... What, exactly, are we talking about here?” “Well, the loss of innocence is the most obvious, seeing as that is a core focus of the spell. The second, as I have said, is the inability to understand or focus on anyone or anything that isn’t the original caster or their own madness.” “And the third?” The ice dragon smiled one of his icy smiles. “The third negative effect is purposefully added in order to deal with any madlings that get loose.” “And that is?” ************************************************* Baradur struggled against the chains that bound his form. He was strong, incredibly so, but these chains were magically reinforced. Powerful magic. He could break them, sure, but the effort required would exhaust him, both physically and magically, leaving him vulnerable. In his current state, and with so many armoured guards at the ready to kill him, he doubted he could pull off an escape. Yet. He craned his neck, examining the limp form to his right. Orthanx, now headless, was lying in an ever expanding pool of spreading darkness. He had been executed immediately following his trial. The introductions, presentation of evidence, deliberations and sentencing had, all in all, taken approximately ten minutes. Baradur doubted his would last any longer than that. Dragons were not known for their patience. “Frozen Claw of the White Wastes.” The raspy voice of the dragon king before whom he was chained echoed through the chamber. The icy warlock neither raised his head nor acknowledged that he had heard his title. “I have heard many stories about you. A great many. Since you refuse to speak, we cannot ascertain exactly why you assisted in the war against my kingdom, though I think I can guess. I believe” he said, digging into a small bag at his side “you were after this” Raising his head, he saw the exact artifact he had been seeking, a small but intricately carved puzzle box. He growled, the item he sought so close but still unattainable. “From what I understand, you rule both the kingdom of Firewrath, as well as the kingdom of Stone Helm. Not overtly, of course, simply poking and prodding, little adjustments, causing events to unfold just so.” The king laughed “Ruling a kingdom is difficult, ruling one from the shadows is twice as difficult. Ruling two from the shadows? Well, I would have pegged that as downright impossible. You have proven we wrong it seems.” Suddenly, a ten minute trial seemed far too long. “I have heard through my... sources that your grip on Stone Helm has begun to slacken. I bet you racked your brain for hours as to how to fix your problem, didn’t you? And when you finally came up with an answer, lo and behold, the one place that held the key to your salvation was at war, making it nearly impossible to try and steal the item, what with so many armoured guards everywhere and on high alert.” He was no longer looking, but he could feel the king’s smile, cold as his own breath. “Why didn’t you simply offer your help to my side and then steal the item after you helped me win the war and had gained my trust, hmm? No need to answer, I know why.” The chained warlock heard the king rise from where he sat and approach, the screeching sound of scales on marble echoing through the halls as the king’s colossal tail dragged across the ground. Stopping in front of the restrained warlock, he lowered his head so his mouth was level with his ear. “ You figured I would lose to those cretins.” A ball of heat surged past him as a fireball struck Orthanx’s corpse, the smell of burning flesh wafting to the rafters. Returning to his throne, the king spoke again. “Now then, captain, proceed with the trial of ‘The Frozen Claw of the White Wastes’, known as Baradur to his now deceased friend.” “The Frozen Claw of the White Wastes, formally known as Baradur” The captain’s voice carried over the proceedings, its stiff and formal tone a contrast to what had already taken place. “You are charged with knowingly acting against the crown with intent to overthrow and commit regicide. You are charged with the murder of hundreds of crown solders, as well as the murder of every man, women and hatchling that perished during the razing of the town of Emerald Keep.” He rolled his eyes, waiting as the same charges brought before Orthanx were read to him. “You are also charged with attempted theft...” Really? They seriously tacked that one on? “In addition to the mutilation of five hundred hatchlings, and forcing those hatchlings to engage in open combat.” “What do you care about enemy hatchlings?” “Enemy or not, hatchlings are innocent, and NOTHING should be forced to experience what you did to them.” The captain’s tone shifted, becoming somewhat less than professional. “The charges for these crimes is death by decapitation.” At this, the warlock laughed, loud and strong. “Decapitation? Are you serious? Go ahead. Try it. I DARE you. Let’s see how well that goes, shall we? Not only will it not kill me, it will simply make it that much easier for me to kill you.” The ice dragon laughed again, the raw, insane glee chilling the bones of his guards, even moreso than the frozen aura surrounding him.” “We are... aware of such a possibility. It pains me to say, but there lives no dragon with strength enough to kill you. Nor are we are prepared to waste more lives by pitting you against our army.” The warlock smiled. He would simply be locked away. That he could handle with ease. With enough time, he would regain his strength and escape his prison with ease. He might even be able to steal the item he wanted after he broke out. His smiled deepened. “That is why we have decided...” He could hardly suppress the chuckle building within him. “To remove you and send you elsewhere to be dealt with. You will be sent to a creature that can kill you.” His smile vanished, his eyes shooting wide. “We have already spoken to her and asked her for her assistance, and she has agreed to take care of you. She knows of your deeds and, like us, feels that death, while too good for you, is necessary.” Baradur was furious now. “How dare you! How DARE you assume there is some creature out there powerful enough to kill me! It would take nothing less than the full force of a GOD to kill me.” “That is why...” The furious ice dragon turned his attention to the king “A god is who we asked” ~TO BE CONTINUED~

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2011-08-12T05:49:59+00:00

2011-08-12T05:49:59+00:00

Irreplaceable Chapter 16 - No Tomorrow As the first silvery rays of the summer moon leaked into the cave, the great green dragon’s eyes flicked open as he rose from slumber. Letting out a powerful yawn, he rolled in his glistening bed of gold and gems, sending waves of treasure cascading down the mound. As he rose, shaking the last vestiges of sleep from his head, he discovered that he was, in fact, being watched. No less than five feet away stood Spike, the young dragon looking almost feral. His eyes, wild and wide, danced with green flame as his slavering jaws snapped at nothing. Delicraw growled in displeasure. It seemed that the full force of the spell was sinking in, shrieking messages of death and destruction into the purple dragon’s mind. Had Delicraw not been the one to cast the spell, and, as a result, bonded to him, he may very well have attacked him, size difference be damned. The feedback loop between the urge to kill and the magical protection bestowed on his master had all but shut down his brain. In all likelihood, he had been standing there for several hours, at the very least. “Go to sleep, you mad fool.” A given order snapping him out of his trance, Spike retreated to a corner of the cave and, within seconds, filled the cave with the sound of echoing snores. Delicraw frowned. He couldn’t actually order him asleep, so that meant that the young dragon must have been absolutely exhausted. That wasn’t good. He needed him well rested and able for what he had in mind. Rising from his mound, the great green dragon stretched, sickening cracks mingling with the sound of snores as he worked out the kinks in his spine. In no particular hurry, he decided it would be wise to let the boy sleep for a few hours. He had his own work to do, and Spike’s nap would give him ample time to prepare. Leaving the cave, the dragon spread his great wings, before thinking better of it and beginning to walk. He hated not being allowed to fly, but there wasn't much he could do about it. Yet. After close to an hour, even with his great walking speed, he arrived at his destination. The great rock face, at least eighty feet tall and more than two hundred long, was as perfect for his intended purpose as the first day he had found it, over 300 years ago. The ravages of time had taken their toll, foliage and ivy overtaking the cliff, and sizable cracks had spread through the rock wall. Nothing that would truly impede him, truth be told, but he wanted everything to be absolutely perfect. He was taking no chances. Taking a mighty breath, he unleashed a torrent of flame at the stone. Vines and creepers were incinerated before the onslaught. As he continuied the infernal barrage, even the stone beneath began to melt and slide, running down to the ground. As he finally relented, he stood back to admire his handiwork; the wall was now glassy and completely smooth, the night air cooling it to a dull shine. It was as good as the naturally formed wall was going to get, and would serve his purposes just fine. Turning, he began the trek back to the cave. The great dragon could barely contain his glee. Everything was going according to plan. Chuckling, the great beast actually began to sing to himself, the ancient language of the dragons leaving his mouth for the first time in almost a millennium. In truth, none in Equestria beyond the princesses themselves and possibly some of the most learned scholars in Canterlot universities could understand him. Realizing this, he chuckled to himself again, before switching to a more modern language. It just seemed wrong to him that the ancient words would be lost on any who might overhear him. It didn’t quite translate properly, but he didn’t particularly care at the moment. ********************************************************** “Twilight.” The pony in question groaned, pulling the blankets closer to herself. “It’s late, Fluttershy. Go back to sleep, we have a busy day ahead of us.” “I’m afraid, my dear Twilight Sparkle, that sleep will have to wait.” Who was that? It definitely wasn’t Fluttershy, of that she was sure. The voice was so... elegant, and cultured... It must be Rarity, she realized, although what she needed this late at night Twilight couldn’t fathom. “And why might that be, Rarity?” “As I’m sure you’re aware, there is a dragon on the loose. It has already attacked Ponyville once. We need to look into this right away.” “Rarity, that’s what we’re doing tomorrow.” “This cannot wait until tomorrow, my little pony. You must wake up and tell me everything. On a side note, while I am glad that you are finally being as informal as I’ve asked you to be, I would appreciate if you called me by my name.” Far too tired to fully comprehend what she was hearing, Twilight pulled the pillow over her head. “And that would be?” “Well, while my sister likes to call me Celly, I would prefer it if you called me Celestia.” If the princess hadn’t been as familiar with her student’s magic as she was, she would have thought that Twilight had teleported out of bed. In a microsecond, Twilight was on her feet, bowing low before the ruler of Equestria. “P-P-PRINCESS! HELLO! What are you doing here?! No, I’m sorry, that was rude! Uh, How can I help you??” “You can start by standing up.” Twilight shook visibly. “What’s the matter, Twilight?” “I...I don’t think I can.” “I’m sorry, Twilight, but we do not have time for this right now. I need you to straighten up this instant.” Physically incapable of resisting a direct order from the Princess, Twilight bolted upright. “And don’t bother apologizing; we don’t have the time. Fluttershy and Rarity are already downstairs with Luna making preparations. I have already received as much information from them as I could, but I need to hear what you have to say.” Twilight swallowed. Here was the moment she had been both waiting for and dreading these past few weeks. Twilight opened her mouth, took a deep breath and proceeded to tell her everything. She told her about Spike running away, about the spell that she believed has been cast on him, of the dragon she thought responsible. She told her of how lonely Spike must have felt, and even of her mental breakdown and subsequent suicide attempt. She explained her theory on how it was caused by her link to Spike, but the look of horror and disappointment on her mentor’s face still hit her like a buck in the gut. “I believe that you are correct, Twilight. You do, indeed, share a link with Spike, and that is probably what caused your... episode. We will have time to speak of this later, and I strongly insist we do. For now, however, I need you and your friends to guide me to the cave to which you tracked the dragons.” Twilight nodded shyly, her eyes fixed to what seemed to her to be an incredibly interesting floorboard. Moving to the stairs, they descended to a waiting cluster of ponies. Princess Luna, flanked by two royal guards, along with the assembled Elements of Harmony. With a nod, the group departed Carousel Boutique, running as fast as they could through the damaged town. As they ran through town, ponies stopped what they were doing and bowed in deference to their rulers. There were an unusual number of ponies, far more than would normally be about at this hour. Then, Twilight realized exactly who they were. They were royal guards, carpenters, masons and other various tradesponies, and they were everywhere. There were piles of raw materials, stone and wood and steel, scattered about. Celestia had come through for her subjects. Now, not only was Ponyville protected, it was well on its way to recovery. As they ran through the twisting, turning paths of the Everfree Forest, Twilight could feel Celestia’s eyes on her. Magical bond or not, Twilight had tried to kill herself, and it was clear that the Princess was rather upset about it, to put it mildly. Twilight could tell that Celestia wanted to talk about it with her, it was just that there was simply no time. The ten of them arrived at the cave in record time, and, after the guards quickly searched the cave and confirmed it empty, the party headed inside. As the princesses darted towards the piles of treasure, the six friends hung back at the entrance with the guards. They seemed to be searching for a book, as they were separating them from the piles and, after giving them a quick scan, setting them to the side. Not wanting to feel useless, Twilight began sorting through the treasure as well, placing any books she found in a pile off to the side. With the exception of the guards, who were keeping watch at the entrance, everypony else began to follow suit. Fluttershy and Rarity began sorting the books that Celestia and Luna had already examined, while the other four assisted in locating books. By the time they found the specific tome they had been searching for, there were at least seventy books neatly piled in stacks around the cave. Twilight made a mental note to return and collect them, finding it hard to resist simply running over to the pile and reading them that very moment. As Celestia read, Luna flitted about impatiently, examining piles of treasure at random. The six friends, now standing patiently in a semicircle in front of Celestia, waited with bated breath. When their princess finally put the book down, her expression was one of true sorrow. Luna, landing beside her sister, whispered something in her ear, obviously confirming whatever Celestia had already figured out, for her expression somehow became even sadder. Twilight stepped forward and, after a polite bow, spoke. “Princess, I can’t help but feel that there is even more going on here then we all originally thought. Which I must say is pretty scary, considering all that has happened so far.” Her beloved mentor and goddess nodded; a small nod. Luna placed a foreleg around her sister as the sun goddess began to cry. “Princess! Are you alright? What’s wrong?!” Celestia did not answer immediately. She simply sat there, wrapped in her sister’s embrace, for about a minute before composing herself and answering. “It seems as though my kindness has returned to hurt me.” The six friends looked on in what could only be described as pure confusion. They truly wanted answers, but when their princess, their GODDESS, began to cry again, their own curiosities were immediately banished. Throwing protocol and propriety to the wind, the six ponies joined Luna in hugging and comforting Celestia. The goddess spread her wings, enveloping her sister and subjects, no, her friends, returning their much needed comfort. ********************************************************** Spike awoke with a sudden start. Although only an hour previously he had been absolutely exhausted, he was now fully awake and alert. He was also, for reasons he couldn’t quite fathom, rather embarrassed. Yawning mightily, Spike surveyed the interior of the cave. Although Delicraw was nowhere to be seen, both his strong sense of smell and the bond they shared told him that his master was nearby. Leaving the cave, he spread his wings and launched himself into the air, searching for his master. The night air was cool, and, with all but the nocturnal inhabitants of the Everfree Forest asleep, it held an almost eerie silence. As he flew, Spike spun on his axis, raising his belly to the sky, so that he might see the stars as he flew. They were absolutely beautiful, moreso then Spike had ever seen them. While he was not particularly interested in the academic pursuit of astronomy, he would always jump at the chance to go stargazing. Even though he couldn’t really pick the stars out one by one, call them by their given names or trace the patterns that many insisted on giving them, he truly loved them, simply sitting back and admiring their ethereal beauty. Ever since the return of Princess Luna, the night sky had been so much more, almost magical, to an extent. So much so, in fact, that Spike had actually made a point of taking a moment from each night to simply gaze upon them. In recent times, though, he’d let this habit slip. This was the first time in more than a month that he’d raised his head to the stars. It was nice, almost. The roars and shrieks of the rage burning within his brain began to recede, an ocean reaching low tide. Still present, but sinking back further towards the depths of his mind. The young dragon liked these moments. They were the simplest. They were the clearest, too. And the happiest. These were the times when he could forgive Twilight and go back to the way things used to be, the times when he actually believed the town would forgive him and welcome him back. These were the times where he could push away all the bad memories, and just wrap himself in the warmth of times gone by. Spike’s eyes lingered on the vast heavens above for some time. He was so at piece he began to fall asleep, his eyes slowly closing and his wings slowly, slowing down, his body slowly falling to the earth. It was in this state of blissful happiness, on the threshold of dreams, that the voice began to speak. The voice didn’t bother him at all. In fact, he was used to them by now, although this one was different. It was female, for starters. It was warm and loving, with a hint of mischievous innocence. It was everything the voices he was used to weren’t. .“Hello, Spike” “Hello, starry sky.” The voice laughed. It sounded like... the twinkling of a star, if that made any sense. It did to Spike. “That is a wonderful name; I quite like it, Spike. Thank you.” “You’re welcome, Starry Sky” “You’ve been looking at me a lot lately, haven't you?” Spike nodded, a rather impressive trick for a dragon flying upside down. “ I appreciate that. I always thought that no creature liked me. I thought that they all thought me an inconvenience, something that stood in the way of their fun. They all ignored me, went to sleep until I left.” The voice sounded sad now, so very sad. Spike didn’t want her to be sad, he couldn’t bear it. This was the beautiful night sky he was talking to! She deserved nothing more than happiness, and should be bright and sparkling, filled with ideas and dreams. He felt, though, that he needed to be honest with her. “I... sleep through you...” he admitted. “But you take the time to look!” “Astronomers look! They all think you’re really pretty.” “They look at me for science. They see me as something to be studied and analyzed, not to be enjoyed. They miss my true beauty. I do my best to look beautiful every night, and there are very few who take notice. You are one of the few. Tell me Spike, why do you look?” “I look because of something she said to me once.” “Who?” “She.” The voice laughed again, a sparkle in the night sky. “I understand. Please, go on. What did she say?” “When I was old enough to understand what it was she was going to show me, she brought me to the tallest tower in Canterlot. At the top, there was a little balcony. When we got there, she told me that we were going to look at the stars. We had done it before, many times, so I asked her why this was special. She had a great big telescope in her room to look at stars with, so why did we need to come here? She told me ‘That big telescope is good for looking at things up close, and that’s nice for doing research, but...’ she stopped there, I remember that. I remember that she stopped for a long time. It seemed like hours. She told me, then, ‘the night sky is more then something to be researched. I can’t speak for every pony, but when I look at the night sky, I can feel, truly FEEL, the vastness of it all. Some might say it makes them feel small and insignificant, but I think it means that I’m a part of something that’s just too great to put into words. The night sky... It’s peace, and chaos all at once. It’s a place for dreams to be born and grow into something great’ She turned and looked at me. She was sad, but she was smiling, and I could tell it was real. ‘Someday you’ll be far too big to be my assistant’ she said. ‘During our time together, I can only hope you learn a lot from me and gain many happy memories. But, if you could only remember one thing, just one thing, remember this. You are a part of something too great to put into words and more magical then all the magic of all the ponies, dragons and Princess Celestia combined.’ We spent the whole night looking at the stars. It was... It was probably one of the most important moments in my life. Ever since then, I always made a point to look up at the night, and think back on what she told me. When I look at the sky, I, just like her, can feel just how big it all is.. And it really does make me feel like I’m a part of something....” Spike trailed off. “Too great to put into words...” “That’s right, Starry Night, that’s right.” “Thank you, Spike.” “Everyone has the right to feel important and needed.” “Have you ever felt similar to me?” “I have...yes...yes, I have.” “What did you do about it?” “Terrible things.” “Me too.” There was silence for a long time. “I still feel bad about it sometimes, even though everyone has forgiven me. They say that you are truly forgiven only when you can forgive yourself.” “I’m not sure I could ever do that.” “Why? Is what you did truly so terrible?” Spike nodded again. “What did you do?” “I destroyed my home... And the homes of my friends... I tried to kill someone who didn’t deserve it.” “What did they do?” “They replaced me, and stopped loving me.” “Are you sure?” “....no. And that’s what makes it all worse! I’ve destroyed, and I’ve killed, and nopony there deserved any of it!” “I see.” Silence. “You used to live in Ponyville correct?” Spike nodded. “I have looked upon that town recently. You are responsible for its current state?” Spike nodded, tears forming in his eyes, running up his face to drip to the ground above him. “Nopony died, Spike, and the damage you caused was rather minimal.” “...What?” “It’s true, dear Spike. You killed nopony.” for a long time, Spike couldn't find the words. Finally he spoke. “Do you...do you think they can forgive me?” “Do you forgive her for what she did to you?” “Long ago.” “Are you truly sorry?” “Truly.” “Do you think you can forgive yourself?” “I’m... not sure.” “Then it looks as though it all falls to you.” Spike nodded yet again. “If you can, could you pass along a message to her?” “To whom?” “Her.” The voice laughed. “I think she would rather hear it from you.” Spike nodded. “We all make mistakes, Spike. Not all of them are on such a grand scale as the ones made by you and I, but they do happen. It may take a long time for you and I to forgive ourselves. But I am willing to work towards that point, and I would like to do so along your side. Would you care to join me?” Spike smiled. “If I can....I would love to.” Though he could see no face, Spike could tell the Starry Night was smiling. He could feel it in his heart, and it was the most uplifting thing he had ever felt. “You sound as if there is no way out of this. There is always a way out, Spike, if you fight hard enough for it.” “Thank you, Starry Night.” “And thank you, my dear, sweet Spike. I must go now. But before I do, I have one last thing to say.” Spike waited, listening patiently. “When you wake up, tuck your neck and wings in, I would hate for you to break something.” “Huh?” Spike’s eyes shot open and he realized he was falling. With barely a thought, he tucked in his wings and neck, curling into a ball. Spike crashed through the canopy of the forest and hit the earth with the force of a meteor, creating a sizable crater. Extricating himself from his curled position, he flopped out of his hole and onto the forest floor. He ached all over. Spike heard the cracking of twigs as some beast moved towards him. It was entirely possible it was something that would try to kill him, but he couldn't bring himself to move just yet. So, instead, he braced himself for whatever might pop out of the darkness. He expected a great many things, but a string of obscenities was not among them. “You stupid mad lout. What is wrong with you?” Spike opened his eyes to find Delicraw standing over him. “Get on your feet and move along.” Climbing to his feet, he began to follow his master, who had slipped back into the shadows. As he walked, Spike stole a quick glance at the sky. “A part of something too great to put into words...” ~TO BE CONTINUED~ ********************************************************** Author’s Note: Hey everyone, I know I haven't been updating as frequently as I should have, and for that I apologize. I've been under a good bit of stress these past few weeks. I've started a full time job, and my day consists of wake up, shower, go to work, get home by 9:00 PM, eat, then read pony before going to bed. I've just been absolutely exhausted as of late. It doesn't really help that the job involves having whiskey bottles swung at me by enraged homeless folk or ones who shit in a corner and insist an elephant did it before trying to hit me with a chair. Also, I got a nasty concussion a few months back, and it's really started to come back with a vengeance over the last little while. I've had a lot of trouble being able to keep a straight train of thought going, or even remembering the last sentence someone spoke to me during a conversation. This is being compounded by the fact that, unless I finish an essay this month, not only will I fail a course from last year, but I won't be able to get back into school for September. I’m sorry for all the bitching and complaining, but I just have a lot on my plate right now, and I felt you guys needed some answers on why this is taking me so long. I DO promise, however, that I'll try harder to get you guys chapters more often, and that I'll do my absolute best to finish this off soon and turn it into the kind of story that you lot deserve. Thanks for your continued patience and for being FUCKING AWESOME, La Barata

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2011-09-06T01:24:56+00:00

2011-09-06T01:24:56+00:00

Irreplaceable Chapter 17: Bargain The clink of enchanted metal accompanied that of scale and claw on stone as the once mighty ice dragon was led to his doom. Although dragon fortresses are known for their grandeur and opulence, their dungeons are far more utilitarian than their main halls, and, as such, the room where judgement had been passed over him was less than ten seconds’ walk from the chamber where he was to be dealt with. Escorted by ten of the King’s personal guard, the icy beast would have been hard pressed to escape, even if he’d had the time to think of a plausible plan. As the doors swung wide, he gazed at what he surmised to be the last room he would ever see. Surrounded by an additional ten members of his elite guard, the King stood in the center of the room, accompanied by a wizened orange dragon. At a nod from the King, the orange dragon stepped forward as the room’s other occupants stepped back. The back wall of the room was inset with a colossal obsidian rock face, whose edges were intricately and ornately carved with languages and pictograms a thousand years dead. Closing his eyes, the orange dragon took a deep breath. As he opened his eyes, the normal iris and sclera were gone, replaced by an unfathomable darkness. As magic coursed through his veins, his eyes, black as coal, blacker even than the wall he faced, began to literally blaze with green fire, coursing magic bursting from the sockets. With a mighty breath, he let loose with a torrent of flame the colour of crushed emeralds, unleashing all of his magical might at the wall before him. As flame met stone, the emerald fire took root as if the polished stone were centuries-dried wood. Growing, crawling, spreading outwards, the flame clawed its way across the surface. As the torrent of flame grew to touch the four corners of the great wall, the dragon ceased his flame. Stepping back, the dragon turned from the wall and bowed to his king. What had once been a solid wall of rock was now a dancing, crackling sheet of flame. Then, it began to shift and twist, swirling and spiralling, a vortex in jade. As the vortex widened, the center of the whirling mass of flame expanded into an endlessly bubbling blur of colour and light, solidifying into a solid, shimmering image; a starkly beautiful forest clearing, the moonlight painting the ground a pale yellow. A portal. This was it. He could feel it, then. The magic, overpowering and entirely smothering. He could feel it as it slipped through the portal, creeping like a northland mist, winding itself around him, completely entwining him, restricting his movements and magic even more then the enchanted chains had. Entirely immobile, both magically and physically, he was unable to resist or fight back as the chains were removed. As they were removed, the all encompassing magic lifted him into the air. Entirely unable to move, he could but listen at the sound of scales on marble as the King approached him. “So. This is it. You are to be removed from my lands and destroyed. You have been judged. You have been sentenced. Any final words?” The resulting chuckle was colder even than his normally icy breath. “I would not have thought you would bother giving me that honor.” “We can not all be monsters like you.” “This is true. As much as I wish to spout some drivel about my own immortality or how I can never be defeated, or perhaps throw out a string of obscenities, I don’t think that wise. I am no fool, great king. Powerful as I may be, I doubt I will come out of this alive. If you are truly offering me the gift of last words, then I would like to accept that gift.” “As wise as you are mad, it seems. It is truly a shame you turned out the way you did. Someone like you, used in the right way, could have brought great change for the betterment of us all. My offer was no lie; speak your words and I will let them be heard by anyone willing to listen.” The ice dragon paused; he had never expected to die. Well, in all fairness, that wasn’t quite true. He had expected to die eventually, just not like this.He had always envisioned himself, undefeated after a hundred milllenia, the only force capable of stopping him the ravages of time itself. Last words were something he never considered quite simply because he had never expected to have to say them. Opening his mouth, he paused for a moment before he began to speak his mind. “There are those that would call me evil. I would not argue with them, for one that does evil things is most certainly evil, of that there is no doubt. I too, mighty king, saw the possibilities I could create, and wanted to make them happen. I truly wanted to make things change, for the better, but when I set out to do them, I discovered that no creature was willing to help me. I discovered that the dragons that had the power to change things for the better had no interest in doing so, simply because they would not benefit themselves. I was determined though, to cause change, but I knew that I could not bring about change by playing by the rules. I worked my way into the depths of society, the seedy, diseased underbelly, the place that held the most sway. And do you know what I found? Do you know what I found, mighty king?” “Tell me” The great dragon’s eyes narrowed, his scaly lips turning up in a snarl as the unflinching rage deep within the core of his being burst through once more. “I found evil. Worse then anything you could dream up. It was then that I realized: even if I succeeded in changing things for the better, even if somehow all the evil, vile, SCUM that infested these lands would let me help them... They would not be worthy of it. I am evil, of that there is no doubt. I kill indiscriminately and commit atrocities on a whim because it is all for a purpose: to wipe out those that are evil, to give the creatures that deserve a glorious world a fighting chance to get one. Every dragon I killed, every horrific act I committed was against one that deserved it. I would purge the world of this filth. Noble intentions they may be, but I know all too well that how I go about it is evil. Do you know what, though? I don’t care. I DON’T CARE! Why must I be kind and play by the rules, whilst others do not? How can I make a difference that way? Call me a villain, call me evil, call me a malefactor. I don’t care, it’s what I am. I may die today, but know this: everything I have done up until now has only benefited the world. Those two countries I ruled and was running into the ground? They deserved it. One is a colony of religious fanatics that murder others that do not follow their mad beliefs, all in the name of some made up god. The other is filled with rich nobles who fund all the villainy that goes on simply so they can stuff their caves with more gold. That village I decimated in the Archback pass? Inhabited by dragons who would sacrifice any child born during harvest season because they thought a hatchling being born during that time was bad luck. The city where I poisoned all of the wine in certain pubs? Each and every one of those pubs, filled itself every night with thieves, murderers and all other manner of disgusting filth. That army that you somehow miraculously defeat? HA! You were on the losing side and you knew it, you bloody well knew it. Who do you think helped those rebels kill Orthanx’s men, hmm? Those rebels were outnumbered, outmaneuvered and outfoxed. And yet, still they were winning. I did it so Orthanx would ask me for help. That country is... excuse me, was, the worst in all of the dragon lands, right down the the hatchlings I so easily led to the slaughter.” Here, the great dragon chuckled, and would have shaken his head sadly if he had been able to move it. “Ironically, the lands which you lead is one of the better ones, one I actually felt worth saving. Powerful as I may be, I cannot take on an entire dragon army. So, I used you to help me do it. Who do you think led them into that canyon that could so easily be host to an ambush? How did you beat all the madlings I created, mighty king? With numbers and strength? HA! I told them to let themselves be killed. The only hitch in an otherwise perfect plan, the ONLY failure on my part, was my escape. I never would have thought your men capable of chasing me down, and I would never have guessed you owned a set of Cadea chains. After I had escaped, I was going to relieve you of that little box and use it to finish what I had started. You were smarter then me, mighty king. Be proud of that; there are few who can say such a thing. If, IF I somehow get out of this, make to mistake. I will come for that box, I will get it, too, no matter what defences you put up, and I will finish what I started. I will not allow the dragon society to rot in a cauldron of its own bile.” “You’re mad.” “Indeed I am. And a good thing, too, or I might actually feel the slightest bit of regret for what I have done, and where will that get me, hm?” There was no reply but the pound of footsteps and the scrape of scales on marble as the king retreated. As the king retreated, the magic surrounding him began to pull him forwards, the green flame, cold as the ice of his homeland, engulfing his senses as he was thrust through to the forest beyond. ****************************** He didn’t need to look to know the portal was already closed. There was absolutely no chance they wouldn’t immediately close it, even if it meant missing his death; the king was far too smart to risk the lives of his subjects with such a trivial joy. He rose, standing upon shaky legs, his head racing with thoughts. He needed answers, and he needed them now. First and foremost: he needed to know where he was. He scented the air, and flicked out his tongue. He was in a forest, that much he was sure of, and from the taste of the air it was incredibly ancient. He closed his eyes, opening himself to the ethereal, and fully took in his surroundings, the sensations impossible for any creature to explain. This forest was older then he could ever have imagined. It held many dark secrets, and was host to many dark parts of history. Bathed in powerful magic, the very air of the forest seemed to breathe as it altered and shattered the flows of the natural world. This place was unlike any other in the world. He had never been to this forest before, he had no cause; the evils he fought did not exist in such a place. He had never been there before, but he knew where he was all the same. As a young dragon, many of his studies had involved it. “The Everfree... I should have known. So, they managed to enlist the help of a god after all. Show yourself, Eternal Radiance. If I am to die by your claw- hooves, I wish to at least look upon my executioner.” “I have not heard that name since long before you were born, although it does not surprise me that one of your learning would know it. Although, if you don’t mind, I prefer to go by Celestia now.” The one to whom he’d spoken, an elegant Alicorn of ageless wisdom and eternal beauty, stepped from the darkness of the woods, her hair ominously flowing as if caught in an eternal breeze that graced only her with its gentle touch. “So, Kalt’Vindur. Your own kind have deemed you too dangerous to live, and as such have sent you to me to be destroyed.” “It seems that tonight is a night for true names to be spoken.” “My true name has always been Celestia. I simply indulged those who wished to call me such.” A laugh escaped her lips, the sound like sparkling rays of light as they danced on the water’s surface. “I am honestly surprised you recognised your own name. After keeping it hidden for so long, substituting so many others, I would have thought your true name lost even to you. It seems I was wrong.” Another laugh. The mighty dragon sneered, his loathing of the goddess only increasing as she toyed with him. “If I am to die, then kill me. This taunting is beneath you, and only serves to make me question my decision to not fight back.” Celestia’s ever-present smile remained firmly where it was, though her eyes took on a look of sadness. “I have never teased someone who is about to die, and I have no intention of starting with you. We are simply talking.” Kalt’Vindur huffed a puff of frost in Celesita’s face, the icy mist dissipating in her aura of warmth almost instantly. “So... As opposed to a goddess of evil, revelling in the pain of others, you’re a cowardly one, fleeing her duties.” Her smile never wavered. “I am neither. To those who contacted me and asked my aid, I simply said that you would be dealt with; I never said how. All life is precious, and I would not rob it from any creature so easily without great reason.” “And have my deeds not given you due cause?” The smile slowly faded. “While you have done... terrible things, I can not deny your noble intentions. As the king said, your last words were heard by any willing to listen. I am willing to grant you a second chance. I will spare your life, if you agree to follow my terms and do your best to improve your mindset. This chance is the only one you will be given. If you betray my trust or refuse my offer, I will return you back to the tideless flow. What say you, Frozen Claw of the White Wastes? Will you accept my terms?” “You have listed no terms.” “You will hear them only once you have agreed.” Her smile was completely gone now, replaced with the stern expression of a teacher with a naughty pupil, though her eyes were still bore same sadness.”What say you?” Kalt’Vindur said nothing. Not with words, at any rate, although they often say that actions speak louder. The dragon unleashed a torrent of icy winds from his maw, the forest before him withering, freezing and dying instantly at their touch. When he ceased, all before him was encased in a foot thick sheet of ice. All, that is, with the exception of a three meter circle around the goddess herself. “I am the goddess of the sun. Did you really think an ice dragons breath would have any kind of effect?” Kalt’Vindur snarled. “I have no intention of sitting here playing these games with you.” she continued. “You may not know my terms, but that is irrelevant at this point. Whatever my terms may be, it is still a choice between life, or death. You may think me a coward for sparing your life, but let me assure you: I will take your life if it means protecting my subjects. I will not continue to press the question if you continue to retaliate. Accept my terms or perish. What say you?” “Six thousand years I have flown across this mortal coil. Four thousand of those have been spent trying to better the world. You have not stated your terms, but I know full well what they are. However you word them, whatever fancy flair you throw in to dress it up and disguise it, in the end it all amounts to my total seclusion, forced to hide away in a cave for the rest of my days as the world falls to bits. Dying would mean the end for me, no matter what, whereas hiding would allow me the chance to escape and press on. The choice seems obvious, but I cannot simply lay down and give up. I have sacrificed too much and have done too many horrible things for it to end here. What say , you ask? I say I will be damned before I let myself so easily be subdued by a little pony.” Eyes aglow with power and fury, Kalt’Vindur spread his wings in a fighting stance. “If you have it in you, pony, come and kill me.” Celestia’s eyes never lost their sadness. A rush of blinding light flowed forward, smashing her draconic opponent off his feet and hurling him backwards through the forest. As he flew backward, crashing through trees and foliage, he left only devastation in his wake, a path of shattered wood and destroyed shrubbery between Kalt’Vindur and the sun goddess. Twisting himself into the force of the blast, he landed on his feet, skidding several meters before coming to a full stop, a powerful spell already leaving his fanged mouth. “Great power of the heavens, rain down upon the earth like a volley of ethereal spears. Branch out and breed craters and death in your wake. Swords of the gods. Light that cracks open the night. Arch down and bring devastation.” The ancient words carried on the wind, mixing with it, the two becoming one until the wind itself rang with the ancient tones. A crackle of thunder echoed throughout the forest, the moon suddenly blotted out by seemingly endless clouds, crackling with fury and blacker than the night itself. As he spoke the final syllable, the clouds began to roar, spewing electric wrath. Responding to his call, the lightning lanced down towards the goddess, the raw power of the elements scorching the earth where she had stood but a moment before. The white alicorn was surprised at first by the attack, unfocused as she darted and dodged around the white hot bolts. Whirling, she stood her ground. She no longer dodged the lightning; indeed, it now seemed to arch away from her before they struck, surrounding her in a corona of flame. Her horn glowed with a dazzling radiance and emitted a beam of concentrated light into the sky. The beam pierced the heavens, causing the clouds above to swell and burst, once again revealing the night sky. With a flash, the beam arced out in an ever-expanding halo of light, turning night to day for a brief second as the remainder of the clouds disappeared in a puff and a spark. Celestia whirled around, prepared to parry the next magical attack from her foe, but was met with nothing but forest. “I did not think you the type to flee from battle. Let me assure you, however, hiding is entirely pointless. I can sense you. I can feel the ebb and flow of the magic of this world, it keeps no secrets from me. I could easily pick out a simple filly hiding in these woods. With your raw power, I need not even exert myself in seeking you out.” She closed her eyes momentarily, taking a deep breath. When she opened them, her normally violet irises were a bright, iridescent blue, glowing with a radiance that even the sun goddess’s normally luminescent eyes failed to match. Shaking her head, she began to approach the hidden dragon, his magical presence lighting up the night like a beacon for her enhanced senses. “This is getting ridiculous; I will not continue with this bout. Yield to me now, and accept my terms.” Once again, the darkness of the night was pierced by the ethereal glow of the alicorn’s horn as she began to weave a spell. She had had enough. She was done defending, done holding back, done firing warning shots. This fight was getting out of hand, and fast. What she had hoped to be a quick scuffle was turning into something else altogether. “What say you, dragon?” At first, only silence greeted her words. Then, the beacon of energy that was Kalt’Vindur shimmered and flexed, twisting in the night like a fish on the line, before it began to expand. Growing and shifting, it continued to stretch until it covered an incredible area. Now, with his presence expanding into a dome stretching across what was easily a mile, Celestia realized the danger far too late. Thinking quickly, she altered the weave of her spell slightly, shifting the beam she’d prepared into an explosive wave of light. With an extra burst of magic, she shaped the explosion, directing it squarely at the dragon’s aura. Trees and plants evaporated into ash, stone crumbled and blew away, and the very dirt melted and boiled. One thing that can be said for Celestia: Among whatever faults she may have had, she was quite practical; There was nothing left alive within the blast radius. As the night air cooled the cracked and destroyed ground, Celestia stepped forward, the newly formed glass cracking and shattering beneath her hooves. The magical aura of the great dragon had winked out, gone without a trace. Celestia could sense nothing. She sighed, shaking her head. Saddened that things had gone the way they did, Celestia unfurled her wings, preparing to return home. As she began to rise, the wind began to speak, echoing, whispered words formed from creation itself. Dropping back to her hooves, Celestia summoned a powerful shield, acting almost on instinct. The wind’s voice rose, flowing and spiralling, a deadly ballad of unknown purpose dancing its way through the currents of the aether. The goddess’s eyes darted about the clearing, scouring every shadow, every shard of glass, trying to pick out where the attack might come from. For the first time in a very long time, Celestia felt fear. No longer was she the confident deity who had confronted the dragon as he emerged from the portal. Now, she was merely a pony. A powerful pony, it was true, possibly even the most powerful, but a pony nonetheless. The dragon, though... He was something more. He WAS power. Not only had he survived her attack, but somehow, he had managed to hide his magical aura from her, even while casting a spell. Celestia herself couldn’t accomplish that. Until now, she hadn’t even thought it possible. Celestia stood low, attempting to plant her hooves to steady not only her body, but her nerves. The glassy ground, however, made this a near impossibility. She scanned the clearing, searching with both eyes and magic for her foe, but to no avail. The dragon was pulling out tricks even Celestia, with all her ageless wisdom, did not know. The spell he was casting, long and intricate as it may have been, was reaching its climax. She had no doubt it would be anything less than cataclysmically devastating. The words began to climb, growing in power and intensity as they reached a crescendo, the raw power in each word, each syllable shaking Celestia to her core as they were uttered. Then, suddenly, silence. There was nothing. No wind, no sounds, no movement. Nothing. Then the screaming started. No more than a hundred feet away from the alicorn, the dragon suddenly snapped into existence. Floating extended, stretched to his maximum, claws raised to the sky, the dragon raised his head to the heavens, neck perfectly straight. The spell was complete. Above the dragon, the sky began to shift and crack, splintering like bone. Glowing a spectrum of colours from the mundane to the unimagined, they split and spread, splitting the skies with a thousand glowing fissures. What Celestia looked upon, what that monster had called down on her, was the very power of existence itself. Celestia’s eyes shot wide, fear plain upon her features. How was this possible? How could any creature, god or mortal, call upon the raw power of life itself and twist it to their own dark purpose? The hole in reality burned brightly as thousands of tendrils, each shimmering with a billion dazzling colours, shot through the hole, lashing out at the princess. The strands of life and colour struck the goddess’s shield, lashing mercilessly at the barrier. For the time being, the shield held firm, but it was beginning to waver. Celestia cursed herself silently. If she had been ready, if she’d been prepared for such an attack, she may have been able to close the rift before any damage could be done, but... she hadn’t even thought these forces could be controlled. As it stood, she could barely keep up her defenses under the onslaught of the reality-bending lashes. The sound as the sheer power of the perversion of existence burned the air around the fractures and tendrils was like the death rattle of a thousand birds roasted alive. It was maddening, attempting to concentrate enough to maintain her defense while that twisted, shrieking, wrong sound echoed in her head. The relentless attack coupled with that deathly noise drove Celestia to her knees. Her shield wavered and began to fall apart, splintering off in flakes that slowly drifted to the glassy earth and vanished. Celestia was afraid. She feared not for her own life, but for those of her subjects, those of the creatures under her protection. If she died here and now, without turning over her control over the sun to her sister, the world would be thrown into chaos. Without the sun, the land would wither and die... as would her little ponies. She couldn’t let that happen. She was their goddess. She was their princess. She was their mother. She would not abandon them to a slow and dark death. Mustering all the will she could manage, Celestia forced herself to her feet. Her shield slowly peeling away, she pressed forward. One hoof in front of the other. Step by step, bringing herself closer to the beast. She had absolutely no clue what she was planning to do once she reached him, but she had to try something. “STILL HANGING IN THERE, ARE WE, PRINCESS?” The voice, accompanied by a terrible laughter, pierced even the sound of reality warping. “YOU TRULY MUST BE A GOD, TO WITHSTAND THE RAW POWER OF LIFE ITSELF. TELL ME, PRINCESS, HOW MUCH LONGER CAN YOU LAST? TELL ME CELESTIA! TELL ME, ETERNAL RADIANCE! WELL? WHAT SAY YOU?” The laughter rose to a fever pitch, raw insanity creeping in on the edges of his voice. Celestia couldn’t manage a response, so focused was she on maintaining her trek. “HAHAHAHAHAHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHAAAAAAA! I MUST SAY, PRINCESS, THIS BLEAK LOOK DOES NOT SUIT YOU. I SUPPOSE YOU CAN’T BE ALL SUNSHINE AND LAUGHTER ALL THE TIME.” Celestia couldn’t take it. She quite simply couldn’t take it. She had tried being kind. She had tried reason. She had tried everything, and this monster had thrown it in her face. He had repaid her kindness by attempting to take her life. She wanted to say something, anything, but what could she? She could curse at him, scream at him, but that would do little, and Celestia was just not that kind of pony. She now stood directly in front of her foe, that toothy maw grinning down at her, confident, insane. He had won, he knew it. Her shield continued to flake away, her power waning. Any second now, her power would fail her, and the shield would disappear. The tendrils would rocket through, flaying her to the soul and robbing her of her life. The irony of it actually managed to bring a smile to her face. “THERE SHE IS! THERE’S THE CELESTIA THE WORLD KNOWS!” he laughed. “SO, PRINCESS. WHERE IS YOUR BACKUP PLAN? WHERE IS YOUR HIDDEN ACE, YOUR TRUMP CARD? I’LL ADMIT, YOU’VE IMPRESSED ME SO FAR. YOU’VE LIVED UP TO YOUR DIVINE ORIGINS.I MUST SAY I EXPECTED MORE FROM THE GODDESS OF THE SUN, HOWEVER. SO! WHERE IS YOUR FINAL GAMBIT?” The smile still fixed upon her face grew a little wider. Calling forth all the magic she could muster, Celestia poured it into her shield, amplifying its power to an insane degree. The resulting shockwave as it overloaded knocked the dragon from the sky, sending him crashing to the ground and skidding to a stop. The blast pushed back the tendrils just far enough so that she was able to seize the rift with her magic, and began to force it shut. Losing all focus, the tendrils began to strike wildly and haphazardly, several times nearly striking the deity. Finally, it happened. Celestia forced the fracture shut, the tendrils winking out of existence as she collapsed, both physically and magically drained. After what seemed like an eternity, Celestia heard the distinct sound of glass upon glass; somepony in glass shoes slowly approaching her. The hooves clinked to a stop at her side. A slight sigh broke the silence, followed by a voice like warm silk. “You did not think I would leave you to deal with a monster alone, did you?” Celestia opened her mouth to speak, but only a rasp of air escaped. Something soft touched her neck, nuzzling her affectionately as the voice encouraged her to stand. Celestia could not move at all. “Come now, sister. You must stand up and raise the sun. If I lower the moon and there is no sun to take its place, it would look rather strange, wouldn’t it?” Celestia slowly struggled to her feet, her horn gathering magic. While she lacked the power to do most anything else, the act of raising the sun was not just her own magic. It was a part of her, not something she had to call upon and unleash. The sun wanted to rise; all she needed to do was let it. Warmth began to course through her body as a force even greater than she used her as a conduit. A torrent of incredible power and tenacity, it knew exactly what it wanted. Slowly, the sun began to peek over the horizon, the morning sky glowing red and orange. Once it was on its way, Celestia released it, and it released her. It had done what it was meant to do, and would be content to carry on its way until it was called upon to rise again. With the devastation wrought in the forest, there were far fewer trees than before, allowing the light to shine through and bathe the sun goddess in the light she had brought to the world, warming her to her core and rejuvenating her. A smile crossed her lips and her eyes opened. “I do so enjoy the beauty of your nights, but there is nothing quite like a sunrise.” “I am inclined to agree with you. It is a shame most ponies sleep through it... it seems I’m not the only one with that problem.” Celestia turned to her sister, nuzzling her affectionately. “I am glad you came. I truly appreciate the power you loaned me; without it, I don’t believe I could have emerged victorious.” “Do you really think it’s over?” “I do, because it is. Whether he chooses to accept my offer or not, I am through being kind. He will either accept, or I will do as the dragon king requested. No more second chances.” Luna nodded, and the two of them made their way toward the felled dragon, their glass shoes clicking across the scorched and shattered glass of the forest floor. From a pile of shattered debris rose the pained groans of the fallen dragon. “I have no interest in dragging this out any longer. You know the question put to you. What say you?” “...You seem irked.” “You tried to kill me. So yes. I am slightly irked.” Celestia shook her head. “I had expected you to retaliate in some way but I foolishly doubted you had enough power to cause me any real harm. My own overconfidence is no reason to take a creature’s life, which is the only reason you are being given this last chance. No more stalling, Kalt’vindur. Give me your answer.” The pile shifted and, for a second, Celestia tensed, readying for another attack. Instead the dragon’s hear poked from the rubble, looking her in the eyes. He smiled, a toothy, disturbing grin, madness twisting the corners of his scaly lips unnaturally. “No need to take it personally, Celestia. I’m with you on this one. I didn’t think there was any way I could actually harm you. I simply didn’t want to lie down and surrender without a fight, for if I did that, all it would prove is that I wasn’t committed to what I was doing. Make no mistake, princess, I am very, VERY committed to my work. There was not a chance in the pits of the Deep Abyss I was just going to surrender without even making the attempt. Truthfully, if I had known you couldn’t handle the attack, I might actually have stopped.” Impossibly, his deranged grin twisted even wider, obviously amused by his comment to an ridiculous extent. “I may be insane, but I’m smart enough to know that the world needs a sun. All the time I have put into my work would have been a waste, and all the deaths I caused would have been in vain if I went and extinguished that which makes things grow and brings light to the world. So dear, dear sun goddess, don’t remain angry. It was nothing personal. Can you really blame me for trying to protect my very important mission?” Celestia said nothing, she simply stood there, staring, that serene smile and those sad eyes once again etched upon her face. Her sister, slightly shorter but no less imposing, stood next to her, an expression of unmitigated hatred and contempt spread across her face. “Very well then. I agree to your terms, whatever they may be. I know when I am beaten, despite how rarely it happens.” Celestia’s horn lit up, and the debris that buried the dragon was tossed away. “All of your magical power will be sealed away. Originally, I had planned to leave you with but a fraction of your true might, but from what I have seen, even that would be far too dangerous; I can only imagine what you would be capable with even that much magic. Your physical form, too, will be sealed. As your own physiology would be a danger to my subjects and this forest, you will no longer bear either the features or the form and abilities of an ice dragon. Equestria can do without an ice age, thank you very much. Next, you are never to leave this forest. Finally, if you ever happen to come into contact with any ponies within the forest, you are to leave them be and bring them no harm. Every thousand years, I will return to this clearing to speak with you. We will see if your views and temperament have improved. Between now and then, however, if any of my rules are broken, especially the one about harming any of my ponies, I will consider our deal null and void, and I will take your life. Are. We. Clear? The dragon didn’t scowl, or growl, or speak. He simply nodded his head, winking at the princess, who only shook her head in response. “I see you are not beyond logical thought. Luna, I am far too tired at the moment to deal with this any further. If you would...?” “It would be my pleasure, dear sister.” The younger alicorn’s horn lit up, and the dragon felt her magic, seeping into his body and deep into his soul, wrapping itself about his magical core, his power itself. Her magic caressed it, softly, gently, the dragon’s body stiffening from the sensation. The magic continued to goad the beast, caressing his magical core, running itself smoothly through his soul. It felt good. Beyond good. Exquisite. To the dragon, it was as if he was approaching a state of nirvana... which is probably why it hurt to the extent that it did when the magic suddenly entirely enveloped it and squeezed tightly. The dragons eyes and mouth opened wide, but nothing came out, so intense was the pain. Obviously exacting her own punishment for the dragon’s transgressions against her sister, the moon goddess appeared to take no small pleasure in it. While the pain lasted but a moment, it echoed through his entire being, feeling like an eternity before he finally went limp. He could no longer draw on his magic; Luna had sealed it off completely. “Was that entirely necessary, sister? I did not force him to submit so that you could torture him.” Celestia was fully aware that her question was completely redundant, but she still wished to hear her sister’s explanation. The explanation, however, wasn’t forthcoming. Luna remained silent as she continued with her work. Luna’s magic wrapped itself around the dragon, lifting him into the sky as she created a cocoon of dark magic around him. Within the cocoon, the beast thrashed mightily, attempting to free himself, attempting to stop the agony racking his frame. He’d hoped that, if his physiology was to be altered, she would have changed him into a species of dragon that was at least slightly physically similar, but it seemed that the goddess was not through punishing him. His spine cracked and split, wrenching out as his neck extended several times his length, his skull bubbled and shrank as his snout shrunk. His back burned as most of his spines retracted into the bone as those on his back and the crest of his head extended, tearing the skin to accommodate the extra bone. The next alteration was almost as painful as when his magic had been sealed. The smallest finger on each of his claws began to bend and twist, actually moving across his claw, until it formed a second thumb. His eyes and teeth shrank, his pelvic bone widened, his spine twisted to compensate for the relocation of his wings. Change after change, shift after shift, each more painful than the last. When all was done, the cocoon shattered into nothing and the dragon fell to the ground in a heap, in far too much pain to even try and move. Before the sisters lay what was no longer an ice dragon, but a fully grown forest dragon, his green and gold scales glinting in the early morning night. Celestia, to her credit, was rather shocked; she knew full well what he must have gone through to look as he did now. She turned to her sister, stern authority in her voice. “When we get back to the castle, you and I are going to talk about this.” “That was rather tiring, to be honest. I would prefer to sleep first before you lecture me.” Celestia nodded, sighing, and the two turned and walked away before spreading their wings and taking to the skies. As they flew across the treetops, the younger shifted closer to her sister. “Regardless of what you have to say, I’m glad you’re alright. I did what I did because he deserved it. If not for his crimes against his own people, then for almost taking my sister away.” That said, Luna flew back slightly, creating some distance between herself and her sister, and the two flew back to their castle in silence, both from exhaustion and the true fear that still remained from their encounter. In the clearing, the dragon slowly rose to his feet, his new bones and shifted joints snapping and cracking as they were used for the first time, the pain having long since washed away. Testing his new body out, the beast stretched and groaned, and he began to plot. What could he do? How could he get out of this? First thing’s first, though; he needed to find a place to call his home. Spreading his new wings, the dragon pushed off from the ground and began to fly. However, after only a few seconds of flight, a shock coursed through his spine, paralyzing the great beast. He crashed through the canopy of trees he had attempted to fly over and hit the ground, hard. Upon colliding with the ground, the paralysis disappeared, only to be replaced with painful retching that continued for almost twenty minutes, even after he had expelled all in his stomach, leaving him with nothing to do but heave, over and over again, praying it would stop. When it finally did, he did not need to try and fly again, or even put any thought into an explanation. The dragon roared in fury, shooting a blast of fire into the air. Tearing up trees, he hurled them from him in his rage, tossing chunks of earth and rock about. “That vile, disgusting, pidhi kurve!!!!” The dragon swore, putting as much spleen into the words as possible. The beast dropped to the ground, defeated. There wasn't a thing he could do to exact revenge on that vile alicorn, or to even escape his situation. There was nothing he could do. For a long time, the dragon lay where he was. Through half-lidded eyes, he watched their battlefield, examining the destruction the two had wrought. Eventually, something caught his eye; a small spider had decided to build a web between two fallen trees. At first, he was tempted to puff a burst of smoke, or even flame at the spider, ruining its work simply out of spite, but the process of crafting the web proved so mesmerizing he couldn't help but continue to watch. Back and forth, up and down, around and around, the tiny arachnid tirelessly laboured to complete its masterpiece. It crawled, leapt and climbed from spot to spot, a barely visible strand of silk trailing behind it. Finally, the spider finished its masterpiece and returned to a corner, hidden in a crack in the bark. “What a marvelous little creature you are, little spider. What patience you must posses, to sit there for hours, waiting for your chance to strike. Not hoping, though, no. You picked your spot too well. You know a delightful little morsel will eventually land itself in your trap. It’s just a matter of simply being willing to wait.” Suddenly, all at once, it hit him. His brain made a series of connections, his mind lighting up like a thousand captured fireflies. He’d had an idea. An awful idea. He got a wonderful, *awful* idea. It would take time, yes, and patience. Lots of patience. Just like this little spider. He would need to find the perfect spot, build his web and wait for the perfect moment to strike. It would take a while, but if the little spider could be patient, then so could he. “Thank you, little spider. You have given hope. Not just to me, but the whole world, hope for the future.” He paused, examining the spider. “What are you, little spider? Your genus is a simple matter to discover, the way you spin your web is evidence enough to that, but your species... Those markings on your cephalothorax would make me think Latropectus, but the placement and length of the legs is wrong. Hmm... Ah, yes! That’s it! How could I not seen it before? You were one of my favorites in my younger days, back when I was studying etymology so very long ago. There is only one spider in all of creation that has an abdomen so similar in appearance and texture to the divine and admittedly rather tasty ruby.” And then he smiled. A great, new maw of sharp, gleaming teeth. He was happy in a way he could not express in words. Though things had decidedly taken a turn for the worse, but if he worked hard and remained patient, he could get out of this. And get his revenge in the bargain. “I suppose, little spider, an introduction is in order. After all, you are my saviour. Hello. I am Kalt’Vindur, Frozen Claw of the White Wastes. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Delidectus Crawspedisia... That truly is a beautiful web, by the way.” TO BE CONTINUED

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2011-10-09T01:59:51+00:00

2013-09-29T00:23:32+00:00

Irreplaceable Chapter 18: Consequences Although every pony in the cave during those early dawn hours reacted differently to the tale told, the one shared reaction was complete silence. “And so, Luna and I returned to our castle, hopes for the future of Kalt’Vindur high. We were sure that, given the proper environment and time to reflect on his actions, he would most certainly change for the better. We convinced ourselves that by the time we returned to speak with him, he would be more than prepared to turn over a new leaf. However, we never got the chance.” Celestia turned to Luna, her eyes speaking volumes as the Moon Princess hung her head. “We never got the chance, because 400 years later...” Celestia trailed off. In truth, nopony needed her to finish the sentence. “After Luna’s... absence, I became... More than a little distracted, truth be told. Days faded to months, and to years, and events that had once been of the highest import were entirely forgotten. I never returned to find him, and I almost completely forgot he existed, I’m ashamed to say. He just... faded away. He never reemerged, he never caused any trouble whatsoever, he was invisible.” Celestia closed her eyes, turning away. “Pardon me, princess, but... I get the feelin’ that yer date with that there dragon was a touch more important than just seein’ if his temper’s improved.” Celestia nodded. “Yes, you’re correct. There was a purpose beyond simply discussing his current emotional state. When one places a seal on a being’s own magic, there are certain... limitations. You can smother it, seal it, wrap it and bury it deep within them, but... magic is life itself and, quite simply, you cannot contain life. No matter what obstructions it may face, life always finds a way around them. The main purpose of the meeting was to examine the seal that Luna placed on Kalt’Vindur and, if necessary, repair it. I just... I forgot him. It has been almost 1400 years since the seal was placed. It’s been degrading since then. This is... This is all my fault. If I hadn’t... He would have never had the power to do any of this... I... I am so sorry...”Twilight stood from where she sat and walked up to stand in front of her mentor, an angry look upon her face. Celestia opened her eyes and looked to her pupil. “I am... so, so sorry, Twilight, I-“ “Stop.” All eyes shot to Twilight, and all jaws dropped. Over the course of the past several months, the ponies had been exposed to and experienced some of the strangest things in their lives. Twilight Sparkle raising her voice to Princess Celestia, however, blew all the rest away. “Are you really expecting me to sit here and accept an apology from you?” Celestia’s eyes shot wide, and tears began to form. “I... I-” The princess tried to speak, really she did, but the words just wouldn’t come. “I told you to stop it.” Twilight stomped a hoof, fixing her with the angriest glare that any of her friends had ever seen. ******************************************************** “...I....I am sorry...but...but I don’t get it.” “It’s a rock face... There isn’t anything to get, lad.” Spike sagged slightly, seeming disappointed. “But... you made it seem like we were headed somewhere special...” “This is a special place, my boy!” “I don’t see it.” “That’s because we haven’t done anything to make it special yet.” “Ah... well then. That would explain it.” Delicraw opened his mouth to say something, but closed it, raising a set of giant claws to cover his eyes. Being solely responsible for the young dragon’s mindset, he knew better than to try and continue with that train of thought. “Now then, Spike. Before we continue with the night’s proceedings, I need to impart a truth unto you. I... Am not what I seem.” Before Spike could respond, or, for that matter, even fully register what he had said, Delicraw’s eyes began to glow a pure, blinding white, and with a dull roar and a crackle of magic, was lost to sight in a smoky cocoon. The smoke swirled, twisting and roiling, slowly becoming distended and bulbous. Agonized roars mixed with demented laughter, the eldritch storm shifting and boiling, the stench of ozone filling the air as the magic being released burned the surrounding air.The laughter was simultaneously chilling and familiar, both in its raw madness and its pure evil. In a powerful explosion of light and mist, the cocoon evaporated and revealed a dragon that was decidedly not the master Spike had come to know. At first, Spike had thought himself face to face with a skeleton. The bleached, bone white scales of the great beast before him were not those of his master. Its claws and spines were misplaced, its neck shortened, its hips wider. The great white beast stretched its new body, streaks of silver and blue flashing in the moonlight as a series of pops and cracks echoed through the night, newly shifted joints snapping into place. Spike looked upon this monster in fear and confusion; though the bond he shared with his master affirmed its identity, every instinct, every draconic instinct screamed at him to flee, to fight, to loose flame until he could breathe no more. The dragon before him was something to be feared, he knew that much. Somewhere in the deepest recesses of his brain, those dark crannies in which sanity still clung to life, realized this and, for the first time in a long time, knew fear. The colossal ivory beast looked upon the smaller dragon with a crazed smile of utter glee. He had no need of a mental bond to tell him of the raw terror felt by his little madling; he could smell it... and it was delicious. He laughed again, a low rumbling chuckle starting deep in his belly and rising, louder and longer, ending in a maniacal cackle. This was it. No more hiding, no more cowering, no more running. No more pretending to be ever so nice. It had been well over a thousand years, skulking in the shadows of this accursed forest. It was time for him to continue his quest. He was free. Laughter subsiding, he took a step forward, lowering his head so that he might look his slave in the eyes. “Hello, Spike.” The words rose from his throat in a sibilant hiss. “You know, I don’t believe that you and I have ever been properly introduced. While it’s true that I’ve been known by many names over the years, there’s one that I’ve grown rather fond of. My true name, if you’d believe it.” Spike tried to back away, but the beast easily outdistanced his strides, cornering him against the rock face. Opening his mouth, Spike prepared a burst of flame, only to find a massive claw encircling his jaws, squeezing them shut. “Naughty naughty, little madling... you wouldn’t be trying to scorch your master now, would you?” The ancient dragon lowered his head even more, bringing his right eye level with the smaller dragon’s face, merely inches apart as he spoke. “Hello, Spike. I am Kalt’Vindur, The Frozen Claw Of The White Wastes. It is a pleasure to meet you at last. Now, I believe we have some business to attend to.” He grinned again, it spreading across his features, distorting them. “Me and you, you and I... We have some work to do. After all, you need to hold up your end of the bargain. I certainly did. I gave you your revenge, didn’t I? Now, I require a favour from you. It’s only fair, after all.” ******************************************************** The cave was absolutely silent. Filled with stunned, slack jawed ponies, the only noise was the slow drip of water from the walls and ceilings of the cave. In truth, almost everypony wanted to speak, to say something, anything, but not one could bring themselves to utter a word. Of everypony present, Celestia, god-princess of Equestria, was probably the most stunned. Retreating slightly, she was taken aback for the first time in many hundreds of years. Twilight shook her head once more, a mixture of rage and sorrow etched on her features. “How. How can you sit there and apologize to us after telling us that story?” “I know... I don’t deserve your forgiveness... I just-” Celestia stopped midsentence as Twilight took a step forward. Luna tensed. Twilight Sparkle was the closest thing that Celestia had to family next to her, but... what would she do if Twilight acted? Storming up to the Princess, she pressed herself against her mentor. Momentarily taken aback, the startled alicorn wrapped her student in a hug. “Your story... Your story was of kindness, your kindness, bestowing a second chance upon a creature that didn’t deserve it. There is absolutely NO WAY that you are in any way responsible for what’s happened here. It’s not your fault that... that... that MONSTER didn’t change. He was given a chance, but he used it to take advantage of you. It’s not your fault. I could never hate you, or even be the least bit angry with you for trying to save a life.” Twilight shook her head, looking up at her mentor. “Most ponies would do absolutely anything for a chance at redemption. You don’t need to apologize to anyone, Princess, because there’s nothing to apologize for. If... If you still insist on taking the blame for it, don’t take it all. Leave some for me, too.” Eventually, Twilight broke the hug, taking a few steps back in order to look the much taller pony in the eyes. “Now then. We don’t have time to sit around feeling sorry for ourselves. We have a monster to defeat, and a dear friend to save!” Celestia stood tall once more, shaking off her sadness. Once again, she wrapped her normal mantle of regal confidence around herself. “You are absolutely right, Twilight. Now, let’s get to work. First and foremost, we need to figure out where Spike and Kalt’Vindur may have gone.” “Right!” Twilight nodded, reinvigorated by her mentor’s determination. “Maybe they left some sort of clue here, there’s certainly enough places to look!” Twilight ran to the nearest pile of treasure and immediately began sifting through it. Finally snapped from their daze, the rest of the ponies approached the treasure and began to help her look. All, that is, except for Rarity, who approached the Princesses carefully. “Pardon me, your Majesties, but... something occurs to me.” “And what might that be, Rarity?” “Well... In retrospect, having Spike attack Ponyville would serve little purpose in the grand scheme of helping that ruffian. In fact, it would hinder his efforts, simply serving to attract your attention. With that in mind, why would... Kalt’Vindur, was it? Why would he bother using his magic to do that unless he had some sort of purpose behind it?” The Princesses looked at one another, pausing as they considered this information. It didn’t take long before their eyes shot wide, realization sinking in. “My little ponies, come here.” Stopping their search, everypony dropped whatever treasure they were sorting through and approached the Princesses again. “We now know what to look for. His plans are now clear to us. Kalt’Vindur plans to escape, and we know how.” “How?” Everypony present spoke in unison. Celestia turned to Twilight. “Twilight, are you aware of Spike’s magical talents?” “Well, I know that he’s capable of sending and receiving messages with his fire.” Celestia nodded. “Yes, that’s true. However, I don’t believe that you’re aware of how special that is. As you’re aware, there are many different types of dragons. Many different species possess different types of magic. Most times, their type of magic is released through the magical glands in their throats. Many dragons breathe fire, although others can breathe things such as ice, water, steam, the list goes on. Now, Spike’s breath is a rather unique type. In order to possess the power Spike does, a dragon must be hatched through the use of magic. At a young age, this fire can be used to send small things from one point to another. Scrolls, small objects, etcetera. At Spike’s age, he had to create an anchor with me, so I am the only one he is able to send things to. However, once he grows up, he will be able to send much larger objects to just about anyone, just so long as he could picture them clearly in his mind’s eye. Judging by what you have told me, Spike is very large now... That means his abilities have increased, and he will have gained a new ability. It makes perfect sense, now... when Kalt’Vindur and Spike first met in this cave, he must have practically leapt with joy when he realized Spike’s talents.” Twilight spoke up, concern weighing heavily on her voice “Princess... what, exactly is Spike capable of?” “If Kalt’vindur manages to find a large enough smooth surface, Spike could use his breath to -” ************************************************* “I don’t think I understand.” “You don’t need to understand. For the moment, just sit there.” Spike obeyed, plopping himself on the ground before the dragon. Kalt’Vindur lowered himself to his level and spoke slowly, almost patronizingly. “Now then. I am going to use my magic to show you a image of a location. When you see it, I need you to concentrate hard. You have to focus, and remember every single little detail you see. Alright?” Spike nodded his head. “Good.” Reaching down with his massive claws, the great dragon grasped the younger’s head between them, linking their minds with a thought. It was then that he himself concentrated, thinking hard on the image he wished to share, forcing it into Spike’s mind as he quashed his own worries. It was dangerous, no doubt about it, but Kalt’Vindur couldn’t care less about the mental health of the younger dragon. No, his worries stemmed from time, or lack thereof. It was very easy to lose track of time when not in one’s own head, and they didn’t have much to waste. Closing his eyes, he concentrated even harder on the mental image. To his credit, Spike did his absolute best to memorize every inch of the scene before him. It was a rather difficult task, however, seeing as the image contained almost nothing but pure, drifting whiteness as far as he could see. Eventually, he picked out a small detail, a rock poking out of the ground. He focused on that small rock, on its position, how it fit into the scene. He focused to the best of his abilities, but after what seemed like minutes, he shot back to reality as Kalt’Vindur severed their minds, breaking the spell. “Mајкаtа! I can’t believe we wasted an entire hour in there. Come, Spike, stand up. It’s time. Do as I instructed earlier, we haven't a moment to lose.” Spike obediently turned, facing the great stone wall. Taking a deep breath, the young dragon summoned the image of that snowy wasteland in his mind.His eyes blazing with green fire, he let loose with every ounce of flame he could muster. As flame met stone, the emerald fire took root, as if the rock wall were centuries-dried wood. Growing, crawling, spreading outwards, the flame clawed its way across the surface. Spike felt a claw on his shoulder, and he knew it was time to stop. Cutting off the inferno, he stepped aside to make way for his master, who inspected the wall with a devilish grin. What had once been a solid stone wall was now a dancing, crackling sheet of flame. Then, it began to shift and twist, swirling and spiralling, a vortex in jade. As the vortex widened, the center of the whirling mass of flame expanded into an endlessly bubbling blur of colour and light, solidifying into a solid, shimmering image; a endless snowy landscape with a single rock. Kalt’Vindur threw back his head, letting out a burst of mad laughter. “YES! YES, YOU’VE DONE IT! Excellent work, boy, excellent! You have helped me greatly. I will always remember you for this, my... friend...” The great dragon paused, looking pensive for a moment, before grinning widely. “Yes, my friend. I’ve never had a real one before. I would ask you to accompany me home, but you would not be able to survive the climate. Only a true ice dragon can survive the temperatures of the White Wastes. In any event, I do believe that this is goodb-” Instantly, his head snapped around, eyes narrowing as he looked to the south, his smile turning to a scowl. “Majkata! I knew we’d taken too long. Spike... my friend, my boy, my madling, I require one last favour from you. There is a group of ponies approaching from the south. Find them and stop them... in whatever way you see fit.” As Spike turned to leave, he felt a colossal claw close on his shoulder one last time. “And Spike? One last thing.” His scowl was gone, the demented light in his eyes returning as that impossible grin spread back across his face. “Get mad. Get very, VERY mad.” The moment he released him, Spike shot away, blind fury crawling through his mind once more. ************************************************* “...I....I had no idea he was capable of that.” Twilight stood wide eyed, stunned as Celestia finished her explanation. “We haven’t a moment to lose. We must find him and stop him.” A quick glance at her friends told Twilight all she needed to know. “We’re with you, Princess.” Celestia nodded her head, smiling. Returning to the entrance of the cave, Celestia rapped out several quick orders to her guards, who immediately took to the skies. “I’ve ordered them to retrieve the nearest reserve squadron as fast as possible and return to us. We need all the help we can get.” Turning to Luna, the Sun Princess inclined her head. “We have but a few hours until sunrise, sister. If you would, can you please locate our friend? And our monster?” Nodding, Luna closed her eyes, and her horn began to glow with an ethereal light. As she concentrated, gravity seemed to lose its hold on her, and her mane began to drift about her head, wafting on an invisible breeze. Stretching herself to the sky, the glow spread to the rest of her, eventually disappearing to be replaced by shadow. As the ponies watched, she began to turn slightly transparent, and she sparkled as though filled with millions upon millions of stars. She stayed like that for several minutes before resuming a corporeal form, landing gently upon four hooves. She wavered slightly, off balance, before regaining her composure. “They are at a large rock face, due north of our position. If we head this way, we can’t possibly miss it.” Without a word, the ponies took off at a gallop towards the rock. As they made their way through the early morning light, the two Princesses hung back slightly. “Do you think we can do it, sister?” “Indeed I do... That student of yours is quite the pony.” “No... not student. Friend... and yes. Yes, she is.” A small smile spread across Luna’s face. “As sad as this whole sorry situation may be, I have to say. It feels good to help in a way that doesn’t involve endless meetings with stuffy bureaucrats.” Her sister giggled. “Indeed.” Luna moved herself closer to her sister, stretching her neck to speak directly into her ear. “Twilight is right. You need not apologize for kindness. And please, do not let this experience sour your soul. You have always been willing to give any creature a second chance. One poor experience shouldn’t affect that.” “As always, you show yourself far wiser than I pretend to be. Far more than you let on.” Luna smiled, returning her gaze to the path ahead. “We will stop him.” “What of Spike?” “I am one hundred percent confident that his friends can bring him back.” At this pronouncement, Celestia cocked an eyebrow in curious surprise. “You have always been optimistic, but this seems to be a bit more than simple optimism. How can you be so sure?” The midnight blue mare’s smile grew, winking mischievously at her sister.. “I am the night sky, I am the moon that floats in it and the stars that light its waters. Truth may try to hide in the darkness my beauty creates, but all things are revealed when I sing. For when I sing, I am not just using my voice, but the voices of all things in life that are afraid to bear their souls during the day. And truth can never hope to hide from life itself. “ Celestia nodded, choosing to press the issue no further. She knew that little excerpt rather well; it was taken from an excessively long, rather verbose love letter written to Luna over three thousands years ago. It was one of her favourite things to quote, referring to it when she didn’t feel like answering a question in a straightforward manner. Celestia chuckled. She was always so dramatic. “You still haven’t answered my question. What of Spike?” The smile faded from Luna’s face, the full meaning of her sister’s question sinking in. “...At the very least, we can return to him both his sanity and the love of his family. There’s not much beyond that we can do, and you know it. I’m sorry, sister.” Celestia nodded sadly. “That... is what I thought. Do you think Twilight knows?” “I would stake my my horn on it. We will deal with that situation when the time comes.” Celestia sighed. Luna was right, there was nothing that any creature could do for poor Spike. That... that monster had taken advantage of her kindness and hurt her friends. Before the sun set on this day, he would rue the day he was hatched. “‘And there, in the blackest pits of its own vile creation, the monster learned its final lesson: That she, The Eternal Radiance, has no pity for those who would toy with the love of her subjects.’” Luna glanced at her sister. “I thought you hated that story?” “And I still do... but I do believe that line is fitting.” The sisters paused for a long moment, silence heavy in the air as they ran. “Indeed.” And with that, the two sisters quickened their pace, joining the rest of the group. . ~TO BE CONTINUED~ A/N: Hey all. To begin, sorry it took so long to get you this chapter. I’ve been a bit distracted as of late. To begin with, I got knifed at work a few weeks back (Don’t worry, I’m just fine, and the guy with the knife is far worse off than I am. Sent the bastard my drycleaning bill to get his bloodstains out of my uniform. He can get right on that after they put his face back together.) That was a mite distracting, to be honest, and it was a little hard to concentrate on the story. Couple that with the fact that I spent approximately 5-6 hours a day caught up in an epic pony RPG campaign, and that’s a recipe for no story. Again, I’m sorry, and I’ll try to get the next chapter to you sooner. Thanks to all my readers for being fucking AWESOME, and still reading even after that bloody great delay. ~La Barata

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2012-04-13T05:48:45+00:00

2012-04-13T05:48:45+00:00

Irreplaceable Chapter 19: Combat The forest shook, powerful vibrations shaking the treetops, as the guttural sounds of a dragon’s song permeated the air.The singer, a colossal, dancing figure, bounced his way through the forest with a grace that belies his great size. The song itself, a somber tune, almost a dirge, was sung with all the glee and good humour that would come from a foal and its mother singing a nursery rhyme together. Fear the dragon of the white wastes! He’ll burn your village and laugh as your life is erased He’ll eat your hatchling and stomp on the old He’ll leave you dyeing in pain and the cold He is no dragon but a demon from some far land Before him, even the mightiest of us cannot stand Do not wish this monster upon another living thing For you know too well the horrors this creature will bring Fear the dragon of the white wastes! He’ll burn your village and laugh as your life is erased He’ll eat your hatchling and stomp on the old He’ll leave you dying in pain and the cold Pray to the lights that watch from the sky Pray that this monster someday will die Pray that this monster someday will die. Arriving at his destination, the dragon finished his song, composing himself as he stood before his salvation: the colossal portal. As he stared into its rippling, white depths, the great beast found himself laughing. Throwing back his massive head, he all but cackled with sheer joy, a low belly laugh rising to a giddy giggle of glee. He had done it. He’d finally done it. After over a thousand years, centuries of planning, toil and waiting, the solution to all his problems had literally dropped itself into his hoard. Finally, he composed himself and approached the swirling gateway. As he stretched a claw to the portal, he paused, looking back over his shoulder, the direction his young friend had taken wing. In a rare moment of introspection, he realized he’d grown quite fond of his madling companion. He was, he realized, honestly sad to see the young lad go. “Still….” He giggled a bit as his fond smile twisted into an unnatural, insane grin. “I do wish I could see how Celestia handles this... having to kill her pupil’s dearest friend....” Another gleeful cackle escaped his scaly jaws. “Alas, I’ve far more pressing concerns than her sorrow.” Turning his back to the portal, he drew himself up to his full height, before bending almost double in an elaborate, exaggerated bow. “Farewell, Equestria! I do thank you for playing host to me for so long... and do remember.... You are truly fortunate. You’ve no... *problems* that require my services.” With that, the great dragon turned and, with no further ceremony, stepped through. *************************** The party ran through the woods, dipping and dodging around low branches, tree trunks and rocks. This was it. Now was the time. C’est l’heure. One had to feel sorry for anything unwise enough to stand in their way. After the fifth time Twilight nearly stumbled on a rock in her path, the mare simply elected to use her magic as a bulldozer; the path behind her was littered with the shattered and splintered remains of trees and boulders. Single-minded determination entirely overtook the lavender mare; gradually increasing her speed, she began to break away from the group. She passed Pinkie, passed Fluttershy, passed Applejack, even passing both Celestia and Luna. So great was her drive, none could match her pace. Horn aglow with arcane power, she was a beacon of light and power, shining through the trees. As she sped up, pulling farther and farther away from her companions, all but the faint glow was lost to sight. They were running as fast as they could manage, straining themselves to move faster than most of them had ever run before. As fast as they were running, however, not a mare among them didn’t speed up as they watched the giant, dark shape plummet from the sky, the faint glow ahead winking out. Bursting from the forest into the newly created clearing, the group skidded to a halt in front of the one they’d come to save. As he switched his attention from the limp form of Twilight he held clutched in one massive claw, all present felt a shiver run down their spines at the expression of raw insanity etched upon his face. Casting Twilight aside, he spread his wings, hurling himself towards the assembled ponies, toothy maw spread wide in a deafening roar. Instantly, the alicorn princesses had positioned themselves between the dragon and its prey, horns aglow and wings spread as their bodies pulsed with magical energies. As they prepared to take flight, launching themselves at the crashing behemoth charging towards them, all three were taken off guard as a boulder collided with the side of Spike’s head, knocking him into a spin as he crashed through the trees. Flailing limbs and thrashing tail cut a swathe through the forest as he rolled, splintering and crushed wood scattering, before he finally came to a stop. For some time, he was entirely still. Massive legs quivered as it tried to raise itself once more, but he didn’t rise from the inevitable collapse. It didn’t move again. A glow attracting their attention, the group turned just in time to watch a large tree disintegrate into nothingness, the raw power of Twilight’s fury immolating it in a heartbeat as the mare made her way towards the fallen dragon. Surrounded by a scorchingly powerful aura, Twilight’s face resembled her fallen friend’s in all but species. The initial shock of her return quickly wearing off, her friends moved to rush to her aid, but were stopped by two pairs of wings unfurling before them. “No! We can’t approach her now. Their emotions are one. She shares his rage, and he hers. Confronting her would be a death sentence.” “Well, what the hay are we supposed to do?! We can’t just... well, we can’t just do nothing!” “We need to think, miss Pie. We need to calm them. Both of them. Unless we manage that, there’s nothing we can do, short of....” Celestia’s voice trailed off, her meaning very clear. The smaller ponies hesitated, pawing the earth in frustration; however, they nodded as one, and tried to think. How...? How could they help their friends? Twilight stood before the fallen beast, raw fury coursing through her veins. There was nothing anymore. No princesses, no forest, no friends. There was only the dragon. Tendrils of energy surged from her horn, enveloping Spike, and lifting him from the ground. In an instant, green eyes flicked open, meeting her own, and a torrent of emerald flame turned the ground to crackling glass in the spot where she’d stood moments before. Winking back into space, Twilight’s teleport deposited herself several hundred meters directly above her one time friend. Layers upon layers of magic wrapped themselves around her, shielding herself as strongly as she could, before plummeting towards the beast. The glowing purple streak that was Twilight plowed into Spike at devastating velocity, and a sickening crack echoed through the forest. The limp form of Twilight, struck by a spasming tail, was sent hurtling through the air, a second crack ringing out as she struck a rather large tree. Casting aside Luna’s restraining hoof, Celestia was at Twilight’s side in an instant, heedless of the warning her sister tried to give, . Gently lifting Twilight’s unmoving body, she cradled her precious little pony like a mother with her newborn foal, rocking her gently. Her horn lit up, a soft glow permeating both ponies as Twilight’s injuries began to heal, disappearing like sand washed from a smooth stone by the tide. As the glow faded, Twilight’s panicked friends surrounded the two, concern evident on their faces. Breathing a sigh of relief, Celestia gave them a tired smile. “She’s fine, now.... just fine... Hopefully, they’ve both-” She froze, as did the rest, as a massive shadow fell across them. Slowly raising their eyes, the group met those of Spike, concern momentarily replacing rage, but gone in an instant, blind fury retaking his face as a glowing aura once more blossomed around Twilight, the two combatants’ eyes locking once more. Twilight was awake, and she was ready for more. “YOU. WILL. NOT. TOUCH THEM!” With a flash, Twilight was gone again. As Celestia fired a blast of magic at Spike, a second blast caught her full in the side, sending her sprawling. “STAY OUT OF THIS!” Twilight shrieked in rage, firing another blast of raw power at her mentor, throwing her aside like a rag doll, turning her attention to the dragon just in time to set a shield between her and the gout of green flame he’d let loose. The shield around her momentarily contracting, Twilight sent it rocketing outwards, striking Spike bodily and causing him to stumble. Wasting no time, Twilight stomped her hooves, gesturing with her head and sending three pillars of stone rocketing from the forest floor, pummeling the dragon. As she prepared to strike again, she was forced to dive aside as the dragon’s massive tail struck the stone spires, shattering them like glass and showering the ponies with chunks of rock larger than they. Reflexively, Luna conjured a shield around herself and her subjects, the rocks bouncing harmlessly off and thudding to the ground. Turning to her sister, the goddess of the moon bore a grave expression, choosing her words carefully. “Celestia.... The stakes are becoming far too high. Now, not only is Twilight’s life at stake, her very sanity could be forfeit if we don’t end this soon... As well, the longer we delay, the greater the chance that Delicraw will escape.... we simply can’t take that chance. If we’re unable to calm them...” The pregnant pause left no doubt as to her train of thought. Her sister’s face fell as she realized the implications of the statement, as well as the only course of action left to her. With a heavy heart, Celestia rose to her hooves, horn aglow once more with ethereal fire, the energies flowing from the tip and pooling before her, mixing with those of her sister as the swirling energies crackled, mixing and pulsing, coalescing into a shimmering sphere of raw magical power. As the collected ponies watched, it was Pinkie Pie who finally broached the question. “....Princess.... what... what are you doing?” “We are preparing ourselves... Together, even in our weakened states, we... we are able to collect enough energy to... end this. Decisively.” Not one of them felt even slightly assured by her tone. “Pray tell, what, exactly, do you mean by ‘end this’?” Rarity spoke nervously, voice wavering slightly as she glanced between the alicorn sisters. Luna sighed heavily, taking it upon herself to answer the question. “...We have to kill Spike.” **************** Jade flame cascaded through the clearing, reducing all it touched to ash as its grasping tendrils reached for the lavender unicorn who always seemed to be just centimeters from its grasp. Arcane fire coursing through her veins, enhancing her strength, speed and reaction time a hundred fold, Twilight ducked, dodged and weaved in and around the blows sent her way, slipping past the furious dragon’s attacks to deliver magical strikes of her own. Preferring to pace herself as to avoid getting tired too soon, Twilight chose to avoid rather than deflect, only shielding herself or teleporting when she was faced with no alternative. Without a working knowledge of combat magic, Celestia’s apprentice was forced to utilize the skills she already had, twisting benign spells into destruction incarnate. Levitation magic hurled debris and knocked her opponent off balance whilst her basic knowledge of weather manipulation tore thunderbolts from the sky, scorching the air itself as they homed in on their target. Her manipulation of water and earth came into full use, striking from below with pillars of rock, lashing out with vines and creepers from the forest around them or spraying water into his eyes. Twilight Sparkle, the introverted bookworm who spent more hours in a day reading than she did asleep, studying magic for the betterment of ponykind, was now using every trick she knew to try her damndest to kill one of the most important creatures in her life. Quick movement, even quicker reflexes and a dragon’s trademark scales were the only things that had prevented her from triumphing long ago. Yet again slipping around a swing, Twilight leapt back, and the two found themselves face to face once more. A memory of a fight gone by echoing in the back of her head, Twilight lowered her head, charging towards Spike, horn pulsing menacingly as she angled her horn wickedly. Lunging, jaws wide, at the pony before him, Spike snapped, but a magically enhanced boost of speed kept Twilight just ahead of him fanged maw, and he found himself with a mouthful of dirt. Slipping under him, Twilight flicked her head, preparing to create additional pylons of stone to strike at his less protected underbelly. However, before she could complete the spell, her foe’s legs suddenly went slack, dropping his entire weight directly upon her. For a brief moment, everything stopped. There was dead silence in the clearing. Had he done it? Had Spike managed to kill the pony who could only be described as his big sister? Not one being present moved as much as an inch, waiting with baited breath, nopony daring to so much as move. Had he done it? It seemed as though even their hearts had stopped, the crash of the dragon’s weight echoing their final beats. *snap* There was a collective gasp as all looked to the source of the sound, only to see a purple blur and a streak of violet magic strike the dragon. Spike roared, clutching at the spot where he’d been hit. The first true injury of the fight had been dealt. With another flash, Twilight appeared a short distance away. Nothing could be read on her face, aside from raw, primal rage. Her magic boiled around her, drawing magic from Equestria itself as waves of power writhed chaotically around her. The battle was far from over, and once again, each engaged the other with barely a thought. **************** It took all the courage she could muster, but Applejack planted herself squarely between the goddesses and their target. “Now you just wait a goldarn minute! Spike here’s our friend, through thick and thin. He’s always stuck with us, an’ now when he needs our help, yer first thought’s ta kill him?! He may be a bit touched in the head righ’ now, but that ain’t gonna stop us! We’re gonna get bim back, ya hear? We can, an’ we will, y’all hear me!?” Celestia sighed, shaking her head as best she could without disrupting her spell. “Applejack, please... Don’t make this any harder than it already is. I assure you, I do NOT want to do this... I helped Twilight to care for him as he grew, helped her to raise him. He’s as much family to me as he is to you, but you must understand. There is no cure for his affliction. If we’re unable to calm him... Think of how dangerous he is now. He has a focus, a target. What will happen once Delicraw escapes? That voice in the back of his head, that little whisper keeping him in line will be entirely extinguished. We’re going to have a rogue dragon on our hooves, attacking anything and everything he finds. There’ll be no rhyme or reason, nopony pulling the strings from the shadows. Not only will he become a threat to Ponyville, but his very existence will threaten all of Equestria. We have no choice. No matter how we do it, we must stop him, here and now.” Applejack’s jaw went slack, her mouth agape as she processed this new information. She tried to think of something, anything to say, anything that could save the dragon who had become as a little brother not only to her, but to each and every one of them. She tried to think of something, anything to say, anything that could save him. There was nothing. The princesses were right. She hung her head in despair, tears of hopeless frustration squeezing out from the corners of her eyes. A gentle hoof on her shoulder caused her to raise her head, only to be met with a gentle smile. “Don’t worry.” Fluttershy hugged her distraught friend, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “They’re not ready yet. It’ll take time. We can still find a way.” A slow smile spread across the farmer’s face, quickly replaced by a scowl of determination. “Yer right, ‘Shy. We still got time, an’ we can’t waste any of it sittin’ here moping! Come on, y’all! We may not be brainy as Twilight, but there ain’t no way we can’t figure this out!” Newly inspired, the Elements of Harmony, whittled down from six to four, put their heads together. Not a power in the ‘verse could stop them from saving their friends. While Laughter, Honesty, Kindness and Generosity planned, not a hundred meters away, Magic continued her fight in earnest, giving her all as she attempted to kill her closest friend. Both dragon and pony fought with all their ability, pitting bestial fury against cunning intellect. Spike fought with tooth and claw, fire and instinct, forged into the perfect killing machine through millions of years of evolution, the savage blood of the ultimate predators flowing through his veins. Twilight, not to be outdone, fought with her magic and her mind. Powerful magic, honed through years of study and fuelled by near limitless potential exploded through the night, countering brute force with cunning intellect and clever creativity. Fire met magic as a shield would blossom, deflecting the torrents of wrath. Raw blasts of ethereal energy seared through the air, the great yet nimble beast dodging at the last second. As the battle raged on, seconds seemed to stretch to minutes, and minutes to hours. As they fought, the former friends became more and more in tune with their opponent; the first clumsy attacks, raw blasts of uncontrolled power and vicious, unfocused lunges and snaps falling away, calculation and cunning taking the place of blind rage as the two became more and more in tune with one another. Desperate, rabid conflict gave way to a certain amount of elegance and grace, the combatants entering into a deadly ballet of sorts. A mighty tail would lash out, streaking towards its target with devastating speed, only to smash harmlessly to the ground as the unicorn disappeared with a metallic sheen, only to reappear a safe distance away, a powerful magical attack prepared to counter. Deflecting the blast with its diamond-hard scales, the dragon lashed out with razor sharp claws. Twilight leapt back, countering with a magically thrown tree, which Spike batted aside without a second thought. Smashed and spinning, the once mighty oak tumbled end over end as it spiralled through the air, directly towards the assembled Elements of Harmony. Calling a warning, Applejack dove for cover, as did Rarity and Pinkie Pie... leaving a shellshocked Fluttershy directly in its path. Wings locked and knees quaking, Fluttershy stared, wide eyed and helpless, as the thousand pound tree bore down on her with a thunderous crash. ~TO BE CONTINUED~ A/N: Hey, all! First off, I have an announcement to make. I'm an absolute cunt. Take that however you will. I hope you take it as an apology, because that's what it's intended as. Due to a number of different things, I've been without a computer for about five months now. Add that to the fact that I've been an incredibly lazy sack of shit and several knife wounds and my new 12 hour a day work schedule, and that adds up to no new chapter of Irreplaceable for an inexcusably long time. First, I'd like to apologize. That giant mess I like to call a paragraph above this line sorta does that, so I'll let that be that for now. Second, I'd like to make it up to you. I've had an iPod Touch, which has been my only way to access the internet. Using that, I've written a couple shitty chapters of new fanfics I'm planning on working on after Irreplaceable (My real focus, Pinkie Pie swear) is finished. Anyone who wants a sneak peek of any of my next fics, just send me a message and ask. In addition to that, I WILL be releasing, as per many requests I've had, MULTIPLE ENDINGS, which will cover the entire spectrum, going from Oh for Celestia’s sake I just got diabeetus to so ridiculously grimdark it’d make Pinkie Pie turn emo and start cutting herself. Third, I would like to announce that I WILL release another chapter of Irreplaceable soon. I’ve already started it, and I just didn’t want any of you to wait any longer for this one. Thank you all so much for sticking with me, and I hope I live up to your expectations. If you've lost interest and think I should go die in a car fire, that's okay too. I both welcome and deserve your hate for how long I’ve made you all wait. Thank you all so much for sticking with me through all this. La Barata

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2012-06-30T06:59:32+00:00

2012-06-30T06:59:32+00:00

Irreplaceable Chapter 20% Cooler The combatants continued to battle it out, not even aware of the horrible repercussions of what had just happened, completely and totally oblivious to the absolute horror of their friends, who, not too far away, stared at the furrow the twisted chunk of timber hurled by their fight had created. The gash in the forest floor stretched at least a dozen meters... right through where the Element of Kindness had stood not moments before. As a whole, the group just stood and stared, utter shock and disbelief stamped across their features as they tried to comprehend exactly what they had just seen. Slowly, they approached the spot where their friend had been standing as the tree crashed to earth. Not a pony dared to speak, as if it would somehow make it real. As they stared, their attention was drawn by a rustling in some nearby bushes. Almost in a trance, the ponies turned to the bushes just in time to see two heads emerge, manes moderately disheveled and full of twigs, leaves and other detritus. The first was Fluttershy’s, wearing a similar shellshocked look to her friends. The second- “DASHIE!” In an instant, both ponies found themselves dragged from the bushes and hugged mightily by their overjoyed companions, Fluttershy emitting a series of rather adorable squeaks as she was tightly hugged by each of the companions in turn as Pinkie turned her attentions elsewhere “Hey guys, miss m- Oof! Come on, Pinkie, you’re gonna break something!” Rainbow Dash laughed, halfheartedly trying to pull free from the pink party pony’s pulverizing embrace. “I missed you, too...” Their brief but joyous reunion was interrupted by the arrival of another large chunk of debris, upon whose arrival they collectively decided it wiser to find some semblance of cover. Backing away from the fight, the group moved back into the forest, finding cover behind a rather large boulder. “Ah’m sure glad to see ya safe, ‘Shy... We thought we’d lost ya....” Quickly burying her tears of joy, Applejack quickly scrubbed at her eyes before continuing. “An’ it’s sure good ta see you, sugarcube.” She turned to Rainbow, giving her a quick hug and an affectionate nuzzle. “But... What’re ya doin’ here? Didn’t Zecora say ya’d be outta commission fer a while longer’n that?” Dash grinned, flexing her wings. “Come on, it’s gonna take more than one measly dragon to keep The Dash down!” She struck a heroic pose, before returning the nuzzle. “Zecora’s on her way, she’s got some sorta potion that’s keeping me going. It’s not permanent, though, and I need to keep taking it or I’m gonna be in a world of hurt. I’m taking a bit of a risk even being here, but there was no way I was gonna leave my friends hanging!” Turning to Fluttershy, she idly scratched at the back of her head, looking a bit sheepish. “Sorry I tackled you like that, Fluttershy.... I didn’t have a choice, I needed to ge- Oof!” Rainbow was suddenly cut off by a second hug, just as tight as the one Pinkie had given her, this one offered up by Fluttershy, of all ponies. “.....Thank you, Rainbow.... You... You’re always looking out for me...” She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting against the oncoming tears, only to find a hoof on her chin, tilting it up to meet her savior’s smiling face. “You’re one of my best friends, Fluttershy. I’ll ALWAYS be there for you. Just like you’re always there for me whenever I need you.” They stayed like that for a moment, just looking at one another, before being joined by their other friends in a large group hug. However, not one of them failed to notice what was missing from their hug. “So..... Anypony wanna explain to me why Twilight’s trying to kill Spike?” ******************** Spikes wing cut through the air, absentmindedly knocking away another of Twilights attacks. Proving to be nothing more than a distraction Spike was knocked back as he was hit hard in his exposed stomach. Recovering quick spike was back on his hind legs, facing his small purple opponent. It seemed as though both had the same thought on their mind. That this battle had gone on long enough and it was time to end it. Mustering all the power he could Spike let loose a surge of green flame unlike any flame he had ever breathed before in his life. The heat alone from this flame was enough to turn plant life within distance to ash and make the rocks glow a intense light. Acting quick Twilight summoned forth every ounce of magic she could draw from herself and released it through her horn. She used no attack or spell, merely the sheer raw power of pure magic. The untamed magic caused strange things to happen, rocks sprouted legs and walked away, plant life erupted from from the ground and explode leaving behind a shower of petals. Trees began to grow taller and the very air around the power seemed to warp as the raw magic affected it. The two powers, fire and magic, met together in a powerful explosion of the most basic elements of the equestrian world. The epicenter of the blast was a constant loop of life and death as Twilight’s magic created at random and Spike fire destroyed without prejudice. This was the moment their entire battle had been leading up to. ******************** “....So that’s the story....” Rarity trailed off as she finished filling Rainbow Dash in on everything she’d missed. Rainbow, on her part, simply sat and listened, lost in deep thought as she mulled over everything her friends had told her. “We gotta find some way ta calm ‘em both down, or...” “Or there won’t be a Spike to calm down...” Rainbow sighed. “.......Hm.” She paused, tilting her head slightly as an idea entered her head. “......We need to make them remember how much they love each other, how much we love them... And what the real problem here is.... I... I think....” She grinned a bit, letting out a bit of a chuckle. “....I wonder....” She looked to the rest of her friends, a slow smile spreading across her face. “...When I was bedridden in Zecora’s hut I had a lot of time to think. Mostly it was about all of us and how my life has changed since we all met. But I also though a lot about Spike, all the pranks we pulled together... how he always seemed to break the tension just in a nick of time.” the blue make chuckles and shakes her head “that dargon... hes a pretty cool kid.” Dash took in her friends one at a time. She knew what needed to be done because she had spent a long time thinking. Mostly about what she would say to Spike when she saw him again. “When was the last time we all spent time together? The last time we all sat down with one another and truly enjoyed one another’s company, as best friends?” They were quiet, each sitting there as they pondered Dash’s question. Several seconds passed before Fluttershy raised her head and began to sing softly. “At the gala, in the garden, I'm going to see them all; All the creatures, I'll befriend them at the gala... All the birdies and the critters, they will love me, big and small; We'll become good friends forever, right here at the Gala....” Eyes lighting up in recognition and realization, each took it in turn to raise their voices in song, joining together as friends, each taking it in turn to place their hoof in the center, a physical symbol of their connection. Fluttershy’s gentle voice, even bolstered as it was by her desperate need to save her friends, failed to carry over the sounds of conflict, but that didn’t stop her from continuing to sing with all her heart, even as the battle raged before them. The two participants continued their fight, entirely oblivious to their friends’ attempts to reach them. Blazing magic and scorching flame had entirely decimated the clearing, and the pure heat from their fight was radiating outward, so much so that those watching could feel the heat on their faces, almost as if they were sitting within inches of a roaring campfire. Twilight was an absolute mess, sweating profusely, mane simultaneously matted to her head and dry as dead grass, the moisture soaking her head and body evaporating as fast as it appeared. Her sweat, as it seemed, was the only thing that prevented the unicorn’s mane and tail, shortly followed by her coat, burst into flame. Even though she was more than capable of creating a shield to stave off the heat, she had absolutely no intention of wasting even a drop of power on anything other than the utter destruction of her foe. “At the gala, I will sell them all my appletastic treats! Hungry ponies, they will buy them: Caramel apples, apple sweets! And I’ll earn a lot of money for the Apple family!” Applejack’s hoof joined Fluttershy’s as Rarity lifted her head and began to sing, followed by Rainbow and Pinkie Pie. Applejack’s tune carried much better than Fluttershy’s had, her strong, clear voice and her wistful song managing to permeate the din of battle and reach her friends’ ears. To almost anypony watching, there would have been absolutely no discernible difference whatsoever, but to the two princesses, there was far more going on than met the eye. The battle still continued, there was no doubt about that, but the unique magical fluctuations they felt told a different story. The heat, too, had receded for just that moment, not long enough for most ponies to notice it, but it was confirmation enough for them. With a look of confirmation to one another, silent consent as to what it was they had felt, slow smiles began to spread across their faces. Concentrating harder, they began to unravel the spell they were forming, and began to channel the power into a new spell, a spell they immediately cast on the other ponies in their group: an amplification spell, allowing their voices to be heard over the clamour. “At the gala, all the royals, they will meet fair Rarity! They will see I’m just as regal at the gala! I will find him, my prince charming, and how gallant he will be! And he’ll treat me like a lady, Tonight at the Gala!” The heat in the air decreased dramatically, both the intensity of Twilight’s magical power and Spike’s dragon flame seeming to flicker and fade somewhat. However, even though their power had started to fade, neither of the combatants seemed to take any notice. As they continued to fight, they slowly got closer to one another, each raining blows and blasts upon the other from a closer distance than ever before. As they got closer and closer, Twilight’s mane burst into flame from the heat in the air, and Spike’s body began to bend and warp from the exposure to the raw magical power. “Been dreaming, I’ve been waiting, to fly with those great ponies! The Wonderbolts, their daring tricks: Spinning ‘round and having kicks! Perform for crowds of thousands, they’ll shower us with diamonds! The Wonderbolts will see me, right here at the gala!” Mere feet apart, they continued to fight, but almost halfheartedly. Blows lacked heart, and magical attacks would barely sting. Nevertheless, the heat in the clearing had become so great that Twilight’s coat, mane and tail had burst into flame, scorching her body and leaving her covered in third degree burns. Spike, in comparison, had already suffered a horrific break in his left wing, the bone folding almost double, and the spines along his back had been bent into ludicrous shapes. Slowly but surely, the flames and magic began to die down. “I’m here at the Grand Gala, for it is the best party, but the only thing it’s missing is a pony named Pinkie! For I am the best at parties, all the ponies will agree; Ponies playing, ponies dancing, with me at the Grand Gala!” Finally, the magic dissipated and the flames winked out; Twilight and Spike had entirely stopped their fight. Casting her gaze brokenly between her friends and Spike, she slowly began to sing, hoarsely and nearly in tears. “W-we will talk all about magic, and what I’ve l-learned and seen.... It is going to be s-so s-special, as she t-takes time just for me.....” As she finished, she looked up towards him, small, violet eyes meeting giant green ones. Gently raising a hoof, she extended it towards her oldest and dearest friend, who met it with a gentle claw, massive scaly fingers completely engulfing the hoof as he held it with utmost care as pony and dragon truly saw each other for the first time in far too long. “...We... we all had such plans for that night... We each knew exactly what we wanted.... but we didn’t know what we needed. We needed each other, our friends... You were the only one who didn’t lose sight of that... and it couldn’t have been our Best Night Ever without you....” She gently brought the massive claw closer to her face, giving it an affectionate nuzzle. “We let our own desires get in the way of what was really important... and we all but forgot about you that night... until you fixed it for us... Just like I almost forgot about you when Owlysius came.... I... I’m sorry... I’m so sorry...” Taking the clawed hand in both legs, she hugged it tightly as she could manage. Spike sat, extending a second massive hand and gently scooping up his friend, lifting her to his chest and gently cradling her in his arms like a newborn foal. and gently cradled her in his large arms. He looked down at her, the first pony he ever knew, the first he ever loved. The most important pony in his life. He simply sat, hunched in the clearing, and stared, watching his beloved Twilight cry, tears of his own soon forming, falling to the ground with the bubbling hiss of boiling water. He remembered that night. He remembered their excitement, their glee... He remembered how happy they had been to get the tickets, and the sacrifice Twilight had been willing to make in order to be the best friend possible. He remembered the carriage ride, the anticipation in the air almost palpable. The song... He remembered the song, the song his friends had sung, each of them pouring out their hearts to the world, sharing their hopes and dreams. Even though he had been a little upset that yes, they had forgotten him, but in the end, they came back. They came back, and together in that little donut shop, they had created one of his most cherished memories. Sitting together, eating donuts and laughing with beloved friends. A sad smile spread across his colossal face. Such a simple thing, a few hours spent together, such a small memory... and yet, it outshone most every other moment in his mind. As he sat with his Twilight, he remembered. He focused on that memory, that time of raw joy and love, of laughter and camaraderie. Slowly, the tortuous influence in the back of his mind began to shrivel and fade, love and laughter outshining hatred and wrath. Slowly, his head began to truly clear for the first time in a long, long time. No longer was he the twisted monster forged only for combat... He was- “Spike!” Almost against his will, he tore his eyes from his Twilight, turning his head to address the cyan pegasus floating mere inches from his head. Rainbow Dash... Spike was never one for boasting, really, always feeling that it worked against what the pony was trying to achieve, making them look needy and attention starved as opposed to as cool as they insisted they were... But Rainbow Dash was different. Sure, she talked big, and sure, she was full of herself... But she could back it up. And yes... He always felt that she really was maybe as awesome as she styled herself to be. They stared at one another, pegasus and dragon, for a long moment. Dash wore a grim expression, looking as though she was fully prepared to buck him in the face. All at once, though, her expression softened, and she hugged his snout. “Thank you, Spike.” His Rainbow hugging his snout, and his Twilight in his arms, he was almost beyond reaching when he felt a pressure against his foot. Looking down, he discovered that Pinkie Pie, his Pinkie Pie, had climbed onto the scaly foot and wrapped her forelegs as far, no, farther around his ankle than physically possible. “Thanks, Spike...” He looked down at her now, the pink bundle of energy hugging him the stillest he’d ever seen her. Normally, the party pony was always thinking about a thousand things at once, but now... Now, her thoughts were focused on the same thing that her friends’ were. He couldn’t help but let out a rueful chuckle, remembering his first encounter with his Pinkie. It was back when they had first arrived in Ponyville; the first pony they’d seen, he had encouraged Twilight to go and talk with her. Of course, she ended up gasping as if she’d seen a ghost and running off slightly faster than the eye could follow, but it was the thought that counted. She had run off to prepare their welcoming party. He smiled fondly down at her, remembering all the joy and laughter that she had shared with him over the time he’d known her. So enraptured was he with the ponies that he almost missed the gentle hooves on his neck and the soft voice in his ear. “Thank you...” In the corner of his eye, he could see his Fluttershy snuggled into his neck as best she could manage. That pony... Always so quiet, so reserved... But the two had always had a special connection. When he and Twilight first met her, she was so quiet, so afraid... But just the sight of Spike had managed to draw her out of her shell. He smiled a little wider, blinking away a boiling tear lest it scald one of them. Now that he thought about it... She truly was the first one (aside from Twilight, of course) to take a true interest in his life. He’d spent close to an hour that day, telling her his life story as she followed behind, listening attentively. Always so kind.... It WAS her element, after all... Much more firm than his Fluttershy’s gentle embrace, he looked down to see his Applejack, who had taken a perch similar to his Pinkie’s, hugging his opposite leg. “It’s darn good ta see ya again, sugarcube... The REAL you...” Spike closed his eyes, fond memories of their first meeting again washing over him. It wasn’t just her he’d met, he chuckled to himself a little, it had been her entire extended family. So many ponies... and so much food. He could still remember just how much pie Twilight had eaten. Her warm hospitality, her genuine joy upon meeting her new friends... he’d never be able to forget her, even if he’d tried. As a sixth pair of forelegs embraced him, the breath caught in his throat. Looking up at him, hugging his midriff as best she was able, was the most beautiful pony he had ever known. He’d thought that from the moment he saw her, really; He’d been absolutely enamoured with her from the moment he’d walked into town hall that day and seen her, busily at work selecting the perfect decorations for the Summer Sun Celebration. Even beneath her beauty, though, was a reason for him to love her as deeply as he did. Under the veneer of perfection lay a heart just as generous as loving as any he had ever encountered. From the moment she had met them, she had been a wonderful friend and a sweet, caring pony. The very first thing she had done upon meeting them was set aside her work and help Twilight to fix her mane, so recently ruined by Rainbow Dash’s antics. Not only that, she had insisted on helping fit her for a new outfit. Over time, Spike realized, he had done his best to win her heart, but he hadn’t done the most important thing he could’ve... He hadn’t really been himself. All thoughts of his failings, or of most anything else, really, were immediately washed away as his Rarity spoke. “Thank you... my Spikey Wikey...” She leaned into him, resting her head against his bulk. And so they sat, the seven friends, reunited at last. Spike sat there, his ponies hugging him as best they could, and he paused a moment, realization playing across his features. His ponies... He had been calling them his ponies... And they were. They were his ponies. A dragon’s natural instinct is to surround himself with treasure, and, as it turned out, that’s exactly what he’d done. He had them, now... His wonderful ponies. His wonderful, kind, honest, loyal, fun, generous, magical ponies... they were with him once again. He held them all close to him, never wanting to let them go... but, as he sat there, a thought crossed his consciousness. His ponies... HIS ponies. The great white dragon had thought to harm HIS PONIES. How dare he. HOW DARE HE! A kernel of white hot rage began to brew once more, deep in his belly, but this time... This time it was focused on the one who deserved it. The one who had DARED to wish harm upon his ponies, who had led him to try and harm them. As he gently placed his Twilight down, delicately removing his Rainbow Dash, his Fluttershy, his Applejack, his Rarity and his Pinkie Pie, rage threatened to engulf him once more. Throwing back his head once more, he let loose a colossal roar, accompanied by a burst of flame. May Tartarus have mercy on he who threatened his ponies... For he would have none. ************************************* Hundreds of thousands of miles away, the ancient, towering dragon once again found himself in his homeland, snow crunching beneath his claws as he strode forth from the great portal. To once more feel the snow underclaw, to feel that crisp, clean air as it blew over his scales... The true exhilaration of it! He grinned, his smile spreading wide, his mouth opening slightly in a low chuckle that grew to a loud, insane cackle as he spread his wings and arms wide, throwing back his head to the frozen heavens. He was home. After so long he was free. He was home, and he was free. He could start over, now. He could begin again where he left off. Realistically, he knew that there were places he would need to start over, and there were contacts to make, cities to learn, all sorts of changes.... It didn’t matter, though. He was back. Nothing could stop him this time... Nothing. He stood in the snow, shivering, as he looked upon his frozen paradise. He shifted from foot to foot as he plotted, an unconscious attempt to keep warm. “By Tartarus is it cold here... I haven’t felt this cold since-” He froze, eyes widening in horror. He didn’t just feel the cold... he was cold. COLD cold. Cold like he had been back in the land of ponies, huddled by a fire in a meager attempt to stave off winter’s chill. He was a beast of ice, capable of withstanding near absolute zero with no discomfort, but yet... Shaking his head in fury, he retreated through the portal. As he bathed himself in his flame in an attempt to warm himself once more, he ruminated on what was going on. He looked at himself once more. The massive size, the brilliant, snow-white plates. Was he not the beast of the northlands? Was he not- Another realization caused him to freeze in place. Fire. He was breathing fire. “No... No, no no... This isn’t right... Why can’t I-” With a start, he jerked his head upright, looking out towards the forest. Although he could not hear the roar rip through the trees, nor could he see the column of flame that accompanied it, he once more felt an icy grip wrap around his heart. This time, though, it was not the doing of the northland snows... It was fear. All at once, he had felt the mental chains connecting him to the young madling’s mind shatter like glass, severing their connection. This, however, was not what struck terror into the conqueror’s very soul. Over the years, he had controlled hundreds, if not thousands of madlings. He had felt their rage and hatred, and he had revelled in it. This time, however... It was different. He had felt a rage so raw and so pure that it dwarfed the combined fury of a thousand mindless beasts... A rage directed solely towards him. ~TO BE CONTINUED~ Author’s Note: In regards to the title: I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I HAD TO.

La Barata

251

Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Irreplaceable

When Spike, alone and feeling rejected, meets another dragon, how far will he go for revenge?

incomplete

<p>An alternate take on the ending of Episode 24: Owl's Well that Ends Well</p><p>Driven away from home by jealousy and loneliness, Spike finds himself in the cave of a rather large dragon. However, instead of attacking, the great beast takes him under his wing, teaching him to become a proper, vicious dragon, filling the emptiness left by his friends with rage. But, when Spike's small size and immaturity take him to the brink of frustration, the magical alternative his new &quot;friend&quot; proposes could change the course of his life forever.</p>

everyone

2013-09-29T23:56:29+00:00

2013-09-30T00:04:30+00:00

Chapter 21: The Everfree Forest is, as far as most researchers (read: those who had the good sense to leave before being eaten) can tell, thousands of years old. While it had not become as hostile as its current reputation would have one believe until after the destruction of the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, it would be wrong to say that the forest had ever before seen or been subject to destructive force of this magnitude. Indeed, a hundred tons of teeth, claws and scales tend to do quite a lot of damage when fuelled by a rage not seen in Equestria since the banishment of Nightmare Moon, not to mention the raw destructive power wielded by one phenomenally pissed off purple unicorn. Together they ran, Twilight keeping pace with Spike as they crashed through the forest, ancient and massive trees shattering like toothpicks beneath claw and spell, acres of old growth forest being reduced to sawdust for daring to impede their progress. Spike’s eyes narrowed, baring his teeth, a snarling scowl once more spreading across his face, but the redness that had once encompassed his vision did not appear. His mind was clear, clearer than it had been in a long, long time. For the first time in far too long, the fury that coursed through him was his own. Delicraw… You made me a monster. You made me hate my friends, harm them! You took advantage of me in my weakest hour, but now? Now, the monster you’ve created is coming for you. I don’t care how far you go, or how fast you run, but I will find you… Tucking his broken wing closer to his side, he roared, sending a gout of flames before him, extending his path by instantly cremating a stand of trees and leaving deep, clawed prints in the ash that now coated the loamy forest floor. Running alongside him, Twilight couldn’t help but notice the movement. Her eyes flitting to his wing momentarily, she squeezed them shut, shaking her head. Oh, Spike… I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. But I will make it up to you, just as soon as we deal with that… that THING that did this to you. I’m gonna smother you with so much love and attention you’re going to try and run away all over again just to get away from it! I’m sorry… For all of this, for your wing, for every time I got mad at you for something stupid, or didn’t appreciate everything you did for me… It’ll be different this time. I promise. While Twilight and Spike charged forward, the rest of their little group hung back a ways, due in part to both the sheer speed at which the two had charged ahead and the ferocity with which they cleared their path. Exchanging glances, the party continued in silence, conserving their energy for the confrontation to come. Applejack snorted, eyes narrowing as she kept stride. Ah swear on mah entire orchard, Ah’m gonna buck a hole straight through you, ya big scaly thug! Yer gonna be sorry fer this, Ah can promise ya that. Ya picked on the wrong dragon this time. Yer gonna be so sore once Ah’m through with ya we ain’t even gonna need the princesses! Heeding a call from Rainbow Dash overhead, she and the rest of the grounded ponies moved to the right, skirting around the burned hulk of a massive tree, waving a quick thanks. Banking slightly, Rainbow moved out alongside the group, getting a better view of the path of destruction ahead. Moving back overhead, she called down the position of another obstacle, a boulder roughly the size of a house that Twilight had smashed to bits and left strewn about. Despite the dire situation, she couldn’t help but grin a little. I hope you’re ready for this, buddy, because the one and only Rainbow Dash is on her way! Dude, you are in for a WORLD of hurt. You had better hope Zecora runs out of this potion stuff before I get there, because I’m gonna hit you with a rainboom so hard they’re gonna be picking chunks of you outta their manes all the way in Marelin! She was snapped out of her thoughts by a twinge of pain in her wing. With a hiss, she gave it a few experimental flaps before easing herself down towards her friends. Bringing herself alongside Zecora, she waved, catching her attention. Nodding to her pegasus friend, the herbalist stuck her muzzle in her saddlebag, fishing about until she found the bottle she was looking for. With a flick of her head, she tossed it, Rainbow catching it in midair and downing it in one gulp, grimacing at the taste. As she returned to the sky, Zecora shook her head sadly. Oh, dear little one, just what has he done, forging a monster from one so young? That thing filled your mind with an unending hate, creating a bloodlust which nothing can sate. She blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to blink away the tears that were threatening to form. She’d always been fond of the young drake. The two had formed an unlikely friendship after he’d turned up on her doorstep one day, asking her to teach him about potion brewing and herbalism so he could be more helpful to Twilight during her experiments. The two had spent a good many hours together, laughing and talking over tea and stories. We’ll fix you, my young friend, his evil we’ll end, this night we’ll see victory, and all our strength lend. I am not very strong, though I’m willing to fight, but with us all together, we will win this night! Her confidence bolstered, she shook the last of her former despair away. Securing herself with her newfound resolve, she concentrated on the path ahead. Soon we’ll drink tea, you’ll fill my hut with mirth as I tell you the tales from the land of my birth. Nodding to herself once more, Zecora began to pull forward, only for a spot of pink in her peripheral vision to catch her eye. Looking over, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness at what she saw. Pinkie Pie, normally a bright, vivacious and irrepressible party pony, was quite simply… Not herself. Her heart went out to the poor mare. She was completely out of her element, and it was hurting her deeply. Adjusting her course, Zecora made her way over, giving her an affectionate nuzzle. “Don’t despair, my bouncy friend. Together, his heart we can mend.” Pinkie smiled, returning the nuzzle. “Thank you, Zecora… I really mean it.” Though she was still far more subdued than her normal self, a bit of light had returned to her chest. Giving her a Perfectly Poweriffic Pinkie Pie Smile, she turned her attention back towards the ground. It really doesn’t matter how sad I am sometimes, does it? In the end, it always turns out the same for me.My friends will always be there to make me smile again. She sighed a little, the smile leaving her face again. She knew what she was feeling, and she didn’t like it very much. It was a rare emotion for her, but one she knew all too well. Pinkie was afraid. This wasn’t like anything they’d faced before. They couldn’t laugh this away. There was no super evilly evil bad magic that they could blast with the Elements here. This was something bad, badder than anything they’d ever seen. But the worst part? It thought it was right. How could they fight something that big and that mean? Pausing and blinking a moment, Pinkie giggled. How indeed! We’ll fight it the same way we always, do, silly! Together! With a giggle, she bounced a little on her hooves, smiling at Rarity. “Ooh, Rarity! Hey, hey Rarity! Did you hear what Fluttershy did for her sick bird?” Raising an eyebrow, Rarity looked to her friend. “Darling, is this really the time?” “ She gave him tweetment!” Despite herself, Rarity couldn’t help but giggle. “Oh, Pinkie… Never change.” Watching as her friend moved away, she sighed to herself. So much had happened over these past weeks, more than she’d thought possible. And poor little Spikey Wikey… Oh, what has that monster done to you? I knew you’d grow up someday, but I’d hoped for a handsome, strong, sweet young dragon, not this… thing it’s turned you into… But don’t you worry, Spike. We’ll have you back to your old self soon. I know it! She was knocked from her thoughts by a bump on her flank. Looking back, she found herself face to face- Well, face to mane, really- with Fluttershy. A sudden upswell of pity filled her. The poor dear… Dropping back a little, Rarity gave her an affectionate nuzzle and a smile. Fluttershy, in turn, had barely noticed the impact, so involved was she in her own thoughts. Entirely in turmoil, she found herself startled by the muzzle’s sudden intrusion under her protective curtain of mane, and slowed to a trot. Peering out, she found herself met by a reassuring smile, and she felt her heartbeat begin to return to normal as Rarity slowed with her. “Deep breaths, darling. Deeeep breaths.” Doing as instructed, she began to slow her breathing. “There we are.” Rarity smiled. “Now… I know you’re scared. I am, too, but… I know I’d never be able to live with myself if I didn’t do everything I could to help. Now… Come on. Let’s go catch that ruffian, hm?” Not trusting herself to speak, Fluttershy merely nodded. “That’s my girl. Come now, time’s a-wasting.” Together, the two of them picked up speed, rejoining the pack. As the two rejoined their friends, the princesses shared a significant glance. There was no need for words there, and each could tell that the other was sharing the same thoughts. Everything was supposed to be ok now. They were the goddesses of the sun and the moon; as far as their ponies were concerned, there was nothing to fear anymore. They were expected to do the proverbial heavy lifting, and each and every one of their little ponies were counting on them. It had been different, the last time they had fought. It had taken nothing less than an army and a stroke of bad luck for him to be captured the last time he had risen, and this time he was thoroughly prepared. They nodded to one another. They were both brave, noble and selfless, embodying power greater than most any other. They had won before, and their enemy was weakened this time around. However, as the sisters looked to one another, they were sharing a single thought. Please… Please, let us be able to do this… ********************** Delicraw paced the cave, deep in thought. He had accounted for every action, every variable. How could this have happened? Shuddering slightly, he tried to shake the feeling that the madling’s spike of white hot rage had given him. How could this have happened?! He was the grand chessmaster, every piece for a thousand years moving precisely as he had planned! Still, they were coming, and he had very little time to spend. Moving towards the cave entrance, he looked outside in an attempt to gauge how much time he had left. In that moment, Delicraw, Kalt’Vindur, The Frozen Claw of the White Wastes, all-powerful magus, conqueror, killer and unstoppable fiend of legend, found himself in a rather unique position. As the Lord and Master of the Frozen North watched a hundred tons of pure flaming, scaly wrath fly towards him like the end of days come early, he found himself at a loss for words. Finally, just before impact, he found one. ”....Oh.” ~TO BE CONTINUED~

Godot-17

253

Crossover,Dark

My Little Terminator

incomplete

<p>While Applejack and her friends are enjoying their present day, their fun is quickly dissipated by a killing machine, an equine-shaped cyborg, the Terminator. The Terminator is on a mission through time to kill two major enemies in the movement of the machines versus the ponies: Applejack and Princess Celestia. Only through their deaths can The Pony-Chan, a conscious, mastermind computer system, once a simple defense network for the technologically advanced Nation of Mexicolt, succeed in ridding the earth of the life forms it accidentally perceived as a threat. Now, it’s up to Applejack and her friends to survive the Terminator’s chase and A LOT of $%@* that will be blown up.</p>

everyone

2011-07-18T11:52:48+00:00

My Little Terminator, Chapter 1 >Time Travel Complete… >Loading Program… >Objectives: Kill Terrestrial Equine Applejack Kill Princess Celestia Applejack: --No last Name In Database --No Personal Information Available >- Princess Celestia: --Ruler of Equestria, 0001 A.A.S. to 1000 Anno Solaris, Co-Ruler 1000 A.S. to 1132 A.S. >Mission Mode: Stealth/Brute Force Balance #Initiate >Ponyville, Equestria Customs and Ethics Database Loading… >Equine Psychology Database Loading… >Equine Physiology and Anatomy Database Loading… As the smoke cleared, Rarity was only gravely astounded by the source of what caused an explosion in her home: A large, muscular, white horse stood in her sight, slightly crouched as if it was struggling to stand.  The white horse was where the very entrance of Rarity’s boutique used to stand, but it was now crumbled to dusts. “Who is this?!” she shouted in panic, “What are you doing?!” >Under Interaction(%0) >Risk Factor Exists; Kill %0 >WARNING: Large Database(s) Loading From ROM, Movement Currently Not CPU Priority >Analyze %0 –PHYS … >%0 : Magic Equipped Equine; Weak Body Physique; Col— ^Q >--OverloadCPU *Kill %0 The horse moved a leg… another… and started walking towards Rarity.  Rarity became paralyzed in sheer fear. “Wha—ghh—GET AWAY FROM ME!!” “Sis! What’s going on!” Rarity noticed Sweetie Belle call out to her.  Immediately, Sweetie Belle was shocked at the monster going after her sister. “RUN, SWEETIE BELLE!” >Analyze -Surroundings +WEAP … >Ivory; 6 in, Child Scissors, Kitchen Knife >> WEP0 >SurClosest(WEP0) >WEP0[0]: Ivory, at >Obtain WEP0[0] Rarity watched, flinched on the floor, as her attacker approached the piece of Ivory set on her table and grabbed it by altering the shape of its hoof.  It effortlessly walked on three legs towards Rarity as she desperately tried to fight her paralysis and crawl away. “W-who are you?  W-what are you going to do to me?” >Interaction(%0) >> IntprtStream >Enable SpkStream “I am a Terminator.  You are a threat and must be terminated,” it replied, its voice deep, monotone, and cold. Rarity could not see the ivory the Terminator held stab her as fast as lightning.  Her intense pain originated from her lower abdomen and there she saw the ivory stuck in deeply. “AAAAAHHHHHH!!!” The intensity… the blood… the Terminator.  In a second, her consciousness drifted away. >Caution: CPU Temperature Approaching 300°C >Slow Movement ... >Analyze %0 ... >TERMINATED The Terminator let go of the ivory, allowing peace to Rarity’s body. >Notice: Clothing Articles Required. Abdomen Not Bio-camouflaged. The Terminator looked around, finding that he was surrounded by many kinds of clothing.  It determined most of them to be inappropriate for his use.  After a few seconds, its eyes set on a black leather jacket and a white t-shirt, both hung among other colt-wear, which appeared to actually fit it correctly. It approached the jacket and the t-shirt, bit them, and pulled them away from their hangers. Then, it walked away from the disaster zone: A half crumbled Carousel Boutique adorned with some blue embers on the floor and topped with Rarity’s lifeless body within it all in the very middle of a cruel, cloudy night. >Database(s) Loading Complete >Normalize Movement ** ** ** The next day, the citizens of Ponyville ignited into a panic.  Confusion and fear plagued the poor equines.  An attack like this had never happened during the lifetimes of anypony alive today. Arson… theft… … and attempted murder. Never did the doctors of the Ponyville Hospital imagine they’d ever have to deal with an emergency that didn’t involve simple sickness.  A wound specialist from Canterlot had to be called in while doctors desperately tried to keep Rarity alive. The hospital, as a result of lack of emergencies, wasn’t very large. A couple of floors, natural remedies, and a cheerful atmosphere was usually more than enough to get patients back on their hooves. In the waiting room, there was no cheerful atmosphere, just five anxious teen-aged ponies and three school-fillies on the threshold of tears. There was Twilight Sparkle, the intelligent, violet pony, Rainbow Dash, the iris-mane, sky-blue Pegasus, Fluttershy, a cream-yellow Pegasus in love with the land and land animals, Pinkie Pie, usually cheerful and happy, but  now caught in the anxiety, and Applejack, an important worker for the Sweet Apple Acres farm. The school-aged fillies with them were Apple Bloom, Applejack’s little sister, Sweetie Belle, Rarity’s little sister, and Scootaloo, who with the other two formed their alleged group, the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “So… all of you are relatives of Miss Rarity?” A doctor approached the group. “We are her friends,” replied Twilight, “But this girl here is her younger sister.” She pointed her head down towards Sweetie Belle. “Very well.  Miss Rarity is still in critical condition, but the wound specialist is expecting her to survive now.” Everyone released a great deal of tension at the news.  By the way the doctors had described Rarity’s condition, they had doubt of Rarity’s survival cross their minds. Hearing this allowed some to sigh and shed a tear of hope or two. Not soon afterwards… “Alrighty! No time to lose!” interrupted an unknown coarse voice. Upon attention, a Pegasus that appeared to be dressed as law enforcement had entered the area of the waiting room. “Where’s a Ms. Sweetie Belle here?” “Officer,” replied the doctor, “The sister of the patient is this little one.” “Well… where are the parents? How’s she in here without her parents?!” Sweetie Belle tried to reply. “Well, you see-“ “ARGH! We have no time to waste! You teen girls, you with her?” The doctor began his retreat, strongly disliking the noise pollution emanating from the officer. “Well, yeah,” replied Applejack, “We’re the friends of ‘er big sis.” “Good, I need two of you to escort her to the Emergency Investigation Camp we set up next to the crime scene.  Only her. Got it? No waste of time necessary. Tell ‘em Officer Gary sent you.” Quickly, Gary trotted away and out. “What was with that cop?!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash. “He’s just anxious, probably,” said Pinkie Pie. “Wait, he can’t separate the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” complained Scootaloo. “Yeah! He can’t just take Sweetie Belle away!” said Apple Bloom “DAN’ IT AP’L-BLOOM NOW’S NO TIME FOR YER STUPID GAMES!” It took a few seconds of awkward silence for everyone to process what just happened: Applejack had shouted at her sister. It became apparent she had rage and exasperation swirling visibly in her eyes as she desperately, since the last few hours, tried to repel the last bit of carefree childishness left in the children from the grave situation.  Applebloom could not even flinch. Regret began its journey, from all directions, onwards to Applejack’s heart. “Ye have to… understand…” Applejack started to shed tears, “How serious this is. One of our friends was ‘bout to get killed by sum madman, and yet ye insist on yer childishness I’ve told ye thousands of time is ‘em i’rational to dem oranges!” Slowly, deep inside Apple Bloom’s mind, her knowledge of the true childishness of her ‘work’ for so much time now only expanded. The shock appeared to affect Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo similarly. Without warning or vocal sign, Apple Bloom ran away from the group, towards what appeared to be the restroom area. “Sugarcube…” Applejack attempted to follow Apple Bloom. Pinkie Pie quickly stopped her. “Applejack,” she said, “I’ll try to cheer her up and get her to understand.” Pinkie smiled as she affirmed her ability and gift of laughter.  Applejack quickly knew she could trust Pinkie and backed away.  “You and Twilight should go with the cops with Sweetie Belle while Rainbow Dash and Flutt-… Hey, where’d Fluttershy go?” “She probably started playing hide-and-don’t-seek when that loudmouth cop barged in,” joked Rainbow Dash, “I can take care of Scootaloo myself anyways. Right, bud?” She gave a quick wink to Scootaloo. Scootaloo nodded in agreement. “Sounds like a plan,” said Twilight, “Sweetie Belle, Applejack, let’s go.” Twilight, Applejack, and Sweetie Belle departed from the waiting area, while Pinkie Pie went to the restroom area, leaving Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo to themselves. “Hey, how about we see who can find Fluttershy first?” said Rainbow Dash. “Oh, you’re on!” exclaimed Scootaloo. “Alright, we—“ Suddenly, the two heard a shout from afar in the hospital. “Nurse!!! What’s a yellow Pegasus doing stuck in the snack vending machine?!” Rainbow Dash felt her jaw drop. “How… why…” “Better not to ask, Rainbow.” ** ** ** >Shrinking Body Size… >Adapting Proportions… … >Size Adaptation Complete The Terminator was slyly hidden within an alley by two restaurants. In a few seconds, it shrunk its body size and leg length to somewhat closely resemble a typical white pony. It was dressed with its black leather jacket and white t-shirt, now slightly loose, but something was missing… >Notice: Concealment For Optical Receptors Required The Terminator quickly scanned the area for something to satisfy its objective. Out of nowhere… “Hey, my sunglasses!” The Terminated noticed a pair of sunglasses fly towards him and a bland green, adult pony chasing after them. “Damn it, Jim, don’t slap me like that again!” he called back. The Terminator approached the sunglasses, quickly standing against the owner. Even shrunk down, it was significantly taller than the pony. “Hey dude,” he said, “Those are my sunglasses.” The pony quickly became slightly intimidated by the cold, robotic stare the Terminator gave him. “I will be keeping them.” “No way, dude, you can’t do that.” The Terminator took some time to react. After a while, it simply turned around, facing away from the pony. “Well, man, I mean, still not right for your bubbly butt to be above my s—ARGH!” SMACK! The unfortunate pony was in the air in a split second, the Terminator’s left hind leg extended.  It had kicked the pony away with a great force. No attention was called, as the pony landed within the alley.  The pony’s chest area was bruised to blackness and accented with seeping, dripping blood from arbitrary points on and around the bruise. The pony struggled to regain his air. “Why…oooff… the heck, you bastard…” The Terminator was already facing the pony by the time he could recover. It looked down at its prized, extremely dark sunglasses, grabbed them with its hoof, and slowly placed them where they belonged as it coldly stared at the defenseless pony a distance from him. “Deal with it.” It walked, step by step getting closer to the pony, looking to the front and no longer acknowledging the pony’s existence. As it was closed to exiting, it stepped on the pony. The massive weight and force of a single hoof crushed his lower ribs. He could only gasp, and was damned to never scream for help. In an instant, the Terminator blended in with the traffic in front of the restaurants. Many more seconds had to pass before a few high-pitch screams from behind it sounded, signaling someone had noticed the body. And yet, the Terminator was long gone… and never suspected.

Godot-17

253

Crossover,Dark

My Little Terminator

incomplete

<p>While Applejack and her friends are enjoying their present day, their fun is quickly dissipated by a killing machine, an equine-shaped cyborg, the Terminator. The Terminator is on a mission through time to kill two major enemies in the movement of the machines versus the ponies: Applejack and Princess Celestia. Only through their deaths can The Pony-Chan, a conscious, mastermind computer system, once a simple defense network for the technologically advanced Nation of Mexicolt, succeed in ridding the earth of the life forms it accidentally perceived as a threat. Now, it’s up to Applejack and her friends to survive the Terminator’s chase and A LOT of $%@* that will be blown up.</p>

everyone

2011-07-21T07:29:49+00:00

My Little Terminator, Chapter 2 It was another day during the season for Big Macintosh: Wake up, breakfast, buck apples, lunch, break, buck more apple, dinner, and sleep. His favorite part: Bucking the apples. It was always so easy and relaxing. His body build and strength allowed him to just kick the apple trees and watch apples fall. They all manage to fall on Big Mac’s apple carriage. If some apples missed it, he’d pick up the apples. If he needed a snack, he ate an apple. If he got thirsty, he ate an apple too. If he missed some sleep, he’d sometimes stare at the apples, or even play a strange apple version of dollhouse with the apples. Apples, more apples, and too many apples were his life. Big Mac traveled across his wonderland of red and green, approaching the next tree to buck. In a moment, his little sister, Applejack, popped into his mind. “Darn lil’ sis, I hope ye don’t get yerself in any mess,” he whispered under his breath. Big Mac recalls Applejack having left in the morning for an ‘emergency’. Although, since it meant not bucking apples for the day, it probably really was an emergency. He finally got close to his next tree, but before he could turn around to buck, he noticed a quick blue spark on the tree. “Mah word, what’s em stat’c electris’ty doin’ on mah tree?” The tree started to spark into shades of blue even more. Then the ground around the tree started to get the same sparks over it. Big Mac quickly retreated in great intimidation, feeling a slight shaking on the earth getting stronger. The sparks turned into growing embers. Next thing he knew, there was a hemisphere of blue energy on the floor. The tree it devoured fell down and incinerated into ashes that Big Macintosh could feel landing on his face. “I should get the heck outa here.” But before he could run, he noticed the hemisphere shrink down… smaller… and start to take a form.  The strange blue energy started to morph into… a pony on the ground. “Now what’n the world?” After the form appeared to stiffen, the blue energy seemed to dissipate and leave a color. The result was an unconscious pony where his tree used to stand, surrounded by dead, blackened grasses and their ashes. The pony was apparently a unicorn, shaded a dark, soothing sky-blue, almost like pure water. The pony, in fact, had what appeared to be a river as its cutie mark, lighter in tone than the rest of its fur. It was not long before the pony regained consciousness. He quickly went into a panic and stood up to face Big Mac. “Mah great Celestia! Mah tree turned into a pony!!!” “… You must be Big Mac,” he replied. He took a look at this surroundings, finding that he did apparently destroy a tree. “I’m not your tree, I just kinda pulverized it since it was in the way of the time travel force field.”  Big Mac was quickly baffled by his reply. “Wha? How’d you know mah name?” he asked, “And time travel? Pulverize mah tree? That ain’t nice, but time travel?! Well… it might make sens an’ways since y’just popped outta nowhere an’ killed mah tree.” “And I am sorry about your tree,” replied the pony. “My name is Aquarius and I am here because your sister might be in danger.” “Oh my, I knew Apple Bloom and ‘er friends would get countries at war with each other sooner or later,” replied Big Mac. “Not Apple Bloom, Applejack!  I need you to tell me right now what the exact time and date is!” “Well, Aquarius, you are standin’ in the sev’nth day of the sixth month of the year one-thousand-one Ann’-Solars. By the sun’s position, I’d say it’s almost lunch time. But what’s gonna happen with Applejack?” Aquarius hesitated dialogue after Big Mac’s question. “Applejack and their son, in the future, told me not to tell you that at all and tell you to stay in the farm for the rest of the day.” “Now wait, I can prob’ly trust you time trav’ld ‘n’ all, but how can I trust you’re tellin’ me the truth?” Aquarius looked at Big Mac, appearing stressed and desperate. “You’re right. You’re the family of the Element of Honesty,” he replied, “You can’t exactly trust me immediately…” Aquarius’s unicorn started to glow a light pink. “Hey, what’r yeh—OOOFF!!” The unicorn unleashed, from his horn, a swift and strong zap that landed on Big Mac’s forehead.  Big Mac dropped to the ground with a hard THUMP! He was unconscious before he felt anything. “…which is why they actually told me to do this.” ** ** ** There it was: A lifeless, half-bitten Carousel Boutique. Twilight and Applejack could only stare in astonishment at the destruction while Sweetie Belle was on the threshold of tears. Besides it was a number of large tents being occupied by Police Ponies, as Officer Gary had told them. “Looks like sum light’ng tornado just struck dis place!”  commented Applejack. “Alright Sweetie Belle,” said Twilight, “Before we go with the police, can you tell what exactly you saw?” Sweetie Belle was still sobbing and appeared to be shaking somewhat. “Well…” she began, “I just heard and felt the explosion while I was sleeping in my room upstairs. I went to check out what was happening and then…” Sweetie Belle felt her throat close up for attempting to recalling every second of the moment the white horse was going after her sister, all of which she remembered clearly. “Huf, kets! Tzz bah… a crime scene!” A familiar, loud, and creepy voice shouted out to them. “You fillies get out and play with your pony-dolls now, ey?” Twilight turned to see Officer Gary calling out to them. He had donuts basically overflowing out of his saddlebag and carried on to grab and eat another one. “Officer Gary, it’s us!” said Twilight, “You told us you wanted us to bring Sweetie Belle here.” Suddenly, Officer Gary started to leer Twilight. He took a few steps toward her, still leering. Twilight started to feel slightly uncomfortable. “Errm… Officer?” “Yeah, I remember you,” he finally said, “But I only do because of your stupid cutie mark. Seriously, what’s that supposed to mean? You growin’ up to be on the bomb squad or something? Last I remember bombs aren’t colored purple. Heck, that thing’s dumber than the SPOON I saw on this kiddo’s flank this morning. Seriously! A spoon! My great grand-daddy’s generation had respectable cutie marks like swords or shoes or iron! What’s all this crap going on around nowadays? Half the Equestrian cop force has a plain ol’ donut as their cutie mark!” After his rant, he grabbed and ate another donut. Twilight, Applejack, and Sweetie Belle only became confused by his carefree talking. “Mine, for you kid’s info, is a chocolate-sugar-glazed donut,” he continued, “You can’t ever see it since I’m wearing the upper rank uniform. Now what the heck was I talking about before donuts… ehhh… before cutie marks, spoony girl, Barney the Dinosaur on the bomb squad?...” “Errm… Officer Gary,” said Twilight, “You wanted to talk to Sweetie Belle, Rarity’s sister?” “Ey! That’s right!” he exclaimed, “Now I totally remember. Well, we have no time to waste! Time is donuts and every second of my time you kids waste is half a donut I don’t digest. To the questioning room!” Officer Gary began trotting to the police tents… then quickly stopped on his tracks. “Officer Gary, what’s wrong?” asked Twilight. “Ehh… I just remembered this is just temporary base… we ain’t got no questioning room! We’re gonna have to improvise here…”   ** ** ** “Ehh… yeah, I don’t think the fire dep’ll mind if we use their break room. They’re never around.” Twilight, Applejack, and Sweetie Belle had a little trouble enduring Officer’s Gary quest for an isolated questioning room, but the fire department had plenty of rooms that were isolated and empty, and the lieutenant allowed Officer Gary to carry out his questioning within the premises. Out of all the possible bedrooms, meeting rooms, and heavily sound insulated rooms, Officer Gary chose a break room. A coffee machine, a fridge, and a low table with a few hardened haystacks for sitting were the few features of the empty room. “Very well,” said Officer Gary, “Why don’t you fillies have a seat over there? It’s time to play cop.” One by one, the fillies sat down by the table. Officer Gary proceeded to the coffee machine. “Now, I’mma just need a little coffee before we begin.” Twilight then felt Sweetie Belle nudge her. “Twilight, I’m kinda nervous,” she whispered. “It’ll be ok,” she replied, “just answer with the complete truth and try your best.” They were quickly caught by surprise with a sort of blistering noise then a strange aroma Twilight had never smelled before.” “What is that smell?” asked Twilight. “That’s the smell of coffee, sugarcube,” replied Applejack, “Big Mac likes t’ drink it once in a while.” “That is correct, filly,” said Officer Gary. “When your mornings are crap, coffee is there,” he continued poetically, “When your coworkers get a hangover, coffee is there.  When you need to stay guard all night, Coltumbian coffee is always there. Coffee is bitter and hot as hell. Only the brave dare drink it in its full, pure glory.” Officer Gary made his return to the table with a cup-almost-mug of coffee in his hand. “Sir, do yeh even know our names?” asked Applejack. “I can go my whole life just calling you two fillies.” “Well, allow us to finally introduce ourselves,” said Twilight, “I’m Twilight Sparkle and this is Applejack. I suppose you’d already know Sweetie Belle since you called for her?” Officer Gary took a sip of his coffee. “All right, Twilight-doll and Apple-doll, let us begin. I require you to step away from the witness just a little bit.” Twilight and Applejack did as Officer Gary said and moved their seats.  Officer Gary sat down directly in front of Sweetie Belle. “Sir, why are you so relaxed all of a sudden?” asked Sweetie Belle, “You were totally crazy a few minutes ago!” “It’s the coffee’s aroma, sugarcube,” said Applejack, “Big Mac also gets all chill ‘n’ stuff when he drinks coffee, especially when it’s Coltumbian.” “You’re doing it wrong, little filly,” said Officer Gary, “I’m the one who’s supposed to be doing the asking.” Somehow, out of his donut saddlebag, Officer Gary took out a few papers he started to read. “He are the facts,” he started, “Somepony randomly blew up half your house and stabbed Rarity in the lower abdomen with a piece of ivory. Can you describe the attacker?” Sweetie Belle was clearly having trouble talking, only being able to whimper for a while. “Well, he was super big and white! He was about… twice of Rarity’s size.” “Did you observe his cutie mark?” asked Officer Gary. “I couldn’t,” said Sweetie Belle, “I was just too shocked at him being about to get my sister.” “And did you witness the moment of the stabbing?” “No, Rarity screamed for me to run away. I did hear her scream as I was running.” “Do you know where to the attacker went?” “No…” Sweetie Belle was feeling sadder and guiltier each passing question the cop asked. Why couldn’t she have stayed and saved her sister? Why did she have to be a coward? She was barely standing the weight her unpleasant thoughts forced upon her. “Sweetie Belle, you were right in not being a hero,” said Officer Gary, “Better to have a half-dead pony than one and a half dead ponies. The lucky thing is your sis is still alive, and you shouldn’t feel like ‘em crap for still having your sister.” Officer Gary took a nice, long sip of his coffee while Sweetie Belle contemplated.  He then quickly took out a pencil from his saddlebag and used his mouth to jot down some notes on his paper. “Well, although I know guys aren’t too common around these parts, you’d be surprised at just how many of ‘em are white or white-ish, since that has to be a possibility due to how dark the night was, and without a cutie mark to go on, I’d say this investigation might take a while.  That is, unless, the docs let us see your sister soon enough so she can tell us what she knows. “Anyways, I’ll have to keep you under the custody of the police, Sweetie Belle. If the attacker had somethin’ against Rarity, you’d definitely be a prime target for him.” “What?!” proclaimed Sweetie Belle, “Why do I have to? Can’t I be with my friend’s parents or something? Or I’ll also be safe with Applejack!” “No can do. You’re life’s in danger here and it’s much more shocking because crimes never occur here in Ponyville…” Officer Gary took a look down at his coffee mug. “… I’ll be damned, I’m out of coffee already.” “Alrrighty officer, I’mma brew some more for you,” said Applejack, “I really like you much better when yer not without coffee ‘n’ munchin’ ‘em donuts ‘n’ talking with yer mouth—“ BANG! Something loud and crisp suddenly exploded from far off. Everypony took a look outside the nearest window.” “Hoitee tarnation wuz that?!” Officer Gary appeared dumbfounded. “Damn it… that was a gunshot. Not a good sign. We were explicitly instructed by Princess Celestia herself not to open fire here unless it’s an extreme situation.” He turned to look at Applejack. “Appledoll, I’m gonna need you to carry a strapped-gun.” “Yeh want m’to wat now?!” “What? You don’t know how to use one?” “Well, ‘course I do, mah uncle taught me, but it’s been a while ‘n’ I didn’t really like it much.” Officer Gary quickly examined the saddlebag separate from his donut bag. He pulled out what appeared to be a small arm band. Stuck to the band’s side was a gun with a slightly enlarged grip and trigger guard to fit hooves. He handed the strapped-gun to Applejack. “Strap that on to your left limb, then,” he said, “If things get dirty, you stand on your hind legs, pull the strap out into your left hoof with your right, and aim it, you hear me? As for you, Twilight-doll, be prepared to use your unicorn magic with mortal intent.” “WHAT! I can’t kill anybody with my magic!” protested Twilight, “That is completely wrong!” “Not necessarily kill, but I’m tellin’ you, don’t be afraid to get on the threshold to that. It is completely legal to use your magic in self-defense and in defense to others. In fact, you, as a unicorn, have an obligation to kill or assist in a kill if a community is at large risk. I’m invoking that obligation to you under my supervision, you hear? Now you take care of Sweetie Belle and don’t take her off your sights. We have to go back to camp.” Twilight did not like the ugly ‘obligation’ she knew that she had from the beginning. She hastily followed Officer Gary and Applejack out of the break room, keeping Sweetie Belle next to her. “Now THAT cop’s pretty cool! Don’t ya think, Twilight? He’s all ready to freaking. Kick. ASS!” “Sweetie Belle! Don’t you use that language!” exclaimed Twilight. “What makes you think you can convince me otherwise if Rarity hasn’t?” said Sweetie Belle. “I’m going to take you with Fluttershy after all this, then, you little spoiled brat.” Immediately, Sweetie Belle shut up.

Brass Bell

254

Original Character,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

The Other Side of Everfree: Pewter's Dreams

incomplete

<p>On the other side of the Everfree forest, a colt dreams of a future his father would not approve of.</p>

everyone

2011-12-12T20:53:11+00:00

2011-12-12T20:53:11+00:00

Pewter looked out of his bedroom window. A light but cold breeze brushed through his silver mane and chilled his horn. Behind him a grandfather clock began to strike, dong, dong, dong, dong, Pewter turned from his bedroom window, dong, he made his way to the door and opened it as the clock struck the seventh time. There on the other side of Pewter's bedroom door stood a huge brown unicorn with piercing green eyes. "Good, you are awake," The Brown stallion boomed "I trust you slept well." "Yes father" Pewter replied "What is it, boy? Did I ask you a question?" "No father, I should not have replied father" "I have to go and make some arrangements for next week. If anything is out of place when I get back, there will be consequences. Goodbye." The stallion's horn began to glow green and in a flash of light he disappeared. Pewter walked out of his bedroom and down the stairs into the kitchen. Pewter used his magic to open the large oak door that lead to the kitchen, his sister Petal, was sitting in front of the oven watching her pastries raise. "Petal, what are you cooking?" The pale yellow filly turned her head and said "What do you think I'm cookin'?" "Petal, I think you may have missed a letter of the end of cooking" "Don't tell me what to do, I'm in charge here. I am the oldest after all." She turned back to the browning pastries in the oven and immediately started taking them out of the oven as she did so, she shouted at Pewter "You spoiled my puff pastry tomato wraps! Idiot" Pewter calmly replied "Thank you but, it's your fault that they spoiled" "Thank you?! What are you thanking me for? You're the one who spoiled breakfast!" "I thanked you because you because you told me what breakfast was! You are the one cooking breakfast, therefore you are in charge of it and YOU are responsible for making breakfast burn." "You distracted me from my cooking with your grammar obsession so it's your fault so there!" "Wait until I tell father about your grammatical inaccuracies, then you are going to be in so much trouble." "Father's not here so you can't do anthin'." Petal stormed out of the kitchen and added "You can have all pastries they're all burned anyway." The door slammed shut behind Petal as Pewter made his way to the breakfast table.

Brass Bell

254

Original Character,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

The Other Side of Everfree: Pewter's Dreams

incomplete

<p>On the other side of the Everfree forest, a colt dreams of a future his father would not approve of.</p>

everyone

2011-12-12T20:56:19+00:00

2011-12-12T20:56:19+00:00

Pewter used his magic to pry off the least burned of the pastries and place it on a plate. He nibbled on a slightly burnt puff pastry tomato wrap. "Well," he whispered to himself "at least this one has not been completely burned." He quickly finished the flaky burned pastry and poured himself a glass of apple juice. Pewter downed it hastily to wash out the taste of burned pastry. Pewter put the empty glass on the table and scraped some more burned pastry off of the baking tray this time into the bin. He turned the tap on the kitchen sink and rinsed out his glass of apple juice then, he turned off the tap and dried out the glass before putting it back in the cupboard where it belonged. Pewter trotted quietly back to his bedroom not wanting to disturb his sister with the noise of his hooves through the house. He opened the door to his bedroom and walked in, closing the door carefully and quietly behind him. He looked at the clock, half past seven, he looked out of his window the sun was now quite high in the sky. He rested his head on the windowsill and looked around. It was quiet outside, not many ponies walked by the manor house, and when they did, it was quietly so they didn't disturb his father, Thorn. Pewter sighed and glanced at the clock, he didn't bother to read it, and he just looked and then returned his gaze to the window. He was about to rest his head back on the windowsill but, he stopped himself, there was a butterfly where he was about to rest his head. Pewter smiled "Hello there, little butterfly, are you alone too?" The butterfly shuffled to one side slightly, Pewter rested his head beside it. "You can fly, go find a friend and come back when you do." With that, the butterfly took off and flew out of Pewter's window towards a future friend.

Brass Bell

254

Original Character,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

The Other Side of Everfree: Pewter's Dreams

incomplete

<p>On the other side of the Everfree forest, a colt dreams of a future his father would not approve of.</p>

everyone

2011-12-12T20:56:59+00:00

2011-12-12T20:56:59+00:00

A butterfly was gently flapping its wings against the morning's soft breeze and towards the bedroom window of a lonely colt in a large manor house. Pewter looked at the familiar little butterfly that had made its way back to his windowsill "I thought I told you to find a friend." The butterfly flew a ring around Pewter's head and then came to a halt on the colt's nose. Pewter went cross eyed staring at the butterfly which, then quite promptly flew off of Pewter's nose and to the street below. Pewter looked down from his window to keep his eyes on the rather excitable butterfly but, his eyes were immediately pulled away from the butterfly by the sight of a filly with a soft blue coat and silver blue mane. Pewter sighed then whispered "She's beautiful." The filly below Pewter's window was walking silently, probably to avoid annoying father, Pewter thought. Pewter leaned out of his window desperate to keep the beautiful young pony in his sight. Pewter's bedroom door creaked open, Pewter tried to turn so he could see who it was but, he slipped and fell from his window. Pewter was so scared that he could not even scream instead, he could only gasp. The ground rushed towards him, suddenly Pewter realised that, something was pulling at his hooves and ankles and legs and soon his whole body, Pewter's body was being pulled up. Aided by whatever was pulling him up, Pewter clambered back into his bedroom through his window and was greeted by an exhausted looking older sister who, had evidently just used a great deal of magic to stop Pewter falling to a serious injury. Petal wheezed "If breakfast upset you that much, you should've just let yourself calm down, not jump out the window!" "I did not jump out, I slipped!" "Alright, whatever, just please don't make me do that again, I'm not used to lifting anything as heavy as you." "I am not fat and I do not weigh that much!" "Oh, really? When was the last time you lifted yourself up?" Pewter couldn't think of anything to counter his sister's argument so he just stared at the floor ashamed of how stupid he had been and how lucky he was that his sister could save him. "You don't have to thank me." Petal gasped, still exhausted from the effort taken to save her brother. Pewter mumbled a short "Thank you Petal" "Cheer up, you're alive aren't you?"

Brass Bell

254

Original Character,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

The Other Side of Everfree: Pewter's Dreams

incomplete

<p>On the other side of the Everfree forest, a colt dreams of a future his father would not approve of.</p>

everyone

2011-12-12T20:58:52+00:00

2011-12-12T20:58:52+00:00

There was silence in Pewter's room for a long time and his sister, Petal, was finally back to her moody self. "So why were you leaning so far out of the window?" Petal asked. "I looked out of my window and I saw the most beautiful pony in all of Equestria!" He replied "So what does Equestria's most beautiful pony look like then? Hmm?" "She, she" He paused; thoughtfully "I don't know how to describe her..." he trailed off and looked dreamily into the distance. "Hello! I'm trying to have a conversation here!" "She looks like that." he whispered, barely moving at all. Petal turned her head to look out of the window and saw a pair of giant sacks filled with oats. "You fell in love with a bag of oats?" "She's caring the oats, stupid" "Alright, sorry." Both ponies carefully looked out of the window at the two large sacks of oats that moved slowly along the road outside and they looked at the small blue pony carrying them. "She is..." Pewter stopped and thought "She is, more than beautiful." Pewter began to lean out the window wanting to keep the pony in his sight for as long as possible but, his sister's firm hooves stopped him "I am NOT going to let you fall again!" with that, Petal hauled her brother back into his room. Pewter frowned at his sister for taking him from the window, then smiled, realising that she had just saved him from a nasty fall. Pewter then went to a worried frown "I love her but, how can I tell her? Will she love me? Of course she will..." He began pacing across the room, flicking his tail at each turn "How should I greet her..." His tail flicked against the bookshelf knocking down a hoofull of books. "How would Father react?" he turned again, spotting the books on the floor. He bent down to pick them up. "A Little Book of Destiny, Hmm" He picked it up and put it on the shelf. "The Swing Child" Again, he picked it up and put it on the shelf. "The Botanical Arts- Flowers, Romance and Gardening" He picked up the book, put in on his bed and began to read.

Squeak-anon

255

Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Day of Foals

incomplete

<p>An early story of mine. </p><p>Luna awakes during a trip to ponyville to find a parade outside her window. Curious, she asks her sister what they're celebrating. She and Celestia go to the royal library to go over the history of April Foals Day, and why laughter is dear to all.</p>

everyone

2011-07-18T18:07:53+00:00

2011-07-18T18:07:53+00:00

Day of Fools It was the sound of the parade that woke her. The beating of drums, the blaring of horns and the cheering of the crowd. Princess Luna opened her eyes. “What in the world?” She wandered over to the window, opening it with a bit of a strain. It always seemed to be jammed, ever since that rainbow colored pony had crashed into it a few weeks back. It had been repaired, with the quickest of speed, but it’d never been quite the same. The sound boomed in without the glass to hold it back, flooding the room with noise. The breeze carried with it small bits of colored paper, they fluttered through the air, turning and pinwheeling as she watched. There was color everywhere as the parade made it's way through town. Musicians played their very loudest in the streets, the sound rumbling in the very stone that made up her room. Acrobats and clowns twirled and cartwheeled among the fillies and colts, much to their delight. As Luna watched, a unicorn stallion came into the center of the square, with a flourish, he produced fireworks that went booming into the sky, taking the shape of jester’s hats and dancing ponies. Luna was astounded. She had arrived in Ponyville only a month before. Her sister had business that needed tending to in the small country town. She had been brought along in hopes of further acclimating her to life in Equestria after her imprisonment. She and Celestia currently resided in the Royal House, often used for functions and the odd wedding. Things had been going well as far as Celestia was concerned, Luna accompanied her to balls and dinners all across the globe. Still, she could not help but feel a bit out of place among the lavish opulence such afairs always seemed to bring. Ponyville had been a nice change, it was quiet and modest, nothing much more than a farming village as far as she'd seen. The sudden celebration caught her unawares. A fairly large amount of colored paper had collected on her windowsill. She poked at it with a hoof, “How strange....” She grabbed a small basket from the nightstand besides her bed. Luna collected the paper carefully, making sure none of it tore then raced to the dining hall. She passed various servants and guards, all who wished her a pleasant hello as she ran by. She answered them with hurried nods and mummers of good will. Hurrying around a corridor she almost ran full speed into Celestia, who was talking to aid. “Woah, where are you off to in such a hurry, little sister?” she asked chuckling. “Celestia!” Luna said excitedly, putting down the basket. “There is something going on outside, there are ponies marching through the streets, doing tricks and cartwheels and such wonderful things! This flew into my window!” she nosed the basket forwards. Celestia chuckled again. “Oh, Luna, that’s confetti, it’s April Foals day! What you are so excited about is the Parade of Foals!” “April Foals day?” Luna asked, confused. “Oh, my dear sister, you have been away for such a very long time, I tend to forget. Here let me explain.” Luna was led into the modest library of the royal house, where Celestia selected a large tome from one of the highest shelves. It landed on the table in front of them with a thunk. The pages turned as Celestia's magic did it’s work. “This book contains the story of April Foals day, as written by the great chroniclers of Equestian history.” Celestia explained, looking through the pages. “Here it is!” The page landed on an illustration of a small white colt in a jesters hat. “The story of how April Foals day began.” It all started many years ago, before there was a Ponyville, or even a Canterlot. In a kingdom, very much like ours. The ruler was a lonely filly who was not very happy. She had lost someone very close to her and ever since, she had not smiled nor laughed. She saw other ponies playing happily in the village, and tried to join in, but it did not bring her any joy. She languished in her palace, for hours, then days and soon, she did not come out at all. Her subjects saw little of her and soon forgot they had ever had a monarch. Years went by, and still she wallowed in her sadness, the loss she could not regain. The castle was soon covered in vines and plants, and only the most diligent of servants remained, preparing food, cleaning where they could, but still they could not do the one thing she really needed. They could not laugh for her. Though they tried to make her smile, to bring at least the slightest chuckle from her, she remained gloomy. One day, after so many of the servants had left that she had begun to forget she had any at all. She was lying in bed, when one came in with a message. “You have a visitor.” She hurried to her room, though she was sad, she was still a princess, and she had to look presentable to any visitor that might care to call on her. She combed her mane, brushed her tail, and went to the throne room to meet this mysterious visitor. Once she had settled in, and made sure she was presentable, she ordered her only servant to allow him in. He was a gaunt earth pony, he barely seemed to take up any space at all, his white flanks were thin and dirty, he seemed as though he might crumble under the wight of his saddlebag. his cutie mark a masquerade mask, obscured a bit by filth. His yellow mane was unkempt and tangled. He wore the hat of a jester, and a smile that seemed ready to split his small face in half at any moment. He bid her hello. She eyed the visitor warily, why should such a pony want to call on her? She had never been one to turn down her subjects, and in her day she had been a kind ruler. But still, before entering the throne room most ponies put on their best saddles and called the best stylists to prepare their manes before facing her. This scraggly jester before her had done none of this. He looked as though he had come on more of a passing fancy than under any sense of ceremony. She asked his name, and reason for being here. The jester spoke. “Well, as far as I can tell, my name is Bumbles Jinglefoal. The reason I came, well, I’d heard there was a filly in here that was in need of a good laugh.” he said. “And where did you hear such a thing?” asked the filly. “Oh, here and there. I heard a long time ago that she had lost someone, and that since then, she hadn’t so much as cracked a smile, and I just can’t abide by that.” The Princess was quiet for a long while. Finally she said. “Well, what you hear is true, I have not smiled, nor laughed since that day. You may try your best, but I warn you, many better than you have tried before, and they failed. I fear my laughter died a long time ago on that day.” The jester chuckled. “Laughter never dies miss, it just hides sometimes. All we need to do is find it.” he said kindly. So he started. From that bag on his back, he produced the most marvelous things, tricks that defied explanation, toys that whizzed and flew through the air, candy, ribbons, balloons larger than buildings. Each tumbled forth, more astounding than the last, as though the small sack of cloth had no bottom. He danced, he sang, he joked, he pranced, yet still she sat, silent as a grave. “This is worse than I thought.” he said. “It looks as though I’ll have to use the one trick I have left.” He reached into his bag, and fumbled around, reaching far deeper than he should have been able to. After a while of digging he produced a long slab covered in cloth, and sat it down in front of her. Then he did something, something that no one had ever dared do to the princess in all her years of rule. He reached once again, into that magic bag, and from it drew a strawberry pie. It smelled delicious, even to the princess, who had been prepared the finest confections all of her life. It steamed as though it was freshly cooked, the smell filled the throne room. The crust was a perfect brown, and the filling was of the deepest red. The Princess’s mouth watered. It was over before she even knew what was happening. The confection hit her with a smack, dead in the face. She was too shocked to speak. The whole castle was silent, you could have heard the slightest sound in those few minutes. The beating of a moth’s wing in the corner, the climbing of the vines outside. It lasted for a very long time. She fumed, how dare he, this unkempt jester, do such a thing? Inside she raged, and railed against this great disrespect. But, just as she was about to scream, to yell at the top of her lungs for what little servants she had to come in and throw the jester out. He reached up, and drew back the cloth covering the slab. It was a mirror. And for the first time she saw herself, fuming, and covered in crust and filling, about to explode at what she thought was such a great injustice. The great ruler, sitting there, unrecognizable, covered in pie. And there was a sound. At first it was soft, but then it grew, it was loud, it was boisterous, it was laughter, her laughter. Such a strange sound, she hardly recognized it at first. She laughed at herself, at her sadness, at her brooding, and she laughed for the one she had lost, and what they might think of her if they saw her now. She laughed and laughed, a sound so pure, it could be heard all throughout the kingdom. And they remembered. All the old ponies who had told stories of the lonely princess, remembered a time when their stories were fact, and all the little foals who had listened, remembered that all stories have the smallest grains of truth. And they too laughed, all the ponies in the whole of Equestria, it spread like a wave, growing stronger and stronger until it reached every stallion and colt, every mare and filly. Laughter of the purest kind, riding on it’s own momentum throughout the land. The grumpiest of ponies, the worst of enemies, the most of terrible tyrants, laughed aloud with everyone else. And for the first short while, in a very long while, everyone had a reason to smile. The laughter lasted well into the next morning, and when it finally died down, the villagers came. They came to the palace, they cleaned and they dusted, they painted and they restored. They greeted the princess they had forgotten, and she too greeted them, for the first time in many years, with a smile on her face. It was not long before the palace was back to it’s former glory, and to celebrate a great party was held. Everypony was in attendance, except for one. The Princess looked high and low, but Bumbles Jinglefoal, the jester who had brought laughter back to the palace, was nowhere to be found. She never saw him again. Though she searched everywhere she could think to look. The jester had simply vanished, most of us do in time. But every year, on the anniversary of the day the laughter returned, all of Equestria holds a great party, hoping that one special guest might arrive. On the first day of April, after spring has been ushered in, you can hear the laughter of everyone in equestria, in honor of the foolish Jester who threw a pie at a princess. April Foalsday. Celestia closed the book. “And there we have it dear sister, this is what we celebrate on this day, this is the reason for the parades, and the dances, the confetti and the magic, and this is why the laughter and joy of Equestria is so dear.” Luna looked up at Celestia. “I see now, sister,” she said “I see why we have such celebration. But I must wonder something.” “What is it?” Celestia asked kindly. “Who did the princess loose to make her so sad? What loss could cause such depression?” Celestia smiled a knowing smile. “Oh, perhaps we shall never know, the story doesn’t say after all. But, it must have been someone very important to her, someone who she missed greatly. A person who could never be replaced.” Luna was confused. “But who?” Her eyes shot wide as she was brought into a great hug. “Like I said, someone very important. Who could never be replaced.” Celestia released her sister. “Now come, dear Luna. We have a parade to attend.” Luna was silent for a moment. Then she smiled. “Yes, yes we do.” They walked out the doors, and joined in the laughter. The End.

Sagebrush

257

Rainbow Dash,Scootaloo,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Rainbows and Sunsets

Sometimes we all need a helping hoof.

complete

<p>After a bit of prodding from her friends, Scootaloo has decided that it's high time she learned to fly, with none other than Ponyville's premiere flyer as her instructor.</p><p>There's a lot to be learned about oneself and others when trying to get your hooves off the ground.</p>

everyone

2012-08-09T21:25:31+00:00

2012-08-09T21:25:31+00:00

It couldn't have been a more pleasant mid-afternoon in Ponyville. The sun hung lazily overhead, as the few clouds present drifted by slowly on a soothing breeze. Ponies perused the marketplace, loading burlap saddlebags with freshly picked radishes and strawberries, while others enjoyed a late lunch of clover and hay at the cafe. At the edge of town, the muted but unmistakable clanging of the Ponyville school bell could be heard, signaling a forthwith end to the placid scene. As the timbre of the bell began to settle and fade, a haze of dust in turn rose from its direction. The plume of dust grew steadily, its source rapidly approaching town. Soon a low hum accompanied the the kick up of dust, starting as an imperceptible buzz, but growing louder and louder. Curious eyes turned towards the disturbance and nervous glances were exchanged. A number of ponies expressed terrified familiarity with the phenomenon and quickly scattered from the roads, a pair of pegasi taking flight in a hasty fluttering of wings and feathers. “Yikes! I'm just glad those three keep it on the ground!” one of them commented to her partner as they roosted on a nearby cloud. In a span of a couple of minutes the majority of the ponies had scrambled out of the streets, and not a moment too soon. An instant later an orange blur came tearing down the center of town, tailed by a bright red wagon whose two occupants were bracing themselves tightly against its sides. “MAAAAAKE WAAAAAY!!!” Scootaloo screamed at the startled citizens of Ponyville as she deftly maneuvered between vendor carts and those ponies too shocked to clear a path. Much less gracefully, but much more noticeably, the wagon behind her fishtailed, smashing into fruit stands and sending their poor owners scrambling to recover their goods. “Sorry about that~!” Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom cried out, their voices too meek to be heard over the din of Scootaloo's mad dash. In moments the Cutie Mark Crusaders had cut a swath of mayhem through the once peaceful Ponyville afternoon, leaving a number of stunned faces and scattered merchandise in their wake as they sped towards Sweet Apple Acres. Looking back towards the chaotic mess they had created as it shrank in the distance, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom each felt a small pang of guilt. “Umm... Maybe we should slow down a little bit!” Sweetie Belle called over the rapid flapping of Scootaloo's wings. “Yeah! Remember what Fluttershy said about hurtin' somepony? Ah think maybe we could've!” Apple Bloom added. “Ugh, fine...,” Scootaloo groaned. Maybe she had been just the smallest, tiniest, eensiest bit reckless. The thought of actually causing serious damage to somepony took the wind out of her sails. She slowed the fluttering of her wings, bringing the group down to a slower and more manageable speed. The three Cutie Mark Crusaders allowed themselves some pride at this show of responsibility, each of course blissfully disregarding the fact that they had already trashed Ponyville proper. Scootaloo came to a stop at the base of the Crusaders' tree house, and the three quickly raced inside, the incident in the market already forgotten. There was work to be done. The trio had had a productive day of brainstorming, imagining a number of promising ideas to help them earn their cutie marks. They probably could have come up with an even bigger list if it weren't for their teacher Cherilee harassing them about less important things during class. Apple Bloom ducked her head into her saddlebag and retrieved a rolled up sheet of paper. She opened it up in front of the others. “Alright! Ah reckon we can start at the top of the list an' work our way down! Lessee what we got here... Acu-what?” At the top of the list was a sketch of a sewing needle accompanied by a word they had never seen. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom exchanged confused glances, then looked towards Sweetie Belle for an explanation. “Acupuncture! It's really neat! If you're sick, or hurting, or have anything else wrong with you, all you need to do is stick a needle or two in just the right place to fix it! I saw a picture of it in one of my sister's health magazines!” “How the heck is pricking yourself with a bunch of sharp needles supposed to make you feel better?” Scootaloo frowned. “Ah know! Ah bet if you've got a buncha needles stickin' in ya, you'd completely forget 'bout whatever else was ailin' ya!” “Why would anypony want to do something as stupid as that?! I'd rather just go see Nurse Redheart and get some medicine or bandages or whatever.” “Haven't ya ever heard of mind over matter? Heck, with as hard as yer head is, Ah don't see why ya need to wear that helmet of yers everywhere!” Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes as her two friends started to fall into another argument, and in a well-practiced motion stepped between the two before they could really get into it. “Nononono! The way it works is that there are these tiny little spots on a pony's body that you can poke to make the body heal itself even faster... I think. If you do it right, it doesn't even hurt at all!” The side of Scootaloo's mouth scrunched up in doubt. Sweetie Belle pursed her lips, trying to think of an appropriate analogy. “...Like, you know how you can scratch your hoof against a rock and not feel anything? It's kinda like that... I think.” Sweetie Belle grinned nervously, not sure if Scootaloo would accept her theory. To her relief, Scootaloo looked upwards in thought. “Yeah... I guess that makes sense. And if it gets us any closer to getting our cutie marks, I'm all for it!” “Yay!” Sweetie Belle bounced up and down in place, eager to put her plan into motion. “I borrowed a bunch of pins from my sister's boutique before coming to school, we can get started right away!” “Won't yer sister mind?” Apple Bloom asked uneasily. “Remember the last time ya 'borrowed' all of that fabric to make our costumes? Rarity wasn't none too keen on that...” “Oh don't worry, big sis has tons of needles and notions! She won't notice a few missing items like that.” – Meanwhile at the Carousel Boutique, an irate, ivory unicorn was turning over tables and sifting through drawers, and in the process upsetting a very prissy cat who was trying to nap nearby. “Oh, where in Equestria could I have placed those pins?! A last minute order from Hoity Toity and I'm unable to even begin cutting the fabric!” Glancing by chance at one of her ponniquins, Rarity was able to find one of her pins. It was being used to hold in place a hastily scrawled I.O.U. An infuriated, though nevertheless ladylike scream could be heard as far as the Sugar Cube Corner. –- “So who wants to be the first to get acupunctured?” Sweetie Belle asked with a wide smile on her face. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom shot each other nervous glances. “Err... Actually I feel A-OK right now, Sweetie Belle! I really don't think an extra needle or two would do anything for me.” “Yeah, uh, hehe... Ah'm feelin' as fit as a fiddle! Maybe... maybe we oughta try this on somepony with thicker skin?” Apple Bloom suggested, rubbing the back of her head as she avoided Sweetie Belle's fading grin. Sweetie Belle put a hoof to her chin in consideration. Although she knew that Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were more than likely just making excuses, they did have a pretty good point about point placement. “Hmmm, thick skin, huh...?” – In the Ponyville library, Spike was enjoying a far too rare moment of free time, having completed the majority of his chores for the day earlier than normal. Few patrons had come in that afternoon, so he'd spent the lull in activity sweeping, dusting, and replacing the books Twilight had left strewn about the hollow tree. It was an impeccable scene: the hardwood floor had an uncanny gleam to it and every book was in its place, save for a journal on dendrology that Twilight had taken on a research excursion through the Whitetail Woods. The baby dragon had settled down to a light lunch of amethyst and turquoise, when there suddenly came an energetic knocking at the main entrance. Spike grumbled and wiped a bead of drool from the corner of his mouth, storming towards the door. “Yeah, yeah, it's OPEN, come in! ...Jeez, can't a guy enjoy his lunch-” Just as Spike reached towards the door knob, the door swung open, sending the poor dragon flying headlong into a giant bookcase, negating most of his earlier efforts. “Enngghh... Where's Pinkie's freaky twitchy sense when a guy needs it...” Once the stars in Spike's eyes had spun and danced to the periphery of his vision and finally out of sight, he looked up to see three wide-eyed filly faces staring down at him with concern. “Ohmigosh, we're so so sorry, Spike!” Sweetie Belle cried. “Are ya alright? When ya said 'come in' none of us figured ya'd be right on the other side of the door!” Spike stood up unsteadily, a fresh set of stars forming whole new constellations in front of him as the blood rushed from his head. “Ooof... Standing up so fast might not have been such a hot idea... Could the six of you give me a bit of space... And maybe stop spinning the room so fast...” Spike groaned before collapsing onto his stomach and losing consciousness. “Aww, poor lil' guy... Ah wish there was somethin' we could do for 'em-” As the words left Apple Bloom's mouth, all three fillies' heads perked up with inspiration. They had just the thing to fix up the baby dragon, and to earn them their cutie marks in the process! – Spike tentatively opened his eyes, slowly blinking the sand and bluriness from them. Through a half-lidded gaze he noticed something curious: he had seemingly grown a set of multicolored quills along his arms during his stupor. “Hey look, he's waking up! It worked, it worked, it totally worked!” A white and purple blotch seemed to be cheering above him. “...R-Rarity...?” “Alright! Who'd have thought this 'act you puncture' stuff would be the real deal?!” Looking over his left shoulder, Spike's vision began to resolve itself. He recognized the voice as coming from a familiar pegasus filly. Hazarding a glance back towards his arms, he identified the quills and felt a warm nostalgia: they looked like the pins he had bore for the lovely Rarity when she was preparing for that photo shoot with the bizarre earth pony, Photo Finish. Turning towards a third voice on his right he saw Applejack's little sister, Apple Bloom, apparently chasing her tail. “Check mah flank! Did Ah get it?! Did Ah get it?!” The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked eagerly at their flanks, only to let out a collective groan of disappointment. It seemed that even a preternatural talent for medicine didn't constitute a special talent. With heads hung low, the three girls trotted out of the library. At least they were able to fix up Spike after he was careless enough to stand in front of a swinging door. Their moods brightened knowing that they still had done a good deed, and smiles crept back onto their faces. Besides, they still had plenty of great ideas! Taking a deep breath, Spike rose to his feet much more easily than earlier. Dusting himself off, he took stock of what had just transpired. The door to the library was open. “Ooogghh... Oh yeah, that's what sent me flying into-” He turned towards a now barren bookcase, its contents scattered all over the floor of the library. – By the time the three fillies had returned to their clubhouse, the day was coming to an end. The sun had begun to set, a blazing red beacon that washed the western horizon in a gradient of crimsons, tangerines, and purples and cast long strokes of shade from the budding trees of the Sweet Apple Acres orchard. In the distance, the mountains had lost all color against the intensity of the sun's light and loomed in shadow like the blackened teeth of an ancient beast. Scootaloo paused on the clubhouse steps behind her friends to observe the phenomenon. Although they signaled an end to a day's adventures, she loved sunsets. In that brief juncture between day and night, between seas of blue and star-speckeled ink, it was as if the sky was dedicated to her. Orange kissed the land and ascended into magenta, much like her coat and mane. It made her feel special. Scootaloo was broken from her rumination by Apple Bloom's voice at the top of the steps. “Are ya comin' Scoots? We need ta figure out what we're gonna do tomorrow!” “Oh! Yeah, I'm coming guys!” Scootaloo trotted up the stairs to join her friends as the sun continued its descent, leaving just enough light to muse over the Cutie Mark Crusader's list once more. – “Hang gliding?!” Sweetie Belle narrowed her eyes into an incredulous glare at Scootaloo. Why was this filly always coming up with such dangerous ideas? “Aw come on, doesn't it sound fun? The wind in your mane as you soar over valleys and trees, how could it get any cooler?! I bet the only thing more awesome would be the cutie marks we got from doing it!” “That's assumin' we even stayed in the air, and trust me: that's easier said than done! Ah still have sap stains on mah bow from when we tried ziplinin'!” In her argument, Apple Bloom realized an even greater oversight on Scootaloo's part: “'Sides, I could see a unicorn or an earth pony hang glidin', well maybe other earth ponies hang glindin’..., but isn't that kinda silly for a pegasus?” Scootaloo hesitated. After all, Apple Bloom had made a very good point. Pegasi owned the sky. They tamed the fickle forces of the weather itself. Furthermore, they did it all with the wings they were born with, not some metal contraption. Sweetie Belle chimed in before Scootaloo could think of a response. “Say Scootaloo, now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever seen you fly. As incredible and fast as you are on your scooter, I bet you can do all sorts of neat tricks!” Scootaloo's cheeks flushed bright red. She bit her lower lip and stared down at her fidgeting front hooves. She really did not care to make this admission. “Err hehe... Funny thing about that, see... Erm...” As she struggled to say the next three words, Apple Bloom beat her to the punch. “Ya mean to say that ya can't fly?” Scootaloo shut her eyes tightly and grimaced. Not only was she a blank flank, she was a blank flank pegasus that couldn't even fly. She mentally steeled herself against the incoming peals of laughter. Which seemed to be taking an inordinately long amount of time to come. Daring to open an eye, she was surprised to see two sincere smiles on her friends' faces, consoling rather than mocking she had expected “Aww, that's no big deal! I still can't use my magic for more than lifting scraps of paper.” “And Ah can't hardly buck apples yet! Ah doubt anypony thinks less of ya. Still, yer wings seem pretty strong if they can pull all of us around all day, Ah wouldn't be surprised if ya turned out to be one of the best fliers around!” Scootaloo blushed once more, but for an entirely different reason. Rather than teasing her, Scootaloo's friends had instead commiserated and encouraged her! She almost wanted to just wrap her hooves around them and pull them into a giant hug. The urge to gag at the thought still proved just a bit stronger, however. “Heh, I suppose these things aren't too shabby,” Scootaloo ventured as she gave her two wings a couple of flaps. “Still, it's not like Miss Cheerilee is going to be giving flying lessons any time soon. Maybe if I can get my parents to spring for Junior Speedsters camp this Summer...” Scootaloo let out a heavy sigh. Summer was still a few months away, and there was no guarantee her parents would even fly for the idea. It could be so frustrating being a landlocked pegasus. “Well, what if you got somepony else to teach you?” “That's a great idea! And Ah know the perfect pony that could get ya airborne!” “Really? Who?! Tell me tell me!” Scootaloo's wings started flapping at the prospect of some special tutoring. “The fastest, most bravest pegasus in all'a Equestria of course! Honestly Scoots, Ah'm surprised you didn't think of it first!” “Wait, are you talking abou- NO WAY! Nonononono! A pony as cool and awesome and incredible as Rainbow Dash would NEVER waste her time with some filly like me...” “But Rainbow Dash is really nice Scootaloo! I'm sure she'd be happy to help another up-and-coming superstar flier like you. You never know until you ask!” Maybe Sweetie Belle was right. Rainbow Dash could be brash, but she really was a great pony. Besides, lessons from Rainbow Dash would definitely be far cooler than anything Junior Speedsters could provide. Nevertheless, when Scootaloo thought about asking her idol for help, about bugging her and wasting her time, she couldn't help getting a knot in her stomach. She stifled a gulp and gave a nod in agreement to her friends. – Scootaloo was awoken from a fitful sleep by a pair of courting songbirds outside of her window. Blinking the sand from her eyes with heavy lids, she forced herself from the warm sanctuary of her covers and ridded herself of the rest of her drowsiness with a hard shake of her mane. Her night had been plagued by dreams of her upcoming confrontation with Rainbow Dash. In some Rainbow would be overwhelmingly eager to take on a promising new protégé, in others her eyes would burn with contempt at the audacity of the little filly. In one particularly disconcerting dream, upon receiving a request for a lesson, Rainbow Dash had given an odd look to Scootaloo's withers. When Scootaloo had looked back at the source of her idol's confusion, she discovered with horror that her wings had disappeared. The one uniting theme between all of the dreams was that Scootaloo was never able to get a foot off of the ground. She walked into the bathroom and stared into the mirror. Her disheveled and nervous reflection attempted to pep her up. “Well, I might as well give it a shot. After all, what's the worst that could happen?” She tried as hard as she could not to think of what that could be. After a quick breakfast of carrot juice and oats, she took a deep breath and walked towards the door, as ready as she'd ever be to search for Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash was not as difficult to locate as Scootaloo imagined she would be, and her mood straddled a line between relief and reluctance. After stepping from her doorstep and taking a cursory examination of the sky, she had spotted a rainbow streak in the distance, zipping through a group of cumulus clouds. Her mood settling on resolve, the little pegasus flipped her helmet onto her head, hopped on her scooter, and raced towards her hero. – Wiping a bead of sweat from her brow, Rainbow Dash grinned in self-satisfaction. She had gotten in practice for a new routine, and probably set a new personal record for cloud clearing in the process. In her section of sky there was blue as far as the eye could see, save for a single cloud she had set aside for a post-workout nap. Rainbow landed on the fluffy white surface and lay back, kicking one leg over the other. It was hard work being this awesome. No, that wasn't quite right. It was hard work for other ponies, but it was only second nature to the Dash. She closed her eyes and drifted into the world of dreams, as her cotton chariot scudded across the sky. – The crowd erupted into a frenzy as the Wonderbolts streaked overhead in a tight diamond formation. Dash nodded a command to the rest of her squadron, and the three formed a triangle around her, beginning a spiral around the pegasus. The effect was a thunderous triple helix twisting around a rainbow axis cutting through the atmosphere. The response of the audience was a roar of excitement that sent a palpable tremor through the air, a wave of sound that was felt more than heard. “Ha, if they thought that was good, wait until they get a load of this!” Dash flicked her ears, indicating that it was time for the climax of the show. The helix made a sharp turn upwards, heading perpendicular to the plane of the earth below. High enough that the they could only be identified below by the contrails they left behind, the Wonderbolts ceased their ascent. Rainbow held her place in the air, as her three partners continued their circuitous path around her, widening the radius. Once the orbit about her had tripled in size, Dash pointed her nose towards the ground and began her dive. The other Wonderbolts began to narrow their spiral once more as they followed her plunge. The triple helix tapered into a cone as the performers accelerated to unfathomable speeds, with Dash's signature rainbow trail just barely keeping ahead. The audience collectively held its breath as the air bent around the four pegasi. They knew what was coming next. There was a cacophonous crack as a rainbow halo exploded across the sky and each of the Wonderbolts darted in the four cardinal directions. Although the distance between her and the audience was large, and only growing larger, Dash could still her them chanting. “Dash! Dash! Dash! Dash! Dash-” Rainbow Dash grudgingly awoke from her dream and was surprised to still hear her name being called. Peeking over the side of her cloud, she spotted a familiar filly calling up to her. “Hi, Dash! Um, are you busy right now?” “Just trying to take catch up on some beauty sleep.” Rainbow glided down to Scootaloo and gave her a friendly nudge in the shoulder. "What's up, squirt? This was it, it was now or never. The moment of truth. The most important day of Scootaloo's life. The day that she was going to- “Uh, hello?” Dash waved a hoof in front of Scootaloo's face. “Do you want something, Scoots, or can I go back to sleep?” Oh no, she was wasting Rainbow's time! She knew she was going to be a bother, she should just go home and let her hero get her sleep. Still, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were so encouraging, she had to do this for their sake. “Well I was just wondering, you know, you're a really good flier -heh, yeah of course you know that- and I was thinking, if you're not, like, super duper busy, which you probably are because you're so awesome and all, ifyouwouldmaybeteachmehowtofly? I mean, if that's ok?” Scootaloo's face stretched into an awkward grin. She had put it all on the line and asked for Rainbow Dash's help. But why did Rainbow's face look so blank? Had she been right about what her reaction would be? Had her friends been wrong?! Maybe she could still slink away and save herself the embarrassment of getting shot down. Maybe if she was super lucky her parents would let her go to Junior Speedsters camp in the summer. What Rainbow Dash did next she could not have expected. She said, “Sure!” – “OK, first things first, pipsqueak! If you want to be a great flier, the first thing you need to realize is that form is everything. Let me see what you've got.” This was a dream come true: instruction from the legendary Rainbow Dash! Scootaloo did not want to disappoint her mentor. Gritting her teeth, she flexed her wings, closed her eyes for focus, and began flapping as wildly as possible. However, instead of achieving lift off, Scootaloo buzzed across the ground like a hummingbird whose legs were fastened inside of a roller skate. Rainbow held back a laugh as the little pegasus cut a serpentine track across the grass like a rogue lawnmower. Putting a hoof to her lips, she whistled sharply, bringing Scootaloo to a sudden stop in front of her. “Well you've got speed, I'll give you that, kiddo,” Scootaloo's eyes lit up at the praise. “BUT! Like I said, form. Is. Everything! You're not going to get an inch in the air if you don't have control. Check this out, and keep an eye on what I do!” Rainbow raised her wings and with one well practiced stroke propelled herself a yard into the air. Scootaloo gasped at the older pegasus's grace. “Hehe, not too shabby eh? Now you give it a shot.” Scootaloo honestly had no idea how Rainbow's form had differed from hers. It looked like she had just lifted her wings then brought them down as hard as she could. Scootaloo timidly raised her wings and then did just that. She managed to lift up an inch or two, not something that could yet be called flight. What in the heck was she doing wrong? “There's more to it than just up and down, you know,” the blue pegasus teased. “I'll do it slowly so pay attention. Watch how I roll my wings out as I lift them.” Rainbow gently unfurled her wings upwards. Scootaloo noticed how widely she fanned her feathers, pointing them up and behind her. “Then, little one, as you bring them down you catch the air!” As her wings came down, Scootaloo saw how they rotated into her body, scooping air in the process. It was done so slowly that Rainbow didn't leave the ground, but the concept seemed to make sense. “OK, your turn, and don't worry about taking off yet. I want to see it slow and controlled. Remember: form, form, form!” Scootaloo mimicked Dash's movements to the best of her ability. First slowly rolling her wings outwards and fanning her feathers, and then rolling them into her body as she brought them down. The movement felt different, but not unnatural. “Well, well, well, not bad at all! Now keep at it until your muscles remember the motion, burn it in and don't rush it!” The little filly was ecstatic! Not only had she learned a secret technique to flying, she apparently wasn't half bad at it! She followed Dash's instruction to the letter, slowly opening her wings and slowly closing them. Though tempting, she made sure not to beat her wings faster, putting her heart and soul into her technique. Into the practice, however, she found she had to blink several times to keep the sweat forming on her brow from rolling into her eyes. The motion was still alien to her body and she found herself getting tired. It confused her; how could such slow actions be more wearying than her earlier rapid beating of wings? Still, performing such deliberate, focused actions, rather than relying on momentum, was taxing her physically and mentally. Breathing more heavily she started to fall into old habits. Naturally, Rainbow Dash was right on top of her. “Tsk tsk tsk, that is EXACTLY what we're trying to hammer out! If you want to be one of the best, you gotta work at it! Now, Correct. Those. Wings!” Scootaloo groaned, she had no idea it was going to be this hard! Still, she didn't want to wuss out in front of Rainbow. She was tough, and she was going to prove it! Against the protests of her body, she resumed the additional motions that she had been taught. If it weren't for the sweat rolling into her eyes, she might have seen Rainbow smiling. – “Alright, that's good enough for now. Take thirty!” By the time Rainbow Dash finally allowed Scootaloo a break, the sun was directly overhead. The exhausted filly slumped to her belly, her legs splayed out and her wings drooping weakly to her sides. She panted hard, desperate to get oxygen back into her blood and muscles. Still, if nothing else, she felt like she had committed the wing technique to muscle memory. Maybe she had. To be honest with herself, at the moment she didn't really feel anything else but sore. Scootaloo just lay there for several moments, letting her body recover. Finally having resumed normal breathing, she made an attempt at conversation. “Hey, Rainbow Dash? How come you're a weather pony? I bet you could be touring all over Equestria with your rad moves.” Rainbow Dash cocked her head to the side as she thought about her response. It was true that a pony of her talents would take any venue by storm, no doubt about it; she had planned to do so by joining the premier flying team, and her number one heroes, the Wonderbolts. However, as much as she would deny it if asked, she didn't yet feel ready to make her professional debut. Of course she was a superb flier, winning the Best Young Flier's competition proved that, thank you very much. Still, deep down Rainbow Dash knew that the theatrics of her heroics that day must have played some small role in her triumph. She had slipped up during the first two parts of her routine, and even if the rest of Equestria may have forgotten about it, she had not. Botching up like that in a routine was unacceptable to her. No, when Dash took center stage it was going to be flawless! In the meantime, as a job cloud kicking wasn't half bad. It kept her in excellent shape, and Ponyville was a pretty cool place. “Now hold on, don't be so quick to knock weather work! Clearing the sky is actually a GREAT way to get practice in on stunts, and get paid in the process.” Scanning the sky, Dash searched for a way to hammer home her point. Spotting five well spaced altocumulus to the east of her assigned section of sky, she set herself for take off. “And actions speak louder than words! Keep time, kid!” Scootaloo was nearly sent tumbling backwards in Dash's wake as she bolted towards the clouds. Rainbow's words came back to her and she immediately started counting the seconds. “One, two...” Rainbow Dash reached the weather pattern and burst into the cloud low and to the left of the rest of them, before banking hard towards the rightmost cloud. “Three...” Obliterating the second cloud, Rainbow did a hairpin turn as she dashed towards her next target, the cloud on the far left. “Four...” Another sharp turn later and Dash had evaporated the third cloud and closed the distance on the fourth. There was an eruption of vapor, and she was off towards the highest cloud. “Five...” With an explosive kick, Dash eliminated the final cloud and darted back to the location of her first target. At this point Scootaloo had forgotten to keep time, being so awestruck by what Rainbow Dash had just done. In Dash's wake a rainbow-lined, five-pointed star remained in the sky in place of the five clouds, gradually wisping away. Dash returned more leisurely than she had left, and as she landed she had a very smug look on her face. Scootaloo went into fan girl mode instantly, squealing and stamping the ground. “Keeping the air clear for ponies and looking good while doing it. That's just one nice thing about being a weather pony,” Dash preened. “That was spectacular, Rainbow Dash! Ohhh, I wish Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were here, that was sooooooo sick!” When Scootaloo mentioned the two other fillies, close knit companions of hers together in the search for their cutie marks, Dash's face softened imperceptibly. That right there was the biggest reason for still kicking it around Ponyville. “That's another cool thing about being a weather pony. You get to stay close to your friends.” Scootaloo quickly quieted down; she hadn't even considered what touring Equestria might mean for Rainbow's friendships. She thought about what she would do in the same situation. Of course, it'd be totally awesome to see the world and have strangers cheering your name. But what about those times when you didn't want bleachers full of anonymous ponies celebrating your tricks, but rather a few intimate friends to share in your joys and sorrows? The thought of not being able to see Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle whenever she wanted didn't seem very fun. Rainbow thought back to her very first adventure with her six closest friends. They had ventured into the Everfree Forest to put a stop to the designs of Nightmare Moon, Celestia’s younger sister Luna who had been under some terrible possession. At the onset of that adventure, Rainbow hadn't been that close to the some of the other girls; heck, she thought that Twilight was a spy for Celestia's sake! Yet, as they traveled together, supporting each other during that journey with their unique strengths, Dash had quickly developed a fondness for the others. She recalled the offer she had received from the mysterious Shadowbolts, and the condition that came with it. The chance to captain her very own elite flying team! And all she had to do was abandon her friends and their mission to save Equestria. She knew now that it was only a deception by Nightmare Moon, but back then she had been convinced that those ebon pegasi were the real deal. “You know, I was once offered the chance to command a flying team like the Wonderbolts,” Dash said, deliberately sparing Scootaloo all of the details of her encounter. “Really?? Why didn't you take it?” “Well for one, they weren't the Wonderbolts. …Also, they wanted me to abandon my friends. At a time when they needed me the most.” “Jeez, that's awful! Who'd want to join a bunch of jerks like that?” “Heh, not this pony, that's for sure, kiddo! At that moment, I realized that no amount of fame would be worth forgetting those that I care about, and if anypony has a problem with that, they can stuff it!” Rainbow Dash thought back to when she had been on the other side of that bridge, listening to the Shadowbolts' pitch. As sweet as the deal had sounded, there hadn't been a single smidgeon of doubt in her heart about choosing to help her friends. “Okay, enough with the sappy stuff, back to work, kid!” Although a still bit stiff, Scootaloo stood easily. The rest had reinvigorated her, and Dash's fantastic stunt had inspired her. She waited for the next command. “This is where it really starts to come together! Now that you've got the technique more or less squared away, try putting some of that speed of yours into the down stroke.” Scootaloo closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened her wings into the air and spread her feathers wide. Exhaling sharply, she brought her wings down with the additional roll that she had been practicing for hours earlier. For a second or two the cool sensation of the grass on her hooves left her. Wait a second, had she really done it? Opening her eyes, she saw Dash give her a nod of approval. Okay, she had to see this for herself. She performed the exact same motion and watched as the ground sank a foot below her then rose back to meet her. Holy manure, she HAD done it! “Equestria's best young flier, weather pegasus extraordinaire, AND master coach? How do I keep all of this concentrated awesomeness in this lean, mean body of mine?” Shrieking in elation, Scootaloo didn't hear Dash's boast as she continued her wing-propelled hops into the air. She didn't have to be told the next step. Bringing the speed into her upstroke as well, she found that with a bit of concentration she was able to suspend herself in the air, albeit a bit shakily. If she was of the personality to do so, she'd be crying tears of joy. She was actually flying! “That takes care of the basics, I guess,” Rainbow grinned at the orange pegasus wobbling before her, “Now let's see if we can get you moving in some direction instead of just hovering in place.” For the next few hours Rainbow Dash drilled Scootaloo on the basics of body control in the air. Although she was a quick study, adding an additional dimension of movement took a lot of getting used to for the little filly. She found herself pitching uncontrollably when Dash tried to teach her forwards and backwards movement. Even when holding a position in the air, Scootaloo noticed she had a slight clockwise yaw that would spin her slowly in place. However, despite all of her fumbles and slips, Dash proved to be a surprisingly patient teacher, never once giving up on her pupil. She really did embody the element of Loyalty. Free of most, though not all of the twitches in her flight, Scootaloo was feeling pumped. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were going to flip once they saw what she had learned over the weekend! She briefly wondered if they could attach some balloons to their wagon and terrorize the sky as they so often did the land. That's when an idea struck her. She had spent most of her life planted on the ground, and now she had just been introduced to a whole new world for exploration! Pumping her wings, she decided to see just how high she could go. Now more comfortable with the proper form of flying, Scootaloo found that the original power she exhibited in those breakneck dashes with her friends in tow wasn't so worthless. With each wing beat, she rose higher and higher, the buildings and roads of Ponyville dissolving into colorful paisleys before turning into a singular multicolor smear. Yet, it seemed that at some point the scenery below her didn't get any smaller no matter how much harder she flapped her wings, like they weren't finding purchase. Furthermore, it felt like she wasn't getting as much air into her lungs with each inhale as she had been before. Exhausted and with hazier thoughts, she closed her eyes in contemplation of this strange development. At least a refreshing breeze had kicked up to cool her off after her exertion. On top of that, the wind rushing over her body felt wonderful. Maybe she could just stay like this for a while: enjoying the cooling sensation, letting her wings rest and- -Wait. What was that last part? Suddenly Scootaloo felt something slide under her legs and the direction of the wind changed. Opening her eyes she saw that the ground had grown terribly close, close enough to discern individual bushes and stones, and that only a pair of blue legs were keeping it from growing closer still. With blank horror, she realized that she had unwittingly gone into a free fall and had very nearly fallen to her death. The thought made Scootaloo go numb. She heard a voice shout just above her. “Yeah, I probably shoulda mentioned that the air gets thinner the farther up you go! Next time you decide to climb that high, make sure there's a cloud or something beneath you!” Rainbow Dash gracefully slowed her flight and gently placed the little orange filly on the ground, moving around to face her. Meeting her mentor's eyes, Scootaloo turned away in embarrassment. Her legs were shaking from fear, and she didn't want Dash, her hero, her savior, to see her like this. “I- I guess I shouldn't have been so reckless... Sorry for making you rescue me.” Dash placed a hoof to the trembling filly's mane and ruffled it. “Aw, cheer up! It was no big deal, and you're a lot lighter than Rarity and three Wonderbolts! Besides, did you see how high you got up before you spazzed out?! That was pretty sweet!” Scootaloo's trembling stopped and her head whisked up to face her rescuer. Dash's face was earnest. She thought that she had done something 'pretty sweet'? That was, well, pretty sweet! Dash put a hoof to Scootaloo's shoulder, stopping her before she could go into fan girl mode again. “Still, that was a pretty close call, squirt. You've got a lot to learn, not only about technique, but your body's limitations as well. I'd hate to teach you something, only to have you leave a crater in the ground due to not being able to use it right, you know what I mean?” Weighing Rainbow Dash's words, Scootaloo gasped at their possible meaning. She was surprised to get one lesson from her idol; was she really receiving on offer for more? “Hold up, does this mean that you wouldn't mind teaching me more stuff?!” “Yeah, if I'm not busy clearing skies or kicking flank with the gang, I wouldn't mind giving you a couple more pointers. Keep at it, and I can see you becoming a really rockin' flier, Scoots!” Realizing what she had just said, Rainbow Dash's eyes widened in dread at what would come next; she put her hooves to her ears and braced herself. Scootaloo's ecstatic outcry echoed as far as Sweet Apple Acres, causing Winona to howl in answer. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A few years, a few victories, a healthy share of frustrations, and but one part of a greater friendship later... As she stepped out into the open air arena, Scootaloo struggled to keep her heart from beating out of her chest. With her entrance, the ponies in the stands above her erupted into applause for the final performance of the day. Searching through the audience she spotted two familiar mares who were rather out of place amongst the pegasi spectators. Apple Bloom was waving an orange and pink flag in her mouth while, in the glow of her magic, Sweetie Belle supported a large banner with the phrase 'GO SCOOTALOO!!' in bold, purple letters. The unicorn had gone beyond lifting simple paper scraps, having learned the cloud walking spell from Twilight just so that she and her earth pony companion could support their friend. Scootaloo grinned at the two, not sure if they could see it, but certain that they'd feel it. She turned towards the platform for the honorary judges, the Wonderbolts, and spotted a familiar rainbow mane and tail sticking out of one of the blue and yellow uniforms. This Wonderbolt had a stern look on her mouth, but upon meeting Scootaloo's face one corner of it bent into a smirk. She made the subtlest of nods. All of the reticence that Scootaloo had felt left her in that instance, and she stepped into the cloud field. A slow-paced rock number began, cuing the start of her routine. Unfurling a powerful pair of wings and fanning her feathers wide, she paused for show. The music then shifted to a rapid tempo, and with a down stroke she shot into the air like a missile. Jetting through the air, Scootaloo effortlessly performed a practiced combination of Cuban 8s, snap rolls, and loops. The audience was enraptured by the tortuous strokes that she painted overhead, uttering surprised gasps and delighted trills with every twist and turn. Of course, by now all of these stunts were second nature to Scootaloo: she had, after all, learned from the greatest teacher and flier in all of Equestria. Absentmindedly moving into a Lomcevak, she thought about the very first lesson she had received. That day, in her overconfidence she had flown too high and accidentally gone into a free fall. And now she was about to do it deliberately. She allowed herself a grin. The noonday sun rested directly overhead. Squinting her eyes, Scootaloo sighted on it with a hoof and soared towards it. In little time, she reached the apex of her ascent and prepared herself mentally for the coup de grâce, the reward of many struggles, many bruises, and an indomitable will. The arena was just a white dot below her, a bright pin prick on a dull wash of green. She thrust her front hooves towards it, pulled her wings into her side, and began her dive. As she gained speed, the wind whipped her mane and tail around wildly. lashing them against her legs and body. Soon she could barely keep her eyes open as tears poured in rivulets at the corners, whipped away to quickly to keep them moist. Gritting her teeth, she pulled her body in as narrowly as possible to reduce the effect of what she had learned to call form drag. Heh, so many types of drag. Rainbow Dash: flier fantastic and aerodynamics genius. The arena was rapidly expanding into her view, dominating her field of vision. This was it, time to make history! Scootaloo felt the familiar invisible layer trying to repel her. She felt it resist, trying to sling her back like an elastic band. It stretched unwillingly, tightening and pulling against her. She fought against it and it fought back, straining, and straining, and STRAINING and- BOOOOOOOM!! The sky erupted in an explosion of colors. Oranges and tangerines, mauves, maroons, and burgundies flooded the sky. Although it was the middle of the day, all of the ponies in the audience would have sworn they had just witnessed the setting of the sun. – To nopony's surprise, Scootaloo had won the Best Young Flier's competition handily. Separating herself from a group of enthusiastic fans and fellow competitors, she cantered to where her two best friends were waiting for her. “Wow, Ah ain't never seen flyin’ like that before! Ya really pulled out all the stops, didn't ya?!” “That was incredible! The way you dashed, and zipped, and zoomed! It was so amazing! And that last trick, I had no idea you could do anything like that!” “Hehe, I guess it was pretty cool, huh? Rainbow Dash drilled me for months to get that one down. 'Gotta have a kick-flank finale to show them what's up!' she told me.” As if on cue, Rainbow Dash and the rest of the Wonderbolts landed beside the three friends. Dash approached Scootaloo and lifted a hoof to her. Scootaloo bumped it with her own. “I told you you'd be a rockin' flier, kid! Heh, reminds me of a certain somepony a few years back, if I do say so myself!” “Maybe, though I didn't have four other ponies on top of me.” “You can work up to it. 'Sides, you're being too modest, that's another thing we need to work on,” Dash said with a wink. “Anyways, I do believe your performance has earned you the privilege of hanging out with the illustrious Wonderbolts! Shall we?” Before leaving with Rainbow Dash and the others, Scootaloo turned to her friends. “I'll catch you guys later alright? We need to celebrate!” “Sure thing!” “Y'all can count on it!” Scootaloo took off with the Wonderbolts, readying herself for the greatest trial the Best Young Flier's competition would have to offer. The after party. – A few days later, Scootaloo settled into a tree, taking a well-deserved break after having spent the earlier part of the day practicing a new stunt routine. She had shut her eyes and was just losing consciousness, when she heard a squeaky voice from below. “U-um, h-hi! Y-you're Scootaloo, r-right?” Looking down, she saw the source of the tiny voice. It was a small emerald pegasus filly with a lime colored mane. “That's me!" Scootaloo called down. "What can I do you for?” “Eeep! Um, I know this is f-forward of me, b-but I don't know how to f-f-fly yet, and I was um, th-thinking, since you're so g-good and t-t-talented, and all.... c-could you maybe... give me some p-pointers?” The terrified filly smiled meekly at the mare, who hadn't stirred from her spot in the tree. Scootaloo yawned and stretched out her legs, before hopping down in front of the filly who leapt back in shock. “Sure. What's your name?”

isi

258

Applejack,Original Character,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Silver Clouds

incomplete

<p>A new pony comes to Ponyville, searching for a place to call home. Troubled by her own past, she makes decisions and takes actions that may endanger all of Ponyville and even more herself. Will Twilight and her friends be able to find out what her intentions are and stop her before things get worse?</p>

everyone

2011-08-09T19:44:27+00:00

2011-08-09T19:44:27+00:00

“So this is Ponyville.”, she whispered to herself. “Looks nice.” Standing on the small hill, just outside of the town, her eyes wandered and she looked at what lay before her. It was a beautiful day. The sun stood high in the cloudless sky and a warm breeze was blowing through the trees and over the green grass. She closed her eyes and lifted her head, letting the gentle wind flow through her mane. The silver hair with dark purple strands formed a mild contrast to her dark blue fur. If anyone would have seen her standing there, they would have said that she looked like any other Pegasus. Even her cutie mark, a simple cloud, silver colored like her hair, was pretty common among pegasi. The only unusual thing about her appearance was the silver bracelet around the ankle of her right front leg. After standing there for a while, enjoying the view and weather, she stretched her wings. “Let’s take a closer look.” She started flapping her wings slowly, lifting only a few inches from the ground. For her staying this low was always better to explore a new city. Other ponies would say, that the view from above is more natural for a pegasus, but she didn’t care about that. Getting a good impression of what the town and its inhabitants are like was all that counted for her. She came to the first house and stopped. It was a simple timber-framed building, with flower boxes before each window. So she stood there, gazing at the crafted walls and the colorful flowers. As if they had hypnotized her, she simply could not look away. Every frame, every flower, every small ornament reminded her of home. The home left so long ago. One of the windows opened and a pegasus with a light green coat stepped into the light, waving at her. She could not see the face, but she knew that the pony standing there was her mother. But because of what happened that faithful day, the day she left her old life, this was not possible. Since that day she had no one left. She had no home. She was alone, always alone. Shaking her head, to cast away this shadow of the past, she looked again to see that the window was still closed. She scolded herself. “Come on. You cannot change the past, so there is no sense dwelling in memories.” With a sigh she forced herself to look away and proceed to hover towards the town square. This time of the day the square was filled with ponies. Some were doing their daily work, like cleaning the road or caring for the flowers at the sides of it. Others just stood there, chatting, laughing or simply fooling around. There were also a few market stands, with ponies selling all types of things, including all sorts of vegetables and fruits. Her stomach growled heavy as her eyes wandered over the food. But as usual it was ignored, since she could not afford to buy something. And then there were these thoughts again. ‘Maybe you can snatch a carrot when nobody looks.’ ‘Nobody will notice if there is one celery stock missing.’ ‘You know you need something to eat!’ ‘Come on. Only a small apple, I know you want it.’ She shook her head to banish the voices. “No, I will not steal anything again!” Her hoof covered her mouth before she could realize that she said that aloud. Luckily nobody heard her. But she could not deny it, she needed something to eat, and without money, in a town she just arrived, it would not be easy to get something. But to steal it was not the answer. She knew that. Although the hunger seemed to gain control of parts of her body as her wings slowly moved her near the apple stand. The owner of the stand, which in fact was nothing more than a simple cart, was an orange earth pony with blond hair and a cowboy hat. Currently she was talking to what seemed to be her last customer, a mint colored unicorn. Slowly and barely making a sound her wings brought her nearer to the cart. Every second the gap between her and one of these delicious apples reduced. The other ponies still did not notice her. “No, I will not do that again!” she shouted, forcing her traitorous wings to fold on her flanks. “Can Ah help ya’?” the orange pony, now aware of her new customer, asked. “Oh… I… ehm…” Before she could get a sentence together her stomach growled. “Ah see. Well ya’re lucky ‘cause Ah’m Applejack an’ Ah sell the best apples in all of Ponyville. An’ who’re you? Ah’ve never seen you around here before.” Snapping out her paralysis, she looked at Applejack. There was only honest curiosity and nothing that would lead to believe she knew she just caught someone who almost stole an apple. “Well, if ya’ don’t want t’ tell that’s okay. Ah won’t force ya’.” “Oh… I…” shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she tried to start again. “I’m sorry, I just arrived in Ponyville and …” her sentence stopped as her stomach interrupted her once more. She felt ashamed, but decided to just ignore it this time. “A-anyway, my name is Silver … and I’m sorry, but I have no money and just came to … well … I don’t know. My wings brought me here.” She lowered her head, trying to hide the guilt she felt. Applejack looked at her quiet, stared into her silver colored eyes, at her silver and purple colored mane and her strange silver bracelet. The silence was awkward and Silver felt like she should just leave, but her wings won’t move from their place at the side of her flank. Then the other pony smiled. “Silver, eh? Nice t’ make ya’ acquaintance.” “Oh … ehm … nice to meet you too, but I should really go now, sorry.” and with that she turned to the side, determined to go, before her hunger could take control again. An orange leg stopped her. “Well, always nice t’ meet new ponies…” A loud, vicious growl interrupted her. “…an’ it sounds like ya’re really hungry.” the earth pony said cheerfully. Silver blushed and opened her mouth to disagree, but Applejack already scrabbled around in the pile of apples, until she found a big, red one. “Here, have’ an apple, free of charge.” Rainbow Dash sat on the roof of Sugarcube Corner, carefully aiming at the cloud before her. It was the only cloud that got spared today, all because it was destined to serve a higher purpose. And this purpose was being the canvas for Rainbow’s newest trick. In her mind she could see it already, the Wonderbolts, stunned by her awesome performance, inviting her to be their leader because of her awesome new stunt. But before that could happen, she needed to perfect it. Unlike all of her previous tricks, which tended to not work the first or the second or the third time she tried them, if they even worked at all, this one could not fail. Dash held her hooves before her face, using them to measure the size of the cloud. The size was perfect and there were no wind which could move it out of its position. Licking her lips in anticipation, she focused on the task ahead. In her head she went through it all again. Every move was planned, though this was actually pretty strange, since Rainbow Dash was more known for rushing ahead, without thinking at all. But this time, she thought to herself, everything will be different. With closed eyes she took a deep breath and then jumped into the air, racing to the cloud. Faster and faster she flew circles around it, getting nearer with every round. And then she started to tear out bits. At first Rainbow ripped out big junks of the cloud, seemingly aimless. But every time she hit her canvas, her moves got more precise. Slowly the cloud began changing its shape, to what Dash had desired for it. After ten minutes of circling and cloud ripping Rainbow returned to the roof of Sugarcube Corner. She folded her wings and wiped the sweat out of her face. “Phew, that was harder than I thought. Now, let’s take a look at my super awesome cloud statue.” As her “awesome statue” came into sight her jaw dropped. According to her plans there should be a portrait of herself, in a heroic pose, of course. But instead there was a horrible, malformed monstrosity of a cloud. Somehow it reminded her of Fluttershy’s table after being “repaired” by the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “Hi Rainbow Dash! What are you doing?” Surprised by the sudden noise, Dash jumped a few steps to the side, tilting her head in the direction of the pony who spoke to her. “Pinkie Pie? What are you doing up here? And how did you get up here?” “Oh I saw you up here and thought you might practice a new trick and I love your tricks you know like the one where you go whoosh and then fast into the air and then even faster down again you know what I mean this is the most awesome trick ever of course all your tricks are awesome but come on that one was so super duper mega cool and I thought when your preparing a new trick up here it must be super cool too so I came to see it.” Rainbow gave Pinkie a confused look, trying to sort out what she just said. “Yeah… right.” “Sooo, what is your new trick or is it a secret?” Annoyed by Pinkies way of talking way too fast, Dash rolled her eyes and pointed towards the “statue” she worked on. “Oh oh, I know this game! I have to guess what it is, right? Okey dokey lokey! Is it a tree? An apple? A cupcake? A statue of you in heroic pose? Gummy? A table?” “Yeah whatever… wait, what?” “Hooray I won.” Pinkie jumped around cheerfully, until she slipped and nearly fell. She turned to Dash with a big smile. “And as reward I want you to perform your trick that I like the most. You know which one I mean, do you, do you?” Dash looked at her confused again, until she realized what Pinkie wanted from her. “Oh you wanna see an awesome stunt? All right!” And with that she lifted off again. Higher and higher she flew into the sky, until she finally stopped and turned around. From up here she could rarely make out anything in Ponyville, besides the buildings. Folding her wings Dash raced back to the ground, gathering more speed each second. She got faster and faster as the ground came near. Pinkie jumped up and down in anticipation of what would come next. In the last possible second Rainbow unfolded her wings and changed her direction, only a few inches of air were left between her and the earth. She looked back to see Pinkie jump and cheer until she nearly fell again. Closing her eyes she muttered to herself. “Pinkie Pie, you are so random.” She didn’t notice that she was still at full speed, racing through town only a few inches above the ground. Opening her eyes Dash could see two ponies before her, one orange and familiar, the other one dark blue and unknown, standing in front of an apple cart. Her view got filled with apples as she crashed into them, burying all three under a mountain of fruits. Applejack lifted her head, shoving apples aside. “Everypony okay?” she asked and rubbed her head while taking a look at the mess, laying before her. The cart had fallen over and there were apples rolling away in all directions. In the middle of the scene, sticking out of a large pile of fruits, she could see a familiar rainbow colored tail. “Rainbow Dash! Look at what mess ya’ made!” The cyan pegasus erupted from the mass of apples, shaking her head to clear off the daze caused by the collision. “Ugh, sorry AJ, your cart stood in the way.” “Ain’t the problem that ya’ hit the cart but… wait, where’s Silver?” “Who?”, Rainbow gave her a puzzled look. A sudden groan from beneath the cart caught their attention. Applejack immediately ran over to it. Without hesitation she hit it with her hind legs, as if it were an apple tree. The cart fell over to the other side, revealing the dark blue pegasus that was trapped beneath it. “Are ya’ all right sugarcube?” she said, offering one of her legs to help her stand up. Silver grabbed it and pulled herself up, slowly. Dash joined them on the ground, eyeing the unknown pony, searching for signs of injuries. “Your right wing doesn’t look so good.” she said. “My wing? What’s wrong with it?” Silver tried to stretch her wings to see if there’s something wrong with them. The left one felt normal, but trying to move the right one cramped her muscles and sent a wave of pain through her body. Looking behind, she could see her wing standing to the side, unable to move, with a few bruises and a small trail of blood dripping from one of the feathers. “Gosh darn it, seems like tha’ rusty ol’ cart fell directly on it. Let me take a closer look.” Applejack stepped at her side, inspecting the wound with a worried expression on her face. “Don’t worry, it’s just a scratch.” Silver put on a smile, trying to ease them, but the others could see that it was forced. “Well, it doesn’t seem like it’s broken, but better not take any unnecessary risks. Rainbow, take her t’ the nurses, Ah will take care of mah apples.” “You can count on me, AJ!” Rainbow rushed to Silver’s side, stabilizing her wounded wing with her own. “This will make sure it doesn’t get any worse.” “But I just have a muscle cramp … “, she tried to protest, her voice being unsteady. But it was too late. Dash had already decided to take her to the hospital and she was not known for stepping back, once she had decided on something. Realizing that there was no way out of it, she sighed. “Fine.” “Don’t worry, we’ll be there in no time.” Silver nodded, concentrating to suppress and hide the pain originating from her wing. Slowly, watching every step, the two pegasi headed towards the local hospital, leaving the scene of the accident behind. Applejack, assisted by a few other ponies, had already flipped the cart and started to collect the apples that where scattered all over the ground. Rainbow opened her mouth and tilted her head towards Silver, trying to say something, but decided against it after seeing her stressed face. Her teeth ground on each other and her eyes twitched whenever her wing moved even the slightest bit. “I’m sorry” was all she said. Silver sat on one of the hospitals beds, grinding her teeth again, while nurse Redhearth tended to her injured wing. Luckily her wing was not broken but had cramped up due to a cut right in the middle of it. A sharp metal edge of the carts axis must have caused it, though the nurse said it wouldn’t be much of a problem. Sadly this knowledge didn’t make it hurt less. She struggled not to scream as the nurse stretched her wing, trying to get the tension out of the muscles. As she was finally able to fold it, she started putting it in tight bandages. Trying not to think too much about what the nurse was doing to her wing, Silver looked around the hospital. She was in a big clean room, the main part of the hospice, with beds aligned at its walls. It seemed empty, considering there were only 2 other patients. One of them, a sleeping earth pony with one of its legs fixated in a sling above the bed, was not really interesting. But the other patient caught her attention. It was a little filly. Two Elder ponies, probably the parents of the little one, stood there, talking with one of the nurses. Silver really didn’t want to spy on them, but nonetheless she picked up parts of their conversation. “… and that’s why your filly needs to stay here for a few days. I’m sorry but it would be too dangerous to travel with his fever.” “Are you sure you can’t do anything about this? We really need to go and it would be a shame to leave her behind.” “I’m sorry but like I said…” “*cough* mom, dad, you want to leave me behind?” “We’ve got no choice sweetie, you know that. But don’t worry, we’ll come back for you in…” Nurse Redheart laid a hoof on her shoulder, which forced her to turn her ears away and focus back towards her own injury. “I’m sorry, but this will hurt a bit.” She grabbed the end of the bandage with her teeth and pulled it in order to get it tight. Despite of the pain rushing through her body, Silver tried to concentrate and listen to the family. But all she could hear were the quiet sobs of the filly, while its parents and the nurse argued with each other. “And remember, do not use your wing for a while and if you feel it cramping up again come back immediately.” “Understood. Thank you, nurse Redheart.” Silver left the hospital, her wounded wing folded on her side, wrapped in tight bandages. Though it still hurt, she insisted on leaving. It was only a minor injury and her legs were fine so she could walk around and explore the town, at least that’s what she said to the nurse. Rainbow Dash stood outside, waiting for her to finally come out. “How’s your wing? Does it still hurt?” “No, it’s fine now. I won’t be able to fly for a while, but its okay.” “I’m sorry I didn’t stay at your side during the treatment. It’s just so boring in there and I needed to stretch my Wings.” It took a minute of silence till Rainbow realized what she just said. Her head turned red, but before she could say anything Silver sighed. “It’s okay. I don’t mind being grounded for a few days.” Dash breathed out heavily. The color of her face normalized itself again. “Well, if you need something just call for me, I never leave anypony hanging!” Silver smiled, hoping that Rainbow didn’t notice how forced it was. It was not her fault though. In fact Silver was so deep in thoughts that she didn’t pay attention at what the cyan pegasus said or did. “Well I gotta go and take care of some weather business. Remember to call me when you need help, okay?” “I will.” “Okay, see you later!” and having said that, Rainbow rushed away into the sky. Silver sighed and stood there for a while, thinking about what she had seen and experienced in the last hours. Something bothered her greatly and she just could not let it go. So she stood there, ignoring her surroundings and not caring for anything but her thoughts, until she finally made a decision. Stomping on the ground she broke out of her statue like posture, sighing and muttering to herself again. “Why is it always like that?” she sighed once more. “It would have been really nice to finally have a home. But there’s no helping it. What needs to be done, needs to be done.” With a last sigh, she stomped on the earth again. The bracelet around her ankle started to glow.

isi

258

Applejack,Original Character,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Silver Clouds

incomplete

<p>A new pony comes to Ponyville, searching for a place to call home. Troubled by her own past, she makes decisions and takes actions that may endanger all of Ponyville and even more herself. Will Twilight and her friends be able to find out what her intentions are and stop her before things get worse?</p>

everyone

2011-08-09T19:47:38+00:00

2011-08-09T19:47:38+00:00

Angel ran. He couldn’t remember the last time he ran so fast. In fact, he never had a reason to. But this time was different. He still didn’t understand what exactly happened, but he knew that he had to get help. Ponyville came into his sight and his mind raced, trying to remember in which house this purple unicorn lives. If anyone could make sense out of this, it was her. And if not, there were all this books… Books! He remembered now, the library, the great tree thing in the middle of town, is where she lives. Angel sped up again, running past the first houses. Although there were many ponies on the streets, nearly no one paid attention to the little white bunny, and those who did just looked confused and didn’t question it any further. His legs hurt. Fluttershy always told him to be careful and not overdo himself, but he couldn’t stop now. He must reach his goal. Reach it. For her. He could already see the library. ‘But how do I get into it?’, he thought to himself. Luckily this question got answered as the door opened right before him. He ran through the open door, past two pairs of orange legs and directly into a pile of books. “I’m sure the book is somewhere in this bookshelf.” Twilight Sparkle’s horn glowed as she hovered some of the books in front of her face, reading their titles. “The Tale Of The Two Sisters, no, The 42 Best Oatmeal Cupcake Recipes, no, Theories Of Magical Foci, no, no, no!” Frustrated she let the books fall to the ground. They piled on top of the few dozen already laying there. “No need t’ stress yourself tha’ much sugarcube. It’s not that’ urgent ya’ know.” “I know Applejack, you already said that. But what sort of library is this if you can’t get the book that you need?” “Maybe someone borrowed it?” “Why would someone borrow The Encyclopaedia Of Vermins And How To Keep Them Away From Your Fruits?” Twilight gave Applejack a puzzled look. “Beats me. Ah can’t even imagin’ someone remembering tha’ title.” They looked at each other and started to laugh. “Ah that’s true. But that means it must be somewhere around here.” AJ sighed. Would she have known how long this would take, she never would have asked Twilight if she has a book about the evil, little vermin’s stealing her apples right from the trees. Although she didn’t see them this time, and the amount of stolen fruits was unusual high - they even stole a few buckets! - , she was sure that it were those thievery little bunnies like so many times before. Normally she would hunt them by herself, but this time whole trees got cleared of their apples. And stealing her apples was something she took personally. “Ah, there it is.” Twilight happily trotted over to her, hovering a big green book in front of her. “I’m sorry that it took so long. If Spike wouldn’t be in Canterlot for a week, he would have found it in no time.” “It’s a’right sugarcube, need mah help t’ clean up?” “Clean up what?” She looked around the room, shocked about the mess her search created. Books lay all over the floor. In fact, there were so many piles of books that it was surprising that she walked to Applejack without falling over them. “Oh no, don’t worry. I… wanted to bring them in a new order anyway… yeah that’s right, new order.” They laughed again. “Alright, just let me put this book in my bag outside, before it gets lost gain.” Applejack walked to the door and just as she opened it something white came running through it, ran between her legs and right into one of the pile of books on the floor. “Wha’ the hay was that?” She looked behind to see that Twilight was as confused as herself. “Well, let’s find out.” Using her magic she moved the fallen books to the side, revealing a heavy breathing white bunny. “Ain’t that Fluttershy’s little bunny friend?” “”It seems so, though I wonder why he would be in such a hurry, to run directly into my books.” The Voices of the talking ponies remembered Angel that he got no time to rest. Though his limbs still ached from the long run, he forced himself to stand up and started to hop around, trying to get the attention. But then he stopped. He hadn’t thought past the point of getting here, so how should he tell them what happened? It was hard enough to tell Fluttershy what he wants to say, who knows how long they would take to understand. Seeing the bunny standing there, in a thinking pose and still breathing heavily, somehow worried Twilight. “You ran here so fast, did something happen?” Angel turned to her, nodding frantically. Then he started to hop around again, his arms shacking wild. “Sorry, Ah have no idea what he wants t’ say.” Applejack looked at the bunny, frustrated. It seems like he’s extremely worried about something… or someone! From the worried look on Twilight’s face she could tell, that she got the same idea. She nodded, knowing what her friend would say. “Did something happen to Fluttershy?” Angel nodded again, even more heavy then before, till he fell on his back, finally giving in to his exhaustion. He could feel that he was lifted from the floor by an invisible force, as Twilight used her magic to place him on her back. “To her cottage?” she asked, looking at the bunny. He nodded again. “Let’s go Twi. We ain’t got no time t’ loose.” “Right!” The two ponies ran through the door and started galloping as fast as they could, following the path to Fluttershy’s home. “What do you mean by ‘They didn’t show up’?” Rainbow shouted, rolling around on the cloud she used as a bed for her midday nap. Lying on her belly, she could see the Mayor standing below. She was flanked by two pegasi, members of Ponyville’s weather patrol, just like Rainbow herself. “It’s exactly as I said.”, the Mayor explained. “The two pegasi scheduled with weather duty this morning, never showed up to get their schedules.” “We looked for them at their homes, to see if they’re just ill or something.”, one of the pegasi added. “But there were no sign that would lead to believe that they not went to work.” The Mayor nodded. “And there’s more.” Rainbow jumped up from her cloud, flying down and landing next to the mare. “More?” “Yes, more. One of the post officers said that the mail pony is missing too. She forgot a package, when she went to her daily tour. He tried to follow her, but it looked like she never got past the first mailbox.” Rainbow sat down, scratching her head with one of her hooves. “Three pegasi missing? This can’t be a coincidence.” “Well actually…” one of the other pegasi started. “What? Don’t tell me…” “We looked around town. Approximately one third of the pegasus ponies are missing.” Rainbow’s jaw dropped and she stared at the three ponies before her. One third… missing? Thoughts racing through her mind, she recalled everything that happened the past days, trying to find something that could explain this, until the Mayor broke her concentration. “Right now we’re going to everyone, asking if they’ve seen something. We would appreciate if you could look around too. And tell everyone that there will be a meeting in the town hall in one hour.” The three ponies walked away, leaving Rainbow to her thoughts again. What if they went somewhere together? No, that doesn’t make sense. Maybe they were kidnapped? But why would someone… A single thought crossed her mind and led her to rush off immediately… ‘Fluttershy!’ They finally arrived at the cottage. Exhausted and out of breath Twilight sat down, letting Angel climb from her back. Meanwhile Applejack walked over to the door and knocked. Nothing happened. There was no sign of life in the house. After a while she knocked again. Like before there was no reaction from within. Carefully she tried to open the door. It was not locked. The inside looked exactly like it was supposed to be. Everything was in order. If it weren’t for the fact that Angel brought them here, she would have thought that everything is okay. Except one thing, Fluttershy was not here. She stepped out again, looking around to see Twilight watching Angel doing something that looked like a pantomime show. “Ain’t anybody at home. Did ya’ find something Twi?” “Well, I asked Angel what happened, but I don’t think I can understand what he’s trying to say.” She looked down at the bunny, which now started to stomp on the ground, frustrated by his inability to tell them what he needed to tell. Applejack looked around, trying to find someone else, who could tell them what happened. Something at the surrounding of the cottage bothered her greatly. It took a while till she realized that it was the silence. “It’s awful silent, ain’t it? Weren’t there dozens o’ little critters ‘round here?” “Yes AJ, I noticed that too. They probably hide in their dens. The question is, from what are they hiding?” “There’s only one way t’ find out!” She stomped hard on the ground right in front of Angel. The bunny startled because of the sudden move. “Okay ya’ little vermin, what has happened?” Frustrated Angel stomped on the ground and started with his pantomime again, but gave up after seeing the puzzled faces of the two ponies before him. If only there could be a way for him to talk to them, like he could talk to Fluttershy. This way they would understand. Looking at them, trying to find an answer to his thoughts, his eyes found Twilights horn. Of course! That’s the answer! He started to jump up and down, pointing at the horn with his arms. “Eh Twi, Ah think he wants ya’ t’ cast something.” “Huh? How can you tell? He’s just jumping up and down, gesturing at my horn… oh! I get it! Maybe I can cast a spell so that he can talk to us.” “Ya’ know a spell fo’ that?” “No, I’ll have to improvise. Stand back, I don’t know if this will work.” Clearing her mind and thoughts, Twilight concentrated on the bunny before her. She closed her eyes, concentrating. First she to find a spell she could alter to do what she wanted, but as she found none she just started to improvise, hoping that the spell would go right. Slowly her horn started to glow and a small violet band of light formed between it and Angel. After a few seconds the band vanished, leaving Angel glowing like her horn. Twilight opened her eyes again. “Did it work?”, Applejack asked. “Well, we’ll find out. Angel, try to tell us what happened.” Angel cleared his throat and opened his mouth. And then he started to talk. “Also es war so: Ich stand hier vor meiner Hütte, Fluttershy wie immer um diese Uhrzeit dabei die anderen Tiere zu füttern, als…” „Oh no, no, no. Ah cannot understand a single word.“ “But it worked. He can talk. Now let’s see if I can do something so that he talks in our language.” Her Horn started to glow again, in a slightly darker color this time. The Aura around Angel changed too, as did the language he was talking in. “…ничего не вышло из облака, и как эти …” “No Twilight, try again!” The aura changed colors again, this time to a much lighter tone. “…og derefter var væk Fluttershy …” “Come on Twilight! Ya’ can do it!” Twilights horn glowed brighter and brighter, until Angel was wrapped in light blue light. “… and then I started running as fast as I could.” With his explanation done, he looked at the two ponies. Twilight seemed to be a little exhausted, while Applejack still had a confused look on her face. “I’m sorry Angel, but could you please start from the beginning?” Frustrated at how long all of this took he sighed and started again. “I was standing right before my hut and Fluttershy fed the other animals, like she always does this time of the day. I turned around, hiding half of my carrot, so she wouldn’t scold me for not eating enough, as I heard her scream. As I turned around I could see her, getting surrounded by clouds. They came out of nowhere. It was like they ganged up on her, trying to trap her inside. As usual she was so paralyzed by her fear that she couldn’t get away. The clouds closed up completely forming one big cloud, and then it just moved away, taking Fluttershy with it. And then I started running as fast as I could.” They stood there, gazing at Angel, trying to sort out what he just said. It didn’t make any sense. Clouds kidnapping a pegasus? Puzzled they looked at each other, but neither had a clue about what this could mean. Applejack broke the silence. “Ain’t never heard o’ something like that.” “Me neither. But what could that mean?” They stood there again, thinking, forming theories and discarding them right after. Nothing seemed to make sense. “Angel, can you remember anything strange about the clouds? Maybe their form or their color?” Angel rubbed his chin with his paw. “Yes. Yes there was something. Their color was strange. Not the normal white or grey but a more metallic look… like they were made out of silver or something like that.” Silver… Applejack echoed in her mind. A thought crossed her mind. But she quickly discarded it as a simple coincidence. Before they could think further about it, a familiar blue pegasus rushed towards them, landing at their side. “What are you guys doing here? Where’s Fluttershy?” Rainbow asked. “Apparently she was kidnapped by a silver colored cloud.”, Twilight responded. “She… WHAT?” Standing on her cloud, high above Ponyville and out of sight for anyone but a pegasus, Silver gazed at the silver colored cloud before her. She could see the faint shadows of ponies inside of it. I already got half of the town’s pegasi… but there’s not much time left. She gritted her teeth, cursing her own actions. She hated doing this, she always hated it. But these were things she needed to do, because no one else could… or would… do it. It was always like this and she knew how the end will be. It happened so many times ago. Looking down at her glowing bracelet she sighed. Why do I always do this? Why can’t I just live happily without worrying or doing this kind of things? She sighed again. Muttering to herself. “I don’t want to… but it’s too late to stop now ... and if I don’t do it, who else would?” Looking down, she could see the clouds gathering.

isi

258

Applejack,Original Character,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Silver Clouds

incomplete

<p>A new pony comes to Ponyville, searching for a place to call home. Troubled by her own past, she makes decisions and takes actions that may endanger all of Ponyville and even more herself. Will Twilight and her friends be able to find out what her intentions are and stop her before things get worse?</p>

everyone

2011-08-09T19:50:06+00:00

2011-08-09T19:50:06+00:00

Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe it. Looking at each one of the nine pegasi standing before her, she rubbed her chin, thinking about what to do next. The emergency meeting the mayor had called for was long over and the earth ponies and unicorns were sent to their homes. The only ones left in the town hall, were Rainbow Dash and the nine standing in front of her. Apparently, all other pegasi were kidnapped. No one knew why. No one knew by whom. The only thing they knew was that they were all taken by silver clouds. To the pegasi this didn’t made any sense. The mayor asked them to stay at the town hall for a while. But Rainbow didn’t like being trapped, even if it was for her own safety. Twilight and the others went to the library. ‘Don’t worry, I’m sure we can find something in my books about… this.’ she had said. Though she trusted her friends, just sitting there, waiting for something to happen, drove Rainbow crazy. The faces of the other ponies told her that they felt the same. To make things even worse, the sky started to cover in clouds. Most of them had a normal shade of grey, but some of them were silver colored. Dash wondered if there could be any link between the clouds and the pegasus she met the day before. But why would she do that? And more importantly, how would she do it? The last time she saw her, her right wing was wrapped in bandages. Frustrated she stomped on the floor, getting the attention of the others. “Okay, listen! I’m tired of waiting! I say we go out there and search for the other pegasi!” They looked at each other, mumbling and nodding. Rainbow waited till they all gave her their silent agreement. “Here is the plan: I go out and clear the sky, trying to get the attention of whomever, or whatever, is responsible. You head out in teams of three and search for any sign of the other pegasi. They’ve got to be somewhere above the clouds and if anyone can find them, we can!” The others stomped on the ground, eager to do their best to find their missing friends. “It’s settled then. We’ll meet in an hour at the library. If we can’t find anything… “, she paused, looking through the window. “If we can’t find anything, then I hope Twilight and the others found something in one of those books.” Rainbow walked to the hall exit. The door flew open as she hit it with her hoof, letting a cold wind blow through the hall. She shivered from the sudden temperature change. “One last thing guys… “, she said against the wind. The other pegasi looked at her and tilted their ears. “… don’t get caught too.” Rainbow rocketed away into the sky, targeting a large patch of normal colored clouds. Her plan was to stay away from the silver ones as long as possible. Not that she was worried about them capturing her. Her pride wouldn’t even consider that to happen, she was the fastest flyer in all of Equestria after all. There were only a few seconds of flying left, until she arrived at the cloud. “Here we go!” she thought to herself and sped up. She pierced right through it, ripping a large hole. “Well looks like this is easier than I thought.” Looking down she could see that the hole already started to fill up... with silver colored clouds. “Or maybe not.” She let out a frustrated sigh before piercing through the clouds again. They stood there, watching Rainbow ascend into the sky. They admired her. Not only because she was faster than all of them, but also because she showed no fear. They held their breathes as she finally broke through the clouds and watched in horror as the clouds closed behind her faster than anyone of them could have imagined. Minutes passed. No one moved an inch. One of them let out a cheer of relief as Rainbow pierced through the clouds again. Their hearts filled with new confidence. They looked at each other and unfolded their wings, ready to set off and do their part. The three groups of pegasi headed off, each one in a slightly different direction. Flying higher and higher they followed Rainbow’s example and searched for patches of normal clouds to break through. All three groups managed to get over the clouds in visibility to each other. Two of them watched in horror as the clouds beneath the third group churned up, like the sea before a storm. The group disappeared under a wave of silver clouds. After seeing what happened to the others, the remaining pegasi spread out, staying away from the clouds as far as possible. In the distance they could spot a large silver cloud, probably the size of the town hall and in front of it the shadow of a pony, standing on a small cloud, was visible. With their target and a possible explanation in front of their eyes, they forgot about the fear and sped up, flying right through a field of little silver clouds. Only 4 of them made it to the other side. The wind howled in their ears. Their wings exhausted from fighting against it, they forced themselves forward. Their target, now clearly identifiable as a pegasus, was right before them. Another one of them hit a cloud, but they couldn’t give up now. Clouds gathered before them, forming a tunnel towards the unknown pony. Throwing all caution aside, they flew right into it. The walls around them came closer, slowly decreasing the tunnel’s size. A scream for help caused the leading pegasus to look behind. Seeing her last two comrades get trapped she put all her courage together and rocketed forward, pushing her wings to its limit. The exit of the tunnel shrank with every passing second. Only a few meters away from it, the hind legs of the last pegasus got stuck between the closing walls. She lost control of her flight, landing hard on the cloud below. The last thing she saw, before the clouds completely surrounded her, was a dark blue leg with a glowing silver bracelet around its ankle. Rainbow breathed heavily, while hovering in midair above Ponyville. “This is ridiculous! The holes close up faster than I can rip them!” She threw her hooves up in frustration. To make things worse, she had not seen any sign of the others. She looked around, searching for a hole in the clouds or any other indication that would point towards the other pegasi being there. “I hope the others are ok.” she said to herself. She took one last glance at the clouds above before turning around, flying in the direction of the library. Maybe Twilight and the others found something in the books, something that could explain everything happening. The great treehouse came into view and Rainbow lowered her speed, landing in front of the entrance. She pushed the door open and entered the library. The inside was a mess. Books lay all over the floor. In the middle of the room sat Twilight, surrounded by large piles of books. She was skimming through a thick old tome, her horn glowing bright. Her eyes were narrowed in concentration and her face was covered in sweat. Applejack stood near one of the bookshelves, scratching her head while browsing through the book titles. Once in a while, she grabbed one out of the shelf, dropped it to the ground and flipped through it, before kicking it away with a frustrated grunt. Rarity stood on the other side of the room, mumbling something while trying to rearrange the books on the ground into a less chaotic shape. The scene was absurd: AJ on one side, thoughtlessly throwing books around; Rarity on the other side, collecting the books on the ground and rearrange them into small stacks. Looking around more Rainbow could see Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sitting in a corner. They had a glum look on their faces, telling everyone who knew their usually enthusiastic temper that they weren’t meant to be CMC librarians. But they tried to help nonetheless. It took Dash a moment to realize that one of them was missing. “Of course, Scootaloo’s a pegasus, she probably got caught too… poor fillies.” she thought to herself. For a moment she stood there, silent. She was proud to have such friends, yet worried because the way they worked meant they had not found anything. And then Pinkie Pie came out of the back room. Hopping around, she moved from bookshelf to bookshelf, looking at single books before hopping away again. From time to time she giggled, probably because she found a title sounding funny. Though it didn’t fit the overall atmosphere in the library, Rainbow couldn’t help but smile. Seeing her friend laughing filled her with hope. Hope that they would find a way out of this mess. Hope to find their missing friends. And then it struck her. “Wait, where are the other pegasi? Don’t tell me they…” “Hey Rainbow! Didn’t you stay at the town hall together with the other pegasi? Good that you’re here now! I found a book filled with awesome pranks and we should totally try them out when…” “Pinkie Pie, this is not the time for pranks.” she said in a grumpy tone. “Oh I know you silly filly! Now is the time to read!” Pinkie hopped away, looking at the bookshelves again. Applejack stepped near Rainbow. “Didn’t the mayor ask ya’ t’ stay at the town hall with the others?” “Well AJ you see…” “Let me guess: you got bored and headed out on your own, didn’t find anything and decided to visit us.” Twilight said without looking up from her book. “How did you know? Did one of the other pegasi tell you? Where are they?” Applejack gave her a confused look. “No, Pinkie saw ya’ flying earlier, ya’re the only pegasus here. Ain’t they at the town hall?” Rainbow sat down, shocked and dazed by the words her friend had said. “What? Did Ah say something wrong?” AJ asked in confusion. “They’re gone… we left the hall together. I started a diversion so that they could search for … “ Applejack stomped on the ground. “Rainbow Dash, why do ya’ never listen?” She looked at her angrily. “Aha!” Twilight’s loud shout interrupted them. They all gathered in the middle of the library, curious what she did find out. “Did you find something?” Rarity asked. “Yes… well, maybe.” “What do you mean, maybe?” Rainbow hovered nervous above Twilight, trying to look into the book she was reading. “Well it’s nothing that really explains everything happening, but it’s a hint. You see, on this page a type of weather magic is mentioned. Though it’s not clearly stated how it works, it might have something to do with our situation.” “And how can it be relevant to our situation?” “You see, the spell is called Living Clouds.” Silence spread out through the library as each one of them thought about what Twilight said. Though they finally had a hint at what was going on, this single discovery led to more questions than answers. If this was a type of magic than who used it? And more importantly: why? Applejack was the first to break the silence “Does the book say anything else about that spell other than its name?” Twilight nodded. “Yes, though it’s pretty… vague. According to this text passage, the spell can be used to create clouds which can move on their own, controlled by the will of whoever created them.” She used her magic to flip to the next page, eager to read more about this spell. “What the… someone ripped out a page! The rest of the description is missing!” “What? Who could’ve done that?” the others shouted in unison. They looked at each other, but no one seemed to have an answer. Twilight stared at the rest of the page that was left inside the book. “Well, it looks like this happened long ago… maybe it’s just bad luck.” “Bad luck? How many ancient tomes, with ripped out pages, are in this library?” Rainbow’s patience started to fade and she circled around the room, frustrated by the situation. “How are we supposed to find answers when the books holding them are damaged by bad luck?” “We could ask her!” Pinkies cheerful voice stopped the ranting. They looked at her, confused by her words. Pinkie stood near the window, pointing to the sky. High above, below the clouds and barely visible, there was a single cloud… with a pony standing on top of it. Despite being far away, the dark blue coat of it was easily noticeable against the silver background. Without hesitation, Rainbow rocketed to the door. Only a few inches away something stopped her and pulled her backwards. Looking behind she could see Applejack, holding her tail with her mouth. “Hold ya’ horses Rainbow. Ya’re not going outside again.” she said. “Don’t you see? This may be our only chance to get some answers!” “Applejack is right Rainbow, it’s too dangerous to go out there! We can’t let you get caught too.” Twilight said while moving to Applejacks side. “I won’t get caught! I’m the fastest flyer in all of Equestria! Now let go!” “Darling, please. Listen to us just this one time.” Rarity laid one hoof on her shoulder, trying to ease her temper. Rainbow let out a frustrated sigh. “Fine, I won’t go out.” Applejack spit out her tail. “Now that ya’re reasonable we can…” The instant her tail was free, Rainbow rushed out of the door, ascending into the sky. ”I’m sorry everypony, but this might be our only chance and I won’t let it slip away.” “YOU!” Startled by the sudden noise, Silver shrugged. Her Cloud trembled as Rainbow landed hard on it. She quickly moved closer, reducing the distance between them. Standing only a few inches away, she looked angrily at her. “So it really is you! I didn’t want to believe it, but the evidence is clear!” Silver looked away, trying to avoid eye contact with the enraged pegasus. But Rainbow circled around her, staring at her, making her attempts to look away useless. “What have you done to the other pegasi?” Giving up on trying to avoid her gaze, Silver simply looked to the cloud below them. “They’re safe, don’t worry. I just needed to…”, she stopped, looking away again. “You needed to what? Spit it out!” “I… I need to make sure no one interferes.” “No one interferes? INTERFERES WITH WHAT?” Rainbow jumped at her, pinning her down on the cloud. Her patience was at its limit. She needed answers. Silver looked to the side, tears gathering in her eyes. “Interfere with the storm”, she said quietly. “Storm?” Rainbow looked at her, searching for a meaning behind her words. Suddenly Silver looked at her, her eyes filled with unexpected determination. “Yes, Storm.” A tear ran down her cheek. “I’m sorry, but I need to do this. I vowed that I will do whatever I must to never let anyone feel the same loneliness I feel. And I will live up to that, no matter what it will take.” Rainbow looked up in confusion, thoughts running through her mind. “Storm? Feel the same loneliness? What does she mean by that? No, I’ve got time to answer that later, now I need to stop her!” The glowing bracelet around Silver’s ankle caught her attention. The glow had something familiar. It took Rainbow only a few seconds to get the idea. It glows just like a unicorn horn! But how was this possible? But there was no time for questions, she needed to act now! Lifting her front hoof she aimed at the bracer. “Let’s see what happens if I break this!” “No, you don’t know what…” The moment Rainbow’s hoof hit the bracelet it pulsed with energy, releasing a shockwave which threw her back, right into another cloud. Dazed by the shock she tried to move away, but her limbs were shackled by the silver mass she was thrown into. Something hard hit her on the head and her vision started to blur as the cloud closed itself around her. But before losing her consciousness, she could take one last look at Silver. She just stood there with a sad face, looking at the clouds below. Though it was only a whisper, Rainbow could hear one last thing. “I’m sorry.”

isi

258

Applejack,Original Character,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Silver Clouds

incomplete

<p>A new pony comes to Ponyville, searching for a place to call home. Troubled by her own past, she makes decisions and takes actions that may endanger all of Ponyville and even more herself. Will Twilight and her friends be able to find out what her intentions are and stop her before things get worse?</p>

everyone

2011-08-09T19:51:50+00:00

2011-08-09T19:51:50+00:00

Silver breathed heavily. Since Rainbow had jumped at her, her wing wouldn’t stop hurting. No one ever came so close to her. No one ever stood up to her the way Rainbow had. No one ever even considered attacking her bracelet. She looked down at the glowing silver band. She didn’t know what happened when Rainbow hit it and still wasn’t sure if the shockwave was a reflex of herself or just an overflow of magic from the bracelet. Whichever it was, it had exhausted her. Maintaining control over her clouds was strain enough, even without anyone disturbing her. “Maybe it would be better if she had broken it” she muttered to herself. The glow around the bracelet pulsed a little, changing its color to a light blue tone. Silver was always fascinated how the colors changed whenever she looked at the bracelet. Though she knew it was impossible, she imagined it to react on her mood and feelings. As if the bracelet read her thoughts, the color changed again to light green. Silver sighed, focusing back on the clouds ahead. “Who am I fooling? I could never let anything like that happen.” ‘Of course you could not! The bracelet is a part of who you are! Just think about how it would be without it!’ Silver shrugged by the sudden noise in her head, but relaxed after realizing that it was only one of the voices; the voices in her mind; the voices that were her only company for so long. She couldn’t remember when she first heard them, but ever since they appeared they were there for her. Some of them encouraged her, some of them scolded her, some of them acted as a conscience; though she couldn’t always tell which one is which. Sometimes she dreamed about them too. These dreams were always the same. Surrounded by thick fog, she could see the shadows of ponies. But no matter how hard she tried, she never managed to see the faces that belonged to the voices. It weren’t the most pleasant dreams. Alone, trapped in fog and surrounded by shadows that argue with each other. Sometimes the voices had a familiar sound, but she never could tell why. So she just gave in and listened to what they said. ‘You really overdid it this time!’ yelled one of the voices. ‘Don’t be too hard on her! You know she has a reason too!’ answered another. ‘No, no, no. Kidnapping pegasi and initiating a storm of this magnitude? What reason could there be to justify that?’ ‘You know the reason! It’s always the same reason!” ‘Bah! That stupid oath of her, what good did it bring?’ ‘That’s right. Silver, you really should think about yourself sometime. Do you want to leave this town, like you did so many before?’ Silver grit her teeth, knowing that the voice hit a wound spot. “No, I don’t want to leave again. But I’ve got no choice. You know that.” she angrily murmured to herself. ‘No choice? Don’t make me laugh! You always had a choice! You had a choice as you nearly killed that unicorn in the last town! You had a choice as you stole this food in the town before! You had a choice as you…‘ The voice raged on, listing everything choice she mad in the past. Judging and taunting her for every mistake. ‘…and don’t forget you biggest mistake! Don’t forget how your mother…’ ‘That’s enough!’ rumbled a voice, louder than all the others before. The voices became silent, hushed in the presence of this specific one. Although it seemed to be the most powerful of them, it was also the most calm, the most familiar and the most kind. ‘She suffers enough from the memories, no need to rub in every time.’ Silver shivered from the sudden silence. Although she knew they were not real, these voices were the only thing that kept her company. They were what kept her from loosing herself. She needed them. ‘You know, you can always throw it away, if you want to!’ one voice whispered through the silence. “Throw it away?” ‘Yes throw it all away! The bracelet… the power… the responsibility… the loneliness. everything!’ “Throw it away…” she whispered to herself. The first drops of rain poured from the sky. But Silver didn’t notice them. Her mind drifted away, picturing memories from long ago. The sun fell through the window and bathed the room in a warm light. The room was small, but not uncomfortable. A few bookshelves were aligned on one wall and there was a big bed on the other end of it. A bench was aligned right before the window, allowing everyone who sat on it to enjoy the view to the outside. This day a pegasus filly with a dark blue coat sat on it. Silver shrugged as the light fell on her eyes. She tried to protect them with one of her front hooves, letting out a frustrated grunt. Everyone would expect that a young pegasus like her would fly around and play on a day like this, yet she sat in her room, looking out of the window. The reason could be found outside. There were five unicorn fillies on the street, playing some sort of ball game. Throwing around the ball using their magic, they laughed and cheered at each other. Though for an outside viewer this scene was peaceful, even filled with joy, for Silver things were different. They were taunting her. Every time she tried to join them, every time she tried to make friends with them, they always refused. They made fun of her, simply because she was one of only two pegasi in a town full of unicorns. She let out a long frustrated sigh. “Why so glum my little pony?” asked a deep and warm voice behind her. Silver hadn’t noticed that the door had opened. She turned around and looked at the unicorn stallion standing there. Smiling he walked over to her and sat down on the bench. He looked at the little filly, which just continued to look outside with a depressed expression on her face. He followed her gaze. “Ah I see. Did they make fun of you again?” “They’re always making fun of me!” Silver threw up her hooves in frustration, turning to the unicorn besides her. She looked at his dark purple coat, followed the flow of his grey mane up to the horn on his forehead. She lowered her eyes, sighing again. “I see.” “What do you see? How could you understand?” she shouted at him, letting out all the frustration that had built up inside of her. “You don’t know how it feels to be different than everyone! How it feels to be the only pegasus in town! How it feels to have no friends!” “You still have me and your mother.” “It’s not the same! You are a unicorn! And mother cannot fly anymore. It’s not fair.” Tears filled her eyes and she leaned against his side. He patted her on the head gently. “You know, you’re wrong on one point.” he said with a calm voice. “Huh?” she looked up, trying to find the meaning of his words. “They are not making fun of you because you’re not a unicorn, but because they’re jealous.” “Jealous?” “Yes, jealous.” he let out a warm laughter. “Jealous because you can do a thing they will never be able to.” “And that is?” He looked out of the window, laughing again. “They can never fly, of course.” She flapped a few times with her wings before folding them to her side again. “Great. And what use is it if I can fly but do not have any magic like everyone else?” “You’re wrong again. Every pony has magic inside of them.” Looking down he could see the confused look on her face. “I see. You do not believe me, right?” She nodded and he laughed again. “But it’s true! Everyone has magic inside, though it’s not always the type of magic a unicorn uses.” he stood up and walked to the bookshelves, searching through the titles while continuing his explanation. “Everything that makes a pony special can be counted as magic; magic that only this single pony has.” “But when every pony has magic, how come that only unicorns can cast spells?” “It’s simple; unicorns have more magic than earth ponies and pegasi. The magic running through them is what makes them unicorns at all. But that does not mean that there are no non-unicorns with high magic potential out there. They just lack a certain something to utilize it.” “They lack a certain something?” He turned away from the bookshelf, looking at Silver and using one of his front legs to point at his forehead. The horn glowed in a soft green light. “Oh, right; the horn, how could I’ve forgotten that?” She let out a grunt and looked away. Why does it always end with a hint at the horn? The unicorn sat down beside her again, levitating a book in front of him. Curious she looked at it. “Theories Of Magical Foci? What a strange title.” The stallion laughed again. “Yes it is a strange title, fitting for a book written by an earth pony magician.” “Now you’re making fun of me! An earth pony magician? That’s not possible. You said it yourself.” “No, I said that they lack a certain something, not that it’s impossible. You see, the author of this book spent his whole life trying to find away around this problem.” He opened the book and read the name. “Greymane the Hornless, do you want to know what made him want to be a magician?” Silver grunted and looked out of the window again. “Well, I’ll tell you anyway. He was the son of an earth pony and a unicorn. A half unicorn, if you want to say it that way.” Silver looked at the book curious. This one sentence was enough to stir her attention. “But how did he manage to be a magician without a horn?” “That’s what this book is about. Let me say it as easy as possible.” He stood up and walked up and down the room, thinking about how to phrase the words. “The question is: does the horn of a unicorn hold the magic or does it just utilize the magic inside of the body? The answer is the latter. The horn just acts as a focus, allowing its owner to concentrate and form the magic that resides within them.” He looked to Silver and judging by her puzzled look he could tell that she didn’t understand. “Okay, another try. Assuming a unicorn loses its horn. What does happen to its magic? Will it fade away or just not be usable anymore?” He walked out of the room, leaving a confused pegasus filly behind. After a few minutes he returned, levitating a silver bracelet before him. “This bracelet is a gift for you.” “Huh?” Silver tilted her head, overstrained by the situation. The stallion levitated the bracelet to her right front leg. With a clicking sound it closed around her ankle, hanging loosely on top of her hoof. “Don’t worry; when you’re grown up it will fit perfectly.” Silver looked at the bracelet. “But, why do you…” “No complains! This bracelet is my gift to you. Always value it greatly, because only then it can act as your focus.” “Act as my focus?” “Yes, act as your focus or in easier words: it can act as your horn. But only if you value it the way a unicorn values its horn.” He turned around, walking towards the exit of the room. “But, how can I use it?” “It’s all described in the book. I’m sure you will be able to find out by yourself.” he answered without turning around. Silver doubtful looked at the bracelet. “But, how can you be so sure that I can use it at all?” He turned to her and laughed again. “Oh you silly filly, I’m sure because you’re my daughter. Never forget that.” A rolling thunder behind her broke her out of her memories. The rain already poured down on Ponyville. Her mane and coat were soaked with water. She looked down to the glowing bracelet again, sighing in relief that it still glowed. “Throw it away…” she repeated the suggestion of the voice again. “No, I could never throw it away.” ‘Why hold on to it? Have you forgotten that your father left the day after he gave it to you? He never came back! He never cared for you or your mother!’ She closed her eyes. She hated that one voice. It always spoke about the things that hurt her most. Why it did that she didn’t know, nor did she care. “I know he left.” she answered in a grumpy tone. “But no matter how bad you talk about him, he will always be my father and this bracelet is my only remembrance left of him.” and silently she added: “And it’s the only thing left of home.” The voice faded. All she could hear was the sound of the falling rain. Though the silence was some kind of relief, she could not feel happy about it. She was alone again. The cloud beneath her started to move down to the houses of Ponyville. It was time to see if her plan worked out the way she wanted. Slowly she flew from house to houses, looking through each window, trying to find the one that mattered. She could see ponies lying in their beds or on the floor. In another house there were a group of ponies, embracing each other, probably in an attempt to wipe their fear away. She could even see some ponies playing some type of board game. But none of this was relevant to her. The cloud sped up as she finally spotted the one building she was searching for. Nearing the window she took a look inside. The inside was dark, not even a candle burned inside. For a moment her heart sank. Had she failed? Was all her effort in vain? A thunder illuminated the sky, allowing her to peek inside. She could see the shadows of many beds, aligned on the wall. On one of them three shades were visible; a little one in the middle, with two bigger embracing it from each side. Silver smiled and ordered her cloud to move back to her position high above Ponyville. She had found what she searched for, now all that mattered was that she could control the storm long enough. “This will be tough.” she whispered to the raging clouds above.

isi

258

Applejack,Original Character,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Silver Clouds

incomplete

<p>A new pony comes to Ponyville, searching for a place to call home. Troubled by her own past, she makes decisions and takes actions that may endanger all of Ponyville and even more herself. Will Twilight and her friends be able to find out what her intentions are and stop her before things get worse?</p>

everyone

2011-08-09T20:39:10+00:00

2011-08-09T20:39:10+00:00

“Rainbow, you’re finally awake. Thank goodness…” Rainbow Dash’s eyes slowly opened. She moaned, her head hurting like never before. Hey view was still blurred as she spotted a familiar yellow shade in front of her. “Fluttershy? Is that you?” Fluttershy gave her a long hug, burying her face in Rainbow’s mane. “I was so worried.” she whispered. Rainbow could feel that her timid friend was shaking. After giving in to the hug for a while, she gently pushed Fluttershy aside “I’m okay, just got a massive headache.” Fluttershy nodded, her body still shaking. Rainbow waited, until she had calmed down a bit, before asking the next question. “How long did I sleep?” “I-I’m not sure. It’s really hard to tell. Though, judging from the amount of light that gets in here now, and the earlier darkness which clearly was night… you slept probably a whole day.” she quietly replied. “A whole day?” Rainbow exclaimed, shock in her voice. Though her view was still a little blurred, Rainbow looked around. In every direction she could see walls that looked like clouds. Silver colored clouds. They formed a large room, at least the size of the town hall, which was filled with pegasus ponies, all pegasus ponies of Ponyville to be exact. In one corner of the room stood a large amount of buckets, filled with what looked like apples and water, probably enough for a whole week. “Where are we?” “I-I’m sorry, I don’t know”, Fluttershy said. “But some of the others said that it is the inside of a giant cloud.” “The inside of a cloud?” Rainbow gave her a puzzled look. The yellow Pegasus nodded. “Yes, the pegasi that…” she stopped, her voice shifting into a quiet whisper. “… came here before you, said that they saw a giant cloud, and someone they thought to be responsible in front of it.” “Oh, I know who is responsible. And when I get her, I better hope she has some better answers than before. These didn’t explain anything at all.” Rainbow jumped up, not willing to sit any longer. Now it was Fluttershy’s turn to look puzzled. “Y-You know who did this?” “Yes, I do. And I will go out there and get some answers from her! There is no way a cloud can hold Rainbow Dash.” She hopped of the ground, flapping her wings and heading towards the middle of the room, accelerating fast. She was so concentrated on speeding up that she did not recognize the quiet shouts of Fluttershy, begging her to wait. It didn’t matter anyway as she could talk to her after their escape, or at least that was what Rainbow thought. She flew a couple of small circles inside the cloud room, catching up more speed. Finally she decided that it was time to get out. She looked around, searching for a part of the cloud to break through. With a last flap of her wings she dashed in the direction of a suitable spot. Fluttershy tried to get in her way, but was simply pushed aside. Rainbow prepared herself for the breakthrough, already thinking about her next steps, as she hit the wall head on. It was hard as metal, and her world exploded in pain. Sparks of light started dancing before her eyes. Her view blurred again and the last thing she could see, before losing consciousness again, was Fluttershy’s worried face. Rain poured down from the sky and onto the windows of Carousel Boutique. Through the window, Rarity stared at the dark silver clouds hanging over Ponyville. She had never seen a storm like this. Streams of water were running down the houses and into the growing lake that was the street just hours ago. As if the amount of water was not enough, occasionally the sky was lit by bright lightning, followed by terrifying thunder. A new bolt illuminated the sky, striking down only a few dozen meters away from the Carousel Boutique. She jumped back from the window in shock, her heart beating wild. What if one of these would strike down on her boutique? Maybe she should have stayed with Twilight and the others in the library. After all, Twilight had this lightning warden spell to protect her home. Slowly her heartbeat normalized again, and with it the fear filled thoughts faded away. Rarity stepped back to the window. She wondered how her friends were doing. She still felt guilty for leaving them, not that she could help them that much, after all magic was Twilight’s specialty and not hers. But she could not deny that she left them for selfish motives. Reasons others would even call unreasonable or even plain stupid. She hated to admit it, but in the back of her head she knew they were right. Leaving her friends alone, because she couldn’t stand the dust filled air in the library any longer, was a stupid reason. Normally, dusty books and air wouldn’t be a problem, but she couldn’t even read the tomes Twilight brought out of the back room. In the end, it was just the justification she needed for herself, to hide from her feelings of uselessness. She turned away from the window and slowly trotted over to her bed. On it laid Sweetie Belle, sleeping. Instead of a blanket she used her Cutie Mark Crusader cape. Rarity looked down on her peaceful sleeping sister, and she could feel a tight knot in her stomach. It was unfair of her to use Sweetie Belle as an excuse to get away from the library. She knew that, but it was too late to go back anyway. No, she could not just stand there and do nothing. There had to be something she could do for her friends. Something that did not involve getting her mane and coat messed up in the rain. Something that did not involve burrowing through mountains of old, dusty books. She looked around her room, searching for inspiration. Her gaze fell upon a bolt of special cloth she had bought a few weeks ago. Of course, why didn’t she think of that earlier! She used her magic to levitate the fabric in front of her. Gently she touched it with one of her hooves, rubbing along the smooth material. Using her magic, she levitated a glass of water to her, holding it right above the fabric. Without hesitation she turned the glass, and the water poured down on the textile. But instead of soaking the cloth, the water just formed little drops on top if, rolling around with every move. Rarity tilted the fabric a little and the water rolled down and fell onto the floor. Not a single wet stain was left on it. Yes, this will be perfect; she thought to herself. Relieved that she finally found a way to help her friends, Rarity walked to her working table, and started working on a pattern. For the first time this day, she smiled to herself. These raincoats will be fabulous. “Ugh, nothing in this one either.” Twilight let out a frustrated grunt and tossed the book away. It landed on top of a large pile, in front of an empty bookshelf, releasing a dusty cloud into the library. “Twilight, sugarcube, ya’ really should take a break. Ya’ haven’t slept for two days.” Applejack stood beside her friend, resting a hoof on her shoulder. With concern filled eyes, she looked at Twilight. She had never seen her looking this bad. Her mane was a mess and her eyes looked tired. Slowly she shook her head. “Sorry Applejack, but I can’t rest now. There must be something in the books. I just need to search harder.” Twilight smiled, trying to hide her tiredness. Although it seemed that she was doing this more to assure herself than her friend. Applejack shook her head. “No Twilight, ya’ ain’t doing any good pushing yourself this far. Ya’ need t' rest now.” Twilight’s smile faded. She stood up, glaring at her friend with narrowed eyes. “How can I just sit back and rest now? How can I rest while our friends are in danger? How can I rest while outside is… THIS!” She pointed to the window, a lightning illuminated the outside the very same instant, as if it were to underpin her words. A shiver ran down Applejack’s spine; a knot forming in her stomach. The way Twilight had said these things made her feel guilty. Not guilty for telling her friend to rest, but guilty for not being any help. She had stopped trying to understand any of the books, Twilight was reading, shortly after Rarity and Pinkie Pie had left the library. She let out a long sigh. “Ah’m sorry Twi. Ah’m sorry, Ah can’t help ya’ with the research. Ah’m sorry, Ah can’t do anything for Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy or anypony else.” She looked down to the ground, scratching on the floor with her hoof. “But Ah ain’t taking back what Ah said. Ya’ need t' rest. Ya’ can’t keep going like that forever. That wouldn’t help anypony!” Twilight closed her eyes, letting out a long sigh. She looked around the library. Mountains of books lay all over the floor. Nearly every bookshelf was empty, and those which weren’t held books about cooking, tailoring or other, for the situation useless, topics. The air was filled with dust, everything looked gray and dull. It would take her forever to get things cleaned and back in order. Twilight suddenly felt very tired. She knew Applejack was right, she was at her limit. Maybe she should rest just a little bit… “No! Everpony is counting on me! I can’t sit back and rest while our friends are out there!” She shouted at Applejack, letting out all the frustration of the past days. She felt tears filling her eyes. Were they tears of anger or frustration? She didn’t know. Applejack stepped closer, looking deep into Twilight’s eyes before wrapping her legs around her neck. For a while, the only sound that filled the library, was that of raindrops hammering against the windows. Finally Applejack let go of her friend. “Feelin’ better now?” Twilight nodded. Every part of her body screamed for a rest. Until this point, her willpower was all that kept her going. “Maybe a short nap… only a few minutes.” Before she even realized it, she fell on her side, quickly falling asleep. With a triumphant smile, Applejack shoved a pillow below the head of her sleeping friend. Letting out a long yawn, she remembered that she hadn’t slept for two days too. With a sigh, she fetched another pillow and lay down too. Soon the library was filled with a loud snore. Applebloom woke up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Although she insisted to be treated like the grown up pony she was, her sister had forced her to sleep. She didn’t want to sleep, she wanted to help. But as soon as Applejack had laid her on Twilight’s bed, she had fallen asleep. She jumped up, fully rested and ready to help her friends again. A lightning struck down in front of the window, illuminating the room, followed by a loud thunder. Applebloom found herself hiding under Twilight’s blanket, staring at the rain outside. Suddenly a shadow passed by in front of the window. Curious she slid out of the bed and sneaked up to it. It rained even more than before she went to sleep, making it hard to see anything. But there was it again: a shadow, flying from house to house. Another lightning struck down, causing Applebloom to jump away from the window. But the lightning had a good side: it allowed her to clearly see the pegasus pony, she previously only saw as a shadow, and the cloud it stood on. Quickly she ran down the stairs into the main room of the library, calling out for her sister. The only answer she got was a loud snore. Applebloom let out a frustrated sigh as she stepped to her sleeping sister. “Wake up sis’. There’s somepony out there that looks like she knows what’s going on.” Applejack continued snoring. Applebloom tried to wake her by nudging her. The only reaction was a grunt as Applejack changed her sleeping position. Frustrated she looked to Twilight, who didn’t seem like she would wake up either. Applebloom sighed. “Seems like Ah need to take things in mah own hooves.” She ran to the door and kicked it open. The rain immediately fell in through the opening, accompanied by a lightning. Applebloom took a few steps back, a knot of fear forming in her throat. “No, Ah need to be brave now! For mah friends; for Scootaloo!” She swallowed her fear and ran out into the storm.

isi

258

Applejack,Original Character,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Silver Clouds

incomplete

<p>A new pony comes to Ponyville, searching for a place to call home. Troubled by her own past, she makes decisions and takes actions that may endanger all of Ponyville and even more herself. Will Twilight and her friends be able to find out what her intentions are and stop her before things get worse?</p>

everyone

2011-08-24T20:36:29+00:00

2011-08-24T20:36:29+00:00

“APPLEBLOOM! AAAAPPLEBLOOM!” Applejack’s shouts echoed through the rain. Her coat and mane were soaked with rain water and her hooves were covered in mud. Water splashed in every direction as she stepped into another puddle. Twilight ran behind her, her horn glowing in soft light. Suddenly she turned to the right. “This way!” she shouted in Applejack’s direction. A massive bolt of lightning could be seen in the distance. Applejack hearth skipped a beat as she realized that it was in the direction Twilight pointed to. As they sped up, galloping through the raid, neither Twilight nor Applejack noticed that the rain weakened and the thunder stopped. “M-Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.” Applebloom stuttered. She had curled up under an old tree, her fur and mane completely soaked with water. She sneezed and shivered as the cold wind blew around her. She had followed the strange pegasus with the cloud through the town, until she lost track of her. The rain got stronger and prevented her from seeing anything farther away than a few hoofsteps. She stumbled around till she found the tree, under which she lay now. “Big sis’… please… Ah need you…” she cried into the wind. At least it couldn’t get any worse, she thought to herself. And then the lightning hit the tree behind her, splitting it in half. Silver let out a sigh of relief. Finally she was able to shake off the earth pony following her. Though she had to admit, she never had imagined anyone leaving their houses, or even chasing her! Though, it boggled her mind why anyone would even try to follow her through this storm. She lay down on her cloud, allowing herself to rest for a few minutes. Her heavy breath and the falling rain was everything she could hear. Her ears tilted to the side, fearing that maybe the pony chasing her hadn’t given up and was just waiting for an opportunity like this. Minutes passed as a realization hit her. She hit her forehead with one of her hooves. “Stupid, stupid! Why didn’t I just fly higher?” She let out a long tired yawn. The glow of her bracelet intensified a bit as she ordered the cloud to rise higher into the air. And then her ear caught the crying shouts of a pony, barely noticeable through the constant noise of falling water. She followed the direction where the sound came from. A lone tree, which got split in half by a massive bolt of lightning the very instant she looked at it. “Oh no… please don’t be there… ” she whispered. The faint shadow of a little pony was barely visible in front of it. Her cloud couldn’t move fast enough to get there before something terrible… Silver quickly unfolded her wings, ripping away the water soaked bandages in the process. Gritting her teeth to suppress the pain, she jumped up from her cloud and flew as fast as she could. Applebloom couldn’t move. Shock froze her in place, as the half of the tree slowly fell in her direction. It seemed to fall forever. She couldn’t look away. No matter how much she tried, her legs wouldn’t move. “Sis’… help…” Someone jumped at her, throwing her away from the falling tree, seconds before it impacted on the ground. Applebloom and her savior rolled away in a tangle of legs, wet manes, tails and wings. As they finally came to a halt, Applebloom lay on top of another pony. “Big sis’, is that you?” she asked. The answer came in form of two wings that slowly waved in front of her eyes, before she was thrown of by the Pegasus below her. The Pegasus she now identified as the one she was chasing. Surprisingly she could see her very well, despite the rain and the, through the thick storm clouds, weakened light. No, that was wrong. There was enough light. It originated from the glowing bracelet that the Pegasus wore right above her right front hoof. She looked down on Applebloom with her silver colored eyes, a saddened and regretful expression in her face. “Are you hurt?” she asked, her voice calm and comforting, but also filled with great weariness. Applebloom sat up and shook her head. She opened her mouth, trying to say something, but Silver had already turned away from her. She watched in awe as the light around the bracelet grew stronger. A small silver cloud formed in front of Silver, growing fast until it was the same size as the cloud she had seen her on before. Silver turned her head to Applebloom. “You shouldn’t be outside, get back home now. …please.” “Wait, why…” “APPLEBLOOM! Get away from her!” Applebloom turned around and smiled. “Big sis’! Ya’ve found me!” Applejack galloped past her and placed herself between Silver and the filly. She put on an aggressive stance and glared at Silver with narrowed eyes. “You…” she growled. Silver shrugged and took a step back from the threatening sight of the enraged earth pony. She bit her lip, asking herself why she didn’t leave faster. Now she had to deal with one of these ponies again. This one seemed even more eager to attack her than Rainbow Dash had. She hated it. “Big sis’ what are ya’ doing? She sa… “ “Stay behind me Applebloom. She’s dangerous!” Twilight finally reached the scene, panting heavily. Her gaze immediately fell on the pegasus. “Who’s that?” “Silver…” Applejack hissed as response. “What?” Twilight narrowed her eyes, soaking in every detail of the Pegasus before her. She stood there, her dark blue coat soaked with rain water. Her wings were folded on her flank, though Twilight could see that one of them seemed to be injured. Behind her a little silver colored cloud hovered a few inches above the ground. Her gaze fell upon the glowing bracelet. It glows just like a unicorn horn! Could that mean… “So, Applejack and Rainbow Dash are right! You are responsible for the storm!” Silver shrugged, taking a step back, her tail touching the cloud. It was hard enough to face the orange earth pony, a unicorn will make things much more complicated. “Please go home. I don’t want anypony to get hurt.” She said with an unsteady, weak voice. Applejack stance didn’t change, but Twilight’s ears perked up. “You want what? What do you mean? Why are you doing this?” she shouted. Silver looked to the ground and sighed, water running down her face, dripping to the ground. To Twilight it almost seamed that she was crying, but she quickly dismissed this thought as imagination, the water clearly originated from the rain. Silver’s head jerked back up. Her sad expression replaced by a stern determination. “I do what I must, and I won’t stop no matter what you say or do!” With her last word, the stormed gained strength, the rain poured down more relentless and a lightning struck down in the distance. “But why are you doing this?” “Because I won’t let anyone suffer the same way I suffer!” Silver took a quick jump backwards, landing on top of the cloud. “What?” Twilight and Applejack shouted in unison. “Big sis’, Twilight, please stop! She sa… “ “Rainbow Dash didn’t understand. You wouldn’t understand either.” “Rainbow Dash? WHAT DID YA’ DO TO HER?” Applejack shouted, galloping forward towards Silver. The cloud quickly moved upwards out of her reach, the unexpected move knocked her off balance. She landed hard on the wet and muddy ground. “Whatever reason you have to do this, you need to stop this storm!” Twilight shouted. “I can’t stop now. I need more time, only a little more…” The cloud quickly moved away, gaining height with every passing second. Twilight concentrated, her horn glowing in multiple layers. This may be her only chance to stop whatever Silver was doing! She reached out with her magic, trying to get hold of the cloud and pull it back down. As her magic reached the cloud, the light from Silver’s bracelet grew brighter, until it was nearly blinding everyone that looked up at her. A shockwave erupted from the bracelet. The loud bang ringed in Twilight’s ears, waves of pain shot through her horn. She fell to the ground, panting heavily, the light around her horn fading slowly. “What happened?” Applejack asked as she sat down besides the exhausted unicorn, her voice still growling in anger. “I… don’t… know…” They both looked up, but there was no trace of Silver left. Applebloom sat beside them, a pained expression in her eyes. “Why did you attack her? She saved me!” Twilight and Applejack both stared at her in surprise and confusion. Silver fell down on her cloud, feeling more exhausted than ever before. Every muscle in her body screamed for rest. At least, it distracted her from the pain in her right wing. She stared down at her bracelet. It still glowed, although less intense than before. “What exactly happened back there?” She asked it, as if it could answer all her questions. I couldn’t. She still had no idea what happened. Although this was no surprise considering she didn’t know that much about magic. To her magic was nothing she could really grasp or understand; it was just a warm feeling that flew through her body whenever she used it. Not that she could do that much with it anyway, aside from that one cloud creation and controlling magic she didn’t knew any spells. Even if she knew more spells, she doubted she would be able to cast any of them. The glowing of the bracelet flickered, getting weaker before returning to its normal glow. It felt strange. Like a cold chill, running through her whole body from her mane to the tip of her tail. What did this mean? She didn’t know. She raised her head. It was getting dark, the rain still poured down. Her thoughts trailed off towards the ponies down in the town. In her mind she saw Rainbow Dash, leaping at her in furious anger. She saw Applejack, standing before here, growling, shouting and angrily digging on the ground. She saw the purple unicorn mare, using her magic for whatever she had tried to do. Silver closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. “Am I really doing the right thing? Making all them worry for the sake of one filly?” She closed her eyes, tears flowing down her face, joining in with the endless rain. “No, I can’t stop. They wouldn’t want me to stop.” Her mind drifted away again. Pictures flashing before her eyes; a dark purple unicorn stallion, smiling at her before turning around; a green pegasus mare, with saddened eyes smiling at her; a tombstone in the middle of blooming garden. She closed her eyes tight, banishing the thoughts and pictures. The storm drowned the sound of her weeping, as she slowly drifted into uneasy sleep. Rainbow Dash rubbed her chin, trying to distract her from her burning headache. Something about her prison had changed, she could feel it. She didn’t know what it was, she didn’t why she felt it, but she knew there was something. Maybe even a way out of this. Scootaloo rushed to her side, balancing an apple on top of her head. “Here Rainbow Dash, the apple you wanted.” Rainbow took the apple, slowly circling it in front of her eyes, judging the quality, before taking a bite. “It’s good, thank you.” “Anything for you, Rainbow Dash.” Dash still couldn’t believe it. She was trapped in here for almost three days now. Three days trapped in a cloud. A cloud! Rainbow dash, the fastest flier in Equestria, trapped in a cloud for three days. What would the Wonderbolts think of her, if they ever learn about this? She took another bite of the apple. At least Silver hadn’t trapped them without food. She chuckled a little at the thought that the buckets full of apples looked exactly like the ones that were stolen from Applejack a few days ago. “Hey Scootaloo, bring me another apple.” The filly smiled bright and ran off towards the food storage. Rainbow slowly stepped towards the cloud wall of her prison. Her headache got worse as she remembered her first try to break through it. However, this time she was not trying to break through, instead she was searching for something that would explain that feeling she had, the feeling that the wall had changed. “I wonder if…” she muttered to herself, lifting her front leg and slowly knocking on the cloud before her. Then she started beating the wall with more strength. Whenever her hoof hit the wall, it resulted in a faint metallic sound. *Clonk *Clonk *Clonk *Clonk *Clonk *Clonk *Clonk *Clonk *Clonk Then, suddenly, on her tenth strike the sound didn’t came. Rainbow lifted her hoof and looked at the wall. Curious she hit it again, at the same point as before. *Clonk “Strange…” she muttered, hitting the same spot again. *Clonk *Clonk *Clonk *Clonk *Clonk *Clonk *Clonk *Clonk There! On her tenth hit, the sound was different again. She looked at the wall more closely. Where her hoof had hit the cloud, a small crack was visible. “Aha! Now that is something I can use for a cool escape plan…” she muttered to herself, hitting the wall again and again. “Ah don’t get it.” Applejack exclaimed, stomping on the library floor in frustration. “Oh darling, it’s really easy. You see, the fabric I used for these is very special. Similar to the material used for umbrellas, the water does not go through it, instead it just flows down and your coat won’t get wet.” Rarity answered. “Nah, Ah ain’t talking about that fancy raincoats of yours. Ah’m talking about Silver.” “Oh… She’s the one controlling this horrible storm, right? She’s probably also responsible for whatever happened to the pegasi, right? That makes her a pretty awful pony, does it not?” Applejack shook her head. “There’s more t’ it.” “Applejack is right. She looked sad, and she said she does this because she needs to and not because she wants to.” Twilight said. “And she saved Applebloom.” Applejack added, looking to the stairs leading to Twilight’s bedroom where Applebloom was sleeping now. Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Okay… but that leaves the questions ‘Why’ and ‘How’ she does this.” “Oh, we know the ‘How’… sort of. Ya’ saw her bracelet too, didn’t you Twilight?” Twilight nodded. “Yes, it’s obviously magic, though that shouldn’t be possible, she’s a pegasus after all, and I’ve never heard of magic bracelets too. Well, at least not of ones with magic this powerful.” She turned her head towards a bookshelf. A thought crossed her mind. “Wait, I have read about something like this… what was the book called…” she fell back on her haunches, lost in thought. “Do we need to look through every book again?” Applejack asked, clearly uncomfortable with the thought. “Maybe…” Twilight muttered in response. Rarity stepped to her side. “Twilight, darling, I’m sorry but I don’t think I’ll be a great help with that. I wasn’t able to find anything when the books were ordered inside the shelves. I don’t think I could find anything in this mess.” She looked around, pointing at the piles of books that filled most of the library. “Besides, I can’t focus on anything with all the dust in the air. It’s just dreadful.” Twilights ears peaked and she looked at Rarity. “Wait; can you repeat what you just said?” Rarity blinked, obviously confused. “It’s just dreadful?” “No, the sentence before that one.” “I can’t focus on…” “Focus! Of course! That’s the answer!” Twilight happily exclaimed, clopping her hooves together. “I beg you pardon but: the answer to what?” Rarity asked in utter confusion. She had never heard the term before. “It’s something I’ve read about in my time in Canterlot. Though it’s pretty rare, I’m sure I’ve seen a copy of the book here…” Twilight looked over the mountains of books, her cheerful expression fading fast “… somewhere.” “Theories Of Magical Foci, third pile from the right, seventh book from the bottom.” Pinkie Pie chirped cheerfully as she hopped through the door into the library, leaving a trail of rain water behind her. She wore her umbrellahat and balanced a big basket, also protected by an umbrella, on her back. Rarity rolled her eyes, Applejack had one of her hooves on her forehead and just shook her head. “Pinkie Pie? How do you… nevermind, I’m not sure I really want to know.” Twilight said before heading to the pile of books. Pinkie just giggled behind her, dropping the basket in the middle of the room. She took out a muffin, flipped it in the air, and caught it with her mouth. “Where did ya’ get these?” Applejack asked, peeking into the basket. There were only a few muffins inside, raising the question why she would use a basket of this size to carry them around. “Oh, they’re just leftovers. You see, there’s this poor sick filly in the hospital and her parents were forced to stay here with her because of the storm though the really needed to leave because of some important thingies and I thought they may be sad and I thought I should make something to cheer them up and then I made a whole basket of muffins for them.” Applejack looked at Pinkie, trying to process what she just said. She put a hoof on her chin, her eyes half shut in thought. “That means…” Before she could finish the thought, Twilight returned from the pile of books, a triumphant smirk dominating her face. She levitated a book at her side. “Theories Of Magical Foci,” she read the title out loud. Pinkie giggled behind her, earning confused looks from every other pony in the room. “What? The title is funny!” She answered cheerfully before chewing on another muffin. Twilight frowned and opened the book. To her surprise a sealed envelope stuck on the first side. “What is this?” Curious and careful she took it out and broke the seal and peeked inside. It contained two folded sheets of paper. She used her magic to pull out one and slowly unfolded it. “Strange, it’s a letter. I wonder why it was in there.” “What does it say?” Rarity asked. Twilight cleared her throat and started to read the letter aloud. “My dear old friend “If you read this letter, it means the package arrived safe at your library. I’m sorry I can’t bring the book back in person, but things have happened and you will probably never see me again. I also apologize for ripping the page out of your old tome of weather spells, I’m sure you have noticed it. I know you had warned me, but I couldn’t let this chance go to waste. It doesn’t matter anymore. You will find the page in the same envelope as this letter. “I don’t have much time, but we know each other long enough that you deserve an explanation. I’m sure you remember my wife, Green Feather… my sweet Green Feather. I’m sure that you also remember her condition. I had hoped to use this cloud creation spell to help her fly again, but I failed. I wasn’t able to cast it, no matter how hard I tried. “I left them again, searching for another way to let her dream come true. Things didn’t go well. As I returned home nearly a year had passed and neither my beloved Green Feather nor my sweet, little angel was there. All I found was a gravestone in the middle of the garden. I had failed them both. I couldn’t be there when they needed me the most. “I asked every pony in town about the whereabouts of my little angel. They said she ran away and that she gave herself the guilt for what happened to her mother. Although no pony could tell me what exactly had happened. Some of them even told me how glad they were that the little feathered freak finally left. I still can’t believe it. “I’m sorry old friend, this will be the last you will hear from me, at least until I found my little silver angel. She’s out there somewhere, alone… she needs me… and I won’t give up until I find her. “Goodbye old friend “Purple Shade “P.S. inside the envelope you will find a picture of my little angel. Should you ever come across her, please tell her that I’m sorry and that I love her.” Twilight stared at the letter and the envelope in front of her. Silence filled the library as she slowly pulled out the second sheet of paper; a third, smaller than the others, fell out and onto the floor. Slowly she unfolded the page of an old tome. Just like she thought, the second page of the Living Clouds spell they had discovered the other day. “Twilight, you might want to take a look at this.” Rarity said, pointing towards the paper on the floor. Curious Twilight lifted it with her magic. Her jaw dropped as she took a closer look. “Oh my…” “What is it Twi?” Applejack walked to her side, peeking at the picture. It was the Picture of a little filly, around the age of Applebloom, with a dark blue coat and a silver and purple colored mane. A silver bracelet hung loose around her right foreleg. “Gosh darn it…” “What is it? Do you know this filly?” Rarity asked. “Yes, it is Silver.” Silver awoke to the violent shaking of the cloud she lay on. Something was wrong, the rain was more intense than before and the lightning came more often than it should. Every bolt almost instantly followed by another, turning the dark night bright as the day. Silver’s ears peaked up and her eyes widened in shock. The storm shouldn’t be this fierce! She looked down to her bracelet. It’s usually constant glow was unsteady and flickering, changing from bright light to barely noticeable in the blink of an eye. Silver tried to focus on the magic flowing through it. Her mane tingled and she could feel uncontrolled energy rush through her body. She knew what this meant. This was bad. No, this was worse. She was losing control.

isi

258

Applejack,Original Character,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Silver Clouds

incomplete

<p>A new pony comes to Ponyville, searching for a place to call home. Troubled by her own past, she makes decisions and takes actions that may endanger all of Ponyville and even more herself. Will Twilight and her friends be able to find out what her intentions are and stop her before things get worse?</p>

everyone

2011-11-13T19:37:59+00:00

2011-11-13T19:37:59+00:00

“Alright everypony, listen up!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, looking at the crowd of weather patrol pegasi in front of her. A hole in their cloud prison, barely large enough for two ponies at once, could be seen behind her. She had worked on it for what seemed like forever, and even then she only had managed to dig a hole big enough for a filly. Much to her surprise, the wall around it collapsed a few moments later. In fact, the whole cloud prison started to slowly crumble away. Rainbow Dash wasted no time, rallying all pegasi of the weather patrol and every other voluntary. They all lined up in front of her, eagerly waiting to hear her plan. “Our target is Silver, pegasus, about this height, dark blue coat, silver and purple mane, right wing injured; but most important: silver bracelet around her right front leg. I have no idea how she’s doing it, but she’s using it to cast magic like a unicorn.” The crowd audibly gasped and looked confused at each other. “We need to get out there and find a way to disrupt whatever she’s doing. My plan is simple and effective. We all fly out and break through the clouds at once and search for her. Once we find her we just threw everypony at her, she can’t withstand all of us. Oh, be sure not to try anything with that bracelet…” Rainbow took a moment to rub her still aching head. “… didn’t work well the last time I tried. Anyway, once we got her under control it should be easy to break the storm and restore the normal weather schedule.” A murmur rose from the pegasi as they started to discuss Rainbow’s plan with each other. It took every bit of Rainbow’s patience to wait until they finally calmed down and focused back at her, her tail flicking nervously all the time. “Any Questions?” A royal-blue, male pegasus wearing flying glasses raised a hoof. Dash turned towards him, raising an eyebrow. “Yes Chips?” “Are you sure we should go out there while… well… THAT?” He asked, motioning towards what lay behind the hole in the cloudwall. Rainbow turned around. “What do you…” she started to say, breaking off mid sentence. The clouds outside were pitch black, churning and raging like an angry beast. Lightning ran across the surface, turning the clouds into an image straight out of a nightmare. “Oh come on… that’s so not cool…” “Twilight, are you sure about this?” Rarity asked, her voice filled with concern. “Yes Rarity, I am sure.” Twilight Sparkle answered as she corrected the position of her new raincoat, making sure it’ll not hinder her. Rarity glanced towards the window. Thick streams of water rushed down along the surface of the glass. Outside the storm raged stronger than ever before, the sky illuminated by one lightning after the other. A shiver ran down her spine just imagining how it must be to be outside. “Is this really necessary?” she asked again. “Look, I know you’re concerned, but there is no other way. We need to help Silver or everything will get even worse.” “But, didn’t you say that these clouds will just vanish once she used up all her magic? And didn’t you say you think she reached this point already? Why risk going out there when she’s already at her limit?” “She’s right sugarcube, ya’ said that. So why rush outside?” Applejack asked. “What do you see when you look outside?” “Huh?” the two ponies answered in unison, looking confused. “Well, a dreadful storm.” Rarity finally answered. “Look closer, especially at the clouds.” Applejack looked up through the window, sipping in every detail. “Well, looks like a big, solid black cloud cover t’ me.” “Exactly. Remember what it looked like the past days?” Twilight chimed. Reading through the Living Clouds spell description again. Applejack thoughtfully rubbed her chin with a hoof, but could not finish her thoughts as Rarity answered. “It was dark, but spotted with silver patches… of course! The silver ones were created by her magic and the others…” “… are normal storm clouds.” Twilight finished the sentence. “I think she did not create the storm with magic, but did it like the pegasi usually do, by working and controlling the clouds by hoof. To do this, she created the clouds with this spell. But now that her clouds are gone, there’s nothing there to hold the storm back. Imagine it like the weather in the Everfree forest.” Each one of them shivered as a thunder roared outside the instant the unnatural forest was mentioned. Applejack started to put on her own raincoat. “Applejack?” “Ah’m coming with ya’ Twilight. Ah Won’t let ya’ go outside alone.” “Thanks AJ” Twilight answered with a smile. “So Twi, what’s the plan?” Applejack asked. “We go out there, search for her, and hope that she doesn’t run away again.” Rarity rolled her eyes. “Surely she will stay close after what happened the last time you met her. But, just in case. Take this with you.” She walked over to her saddlebags, in which she brought the raincoats, She pulled out an extra one, with two holes on the back. “I made this one for Rainbow Dash, but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind… just imagine being out there in the rain for days, her coat must be a real wet mess now.” “Thanks Rarity. Please stay here with Applebloom and Pinkie Pie… speaking of which, where’s Pinkie?” The three ponies looked around the main room of the library, their pink friend nowhere to be seen. “Her raincoat is missing too!” Rarity exclaimed. “Don’t tell me she went outside without telling anypony!” They all exchanged worried looks. Thoughtful silence fell over the library. “Well, one more reason to get out there and get this storm under control.” Twilight said. “Ah’m right behind ya’ Twi.” ‘You really outdid yourself this time’ the mockery voice chirped cheerfully. “I don’t have time to argue with you,” Silver muttered through gritted teeth. ‘Oh right, I forgot. You’re too busy messing things up.’ “Leave me alone. I have more important things to concentrate on,” she responded angry. The light around her bracelet flickered unsteady as she furiously beat her hoof on her cloud. ‘Of course you do’, the voice said, chuckling, ‘you always have more important things to do.’ Silver sighed, raising her head to look at the storm before her. “I didn’t want this. I just wanted to…” ‘Yeah, yeah, you just wanted to help this filly. How often did you say that to yourself? How often did it go wrong?’ “I …” ‘It’s always like this. You always want to help somepony. But in the end, you will fail.’ “No!” Silver shouted into the rain, tears streaming down her face. Her cloud exploded as lightning struck it from behind. Silver fell, spiraling downwards, the world around her fading to darkness. It was a bright sunny day, not a single cloud to be seen. The colorful garden in front of the simple timber framed house stood in full bloom, filling the air with all kinds of wonderful aromas. Green Feather loved her garden. She tilted the watering can a little and watched the water sprinkle down on the flowers, the light of the sun reflecting in every drop. It was beautiful. The colors, the scents, it was here that she felt alive and it almost made her forget how it felt to fly. With a wistful sigh she looked at her right wing. She stretched it carefully, concentrating on keeping balance. She folded it and turned her head to the large scar where her left wing should be. She let out a long sigh and turned her attention back to watering her flowers. She had emptied her can when a dark blue filly hopped into her view, jumping around her joyfully. Every jump the filly beat her small wings to reach higher than her legs alone could bring her. And all the time she cheerfully shouted: “I did it! I did it!” “Silver, sweety, calm down.” Green Feather reached out with one hoof, stopping the endless jumping of the overexcited filly. “I did it mom, I did it!” she shouted cheerfully. “What did you do?” “You must come so I can show you!” Silver answered, pulling on Green Feather’s right front leg. “Okay, okay. Lead the way and show me.” She answered with a giggle, not able to turn down the request of her overexcited daughter. Silver led her to the rocky hills only a few minutes away from their house. The grass was thin on the hard ground, and big boulders lay all over the landscape. They stopped at a particularly flat rock, an open book on top. “Have you been trying magic all day again?” “Yes!” the filly chirped cheerfully. She hopped to the book and pulled a loose sheet of paper out of it. “So, what do you want to show me?” Green Feather asked curiously. Silver didn’t answer. Instead, she concentrated on the sheet of paper before her. She sticked out her tongue as the bracelet around her ankle started to glow unsteady. Green Feather’s eyes grew wide as the glow raised in intensity. Sweat ran down Silver’s face as the released magic finally showed effects. A small silver colored cloud formed in front of her, slowly growing in size. Green Feather could only watch in awe as her daughter used all her willpower to enlarge the cloud. The cloud had reached the size of three full grown ponies, Silver collapsed on the ground, panting heavily, the bracelet still engulfed in a soft glow. “Silver… that’s… incredible.” Green Feather walked to the cloud, gently touching it with her hooves. “It feels like a real cloud too. It’s… wonderful.” Silver smiled from ear to ear. “I can move it at will.” “You… you can move them at will?” “Yes,” Silver chirped. “We can fly around with it without needing use our wings. Isn’t this great?” Green Feather embraced her in a tight hug, tears of joy running down her face. “Mom… you can let go of me now.” Escaping her mother’s embrace, Silver flapped her wings and jumped on the cloud. Carefully Green Feather joined her, and both of them sat down besides each other. The glow of Silver’s bracelet intensified as the cloud started to ascend into the sky. Higher and higher it rose, allowing both pegasi to look at the land below. The view was overwhelming. Green Feather closed her eyes and lifted her head into the wind. For the first time since her accident she felt like a pegasus again. She embraced the moment and wanted to never let it go again. “It’s … beautiful.” Green Feather said quietly. Silver snuggled closer to her, giggling slightly. “Hey, that tickles.” “Huh?” her mother responded, looking down at her little filly. She smiled at the sight of the silver cloud shaped Cutie Mark that now shone on her daughter’s flank. She nuzzled her gently. “I’m so proud of you.” They sat there for hours, high above the rocky hills, watching the sun stroll across the sky. Silver let out a long yawn and cuddled against her mother, as the exhaustion from using her magic finally overcame her great excitement. She closed her eyes and soon drifted away into peaceful sleep. Green Feather looked down at the sleeping filly beside her. She had never imagined her daughter would be able to do something like this and she never felt more proud, though she knew what would happen next. The glow around the bracelet started to flicker and the cloud began to shrink, its corners dissolving into the air. She embraced her sleeping daughter in a tight hug and kissed her on the forehead. “It’s not your fault sweetie.” She whispered into Silver’s ear. The glow faded away. The cloud dissolved into thin air. The fall began. “This way AJ” Twilight shouted, galloping through the rain. The roads of Ponyville had mostly turned into soft, water soaked mud, making it difficult to get proper grip while running. The surrounding was illuminated by an eerie light originating from Twilights horn. “Ya’ sure ya’ve seen something?” “Yes, it definitely looked like a falling Pegasus. It must be somewhere around here… there!” They rounded another corner and finally found what they were searching for. ‘Wake up.‘ Silver let out a grunt, opening her eyes slowly. Everything around seemed to be clouded by grey fog that blurred her vision. Her whole body felt numb and far away, even the rain pouring down on her was nothing more than a faint echo from far away. She closed her eyes again. ‘Don’t give up now. You’re so close.’ Her eyes flashed open again. Collecting what strength was left in her numb, exhausted body she rolled on her belly, getting her legs beneath her. Slowly she tried to stand up, but quickly fell back into the mud. Lifting her head, she let out a frustrated sigh. There was not a single patch of silver clouds left, and judging by how she felt, the cloud holding the other pegasi also wasn’t there any longer. “So this is it? Is this were I fail again?” she asked towards the dark clouds above. Her ears tilted to the side, catching faint but familiar voices nearby. She couldn’t make out the words, the voices muffled through the thundering heartbeat echoing in her ears. The world around slowed down as she gave in to the numb feeling her failure left behind. There was no sense fighting anymore. She had failed again, failed to the promise she gave to the sad filly in front of her mother’s grave so long ago. The promise she gave to herself. She felt something being laid on her back. What was it? A blanket? A cloud? Another pony? She didn’t know. She wouldn’t even notice that there was something, if it didn’t stop the rain pouring down on her back. The face of a purple coated unicorn appeared in front of her. Her mouth moving, but Silver could her nothing but muffled sound that made no sense. She lifted her head and looked at the speaking pony with tired eyes. She felt so tired… ‘Wake up. You still have so much to do.’ Her head slowly rose again. Who said that? Where did these words come from? She watched the mouth, of the unicorn before her, open and close, but no words ever reached her. Not that it mattered anymore. It probably were accusations or worse, like it always were. No pony ever said good things to her ... not even the projections of her own mind … ‘Stop thinking that. It’s not true.’ Silver closed her eyes and lowered her head to the ground. The sounds of the outside world faded until her slow heartbeat was the only sound that remained. At least until the voices returned. First only a single one, silently pleading, but soon it rose to a concert of voices shouting at her out of the back of her mind. ‘Wake up!’ ‘Don’t give up!’ ‘Wake up!’ ‘Stop fooling around or you really will fail!’ ‘Wake up!’ ‘… live!’ Silver’s eyes snapped open, the world turned back into focus and bombarded every one of her senses. Pain ran through her whole body, her muscles screaming for rest. The Unicorn still stood before her, talking endlessly and desperately. “Come on, we need you. Snap out of it.” “Twi’, ah fear the fall didn’t do her any good” Applejack said, standing at one side of Silver, holding a colorful raincoat in place over the back of the lying pegasus. “Of course not, but we … “ Pushing herself up a few inches, just to fall back into the mud with a groan, Silver caught the attention of both Ponies. “Thank goodness, we feared the worst”, the Unicorn spoke for both of them. “Why are you here?” Silver responded silently, her voice barely noticeable. “Aw shoot girl, we saw ya’ fall down and reckon’d ya’ could use a helpin’ hoof.” Silver looked to the ground again. “Why help me, after all that I’ve done to you.” “Ya’ saved mah little sister. Helping ya’ s the least we can do.” “Besides,” the other pony intercepted, “we need your help to stop this storm.” “I can’t help you. My magic is all gone, and even if I had some left, I don’t think I can move now.” “Oh don’t worry, I can cover that part. Which reminds me… hi I’m Twilight Sparkle”, the unicorn said with a bright smile. “Huh? … Oh … hi … I’m Silver.” “Good, now that this is done…” Twilight’s horn started to glow in magical light. The air around it vibrated slightly and between the raindrops formed a small purple colored cloud. It quickly rose in size until it was as big as three ponies. “Phew, this is harder than it looks.” “So, you know the spell? What do you need my help for then?” “I know the spell yes, but I’m no pegasus. I have no idea how use these clouds to control a storm. And that’s why we need your help. I create the clouds and you say what I need to do with them. Come on Silver, let us work together to end this storm, it has raged for long enough don’t you think?” Twilight held out a hoof towards Silver. The pegasus felt unsure and lost. She looked towards her side where Applejack stood smiling and nodding. ‘Trust them.’ “Okay, let’s end the storm”, she finally said, grabbing Twilight’s hoof to pull herself up. “That’s the spirit. Now, where do we start?” “First we need to get higher. We can’t control anything from down here, we need to get near the storm cloud as far as possible.” “And I know exactly how we get there.” Twilight’s hooves glowed for a second before she jumped on top of the cloud she created moments ago. “How do you… nevermind, we have time for that later”, Silver said, joining Twilight on the cloud. “Good luck to both of ya’. Ah’ll stay here and wait for ya’r return.” The two ponies looked at each other, their eyes filled with determination. “Let’s go.” The cloud, with the two ponies on top, shot away towards the storm clouds above. “Okay, here we are”, Twilight exclaimed, bringing the cloud to a halt. Around them the storm raged at its strongest. The wind tore at their manes and raincoats, rain fell down reckless, trying to get through their waterproof clothing. “What now?” she asked, turning towards Silver. “Create a cloud, size approximately the size of two ponies.” Twilight nodded and started to concentrate, her horn glowing in soft purple light. The air whirled around them as a new purple cloud formed in front of them. “Good, now send it into the clouds over there”, Silver said, using her front hoof to point at a part of the storm cloud. Twilight clenched her eyes an aimed at the spot her pegasus companion pointed at. She couldn’t see any difference between this part of the cloud and every other part around it, but then again she was a unicorn and didn’t know anything about clouds. The purple cloud sank into the storm, spreading into its surrounding cloudy mass, creating a small purple patch in the black stormy ceiling. “Okay, next one, same size, goes over there.” She used her magic to create the next cloud and sent in on the way. Halfway towards her goal the cloud was struck by lightning, evaporating it instantly. Twilight fell onto her knees, her face a mask of pure pain, sweat running down in a stream. Her ears moved around nervously and the light around her horn flickered unsteady for a few seconds. Shakily she came back onto her hooves. Gulping heavy she turned towards Silver. “Does it always hurt like this?” She winced and returned her gaze with a sad nod. “Every time one of them is destroyed like this.” “How many did you … ?” “In this storm? Seventeen.” Wincing slightly, Twilight returned her gaze towards the clouds above. “Let’s try that one again”, she said, creating a new cloud. Rainbow flew around aimlessly, always looking at the storm clouds below. Something was happening again, she could feel it. She felt it with every part of her body. That soft tingling that told her the weather was changing. She beat her wings and stopped in midair, her eyes nervously darting around. The lightnings that jumped across the surface of the storm clouds below seemed to come less frequently. More importantly, the colors were off. Something disturbed the pitch black surface below: a single purple patch. “Huh? … purple?” But before she could wonder any longer about it, a second purple patch formed. Like a bullet shot into the clouds from below, a purple cloud broke through the storm before settling down and stretching out throughout her black surrounding. “Twilight.” She murmured to herself. Rainbow shot away towards the next pegasus in sight. “Chips! Something is happening down there; tell the others to get ready.” Rainbow quickly returned to her old spot and continued watching the clouds below, now directly searching for purple spots. “Urngh … where to with this one?” Twilight asked, panting heavily from her exhausting task. “Over there Twilight, between these other two.” Over a dozen purple patches could be seen in the clouds, and yet the storm didn’t seem to slow down a bit. Twilight began to wonder if it ever would. Carefully she placed the next cloud. The wind suddenly grew wilder, tearing at their clothing viciously. Both ponies clinged to their cloud, fighting hard to not fall off. They tried to secure their faces from the relentless rain pouring at them from the side. It felt as if the storm tried to protect itself, as if the long exposure to magic and the absorption of so many living clouds had given him a will of his own. Twilight grimaced and created the next cloud. “Where?” she shouted towards Silver. “Directly above us! Quick!” Lightning struck down past their cloud, shaking their bodies and making their hearts beat faster. For a second, Twilight lost control and the wind sent their cloud flying away uncontrolled. Collecting all her willpower, Twilight forced the last cloud in position, avoiding the barrage of lightning that tried to stop it. The purple cloud broke through the dark clouds. Nearly instantly, the stormy clouds around seemed to calm down. “Now everypony!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, flaring her wings to fly in a wide circle. Behind her a dozen pegasi mirrored her every move. They circled one more time before diving down, breaking right through the newest patch of purple. Twilight looked up and watched in awe as the rainbow colored streak broke through the cloud, tearing a big hole. “The pegasi… Silver, we made it!” She continued to stare, following every move of the weather patrol. They spread out, punching through the cloud cover just to return at a different spot. Slowly the cloud cover thinned, the rain weakened and finally stopped. Twilight smiled and lifted her head into the first rays of sunlight breaking through the holes the pegasi created. “It feels like forever since … Silver? … Silver!” Twilight turned her gaze to the side, the unconscious body of the pegasus lying on the surface of the cloud they stood on. “Oh no, no, no….. Rainbow!” she shouted towards her pegasus friend that circled through the clouds nearby. She caught the calling and shot towards her. “Twilight! There you are. I knew you could… whoa, is that…” Rainbow glanced at the unconscious pegasus. “Yes it is, quick, help me.” Twilight quickly said, commanding the cloud to descend towards the ground and her library. Below them, the citizens of ponyville started to leave their houses and cherish the end of the storm. ~~~ Author's Note In case you were wondering: Chips is short for Chipper Blue, an OC of my good friend Mixup (whom's constant nagging, if and when the next chapter will come, kept me going ;) ). Check out his stuff, it's great. Blue Skies; Soaring through Fire

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259

Original Character,Crossover,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Fallout: Equestria Side Story: Gardener

Every day, dozens of ponies fall in the wasteland. For one pony, each death is the start of a new life.

complete

<p>Everyday, dozens of ponies fall in the wasteland. For one pony, each death is the start of a new life. This is the tale of Gardener and his efforts to rebuild the wasteland, one tree at a time.</p><p>Art courtesy of Jetwave</p>

everyone

2011-07-19T00:23:33+00:00

2011-07-19T00:23:33+00:00

Rain. Rain was supposed to purify the lands, cleanse the stains of our mortal failings and bring new life to the world we had so cruelly neglected and abused. Rain was supposed to wash away the sins of our land like a baptism. Instead these rains simply washed away the blood of the fallen, and ushered forth new contempt for our blasted wasteland. I stood from behind the debris which had sheltered me from gunfire, and gazed out upon the heavens as they poured forth their torrents of rain. That which was supposed to bring life back to the wasteland instead brought with it a feeling of unease. Was this a gift? Or was this water full of radiation that would have us sick for daring to be among it? Would it grow the fields, or would it scorch the land? I hated the rain. I hated this place. The wasteland was a hellscape of our own designs. A place of pain, suffering, and madness that destroyed the best of ponies and made us little more than animals fighting among the ruins of our once glorious empire. I prayed every night to a god I knew no longer existed that this was the last generation to have to suffer, even if it meant our total extinction. Oblivion was better than the hell we had created; anything was better than this. I walked to my friend. Downed by a grenade, he drew breath in ragged, painful gasps. His inside were exposed, leaving him in a pool of his own blood. The rain fell on him, burning his insides, and washing away his life into the ruins. He looked at me, begging for help; anything I could do for him. He had been my friend, and now he would become one more corpse for the wasteland to consume. I held his head, cradling him like a lost child in the rain. I lied to him, told him that it was going to be okay as I reached for my gun. He didn’t see it; I don’t think he could see anything. The silencer turned the sharp crack to a quiet pop, and my friend suffered no more. I closed his eyes for the last time, and laid him among the ruins. Good friends were hard to find in the wasteland, and he had been the best. I felt my skin itch, and cursed the rain again. This cloud had gotten into something nasty, and brought with it the stinging pain of corrosion. There was no time to mourn my friend. I grabbed up his pack, as well as the packs of my fallen enemies, and moved for shelter. There I sat in the overhang, listening as the rain formed puddles around the bodies of my friends and enemies. Soon the would rain stop, and the wasteland scavengers would consume them. I searched through the filthy packs of those who had killed my friend, finding ammunition and foods stolen from those less fortunate than I. There was no pain in their loss, they would be mourned by none. I would tell the tale of my friend to those who would listen, and too listen to the tales of friends gone past. What a world we lived in where the tales of the dead so far outweighed the deeds of the living. Truly we deserved this; every pony here was a monster, and we all deserved to die. Somewhere in this wasteland, there was an answer. We had set off to find it. My life, the life of my friend, was meaningless if I did nothing for it. But I felt myself losing faith. The dream of peace seemed further now than ever before. Was there nothing left fighting for here? Was the Equestrian dream truly gone? Had the lives of so many ponies been spent simply as the swan song of ponydom? I closed my eyes, and tried to imagine a better world. I had a hard time remembering what better even was. The vicious rain ended after a few minutes, allowing me to leave my shelter and continue on my pointless journey. Where I was headed no longer mattered; the task my friend had been assigned to ended with him. Once again, I was a soul adrift in the wasteland with no purpose. I searched through my friend's belongings for answers. I found only seeds. I gazed down at the tiny seeds. He had seen in them only limitless potential, a way to bring light to the darkness. I had seen only their value as food or trade. He told me one day I would understand. I stared back at my friend, his red coat splotched with burns from the corrosive rain. He may be gone, but his body remained. He had wanted so badly for the fighting to end, to settle down and raise a farm from the blighted land. And when he died, he wanted to become part of Equestria. I looked back on his ruined body, and found my purpose. It had taken me several hours to find a shovel, and even longer to find a usable sledge hammer. By the time I had found the tools of my self appointed mission, night had begun to fall on the wasteland. I entered the ruined building where I had taken shelter from the rain, and found my way through the ruined desks to the second floor. The tell tale signs of raiders were no where to be found. The building looked the same as it had two hundred years ago when it was frozen in time by the balefires and megaspells. I shoved a desk against the door, and laid on the floor to sleep. Early the next morning, I awoke with a renewed sense of understanding as to my purpose in the wasteland. I gathered my tools, and headed back outside to the same spot where my friend had fallen. He was still there, miraculously untouched by the wasteland scavengers. I began my task. Digging in the ruins was a difficult pursuit. I slammed the concrete with the sledgehammer, breaking through the stone crust of civilization. The weight of the hammer felt good in my mouth. It felt like progress; like the hoof of a long forgotten Deity guiding my actions. The concrete crumbled under my blows, the chunks becoming manageable stones. Within ten minutes, I began to dig under the concrete. My hole widened as the hours progressed. Before noon, I had a grave big enough for my friend. He had told me the a secret of the wasteland. Radiation didn’t seep into the soil through the concrete. The pony made stone absorbed radiation, sure, but it also shielded the land below from the foul contamination. The best source of unirradiated soil was right underneath our hooves. We just had to be willing to work for it. I stood in the deep hole; sweaty and proud. It was perfect. I grabbed my friend’s orange mane and dragged his body. His massive frame no longer seemed important; his spirit had moved on to greener pastures. What mattered was that he laid to rest in the ground that he so loved. I pushed the body into the grave, the soft earth underneath puffing around him as he struck bottom. I looked on my friend for the last time. Before I met him, I had no goals. He wanted to become part of a better world; I had nothing better to pursue. I followed him because he had a vision. Now I was going to continue that vision. Dirt filled around my friend quicker than it had come out. Great waterfalls of clean soil swallowed him. Equestria had welcomed home another of its ponies. I finished my labors, and planted a seed in the grave. There, surrounded by the ruins of Manehatten, life would grow again. My friend would become a tree, and bear fruit for a new generation of life in the wasteland. The sun hung high in the sky again, filtered through the miserable clouds above. I looked back on the ruins where my friend’s life ended and saw the ponies who had killed him. I found myself again pounding the concrete. Again, digging in the clean soil. Again dragging the bodies of the fallen. Again planting the seeds of new life. The sun began to fall as I finished with these bodies. Tired but joyed by my labors, I looked up to the heavens. It had started to rain again. This rain was pure. It filled the freshly dug earth with its life giving power and cleansed the sweat from my coat. I stared up into the clouds, and enjoyed the rain for the first time in memory. There was purpose to my life now. I would bury the dead of this land, giving peace to them perhaps for the first time since the war. I would become Gardener now, bringing life from the remains of those passed on. My first stop was New Appleloosa. I would need more seeds. I trotted away from the perfect circles in the concrete. The patches of clean earth would become dirty again, certainly. But beneath the surface, roots would take hold in clean soil, and grow to renew the wasteland once more. I would spread the word of my friend. I would spread his vision and gather recruits to my cause. Would they listen? Would they care? With enough ponies working together, this could be the last generation to suffer in the wasteland. Perhaps the goddess had answered my prayers after all.

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259

Original Character,Crossover,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Fallout: Equestria Side Story: Gardener

Every day, dozens of ponies fall in the wasteland. For one pony, each death is the start of a new life.

complete

<p>Everyday, dozens of ponies fall in the wasteland. For one pony, each death is the start of a new life. This is the tale of Gardener and his efforts to rebuild the wasteland, one tree at a time.</p><p>Art courtesy of Jetwave</p>

everyone

2011-08-23T02:47:04+00:00

2011-08-23T02:47:04+00:00

It had been years since I had found my purpose. My cutie mark had always been a sledgehammer, and thus I had known my lot in life was that of toil. But toil in pursuit of a greater good is the most one pony can ever ask to do with themselves. I found comfort in my work, even if the population of the wasteland disagreed. What I did was simple. I buried the dead. From a carriage lot in the center of Manehatten, I hauled my cart. Clad in a cloak and the remnants of armor, I scavenged the wasteland not in search of treasures, but in search of the dead. I never had to look long, for the dead always found me. But for nearly a half mile around that expanse of carriage lot, there were no bodies. No bones. No skeletons. No desecrated corpses flayed open by raiders. Each and every pony, whether they had died today or two hundred years ago, found a home in my cart, and eventually in the soil. Some considered me a ghoul, and questioned my motives. Some took to arms as I collected the dead, fearful that I was one of the growing number of cannibals sucking the marrow from ponydom. All who understood my cause knew that wasn’t the case. Most were happy to see the bodies of loved ones given respect. Others were happy to see the dead of the past swept away to make room for new life. And every day, I swept further into the city seeking not new life, but instead the remnants of a life gone by. And every day, I found more ponies. My cart grew full this day. I had stumbled upon a homemade shelter that had been sealed two hundred years ago, opened now only by the crumbling of the wasteland. Skeletons of families huddled together in prayer were my reward for diligence. Their skeletons filled my cart to near overflowing, as did the supplies they had hoped would keep them safe. While I had a divine mission, I was but a mortal earth pony. There was no theft from the dead. Their payment was an unspoken promise that I would give their remains the respect they deserved. In this task they paid me what they had, even if it was nothing. Flush with goods and a full cart, I started back toward my home where new holes would be opened, and the families joined forever as new life in the wasteland. Seeing the remains of ponies gathered in prayer gave me hope that even if the mortal goddess were gone, their prayers, though cut short two centuries ago, were heard by someone who cared to listen. There was a movement from the rubble, as there had been a hundred times before. I knew at once that raiders had made their way into the already cleared areas of my territory. They couldn’t begin to comprehend the importance of my task; they knew only destruction. One had a knife. He threatened me with unspeakable acts if I didn’t hand over my cart. Another tried to circle around the cart, ready to jump from the shadows and slit my throat. I heard the click of a pistol being cocked. One would think that a pony with a cart full of the remains of the dead would be the one pony you would stay away from. I stood still only a moment. For the raider with the pistol, a hatchet sprung from beneath my cloak, catching him between the eyes, and splitting his head. In the same motion, I rolled away from the cart, grabbing my sledge. I danced to my feet, arcing the steel head through the ribcage of the knife pony. Years of breaking concrete had made my neck muscles like steel cables. Being on the receiving end of such a blow was a death sentence to ponies clad in anything short of power armor. This pony had only scraps of tires and leather. The sledge punched through is ribcage in a spray of crimson. He too fell, gurgling blood as he dropped to the concrete. The pony who had tried to sneak behind me was met with hooves to the muzzle. He flipped mane over hoof, dropping his crude weapon on the street below. The kick had shattered his jaw, filling the streets with blood. He scrambled backward as I approached, sledgehammer in mouth. Now one of two things would happen. He would beg for life, then attack as soon as I granted mercy, or he would run away from my fearsome hammer, and die later in the ruins from infection. Either way, this pony would become part of Equestria again. It was up to him to decide when that was. He decided to flee; I would return to collect him within the week. The raiders were added to my already overflowing cart. No need for ceremony, or prayers for the dead. These ponies, if you could call them that, had chosen the path of destruction, and had paid the price for their ways. That price was reclamation by the wastes, and it was I who was forced to collect the balance. I continued my way through Manehatten, the concrete roads rising to meet me every step of the way. I had long found solace in my quiet walks home. Most who frequented this road knew both myself and my business, and nodded politely as they passed. Many had given me their own to bury, accepting my gospel as practical wisdom of the wastes. For those who donated their time or supplies, their families were given individual trees and gardens. The effort to bury a single pony was often worth more than their gifts would ever be, but it gave them peace to know that the ponies they had loved in life would live anew. Peace was all I had to offer some days, but I enjoyed giving it wherever I could. The wagon wheel fence of the lot guided me along the only safe path into my domain. I passed through the gates, and unhitched the cart at the nearest patch of unopened concrete. I gazed out into what was once a used carriage lot. Sloped roofs made from pieces of broken glass, stitched together with buttons of metal or wood, glimmered in the sunlight. The roofs stood atop solid walls of sheet steel or plastic, windowed with fragments of discarded glass. Row upon row of these buildings sat on the lot, each one forming a long greenhouse, each one filled with trees of remembrance. Some pony had once questioned the logic of my greenhouses. I showed him inside one, and he understood. I loved the rain, the way it felt in my cornflower coat, and how it ran through my black mane, but it’s quality had always been questionable. Perhaps not in the days before the great war, when pegasi cleared the sky, but as long as I had known. The rain was as frequently a detriment as it was a blessing. The greenhouses, aside from keeping the trees warm year round, also shielded the saplings from the harsh rains, and preserved the precious clean soil beneath the concrete. When the water was determined to be safe, it was released into the soil to hydrate the trees. The greenhouses kept the clean water from dispersing back into the wastes, and the trees alive for another harvest. I had hoped my method of horticulture would take root in the waste land, no pun intended. Indeed some places took the wisdom to heart, and found that a greenhouse bore fruit more often than not. Yet ponies found that without the dead, life often did not grow anew. I drank deeply from my still, a refuge of clean water in the wastes. My trusted workman Gaucho had brought it with him across the wastes, and made use of our fruits to produce intoxicating liquors. His wife sold the spirits to ponies wishing to escape the pain of the world for a few hours. Gaucho had always spoken in a foreign tongue, the likes of which I had found difficult to comprehend. Other understood none of it, and assumed he was some simpleton whom I kept around for cheap labor. Truthfully, Gaucho was a skilled to the point of magic with machines. He would have made an excellent traveling companion if he weren’t confined to a cart. Somewhere in the waste, he had lost both of his rear legs. Ever ready to turn a disadvantage around, he constructed a crystal powered chariot that could easily out pace near anything in the wastes. Sadly, the energy crystals he needed were expensive, and rarely did he get the opportunity to “run.” Gaucho waved at me from the garage, beckoning me to marvel his latest invention. I happily trotted over, always eager to see what his fevered mind could come up with. His wife stood with him. Casa was a heart breakingly beautiful cinnamon mare with the cutie mark of a home. With her good looks and exact speech, she ached of refinement and class. How she and her incomprehensible husband met, let alone fell in love, was so far beyond me I hadn’t even bothered to ask. But love they did, constantly showering each other with affection. Their unquestioning love for each other lifted my spirits every time I thought of them. If those two had found such love in this hellscape, then perhaps the ponies of the world would also find love for each other. Their unbridled passion also made for some fantastically awkward moments around the lot. I had walked in on them in the throws of passion more times then I could count, and had learned some time ago that when the garage door was closed, it was better to simply stay outside. Gaucho gestured to a box hanging from a brand new hole in the wall of my garage. When I questioned him about it, he said something about the hole being there for an excellent reason. Or possibly chicken tomato soup. In his excited state, he was particularly difficult to understand and eager to show me what miracles he had performed this time. The garage door slammed shut behind me. I asked if this was going to be like the time we nearly died. He asked for a clarification of which time. I sighed wearily as he switched on the device. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a gentle breeze floated through the room, carrying with it the chill of winter. The room slowly became cooler, a pleasant contrast to the heat of the wastelands. A drop of water formed on the device, dripping into a pail just below it. I hailed his creation as the greatest thing that had happened to the carriage lot since the first tree. He simply questioned whether it would collect enough water to be worth running. For not the first time, the side benefits of Gaucho's projects far outweighed his original intent. I left the garage as Casa showered her husband with kisses, closing the door behind me as I walked back into the carriage lot. They would be out when they were done with each other. I returned to my cart, and separated the skeletons from the more recent bodies. The remains of the raiders and a few other unfortunate ponies were laid on the concrete, marking their final resting place. The skeletons, of which there were several dozen, were hauled to the grinder. I had found some time ago that the bones of ponies, especially those from before the war, never provided as much life as the bodies of the more recently deceased. One of the wasteland’s doctors had told me that composition of bone didn’t support plants the way that flesh did, but that by mixing bone meal with the earth, I could replenish the soil. I had taken his advice to heart. I had later found out he was a cannibal, but his wisdom stuck with me. Bones were crushed, keeping families together, and from their pieces grew new life. The process was grim, to be sure, but like many things in this wasteland, it came as a fusion of belief and practicality. The bones would grow new life, just as every pony who came to this lot to rest. The machine churned miserably, as it always did. Gaucho had once said that it had an angry spirit. The machine was originally designed for mulching branches, and to use it for the purpose that I had enraged the soul of the machine. I had good reason to believe him about the angered spirit; the damned thing sounded as if it were possessed. I placed the first family on the platform, and offering my prayers of respect and gratitude. I christened them with oil as I prayed. When the prayers were finished, they tumbled into the whirling blades, crunching and grinding with sickening snaps and pops. Long ago, the sounds of the grinder would have caused me to lose whatever meal I had just eaten. Now, it simply blocked it out with an endless mantra: May Celestia judge me for my actions, I do this to give to others. There was solitude in that mantra. So long as I remained focused on giving back to what remained of Equestria, therein lie peace. And peace was the greatest gift of all in these harsh times. I found myself back at the bodies I had laid out, having collected the canvas bags of bone fragments. Each had a name that had been found near them. These sacks contained the final mortal remains of the Carmels, the Clovers, and Sugars. These ponies, had their lives not been cut cruelly short by the war, would have gone on to live happily ever after in the suns of Equestria. Perhaps they would be doctors, or bakers, or states-ponies. The endless spiderweb of decisions that made up their lives had been cauterized in the flames of Balefire. And now only a single option stood before their previously endless potential. They would keep Equestria crawling along in the aftermath. I picked up my sledge hammer, enjoying the familiar heft. Some time ago, Gaucho had hollowed the head, and filled it with a flowing metal that he had scavenged from somewhere in the wastes. It weighed the same as it always had, but now struck with the force of a tidal wave, shattering through concrete faster than I could have ever managed on my own. I was always on the look out for more of that silver liquid; Celestia help me if this hammer ever broke. I brought the weight of the sledge down into the concrete carriage lot, shattering through it and into the dirt in a single blow. A few more swings gave me the manageable pieces I needed, and a few more would have reduced the rocks to powder. A recent attack had left one of the compound walls thin. They would be repaired with the pieces I had broken from the pavement. Much like everything else in these wastes, the old was destroyed in order to build new. In the same way Gaucho broke down old machine to remake his wonders, I broke through the crust of civilization to rebuild life. Our lives meshed perfectly. He needed a place free to work, I needed an engineer to protect the new life that grew in the wastes. I picked up my shovel, and began tossing the chunks of concrete into my cart. I worked quietly in the afternoon sun, pausing frequently to sip from the still. I could feel the strain of Equestria’s clean dirt splintering through the handle of my shovel, and I knew that soon it would snap under the strain, leaving me without a tool. Gaucho was supposed to fix my tools, but he had recently been distracted by both his new contraption, and his amorous wife. Not that I could blame him. Still, before the day was out, I was going to be left without a shovel, and that would mean a trip into city to acquire a new one. Most of the ponies would be happy to see my cart roll into town. They knew me there not as a ghoul, but as an undertaker. Some may have feared my purpose, but many of them understood what I was trying to accomplish. Those who had lost found solace in the fresh life I brought back to them, often a branch from the first harvest of their kin’s tree. Word of my mission had spread, and I had found acceptance among the wastes as a Gardener of life. The sun had toiled away it’s hours in the sky, hanging low over the wastes, and filling the greenhouses with light. A few of the trees were ready for harvest. I would get to them this evening, and bring the freshest stock to town. My eyes caught the sight of one tree at the far end of the lot, ready for its first harvest. A family named Pick had paid me in glass to bury their newborn foal. The child, a unicorn, had survived only a few days. The tree had been alive longer than their child ever had, and now bore fruit. I would bring them a branch from its boughs to commemorate the new life their son had helped to create, and hoped it would bring them peace. A hole had formed around me, large enough for the bodies of the two raiders that had tried to kill me earlier in the day. I dragged the lifeless forms into the hole, and began raining dirt on them. I felt no more remorse in this burial than I did for the dozens of other raiders whom were buried on this lot. The choices they made were poor, and because of their dedication to destruction, they now lay beneath Gardener’s Lot. I made ready an apple tree sapling, and planted it with the raiders. The Sugar family found their way into the that tree as well. I made a note to order new headstones for my latest charges.

Vanner

259

Original Character,Crossover,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Fallout: Equestria Side Story: Gardener

Every day, dozens of ponies fall in the wasteland. For one pony, each death is the start of a new life.

complete

<p>Everyday, dozens of ponies fall in the wasteland. For one pony, each death is the start of a new life. This is the tale of Gardener and his efforts to rebuild the wasteland, one tree at a time.</p><p>Art courtesy of Jetwave</p>

everyone

2011-08-23T03:04:52+00:00

2011-08-23T03:04:52+00:00

Ten Pony Tower was always an interesting place to visit. A self proclaimed bastion of civilization, they were more than eager to buy my fresh fruits and Casa’s fine liquors. Despite my generosity to the dead, I felt no remorse in charging these living ponies as much as possible for what I brought. They had snubbed me and my mission for so long that I had nearly given up. When one of the guards inquired about the apple whiskey I drank in frustration, it was then that I was given an in. I was nearly kicked out again when they found my primary profession distasteful, but someone up high had vouched for the idea, and I was permitted to continue my trade. As a thank you, I tracked down my mysterious benefactor, a one DJ-P0N3. I at least found his assistant. I gave the grey mare a bushel of fresh apples, a few bottles of whiskey, and my card. When I had first started exploring the office buildings of Manehatten, I had found that many desks had small pieces of paper with the details of their former occupants. It was from these that I identified many of their remains, and I had taken the idea for myself. Gaucho designed a press for my cards: a square of steel with my name and trade punched into it. The edges were razor sharp, but covered in rubber for use later. It was a tiny gift to those who were willing to listen to my message. With my trip to Ten Pony Tower complete, I headed back towards the lot. A few run ins with raiders had slowed progress home, and I found myself forced to stop in a small hamlet for the evening. I knew no ponies there, and found myself having to explain why I was hauling bodies of ponies after some overly curious young colt lifted the tarp on my cart. This conversation happened, as it frequently did, at gunpoint. I preached the virtues of burial, and the joys of the new life that it would bring. The towns ponies seemed to understand, and let me go about my business. My cart, however, would have to wait outside. A mustard coated stallion approached. “Are your undertaking services for hire?” he inquired. “I will happily bury your departed,” I replied. I was led to a was a squat, concrete building half buried in the hillside, exceptional only in the fact that it was still whole despite two hundred years of neglect. I suspected that it had originally been completely buried, given the lack of windows and the mountain of dirt atop it. I was shown inside, and found that ponies had taken up residence among the ruins, making the windowless building their own. Some had set up shops there, others had taken offices as apartments to ply whatever trade they could. My inquires as to the deceased were met with some hostility until my host informed them that I was no ghoul, but an undertaker paying respects to those gone before. Their attitudes mellowed, and I was shown to the basement. I couldn’t have been more angry at the sight if it had been radioactive. Hundreds of skeletons lie stacked in piles in the basement. Rather than burying the dead with the respect they deserved, they had simply shoved the corpses of the old world from their minds and into the basement of civilization. Or in this case, a literal basement. I named my price for the removal; inflated slightly due to their callous treatment of the dead. The mustard colored pony agreed, and asked me when I could clear them out. If a few ponies were willing to haul carts to Gardener’s lot, I could take them there the next day. The pony agreed, and we shook hooves. The town lay quiet that evening, safe from raiders or bandits for at least the night. Guards stood watch over the carriage built walls of the city, staring out into the wastes, and looking for trouble. I found myself looking up at the stars through the sporadic clouds. There was no rain to be had, possibly for another month. The upcoming drought did little to concern me, as my greenhouses kept the orchard moist enough to weather near anything. I dreamed that evening of the friend that I had lost all those years back. On my last visit to his grave, a great apple tree had grown from the wastes. Pushing aside the concrete that surrounded it, the tree bloomed with a beauty that had attracted a hamlet to settle under its boughs. The raider’s tree hadn’t fared as well, but still bore fruit. It proved that no matter what type of pony you were in life, in death, all ponies were equal. When I awoke the next morning, the mustard colored pony brought with him four of the sickest and scrawniest ponies I had ever laid eyes on. I had my doubts to their hauling capacity, and feared they would become additions to my cart before the journey was out. I began moving the skeletons from the basement, covering the barrows with a shroud as I marched them through the mezzanine. The ponies of this place ignored me, pretending that I was instead a ghost haunting their lives with the sins of the past. It took the entire morning to fill the carts of my pony assistants. One had simply refused to help as he saw the nature of my task, and bolted from the building. The others were apparently made of sterner stuff, and began to help me load the remains of the old world into the carts. I hitched the abandoned wagon to my own. The skeletons of the long dead weren’t nearly as heavy as the remains of the recently deceased, and I found that hauling a second cart was not nearly as difficult as I had imagined. The subtraction of one pony apparently meant very little. I made ready my exodus, when a drunken unicorn approached me, dragging a cornflower unicorn filly by her mane. She had a cutie mark of a a red and blue sphere with an orbiting yellow sphere. The young girl cried in pain as the unicorn approached me. His breath wreaked of rotgut and turpentine. “You’se the one who’s buyin’ dead ponies?” he slurred. “I don’t buy bodies,” I informed him. “I will return any of your deceased to the earth, if you’d like.” “I gotta body fer yah,” he spit. “Gimme ten caps and its yurs.” He belched horrifically, filling the air with a stench of death. “I don’t buy bodies,” I repeated. “They too were once ponies like yourself, and to treat them as commodities to be sold is to disrespect their lives.” The girl whimpered. He slapped her. “Well then you can take thish body,” he said throwing the unicorn filly at me. She tumbled to the ground, near tears. “Bitch isn’t good fer anythin’.” “My charges are those who have passed form this world,” I protested. “Only dead?” he slurred. “I can fix that.” His offer to correct the oversight involved floated a revolver from his saddlebag. He pressed the barrel to the back of the unicorn’s head. I swatted the revolver away, and landed a hoof to the temple of the unicorn. He went down in a heap, partly from impact, partly from his own drunken stupor. I tossed the revolver in my cart, and ordered my team forward. The unicorn filly followed me out of town. About a hundred yards out, I stopped and turned around to question her. “What exactly do you think you’re doing?” I asked her. “Please just take me with you,” she begged. I sighed wearily, and looked back at the town. The drunken unicorn was standing back up. While I really didn’t have time for the living, leaving this filly here to die would be a sin that I couldn’t forgive myself of. The lot may not have been an ideal place for a teen-aged filly, but it was better than the wastes where her life and virtue would be forfeit. I told her to walk in middle of the train, and to run at the first sign of trouble. Three hours into the walk and sure enough, two of the scrawny ponies had dropped dead on the concrete. Cursing my ill fortune, their carts became hooked to my own. Now hauling four carts down the concrete highway, I began to seriously worry about raiders. If hit, I’d have to ditch the carts to fight, and there was a real possibility I’d be too tired to do anything about a serious attack. The filly offered to haul one cart, but I found myself refusing her help. “Do you have any place you can go?” I asked. “Where we’re going is safe, but it is in no way an easy life.” “I have nowhere,” she said, staring down at the concrete. “Besides, he paid for you to take my body away.” “You’re not dead,” I suggested. “And he didn’t pay me.” “You took his gun, didn’t you?” I had to concede the point. I just hoped the filly didn’t feel like I owned her. As we approached the final stretch of our journey, the wagon wheel fencing of the lot came into view. The paths to the entrance were very clearly marked, and to stray from them risked a barrage of bullets from Gaucho’s automated turrets. When he had installed them, I had questioned the wisdom of having robots capable of raining death without pony interaction. He noted that the paths were clearly marked, and that he had installed signage in Pony, Zebra, and whatever crazy language he spoke, as well as colorful pictures warning of the dangers. Once again, I was forced to agree to Gaucho’s insanity. The fourth and final pony slumped the the dirt and died of exhaustion just as we came to the bottom of the valley. With no other option, I hooked the filly up the final cart, and tossed the emaciated pony into my own. I walked in silence as she grimaced and struggled under the weight of bones. Strength was obviously not her special talent. The wagon train ground to a halt as we passed through the steel doors and onto the lot. I unhooked my wagon, and stretched like a cat. Too much strain for one day. I could barely wait to get to the table, eat whatever Casa had cooked, then go to bed. I stumbled onto the showroom floor to find Casa cooking happily in our kitchen. He mane was tousled, and the smile on her face meant that she and Gaucho had made good use of my absence. I wanted to be angry at their brazen ways, but found myself cracking a smile instead. Their shameless love for each other always brought me happiness. I sidled up to the table and to a plate of fresh baked apples. “In all the years we’ve known each other,” said Casa, “have all my lessons in manners and courtesy gone unheeded?” I had no idea what she was talking about. She smiled politely, and revised her question more directly. “Are you going to introduce me to this young lady?” she asked. I turned to find the unicorn filly had followed me inside and was standing next to me at the table. I should have been surprised, but I found myself too tired to care. “Casa this is...” I found myself drawing a blank. Sure we had just walked eight hours together, but aside from our two brief conversations, we hadn’t spoken. “My name is Charm,” said the unicorn. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Casa.” “Missus,” corrected Casa with a smile. “My husband would also like to meet you, I’m sure. Please, let me prepare you a plate. It’s so rare we have visitors.” “Begging your pardon, I am no visitor, Ma’am,” said Charm. “Sir has been paid to take me away.” Casa’s genteel demeanor shifted into unbridled rage as I attempted to both explain myself and not choke on her gourmet cooking. “What the fuck, Gardener?” demanded Casa. “You of all people buying a slave? Has all your talk of freedom and generosity been lies?” “That’s not what happened at all,” I coughed. “Charm is no slave. Technically, I was paid to bring her body here, but as you can tell, she’s not my typical charge.” “Is this true?” she demanded of Charm. The unicorn filly shrank from Casa’s baleful gaze. “Yes, ma’am,” she replied, biting her lip. “And you’re free to leave at any time?” she asked, directing the question not at Charm, but at me. “She followed me here,” I said. “She is free to stay or leave as she chooses. I am no more her master than I am yours or Gauchos.” Casa’s shoulders relaxed as she breathed a deep sigh of relief. She picked up a plate of baked apples, and placed in front of Charm. “I am sorry you had to see that,” she said. “Excuse me, I need a moment to compose myself.” She walked away from the dining room and back toward her bedroom. Gaucho wandered in from the garage. He asked what I had said to his wife that made her raise her voice. “She thought I bought this young lady,” I explained. Gaucho then proceeded to remind me where Casa had come from, and that slavery was an extraordinarily touchy subject for her. “Yes, Gaucho, we’ve had this conversation at least a dozen times,” I reminded him. “Charm, this is Guacho. Gaucho, Charm.” Charm reluctantly nodded to the half mechanical pony, trying desperately not to stare at his wheels. He wandered off toward his bedroom to find his wife. I pushed my plate aside, and walked off to our living room. It wasn’t much: a few benches in the middle of what used to be a carriage showroom, some bookshelves with whatever books we could find, and some tables. The pièce de résistance, however, were the windows. What were once sleek glass walls had been replaced by stained glass renditions of Celestia calling home her ponies over a field of apple trees. I had offered to trade a harvest of apples for the work, but the unicorn who made these windows would accept nothing but my devotion to Equestria as payment. The Glassmaker, as the unicorn called himself, often found his way here, and was a welcomed guest in our home. Gaucho was always happy to see him, and Casa greeted him as a brother. I strongly suspected they were related in some way, but as with much of Casa’s past, I didn’t bother to pry. I sat exhausted on the bench, glad that I had brought home the bones of so many. It had been a good day’s labor, even if I had acquired some unneeded help along the way. I turned to Charm as she finished her plate, then what I had left on mine. Apparently her father, or whoever that pony was, hadn’t fed her very well. On the other hand, she was a growing filly, probably just a teenager. She came in to the living room, and sat at my feet. I figured now was a good a time as any to lay down some ground rules. “We are a family here,” I said. “We work together, we live together, we pray together. Those are the only rules. If you want to stay, you need to find something you can do.” Charm looked sadly at the floor, as if what I said crushed her spirit. Or maybe she didn’t understand what I was asking. It was also possible that I had misinterpreted what she was thinking due to my own fatigue. I showed her to the spare room, and made for my own. I half hoped that she left in the middle of the night. My room was sparsely furnished, consisting of a bed, a dressing dummy on which to hang my armor, and a mat on which I offered my evening prayers. I sped through my evening rituals with less than my normal pious devotion, attempting to outpace my creeping fatigue. With my barding shucked, the sweet foam embrace of my bed filled my tired bones with the joy of rest. I had barely fallen asleep when I felt my bed list to one side. I snapped awake to find Charm crawling into my bed, her eyes filled with tears. “What are you doing young lady?” I asked. “Sir said I had to find something to do to stay,” she wept. She presented her flank to me. “Please be gentle; I’ll try not to cry.” I rolled out of bed, nearly tripping backwards over myself trying to escape the girl. “No, no, no,” I protested. “I may not have made myself clear about what I wanted from you, but what you’re offering is not it.” Her head dropped, and tears fell on my pillow. “Isn’t that why Sir brought me here?” she wept. “Isn’t that why any pony takes in a young filly in this wasteland?” “You must have me confused with some pony else,” I said. “You’re here because I was paid to take you away. You said that yourself.” “Then what am I supposed to do here?” asked Charm. “If that’s not how I earn my keep, then what can I do for you?” “You’re a unicorn, aren't you?” I asked. “Surely you know spells. Those can be handy. And if nothing else, I will teach you my ways. It’s hard work, but...” She looked up at me, tears still in her deep violet eyes. I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. “You are never to offer yourself to me again, do you understand?” She nodded sadly. “If you wish to stay, then you accept our rules. Here, we are family, and families don’t fuck each other. Not in the bedroom, not in the wasteland.” Enthusiastic creaking and pleasured whinnies echoed down the hall. Casa and Gaucho sought to make me a liar. I pressed a hoof to my face, groaning miserably. “If you come in my room again,” I sighed, “I will throw you off the lot. We will offer you all we have here, if you’re willing to work. Prostituting yourself to me is not work. Have I made myself abundantly clear?” She nodded again, biting her lip. “Go back to bed,” I ordered. “We rise early, and you have much to learn.” Charm rolled off my bed, and walked towards the door. She looked back at me. “Good night, sir,” she said. “My name is Gardener,” I corrected her. “Goodnight, sir,” she repeated, and closed the door behind her.

Vanner

259

Original Character,Crossover,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Fallout: Equestria Side Story: Gardener

Every day, dozens of ponies fall in the wasteland. For one pony, each death is the start of a new life.

complete

<p>Everyday, dozens of ponies fall in the wasteland. For one pony, each death is the start of a new life. This is the tale of Gardener and his efforts to rebuild the wasteland, one tree at a time.</p><p>Art courtesy of Jetwave</p>

everyone

2011-08-23T03:20:01+00:00

2011-08-23T03:20:01+00:00

Today was Sunday. For every other pony in the wastes, this was another day of struggle for life. Whatever concepts of weekends the old world may have held, they meant nothing in the post war society. Every day was laborious. There was no rest. Here on the lot, Sundays meant work for me as well. Today there would be no digging, no breaking of the concrete lot. Bones would not be ground, and the earth would welcome home no new ponies. Sunday was a day of worship for our dear goddess Celestia. She had given us this day to rest when she still strode the world in mortal form, and it was up to me and the few devoted to make sure the world did not forget her. Services were held at noon just as the sun streaked through our stained glass windows. Ponies came from the surrounding villages to hear me speak of our departed goddess, and of return to her embrace. They came, enduring the hardships of the waste to hear me speak, and to receive the gifts I gave them. Surely, some were not interested in my message, but all who attended received the bounty of the land, believers or not. I had woken Charm early that morning to help me prepare. Her magic proved useful in filling bottle with clean water, and sorting the bad apples from the good. This week’s harvest had proven plentiful, and I was grateful for the opportunity to provide more apple jerky to my congregation. A familiar crowd began to filter into the show room, most bearing a small donation for the church. Their gifts would be given to those most in need, or used to increase our production here. Gaucho took their donations, thanking every pony in his own tongue. Casa had washed the white linen robes that I used to preach Celestia’s word earlier in the week. Some generous pony had donated a bottle of unopened bleach. We had used most of it to sterilize medical supplies, but Casa had saved a cap full to use with laundry. I chided her for such an irresponsible use of a gift, but thanked her for thinking of me. The sun climbed to its apex, and I took to my pulpit. The congregation that stood before me today was my normal crowd. There were new faces, as there always were, and faces of those who had been attending my masses for years. I noticed one or two absences, and sought out the families of the missing. Their eyes were heavy with tears, and I knew that I would be called to their homes after the service. I cleared my throat to begin. “My brothers and sisters,” I began. “We gather here on this day of the sun to give worship and praise to our goddess, Celestia. To those of you who have not been here before, I am Gardener, and I welcome you to the lot. I have but one request of you, and that is to listen to my message. What I have to offer is not much, but you may at least find peace in my message.” I cleared my throat and began to talk about the miracles of the sun, and of the miracles of life in the wastes. How foals were born everyday, and how their lives could work to end the wasteland that we had grown accustomed to. I reminded my congregation that we were no more than a generation away from salvation. If only every pony would give of themselves to heal our world, we could crawl up from the ruins of civilization and become a new light to the world. I urged them to give, not to me or the church, but to give of themselves, and to bring back Celestia’s message of love and peace. The mass ended quietly, as it always did. Casa and Gaucho passed out the dried apples and clean water to the parishioners as they exited. The ponies I had seen earlier approached, and informed me they had brought their deceased to be returned to the lot. I nodded, and followed them to their carts. I had more ponies to return to the earth today then I had in weeks. The raiders from two days before, combined the four who passed on from the journey, and the three so kindly brought to me today left a total of twelve to bury. Such is the life of those called to bring home ponies. I accepted their family, and promised them individual trees. I gave them additional water and food to help them through their troubled times. High above, the sun marched across the sky, beating down on the lot, and baking the corpses of the less than freshly deceased. I normally avoided this work on Sundays, but it had been a busy week, and I didn’t want to attract disease by leaving my charges in the open. I summoned Charm, and passed her a sledgehammer. The unicorn was initially disgusted by the corpses, and found it difficult not to heave at their stench. I reminded myself that the filly was new to this, and she had not had the time to become desensitized to the decay as I had. I dug in my bag for some salve, and applied it under her lip. The sweet apple scent would prevent the stench of decay from sickening the unicorn. At least until we were done. A sledge proved wholly ineffective in her teeth. She couldn’t swing with any strength, and more than once she nearly hit me with a wild back swing. After a half an hour of pounding on concrete, she had made little more than a few chips. Her talent apparently wasn’t breaking rocks either. I slammed through the concrete with my specialized sledgehammer, and broke up the chunks small enough for her to telekineticly lift into the cart. Each time she picked up a chunk of the concrete, the pony made rock shimmered, and spat out a small black ball. The spheres, each no larger than a marble, rolled around in the cart as she stacked the blocks of concrete. The exertion of magic was clearly getting to her, and she stopped after an hour to rest. I offered her some clean water, and questioned her about the spheres. “I really don’t know,” said Charm. “Nearly every time I lift something, it always spits out those little black orbs. I’ve never found a use for them, so I just throw them away.” I told her to take them to Gaucho. If any pony could find a use for them, it would be him. When Charm returned, she assisted me in digging into the soft dirt we had exposed below the cement. Her magic was far more useful here, gathering up great scoops of the clean earth, and depositing it next to the hole. No black spheres fell from her loads this time, and she gave me a confused look. “Every other time I’ve moved dirt and rocks, I got spheres,” she said. “I wonder what happened?” “I wouldn’t worry about it,” I suggested. “Less to clean up or to trip over.” At once, I found myself wishing for a horn. I could triple my daily work with just that one spell, and fix everything around the lot. Perhaps Charm coming here had been a blessing from Celestia and not a test of my resolve as I had initially thought. Instead of being a temptation, and believe me, it was a temptation, Charm was a reward for my attempts to make the wasteland a better place. I had eased the burdens of life and death for the ponies of the wastes, and Celestia had rewarded my generosity with this filly who would make it easier for me to give even more. It was enough to fill my eyes with tears of joy. “Are you all right?” she asked. She had been watching me think, and she had seen the tears in my eyes. “My young filly,” I said, “You are a blessing far greater than you are aware. I feel as if Celestia herself has smiled upon me, and delivered you at my hooves. The work you can do with your horn so far surpasses what I could accomplish. I can only hope that you stay here forever, and take my place in the lot.” “That’s very kind of you, sir,” she replied. “I’m happy that I can be of use somewhere.” She looked out on the tens of dozens of apple trees on the lot, and at the greenhouses that glittered like a city of gold. “Did you build these all yourself?” she asked. “I did,” I replied. “The greenhouses protect the trees from the environment. The sloped roofs collect the rain. Once we know its safe, it waters the plants, and brings new life.” “But why bury the ponies?” she asked. “Why so much effort for what most ponies would simply dump in the wastes?” “Because life begets life,” I told her, leaning on my shovel. “Without a small sacrifice, life will not bloom in the wastes. It is the same with your body, should you have foals. You give of yourself to bring new life. In the same way, ponies give their lives to feed others. The bodies of those gone before us nourish the trees in their decay. Our own blood, sweat, and tears go into this soil to raise the trees as if we are their parents. The fruits of our labors go back to the ponies to feed the next generation, and bring us one step closer to peace in this wasteland.” I gestured out to the greenhouses, the lot, and the buildings. “It looks like I have so much here; that I am the richest stallion in Equestria. But none of this belongs to me; it is all Celestia’s. By her grace I am here, and I am successful. She has blessed me with her gifts, so that I may give to others.” I looked into her eyes. She had the most beautiful violet eyes I’d ever seen, and I found myself lost in them for a moment. I snapped back to myself, and remembered what I had wanted to tell her. “I’ve given you my rules for living here,” I said at last. “There is one more rule that you should know. Here, we give. If a pony approaches you and asks for food, you give it to him. If he is thirsty, you let him drink from our well. You are here now because Celestia wants us to give more of ourselves. With your help, we shall provide.” Charm nodded quietly at my words, and continued with our work. In the span of a few hours, the ponies were buried, and saplings planted in their graves. Tomorrow, Charm would work with Casa, Gaucho and I would stake down the greenhouses, and Celestia would shower the lot with her sun. We all had our part in this, and I hoped that we would all be able to fulfill our pieces in making Equestria the land it once was. ... It had been nearly a week since Charm had arrived on the lot. An extraordinarily long, and frustrating week. Between the three of us, we had found that she had practically zero natural talent for anything. Casa’s attempts to teach her cooking were met with such spectacular failure that she forbade Charm from entering the kitchen again. Gaucho had similarly banned Charm from the garage after her attempts at rebuilding a cart were met with an explosion that took out his fancy new water collector. That left her with the single option of becoming my aide. I found myself glad for the company she provided, even if she talked little. We walked to the perimeter wall, where piles of concrete slabs waited for Gaucho and I to lift them into place. Charm pointed her horn at the pile, and it began to glow with a soft green light. The pile glowed with the same light, as a cloud of dust lifted from the rocks. The cloud drifted over the pile and formed a perfect marble sized sphere. We had been gathering these marbles for a week now. Every time she picked up something new, another marble. Gaucho simply had no use for them. The balls were heavy, and rolled fine, but were too big to make decent bearings. We kept a basket of them outside the garage, as not to trip over them. I questioned her as to the weight she could lift with her magic. As with everything else about the filly, it wasn’t much. She managed to levitate a cinder block worth of concrete into place, but could move no more. But something was more than nothing, and now Gaucho no longer had to break out his lift every time we wanted to build a wall. Which was just as well; that scissor lift scared me to death. I gave her some instructions, and left her with a bag of mortar. I came to the wall to check on her progress after an hour. As it turned out, she was able to rebuild walls better than she had been able to cook. It wasn’t pretty, but, really, what in the wasteland was? The section of wall she had rebuilt was functional, and it would keep out the creatures of the waste, pony and non pony alike. As I admired and praised her work, I kicked the black marble into the lot. Perhaps we could find a use for them today. Gaucho rolled toward me, his face heavy with concern. He chattered something at me about the marbles that Charm had been producing. Gaucho grabbed the handle of a yellow box, and began sweeping around the marble I had kicked in this direction. The yellow box clicked and hissed like a radroach on fire. Gaucho recoiled from the sphere as if they were radioactive. Which, apparently, they were. He demanded to know how she did that. “I don’t know, Sir,” she replied. “It just happens. I didn’t know I could produce radioactive things like that.” Gaucho swept his Geiger counter over the area of the wall she had put into place earlier. The box remained silent. He chattered at me, grabbing my shoulders and shaking vigorously. “What do you mean she can remove radiation?” I asked. “Do you really think that’s even possible?” Of course it was, he assured me. Magic can do nearly anything. We just needed an experiment to confirm. I led the two ponies to our well, and drew up a bucket of water. It was, of course, irradiated, as all groundwater was in the wastes. “If you would please,” I asked Charm. “Lift the water from this bucket.” She concentrated, holding the water in a sphere above the bucket. Sure enough, a seed sized pellet fell from the water. Gaucho’s yellow box declared the water safe enough to drink as I fished the radioactive seed from the pail. I looked at the tiny, dangerous seed for a moment, then back to Charm. She too stared at the pellet, her violet eyes full of tears. “I’m sorry,” she cried. “I didn’t mean to poison your water. I can’t control this magic; I never could.” ‘Poison?” I asked. “Charm, my dear young mare, this water is safe to drink now. You don’t produce radiation, you remove it.” My hooves were shaking in elation. “Your gift has the power to transform the waste. With what you can do, the entire wasteland becomes habitable. Sure there are these marbles to deal with but...” I stared out at the walls, and into the sky beyond our compound. “You may be the hope of an entire generation. Together, we can rebuild the wastes, and bring the message of giving to ponies everywhere.” I wanted to throw my arms around her, and shower her with adoration. I wanted to bow at her feet and worship her as the gift she was. I wanted to raise this unicorn up on a platform and shout to the world that a savior had come to us, to free us from the radiation of the land and the waters. But I could do none of those things. Her gifts weren’t a blessing to her; they were a curse. Outside these walls, she would be a target for raiders and slavers, or indeed any pony simply looking for respite from the radiation of our world. Otherwise decent ponies would kill to have access to the clean water and soil she could provide. Ponies I long considered friends and devotees of my message would gladly murder our family to keep Charm for themselves. I sat down in the dirt, as the weight of this filly's gifts finally came to me. Charm had gone from an unwanted unicorn to the biggest target in the wasteland in a single experiment. Gaucho seemed to read my thoughts, and asked me what we were going to do next. “Do?” I asked. “Gaucho, we will do nothing. Charm is a pony, the same as your and I. She will decide her own fate.” “You’re not going to send me away?” she asked, her eyes again filling with tears. “Oh goddess, no,” she pleaded. “Please let me stay. I’ll do anything.” “Charm, you aren’t going anywhere you don’t want to,” I said. “I want you to understand what you can do, and I want you to understand just how amazing your power is. If you can teach this spell to others, then you will have single hoofedly transformed the wasteland. Your power is to take away that which kills us all. You can clean the soil, the water, the air. Nothing I could ever do can compare to that power, Charm.” I looked at her, my own eyes filling with worry. “At the same time, you are now a target. Ten Pony Tower alone would pay a million caps to any pony who could bring you there.” “Please don’t make me go back there,” she begged. “When my mother died, my stepfather couldn’t afford rent. They threw us out, and warned us never to come back. My stepfather took to drinking and blaming me for her death.” She looked down at the ground, trying to make herself disappear into the cracks of the concrete. “They would kill a thousand ponies to have you there now,” I told her. “Here? You’re safe. You can do more than any of us now, and we can provide for more ponies than ever.” I looked back at Gaucho. He nodded, and made for the garage to make preparations. “This calls for a celebration, Charm. An official welcome to our family.”

Vanner

259

Original Character,Crossover,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Fallout: Equestria Side Story: Gardener

Every day, dozens of ponies fall in the wasteland. For one pony, each death is the start of a new life.

complete

<p>Everyday, dozens of ponies fall in the wasteland. For one pony, each death is the start of a new life. This is the tale of Gardener and his efforts to rebuild the wasteland, one tree at a time.</p><p>Art courtesy of Jetwave</p>

everyone

2011-08-23T03:50:50+00:00

2011-08-23T03:50:50+00:00

It had been three months. The seasons had changed from what passed as spring to the burning heat of late summer. I knew soon the rains of autumn would be upon us, and there was much to do to prepare for the great cleansing that awaited us. Summer thunderstorms had already given us directions for preparation, and we stood ready to face the greatest season of all: the season of giving. Charm had become stronger in those months, her body adapting to the work of the fields and of the wastes. She was transforming before my eyes from scared teenager to a waste hardened survivor. She had seen death in those months, not only from the bodies we sought to bury, but from her own hooves in defense of our home. The experience had changed her, but it had not taken away her charming outlook or determination to work by my side. I found having the unicorn by my side was at once both comforting and nerve-wracking. It brought me comfort to know that the lessons I had to teach were being passed to a generation that would not only understand my message, but appreciate the past that had been sacrificed to their future. It brought me joy to talk to someone who cared for me as a pony, rather than a source of apple whiskey. I had found elation in her magic that filled our lot with marbles, but taken away that which would poison our home. Already we felt healthier, more full of life than any of us had felt in years. Outside our walls was an irradiated hellscape, but inside the lot, everything was clean. What disturbed me was how close she had grown in such a short time. Every moment we were awake, she was by my side, simply listening to the wisdom I had to dispense. After the first month, I had run out of wisdom to offer. I instead taught her the sermons, prayers, and rites of Celestia. She listened to my lessons as we worked side by side on the lot. With her help, our lot had grown from a few dozen greenhouses, to more than a hundred. We were forced to start planting in the no-man’s land between the walls and the fence. Instead of trees, we had planted wheat there. The Glassmaker had come again, bearing gifts of grain which we would sow into the earth with bone meal to begin life anew. Some of my followers had questioned the wisdom of grain in the irradiated soil. I assure them Celestia would provide for the faithful, if only we stuck to our beliefs. They accepted my wisdom with reluctance. I was no faith healer, nor did I promise miracles, but the wisdom I shared with them gave them faith in my words, and I would proudly repay their faith with bread from the earth. A larger problem was what to do with Charm’s marbles. Every ounce of dirt from the no-man's land had been combed over by the unicorn, and we were left with several cartloads of dangerously radioactive waste product. Gaucho told me that they could be used in a radiation engine, but such a thing was behind his comprehension of science. We dared not smelt them, as our experiments with that had poisoned one of the nearby ruined buildings. That failure cost us in pain: Charm’s powers were useful for the inanimate, but agonizing to the point of torture for the living. The only use we ever found for them was making ammunition. A pegasus of all things had come by our lot, seeking shelter for the evening. We of course provided. When the pegaus found one of the marbles that Gaucho had been experimenting with, he suggested using it as a core for ammunition to tear through armor. Much as we preferred peace, Gaucho took the idea and made bullets that punched through steel plating with ease. He reloaded the turrets with his handiwork, and thanked the pegasus with a several bottles of apple whiskey. After we had made all the ammunition we could use, I had decided to dump the marbles where others wouldn’t stumble upon them. Dressed in my radiation suit, I set off on a short jaunt to dispose of the cart full of marbles. Charm again begged me to come along, and again I refused, reminding her that she was in peril every time she stepped out of our walls. The wastes were no place for a mare like her. There was a place a quarter of a mile away from the lot that would be a perfect spot to dispose of the deadly spheres. They had been a series of pools in the days before the war, built underneath what I could only guess was an exercise hall. Treadmills, dumb-bells, and rotten athletic equipment littered the rooms above, while the pool areas below were still in pristine condition. I remembered finding a number of skeletons here when I had first started burying the dead. There were two of these pools. One was round, and nearly twenty feet deep with a large platform above it for... something. I couldn’t imagine why you’d have a stairs leading up to a platform with nothing on it, unless one were to jump off. This would be a perfect place to store the marbles; it was deep, secluded, and lined with concrete. They would harm no pony here, nor would they seep into the ground water to harass future generations. I dumped the cart into the pool, and wandered back through the building. The other pool was much more shallow, probably six feet at its deepest, and separated from the other pool by several thick walls. I longed to fill this one with water, and enjoy my own private oasis. But that much clean water would be a lavish extravagance far beyond the means of even the greatest barons of Equestria, to say nothing of the poor villages that littered the wastes around us. Perhaps someday after Equestria was whole again and the rivers ran clean, the children's children of Casa would have such luxuries. For such a thing to exist in the wastes, I would have needed a water talisman or... “Charm...” I said to myself. Her gift could cleanse that much water, but to use such a gift in such a selfish pursuit was unfathomable. I felt endless guilt at having even thought such a thing, knowing that Celestia would have scorned me for such a foolish waste of resources. Penance was required for such an astound thought of greed, and... “What about her?” asked Casa. I nearly jumped out of my skin. I spun about, hammer drawn and ready to fight. I saw only the cinnamon earth pony standing behind me. I dropped my hammer, and drew deep breathes. I was far too old for such surprises. “Casa, what in the name of Celestia are you doing here?” I demanded. “You should be at the lot.” “I followed you here,” she said. “The fact that you’re talking to yourself about her means I needed to speak with you alone.” “What could you possibly have to ask me that requires such seclusion?” I said. She looked around a moment, then back to me. “Are you happy?” she asked at last. “I would prefer a restored Equestria,” I answered. “But such things are the dreams of all ponies. The difference is that I strive for that goal rather than huddling in the wastes, waiting to die.” I winced at my own spoken honesty; I would require further penance for my sin of hubris. “The point is, it doesn’t matter if I am happy or not.” “Why?” she asked. “Because I have been blessed,” I answered. “I have been given a task in life, and the tools to complete it. You, Charm, Gaucho, the lot. You are all gifts from Celestia that I may restore the wastes with. To use such gifts selfishly would be to squander what precious resources the waste provides. It doesn’t matter if I am happy or not. I give because it is the right thing to do.” “Then how are you rewarded?” she asked. “Surely Celestia wouldn’t give you a task without promise of reward?” “It’s not as if I believe the voice of our fallen goddess has actually spoken to me,” I said. “That would make me a mad-pony. Generosity is its own reward, Casa. You know that. I desire nothing else, save my mortal requirements.” “Every pony wants something,” said Casa. “Repressing your desires invites greed, and for you, greed would be the most dangerous thing in the wastes.” “And why is that?” “You told me that all ponies want something they can never have,” she said. “That greed was the cardinal sin of the wastes, and that all sins stemmed from greed. To deny yourself of everything as you have means that your desire is greater than any can imagine. You are by far the most determined individual I ever known, and when you go after something, you don’t stop until you get it. You’d flatten half the wastes if some pony asked you too. So, I ask again, what do you want?” “A restored Equestria,” I repeated. “That’s all I’ve ever desired.” “Bullshit,” she said. “You want Charm.” I looked into her orange eyes, almost unable to believe she would even say such a thing. “Why would you think that?” I asked. “Why would you say that?” “I don’t see you denying it,” she said. “You may be a god amongst pony to the rest of the waste, but you are a mortal stallion. I’ve seen you watching her. You and she spend so much time together, I’m amazed that nothings come of it yet.” “She’s a child!” I protested. “She’s a mare,” retorted Casa. “A young mare, yes, but she worships you. We speak when you’re out gathering your charges in the waste. She wants to make you happy more than you can imagine.” “So?” I asked. “I cannot have her. To ask anything of her would be to violate every principle I’ve held dear. What I want doesn’t matter, and it never has.” “Have you told her this?” “I told her the night she came here that families don’t fuck each other,” I said. “Gaucho and I...” “You’re married,” I interrupted. “What you have speaks volumes of the power of love. Speaking of which...” “Yes,” smiled Casa. “Last month. This time next year, the pitter-patter of foal hooves will be gracing our lot.” I smiled. Nothing would make me happier than to see the child of my two best friends. “Then what are we doing here?” I asked, gesturing to the empty pool. “Let us go to the lot and celebrate.” “Because you haven’t answered my question,” she said. “What is it you desire?” I thought long and hard about the question. Did I have no mortal desires? I was happy to have so much to give, and it made me happy to see that my friends were continuing the cycle of life in the wastes. Perhaps their child would be the salvation of Equestria. “I desire nothing that I can have,” I said at last. “If I were to wish for anything, it would be that our lands be cleansed, for your children to be healthy, and for the world to live in peace once more.” I looked back to the empty pool. “I want the rivers to run clean, and the shouting of laughter to fill halls like these once more. I want the world we used to have before the war.” I looked back at Casa. “That is all I’ve desired my entire life. Anything else I have ever desired is irrelevant. Pleasures of the flesh are for those who won’t share their blessings. I don’t need a pool to swim in. I don’t need a fine house on an endless lawn. I don’t need the love of a beautiful young mare. These things are all desires I cannot have, and to want them is only to invite greed into my heart.” She only shook her head. “Not once in the time I’ve known you have you so much as looked at a mare, or a stallion for that matter,” she said. “You’re only mortal, Gardener, and you will someday have to realize that.” “I aim to be better than that,” I said. “How many ponies are in the lot because of their desire for wealth? Or sex? Or power? I will not be like them, even if it means that I die alone in the wastes.” “What about the lessons you could give to the next generation?” I asked. “Surely your own child would follow it your footsteps?” “That’s not what I want from Charm,” I said. “I want her to be the daughter I never had. The fact that I have even considered her in... that way disgusts me to my soul. That week I was gone? That was penance for that one sin. I am not the paragon of virtue I pretend to be, and I fear that my failings will bring down everything I have worked for like a house of cards.” “Then you really don’t know what it is to give of yourself,” said Casa. “You may give away all your possessions, all of what you produce, but you never truly give if you’re not willing to give yourself to someone else.” She walked away from me. “I expected better of you, Gardener.” Her words cut me. Casa had always been a beacon of light in the darkness, and to have failed her meant that I was headed down the wrong path. Was it so wrong to be mortal after all? To have what she and Gaucho had? I shook my head. She was mistaken. I was a better pony than that, and I would have to prove it. I followed the mare back to the lot, trying not to stare at her flanks. Casa was a beauty, but she, like Charm, was off limits to me. I had never thought of her that way, but the conversation we shared made me think of all that I had been avoiding since I taken up the banner of generosity all those years ago. I had avoided stealing, obviously. I avoided killing when I could. I avoided drunkenness and the drugs that polluted the wastes. I had avoided the temptations of the flesh but why? Did that make me a better pony? Did it make me stronger? Better able to survive the wastes? Or was it simply a way to lord a moral superiority over others? Then it hit me. The reasons I had forsaken my own pleasures was to provide to others. There simply was no room to give if I filled my mind with my own concerns. To ask others to give without giving everything I had was hypocritical. That which I custodianed in Celestia’s name was for the ponies of the waste, and not my own greed. I had to remind myself of that sometimes when I harvested apples, or bottled water. All I had to give came from Celestia, and to horde it for myself was to bring about her wrath. Such thoughts brought me peace again, though I still owed penance for my thoughts of greed and hubris earlier in the day. Penance was normally performed by finding a wandering pony in the wastes, and granting them any request they desired. So long as I could provide, and keep to my code, anything was possible. Many simply asked for what I had, while others asked me to follow them for a duration as a guard. One pony had asked me to read their foal a story because they could not read themselves. The week I had been gone, I had served as caravan guard to Phillydelphia and back. Rather than wander, I knew to whom I should offer the boon. When I told Casa that she was owed penance for my sins, she only shook her head and said that she wished nothing of me. When I persisted, she brought Charm from the orchard and demanded that I offer penance to her instead. I shuffled uncomfortably, leery of what she might ask. She asked to join me in the wastes as I hunted for charges. I wanted to refuse, to keep her behind these walls and out of the irradiated hellscape that awaited outside. But penance demands sacrifice, and this was to be mine. I agreed, and asked Gaucho to fabricate barding for the unicorn. He had already anticipated the need, and produced a suit of leather armor for the mare. The next morning, Charm and I walked into the ruins of Manehatten to begin our search for the dead of Equestria. Her inexperience became apparent as she blindly followed my lead. She was quiet, certainly, but her footing was terrible, and she frequently caused slides of rock and debris by brushing against the wrong things at the wrong times. I was more worried about getting the mare home in one piece than I was about finding any ponies today. The dead could lie another day, but the wastes couldn’t afford to lose Charm. We moved toward an area I knew to be relatively safe. I explained to her some of the dangers of the ruins that were specific to our task. The dead were often near the living, shoved far enough away as to forget their presence. Our mission was to remember those dead, and too bring them to a final resting place. The dead could not hurt us, and as she had learned, there was nothing to fear from even the most horribly desecrated corpse. The living were a far larger problem. In the ruins, there were only two types of ponies. Three if you counted the ghouls as ponies, which I did not. Their bodies were far too contaminated to bring new life to the soil, though I did try to burn their corpses when I could. Scavengers were fantastic allies in the ruins of Manehatten. They were the sorts of ponies who could get anywhere and share the locations of the departed. Most were jovial about their profession, and would listen to my wisdom, even if they didn’t care for the message of renewal. They were explorers by nature, and the idea of farming never appealed to them. They did understand the wisdom behind it, and often took my advice with them to wherever they traveled. They also tended to be extraordinarily helpful. I had accompanied more than one scavenger into office buildings filled with skeletons to have them turn around and help me remove them. Scavengers were the better sorts of ponies. Raiders, on the other hand, held no such place in my heart. I had been on too many a receiving end of hoof or knife to trust any pony wearing a tire over their shoulders. True, some raiders dressed like scavengers and preyed on those who sought to trade, but for the most part, ponies with gory cutie marks made poor business associates. I was never sorry to hear of raider camps being decimated by the wastes, nor was I sorry to put one in the ground. Raiders were the diametric opposite of everything I believed in. They took without giving. They desecrated the dead instead of burying them. They raped and plundered their way though the wastes as if extinction was inevitable and they were the last generation. Ponies deserved better. I led Charm into an abandoned office building that showed no signs of activity for the past few years. Dust and decay had settled along the edges of the building, followed by the cracks of erosion that signaled time’s march to bring all things low. I had visited here many years before but was driven off by creatures deep within the bowels of these ruins. I had been fearful of the bugs back then, and never did feel comfortable around them. Still, these bloat-sprites would make excellent tests for Charm, as I could handle swarms of the beasts if necessary. Despite sharing coat and mane colors, Charm did not share my natural talent for melee weapons. She was, however, unusually skilled with the pistol her stepfather had paid me with. It was a revolver of small caliber and low power, but it was reliable and accurate. She instinctively knew how and where to aim for maximum effect, and soon she was dropping bloat-sprites as quickly as they appeared. I felt sorry for any pony who underestimated the unicorn. She was a natural marks-pony, and her abilities with a firearm were a pleasant surprise in a week otherwise filled with disappointment. After an hour of target practice with bloat-sprites, I began to teach Charm where to look for bodies. Most of which she had already known simply from hearing me talk in the fields. I told her again how closets were popular place to hide out the end of the world, as were desks and windowless rooms of all sorts. She found several locked doors along the way. I kicked them open for her to reveal more of the dead. I reminded her that the dead were once living, and to find them, she would sometimes have to think like a pony in panic. In total, we had found a dozen skeletons in this office. When the end of Equestria had occurred, this place had only token staff, leaving the office building a quiet tomb to few ponies. It was not the haul I had been expecting. We did locate a few valuable pieces of technology in the upper portions of the building, including some energy crystals that powered Gaucho’s cart. He would be pleased to say the least. We had also located a haul of medical supplies from the inexplicably well stocked pharmacy on the top floor. A world of painkillers, rad chems, and potions of all colors and varieties were our reward for this day. We gathered them up, and walked back through the building. Not being able to use terminals, the secrets of this place remained a mystery to Charm and I. Whatever the ponies of the past had to say would remain unheard. We gathered what we could for trade and salvage, and headed for the foyer to the cart. The foyer wasn’t that impressive, though the two hundred years of decay may have had something to do with the lack luster appearance. A compass rose graced the floor, and from the business cards I had gathered, these ponies were part of the legal system that came before us. From outside I heard a the quiet steps of ponies. I stopped Charm as we entered the foyer, and ordered her to take cover. She ducked behind a doorway, revolver drawn. Three ponies stepped into the building, each wearing the armor typical of raiders. One had a necklace of ears hanging between his spiked shoulder pads. They saw me and drew weapons. I responded in turn by drawing my hammer. I warned them not to approach, lest they become the newest additions to the lot. The fear that comes with recognition took one of the ponies, and he turned to flee. The others, blinded by chutzpah or chems, ignored my warning, and split to attack. One approached from my left, swinging a tire iron in his teeth. I ducked under the weapon, and kicked his legs from underneath him. He tumbled to the ground, cracking his jaw on the compass rose mosaic. I brought the hammer upon his skull, and ended the torment of his life with a blow that showered the foyer with grey matter and blood. I spun from the coup de grace, and landed hooves in the chest of the other pony. He tumbled backward into a desk. I heard the familiar crack of bone as the raider fell to the ground. He cried out in pain, unable to move his rear legs. I walked to him, hammer still in teeth. “Why?” I asked him. “Never in my life have I been able to get an answer from a raider as to why they live the life they do. Now you will die in the wastes like so many others before you. What can you tell me about your way of life? I want to know what makes you tick so that I can stop other young ponies from throwing away their lives as you have.” Between swearing and threats, I gathered that he had once been a pony of standing in a village decimated by raiders. After he had given up hope of a brighter tomorrow, he donned the armor of a raider and took to the ruins to destroy the remainder of pony life. He believed that Equestria was forsaken by the goddesses, and that he should live life as if the world was beyond saving. It had been such a simple slide into madness for this pony. I was saddened to find that this crippled stallion before me had once been a member of a community. He had neighbors, friends, a family. Now his family consisted of whatever chem addled freaks weren’t trying to kill or rape him. I felt nothing but pity for him. Raiders may have had a difficult life, but it was their choice to become the monsters they were. I asked him what he wanted, knowing that whatever I gave him would be the last gift he would receive. In a moment of clarity, he asked for a painless death. A cripple such as himself would be little more than a target for sadists, and his remaining life would be a horror beyond imagination. I granted his request with a overdose of painkillers we had found. He thanked me before he fell asleep, and wished that he had seen the folly of his ways before it had been too late. He lay his head on the cold tile, and stopped breathing. Charm questioned why I hadn’t shot him, why I had wasted valuable supplies on some pony so low as a raider. I told her that mercy is greatest thing we can offer to another pony. To put a gun to his head would have been to force him die in terror. His life had been miserable enough, and that the painless death we had given him was probably the first generosity he had seen in years. Charm helped me drag the ponies into the cart. We walked outside into the wastes. The raider who had fled before had returned with half a dozen more of his friends. Most were armed with guns, but there was one with a sword. He was a purple unicorn, and he dressed in metal armor not unlike my own. He demanded my cart, and, upon seeing Charm, her as well. I politely refused, and suggested they be about their business. Charm was not mine to give, and I would be damned by both goddesses if I were to see a hair on her black mane harmed. I ordered her back into the building as the ponies charged. I spun the cart around as they fired upon me. The corpses of their former companions absorbed their bullets as I closed distance, and the thick steel of the cart reflected their attacks into the waste. I dove from rubble to rubble, drawing their fire. One nearby pony had lost track of me for a moment. I popped from behind the ruins, and grabbed the pony’s shoulders. As I pulled him off his feet, the other raiders turned to fire at me. Their friend served admirably as a shield. I flung the bleeding body of the pony at two who had clumped together. Their friend bowled them over. I bounded from my cover to the downed ponies, and cracked their heads together with enough force to shatter skulls. A bullet struck me in the flank. The blow had been deadened by my armor, but stung as it instantly bruised. Another bullet, then another pelted my barding, leaving welts on my skin. I dropped beneath the rubble, and grabbed up one of their guns. It was an assault rifle of some sort. I found it uncomfortable in my teeth, but sufficient to bring down another pony, and cause the last pony firing at me to duck into the ruins. He popped up again to line a shot when the crack of Charm’s pistol rang out from the ruined building behind me. Both bullets caught the raider in the back of the head, sending him to the ground in a heap. I tossed aside the rifle, and grabbed up my sledge. The purple unicorn met my charge as we clashed sword and hammer. He threw a hoof that caught my temple. My helmet rang as I ducked under the sword. I could hear the plinking of lead bouncing off his armor following the cracks of Charm’s pistol. His barding was as good as my own, and he was clearly as skilled combatant as I. We circled, feinting and probing each other's defenses. “Why?” I asked him. I ducked under another sword blow and swung with my own hammer. He danced around the hammer as if we were waltzing. “Have you no goal in life beyond your next raid?” “You have no idea what I’m after, Gardener,” he said. “Give me the girl, or you will live to regret it. You do not want to make an enemy of Ender.” “What life awaits her with you?” I demanded. “A life of rape and torture? To be made into a savage of the wastes once you’ve broken her completely? To be discarded after you’re done with her? To lay dying like your followers?” “Those ponies were but tools to an end,” said Ender. “They have proven as useless as expected. But you...” His yellow eyes locked with my own. “You are the sort of pony that Red-Eye would want as a general. I know of you, Gardener, and you have achieved great things.” “And why would I want to join him?” I asked. “He uses slaves as a means to his end. His entire city is built upon the backs of ponies who could not defend themselves. We may share a vision of a restored Equestria, but his eyes are clouded to the truth.” “The truth that ponies are selfish?” asked Ender. “That they are too stupid and greedy to work for the good of others? You and he are the only ones who understand giving in this wasteland. I’ve heard your sermons, Gardener. I’ve eaten your apples, and I’ve drank your water. How much longer do you think you can stand against the tides of the wastes?” “As long as I must,” I said. Another shot rang out from the building, catching the unicorn on a sliver of exposed skin. He filched in pain, leaving an opening for my hammer. The impact shattered his front leg, sending him to the ground in a cursing heap. I stood above him, ready to deliver the killing blow. “Mercy, Gardner,” he begged. “Grant me your gift of mercy.” I looked down on the unicorn. He was in no shape to attack if I let him go, but something about this pony told me not to leave him alive. He was no raider; he something far more dangerous. Yet Celestia demanded mercy for all ponies. I reluctantly put away my hammer. “You have been given a gift of mercy,” I said to him. “If I see you again, I will give you the gift of burial. Get out of my sight.” The unicorn gathered his sword, and disappeared into the ruins. Charm came from the ruined building to look upon the scene of battle. She asked why I hadn’t killed him. I explained that he had asked for mercy, and that Celestia commands us to give mercy to all those who ask for it. We loaded the bodies and supplies of the raiders into my cart and headed for home. I hoped in the coming week that infection would take the purple unicorn, and that I would return his body to the soil. But that hope was faint, and I worried that my sins of greed, lust, and hubris were going to destroy me sooner rather than later.

Vanner

259

Original Character,Crossover,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Fallout: Equestria Side Story: Gardener

Every day, dozens of ponies fall in the wasteland. For one pony, each death is the start of a new life.

complete

<p>Everyday, dozens of ponies fall in the wasteland. For one pony, each death is the start of a new life. This is the tale of Gardener and his efforts to rebuild the wasteland, one tree at a time.</p><p>Art courtesy of Jetwave</p>

everyone

2011-08-23T04:24:35+00:00

2011-08-23T04:24:35+00:00

Another nine months had come and gone. Charm’s powers had given us more clean water than we could distribute ourselves, and soon we were forced to recruit strong young ponies to haul water wherever it was needed. Raiders became a problem again, and I was obligated to hire guards for the shipments of water. Each expense took away from what I was able to give to others. Every cap I paid to guards was a cap that could have been used to put food into the mouth of a foal. I found myself going over numbers and figures, acting like a business pony to maximize every last cap. I found myself spending less time in the lot with the deceased, and more time acting like a tycoon. I hated it. How I longed for the simple days of burying the dead, and giving praise to our goddess. Every Sunday brought a new flock: more ponies to feed, and more bottles to fill. And every Sunday, I gave all I had, but it was never enough. Our lot had become a victim of its own success. Families had come to depend on the four of us. We were a charity, yes, but the returns on our donations to the ponies had gone unreciprocated. Every Sunday, ten new parishioners flocked to the gates of the lot, and not one brought anything to help others. I felt my messages falling on deaf ears, and for the first time since I buried my friend, I felt lost. Not only was my faith wavering, but I found myself falling for Charm. We had been working side by side for nearly a year now. No longer the awkward young filly I had rescued from a drunken step father, she had blossomed into a beautiful mare. She had taken my message of generosity to heart, and gave as much of herself as I did. Together, our generosity had blanketed the wastes around our lot, and filled the ponies with hope. I had found myself trying to keep away from her, worried that I might succumb to the desires of the flesh, and ask of her that which she need not give. Sunday had come around again, and again I donned my robes to lead another sermon on generosity. I looked through the gates at the gathered crowd of a hundred ponies. Each one carried their own skins, pails, and jugs. I looked out at the crowd as they clamored around the gates, just waiting for the opportunity to fill their containers with the clean water we provided. There was no respite from demand. I found myself selfishly wanting to send them all away, to slap away their pails and skins and demand of them “What have you done for your neighbor today?” But I was not here to pass judgment. I was here to provide and give of myself until Celestia was done with me. And follow this task I shall until my last breath. My sermon that day was heavier than normal. It was a grim reminder to those who took without giving faced the hardest times of all when the horn of plenty ran dry. I announced at the end of my sermon that there would be no service the next week due to the coming of the storm season. I reminded every pony to filter their rain water, and that the dead still deserved their respect. I had found that my messages of generosity had been so frequent lately, I had been forgetting to remind people of their duties to the fallen. The crowd dispersed, lugging their pails and skins back to their homes. I threw my robes into a corner after the mass. I was disgusted that my sermon had reached a hundred pairs of ears, yet not a single pony would take my message with them. The ponies left the gates of the lot, some grumbling and moaning about how little I had given. Their complete lack of gratitude made me want to tear out my mane in frustration. Where had I gone wrong? Before Charm, we had only what we could make and the faithful assisted us however they could. Now that we had plenty, strangers showed up from miles around to ignore me for forty five minutes so they could fill their jugs. Was there no better way to spread my message? Charm had begged me to teach her how to preach, and spent countless hours by my side as I wrote my sermons. Despite her meek voice, she too found the gift of oration, and could preach to the crowd at length about the lessons we chose to expound upon here. She had become more than a meek pony, bowing and cringing at my every word. She had become a valued member of our family, and a contributing member of the message we were trying to bring to the wastes. It had made me fall for her even more. I found myself leaving the compound on a Sunday to seek the deceased in the ruins of Manehatten just to get away from her. I had cantered in silence deep into the ruins of Manehatten. I knew for a fact that another fallout shelter was in the basement of a ruined post office. Hopefully, I would find more deceased there, as well as supplies to distribute to my parishioners. It would be a nice change from book keeping to find and bury those gone before. It reminded me of the simpler times when I had only to give that which the dead had donated, before Charm. Damn that mare, I couldn’t stop thinking of her. She had become my successor in every way. She could preach and heal as well as I, and her power allowed her to give more than any pony in the wastes. She had become that which Celestia demanded: a true paragon of virtue in the wastes. She asked for nothing, and gave of herself freely. Perhaps it was time for me to give her my final gift. I would give her the lot, and move on to a new city to spread my message of generosity. That would solve all my problems in one fell swoop. The branching of the church would allow Charm to continue her giving as we expanded, and it would keep me away from temptation. I heard the crunch of breaking glass behind me in the ruins. The swirling problems of success had lessened my awareness of the surroundings. I cursed myself for losing focus. Now some pony was going to die by my hammer because I had not been careful enough to avoid him. I wondered again how much good I was doing by slaughtering ponies from one end of the wastes to the other. A cornflower fetlock emerged from behind the rubble, and I breathed a sigh of relief. It was only Charm. “You do realize how dangerous the wastes are?” I asked her. “You know how much of a target you are.” “No one but our family knows, sir,” she said. “My name is Gardener.” “You’re sir to me,” she insisted. “My mother always told me to treat your betters with respect.” It sometimes amazed me at the naivety of this young mare. For a year she had been my shadow: digging in the dirt as I had, burying the dead, ministering to the sick and down trodden. Yet for some reason, she still saw me as her master despite my instance that she was a free mare. I decided to get the bottom of it once and for all. “Why do you think I am your better?” I asked. “Because I have lived more? Because I have a following of devotees who listen to my sermons week after week? Because I am physically powerful? Do these things make me your better?” “Yes, sir,” she said, avoiding my gaze. “They do not,” I said. “Celestia asks me to be the Gardener but not because I am these things. They are what I have to be for her. I have lived long because there is work to be done. I preach because others must know. I am strong because I must open the concrete to bury the dead. The demands of generosity know no respite, and I must be the best I can to meet those demands. You are these things too, Charm. You have surpassed me in all ways with your honest generosity, and your giving spirit. It is I who should call you master.” She only hung her head in silence, daring not to speak. I looked at the unicorn with a weary sigh. “Charm, what is it that you want in life?” “To see Equestria restored, and glory given to our Goddess,” she said. Her tone was that of a parrot, and I could tell that she didn’t care to reveal the truth. “What are you not telling me?” I asked. “Charm, we are a family, and families don’t keep secrets from one another.” “I don’t want to be your family,” she said. I was both stunned and heartbroken at her confession. Here, I thought that she would bring the world peace. Perhaps the days of labor in the sun had simply been too much for her, and she wished a much easier life in Ten Pony Tower. I could hardly blame her. “You’re... free to go at any time,” I stammered, “and I will happily take you anywhere you want. I had hoped to give you the lot so that I could start anew...” “I don’t want the lot,” she said quietly. “I understand your life here hasn’t been easy, but...” She threw her arms around me, and pulled me to the ground in a passionate kiss. It surprised me so much I couldn’t resist. I didn’t want to. Yet I found myself pushing her away. Her violet eyes filled with tears as she stared at me. “What is wrong with me?” she asked. “Am I not good enough for you? Have I not given enough of myself to earn your love?” “I do love you, Charm.” My mind struggled for words to describe how I felt. “I love you as a daughter.” “I don’t want to be your damned daughter!” she screamed. “ I want to be with you! Why won’t you have me?” “Because I cannot ask that of you,” I said. “I cannot ask for your love while so many others suffer. I cannot take until I have given everything else away.” Her violet eyes glared. Pure anger flowed from her. I had never seen such passion in those beautiful eyes, and it frightened me. “So you have to give everything away before you can take?” she demanded. “You know my lessons of generosity,” I answered. “If I asked for your lot?” she asked. “It is yours if you wish it.” “All your trees? Your cart? Your apples and greenhouses?” “It would be yours in a heartbeat,” I replied. “Everything you owned?” she asked. “The moon and sun? The stars above and the land below? Would you give it to me?” “That which is mine to give, and that which I may earn belongs to others,” I said. “I would give it all to you, if you but asked for it.” “I don’t want any of those things,” she said. “I want you. You’re not asking for anything, and I’m not offering myself to you. I’m asking you to give yourself to me.” I looked into her wonderful violet eyes, and saw a world of happiness reflected back at me. Was this a test of my dedication? Was this a temptation sent by the false goddess to corrupt the virtue I hung my life on? I could think of no way to refuse her request, yet to accept something that would bring me so much joy was beyond comprehension. Giving had made me happy, and giving myself to her would bring me elation beyond my wildest dreams. A voice in the back of my mind reminded me why I had stayed away from her, and why I had avoided the temptations of this mare. “I cannot,” I said at last. “You are the daughter I never had. You came into my care a broken teenager, and here you stand, a mare ready to face the world. I have given you everything I have to offer. My home, my food, my wisdom is all yours. I want nothing more than to take you into my arms, but to do that means that others in the wastes would suffer. I cannot give you the love you want. To give myself to you would mean that there would be less of me to give to the rest of the wastes. I’m sorry Charm, but the needs of the many outweigh your own wants.” “Then I can’t stay with you any longer,” she said. “I have to leave the lot.” “I will take you to the ends of the Equestria if I have to,” I replied. “Take me to Ten Pony Tower,” she said. “If I can’t have you, I can at least have everything else in this fucked up world.” I nodded, and escorted her in silence back to the lot. Casa was sleeping, her belly heavy with child. Gaucho was busy tending to his chores. It would be easier to tell them of her departure if there were no goodbyes. Charm didn’t have much. A suit of barding, her revolver, a rifle, and a tattered copy of the Book of Celestia were all she had in this world. Where she was going, she’d be hailed as a queen and given every finery they could shower her with. She would live a life of luxury there, and I was happy for her. Perhaps there she would find someone her own age who would give themselves to her in heart and body. I looked out on the endless rows of Greenhouses. The loss of her powers around the lot would mean a devastating blow for our church. Ponies would leave forever, and the congregation would wither like an unattended garden. Perhaps it was time now to give the lot to Gaucho and Casa. They would give what they could, but with a foal only days away, I expected they would provide for their family first. I realized with some sadness that the pony whom I had intended to grant the lot to was in the middle of leaving it forever. I would have to find a new protégée, and teach them the value of generosity. Perhaps this new hero of the waste I had heard of on the radio would grace me with her presence, and I could teach her generosity instead. Maybe I was just kidding myself. I had no need of the cart for this journey. I would take only the supplies I needed for the day’s walk there, and make note of those fallen along the road to retrieve later. Much as I was loathe to leave the dead lie, getting Charm into the safety of the tower was a much higher priority. The dead could wait another day to return home. It was late in the afternoon when we passed a small group of ponies headed away from Ten Pony Tower. They had been unable to buy the Rad-away they had needed for their colt, and begged us for any we had. Charm looked to me for guidance. I only shook my head, and told her that she made her own choices now. Charm said that she could remove the colt’s radiation poisoning, but the procedure was long and painful. The father of the child asked if Charm would perform the spell on him so that he could tell exactly how much it would hurt the child. Apparently, Charm had been working on her technique. The stallion only winced a few times as the green glow took the radiation away from him. It took longer this way, but it caused far less pain. I kicked the marbles into the wastes. I felt guilty at littering the waste with such harmful byproducts, but I had no way of transporting them safely. The father agreed to let the child be cleansed, and presented the colt to Charm. The child had been badly poisoned by dirty water, and was showing the signs of prolonged exposure. Charm pulled the particles from his body and expanded her cleansing envelope to the parent’s possessions as well. The child would still suffer some of the physical effects of poisoning, but he would no longer be subjected to the horrors of radiation trapped within his marrow. The ponies groveled at our feet and offered us everything they had in return for our help. Charm refused any payment, and instead asked them to remember the generosity she had shown them when it came time to help some pony else. We gave the ponies what we could spare and left again for Ten Pony Tower. The road rose to meet us as we trotted in silence along the cracked highway. Signs of life were everywhere along the path, each one a village or settlement in the distance where we could have stopped to offer a lifetime of service. We passed again the village where Charm and I had met. They had taken my message of burial to heart. The graves of dozens littered the outside of their town, and from each one grew plants or a tree. I smiled, knowing my message had not gone completely unheard in the wastes. Night fell as we arrived at Ten Pony Tower. We were permitted inside, and I rented a room for the evening. It was expensive, but it was a final gift to the mare who had enabled me to provide so much to the wastes. I gave her what caps I had saved, as well as some valuables I hadn’t traded yet. She asked me to stay the evening. I refused, knowing that if I stayed here with her, I would never return to the lot. The long walk home passed like a nap on a dull winter’s day. I barely registered the signs of our lot, running instead on the memories of a thousand journeys through the doors. Rather than focus on what the lot had lost, I decided to concentrate on finalizing my plans to leave. I shuffled through my papers when a photograph fell from the stack. I had once found a picture a of a mare long since past. She bore three diamonds on her flank, and hair as violet as the setting sky. I thought her beautiful not because of her stunning looks, but because she had giving eyes. In those blue eyes were reflected the spirit of generosity. In the picture, she was surrounded by friends who supped at her table. She sought to give more of herself by bringing plates of food to an already overflowing table. I would have like to met that mare, but like so many others, she was lost to the ravages of time. I had kept that picture safe to remind me of the virtue that I had pledged myself too, and to always give more no matter how much others had. For years, I had assumed that generosity had made me happy. What it had done was assuage the guilt of my success. I had so much, and others so little that giving seemed the only thing to do. Standing here in the Orchard, I looked back on that picture. Leaving the lot to Casa and Gaucho seemed the only thing left to do with it. The ground was full of the departed, and the greenhouses filled the lot with trees. Because I was blessed, I would prosper elsewhere in the wastes. I would start a new lot, and I would preach my message elsewhere. There were ponies still who needed me still, and I would give to them everything the goddess would bless me with.

Vanner

259

Original Character,Crossover,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Fallout: Equestria Side Story: Gardener

Every day, dozens of ponies fall in the wasteland. For one pony, each death is the start of a new life.

complete

<p>Everyday, dozens of ponies fall in the wasteland. For one pony, each death is the start of a new life. This is the tale of Gardener and his efforts to rebuild the wasteland, one tree at a time.</p><p>Art courtesy of Jetwave</p>

everyone

2011-08-23T04:45:44+00:00

2011-08-23T04:45:44+00:00

Spring had always been a time of renewal. Through the sporadic rainstorms, and the budding of new life, Spring had always brought me hope that Equestria could one day become restored. It was that early spring morning that I made my plans to leave the lot. Casa and Gaucho were thankful for the gift, and promised to carry on what work they could in Charm’s absence. They asked me to stay, and understood when I explained why I couldn’t. Before I left, there was business to attend to. There were caravans to cancel and guards to pay. I had been lucky enough to schedule them for a Monday pick up. They were disappointed to hear the church was closing, and offered to spread the word for me. I thanked them, and gave them each some apples to carry back to their homes. The guards were also disappointed to end their contracts. It had been an easy job for them to guard the shipments, and I suspected some were siphoning profits for themselves. None of that mattered anymore. The lot was Casa and Gaucho’s now. I could no longer give of its tree or fields of wheat, as they were no longer mine to give. Casa’s foal was due any time now, and I agreed to stay long enough to deliver. I was no midwife, but I was skilled enough to bring another life into the wastes. I walked to my room to start packing my things. My bedroom seemed bleaker now that it had ever been in the past. I looked upon my possession to realize that aside from what I was wearing, I owned a single Book of Celestia, and a wool cloak. I threw on the cloak, and put the book in my saddlebags. There was nothing else to pack; I could leave at any time. I wandered away from my room and to the roof of the showroom where I could watch the wastes. I came up here on occasions to try to glimpse the heavens. Clouds rolled in today, obscuring the view of the sky and filling the wastes with a dull, foreboding light. Something appeared on the horizon. Something... no, some pony, cornflower blue, and galloping at full speed toward the lot. It was Charm. I dashed down the stairs and to the front door to meet the unicorn. She shot past me and into the walled compound. She began screaming, begging me to take up defenses, to help her. I asked her what she was talking about. “Him!” she cried. “He found me there! I don’t know how, I don’t know where he came from, but Ender found me at Ten Pony Tower. I managed to get past him and his thugs. Please take me back, Gardener. Please help me.” “You are my daughter,” I said to Charm. “I will never forsake you, no matter how much trouble you find yourself in. Here, you are safe.” “They are coming,” she said. Her violet eyes locked with my own. “They know. One of them saw me perform the cleansing. I know they followed.” She tore at her mane, and wept frightened tears. “Oh goddess, I’ve brought the end with me. My greed will be the end of us all. I'm so sorry Gardener. I should go; I should keep running. I can't ask you to protect me. Not here. not with Casa.” “We are safe here,” I said again. “We are a family, and families protect each other.” I made ready the compound’s defenses. Gaucho’s turrets whirred to life and swept the no-man's land for any sign of invaders. I took to the roof and looked out upon the horizon to see only a single purple unicorn trotting toward the compound. I made my way outside. “You are not welcome here,” I told Ender as he approached. “Leave or be returned to the soils of Equestria.” “Where is your hospitality now, Gardener?” asked the purple unicorn. “Does your message of giving only apply to those you deem worthy? What would Celestia say to that?” “This is no longer my home,” I replied. “Nothing here is mine to give.” “Even after you broke my leg, I respected you for your conviction,” said Ender. “Your gift of mercy kept me from leveling your lot; I’m glad to see it's no longer yours. Leave now and you’ll live. Give me the girl, and you’ll be generously rewarded.” He chuckled underneath his barding. “When is the last time your goddess offered you reward for anything?” “With Celestia as my witness,” I swore, “if you cross that line, you will die here. I will leave your corpse to rot in the wastes so it does not to taint the life that grows within. Step over that line, Ender, and it will be your last mistake.” “I will cross this line, Gardener,” replied Ender. “And I will take that girl in every way possible as you watch.” Ender trotted away from the line and disappeared into the afternoon. It was a small relief to see him leave. I wanted to chase him down and kill him on the spot, but I knew that others were coming, and I had to make ready our defenses. Thunder rumbled over head; a war was coming to our doorstep. Over the course of the afternoon, I had reloaded the turrets with the ammunition we had made from the marbles. Whatever army was headed our way was sure to be the best Ender could muster. I readied traps at the entrances, and fortified our windows. Gaucho donned his armor, and strapped into his battle saddle. He powered up his cart, and rolled ready to fight. The stress of the imminent attack had forced Casa into labor. Charm took the mare into the basement of the showroom to assist with the birth. Gaucho and I had both wanted to be present when their foal was born, but if we failed at the task at hand, the foal wouldn’t be alive long enough to know the love of his parents. I took watch on the rooftop and awaited the onslaught. Gaucho waited in the trees, ready to rain mortars upon whatever came our way. I only hoped he survived to see his child grow up. It was near evening by the time a cloud of dust began rolling over the horizon. It was far worse than I had expected. There was a herd of ponies headed for the lot, hooves thundering across the wastes. They had come as a plague of judgment, and I felt fear for the first time in many years. Fifty ponies galloped to war, ready to destroy the orchard and all that stood in their way. Two ponies stood ready to defend it against the onslaught of raiders and mercenaries. I pushed away the fear, and felt an amazing calm sweep over me. It was as if the voice of the goddess told me that it was all going to be all right. I was no longer worried about winning this battle. I had heard the crying of a newborn foal from far below me. I thanked Celestia for her kindness, and made my way to the showroom. Charm came up to tell me that Gaucho had a son. I ordered her to stay with Casa and defend that foal to her dying breath. I was not opposed to the idea of mares fighting. Indeed, I had seen mares more ferocious than Diamond Dogs in my time defending their young, but this was no place for such heroics. This was a time for violence, and it was going to be a bloodbath. The first missile struck where Charm had repaired the wall nearly a year ago. Great chunks of concrete flew over the lot, and shattered greenhouse windows. The walls otherwise held, and soon the turrets were chattering death upon the invaders. Another missile struck the walls, opening a hole large enough to fire from. Gaucho rolled to the hole and began picking off ponies with a rifle. Mortars rained from between greenhouses, and decimated the lands that once were fields of wheat. It was going to be a hassle picking bits of shrapnel out of the ground for fall’s harvest. I made my way back to the roof. The compound was now in full siege now; we were surrounded by ponies who wanted us dead. They fired into the walls and lobbed grenades from behind the wagon wheel fence of safety. I cursed myself for not letting Gaucho install a free fire mode. For all my preparations, I had never expected a full scale assault to come to my Orchard. My. Again with the me. Here I was defending the home of a friend and all I could think of was myself. I focused instead on the task, and began firing back at the ponies that besieged the compound. Bullets glanced from the parapets of the roof, throwing shards of concrete into my armor. One nicked my flank, cutting through the metal plates there. It appeared that Ender had gotten wiser, and spent the money to outfit his troops with better ammunition than our previous encounter. The turret nearest me spun and coughed a dozen more rounds, sending three ponies to the ground in a spray of blood. From what I could see, the army of fifty had been cut down by fifteen already. We were winning the fight, but there was still much more to go. I saw Ender ordering his troops back from the walls as he stood atop a cart. The pony with the missile launcher took aim at the turret nearest me. The rocket streaked across the twilight sky. It may have been majestic sight to others, and if it hadn’t been our turret he was shooting at, I would have applauded him for a fantastic shot. I dove for the stairwell as the ammunition inside ignited, and blasted both the lot and the no-man’s land with hot shrapnel. I cursed the loss of the turret, but we were still in the fight. Every stretch of the outside wall had been covered by two turrets for just such an occasion. It wasn’t until I heard the second rocket strike that I began to worry. Gaucho had heard the explosions, and rolled his way to the barricades we erected outside the front gate. With the two front turrets out, there was little place for them to attack but the main gate. I joined Gaucho behind the barricades and waited for the doors to breech. Three explosions popped outside our front door. They had found the land mines. A pit of spikes awaited the first ponies who breached the door. Past that, there was only Gaucho’s battle saddle and my steel hardened resolve. The explosion at the gate took us both by surprise. When I saw the cart spiral into the air, I realized they had packed explosives into it to make a battering ram. They clearly hadn’t used enough, as it only bent the gate halfway open. Ponies poured into through the breach. The first few fell into the pit of spikes. Their companions used them as a bridge to get past. There was no cover from that direction, and they were sitting ducks for Gaucho’s chattering cannons. I fired back with my own rifle, staying low along the barricade. A half a dozen more ponies had fallen by this time, and the enemy looked to be losing their nerve. The battle would have continued well if the wall had not exploded in a shower of concrete and steel. They had lured us into a false sense of superiority, and we paid for that mistake in pain. Concrete peppered our armor, and the ponies poured through the new hole in the wall. Twenty five ponies remained standing; there were two of us. Gaucho flipped down helmet, and thanked me for being his friend. Gaucho’s spun on his cart, and began strafing the crowd of on rushing ponies. They couldn’t keep up with his erratic movements, and found themselves being cut down by a hail of bullets. Shell casings littered the ground as Gaucho whooped and hollered, his battle saddles unloading hot death in defense of his home. Seven more ponies fell underneath his wall of lead. I managed to score two more kills from my position behind the barricades. I popped up again to see the missile launcher pony peeking from behind the breech. The missile struck the ground between us. The explosion threw Gaucho through the glass portrait of Celestia. I knew his armor would protect him from the glass, but as I tumbled through the air, I wondered how well it would have protected him from the concussion of the missile. I landed in the open, the impact of the ground cracking my armor and several of my ribs. Bullets rained on my position, some tearing through my armor and burying themselves deep in my sides. I rolled away and hid in the spread of greenhouses. I was bleeding from more bullet wounds than I could count, yet I felt no pain. In all my years of battle, I had never felt such elation. I was enjoying myself so much, I had to laugh. Here I was, bleeding to death with another dozen or so ponies to fight and I couldn’t stop smiling. I saw a pony with a flame thrower emerge from the back of the herd, and I heard Ender ordering him to torch the showroom. I got to my feet, and charged from the safety of the greenhouses toward the remaining ponies. Flamer or no, I would not allow them into the showroom while I still drew breath. The missile pony reloaded. Others gathered between the heavy weapons ponies to maximize their killing power. Shots peppered the concrete around me as I weaved from cover to cover. The bullet wounds were slowing me down, and felt that I wasn’t going to be able to make it to the flamer pony in time. From above, I head the sharp crack of a rifle. All the ponies who had been standing near the flamer were engulfed in an earth shaking fireball. From atop the showroom, I saw Charm working a lever rifle. She had started picking off the biggest threats, and had gotten a perfect shot on the flamer’s tank. As the wailing pyre of ponies fell to the ground, Charm unloaded another shot at the missile launcher. She hadn’t been aiming for the pony; she had been aiming for the warhead. Her rifle round punctured the head of the missile and blew to pieces any pony within ten yards. The remaining ten ponies concentrated their fire at the roof tops. I thanked Celestia again for that mare as I drew hammer upon the first of my last ten opponents. The first pony was blindsided by the swinging hammer that took half his head away. Showered in gore, I stepped into the swing and brought the hammer through the ribs of the next pony. The world seemed to slow around me. My body warned that it was failing, but there was no stopping me now. Like the berserker ponies of ancient Equestria, I plowed through my enemies. Even as they turned their guns on me, I laughed. The third pony fell under a vicious buck that echoed with the familiar crunch of skull, and the fourth lost his hips to the triumphant crush of sledge. Bullets clattered off my armor, through my armor, through me. I didn’t care. I was a hurricane of destruction, tearing through the ponies in my path. Five, six, and seven evaporated in showers of broken ponies as eight and nine were crushed together by my invincible hooves. Of the fifty ponies who had dared to take the lot, Ender stood alone. He had been watching me mow through his army, a pony possessed by the righteous fury of Celestia. He had watched and waited, sword drawn. As I cut down the final ponies, he charged and buried his sword in my chest. An infinite world of pain came back to me in that moment. My righteous fury had failed me at the last second, and here I stood, unable to deliver the final blow. The hammer dropped from my teeth more in shock than pain. I fell to the ground, and the world faded around me. I heard a voice calling my name in a whisper from miles away. I wanted to follow that voice home. I would follow it to the ends of the Equestria, as it was surely the gentle words of my goddess. I was ready to let go when I heard another whisper from much closer. “I hope you’re alive long enough to hear her scream.” The world came back to me. My teeth shot forward and grabbed Ender’s horn. In my last act of this world, I jerked my head to the side. The crunch of snapping vertebrae said it all. The look of shock in those malicious yellow eyes as I shattered that bastard’s neck made it all worth it. I fell free of the unicorn and looked to the heavens as the rain fell into my eyes. My journey ended as it had began. That was the way of things in the wastes. Rain. Gardener had told me many times of the miracle of rain. About its ability to wash clean the sins of our failings, and bring the gifts of life from the heavens. He lie there in the rain, surrounded by the bodies of the raiders that sought to destroy our way of life and snuff the spark of generosity we had had tried to ignite. Outnumbered twenty to one, his defense of the lot signaled a clear victory of the way of generosity over the forces of chaos that ruled the wastes. He had given everything he had in our defense. I looked upon the pony’s body as the tears of anguish welled inside. I had planned a life with him. I had hoped to one day walk through the restored lands of Equestria with him. I had hoped to bear his children and raise them with the miracle of generosity that he had taught me. But he hadn’t want those things; he only wanted to give me the love a father gives a child. In my jealously, I left his embrace for my own selfish aims. Now instead of starting a life anew, he lie on the concrete, defeated at last by the wastes which he had fought so hard to dispel. I closed his yellow eyes, and wept for Equestria’s loss. Casa came to me, and put a hoof on my shoulder. She begged me to come out of the rain, and told me we would bury him later. I refused. When he could help it, Gardener had never let a pony lie. This lot, this orchard of life, was his legacy. As the rains extinguished the fires around me, I would see to it that he became part of it once more. I picked up his sledge, and pounded the cement with all the force I could muster. Cracks formed in the concrete under the hammer’s blows. I could see why he wielded it in battle. It struck like a thunderbolt, and in his teeth it would crush all that stood in his way. The rain washed the sweat from my coat as I worked, and cleansed the blood from Gardener’s broken body. I floated away the concrete chunks I would need to repair the walls. Great scoops of soggy earth levitated from the circle and mud sloshed over the sides as I created a grave for the father I never had. I picked up his broken body in my hooves, and removed his helm. He looked serene, as if he were asleep in my arms. I had never gotten to thank him for his sacrifice. Rain continued to fall on us; the storm showed no signs of abating. It was as if the clouds themselves knew of Gardener’s passing, and hoped that their prayers of tears would bring him back. I looked down at him for the last time, and whispered the rites of burial he had taught me. The mud fell upon him in a waterfall of earth, and Equestria welcomed home his mortal remains. I would return when the rains stopped, and plant our finest sapling on his grave. I knew his tree would grow strong; that it would give shelter and life to everything around it just as he had. I only hoped I had taken in enough of his lessons to continue his dream. I walked back into the showroom, still dripping with the wet of rain. The radio played quietly, and the dulcet tones of singers long since past filled the home with peace. Gaucho lay unconscious in his cart. I had taken off his armor after he had come crashing through the window. His barding had protected him from the onslaught of the army and he would live to see another day. His wife sat beside him, coddling their newborn foal. She wept for her lost friend. I picked Gardener’s cloak from the ground, and wrapped myself in the soft wool. It still smelled of him: of earth and sweat; of hope and generosity; of blood and life. I pulled the cloak in tight, and basked in his last warmth. Even death could not stop him from giving the slightest comforts to those who asked. I knew now that Celestia had called to me to save Equestria by giving of myself. I only wished that she would have left him as an example to us all. The loss of Gardener was a clear punishment. In my own selfish arrogance, I had brought about his demise. Tears streamed down my muzzle as I stood and stared back into the rain. “Are you going to be okay?” asked Casa. I looked to the grave I had given Gardener, then back at Casa. I was no longer the Charm that had come here a lifetime ago, but the heir to a destiny of service that I hadn’t known existed until now. “I can’t be Charm anymore,” I told her. The thunder rumbled behind me. “The waste needs some pony like him to preach the message of generosity and renewal. Some pony to bring the dead home, and to bury the past. Whatever I may have wanted in this life no longer matters now. I’m the reason he’s gone.” I looked down at my cloak, then back to Casa. “I will still teach my spell of cleansing to any who can learn,” I told her. “But to the world, Charm is dead. As penance for robbing the world of his generosity, I will take up his mantle and hammer, and I will give of myself till my dying day.” “Now, I am the Gardener.”

Apple John

261

Fluttershy,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Alternate Universe,Crossover,Adventure,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

The Glue Maker

complete

<p>In a struggle for survival, Harry the Bear's fate is intertwined with Fluttershy's as they learn about the more fierce side of friendship in this suspense-filled adventure from deep within the Everfree Forest as they fight forces unknown in a search for Rainbow Dash!</p>

everyone

2011-07-19T02:28:25+00:00

2011-07-19T02:28:25+00:00

I awoke to find myself bounded and blinded. I had absolutely no idea of my whereabouts, but whoever was keeping me captive had tied a blindfold around my eyes and wrapped a muzzle around my snout, like as if I was some wild, rabid beast. Granted, bears aren’t notorious for being docile creatures, but I’ve never been accused of anything past being a gentle individual who stayed at home most of the day, and certainly never bothered anyone! For this reason, I had no enemies, nor any reason to have any. To be honest, I actually have little to no recollection of how I came to become a prisoner. The last thing I remembered, I was doing a little housework, and, please excuse my gloating in advance, but I live in the finest cave on my side of the Everfree, always so spick and span! Why, the way I maintain it, it seems more like a house or at least to the few guests I do receive! But I digress: the mentioning of guests does clear the haze a bit... I do remember a visitor came by, stormed in really, and called out to me. “Harry,” barked the feminine voice from the front entrance, “come here at once!” I’m not one to be confrontational, but I certainly do not enjoy taking orders from an anonymous, not to mention uninvited, visitor, and certainly not when I have other duties to attend to. But alas, I grimaced and set down my dust broom to greet my demanding house guest, not wanting her rudeness to rub off onto me. The feigned smile I wore on my way the front dropped into a stupor of confusion and worry as I met my guest; she commanded a legion of gladiator-esque ponies that stood behind her. Noticing she had my attention, the guest, a brilliantly white alicorn mare, took a step forward. “We need you to come with us,” her voice ringed with a smile. Her troops marched toward me, but whether I put up a fight, I can’t remember for the life of me. Everything between that moment and now felt instantaneous, almost as if they hadn’t happened at all! But the question still remained as to my current position, or what my captors wanted from me. In a very physical struggle to free myself from my shackles, the blindfold fell from my eyes. I found myself in a winged crystal-like carriage of royal-like design, aloft in the air by two of the soldiers aforementioned, pulling from the front. Sitting next to me, I glanced at the one responsible: the regal mare sat peacefully, proper in posture with her multicolored mane floating with the breeze. She faced me with a cheeky smile; she didn’t say a word, but the air in which she held herself seemed almost as if she enjoyed my bondage. Her passiveness taunted me, but there was nothing I could do in my current state. I started to flail about, screaming through my muzzle, and even in recollection my raging intentions still aren’t clear to me; whether I was hoping my spasms would throw me overboard, or that the fit of anger would unbind my limbs and allow me to take control of the situation is uncertain, but my primitive actions ended when I collided against the wall upon the halt of the carriage. Lying face up on the floor of the cart, I made eye contact with the two armored pegasi staring at me with a grim expression. “Oh no, that won’t be necessary,” said she, in a comforting voice, “Proceed onward, gentlecolts.” I felt a magical force pick me up off the floor, and it set me sitting upright in the seat next to the mare. She looked fondly to me, as if we were proper friends. “I apologize for the rude awakening, Harry. I am Princess Celestia of Equestria, and I need your help.” The muzzle fell off my mouth and the shackles disappeared from my arms and legs, but my surge of violence had passed, and I no longer felt a drive to use my claws in the realization that I was outnumbered, three to one. I couldn’t fight it: I was to be a prisoner to these ponies, and I hadn’t the slightest prayer of escaping it now. Around the airborne vessel was nothing, not even a cloud. The only surroundings at the moment were the blue sky and a large sea of trees and branches below. Based on the overview, it was clear that we were not anywhere remotely close to the part of the forest I was familiar with; my cave is on the further outskirts of the Everfree Forest that borders a small village of Earth ponies. The vegetation around my home is sparser, so that one could at least see some sunlight through the trees. However, the canopy below us was surprisingly dense, even for the Everfree Forest. So dense, it looked solid enough to walk on… I must’ve been crazy to even devise such an idea, and crazier to think it might even work, but options were running out. The thought of being held captive as an innocent prisoner devastated me, but then if I did escape it wasn’t as if I could return to a normal life in my cave, granted I even found my way! I teetered between the two ideas for what felt like hours, but I knew that if I waited too long, I’d lose my opportunity. I decided against it, and moped back into my seat, defeated. Shortly after, I felt the mare’s gaze once more. She met me with an understanding look, and tilted her head, as if trying to communicate a message to me but without the guard ponies hearing. I simply looked back at her, dumbfounded. She continued her unspoken gestures, but my mental processes didn’t connect with hers. “Go,” she whispered impatiently, as if she read my mind. Was I thinking aloud? And if I was, why was she suggesting me to take the chance of evading her grasp? None of this made any sense! I was still appalled, perhaps even more lost than before, staring back at her, wishing for an explanation. In a frustrated sigh, she looked at me with a scrunched face, when all of a sudden, I could feel her unicorn magic pressing upon me again, but this time, it ejected me from the cart! Away from my captors, but to my probable death! She made my unsure decision for me as I fell to whatever lied beneath the canopy! I screamed for dear life, hoping the carriage would rescue me; I’d gladly wear the shackles of a prisoner than become the site of an unmarked grave any day! Contrary to my previous theory, and to no surprise at that, the canopy was not dense enough to become a viable walking surface, and on the way down, each branch slapped against my face to remind me. Although, and to my good fortune, it seemed that the limbs I encountered seemed to provide enough upward force to prevent me from becoming a bear-shaped splat on the forest’s floor. That’s not to say that my greeting with the ground was not abrupt; rather, I landed flat on my stomach but was thankfully not injured past the scrapes and cuts gifted from the branches during my less than graceful descent. I lied there unattended for some time, perhaps even unconsciously. But I arose before the forest grew pitch black, and used my battered senses to gather my bearings. The flora all seemed familiar to me, so I was nearly certain that the mare had ejected me somewhere within the Everfree Forest. However, as to how to find my way home, I hadn’t the slightest clue, and the growing darkness didn’t help the matter at hand either. The priority at the moment was to find a decent shelter. In the distance, I heard a continuous murmur, as if from rumbling machinery. As to the purpose of having machinery deep in the Everfree Forest, I hadn’t the slightest idea, but I knew its origin had to relay to some answer: someone, I theorized, had to either be or have been here, and would be able to offer shelter! To this notion, I disregarded my wounds and busily began to jog towards the sound. The rumble grew louder with each step, and my mind was busy at work fantasizing the possibilities. I said earlier it could be someone, but what are the chances of it being a multitude of others, or an establishment? A camp? A village? A town? As the noise grew even louder, I could start to make out the outline of a larger structure, probably of stone exterior, but the night was too dark to give a certain answer. Nonetheless my mind started to swirl with new ideas. “What if this structure is a cave? Or a den?” I breathed with sudden uncertainty at the mention at the latter point, “but what if… what if perhaps this monotonous humming is the snoring of creatures, far larger and less welcoming than I?” The thought caused me to quiver, but my instinctual curiosity had taken over as I cautiously hobbled towards whatever lied in the distance. When I found myself but a few yards from this mysterious settlement, it was too dark to see anything. I turned around, and couldn’t even tell if the path I had traversed stretched out to be a mile, or ten miles. I hadn’t a clue where I was in reference to anything! I faced the ominous humming once more, and as I did, I saw a small light peeking out from a half-closed door. My heart jumped as I stumbled through the darkness towards the door, because I knew that if I had found a source of light in the darkness, I clearly have stumbled upon a knowledgeable someone in the forest! The optimism had begun to resurface, when I opened the door to a large, abandoned-looking room. The room looked not much unlike the setup of a doctor’s office, or the concierge’s desk in a hotel lobby, (despite living in a cave, I have educated myself on the world by hosting a small library of books back home,) though a little dusty and unkempt for what it was: the stone floor was wild with dust, mud, and feathers strewn amuck, but the facility did not seem unoccupied, as the loud rumble of machinery from outside convinced me. I stepped inside, closing the door with an audible thud, when a muffled squeak emitted within the room. “Hello?” I called out. I first imagined it was a mouse, but the baffling squeak returned, followed by the sound of heavy breathing. Whatever it was, it was squeamish, and though I hated to startle anyone, I hadn’t come this far to go back. I started my way to the back of the room, where I assumed the noise was originating from. The panting grew louder and louder. Whatever was making that sound, it sounded as if it were hyperventilating. Looking around, I noticed a body, coated in a yellow tone, huddled beneath a desk, though I couldn’t identify its race or origin in its position. Whatever it was, the poor thing was scared out of its mind, it seemed. Grabbing the corner for support, I knelt down beside it. “Excuse me” I said gently, the body jumped, then froze, “are you alright?” Frightfully, the creature looked at me. She appeared to be a young mare, and was suddenly comforted by the gesture that I didn’t intend to harm her. I outstretched my paw, and she reached to me with her hoof. As I helped her up, the young pegasus was still shaking. She was a little thing, and looked as if she’d saw a ghost. Her frail yellow body was slouched over slightly, braced as if she was expecting some unknown assailant. She couldn’t stop her body from shaking as she combed a hoof through her long pink mane, frazzled from stress. She didn’t look like she’d been harmed, or at least not by any physical method, but the way she carried herself, it gave the feeling that she had been victimized in some other emotional fashion: the way she looked at me said it all. Her sweet teal eyes, still puffy from the tears which hadn’t stopped coming, gave me the saddest look I’ve ever witnessed, and just watching made me want to cry with her as well. She needed a hug, but she needed far more than that, I’d say. There was obviously something wrong, something paining in her heart, but I hadn’t the brashness to ask the poor soul what it was. Instead, my only reaction was to try and comfort her. “Are you alright?” I repeated softly, hoping for a response. I offered her a warm hug which she gladly accepted, though I could still feel the racing pulse of her heart. We embraced each other for a while as I could feel the heartbeat normalizing, when she timidly broke the silence: “Y-yes… I… I’m alright…” she broke away from the hug, “I’m so… so terribly sorry if I worried you.” “No worries,” I plainly said with a smile. “Y-you’re very… nice,” she blushed, “my name’s Fluttershy,” “And mine’s Harry,” I offered my paw, but she was too shy or too embarrassed to shake it. She looked away, and her previously sad demeanor returned. “Are you sure you’re alright, miss?” She looked back up at me, something was on her mind, and I could tell she was debating whether or not to tell me. She shook her head to herself, and mustered the courage to say it. “May I… May I ask you something?” she asked with a tone of desperation, her volume dropped, as though sharing a secret, but with someone else trying to listen. “Go for it,” I replied, matching her whisper. She suddenly became more fearful. The silence returned as she thought to herself about what to say, “I… I know we just met,” she stumbled with her words, “b-but I need a favor from you. I mean, unless you’re busy, and…” She kept babbling on about conditions, which in turn caused me to eventually daze out of the conversation. She almost sounded guilty from her tone, as if she might regret it. However I could judge from the nervousness in her voice that she desperately needed help, though she didn’t want to inconvenience anyone, especially not anyone she did not already know. I was her only hope for her problem, whatever it was. But when the mare’s eyes filled with tears once more, I tuned back into the conversation: “My friend is somewhere in there!” she exclaimed through bawling, and shortly broke down on the floor after saying it. I gently lifted her up and wrapped myself around her in a tight bear hug. Wiping the tears on my fur, she started to mumble a story to me… - - - It all started yesterday at Fluttershy’s cottage. She and her dear friend Rainbow Dash were sitting outside waiting for tea to brew, discussing the day’s plans. The sun shone brightly, and the day was open for anypony to play games and have fun in the outdoors, as many ponies around them were already doing. It was only normal that Fluttershy would take this opportunity to host a tea party for her friends while they basked in the sunlight. But feeling the sunlight on her face made Rainbow Dash sit at the table resentfully. The blue pegasus longed to be practicing her flying in the sunny sky! Normally, she’d already be flying in loop-dee-loops and barrel rolls across the cloudless canvas, but today was different because she had already made arrangements the week before that she would spend the day with Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were the best of friends since their days of youth in Cloudsdale; however, their difference of interests always seemed to prevent them from hanging out together. Rainbow Dash was a thrill-seeking athlete who always looked to danger with a grin, while her yellow counterpart usually kept her hooves on the ground, caring for her animal friends. Fluttershy avoided trouble at all costs, and was actually quite finicky of getting too physical, in fear that she might hurt somepony. It was the two’s differences that brought them together: between Rainbow Dash’s dutiful loyalty to her friends and Fluttershy’s undying kindness and support, the two were inseparable. Fluttershy giggled to herself. “Rainbow Dash, I didn’t know you liked tea, and I never would’ve thought you’d sit down long enough to enjoy it!” Rainbow Dash smiled back at her friend, but before she had time to wittily response, the teapot started to whistle from Fluttershy’s kitchen. “Oh, the tea is ready!” Fluttershy declared softly, “excuse me for a second, I’ll be right back.” The pony jumped up and flew towards the cottage door. On her way, she passed the fenced-in chicken coop. She couldn’t help but smile as she noticed her chickens enjoying the wonderful sunshine! But that joy turned to dismay when she saw the gate was swung open, giving her fowls the chance to run off and never be seen again! She hurriedly shut the gate, almost forgetting about the screeching teapot inside. The worried pony took off into the kitchen to turn the stove off, and brought the kettle to the squirming Rainbow Dash outside. The other pegasus knew something was awry. “Uh, Fluttershy, is there something wrong? You look a little… flustered” “What?” she quickly replied with a forced smile. She didn’t want to worry her friend. “Oh no, I’m fine. Oh, but please don’t wait on me while your tea cools! I’ll be with you in just a second.” The yellow pony took off and landed in the middle of the coop. “Alright ladies, role call!” she exclaimed. The chickens got in a disorganized clump as Fluttershy began to count them one by one. Alarmed at her results, she counted again, and again, but each time, she ended up one chicken short! Elizabeak had disappeared! “Oh dear,” she squeaked, “okay, everyone stay put, I’ll be back.” She flew back to the table with her fidgety friend, unaware that her face wore more worry than before. “I’m so sorry Dashie, but I’m afraid I have to cut the party short. You see, Elizabeak has gone missing into the forest again, and I have to-“ Rainbow Dash jumped up, spilling her tea on the ceramic patio table. “Wait, Fluttershy, I’m going with you! The Everfree Forest is a dangerous place! You need to have someone else with you, and I’d hate for you to get hurt and not have someone there to help.” Whether or not she was really concerned or just bored, it was impossible to tell. Either way, she was enthusiastic to stretch her wings. “Well, I really do appreciate it, but um, I don’t want to ask you to do th-“ “Ha, it’s no problem,” interrupted Rainbow Dash, “I want to help. I’ve wanted to do something all day! Please?” “Well… I mean, if you really want to,” Fluttershy said half regretfully, “yes. You can come with me.” “Yes!” Rainbow Dash emphasized as she jumped up and charged off, chasing Elizabeak’s prints into the dark Everfree Forest. Fluttershy gulped, “w-wait for me!” The two trotted on for a little over an hour, following Elizabeak’s tracks. Rainbow Dash lost much of her enthusiasm from before. “Ugh, how far could that chicken have gone?” she expressed aloud. “Well, I don’t know for sure,” Fluttershy grew more troubled at each step, “I don’t know when the gate came loose, or when Elizabeak went missing!” Rainbow Dash sighed under her breath, which turned to a surprised gasp when she noticed the chicken tracks changed abruptly, going in circles for a while. Then suddenly, they stopped. It appeared that this was the end of Elizabeak’s trail. Fluttershy let her imagination get the best of her, and she started to cry. “Oh no, my poor Elizabeak! I’ll never see her again!” She huddled into a ball and started to sob. Rainbow Dash hated to watch her friends cry, and was looking everywhere for signs of the perpetrator: she wasn’t about to give up, and she soon came across a path of trampled bushes. “Wait a second,” said Rainbow Dash, skeptically eyeballing the ground. “Look at these!” She pointed at a set of large, round prints that formed a path as frantic and jumpy as Elizabeak’s. Where her tracks stopped, the mysterious round-footed thief continued, blazing his own trail through the bruised foliage. “I’d bet that if we follow them, we could find the perp who kidnapped Elizabeak!” The blue pony jetted through the bushes and tall grass, pursuing a new trail. Fluttershy hopped up and tried to follow behind. She chased after Rainbow Dash until they come across a brilliant ruined building of stone. It wasn’t a cave, nor did it look like a ruined temple, but the unexplained humming noise ran chills down the yellow mare’s spine. Rainbow Dash looked back at the trembling pony, motioning her to follow. Rainbow Dash charged through the door, assessing the dusty room’s contents. The place reeked of something musty, which was explained by the clouds of lint waltzing through the room as the door opened. Inside, the rumbling from inside was muffled to where one could almost forget the sound if the door was closed. However, the only sign of the perpetrator’s presence were the chicken feathers laid across the room. “Oh Elizabeak, what have you gotten yourself into?” Fluttershy murmured to herself. The blue pony was now red with rage, stomped her hoof against the ground, listening to the sound that softly echoed back off the walls. “I’m gonna go show that chicken-napper what’s what and get Elizabeak back!” Rainbow Dash blared, “You stay here; I’ll be back in a jiffy!” Rainbow Dash bolted through a door that led to a darker corridor with feathers lined across the ground. Fluttershy doesn’t like it when her friend charges into situations like she usually did, but in faith, she waited for her blue friend’s return. Hours passed, and Fluttershy grew afraid and uncanny: for one, she never saw or heard any sign from her friend, but worse, it left her to imagining fearful situations and outcomes for Rainbow Dash! Fluttershy had absolutely no idea what to do; it would take several hours to return to Ponyville to gather a search party, and by then, it might be too late. Or if Rainbow Dash wasn’t in trouble at all, and she did leave but her friend returned to find that she didn’t wait, Fluttershy didn’t want to give her the impression that her closest friend abandoned her! But then also, it was getting terribly late in the day, and the Everfree Forest terrified her at night, but what if the terrible creep that took the chicken had taken Rainbow Dash as well, and then came back to take her? Confused and afraid, the timid pony decided to hide under a desk, unsure of the safest action. - - - Her story was one that warmed my heart, and I felt nothing but the inclining desire to help her as she cried the last of her tears. Sharing her story with me had definitely lifted some huge burden on her soul as she was comfortably nuzzled into my chest: I almost thought she was asleep as I sat her down on the surface of the desk. “Don’t you worry your little head,” smiled I, watching the twinkle in her eyes return, “I’ll go find your friend; stay here and be a good filly.” As soon as I turned my back and was reaching for the doorknob, Fluttershy had hopped in front of me. “No!” she exclaimed. Her brash assertiveness startled me, and seeing me taken aback brought a slight blush to her yellow face. She quickly regained her soft composure. “I mean… well, I want to go with you,” she quickly corrected her sudden outburst, “I don’t want to be left alone again.” The shine of concern returned to her eyes as they stared back into mine. The truth was, even after just meeting her I felt that the responsibility of Fluttershy and her friend had thwarted itself upon me: if she found herself in harm’s way, I’d be devastated! But if I did ground her to the front room, her imagination would surely torture her once more. At a loss for words, I indicated my indifference with a shrug. She quickly charged me with a hug, nearly knocking me off my feet. “Oh goodness, thank you so much!” she squeaked. I still held some regret to the decision of letting her tag along, but it was too late to revisit the mandate. “But listen,” I objected. She turned to me, bracing herself for what she expected to follow, “If something happens to me, the deal’s off: you will do whatever you have to in order to return home unscathed, understand?” She nodded in agreement. So long as she kept, I promised, too, that I would keep her out of the crosshairs of danger. Like I said earlier, her safety is a chief concern of mine, and I planned to keep my word, even though I hoped neither of us would have to uphold them on the journey that lied ahead. I twisted the doorknob to reveal a series of corridors, filled with blank doors leading to who-knows-where. It was eerie, but we stalked through the cobweb-infested halls in hopes to find her hotheaded pony friend. Fluttershy stayed herself next to me, as if she feared that something scary may jump out of the walls. In an attempt to block out the frightening pictures of ghouls and ghosts from her head, she kept her eyes to the ground, noticing each shed feather and clot of dirt we passed. Along with the perpetrator’s footprints in the dust, this trail of feathers and dirt is how we stayed on track in this maze of a building. The quietness of our progression made me anxious, but I felt her eyes upon me again. “If you don’t mind me asking,” Fluttershy remarked shyly in attempt to break the silence, “you never told me anything about yourself.” The question was not by any means random or irrelevant, but the vagueness of its nature caught me off guard: I proceeded to share with her about my life back home at my cave, and how I usually spent more of my time cleaning it, and most of my free time reading books and novels. She didn’t say anything in response, only smiled quietly, as if she’d heard a similar story before. Of the things I revealed to her about myself, I never declared my business within these woods, nor did I mention anything about the white alicorn, my kidnapping, my ejection, or my near death experience which brought me to this dank and dusty labyrinth in the first place. I didn’t want to give her another reason to worry herself, and I probably wouldn’t have told her, even if she had she asked. But my thoughts were cut short by the low, tone-deaf humming that sounded from around the corner. I signaled Fluttershy to stay put, though by the looks of her buckling knees, doing so was redundant. I turned from her and thwarted myself to the wall in hopes to discover the source, sidling my way to the intersection as the characters do in all those espionage thriller novels do. Peeking my snout around the corner, I saw the shadowy criminal hobbling away to a stairwell as he hummed his tune. My eyes still fixated on him, I brought Fluttershy over to me with a wave of my hand, as I continued to watch the criminal, whom I identified as an older bear, slowly descending the stairs. I turned my head back to her. “If we instigate combat with the target, it may jeopardize the operation altogether,” I explained instinctively, feeling the adrenaline of an espionage fantasy, “what we need to do is to continue to watch the target from a distance and allow him to lead us to our two objectives. After we locate objective one…” “Huh?” Fluttershy tilted her head in confusion. “Oh, umm,” I tried to recover, realizing my past statement, “I’ve been reading too many Ian Fleming novels, that’s all.” The statement was as childish as the first, but to my embarrassment, it was true: My dreams as a young cub were always based on his novels. Each night was a different action-packed dream, whether it was disarming bombs, swimming through shark tanks, gambling with the corrupt and the powerful… I actually felt for a second as though I was living my past dreams. I blushed at this realization, and Fluttershy responded with an innocent grin and kissed me on the cheek. “I-I’m sorry,” the small pegasus giggled at me, both at my embarrassment and bewilderment, but she was also a bit taken back about her actions herself, “you just… you just sounded like one of my friends back home, and I…” her voice dropped from a hushed whisper to an inaudible breath. She smiled sweetly, but I wasn’t sure how to respond to her actions. Like I mentioned before, I hadn’t many friends of my own, much less pony friends, and from even fewer have I been kissed, even if it was just a friendly peck. To avoid an uncomfortable encounter, I ignored the previous events, continuing with the task at hand as the both of us tiptoed to the stairwell. The plan was to make as little noise as possible, while also keeping his noisy humming in earshot: had we lost track of the voice, we risked the chance of losing our trail on him altogether! But the humming stopped as we descended the stairs. We had an overhead view of the mysterious bear in front of a windowed door. He stopped and began to fumble through his apron pockets, grumbling muffled curses through his breath. His furrowed brow relaxed as he pulled out a key before his good eye, (the other had a vertical scar crossing from his forehead to his cheekbone. I assumed it no longer functioned due to the presence of an eye patch which covered it,) smiling as he unlocked the door, from which emitted a painfully irritating grinding noise that caused me to wince. He mumbled something to himself, then stepped through and slammed it shut to avoid the wrenching sound again. I looked at Fluttershy, who already made the first move by flying to the base of the stairs. Joining her, I peeked through the small window. “I’m… I’m s-scared, Harry,” her voice trembled as she found comfort and reassurance in the ground once more. The sight definitely was frightening to behold. On the other side of the wall existed a large basement, bearing more resemblance to an airplane hangar with its grandiose size. A number of tools, big and small, littered the ground in addition to a collection of old drum barrels covered in cobwebs, matching the old-and-abandoned décor. The scattered objects on the floor looked like the victims of a dust explosion. For instance, the barrels appeared to me as if they had been stacked, but then knocked over and left in their places for a series of months, perhaps even years. Fluttershy had pulled me out of my tidiness-freak trance to show me the only equipment which had seen use in the recent decade: a series of cauldrons lined out in the back of the room, their contents an unknown bubbling, pasty-looking liquid. Suspended above one was a metal walkway that, from where I stood, looked very much like a new addition along with the giant set of pots below. But the scene was not nearly as interesting as the events taking place, as Fluttershy hastily pointed out to me: on the bridge sat what I initially thought was a pile of rope and linens. Upon a closer analysis, the pile resembled more like an equestrian-based mummy, and its unpredictable wiggling looked not unlike a seizure. Poor thing. In that moment, I connected with the prisoner’s pain. “Stop fidgeting!” I heard a deep roar beyond the door, and I looked at the bear, now walking more rigidly towards the stairs, “I hear anger makes the formula less… welcoming, you silly filly!” Fluttershy stopped moping behind me as she heard the echo; was she even breathing? I couldn’t tell, nor did I turn around to check, because I know I wasn’t. This menacing beast was threatening a poor, innocent pony! The situation immobilized me out of sheer rage, and whatever the scrambling prisoner pony didn’t feel was boiling my blood. The villainous monologue continued. “I was so delighted that you came to volunteer” he commented, loud enough for me to hear clearly on the other side, “That wretched fowl you knocked out of my hands didn’t quite have the… stature my recipe called for. You, on the other hand, will settle quite nicely as paste.” Was that his plan? Using a live victim to make a simple adhesive? Watching his every pace drove me further and further berserk. Fluttershy climbed onto my leg, trying to tell me something. “H-harry,” she battled her crying. She broke down, and the following words were incoherent, but I heard the tear-muffled name ‘Rainbow Dash.’ If this was her, it gave me all the more reason to pulverize the miscreant. But I stood and watched as the bear reached the stairs at the far back of the room as his theatrics continued. “You’re a fighter. That I can tell. Even in your imminent defeat you struggle.” He took a dramatic pause, trying to think of some witty remark to follow-up with, “Do you know what you remind me of? You remind me of the last fish I caught for supper; I clawed it out onto the ground, and watched it for the remainder of its sorry existence. It flopped around for a good four minutes, begging for water, but never moving any closer, until it gave up: It died. It gave up its ghost, its will to live. Now what makes you any different from that fish?” He was yelling in the filly’s face, who never flinched once, but her flailing ceased. I couldn’t take it anymore. I banged my fisted claws against the door, but in tunnel vision, I could not process the thoughts going through my head: the poor victim, the arrogant villain, and here I was on the wrong side of the wall! Fluttershy watched me as I completely lost control of myself through rage. She started crawling to the corner, terrified at how the events transformed me. What followed suit was a complete outpour of power and bloodlust beyond imagination; did my own coat turn to fire, or did the blood inside me simply burn at my own skin? I had no time to think about my corporal self, but only for the righteous fury that was branded on my soul. Without further ado, I proceeded to grasp the door, angrily tearing it ajar like a page from a phonebook. As I stood before him on the other side of the room, the villainous bear paused for a moment, stunned at the sight which he just beheld. He muttered some curses beneath his breath again. “The glue must be getting to my head, or do I see a challenger before me, Krastos, the Glue Maker?” The bear revealed as Krastos proclaimed, insanely calm, regardless of the scrap metal at my feet that was once a door. “That’s some big talk, considerin’ I just ripped through your door like tinfoil!” the rage from within screamed at him, “Come on down, lets settle this bear-to-bear!” “Settle what? Your breaking in? Your destroying factory property? You-“ Krastos’s last phrase was cut off by a flying barrel drum, sent to his face, which in turn, knocked him over the ledge and onto the floor. Wow, I never imagined I had that kind of potential, nor the accuracy! I could feel control return to my body, thinking his fall to the ground may have incapacitated him for a long enough to free the mummified Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy nosed herself in the room when she heard the silence that followed the crash. Seeing that I had regained my own sanity and that Krastos had left the scene, she galloped and wrapped herself around me, again, shaking. “Thank you,” she whispered in my ear. For such a squeamish mare, she definitely had been through her share of encounters that day. I’d have said it was about time for us to high-tail out of this place, but there was still one order of business left. Without me even having to say it, she hauled plot up to the bridge. - - - Fluttershy flew towards her friend; Krastos certainly did an excellent job at wrapping her tight. The only parts of Rainbow Dash that was distinguishable were revealing sections of her rainbow colored mane, along with her attitude during the whole agenda: she never once gave up. Rainbow Dash always found herself in dire situations due to her rapscallion nature. She gambled her life on many occasions, but even when consequences looked grim for her, much like today, it never stopped her from pulling out with a smirk on her face, as if she was destined to live. In Fluttershy’s mind, Rainbow Dash was and always has been a true living example of an unstoppable force, but now, the headstrong mare needed help. Fluttershy landed next to her mummified friend. For what it was, considering that Rainbow Dash would never do her captor any justice by standing still, Krastos did a pretty spectacular job of taping her like a trainer would a swollen ankle. Fluttershy decided the easiest place to start would be the neck, so from there and going up, she carefully began to unwrap Rainbow Dash’s face, hoping the linen tape wouldn’t hurt too badly when she peeled it off. As she went, Rainbow Dash began to squirm more and more as she exclaimed incoherent phrases, muffled by the linen covering her mouth. “Um, try to be still, if you don’t mind!” Fluttershy said into her taped-shut ear in a hushed tone, backfiring her efforts to be loud. Though Rainbow Dash couldn’t understand a single word of her redeemer’s command, she knew the voice was that of her quiet friend that she adored so much. However, this caused her only to become more jumpy! Her spasms nearly knocked the yellow pony over, who returned the favor with a slap to the muzzle. She quickly recoiled at her actions. “I… I’m so… so sorry, Rainbow Dash,” she squeaked, unaware that her friend couldn’t make out the words. Her graceful smile returned. “But please hold still. Pretty please?” The yellow mare returned to the unwrapping of her neck, followed by the chin. Rainbow Dash didn’t move an inch, whether out of understanding the physical gesture, or simple bewilderment at the fact that Fluttershy actually had the backbone to smack her, and a painful hit at that. Even Fluttershy was appalled at her friend’s calmness as she moved from the chin to the muzzle, and then to the eyes. Even when her friend’s mouth was liberated, it didn’t do any more than breath. Her yellow forehead began to sweat, on the thought that she might’ve seriously injured Rainbow Dash! Her cool composure returned as the friend’s eyes opened. After readjusting to the basement setting, Rainbow Dash looked at the yellow pony in front of her. “Fluttershy! It is you!” She yelled, unaware of the voluminous tone in her voice, but brought her volume quieter when she saw how Fluttershy had flinched, and upon realization of the situation, her joyous demeanor turned glum. “I’m sorry to bring you into all of this… Say, how’d you take Krastos down anyway?” Fluttershy grinned and pointed to her new friend, who waved back as he started to slowly waltz to the stairs. The friendly bear stood proud, though he couldn’t expect what happened next… - - - From the darkness charged Krastos, now armed with a giant sledgehammer. We made eye contact, but before I could find time to react, I felt the blunt weight of the head crush against my stomach, knocking me down on my back at least a couple of feet behind me. The blow knocked the wind out of me to say the least, as I laid there for what felt like minutes. In all my days, I can honestly say that I’ve never felt a physical pain quite like that gut shot, but the adrenaline kicked in and the pain dampened, as well as my surroundings blurred: I could hear Fluttershy screaming my name among the sound of blood rushing to my head, and as if in slow motion, I saw Krastos stampeding to me once more. Swiftly regaining my cognizant functions, I rolled to the side to avoid the hammer crushing my skull into the concrete floor. Had I reacted a second later, it would have. The momentum of the swing colliding against the floor made a sizable hole in its wake. Krastos recoiled to catch his breath, giving me the window of opportunity I needed to take him down. I hastily jumped to my feet and tackled the other bear, in hopes to separate him from his grizzly maul. “You’re a fool, Harry” he remarked as he clawed my chest; I retaliated by punching his face. Though he simply ignored the blow and looked back at me. “Tell me, why are you siding with these ponies?” He rolled us over, so that he was on top. “Can’t you tell that I’m doing this for us? For the bears, so that we may rise to the top again! No longer will we need to respect these despicable ponies or their zealously dominant society!” He caught my claw mid-punch, but didn’t react. “Could I ask you to inquire a chance at redemption? Let’s stop this fighting nonsense: join me in my clash against this Equestrian nuisance. I rolled us over so that I was atop of him, overpowering his grasp on my claw; I struck his chest with my bent elbow, causing him to pause in effort to retrieve his breath. “I didn’t come to argue diplomacy: I came here for Rainbow Dash!” I was met by a fisted claw that may or may not have knocked a few teeth loose as we turned over again. “The blue pony is a necessary part of my plan; I could never part with her,” he dodged my fist, then forced by arm down into my stomach and spat in my face, “I’m afraid you, too, will submit to the cement of Krastos, the Glue Maker! My cause is righteous!” We rolled and struggled for quite some time, both of us trying to end up on top to control each other, exchanging a series of punches with each rotation. But alas, it was obvious that Krastos was trained in combat. However, I, in my primer years of age, possessed more raw strength and endurance than the former, but while it appeared that we were evenly matched, in truth, he ultimately dominated the situation at hand. - - - The two ponies sat mesmerized as they watched the bears battle it out in their clawfight, Rainbow Dash less so than Fluttershy. While Rainbow Dash was entertained at the show, the latter felt each blow upon Harry. It hurt her to watch her newest friend be beaten up by a bully! When the blue pony saw Harry, her savior, getting nailed by his adversary, she decided something must be done to settle the score! But as she flailed, she remembered the wrappings which grounded the rest of her body from the shoulders down. She tried to get her friend’s averted attention, but in vain. “Fluttershy!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, gathering her friend’s undivided attention, as well as causing the two below to look up for a second, before Krastos took the opportunity to sock Harry in the face again. “I’m sorry if I startled you,” the blue pony regretted, “but d’ya think you can help me with these bonds? I gotta do something!” Fluttershy’s watery eyes continued as met hers with a glare. “No!” she responded assertively, “I don’t want you to get hurt.” The last part of her sentence brought pity back to her face. She was normally quiet and soft spoken, but she wasn’t afraid to assert herself to keep her and her pony friends safe from harm. It’s for that reason that Rainbow Dash wasn’t dissolved into a paste “Look, I understand your concern, but he needs my help!” called Rainbow Dash, clearly ignored as Fluttershy hovered above her. But this didn’t keep her from pushing back. “Fluttershy!” she started to flail in frustration, “We don’t really have much of a choice y’know! Either you let me out to go kick flank down there, or Cheerilee starts passing us all out to her class in bottles for an art project! Let me- Ahhhh!” Her movement caused her to lose balance on the suspended bridge she stood on, and was now swinging just slightly. It was just off-center enough to knock her from her previous upright sitting position to face-planting on the floor, leaving a grid-shaped mark on her face from the impact. Rainbow Dash found herself to the mercy of the bridge’s pendulum motion, which gave her an idea. On her belly, she began to struggle, shifting her weight side to side to pump the swinging bridge. This was the only way to get Fluttershy’s attention, or so she theorized: to put herself in a greater danger than the two below! Fluttershy turned back to find her friend rolling about on the bridge that she had now converted to a playground swing. She quickly landed in effort to halt her friend’s attempts at what she thought was suicide. “Stop!” she frantically cried out, almost knocked over by the rolling Rainbow Dash. The plan was crazy, but it was working. Fluttershy tried to catch Rainbow Dash in her path, but failed many times. The speed in which the blue pony rolled made it a true challenge for her yellow partner to get any form a hold on her. She eventually caught hold of the tape on her arm, but the swinging bridge was out of control: It threw Rainbow Dash to the back wall, while Fluttershy was sent flying towards the two battling bears. - - - The fight was growing unbearably painful for me: it seemed that every move I made was met with a devastating counter blow, and the hits that connected seemed to do nothing more than fatigue the old bear! It seemed like the only way for me to escape alive was if his energy was depleted enough so that he could no longer retaliate! “How long is this going to go on, Harry? Stand with me- with your whole race- and the Everfree bears will enjoy a golden age once more! Why do you resist me?” I was unsure of what to say. He was fighting me, in his mind, as a conspiratorial death match. But in my mind, I was rebelling against him, with him being nothing more than a bully. The match-up was an uneven fight between morality and politics; however this never stopped me from projecting my intentions to him: “I made a promise to her to keep her safe!” Krastos began to laugh at me hysterically, which was soon ended by a claw to his face. It seemed to have no effect on the villain, who replied with another elbow to my already bruised stomach. The blow pinned me to the ground, even after he stood up. And just when I thought it was over for me, I watched as Fluttershy nosedived into the collection of unsorted barrel drums a few yards out. When the dust settled, I noticed her lying unconsciously. Whatever happened to her staying out of trouble? Krastos had returned, dragging his giant hammer behind him. I figured this was to be my end, so I braced myself to have my skull crashed into hundreds of bits and pieces on the floor in a pool of blood. But to my devastation, he stumbled past me! “You call this keeping her safe?” he continued toward the barrels where Fluttershy laid. She hardly moved, and I actually thought she was already dead before I saw her sneeze from the dust around her. Shortly after, she dejectedly looked up to see the hobbling menace stumbling towards her, like in an execution march. I could hardly watch. I broke the promise I made to myself at the beginning: to not put her in the crosshairs of danger. The guilt weighed on me far heavier than gravity, which my adrenaline tried to fight, but in vain. Her and her friend should’ve left before this whole fiasco began, and let me die as they escaped. “You… you don’t want to do this!” I begged him, weakly. He paused his injured stumbling, and turned his head so his peripheral could see the expression I wore. “She needs to be made an example of,” Krastos claimed righteously, gripping his sledge and winding up for an overhead swing, he snickered back to me, “and besides… I do.” I covered my eyes, to block my vision from the horrors that were soon to follow. - - - The wall met Rainbow Dash with a thud, shortly followed with an even larger impact crash onto the ground. Her head was spinning as she tried to recollect what just happened as she scratched her head. Upon the realization of her action, she looked down to find one of her front legs was freed of its tape, thanks to Fluttershy tearing it off when they took off from the bridge. “All according to plan!” she snickered to herself, regardless that this was not her original plan. With her freed leg, she began detaching tape from other places, starting with her other front leg, followed by her wings and her hind legs. Though it stung to do so with such haste, her desire to become a free mare once again took priority in the situation. When she was completely freed from her linen bonds, she remembered how Fluttershy was tossed into the tussle with the bears! She took to the sky to assess the situation, to her displeasure: she saw the younger bear pinned to the ground gravely injured, followed by the hobbling of Krastos dragging a hammer to the crash site of the stunned yellow pony. Rainbow Dash finally became alert of what was about to occur; Krastos planned to flatten Fluttershy, who was only half conscience of what had happened, beneath his sledge! At that moment, when Krastos began his windup, Rainbow Dash charged in to save her childhood friend! In a rainbow blaze, she swooped down to shove Fluttershy out of the way of the maul, which ended up slamming the ground before it did the pony. As Rainbow Dash set Fluttershy on the ground, across the room from the two bears, the yellow pony finally became cognizant. She looked up at Rainbow Dash, embarrassed about the side of her which came out earlier. But before she had a chance to open her mouth, Rainbow Dash blurted out: “You could have gotten yourself killed if it weren’t for me!” she exclaimed, partially angry, but mostly hoping to receive Fluttershy’s praises. Even in times of stress, Rainbow Dash never ceased to portray herself as a demigoddess, and always showed off whenever she saw any possible opening. Fluttershy frowned at the dusty floor below: she was planning on thanking her, but not if she intended to stroke her own ego too much about it. She looked back up to Rainbow Dash with a cute smile. “Well… I guess that makes us even then,” she giggled softly when she saw the confused expression on the proud pony’s face. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but return the laughter as they embraced their front legs around each other tightly. - - - After what felt was like an eternity of hiding my head beneath my claws, I heard the soft giggling of the pony friends from the far end of the room. I looked to see the two hugging each other, bringing a tear to my eye as I felt my heart had started to beat again. I wiped it away and turned back to Krastos. The bear was lying on the ground as I had been, exhausted from fighting a two-on-one fight. However, with the ponies out of the way for now, the playing field was leveled once again. We would settle this as bears. I mustered the last of my remaining strength as I stood up, as he did his. We faced each other, hunched over, muzzles pushing against the other’s as I felt his sweaty breath condense on my fur, and I’m sure he did mine. His yellow eye was fixated on mine, his claws pushed against mine in an effort to overpower me, though we were both certain to fall down before any progress was to be made. “I’ll give you one final chance to call off this standoff,” he whispered to me between panting and gasping, “or I’ll kill you where you stand!” He was not going to budge his stance. I checked my peripherals for options: I noticed the old sledgehammer behind Krastos, but even if I did manage to overpower him, it’s not like I would have the strength within me to wield it, much less use it controllably! It would simply wear me out even more. I looked to my far left at the blue and yellow ponies as they stood watching our standoff with intrigue and terror, respectively; I’ve already endangered their lives enough, and I couldn’t ask them to do it again. But to my more direct left were the set of stairs, which led to the wire bridge suspended above a boiling cauldron, and upon thinking about it, I began to notice heat emanating, warming the back of my rump from behind. I felt a plan coming on… “I won’t ask you again,” I continued to feel Krastos’s gaze, “side with the ponies and die a fool’s death, or we can call this all off, and you and I can rule the world.” I took a second to process my own thoughts, but was interrupted by Krastos’s weak roar. “Answer me!” I could tell he was bluffing. He couldn’t kill me after this show of potential, for two reasons: In addition to us two being evenly matched at the moment, I thought about his true intentions to overthrow the pony nation of Equestria; the old bear wanted no more than to use me as a tool for world domination! But as for me, whoever did or didn’t control the world meant nothing. I felt like he’d wrestle me until he met his own demise, which normally, I would never wish upon even those I hated, but after what he almost did to Fluttershy, his death would only bring peace to my soul. “I thought about it,” I furtively responded as I felt his grip weaken, “but I’d rather take my chances with my friends!” This caused Krastos to fill with rage once more: I swear his bloodshot eye turned completely red as he roared at me in defiance of my decision. Anger started to fill his body once more, and his grip on me began to overpower mine. Thankfully, I didn’t need to be stronger beat him at his own game. As I felt him start to push me backwards, I threw his weight to the side as I rolled off, like how a football player dodges a tackle. While I escaped to my left, his weak side, (all bears are left-handed,) he charged into the cauldron that was behind me, colliding straight-on, causing it to wobble: it first leaned back, then as it leaned forward, the pot began to slowly topple forwards. Krastos was knocked to the floor from the encounter, but saw what he had done: The liquid creation he worked so hard on, falling towards him as he crawled backwards from it. He started to cry for mercy as the first drop sizzled upon contact with his skin, but it was soon drowned out by the rest of the mix. His splashing soon ceased as the substance began to solidify. Krastos the Glue Maker had deceased, and I felt at ease. I backed up from the heat that the spilled paste emitted, only to gently nudge into the two ponies who stood behind him. “I hear anger makes the formula less…” Rainbow Dash mocked, “welcoming!” she laughed to herself and went for a brohoof that was met by neither of us. Instead, Fluttershy completely ignored her and wrapped her front legs around my shoulders. “Oh Harry, I’m so glad you’re okay!” she followed up with another kiss on the cheek, causing me to blush once more. She looked over to Rainbow Dash with an expecting glare. “Yes, umm, I want to thank you for saving my life,” she showed difficulty in dropping her pride, regardless that she knew it was the right thing to do, “But, I mean, I don’t have to kiss you, do I?” Her remark took Fluttershy and me by surprise. We looked at each other, and then back to her. Her face looked almost serious! “No,” we said simultaneously and started to laugh. Rainbow Dash joined in with an awkward chuckle. She didn’t mind being laughed at, but situations like this always made her uneasy, especially around strangers like me. “Hey Fluttershy, did you guys find Elizabeak?” she asked, trying to subtly change the subject. A spark of worry returned to her. “Oh heavens, no!” she let go of me and plopped to her hooves which led her to walk in circles, “where could she have gone?” “I might have an answer,” ringed a familiar voice. I double took to the side and beheld the brilliantly while alicorn mare, who appeared as if out of nowhere, standing beside a chicken. The two ponies bowed their heads in respect, but I didn’t in the least: anything, be it a pony, bear, or any other form of woodland creature, that willingly kidnaps innocent bystanders only to launch them from flying chariots into the middle of the woods, where they may or may not find their way back, was not worthy of my respect. I prepared myself for another rumble, but after I felt the achiness in my body, I fell to the ground. “I give up,” I muttered, thinking aloud. My glance met hers: she wore a look of great uneasiness on her face, as if she was looking for the words to say. “Harry, I want to thank you for saving my little ponies, and for foiling the devious Krastos’s plan to overthrow Equestria,” she held her head high as she proclaimed it, then lowering her stance she added: “and I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you my plan before. If I had told you, you never would’ve agreed to it!” The enthusiasm in her voice returned to my annoyance, as I crawled out of my slump. “Girls, is there anything you’d like to say?” “Yes” Fluttershy chimed in like a ray of sunlight, “I just can’t thank you enough for helping me find Rainbow Dash, and Elizabeak!” She looked at her happy chicken, then at her friend. The blue pony was expected to contribute. “But I alre- oof!” Rainbow Dash felt Fluttershy’s hoof jut her in the side, and she continued “I mean, I really do want to thank you again for all you’ve done today,” she blushed at her humility, Fluttershy grinned back at her, but her sincerest demeanor returned as she looked back to me. “How can we ever thank you? I began to think to myself; while I didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, I was at a loss for words! What could I possibly ask Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash for? I thought about this for a minute or two, fighting the pressure of the three mares’ gazes, until I finally came up with an idea! “Well, after all we’ve been through today, I believe you’ve already given me the three things I’ve always wanted most: Appreciation, trust, but most of all, friendship!” Their eyes brightened as I said the last word, “but I imagine the least I could ask you for is to house-sit my cave for a few days: after this huge fiasco, I need a vacation!” I started to laugh at my own banter, and I was comforted to see the other three join in my laughter as well! As I started to leave the vicinity with my two friends and the one other acquaintance, I felt the true meaning of my words: True friendship was all I wanted in life, and these ponies showed it to me! But for now, I also heard the beach calling my name, as if to tell me to play volleyball, or collect sea shells, or perhaps to collect volleyballs and play with sea shells. Whatever I may do, as of now my future is unwritten: if my friends need me again, they know where to find me.

Abalidoth

263

Trixie,Twilight Sparkle,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Glimmerhorn Vale

complete

<p>Twilight teaches Trixie a lesson about the history of unicorn magic.</p>

everyone

2011-07-19T03:07:09+00:00

2011-07-19T03:07:09+00:00

I arrived in Glimmerhorn Vale a day ahead of schedule, when Celestia's sun was low in the sky. I'd like to say that it had something to do with a sense of professionalism, or that I wanted to be punctual for the sake of my student. But I've always had a brutally inescapable sense of self-honesty, and I knew very well that I just wanted a vacation alone. While my social skills had improved considerably during the course of my stay in Ponyville, social situations were still taxing to me. The only thing that could recharge that particular store of social energy was solitude. There were few better places to be alone than Glimmerhorn Vale. It's a natural bowl, fairly far from civilization, ringed with trees but mostly grass inside. I set up camp near the lip of the valley and promptly fell asleep. I awoke knowing that I had the rest of the day ahead of me to relax. I caught up on some recreational reading that had fallen by the wayside in the course of my studies; I futilely tried to put my meager artistic skill towards sketching the trees lining the Vale; I grazed on the sweet grasses that grew abundantly. As much as I love my friends, I can never be quite as relaxed as I am alone, and the isolation was just what I needed. My pupil arrived just as the western sky began to glow faintly orange. I could hear her coming up the valley pass, the jangling of her backpack and baubles mixing with her soft footsteps on the unpaved forest track. She was speaking to herself, or perhaps singing, but stopped before I could make out any words. The first thing I saw of her was her magnificent blue hat cresting over the valley rim, cocked jauntily low as always. Her amethyst eyes held a little more indignation than usual (not surprising, given the lengths she must have gone to get here) but despite the journey she looked none the worse for wear. "TWILIGHT SPARKLE!" she shouted, the words echoing like a formal declaration of war. "I, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE, HAVE HEEDED YOUR SUMMONS AND BESTED THE CHALLENGE POSED TO ME!" I smiled as brightly as I could, given that kind of introduction. "Trixie, I can hear you just fine. Go ahead and set up your camp; as soon as the sun sets, we can start." Trixie passed by me without another word, marching over to the other side of the valley and setting up her tent. Her tent was made with the same clever miniaturization as her old stage; it appeared as an unusually large saddlebag, but popped out into a single-person dome tent when a string was pulled. I was a little disappointed that she felt she had to be on the other side of the vale from me, but her pride was slow to heal. Sunset came and went, and Trixie was still inside her tent, so I got a length of twine out of my own saddlebag and got to work. I first carefully paced out a circle in the middle of the valley, laying string around the circumference as I went; then I began to add chords and radial spokes in precisely geometric configurations. I worked by hornlight, only the soft purple glow and the luminance of Luna's moon guiding me as I traced the ancient signs. Trixie came out when I was about halfway done. I was partly worried that she would ask questions and break my concentration, but she merely watched me with those unreadable eyes of hers. When I was clearly done, and about to put the twine away, she spoke. "Trixie would like to know just what you plan to do here. For a year, all of your lessons were at the library in Ponyville. Why make Trixie come all the way out here, Twilight Sparkle, two days' journey from anywhere?" I sighed. I knew I'd have to deal with this eventually, but I'd been hoping to put it off. "You haven't heard of Glimmerhorn Vale?" She shook her head. "And I am a storyteller." "Right. Trixie, I don't know how to ask this, but..." I dithered for a bit. "...were you raised by unicorns?" This was the part I was afraid of. You see, Trixie gave every indication of having been raised in a nonmagical home. While she had formidable raw talent with magic—more than almost anypony I'd seen—she had little of the control that unicorn parents usually teach their foals. Add to that that she hadn't heard of some fairly well-known unicorn legends, and a seed of suspicion was planted in my brain. Of course, I wouldn't think any less of her for not having been raised by unicorns. All that unicorn supremacy nonsense was already getting dated when my parents fought against it in college. I didn't even have a good idea of whether she was sensitive about it or not—I knew some very happily adopted ponies, as well as unicorns with an earth pony father and unicorn mother who were raised by the former. But if she did take offense, it could shatter the tenuous and uncertain bonds of friendship that had started forming between Trixie and myself. For a while she just looked at me, with a hard glint in her eyes that usually meant she was trying to think of something cutting to say. Luckily she thought better of it—or at least, as far as I could tell—and shook her head. "No. Trixie had an...unconventional upbringing." I smiled, relieved that she was willing to take me into her confidence, if only slightly. "That's fine. It's just that there are stories that unicorn parents tell their colts and fillies, about what it means to be a unicorn." I swept my hoof at the surrounding vista. The red shimmer of the western sky painted fall colors all over the trees on the eastern lip, providing an excellent backdrop for a dramatic speech. I smiled inside at that—Trixie would certainly appreciate a bit of showmareship on my part. "Earth ponies listen to the song of the earth from the ancient forests of Equestria. Pegasi feel the breath of the wind from atop mile-high thunderheads. Unicorns are no different; we watch the ebb and flow of pure magic as it encompasses the land, and we do it from our own sacred places. This is one of them. Follow me." I tossed the ball of twine towards my tent and started walking to the middle of the valley, careful to avoid treading on my sigil lines. I could hear Trixie following behind me, her irregular pattern of steps indicating that she was doing the same. The Vale was a small place, and so we reached the basin quickly. The bottom was not completely flat, unlike the slopes up to the lip of the valley; it was studded with small hills, each of them about half the height of a full-grown mare, and each of them with a small cluster of variously colored flowers growing on top. The sweet floral scent was nearly overpowering. "This is a resting place," I whispered. There was no real reason to be quiet, but the air hummed with old memories that it would do no good to disturb. "Some of the greatest mages in Equestrian history lie here." Trixie shuffled around curiously, apparently looking for some kind of marker stone. "There are no markers," I continued. She looked at me, startled that I'd apparently read her mind. "There's no need for them. The Vale itself remembers them, and holds their memories." I sat and closed my eyes, merely content to wait for the main event, but Trixie clearly wasn't satisfied. "I fail to see how The Great and Powerful Trixie can learn about magic here. There's nothing left." "Not everything about being a unicorn is about magic. For that matter, not everything about magic is about horn magic." As the sky darkened, the air itself began to grow translucent and hazy, like a fog bank settling into the depression. "Just wait for a few more moments, and I can answer your questions after." Trixie obviously wasn't happy. Still, she sat beside me (of course, not too close, not Trixie) and waited. As stubborn as she could be, she'd learned that I can be even more obstinate, especially when I've decided to be mysterious. My parents always said I was a wise old witch born into a filly's body. The fog intensified, reducing the visibility to a few paces at most. Vague shapes moved in the mist, matching indistinct sounds of hoofsteps in the middle distance. I glanced over at Trixie, who was looking around with poorly concealed trepidation reflected in her deep violet eyes. I held out a hoof to her. "It's alright. Nothing's dangerous here." She just huffed and turned away from me, ignoring my proffered hoof. Suddenly, a chill breeze flowed through the valley, carrying the fog with it. Within seconds, the fog had lifted, leaving Trixie and myself just as we had been before. But this time, we were not alone. Three figures, all pale and ghostly and translucent but unmistakably unicorns, stood around one of the mounds. It was one of the larger mounds in the valley, and had two different colors of flowers on top: small cerulean blooms and sprays of brilliant yellow daisies. The flowers were obscured now, though, by the resting forms of two very old unicorn stallions. One was pale blue, the other brilliant yellow, just like the flowers on which they lay. They were both lain out in traditional burial shrouds, on their backs with fore and rear legs crossed. One of the three standing figures, a blue-haired white mare with a striking resemblance to Rarity, stepped forward. "We gather here to celebrate the lives and commemorate the passing of Forget-Me-Not and Sunflash," she said, her voice echoing hollowly from the hills. "They lived long, and through their founding of this very coven they touched the lives of many ponies." She levitated a pouch of seeds from her saddlebag and sprinkled them all over the two figures in repose. The second figure, a tall brown stallion, stepped forward as well. "Their love for each other was deeper than life itself," he rumbled. "They passed within minutes of one another, so fitting for two whose souls were so tied." He, too, removed a pouch of seeds and scattered them over the bodies. Trixie raised an eyebrow. "So they were coltcud—" I shushed her, and she looked back to the ceremony, not precisely chastised but at least willing to hold any objections until the end. The last of the three ponies performing the ceremony was a wizened and gray old mare, who looked no younger than the two on the ground. Her eyes were completely blank and milky-white, but she moved with no obvious sign of blindness. "We speak here today to commit their spirits to the flow of magic, and to store their memories here in this hallowed place." Her horn glowed, and with a motion so subtle I'd almost swear it was natural, the earth rippled and engulfed Sunflash and Forget-Me-Not. The first mare stepped forward again. "I, Crystal Star, pledge my magic to the Vale and to the fallen, that they may forever watch this hallow." Her horn shone brightly, bathing Trixie and I in ghostly light. I could feel a tug on my magic, like something was drawing it out of me. I released my hold on my magic and let it trickle out. The stallion came forth as well. "I, Sequoia, pledge my magic to the Vale and the fallen, that they may forever watch this hallow." His horn glowed, bringing the light level up to a nearly unbearable intensity. My magic began draining faster, just as I expected, but something felt wrong. When I glanced towards Trixie, I saw her face contorted in pain, and felt no magic coming from her. My legs were unsteady, but I was able to stand and move over to her. "Trixie? Are you all right?" "They...will...NOT...take...the Great and Powerful Trixie's...MAGIC!" she growled through clenched teeth. "Trixie, you have to let go." Ahead of us, the oldest of the three stepped forward, forming a close triangle around the burial mound. "Easy...for you to say...Twilight Sparkle." Her breathing was labored now, and her eyes were bloodshot. "I, Albedo..." the blind old witch began. "Trixie..." I growled in frustration. "Just let it go." "...pledge my magic to the Vale and to the fallen..." Trixie turned away from me, stubborn pride in her eyes. I spotted a trickle of blood coming out from one nostril. "...that they may forever watch this hallow." There was no time. I grabbed Trixie's head in my hooves and, gritting my teeth, touched my horn to hers. Her pent-up magic burned through me and out the other side, frying my nerves and knocking the wind out of me. I couldn't feel my legs, nor control them, and I slumped against Trixie as the third mage's horn lit up and the rite was completed, ripping the soul energy out of us. xxx I don't remember when I made it back to my tent, and I don't remember how I got there. The next thing I knew, I was flat on my back with a splitting headache. Somewhere, somehow, I found the strength to stand and peek outside. Trixie had set up her tent right next to mine, but she was packing it by the time I awoke. I had a lot of things to say to her, but—true to form—I ended up starting with the most inane. "You're leaving?" "Tour schedules do not go on hiatus just because the second-most-powerful unicorn in Equestria has a lesson to teach." I noticed she was using her hooves a lot—her magic must have been as weak as mine felt. She turned towards me, conflicted emotions in her brilliant purple eyes. "Twilight Sparkle, I..." "I know." I hung my head. "I shouldn't have brought you out here. I didn't think it'd be...I didn't think you could get hurt." "Don't assume you know what Trixie was going to say," she replied peevishly. "I was going to thank you for showing me this place. There is a lot to magic that even The Great and Powerful Trixie does not know, and you are...acceptable company." Some part of me, a hopeful part, thought that I saw a blush spread across her cheeks when she said that. Either way, I just chuckled, playing off my own embarrassment. "Acceptable company? I can deal with that. Good luck with the rest of your tour, Trixie. We can have the next lesson in another month, at the library in Ponyville." "Actually..." She finished assembling her gear and carefully half-lifted, half-dragged it onto her back. "Are there any places like this closer to the Ponyville area?" "Hallows?" I nodded, surprised. "A few. None of them are this...intense, but there are nice surprises if you know where to look." "Perhaps Trixie would like to see one of those some time." She turned away from me and headed for the road. "Farewell, Twilight Sparkle." "Have a good journey, Trixie, and see you soon," I called out. Not soon enough, but a mare can hope. xxx I left Glimmerhorn Vale a day behind schedule. I had unfinished business. The rest of the day, after Trixie left, I relaxed some more. Still, it wasn't as refreshing as it could have been. Every time I turned a page in my book, I had to fight off the memories of Trixie's magic coursing through me, our souls connected by a bolt of arcane fire. Every time I stopped to eat, I found myself hoping that a pointed blue hat would crest over the rim of the Vale. I couldn't write coherently in my journal, either, without devolving into schoolfillyish fantasy about that frustrating mare. As the day wore on toward evening, I got my ball of twine out again. The lines I'd traced the day before were gone now, burned out in the storm of magic, and in any case the new circle I had to draw was more complex. I finished it just after nightfall, and was still walking through the Vale to the center when the magical fog came once again. I kept walking until I sensed the vague shapes of the burial hills around me. Then I waited. The mist cleared, just as it had before, but this time many more figures were left behind in its retreating wake. A whole crowd of phantoms, sixty at least and all of them unicorns, all stared intently at me. Before me were some faces I knew. Crystal Star and Sequoia were there, just as I'd seen them the previous night. Albedo appeared as a middle-aged mare instead of an ancient one, but she was still blind. Next to them, a pair of handsome young stallions stood shoulder-to-shoulder. I recognized them as Sunflash and Forget-Me-Not. "Thank you," I said simply. "It was our pleasure," replied Albedo, grinning. "We know how much it means," Sunflash said. "After all, it's the same way that Forget-Me-Not here nabbed me." "Right," Crystal Star said, rolling her eyes. "Using an ancient burial ground as a hookup spot." Sequoia jabbed her in the ribs. "You didn't have to go along with it, you know." "I'm sorry your friend got hurt," Forget-Me-Not said. His voice was surprisingly quiet, even for a ghost; he almost sounded like a masculine Fluttershy. "We didn't mean for something like that to happen." "It's no problem, you had no way of knowing." I hung my head. "You all probably had better things to do than play matchmaker anyway..." "You'd be surprised." Albedo approached me and gently reached out a hoof to feel my face. I could feel it, but only gently, as if it were a strong breeze and not a solid touch. "You're an amazing mage, Twilight Sparkle, and she is as well. The cause of magic could only be forwarded by such a union." She stepped back and began to fade, along with the rest of her extended coven. "Be well, Twilight Sparkle. And don't let her go." I watched the specters fade and moonlight return to the valley, another whispered 'thanks' dying on my lips.

GreenZelta

264

Main 6,Spike,Random,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Par for the Horse

incomplete

<p>Spike takes Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkiepie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash to play golf, a game played primarily by Canterlot nobles. Their different styles of playing the rather simple game quickly causes a friendly competition to arise to see whose style is best.</p>

everyone

2011-07-19T21:43:09+00:00

2011-07-19T21:43:09+00:00

"I'm telling you guys, this'll be fun. All the ponies I know from Canterlot play this game." Spike explained from atop Twilight Sparkle. "Ah don't know Spike, those ponies have a pretty strange definition of 'fun'." Applejack replied, looking around at the green fields as the seven of them walked. Applejack had never played nor heard of this game before, having never been in Canterlot for anything more than business. Rarity quickly defended the game against Applejack's words. "Just because you don't like it Applejack doesn't mean it isn't fun. If it's played in Canterlot it must be a game fit for royalty." She couldn't imagine what such as game exactly was but knew it must be good. Twilight Sparkle looked around, noting the fairly clear landscape with several numbered flags on the horizon. "Is this... golf?" She asked inquisitively, receiving a nod and a small "That's it!" from Spike. "I've read about this before," Twilight continued, adjusting the bags she was carrying slightly as she did. "I never had a chance to play but it's a pretty big deal in Canterlot." Her previously reclusive attitude had prevented her from ever even seeing a game of golf in person, but that never stopped her from reading about it. "This game seems soooooo boring." Rainbow Dash fluttered upside down besides the calmly strolling ponies. "There isn't any action or danger or anything even remotely awesome." "Come on girls!" Pinkiepie bounced ahead of the group cheerfully. "This is a game! Of course it's going to be fun!" "Yeah!" Spike joined in as Rainbow Dash groaned slightly. "Oh, this is it!" Spike called out. The group stopped as the dragon hopped onto the ground, snatching a fairly large ball about the size of his own head from out of the bag Twilight was wearing. "Isn't the ball supposed to be just a little bit smaller?" Twilight questioned, using her hooves to display the approximate size of a real golf ball. "That's only for unicorns that can use magic to hold the clubs correctly," Spike answered as he set the ball on a marked location. "Not everypony can do that, so most use these instead." Spike got ready to display the game, taking a slight run at the ball before kicking it a short distance. "And that's how it's done!" Spike exclaimed, also pointing to a distant flag marked with a one. "You just kick this ball into the hole marked by the flag over there. The fewer shots you make the fewer points you get, the pony with the lowest number of points at the end wins." Rainbow Dash chuckled slightly. "Let me get this straight, we don't want points?" She felt it was an amusing point as most games required you to gather points to win rather than avoiding them. "Um... how do we know how many points we get?" Fluttershy asked quietly, to which each pony donned an expression as if stumped by the exact same question. "Just leave the points to me," Spike quelled the questions, taking out a clipboard and pencil to keep track of the score. "all you guys need to do is get this ball in that hole in the fewest shots." "This should be easy, just line up the trajectory of the projectile with the hole factoring in the wind speed and you'll have the most efficient s-..." Twilight began formulating a plan before Rainbow Dash quickly cut her off. "Twilight, you are such an egghead. You just need to get the ball in the hole as fast as possible, simple as that." Applejack took opposition to Dash's statement, also being very competitive so long as Rainbow Dash was around. "Ya'll can't just go around hittin' things without knowin' what yer doing. You've got to hit the ball into the hole with the least number of hits Dash." Applejack scoffed as she moved in face to face with Rainbow Dash, only to be given a weak retort by the Pegesi. "I knew that! I ju-" Rarity cut in shortly, walking between the two with a slight 'a-hem'. "Golf is a graceful game, not just any ruffian can play." Rarity tilted her head slightly while glaring at the two competing ponies as the sun struck her purple mane. "Clearly a certain... elegance is needed." Applejack didn't like Rarity's 'uppity' attitude, ready to give her a peace of her mind before Fluttershy quietly attempted to speak. "Um... excuse me..." Rainbow Dash zipped swiftly over to the quiet pony, smirking with a comical look. "What? Are you going to say that you know how to do this better than we do?" "N-no..." Fluttershy stalled for a moment, backing away a slight amount from the encroaching blue pony. A slight silence lingered momentarily before Fluttershy spoke again. "Well, maybe..." Pinkiepie bounced across the group, never really being too invested in proving herself to anypony. "You silly ponies, this is a game. Duh. You're supposed to have fun at a game, I am clearly the best at doing that!" With an inverted smile at the competitive Rainbow Dash, Pinkiepie bounced away. Rainbow Dash stepped forward, taking charge of setting up a way to settle this once and for all. "How about we make this a competition then and simply prove that I'm the best?" She placed her hoof forward, soon met be Applejack's own hoof. "You're on, Ah'll just have to knock that hot air right out of yer head." Twilight contemplated for a moment before joining in, placing her hoof with the others. "This seems interesting, plus I'm sure it'll make for a neat story for Celestia." Pinkiepie eagerly joined in, simply wanting to get to the playing part, stating "Okie dokie" as she joined in. Even Fluttershy slowly placed her hoof in the group without saying a word. "Looks like I will have to keep you ponies from ruining this perfectly good game." Rarity stalled for a moment as she looked at the somewhat filthy pile of hands before carefully placing her own on top. --- Rainbow Dash chose to play first, already bored from waiting and also pumped up to show her skills in action. "I'll get this done in ten seconds flat!" Already in the air, Rainbow Dash gained height as the other ponies looked on. Once at a fairly steep height the pegesi closed her wings and begin to drop like a bullet, gathering speed quickly as the air audibly rushed past her. *Fwoosh!* both Rainbow Dash and the ball vanished, knocked into the air as the pegesi opened her wings and spun into a quick turn. The rest of the group cheered as the ball flew far, very far. Rainbow Dash let out a quick "Yes!" before noticing were the ball was headed. The waters placed below the ball's trajectory waited eagerly, Rainbow Dash couldn't save the ball in mid flight as per the rules and could only yell out as it fell. "Nononononononononono!" *Splunk* The water sounded as Rainbow Dash ducked her head, completely crestfallen by the quick failure. The group fell silent as Rainbow Dash trotted back to the start. Spike jotted down the event on the scoreboard, readying to speak to Rainbow Dash before she cut in. "Yeah, yeah. Just get me another ball." After a short moment the next ball was placed and Rainbow Dash began to build speed once more. With another quick maneuver she snatched the ball from the ground and launched it into the air, whizzing forward as the white bullet shot into the distance. It was still a very uncontrolled shot compared to most, yet it managed to avoid the water and also managed to travel more than half the length of the course in a single shot. "Ha! I knew it'd work once I got it down correctly." "Ya, enjoy yer lucky shot Dash." Applejack retorted with a quick competition driven sentence. The group quickly made their way over to the shot, Rainbow Dash already getting ready to strike it again by the time they managed to travel the distance. "Just watch! I'll get it in the hole with this shot!" Rainbow Dash proudly exclaimed as she again dove down and struck the ball, launching it over a small hill and towards the green. The ponies gasped as the ball neared the hole, cheering as the ball seemed like it was going to make it. But this changed quickly as the ball simply continued to fly, the group and Dash herself held their breath until the projectile made it's way a good distance over the green and into some distant trees. "Uh." Rainbow Dash felt some nerves set upon her from the misjudged shot. "No problem, at least it's over there now. I don't think any of you can do that in even three shots!" The boasting soon stopped as her shots continued to overshoot their target a few more times even as she got very close to the hole. "Come on! Stop bouncing out of the hole!" She shouted at the ball as it stood less than an inch from the hole. The mere push from Rainbow Dash's voice causing the white sphere to topple backwards into the hole. "Ha, I didn't even hit it that time. No more points!" She grinned, only to watch as the rest of the ponies glared at her with disapproval. "Err... fine... give me the point..." Dash sighed as Spike wrote down her score so far. --- "My~y~y~y~y turn!" Pinkiepie gleefully bounded towards the ball as Spike placed it on the grass. Placing herself around the ball looking at it carefully, she eyeballed the golf ball closely as if inspecting it. "Pinkiepie, what are you doing?" Twilight asked. Pinkiepie picked up the ball and bit it slightly before setting it back down and responding. "Making sure it's real, duuuuuh." Pinkiepie reared back and struck the ball quickly. With a slight kick the ball spun forward and around on the ground, never leaving the ground once before managing to stop back at the point that it had started from. "Oooooh." Pinkie cried after the ball completely stopped spinning. "You need to hit the ball forward dear..." Rarity offered some stray advice to the attention lacking pink pony. "Oh, okay!" Pinkiepie hopped up and moved around the ball. Dash facehoofed at the sight as Pinkie set herself on the opposite end of the ball, readying herself to kick it away from the hole. "Pinkiepie..." Applejack attempted to help before Pinkiepie herself demanded silence. "Shhhhhhh!" With a short windup and a bit of rearing Pinkie kicked the ball awkwardly from the side away from the hole. "Hahahaha! That shot was terrible!" Dash shouted out from the air as every other pony paid attention to the shot itself. The shot pouncing off of a nearby tree and spring-boarding off a branch before zipping right over Rainbow Dash's surprised face. It wouldn't travel far but would just barely roll to the top of a hill, gently rolling forward toward the distant hole before stopping at nearly the half way point. All of the ponies remained silent, dumbstruck by the success of the strange shot, except for Pinkie who trotted off toward the ball. She sang a rather calm, slow, and melodious tune as the group made it's way to where her shot placed itself. "I'm just walking about, no worry, no doubt; this game is so fun. It's just like a walk, just hit stuff and talk; you don't have to run. No matter what you do, the fun will come through; it's not about winning but playing. Just talk with your friend, no points 'till the end; make sure your shots aren't straying. Check the surrounding, make your shots outstanding; And take care of the water, it's a bit of a bother. If you eat these thick greens you may ralf, surely this is how you play goooooooolf." Pinkiepie's tune finished with her now third shot taking place, the ball bouncing off of a nearby hill and shot to the far right, missing anything similar to the right direction before rolling in the opposite way due to the spinning placed by the misaligned kick. With a handful of further kicks, each either being great or terrible in some random manner, the ball eventually reached the hole with a long, winding roll across the green. --- "What took you so long?" Twilight asked Pinkie as she finally made her way back to the rest of the group at the start of the hole. Rarity prepared to take her shot, opting to use the smaller ball and club as the Canterlot folk do. "I fell into the hole and you won't believe what I found!" Pinkie replied to Twilight as she bounced excitedly up and down. On one hoof Twilight didn't want to know, yet on the other hoof she was curious; Pinkie sometimes tripped over some very neat things like this. "So what did you find?" Pinkiepie moved in closer to Twilight, as if it was some kind of secret. "I found..." She paused for a moment, looking around as if someone might be listening in. "a..." Dramatic pause placed here by Pinkiepie. "ball!" Twilight groaned loudly as Pinkiepie revealed the large, white golf ball. "Silence!" Rarity cried out at the group of talking friends. "True golf shots are played in complete silence, elegantly handled by a skillful hoof and this tool." The group silenced themselves as she prepared to make the shot. Rarity psyched herself mentally, she could become a great golfer among the Canterlot royalty; the future Pony Woods. All it took is a bit of practice and her natural talent for everything elegant. *clank!* The metal club levitated quickly forward and knocked the small white ball into the distance. The smaller balls were of similar density-to-size ratio as the large balls to prevent either type from having an advantage, this fact showed clearly as Rarity's skillfully placed shot made not quite half way across the distance to the hole. "Whoo! Way to go!" Futtershy cheer sounded out somewhat enthusiastically. Clapping ensued from some of the other ponies; Applejack, Fluttershy, and Twilight all respected the game's traditions while Pinkiepie simply enjoyed clapping as she overtook the otherwise calm noise with cheering. Rainbow Dash was not impressed, she yawned as the group made it's way to the ball. "Yeah, that was alright Rarity." Rarity snorted a small amount and turned her head as she continued onward. "That's fine. I wouldn't expect you to understand this game anyway." To which Rainbow Dash huffed, grumbling to herself about Rarity's attitude as she flew forward. The graceful Rarity prepared to make her second shot, taking a moment to silence the other ponies again and line up the club with the rather small ball. Within several moment though the club was brought back, Rarity focused hard on hitting the ball correctly while Rainbow Dash let out a loud. "Booooriiiiiiiing!" *Twitch* the ball sliced terribly and veered off into the distance awkwardly. Rarity's focus was ruined and her face became skewed shortly before she turned to accuse Dash. "You did that on purpose!" "Yeah, I did. Your shots are sooooo boring to watch." "It's not about being exciting, golf is about precision and grace. If you don't like it go play another game." "Pfffffft. My shots were nothing but 120% pure awesome, your shots are just incredibly lame." "Oh, IT. IS. ON!" Rarity moved toward Rainbow Dash but was stopped just short by Twilight stepping in between the two. "Stop! Both of you!" She waited a moment to try and settle down Rarity who cried foul. "I should get to try again, after that rude interruption." Twilight shook her head as she responded. "We can't do that, I don't even know where the ball was placed previously..." She then turned to Dash. "But you can't do that again, next time you'll get an extra point." With a duo of huffs both Dash and Rarity sighed and replied: "Fine..." Rarity continued to quietly and calmly return her ball to the green and sink it. The group waiting patiently to talk until between her carefully placed shots. The ball eventually managed to make it's way onto the green and into the hole. --- "Now let me show ya'll how it's really done." Applejack walked up to the larger ball placed on the ground and prepared herself quickly. With a quick snap her legs pummeled the ball and sent it flying straight down the flat. The ball was also shot far away from the water and other hazards, landing in a perfectly clear area. The path wasn't the most direct but it was also the clear safest, there was no possible way that the ball could have land within the hazards. "Oh good heavens Applejack, you are supposed to be aiming toward that hole." Rarity pointed out much to Applejack's dismay. "That was just what ah was doin'! Ah just went around all those pesky traps so it didn't end up in the water like Dash." Rainbow Dash did not enjoy this comment, speaking up against the clear slander. "Hey! At least I made it more than only a third of the way across on my first shot!" Applejack retorted smartly with a smirk. "You mean before or after it ended up in the water?" "Enough! Again!" Twilight yelled out once more. "Can we get through one person's turn without arguing with one another?" The three each sheepishly stepped down from their previous argument. "Good, now let's go find that shot." The group easily made their way to the clear opening were the shot had landed and Applejack took place to kick once again. The distance from the ball to the hole was mostly clear, and a good distance down was a clear opening. With a powerful kick and a small grunt the ball launched forwards and upward at very high speeds, nearly making up the distance lost by the first shot. "Wow AJ! You're strong, that ball was like 'Zhoooooooommm!' and 'wham!', right into the open area right over there next to the green!" Pinkiepie motioned as if she herself has been the ball, jumping forward and pretending to buck as if kicked by Applejack. "Thank ya kindly." Applejack replied modestly. "Ah guess all that apple bucking leaves me with a pretty good kick." Continuing the course Applejack cautiously played to the green, the ball rolling onto the green several hooves away from the hole. "Come on Applejack! Just one good shot and you have it!" Twilight cheered from the side as the orange pony took careful aim, rearing back as the group cheered louder. "Alright! This looks like it's it!" Spike announced as Applejack began to kick, slowing down just before hitting the ball. The ball slowly rolled forward to just over three fourths of the distance, not being close to the hole but making the following shot trivial. "Or not..." Spike continued, sounding nearly defeated. "At least her next shot will make it for sure." Just as predicted Applejack lightly tapped the ball to roll it into the hole, an easy shot from the short distance. --- "Go ahead Fluttershy, I want to watch a bit more before I take my turn." Twilight stated to the quiet pegesi. "Oh, ok..." Fluttershy slowly made her way to the ball, rounding it before taking her place and readying herself nervously. "Don't worry sugarcube, you can do this." Applejack provided some moral support as most of the rest joined in. The tension built as Fluttershy prepared to kick, rearing back slowly as the others all cheered she on. She would close her eyes, not wanting to watch what happened "Here goes..." *Thunk* A brief pause took place before Rainbow Dash burst out in laughter. "Ahahahahaha! That was the most pathetic shot ever!" Fluttershy sheepishly opened her eyes again and lowered her head, disheartened. Looking back, Fluttershy could see the ball not even one fourth of the distance to the hole; it was a terribly weak kick. Rainbow Dash continued to roar with laughter along with Spike who now joined in as the others attempted to support the meek pegesi. "Don't worry about those two dear, your shot was perfectly fine." Rarity minimized the two laughing in the short distance. "Yep, you nearly made it as far as ah did on the first shot." Applejack reminded Fluttershy. "I'm sure you'll get better as we play some more, just keep trying." Twilight encouraged Fluttershy with a soft touch. "Yeah! You didn't even get it into the water or anything either!" Pinkiepie cheekily yelled out from above Fluttershy, to which Rainbow fell silent. "Alright, I'll do it." Fluttershy picked herself back up, flying toward the ball with some amount of enthusiasm. The others followed her as she slowly made the following shots. The next several were similar to the first, for which Rainbow Dash attempted strongly to stifle her laughter after a strong warning from the others. It was not until the final shot less than a fourth of the distance away when Fluttershy's soft approach would come into play. With encouragement from the others Fluttershy would prepare for a fourth time to kick the ball. She placed herself carefully behind the golf ball and reared back, ready to buck with all her might. "You can do it Fluttershy!" Spike called out, trying to counteract his hurtful laughing from a few moments ago. *Thwack!* The ball was sent sprawling, flying through the air right to the green only a very short distance from the hole. With a soft *Thud* the ball hit the distant land and slowly began to roll, the distance making it difficult to see the ball as everypony cheered for the nice shot. They all began to make their way toward the green, ready for Fluttershy to make the next shot easily. Then suddenly, the ball vanished from sight as the group made it's way closer. "Hey!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, breaking the previous conversation. "Where did the ball go?!" The others all stirred, looking in the distance for the ball or some trace of were it went. "I know!" Pinkiepie predictably cried out. "A giant bird swooped down while we weren't looking and snatched the ball off the ground!" The others rolled their eyes as they searched and walked forward. "-so the ball was placed in the museum," Pinkiepie finished her story of where the ball had traveled to as the group made it to the green. "and Equestria was saved thanks to Superpony!" She grinned happily as Applejack shook her head. "Somethin' tells me the ball ain't at no museum." Applejack looked around the green at the nearby area for the ball in question. "What ball?" Pinkie asked innocently as she bounced back out of the way. "I found it!" Twilight called out from next to the flag and hole. "It's in the hole!" The other ponies gasped slightly, the fact that Fluttershy had managed to avoid dealing with the green altogether was a feat. "Wow Fluttershy, that was an amazing shot." Rarity praised awestruck. Blushing heavily, Fluttershy dug at the ground slightly. "Thanks..." --- "You're the last one up Twilight!" Spike called out, to which the purple unicorn took her place. Spike had a club and small ball ready for the unicorn to use, but Twilight opted to use the larger one. "I'll use this ball instead, I have an idea I want to try out." The others all quizzically waited for what the idea might be. Using magic directly on the ball itself was prohibited, but most other uses for magic were allowed. Taking out a map of the area from her bag Twilight looked at the layout of the grounds heavily, taking careful note of the clear areas by marking them down. "All ready, let's see if this works." Twilight walked up to the ball and focus, her horn glowing with magic as the area in front of the ball would glow, a long and transparent string shot forward like a trajectory marker; marking the path that Twilight planned for the shot. The landing area was surrounded by several hazards, placed perfectly between them, several of the other ponies disbelieved that such a precise shot was possible no matter how direct the shot was. "Ah don't think you should do that Twi, you'll end up in the water or in the sand or somethin'." Applejack voiced her concerns, to which Twilight would reply with confidence. "Don't worry Applejack, I know what I'm doing." Focusing yet again Twilight surrounded herself in magic, the spell causing her to move around the ball quickly and rear back a set distance. Tightening the focus on both spells, Twilight unleashed her kick. The ball flew almost exactly as the trail detailed, deviating only minutely due to shifting wind and given error. "It worked! I knew I could do it!" Twilight cried with success as the ball landed carefully among the hazards. The ponies congratulated and talk about the two spells used by Twilight as they walked to the ball, not even Rarity could say anything negative about the skillful application of magic. "I'm telling you Applejack, it's all in the precision and grace that her spell copies." Rarity called out against the other ponies' words. "No no, she shot right into the traps while completely avoiding them; no need for caution at'all." Applejack reinstated her point. "That was cool! All those threads and the magic and the ball was like 'woosh!' right through the hazards!" Pinkiepie ran around emulating the ball with a path along the ground, nearly running into Rainbow Dash. "It still wasn't fast enough, she won't even make it to the hole on her second shot!" The rainbow manned pegesi cried out. "Um..." Fluttershy interjected. "I don't think that's the point Rainbow Dash..." Twilight ignored most of the chatter, choosing to instead focus on finding the next location for her spell to aim the ball at. A fairly close open area sat near the green on this side of a hazard... or she could just shoot for the green and make it over the hazard! There was no reason to expect the spell would not work since it managed to work once, she reasoned, so it should be easily capable of handling this. Forming the same set of spells again, the group watched anxiously for another result like previous. Some had even set aside their thoughts to think that Twilight's magic might be the best way to play golf. With another stretch of magic crossing further than previous, all the way to the green, Twilight was bound by her own magic once more. Having to adjust Twilight's body to make the shot, the unicorn spun around the ball for the right angle and then began rearing back. Requiring more distance than previously, Twilight was reared back further than before, and further, and even further... "Owowowowow!" Her hind hooves dug into her flank as the magic forced them back, she released both spells to a result of dismay. The ball launched itself right into the bunker hazard, landing with a loud thud and sinking deep into the pit. Twilight herself fell flat against the ground, her back legs becoming limp with pain. "Are you alright Twilight?" Fluttershy rushed forward, making sure the hoofmarks on her flank weren't going to be permanent. The others all rushed forward too, making sure that the injured unicorn wasn't seriously harmed. "Yeah, ow." Twilight grasped Applejack's hooves as she steadied herself. "It looks like the spell took it too far, I don't think I can physically kick nearly as far is it wanted me to." Continuing with only a minimal amount of pain, Twilight finished up the hole. It took several good kicks to dislodge the stuck ball, but after this Twilight was able to use her magic once against with more caution in order to sink the ball into the hole fairly easily. --- "So what's the score? What's the score!?!" Rainbow dash impatiently pestered Spike as he tallied the scores. "I'm working as fast as I can, geeze." Spike replied with some annoyance. "Keep yer saddle on Dash, Spike'll give us the scores once he's done." Applejack said in attempt to keep the impatience down to a more reasonable level. "But who won?!? Whose style is the best? I want to know!" Dash did not give up so easily, having to be forced back away from Spike by Applejack. "I must say Twilight," Rarity spoke directly to Twilight. "I never thought magic could do that." Twilight smiled shortly before rubbing her flank in pain. "Yeah, too bad it ended up biting me in the flank." "I... um... liked your club method too Rarity. It was nice." Fluttershy softly stated, having enjoyed the calm atmosphere it forced. Rarity grinned with a boast "Well it is the most graceful manner." She paused for a moment, remembering as if mesmerized. "I don't suppose that your method was too bad either... such precision..." "Yeah I'd say!" Rainbow Dash followed Rarity's words closely. "I could hardly get into the hole while on the green and you hit it from like a mile away!" Pinkiepie had lost all spans of attention ages ago, if she ever had any in the first place, and just off to the side she ran around talking about Rainbow Dash's turn. "And then 'voosh!' Rainbow was like 'pow!' and the ball flew through the air and over the green and over the trees!" "So... Applejack," Rainbow Dash would rather calmly float towards the mare in question. "Maybe being a bit more cautious isn't all that bad. I mean, it wasn't as cool as mine but you didn't end up in the water." Applejack would be nearly touched by Dash's realization, returning the complement. "Ah suppose your method ain't too bad, I could have been a little more direct... even if you were a showoff." "Alright everypony!" Spike walked up to the awaiting ponies who all fell silent. "The winner is..." The group held their breath... Everything remained silent... Pinkiepie blinked... A bright blue bird passed through the nearby distance... Spike took a long breath in as he prepared to read the result... The silent moment would barely pass before Rainbow Dash would break. "Let me see them already!" She would bolt to the clipboard and snatch it from Spike's hands. Looking over the scores she would recoil with surprise, releasing a similarly surprising statement. "We tied!" "What do you mean 'we'?" Rarity asked, walking forward to view the board herself. "I mean that all six of us tied!" Dash answerd back, dropping the board to reveal the set of six fives all across the scores. A huge, over-dramatic gasp escaped from Pinkiepie's mouth, only to have the words covered swiftly by Applejack's hoof. "So ah guess our bet didn't matter, did it. We all played differently and still got the same points in the end." Applejack rationalized out loud. "And we all had fun!" Pinkiepie shouted out from the other side of the group as she had just been just a moment ago, having escaped Applejack somehow. "See, that's all that really matters!" She would bounce about as all the others would simply laugh a bit. "I suppose we did." Twilight smiled happily, surrounded by all her friends. "Let's all go get some lunch!" With agreement from the rest of the group, the seven of them headed back toward Ponyvile. --- 'Dear Princess Celestia, I learned today that it often doesn't matter how you approach a problem, because as long as you give it your best effort your results will match. There is no one solution, no right way to handle any single situation, and everypony will have their own idea of what they should do. None of these ponies are wrong and everypony has the choice to make their own actions. While some actions may not produce the best result, doing what you believe is right is never the wrong answer. Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkles.' "Did you get all that Spike?" Twilight asked. "'... Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkles.' And done." Spike replied, reading his own writing out loud as he finished. "So do you think we'll ever play golf again?" "I don't know..." "Well, if we do, I'll have to show you my tail slapping technique! It's the best! I bet I could get fewer points than you guys!" Twilight rolled her eyes at the ignorant young dragon, heading back to work as Spike continued to talk.

SPark

266

Rarity,Spike,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Longer than Diamonds

Rarity has had many frustrations in her sewing career, but when her finest hour seems to have come, she finds it brings with it all new troubles and worries. (A short fic by a seamstress who feels Rarity's pain!)

complete

<p>Rarity has had many frustrations in her sewing career, but when her finest hour seems to have come, she finds it brings with it all new troubles and worries. (A short fic by a seamstress who feels Rarity's pain!) </p><p><a href="http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/07/story-longer-than-diamonds.html" rel="nofollow">As featured on Equestria Daily.</a><br/>Also as featured in Twilight's Library.</p><p>Cover pic by <a href="http://up1ter.deviantart.com/art/Rarity-370479569" rel="nofollow">Up1ter</a></p>

everyone

2011-07-19T08:32:21+00:00

2014-02-22T02:11:02+00:00

Longer than Diamonds. By SPark Rarity hummed to herself as she worked, occasionally singing a word or two. "Hm dum dum, snip by snip, dum de dum..." Her needle was flying as she put the final, delicate details on an incredible gown, horn glowing with the magic that guided her stitches. Moments later it was finished. She stood slowly, biting back a groan. She wasn't that old, really she wasn't, but she thought sometimes that all the wild adventuring with Twilight Sparkle and the others in her youth had given her a bad back, and it grew horribly stiff when she sat and sewed for long. Still she smiled as she looked at the dummy, its blank equine form taller and more graceful than any she'd used before. This gown was unlike any gown she had ever created, and she felt a shiver thrill through her. It was perfect. The drape, the colors, everything, completely perfect. And tomorrow... tomorrow her finest hour would be at hand. Faintly she heard the bell on her shop door ring, and the sound of Glory, her shop assistant, greeting a customer. A moment later there was a knock on her workroom door. She opened it to see Glory standing nervously with one of the palace guard, dwarfing the unicorn mare, standing behind her. "Rarity?" "Yes Glory, dear?" "They're here to pick up the dress. Is it done?" Rarity smiled again. "Oh yes indeed. Here." She gestured at the dress, expecting gasps of awe from assistant and guard both, but the guard merely said, "Box it up please." Rarity bit back a sigh. Of course a palace guard was unlikely to appreciate the artistry of such a thing. And Glory had seen it at every step of construction, so of course the awe would have worn off for her. Tomorrow everypony would see the full glory of her creation, and then there would be gasps. She wished she could be there. But she was too old to be racing overnight to Canterlot. No, she must wait a whole day, intolerable thought, to discover how her finest creation was received. Still, it would be worth it. She knew it would. The artistry of this dress could not be denied, and Celestia would look truly a princess at the Midwinter Celebration. It was all she could do to keep from dancing to the door the next morning. The newspaper sat on the doorstep as it should. "Thank heavens," she murmured to herself. She thought she would have gone insane with anticipation if the paperpony had been late. She unfolded the paper... and there it was. On the front page, above the fold even! The headline read "Princess Presides over Marvelous Midwinter" and the photo, though grainy, was in full color and showed Princess Celestia in her gown. She nearly swooned with delight. Her gown! On the princess! On the front page of the paper! Truly, her finest hour! She quickly scanned the story below. "Good time had by all, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, surely they mention the gown in the story somewhere..." She flipped to the next page. "Ah, here it is. 'Though the wonderful celebration was much like those in years past, Celestia shocked the fashion world by wearing a dress. The Princess, who is notorious for eschewing clothing and decorations of any sort, wore a gown by well-known fashion designer Rarity.' Yes, yes, YES!" Rarity did a little dance in place. They had mentioned her by name! And called her well-known! "I have arrived at last!" said Rarity in glee. A chime from the clock reminded her that it would be time to open the boutique soon. She trotted happily around, preparing for the day to come. No doubt she would be showered in compliments for the gown. It was right there on the front page of the paper, all of Equestria must have seen it! She looked up when the door chimed. It was Glory, showing up for work. "Glory, darling!" she greeted her assistant. Then she was unable to hold back any longer. "Did you see the paper? Did you see the dress?!" Glory giggled. "Yes! The Princess looked beautiful, Rarity. Just beautiful. And I saw they put your name in and everything! Though I wish they'd mentioned the boutique, and that you were from Ponyville. Most ponies reading it won't know where to find you." "Anypony with the fashion sense to want one of my designs will surely be able to track me down, my dear," said Rarity with a smile. "Now, we have much to do today. We need to start making this year's Winter Wrap-up uniforms, for one thing. And Bowtie will be coming in to pick up her gown this evening, it still needs some work." Glory nodded, and went to get the uniform patterns. Rarity smiled and went about her sewing in a happy daze. Why, with the extra income that surely would roll in now she might be able to get that brand-new serger she'd been eying for months. Her old one was annoyingly quirky, you had to use it just so or it would tangle the threads hopelessly. She chuckled a bit at her own eagerness. "You know you were destined to sew, Rarity darling, when you find yourself dreaming about new sewing machines." Then the door chimed again. Rarity greeted Bonbon, a very frequent customer, who had come to order a new dress. Normally she let Glory manage the boutique, unless a customer wanted to talk to her about a custom design, or something else the assistant couldn't handle. But today she wanted to talk to everyone! Rarity sighed just a little when Bonbon only wanted one of her standard designs, and not something custom. But most ponies only wanted the standard designs. Custom work took so much more time, she had to charge extra for it. "Are you sure you wouldn't like an original dress?" she asked, trying to keep the plaintive note out of her voice. "Custom work is my specialty, after all." "Oh no," said Bonbon. "Your custom work is lovely, but I like this dress. And one must be frugal during winter, you know. The price of apples doubles when there's snow on the ground!" Rarity bit back another sigh and nodded. It wasn't until Bonbon had left that Rarity realized she had said nothing about the newspaper, or the Midwinter Celebration, or the princess in Rarity's gown. The next customer didn't mention it either. Nor the next. Rarity's bubbling enthusiasm started to wane a bit. Had nopony noticed? Had nopony seen her dress in the paper? Surely they couldn't have failed to notice! But why hadn't somepony said something? As she was taking measurements from her next customer she decided to be proactive. "So, darling, have you seen the paper this morning?" "Oh, I don't read the paper," said her customer dismissively. "Ah," said Rarity, trying not to visibly droop. She tried again as the next customer was looking through her pattern book. "Have you seen the paper this morning?" "Well of course! Though I only read the comics." "You didn't see the front page?" "I guess I did. Something about the princess, wasn't it?" Rarity sighed. "Yes, something about the princess." The day was nearly over when Diamond Tiara came into the boutique. Rarity took a deep breath. The wealthy mare was sometimes a trial, but she did at least have a modicum of fashion sense. Usually. "Diamond, darling! So good to see you. Are you here to order a new gown?" "Yes I am. I shall be attending the Grand Galloping Gala this year," she said, with a note of triumph. Rarity tried not to snicker. She knew that the Gala was always awful. Though given Diamond's personality, she might actually enjoy it. Especially if it was one of the boring years, when Celestia didn't manage to spice it up with some sort of catastrophe. Sometimes the princess was almost as bad as Pinkie Pie for pulling strange pranks, hard as that was for most ponies to believe. "The Gala!" said Rarity, managing to keep her amusement from showing. "How wonderful for you. You will, of course, want an original design for the Gala. It just would not do to turn up in the same gown as some other pony, after all." "Of course! And I know exactly what I want." Rarity's ears dropped a bit. Oh dear. "Well, tell me about it so I can draw it out for you then," she said, with some lack of enthusiasm. She was a designer! She wanted to design! Ponies who came in knowing exactly what they wanted were at least better than the terrible frustration she had with those who had no idea, just that they would "know it when I see it," or had vague, impossible ideas–she recalled Rainbow Dash's "twenty percent cooler" with a smile–but so many of her customers had their own designs already in mind it sometimes felt that she wasn't a designer at all, only some kind of... of machine, to crank out other people's ideas. And when she did manage something original and beautiful, then she ended up making endless copies of it! The popularity of some designs was flattering, certainly, but making copies was not her art. Any pony could copy! "No need for that," said Diamond, pulling out a sheet of paper. Rarity shook off her frustrations and focused on her customer. "My cousin, she's attending art school in Manehattan you know, drew this for me." She floated the paper over to Rarity, who took it and examined it. It was better than some such designs she'd seen, but not exactly something she would be proud to attach her name to. Still, the customer must be satisfied. Perhaps she could work some minor tweaks into it... "Lovely," she said, managing a little smile for Diamond Tiara. "Although perhaps I might adjust it just a little? I'm not sure about the exact shade of fabric here with your coat color, for example." "What? Teal is my favorite color! I look gorgeous in teal!" "Yes, teal does suit you, of course, but this teal has a rather bright green tone in it. I was thinking something a bit more muted, a dusty teal-blue perhaps. Here, let me show you." She whisked a bolt of fabric from a shelf. It took nearly half an hour of convincing, but she finally argued Diamond Tiara into something that wouldn't be so loud, at least. "But the rest of it needs to be exactly like the drawing!" said the mare. "Exactly." "But of course," said Rarity, managing another smile. "Now, I'll need your measurements to fit it properly." As her measuring tape flew she managed a casual tone, and asked, "Did you see this morning's paper?" "Your gown, you mean? Quite a triumph for you, I'm sure," said Diamond Tiara. Rarity smiled, the first genuine smile she'd had in hours. "Indeed. My finest hour, I think." Diamond Tiara laughed, her usual superior, annoying giggle. "I guess that means there's nowhere to go but down now." Rarity had no trouble restraining herself from dancing as she went to get the paper the next morning. She only glanced at the front page. It was some story about the new animal hospital. The pony pictured wasn't her friend Fluttershy, so she dropped the paper carelessly on a table and started her work day. Perhaps... perhaps today some of the ponies that had traveled to Canterlot for the celebration would come in? Perhaps somepony would have noticed her beautiful gown? But the day unwound much as the previous day had. Nopony said anything. And none of the ponies who came to the shop had been to the celebration. She drooped a little more as each hour ticked by without anypony mentioning her triumph. "My finest hour," she murmured softly to herself after the door closed behind yet another customer. Seeing Celestia, the princess herself, wearing her gown had seemed so wonderful! She remembered how she had felt only the morning before. Now she felt a gloomy despair gathering around her. Was Diamond Tiara right? Was there now nowhere to go but down? At noon she dismissed Glory for her lunch break, and went to check the mail box. The latest issue of Fashion Filly Weekly had come, and she smiled to see it. She could distract herself from her woes for a while by browsing through what other designers had made. She liked looking at other people's work. She sometimes got wonderful ideas that way, and it was always good to know what was currently in fashion. She'd had her gowns featured many times, of course. Just last year they'd had a full article and a fold-out spread on her glamorous winter wear. The memory sent a little warm glow of pride through her. She paged idly through the magazine, not reading much, mostly just looking at the pictures. There were some wonderfully innovative things being done this year. At the back she reached the "Fashion Faux Pas" section. She knew it was shallow of her, but she had often gotten a chuckle out of the horrible ensembles some of the rich and famous of Equestria had been caught wearing. There was one of the Wonderbolts, not Rainbow Dash thankfully, wearing a suit that clashed so horribly with his mane that she thought he must be literally color blind, else he wouldn't be able to look at himself in a mirror. "It's a good thing that's not Rainbow Dash!" she said to herself with a chuckle. "If anybody had dared make fun of her, even her nearly nonexistent fashion sense, I don't doubt that she would be pounding on the editor's door the next day, demanding they print an apology!" The next photo made her nearly drop the magazine. It was one of her gowns. A stunning faux-ermine cloak and gown combo that had been featured in this very magazine the previous year! "Look who was caught wearing last year's dress again!" crowed the caption. Rarity recognized the mare wearing it, the very same customer who'd commissioned it the previous winter. "It is last year's fashion," she said, trying to make herself feel better. "It's just not done to wear an old dress like that." But she still felt as though she'd been kicked in the ribs. Her dress. There on the page. Being mocked as outdated. Diamond Tiara's cutting joke ran through her head again, taking on a whole new meaning. "There's nowhere I can go but down," said Rarity with a sinking feeling of futility. "Everything I've ever made is outdated now. Everything." It had never bothered her that much before, but piled on top of her other frustrations, the thought suddenly felt as though it might break her. Everything she had done would vanish within a year. Her greatest triumph was mentioned in the paper once and would never be mentioned again by anypony. And that was just the fate of her best work. Her worst... She shuddered at the memory of the horrible things she'd made. The designs bearing her name that weren't hers at all. The horrible colors, the terrible decorations, the disasters of style. It seemed like more and more she was creating the designs of others, and not truly her own original work. Or re-creating the same things all season, only to have them too go out of fashion almost as fast as she made them. And her greatest creation seemed to have passed almost completely unnoticed by everyone. She didn't know whether to cry or scream. What was she supposed to do about any of this? She couldn't make customers stop wanting the things they wanted! She couldn't change the whole fashion world to make her designs eternal! She couldn't go around forcing everyone to read yesterday's paper and shower her with praises for it! So what could she do? All she could do was just go on, going downhill into obscurity until nobody even remembered her name. With a cry she flung the magazine across the room. It hit the wall with a crash just as the door chimed and Glory returned from her lunch. She stared at Rarity, then at the magazine. "Uhm..." "Never mind," said Rarity, recovering herself. "Back to work. The Winter Wrap-up uniforms won't sew themselves." "Yes ma'am," said Glory. Rarity picked up the magazine and set it carefully on top of the newspaper. Then she retreated to her workroom. Glory could deal with any customers who came, that's what having an assistant was for. For hours Rarity drew in a frenzy of frantic creation. Her horn glowed brightly and her pen flew over dozens of new designs , trying to make each better than the last. But none of them were good enough. She tore up design after design, before finally slumping in despair. It didn't matter. She could make something to top the gown she'd made for Celestia, and it would still be out of fashion within a season. The Princess of Equestria herself had worn Rarity's creation, and nobody had noticed. "And she only wore it because she was trying to be nice," said Rarity in despair. "It wasn't my talent, it was all those letters that Twilight Sparkle wrote her about us. It was friendship." The word was almost a curse. What good was friendship? What good was anything when all her talent and hard work amounted to nothing? She stuffed the scraps of paper into a trash can and picked up a needle instead. She would work on the Winter Wrap-up uniforms. At least those would never go out of fashion, if only because they'd never gone into fashion in the first place. "Outdated" and "Nowhere to go but down" kept running through her head as she sewed. It was not, quite, the worst day of her life, but it was certainly a miserable one, and she wished it would end faster, so she could go home, have dinner, and lose herself in the oblivion of sleep. It was only a few minutes before closing when the door chime sounded again. Rarity heard voices, and presumed that Glory was telling whoever it was to come back tomorrow. But then the voices grew closer, and somebody knocked on the workroom door. Rarity set down the uniform she'd been sewing and reluctantly moved to answer it. She almost wanted to shout "Go away" and demand that they leave her alone in her misery. But no. It was no doubt some customer with an important order or Glory would have turned them away. Her business might be headed downhill, but there was no reason to push it off a cliff by shouting at customers. She opened the door to find Twilight Sparkle there, hoof raised to knock again. Behind her stood Spike, who dwarfed her far more thoroughly than the guardpony had dwarfed Glory. Spike was still very small for a dragon, but nobody could call him a baby anymore. "Oh, it's you," said Rarity, then immediately put a hoof to her mouth. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, I just was expecting a customer." Twilight smiled, as serene as always. Her youthful insecurity was long behind her. "That's all right, Rarity. We just got back from the Celebration, and we wanted to come by and congratulate you on your dress. It was beautiful. Celestia asked us to tell you that she loved it, and is considering wearing more of your creations in the future." Rarity stared at them. She felt that she might tear up a little, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to shout for joy or scream. The princess loved the gown! But nobody else had noticed at all! What good was it if the princess loved it, when no one else cared? "Thank you," she managed. "I'm very glad she likes it. I... yes, thank you." "Is something wrong?" asked Twilight, sensing her old friend's turmoil. Rarity smiled. "It's nothing," she said. "Just an old mare's neuroses, that's all." "Oh Rarity. You're not old yet. You've many, many years left. You're just coming into your prime!" Rarity sighed. "No, I think my prime has just passed. I've had my finest hour, it's all downhill from here." Twilight gave Rarity a look of incredulity. "Rarity! What makes you say such a thing?" "I... Oh, this is ridiculous! Nopony noticed my name in the paper. Nopony congratulated me on the gown until you came. It shouldn't matter! My business is thriving, my creations keep improving every year, it shouldn't matter at all!" "But it does matter, if it upsets you," said Twilight. "Ponies' feelings always matter. Especially when the pony is my friend. Tell me about it." "There's nothing else to tell, really. I was so delighted to see my name in the paper, and the princess wearing my gown on the cover... but nopony here in Ponyville seems to care. None of them noticed my name. Most of them didn’t even noticed that Celestia was wearing a gown! The only ones who did notice were Glory, and of course she helped make it too, so she looked. And Diamond Tiara... I told her that the Celebration was my finest hour, and she said that that meant it was all downhill from there!" Twilight shook her head and reached out to put a hoof on Rarity's shoulder. "Rarity, you should know better than to listen to Diamond Tiara. She's never grown out of that stage where she's happiest when somebody else feels bad, that's the only reason she said that. And it's not that the ponies in Ponyville don't care. You have many friends here who do care. But ponies get so caught up in their own lives sometimes." "What do you mean? Surely if they really cared..." "Rarity," Twilight interrupted, "did you get today's paper?" "Yes..." "So you've been down to Fluttershy's to congratulate her then?" Rarity blinked. "No..." "She was in the paper too, Rarity. Just this morning. I read it, but I'm a bit of a nerd, as we all know, so I read the whole paper every day." Twilight smiled. "The article about the new animal hospital had the story of how she started the first one, with her name in it half a dozen times. The picture on the front was of the new veterinarian, of course, but the bulk of the article was actually about Fluttershy." Rarity felt a sudden surge of shame for doing the same thing to Fluttershy that had been done to her. "Oh! Oh dear! I'm so sorry!" Twilight shook her head. "I didn't tell you that to make you feel guilty. Fluttershy is actually very embarrassed by the attention. I just wanted to point out that ponies can sometimes be so busy with their own lives that they just don't notice, even if they do care. Most of Ponyville didn't notice your gown because they were focused on their own lives. You were so busy fretting about the gown that you didn't notice Fluttershy's story, and it doesn't mean Flutteryshy isn't your friend any more! It's just part of life. It doesn't mean that you're going downhill. I imagine that if Celestia keeps wearing your gowns, you're about to reach peaks you've never reached before! No matter how busy a pony is, they usually notice things eventually." She smiled again. "You're going to be famous, probably the most famous pony in Ponyville. Which is wonderful, and amazing, and just what you deserve. So don't give up now!" Rarity smiled, a real, genuine smile. There might have been a glimmer of a tear in her eye. "Thank you Twilight. You always know just what to say. I just wish..." she thought about the impermanence of her art. No matter how famous she got, the dresses would still go out of fashion every season. Then she shook her head. "What?" "Never mind, this time it really is nothing. Just part of life, as you said. Tell the princess that I am honored she approves of the gown, and I will be happy to make as many more as she wishes." "I'll let her know," said Twilight with another smile. Rarity slipped the last bolt of fabric into place with a sigh. She still felt a little bit gloomy. Twilight had helped her feel better, but it was hard not to dwell on her frustrations. Everypony had good reason to not shower her in praises, but that didn't keep her from wanting their praise anyhow, no matter how shallow that made her. She couldn't help it, it was part of who she was. She thrived on it. And the other part... she wanted to think that what she did was art, just as much as what hung in the museums of Canterlot. But perhaps it wasn't. Some of the treasured works there were a thousand years old. An infinity compared to the brief, one-season lifespan of her creations. She shook off the gloom. She should start thinking of new design ideas for Celestia's next dress. Perhaps the princess might wear one of her creations for Winter Wrap-up? Making something elegant and yet practical, symbolizing the occasion but still suitable for helping if the princess wanted to pitch in, as was often her style.... Yes, there was a challenge to interest her. She smiled, though it was still a little sad, as she left her workroom and went out into the main boutique. Her bed upstairs was calling her name, and so was her sketchpad... She suddenly blinked, realizing that she wasn't alone. Indeed it was only because of her extreme preoccupation that she had failed to notice the extremely obvious occupant of the room. "Spike?" "Hi Rarity." The dragon smiled down at her. He was three times the size of any pony now, and had a hard time fitting through narrow doors. And he had grown in other ways too. But he was still Rarity's friend, and his size didn't intimidate her. "Why are you still here?" asked Rarity. Spike shrugged. "I thought you might want to talk to somebody. I can tell you're still a little bit upset." "It's nothing, really." "It's something, or it wouldn't bother you still." Rarity sighed. "Is it that obvious?" Spike shook his head. "No, not at all. But I've known you since I was a baby. And, uh, I paid a lot of attention to you when I was young." Rarity couldn't help it, she giggled. Spike blushed. "You had such a crush on me." Spike coughed. "Well, yes... I mean, I've grown out of it, pretty much. And you're a pony, and I'm a dragon, and all. But I do still like you. You're one of my two best friends, you and Twilight. But anyway... I can tell when you're upset. And to me, at least, it's obvious something else is bothering you." "It really isn't anything important...." "If it matters to you, it matters to me too." "It's just my art," said Rarity, heaving another sigh and sitting down in the middle of the room. She gestured at the dresses on display around her. "All this... I love making it. But it doesn't last. Nopony with any fashion sense at all wears a formal gown twice, even! They're worn once, then put away. I always said that it ensures I'll have plenty of business, but sometimes it bothers me. And it bothered me even more today, when everything seemed to be going wrong and it seemed like nopony cared. In a hundred years there will be no sign at all that I ever lived. None of my art will hang in a museum. Nothing I've done will last." Spike was silent for a while, and Rarity said, "I'm sorry..." "No," interrupted Spike, "don't be sorry. I'm just trying to think how to answer you without sounding like an idiot. Look, Rarity... you've heard it said that diamonds are forever, yes?" "Yes," she said softly. "It was... I think that was part of why I have diamonds for my cutie mark, and not emeralds or sapphires or some other stone." She summoned a wan smile. "That and they match my coat better." Spike smiled back warmly and settled to his haunches next to her. "It's not true though. At least it's not true of many diamonds. We dragons eat them, you know. They're considered a delicacy, one of the best and most subtly flavored of gems." He licked his lips appreciatively at the thought. He was still young enough to be a little obsessed with food, as young creatures usually are. "We eat them and then they're gone. Not even diamonds are really forever. Nothing is. But... some things last longer than others. And I..." He stopped and shook his head. "I was trying to think how I could say this without it sounding wrong. I guess I'll just say it. I'll live a lot longer than most museums last, Rarity. And I'll remember you, and the beautiful things you made, always. You were my first crush. And more than that you're... you're special. I'll remember you longer than diamonds." Sudden tears gathered in Rarity's eyes. "Oh Spike... thank you." Tentatively the dragon reached out and hugged Rarity. She hugged him back. "You're special too," said Rarity. "And I feel privileged to have you as a friend." Epilogue: As Rarity prepared for bed, her eye was drawn to the sketchpad that sat on her nightstand. She kept it there so she could jot down design ideas if she woke with one in mind, or if she couldn't sleep. After the day she'd had she wasn't sure if sleep was going to be easy. And she had a sudden bit if inspiration. A way to say thank you to the pair who had cheered her up. Sewing a gift for Twilight would be easy, she knew the unicorn's taste very well by now. But Spike... Rarity's horn glowed as she picked up the pencil. Spike. She had never designed anything for a grown dragon. To her knowledge nobody ever had. She would be the very first. As her pencil flew across the page, outlining the beginning of what was only the first of many ideas, she started humming to herself. Twilight was right, she wasn't headed downhill. She was still climbing, and the best was yet to come.

Grif

267

Main 6,Spike,Alternate Universe,Crossover,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Pony Effect

What if ponies replaced humans in the Mass Effect universe?

incomplete

<p>What if ponies replaced humans in the Mass Effect universe? Will Commander Sparkle save the day like Shepard did?</p><p>Special thanks to vimbert and 108Echoes from Ponychan's /fic/ for proofreading and conceptual ideas.</p><p>The <a href="https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B0WyBmfXXXZKZDk2ZTM2ZGMtZGFkZS00OTgyLTkyYjMtYWVjYjBhNDI5MGMy/edit?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow">GDoc links</a>, if FimFiction does not fancy you. This is both my working copy and the originals that was published on Equestria Daily.</p>

everyone

2012-02-29T23:39:58+00:00

2012-02-29T23:39:58+00:00

In the year 1248, explorers on Luna discovered the remains of an ancient spacefaring civilization. In the decades that followed, these mysterious artifacts revealed startling new technologies, enabling travel to the furthest stars. The basis for this incredible technology was a force that controlled the very fabric of space and time. They called it the greatest discovery in pony history. The civilizations of the galaxy call it... MASS EFFECT *** [Unknown location] “Well, what about your protégé, Twilight? Unicorn, but I don’t recognize her cutie mark.” “Her talent is magic. Pure magic.” “She has no friends, withdrawn and by all accounts, anti-social.” A short pause. “Is this the kind of pony we want protecting the galaxy?” “Twilight is intelligent, smart and incredibly talented. Given time, she will learn the magic of friendship.” “I defer to your judgment, sister,” the first voice reluctantly said. “Do not worry, my dearest, I have absolute faith in my student.” “I’ll make the call.” *** [Canterlot System, Outer Space] My dearest, most faithful student Twilight Sparkle, You know I value your diligence and I trust you completely. But, you simply must get away from your books. A good student must also learn about the world by experience, not only through her reading. To this end, I’ve decided to assign you to the new ESV Normaredy as the second commanding officer on its’ maiden voyage to Appleloosa. I trust you will enjoy the experience. Your loving teacher, Princess Celestia. Twilight let out a small sigh as she reread the letter for the twelfth time. If it was such an honour, why did it feel like punishment instead? Had she not been the Princess’s best student all these years? Granted, she didn’t leave the palace for the past year, but she had been studying diligently about military tactics, strategies and all that. She rolled up the scroll and carefully stowed it in her saddle-packs, and returned to brooding on the events of the past few days. Being the good student she was, she had immediately packed her bags after receiving the letter. The unicorn had set off for the nearest starport on Canterlot (which so happened to be Ponyville Intergalactic Starport). To the credit of the officials at PIS, they were already waiting for her when she arrived. With speed and efficiency she could scarcely credit the normally laid-back workers of the starport, she had been whisked through the terminal. Twilight was up and flying in the shuttle to the Normaredy in less than an hour after arrival. “Approaching the ESV Normaredy, ma’am,” the pilot’s voice chimed over the speakers. Momentarily distracted from her dark thoughts, Twilight glanced out of the window. She managed to get a glimpse of the ship she was about to serve on. It was… impressive. From the distance, Twilight’s logical mind estimated it to be almost triple the length of the shuttle. It’s streamlined shape reminded her of an eagles; with two wing-like structures attached to the main body of the craft. Just in the background, she could make out Luna, the small moon of Canterlot. Twilight nodded. It should be impressive. It was the product of the first collaboration between turians and ponies in designing an entirely new class of stealth frigates. Years had been spent in the design of the ship, with emphasis on speed and stealth. True to its design, the prototype ship boasted the galaxy’s first ever stealth system. The princess herself was said to have had a personal hoof in the project. Billions of credits had been sunk into the project, and now the fruit of that labour was right before her eyes. As the shuttle neared the frigate, she began to appreciate the finer details of the ship. The ship was painted in sleek white with alternating black strips. The name Normaredy SR-1 painted proudly on the aft section of the ship. The ‘wings’ that she noticed initially was actually the anti-photon thrusters of the ship. Twilight sighed again, deciding it was time to put on her armour. It was uncomfortable, but this was a formal occasion, and she was supposed to look her best during her first time round. Or at least, that was what her books on ship protocols had to say on that. She carefully levitated the various pieces of her onyx armour out of her packs, and starting putting them on. Shoulder guards. Saddle-piece. Flank-piece. Leg armour. Each piece clinked into place with practiced ease. At least she didn’t need Spike anymore for this, having been subjected to countless sessions of training on just putting on her own armour. It was harder than one would think. She smirked slightly as she recalled the memories of the combat magic training course she had been put through. It was supposed to be a tough affair, meant only for the most elite of combat magic users. Yet the Princess insisted Twilight take the course, reasoning it was only proper for her student to learn how to defend herself. Twilight had balked at first. It was, after all, a combat course. Ponies could get hurt. It was unpony-like. Military training was unpleasant at best. The very notion of combat made the bookish unicorn queasy. The Princess persisted. Eventually she caved, and enrolled in the course. At first, it had been everything she feared. The instructors were harsh. Life was brutal, with long days and late nights. It wasn’t uncommon for Twilight to stumble into bed, bone-weary and tired to the core. Yet, over the months, she began to enjoy it the challenge of it. Her affinity to magic was a boon. It had enabled her to easily cast spells where other unicorns stumbled. However she rarely, if ever, socialised with her fellow candidates, preferring instead to spend long hours in the library on the theories of magic and combat. The other candidates labelled her as a recluse and loner. It suited her just fine. In the end, she graduated with flying colours, easily outclassing the other candidates. Her marks in the final assessment were said to be the highest in the history of the military academy. As a reward for passing the course with the highest honour, she was allowed to wear the rank M7, one of the highest ranks for combat magic forces in the Equestrian Navy. It had been a proud day for her when the Princess herself appeared to present her with the coveted insignia. Since then, she went back to her former position as the protégé of Princess Celestia. Twilight merely considered her military rank as a formality and gave no further thought to it. The Princess herself did not press the issue. Until now. “Initiating docking sequence with the Normaredy, ma’am. Please remain in your seats until we have fully docked,” the pilot’s voice chimed again, interrupting Twilight’s reminiscing. Her purple eyes betraying a flash of annoyance, she nevertheless began to repack the odds and ends that fallen out from her pack while she was on board. Just as she finished, the shuttle shuddered, presumably having docked with the ship. The muted sounds of the shuttle engines went silent. “We have docked with the Normaredy. Commander, please exit through the door indicated by the light,” the pilot calmly announced. Twilight stretched her limbs, testing the feeling of her armour on her body. Satisfied that it was properly fitted, she gathered her saddlepacks and trotted slowly to the indicated exit. Twilight begin tapping her hooves as she waited for the airlock to disengage. With a hiss, the airlock doors slid open, revealing a marine pony in full dress uniform standing at attention. At the sight of Twilight, he saluted smartly. “Welcome aboard the ESV Normaredy, commander.” *** [Canterlot system, Outer Space] The ESV Normaredy cruised through the vacuum of deep space, her anti-photon thrusters gently firing as she approached the mass relay in the system. “The Ponytar Prime Relay is in range, initiating transmission sequence,” the ship’s pilot’s voice said crisply over the speakers. “We’re connected. Calculating transit mass and destination,” the pilot’s voice announced again. “Relay is hot, acquiring approach vector. All stations, secure for transit.” The twin engines of the ship began to fold and align themselves to prepare for FTL travel. “Board is green. Approach run has begun.” A note of anticipation entered the pilot’s voice. “Hitting the relay in 3… 2… 1…” The sleek black and white frigate aligned itself in parallel with the mass relay. A moment of silence. Then a burst of energy from the core of the relay struck the ship, propelling the ship instantly to faster than light speeds. The ESV Normaredy accelerated out of the Canterlot system and disappeared into deep space with a flash. *** [ESV Normaredy, Pilot cabin] “A smooth transition. Your captain will be pleased,” the turian said flatly, before turning his back and walking away. The bipedal alien stood out amidst all the equine crew members in the ship; his dull grey skin and black armour contrasting sharply with the colourful coats of the ponies manning the ship. “I hate that guy,” the pilot mumbled under her breath, as soon as she was sure the turian was out of earshot. “Scootaloo! Nihilus gives you a compliment and you hate him? Such shocking manners,” the white unicorn sitting beside her admonished. The tag on her uniform identified her as Chief Engineer Rarity. A cutie mark of three diamonds could be seen beneath her uniform. “I hope you don’t mess up that pretty mane of yours in the bath,” the brown pegasus retorted, her wings flaring in annoyance. “I jumped us halfway across the galaxy, aiming for a target that is the size of a pinhole. It’s not great; it’s incredible!” She waved her hooves about theatrically, to which Rarity just gave her a cold stare in response. The brown pegasus seemed unperturbed by the show of disapproval. Scootaloo glanced around for a moment to ensure the turian was not in earshot and whispered in a conspiratorial voice, “Besides I don’t like Spectres: they’re bad news. Call me paranoid.” “Paranoid? More like rude,” Rarity said primly. “I think you better watch what you’re saying,” the lavender unicorn standing behind the pilot finally spoke. She eyed the pilot critically for a moment before continuing. “The Council funded this project, with the explicit support of the Princess. They have a right to check up on their investment.” Twilight’s thoughts wandered as she reconsidered her words. Spectres — formally known as Special Tactics and Reconnaissance unit — were the elite soldiers chosen by the Citadel’s Council themselves. They were supposed to be the right hand of the Council, enforcing the Council’s will where a fleet would not do. Given the importance of their task, they were given virtually unlimited powers and privileges at their disposal. The presence of Nihilus on the ship only meant the Council was taking their investment very seriously. Before the pilot could reply, the commlink on her console chirped. “Joker, the Great & Powerful Trixie demands a status report.” Scootaloo rolled her eyes at the use of her nickname but kept her voice professional. “We just cleared the mass relay, captain. Stealth systems engaged, everything looks solid.” “Good, link us to the nearest comm buoy. I want the Equestrian Command to know every single glorious deed we’re about to do. Also, send that dolt of a commander over to me for a debriefing,” she ordered, her voice akin to a rich brat demanding sweets. Scootaloo had to stifle a chuckle. The commander had heard every single word. She responded in a gleeful voice, “Captain, she’s right here.” “Oh… then tell her!” The captain abruptly cut the link. Scootaloo looked disappointed, evidently expecting a more colourful reaction. Twilight arched an eyebrow. “Joker?” “Long story. Maybe I’ll tell you about it later,” the pilot said dismissively. She quickly steered the conversation to another topic. “Anyway, you heard the lady, commander. She doesn’t like to be kept waiting,” Scootaloo continued, noting the annoyed look on the Twilight’s face. “Good luck.” “Thanks a lot, Scootaloo,” Twilight said, a trace of sarcasm in her voice. She turned around and began making her way to the briefing room. Great, now I’ll have to face Trixie again. Her brow furrowed as she considered the unpleasant thought. As she trotted off, she overheard the last scraps of conversation between Rarity and Scootaloo: “I don’t know how you put up with that...” Twilight strolled past the rows of workstations just behind the pilot’s cabin, each crew member busy in their their assigned station. Occasionally, a pony would call out routine reports to the pilot’s cabin, followed by acknowledgement by either the pilot or another crew. Twilight nodded at each crew member as she passed them, more out of protocol rather than any sense of friendship. Finding herself reaching the CIC deck, she stopped to glance at the holographic starmap located right in the middle of the CIC. The three-dimensional holographic representation of the galaxy rotated slowly, a small blue dot indicating the Normaredy’s current position. The starmap was overlooked by a small podium and surrounded by more workstations. All along the walls of the room, various switchboards and monitors flashed and beeped. A crew member had her head in one of the panels, effecting repairs of some sort. The smell of acrid smoke wafted past Twilight’s nostrils as she trotted past. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the navigator and the ship’s nurse chatting merrily in a corner. The latter was bent over in laughter, probably in response to a joke. Twilight dredged up their names from the depths of her memory. Navigator Ditzy Doo... and Nurse Cherilee. Twilight had not actually talked to them much, having spent most of her time in her cabin. Studying about the ship’s design and function naturally. Just behind the CIC was the briefing room. Two pegasi marine stood guard in front of the unassuming door. Their black armour shone as if they have just been polished, and the guns on their shoulders well-oiled. They saluted briefly with their wings as Twilight trotted past. She inclined her head in response, acknowledging their salute before trotting past and into the room beyond. *** [ESV Normaredy, Briefing Room] The spectre was standing in front of a monitor, watching a promotional video of Appleloosa. He turned as the lavender pony entered the room; the doors sliding shut smoothly behind her. The turian flicked the video off, and turned to address Twilight. “Ah, Commander Sparkle, so good of you to join me. Good thing you got here first, it’ll give us a chance to chat,” he started conversationally, his voice inflection-less. His small, black eyes seemed to study the unicorn with great interest. The commander stared in fascination, her first real chance to get a good look at one of the famed Spectres. Nihilus, like all others of his kind, had metallic plates covering his face. Elaborate white markings covered his facial metal platings. He wore black body armour; lined with red markings, apparently customized to his taste. A pistol hung comfortably from his right hip. “What about?” Twilight finally replied, a curious look in her purple eyes. “I’m interested in this world we’re going to… Appleloosa, right?” He pronounced the planet’s name with care. “The pride of ponykind. Proof that ponies can establish colonies across the galaxy and protect them.” “I don’t get what are you trying to say.” Twilight feigned ignorance, even as she knew all too well what Nihilus was trying to imply. Many alien species regarded the new pony race which so recently joined the galaxy with suspicions. Not all were friendly. “Ponies are newcomers to the galaxy, commander. Do you really think—” “I think we are more than capable enough to protect our own. With the Great & Powerful Trixie in command, we have nothing to fear,” a haughty voice behind the commander broke into the conversation. Both the turian and commander turned to the source of the intrusion. A slate blue unicorn trotted into the briefing room, an air of superiority preceding her every step. She was garbed in a gaudy blue uniform and a pointed hat resembling a wizard hat of legend, decorated with stars. Her blue eyes met the commander’s own set of purple eyes. “Twilight Sparkle, we meet again.” “Yes, captain, I am well aware of that,” Twilight replied, trying not to grit her teeth at the memory of her past encounters with Trixie in Canterlot, which included a certain Ursa Minor. Why in the name of Equestria does it have to be her? she thought rather gloomily. Although she had been forewarned of the presence of the captain since getting on the ship, meeting her face-to-face brought reality home like a bucketload of apples. “Hmph, after our incident in Canterlot, I had hoped that I wouldn’t need to see your plebian face again. I still remember how you humiliated me.” Trixie’s face darkened for a moment, before being replaced by her characteristic smug look. “Fortunately for you, I am magnanimous enough to let old petty hatreds slide,” Trixie continued, clearly not meaning a single word. Her violet eyes dared Twilight to do something reckless. Twilight did not rise up to the bait. Instead, she just glared at the captain sullenly, her anger obvious on her face. A discreet cough interrupted the exchange. “I think we should get the briefing started, don’t you think captain?” Nihilus suggested, his voice tempered with an undercurrent of menace. A taloned hand was already resting casually on his pistol. Clearly, the Spectre was a being with little patience for fools. “Y-y-yes, of course,” Trixie stammered uncharacteristically, the confidence in her voice lost. She tugged her uniform nervously with her hooves and took a deep breath. With a more professional voice, she continued, “The situation is this, commander. We have been assigned to a covert operation of transporting something off the colony. From initial reports of the research team on Appleloosa, it appears to be some sort of Prothean beacon.” Twilight’s eyes widened as she digested the implications of the captain’s words. The Protheans were an advanced race that vanished 50,000 years ago. The mass relays and the Citadel itself were said to be relics of the Prothean race. To this day, Prothean relics were some of the most sought-after items in the galaxy, the potential for technological advancement from studying such a relic literally priceless. “Unfortunately Appleloosa is just a farming colony, and does not have the facility to deal with a discovery of this magnitude. We need to bring the relic back for proper study at the Citadel,” Trixie continued. “This discovery would mean a great deal to all the council races, not just ponies,” Nihilus added. “Nihilus is also here for another purpose, to evaluate you.” Trixie’s eyes were suddenly shifty. “What? Whatever for?” Twilight narrowed her eyes at the captain’s choice of words. The princess never mentioned anything about an evaluation. “Our dear Princess apparently nominated you to be the first pony candidate to join the Spectres.” Twilight initial reaction was one of surprise. The Princess... Spectres? Then understanding dawned as she reconsidered the cryptic way her mentor had worded the letter to her. My mentor wanted this to be a surprise. Princess Celestia sure knows how to keep a secret, she thought happily, an involuntary smile broke on her face. Trixie scowled. “Personally, I think she’s making a terrible mistake. But she’s the princess and I’m just a captain. Unfortunately.” Trixie’s voice left no doubt on how she felt about this. Twilight managed to keep a straight face as she imagined the reaction of the captain on hearing news that her rival was about to be inducted into the Specters. She pitied any crew member who had been unfortunate enough to be within range of the captain’s wrath. “Nevertheless, you must realize the importance of this task. The Spectres represents the Council’s power and authority. If a pony is accepted into the ranks of the Spectres, it shows how far ponykind has come.” Trixie ground out the obviously rehearsed speech. “I look forward to working with a personal student of Princess Celestia.” Nihilus offered a short bow. “I hope you do not disappoint your princess’s decision to endorse your candidacy into the Spectres.” “I won’t, Nihilus.” Twilight’s chest swelled with pride with the knowledge of her mentor’s confidence in her. All her training, all the years of preparation, just for this. Suddenly, the princess’s intention was made clear. Twilight realised with a start that Princess Celestia probably planned for this years even before she took her in. I guess being thousands of years old makes one take the long view. “Good, the sooner you’re off my ship, the better,” Trixie said disdainfully. Nihilus continued, ignoring Trixie entirely. “You will be in charge of the ground team, commander. I will be there… to observe.” “Whenever you’re ready.” Twilight saluted the spectre smartly. The spectre nodded, his facial features betraying no hint of what he thought of the lavender pony. Scootaloo’s voice boomed over the intercom, interrupting their meeting. “Captain, we have a problem. Just intercepted a distress signal from Appleloosa.” “Well, play it on screen, Joker,” Trixie snapped. Twilight and Nihilus exchanged questioning looks. What could possibly be happening on Appleloosa? “Aye aye,” the pilot replied, a trace of annoyance lingering in her voice. The monitor in the briefing room flickered to life again, showing soldier ponies on a lush landscape. The sound of gunfire echoed erratically from the background. A soldier pony yelled into the camera, “We’re under attack by an unknown enemy force, I repeat, we’re under—” the soldier’s voice was cut off with a grunt of pain as a stray shot hit his flank. The view shook wildly as the camera fell to the ground, then righted itself as somepony else picked it up. An orange mare’s face came into view. “We need evac now! I don’t right care who’s gettin’ this, just send help…” Her voice trailed off as the camera swung around to catch a huge grayish ship coming down from the sky. Even from the low-quality of the feed, Twilight could make out a distinct insectoid shape to the ship. Red lightning trailed the ship as it began its descent towards the colony.“Sweet horseapples…” the soldier whispered, before the transmission was abruptly cut. Static filled the viewscreen. “Our mission just got a lot more complicated,” Twilight observed.

Grif

267

Main 6,Spike,Alternate Universe,Crossover,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Pony Effect

What if ponies replaced humans in the Mass Effect universe?

incomplete

<p>What if ponies replaced humans in the Mass Effect universe? Will Commander Sparkle save the day like Shepard did?</p><p>Special thanks to vimbert and 108Echoes from Ponychan's /fic/ for proofreading and conceptual ideas.</p><p>The <a href="https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B0WyBmfXXXZKZDk2ZTM2ZGMtZGFkZS00OTgyLTkyYjMtYWVjYjBhNDI5MGMy/edit?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow">GDoc links</a>, if FimFiction does not fancy you. This is both my working copy and the originals that was published on Equestria Daily.</p>

everyone

2012-02-24T16:40:35+00:00

2013-02-22T11:23:18+00:00

[ESV Normaredy, Appleloosa orbit] The Normaredy was the only ship within a thousand light years of Appleloosa that was considered even remotely close to battle ready. The next available reinforcements were hours away: even if the nearest battle groups were ready to depart at this very moment, it would still be too late to offer any form of meaningful help to the stricken colony. Given the circumstances, Nihilus decided to utilise the ship’s experimental stealth system to its fullest. The Normaredy would insert him and a supporting squad covertly and attempt to retrieve the beacon, before the enemy ships surrounding the planet noticed them. After some deliberation, the captain chose her chief engineer Rarity and a pegasus marine named Coryander to accompany Twilight down. Her best people she assured Twilight, which did naturally not reassure her one bit. Nevertheless, she did not argue, since the Spectre himself had offered no opinion on the matter. As was agreed upon, the Spectre had been dropped off first, somewhere to the north of the colony, with Twilight’s squad making their way from the south as his backup. With Nihilus already had been dropped off, Twilight and her squad were standing ready to be deployed at the second drop point as agreed. “Approaching second drop zone, commander,” Scootaloo announced over the intercom. “Alright, let’s do this.” Twilight glanced at her squad mates for one last time. Rarity was tugging at her armour, apparently deciding the crease on her otherwise immaculate armor was her nemesis of the day. Sensing Twilight’s eyes were on her, she quickly stopped fidgeting and flashed a reassuring smile. The red coated pegasus marine just nodded, his wings slightly flaring in anticipation. Satisfied her squad was ready, Twilight took a deep breath, and concentrated. The mass teleport spell was one of the more difficult and complex spells for a unicorn to cast. However, the mission called for a quick insertion into the combat zone, which the spell provided, and with the least theoretical risk compared to other options. She had practiced the same spell multiple times in Canterlot University. All in controlled environments, of course, but Twilight estimated she had an 86% chance of casting the spell successfully in this environment. Her horn began to glow, a soft purple glow at first, gradually building in intensity. The ship’s cargo bay faded away as Twilight focused on her spell; every incantation, every spark of energy, each iota of focus had to be precise; lest they could be transported straight into the earth! A white circle enveloped the group, illuminating the bay with unnatural light. Then with a clap of thunder and sound of rushing air, the group vanished into thin air. [Outskirts of colony complex, Appleloosa] The first thing Twilight sensed was the change in the air around them. The smell of recycled ship air and motor oil no longer permeated her nostrils, replaced by the sweet scent of apples and good old earth. The air was subtly warmer, and a cool breeze blew over her mane. Opening her eyes, she spied the rolling hills of Appleloosa, innumerable apple trees covering the landscape. The sky was a dusky red colour, with the Appleloosan sun shining steadily in the east. To the north, she could make out a plume of black smoke rising from distance—The colony under attack, Twilight guessed. Taking a quick glance around, she was relieved that her squadmates appeared to have arrived in one piece as well. Doing a double take, Twilight noticed Rarity seemed wobbly on her feet. A sickly green hue suffused her delicate features. “Remind me never to volunteer for this again,” Rarity said weakly, before gagging and disappearing behind a bush. Moments later, Twilight could hear the engineer retching. Coryander just shook his head and faced the commander. “Your orders, ma’am?” “Let’s wait till our chief engineer finds her bearings first,” Twilight said. Inexplicably, she felt a wave of nausea sweeping over her body as well. Feeling bile rising to her own throat as well, she quickly joined Rarity behind the bush. For a few minutes, the sound of two ponies retching was the only sound echoing over the silent apple orchards. The two soon relived the contents of their lunch and trotted out sheepishly. “Let us never speak of this again,” Rarity said. Twilight chuckled. “Agreed. I guess I overdid it with the teleportation spell.” Her face became serious as her mind focused on the task at hand. “Alright ponies, let’s move out,” Twilight ordered. The squad slowly made their way across acres of orchards that covered the outskirts of Appleloosa. The apple trees seemed to have remained mostly intact, with only the occasional craters and fallen tree. Disturbingly though, they didn’t find anypony. Nor were there any indication of the enemy so far. Even the skies were silent. No birds, no insects, nothing. “This place got hit hard, commander. Hostiles everywhere,” Nihilus reported over the radio. Sounds of gunfire could be heard in the background. The Spectre must have landed in a hot zone. Twilight nodded. “Acknowledged. Moving to Point Alpha.” The group continued forward and cleared the orchards. Only a cluster of hills separated the squad from the outskirts of the colony now, if memory served Twilight right. Spotting the entrance narrow rocky valley, she held up a hoof and halted. “Looks like a perfect place for an ambush,” she whispered over the radio. Twilight considered the situation for a moment, before waving the pegasus marine over. “Cory, fly up and scout for hostiles.” “Yes, ma’am.” The red pegasus saluted crisply. Spreading his wings, Coryander took off gracefully. The pegasus began flying lazily above the valley. “No sign of hostiles. Looks like it’s - wait, I see something. Looks like…” A brief pause. “Drones! Unknown make... Oh gods, they spotted me! Taking evasive manoeuvres!” Twilight watched in horror as several drones rose up from their hidden positions amongst rocks around the valley. Sensing the pegasus, the drones tracked their target unerringly and opened fire. The pegasus began to circle back, zigzagging in a desperate attempt to evade the hail of bullets. All in vain, as his kinetic barriers failed under the onslaught. The pegasus seemed to jerk slightly as several bullets punctured his light armour, before plummeting to ground in the distance. “Oh no…” Rarity said. Twilight felt a primal rage grip her heart as the horror of the spectacle began to fade. “Let’s teach these drones who they’re messing with,” she said, horn already glowing as she began levitating the rocks scattered around her. Rarity just stared at the distant horizon, her blue eyes taking on a blank look. The drones finished sweeping the area around the obviously dead pegasus, and had begun flying back to their hiding places, apparently getting ready for a second ambush. They did not appear to notice the two ponies hiding behind the rocks at the mouth of the valley. As the drones settled down one by one, abruptly one of drones erupted in a shower of electrical discharge. “You miserable pieces of scrap! Take this!” the white unicorn yelled with barely contained anger. Twilight momentarily gaped at the furious reaction of her companion. She must be taking this pretty hard. The remaining drones whirled about and began to close in on the pair, gun barrels already tracking their new targets. Picking her targets carefully, Twilight began hurling the rocks she had levitated earlier at the oncoming drones. Several found their targets, damaging the drones and forcing some to crash on the ground. Another drone erupted in a merry explosion as Rarity overloaded its electrical systems. Running out of rocks, Twilight switched to the twin assault rifles on her shoulders. A holographic HUD appeared over her right eye, helping her target the last drone, now trying to fly away from the ponies. Steady… steady… FIRE! The drone’s kinetic barriers flared for a moment, as Twilight’s bullets connected. A moment later, the barriers failed, and the drone exploded in a shower of sparks. Silence reigned again. “Chief Engineer, are you okay?” Twilight asked, concern on her face. Rarity was slumped on her haunches, panting heavily. She must be exhausted by all that usage of magic, Twilight thought. “I… I’m fine, darling. Just that… it’s been so long since I lost a friend…” Tears brimmed in her blue eyes as the words tumbled out. “It’s okay, Chie— Rarity. I understand,” Twilight said, hugging the white unicorn. Rarity hesitated at first, and then buried her head in Twilight’s mane as she sobbed uncontrollably. *** [Digsite, Appleloosa] "Are you sure you're okay, Rarity?" Twilight asked. "Yes, commander. I'm perfectly fine now. Just needed to get some emotion out of the way," Rarity replied, her eyes still somewhat red from the tears earlier. "Look, that must be the digsite." The digsite was a cluster of prefabricated habitation units arranged around a central depression, which Twilight guessed was the main dig site. Crates of various size were stacked haphazardly throughout the site. Heavy lifting equipment lay abandoned in a corner. As was becoming usual, nopony was around, nor a single pony body could be found. This was getting creepy. Where are all the ponies if they’re not dead? The pair advanced on the encampment cautiously. “They must be getting ready to move out when the attack began,” Twilight observed, as she inspected the abandoned equipment. Before Rarity could answer, a Texan-accented voice rang out across the encampment. “Who goes there? I swear if you’re one of them foalnapping zombies...” The two looked at each other in surprise. “A survivor!” they exclaimed together. “Sweet mother of mercy, ain’t y’all are a sight for sore eyes.” An orange mare trotted out from the cover of the crates she hid, an assault rifle in her mouth. Her saddle-armour looked battered from multiple hits. Strangely though, she also wore a very unregulation stenton hat, which she seemed to have retained through the battles she must have endured. The expression on the soldier pony’s freckled face was one of relief. As Twilight approached however, the orange mare’s eyes widened in surprise. Dropping the gun in her mouth, she yelled, “Look out, ma’am!” Twilight whirled around to find a bipedal robot, with what appeared to be a flashlight for its head, leveling a weapon — an unknown make of assault rifle — at them. The robot chattered in a sort of twittering language as it lined up its shot. Before Twilight could respond, she glimpsed the shadow of a heavy object moving past her. The robot abruptly found itself pinned underneath a heavy crate that landed neatly on its torso. Taking advantage, Rarity stomped on the robot twice, making sure it stayed down. Twilight glanced back to see the orange mare grinning, her back towards them. That crate must have weighed a ton. That’s some powerful bucking, Twilight thought. “Applebuckin’. Good trainin’ for these here hindlegs,” the soldier pony answered, as if reading her thoughts. Her grin faded as she belatedly realised Twilight outranked her. “Gunnery Chief Applejack of the 302nd, ma’am!” Her hooves clicked together as she saluted smartly and stood stiffly at attention. “At ease, gunnery chief,” Twilight replied formally, waving for the earth-pony to relax as well. She flashed a reassuring smile. “Now, what in the name of Princess Celestia happened here?” “It’s the geth, ma’am. They came out of nowhere and started shootin’ up the place.” “Geth? You mean those flash-light head… things are geth?” Rarity said incredulously, pointing towards the still-warm robot. “I must say their fashion sense is horrible.” “I thought the geth had not been seen since three hundred years ago,” Twilight said thoughtfully, recalling her history books on the Geth-Quarian War. A downright nasty example of rogue AI running amok; the quarians had created the geth with the intention of robotic work force. The geth inadvertently achieved sentience and rebelled against the quarians. The quarians were forced them to abandon their homeworlds after a long and bloody war. Much to everypony’s surprise, the geth had not bothered anypony else since, staying behind Perseus Veil. Until today anyway. “That’s what them intelligence people say. Until they went offline anyhow,” Applejack answered with a shrug. Then in a darker tone, she continued, “I don’t rightly know what they are, how and why they came here. But I do know this: they just darn near murdered my entire squad. Who knows how many good folks already died.” The angry look in her green eyes betrayed the depths of her emotions. “I’m the only one left,” she continued in a softer voice. “It’s okay, Gunnery Chief. We’re here to help,” Twilight said, laying a sympathetic hoof to Applejack’s shoulder. “That’s not all,” Applejack said. She motioned the ponies to gather closer. Leaning closer, she almost whispered, “They got this spike thingamajig which turns ponies into… into—” “Into what?” Rarity interrupted, clearly not amused by the secrecy. Applejack threw up her hooves in frustration. “Hay if I know! Zombie ponies. Or something. It ain’t natural, I tell you. I been watching them. Those geth been at it the whole day.” “Zombies?” Twilight arched an eyebrow at the term. “In this day and age? Really, Gunnery Chief, I expected better. Right, Rarity? Rarity?” Not hearing the expected answer, Twilight glanced sideways at her companion. Rarity was shaking on her hooves, her ears flattened in fear, apparently disturbed by the very idea. “Z-z-zombies...” she whispered. Twilight planted a hoof in her face. “Chief Engineer Rarity, pull yourself together! There’s no such thing as zombies. It’s probably some kind of geth construct,” she said confidently. Rarity and Applejack both shot the commander a disbelieving look. “Then how do you explain that?!” Rarity pointed to a shadowy figure behind Twilight. “Explain wha—” Twilight’s voice trailed off she saw the shadow as well. “What the hay is that?” she exclaimed, her eyes glued to the dark figure slowly shambling towards her. Twilight was unable to make out any features on the advancing creature, save that it looked like a pony and had glowing blue eyes. All the same, it made her take an involuntary step back. Applejack quickly stood on her hind legs and leveled the assault rifle she was carrying with her forehooves. “Stay back, you no-good zombies,” she warned, the barrel of her gun following each step the creature took. Twilight blinked as she took in the strange way the orange mare was holding a gun. Almost like how the Citadel races hold... Her train of thought derailed as the creature moaned again, sending a chill down her spine. She could almost smell the creature now, a strange mix of industrial fluids and decaying flesh. The figure stumbled closer and into full view. It was a horrifying sight. The entire body was stripped down to its muscles, with wavy tubes protruding from the face and disappearing somewhere below the torso. Alongside the tubes,softly glowing blue lights running up and down the body. Even the hooves seemed to be deformed, sharpened on one end. “That’s close enough,” Applejack said with finality, and fired her gun. The entire zombie-pony’s head disappeared in a hail of bullets. The remains of the zombie stumbled, before collapsing with a loud thud. A cascade of wails echoed from the digsite around them in response. The unnatural noise made their hair stand on end. “Gunnery Chief, what was that?” Rarity asked, panic creeping into her voice, her body trembling. “Oh, Celestia’s skies, more zombies!” Twilight yelled, unaware that she adopted the term without further thought. More of the shambling creatures appeared from the all sides, some appearing from the prefabricated buildings, others shambled from places unseen. Applejack just cocked her gun and smiled mirthlessly. “Gonna be a tough fight,” she said, calmly shooting the head off another zombie who had climbed behind her. Twilight and Rarity found themselves pressing into each other’s back, their weapons waving here and there at the oncoming zombies. With another piercing wail, the zombies charged. *** “Well, that’s that, I suppose.” Twilight sighed with relief, having managed to survive the zombie assault relatively unscathed. Rarity seemed to have overcome her fear of zombies remarkably quickly once the zombies closed in. All in all, she actually acquitted herself well in the battle. That and the fact that one of zombie had inadvertently splashed some gunk onto her immaculately polished armour. It seemed to have touched off some sort of rage-switch. Twilight never knew a unicorn could buck a zombie that far, and she most certainly did not expect that from the fashion-obsessed unicorn. Applejack on the other hand… “By the way, Gunnery Chief, where you’d learn to fire a gun like that?” Twilight asked casually. Normally, military earth ponies mounted the guns on their shoulders on account of their lack of opposable thumbs that other bipedals have, and telekinesis that most unicorns are gifted with. Shoulder-mounted guns was the natural answer, even though it was considered somewhat unwieldy. Some unicorns, like her, mounted the guns on their shoulders so that they can concentrate their magic on other uses. Applejack however, was holding the gun like one of the bipedals of the Council races. Very strange indeed. “Oh, this?” Applejack indicated her gun on the floor. Twilight nodded. “Them salarians were testing a new omni-tool mod that lets us earth ponies handle a gun like they do. See?” The orange mare demonstrated by picking up her gun, the omni-tool on her fore-hooves lighting up as she did so. ”Mighty kind of them, if I may say so myelf. ‘least I don’t have to worry ‘bout taking my shoulder weapons off before going indoor.” She chuckled and swung her gun left and right theatrically, before losing her balance and falling on her rear. “Eh heh heh, still need to work on standin’ on mah hind legs though,” Applejack said sheepishly, brushing a stray forelock out of her eyes. “So long as you can fire a weapon, I suppose,” Twilight commented, rather dubiously. She figured she had time to study the curious tool in the Normaredy later. The Princess would be most interested in such a device... “Come on girls, let’s get moving. Applejack, where’s the beacon?” Applejack scratched her head. “I don’t rightly know, commander. It was here when I left for my patrol. Reckon the science team moved it someplace.” Twilight was mildly disappointed by the news. “That’s unfortunate. Alright, let’s keep looking.” Nihilus’ voice crackled over the radio. “Commander? Change of plans. There’s a small spaceport up ahead. I want to check it out. I’ll wait for you there.” Twilight nodded at the instruction. “You heard the Spectre, let’s get to the spaceport.” [Spaceport, Appleloosa] “Spaceport just ahead, ma’am,” Applejack reported. “Good, stay sharp girls.” Twilight had her visor up, scanning for any signs of hostiles. They had already eliminated several geths and at least a dozen more of those zombie things along the way. Twilight still shuddered every time she encountered one of those things. The spaceport was quite impressive for a colony world. Probably for moving all those apples and farm produce off-world for export. Twilight couldn’t help but compare the size of the colony’s spaceport to the ones in Canterlot. Ponyville Intergalactic Starport alone was at least thrice the size of this starport, and it was considered one of the smallest starport on the capital planet. Rarity let out a sudden gasp. “Up ahead, commander. I think I see something… is that Nihilus?” She pointed a hoof at the general direction of some sort of cargo storage facility. Twilight narrowed her eyes, following the direction of Rarity’s hoof. “Oh no…” Twilight began galloping ahead, her heart racing with dread. *** “Well, he’s dead as dead can be,” Applejack remarked, checking the body of Nihilus over again. Rarity looked green, apparently not used to seeing a dead body up close. Twilight stood beside the dead turian, studying the corpse. Nihilus was lying face down, in a pool of his blue blood. There appeared to be no sign of geth around, and nor any sign of battle. A single gunshot wound to the back of his head was all Twilight had to go on. His pistol remained holstered on his hip, another curious oddity. “I don’t understand, he told us to meet him here,” Twilight said, a puzzled expression on her face. “And someone got ta’ him first, by the looks of it,” Applejack replied. A small thud echoed through the empty spaceport. Twilight whirled to face the source of the noise, her horn glowing in anticipation. “Who’s there?” Twilight called, gesturing for her squad to be ready. Applejack and Rarity leveled their weapons, their eyes darting in all directions. A mewling sound. Then silence again. “Sounds like another survivor,” Rarity said. Her blue eyes scanned the deserted cargo bay again. Twilight nodded to Applejack, who lowered her rifle, and then called out, “It’s okay now, you can come out. We’re here to help.” No response. The ponies glanced around uneasily, wary of an ambush. “It’s alright. We won’t harm you,” Twilight called out again. A rustle from Twilight’s left. Glancing at the direction of the noise, she was surprised to find a small white rabbit hopping out of the mess of containers just a few meters away. Twilight blinked again and looked more closely. The white rabbit was clad in some sort of body armour, apparently cobbled from various bits and pieces of other armour. Carrying a shotgun twice his size. With an angry expression on his face. “Would ya look at it? A rabbit carryin’ a shotgun. Ain’t you cute?” Applejack commented, to the obvious annoyance of the rabbit. Twilight and Rarity found themselves giggling at the sight. The rabbit looked the three ponies up and down, and then signaled to somepony hiding behind the containers. He continued to stare at them warily, his shotgun aimed at the general direction of the ponies. Twilight had a feeling the rabbit was quite experienced with the weapon, despite his diminutive size. A scared pony face poked out of the containers, relief spilling over on her face when she saw it was fellow ponies. The yellow pegasus slowly trotted out from the shadow of the container she was hiding. She had a wavy pink mane with a cutie mark of three butterflies on her flank. Her entire body was trembling from fear, and her wings were folded tight. “O-Oh, thank you so much for r-rescuing me. My name is F-Fluttershy,” she said in a soft voice. She flinched when the ponies trotted up to her, evidently still shocked from the ordeal. “Pleased to be of service, ma’am.” Twilight nodded, not sure of what to make of the heavily armed rabbit next to her. “Are you the only survivor?” “Um... I think so. I didn’t see anypony else when I hid there,” the yellow pegasus answered shyly. “Did you see anypony else, Angel?” Fluttershy asked, directing the question at the rabbit standing near her hooves. The rabbit shook his head. huffed and glaced around, apparently looking for a convenient geth to vent her anger on. Meanwhile, Twilight’s curiosity finally got the better of her. “Um, may I ask who is the rabbit?” she asked. Fluttershy smiled, and rubbed Angel’s head. “Oh, this is Angel. He kept me safe while those scary monsters were coming and shooting their big scary guns.” “Right, am I ta’ expect this lil’ rabbit can— Woah!” Applejack started, before suddenly finding herself floating in the air. A light blue shimmer surrounded the now-floating orange mare. Twilight blinked in astonishment and glanced the the rabbit. Angel was holding his paw out, as if channeling some great power. “Angel has special powers… I think she got them after playing in one of those eezo containers,” Fluttershy offered in a soft voice. Twilight blinked in confusion. Eezo, element zero? Why would... Then understanding dawned. “The rabbit is a biotic.” Twilight stared in fascination at the little rabbit as he toyed with Applejack, sending her flying in various directions with a flick of his paw. “Amazing! I’ve never seen any animals with biotic abilities before. I mean, I read about them and the Council races have biotics but I’ve never seen any ponyfolk demonstrate any form of biotic ability yet.” Not that ponyfolks needed biotics to begin with, since all ponies, regardless of type, have innate magical abilities. Citadel scientists have long documented the side effects of exposure to eezo, which included the fatal development of cancerous growths. However, in select individuals, like Angel’s case, it led to a development of biotic potential. Something which he was using to great effect now. “Wokay, you kin put me down now. I mean it! Stop flyin’ me around,” Applejack shouted, as she was made to do impossible acrobatics in the air. “Angel, please stop. They’re friends.” Fluttershy nudged the rabbit gently with her muzzle. The rabbit shot an irritated expression at his master, but complied nevertheless. With the final wave of a paw, Applejack found herself dropped into a pile of spare parts, landing with a huge crash and cry of pain. “I’m okay!” Applejack called out from beneath the pile of junk after a moment. Twilight stared at the rabbit for a moment, unsure of whether to laugh or be extremely wary of the biotic abilities of this unpredictable rabbit. Then she saw Fluttershy nuzzling the rabbit gently, which the rabbit reluctantly acknowledged. Angel seemed to notice he was being stared at and met her questioning gaze unflinchingly. After several seconds of locking eyes, Angel nodded slightly. Twilight sensed that under the gruff exterior, the rabbit was fiercely protective of his master. For some reason, she knew the rabbit was indicating his acceptance of them as friends of his master. She smiled slightly and nodded back in reply, surprised on how verbose the rabbit was for somepony with no words. Turning towards Rarity, she said, “Anyway, with Nihilus dead, we should—” “I saw that turian before…” said Fluttershy softly, looking at Nihilus’ body. “What?” Twilight exclaimed, as she whirled around and faced Fluttershy. Fluttershy shrank back at the sudden outburst. “Oh… it’s nothing important really—” “Tell me. It’s important!” Twilight shouted, eager to find out more about the incident. Fluttershy shrank back from the commander in response, fear evident in her aquamarine eyes. Twilight realised she was scaring the pegasus and forced herself to calm down. Taking a deep breath, she started again, “Please tell me Fluttershy. It’s very important that we know what is going on.” “Well… there’s this turian, Nihilus, he came here first. He looked scary, so I hid behind these containers.” “Then I heard another voice speaking to the turian. It was another turian. Nihilus seem to recognize him, and called him Saren. He seemed to relax and turned his back. Then…then…” “Yes, go on.” “He did something terrible.” Fluttershy looked distressed, and began shuffling her hooves. Her rabbit companion seemed agitated and hopped around yellow pegasus. “Who did something terrible?” Twilight asked patiently, gently coaxing the pegasus to continue her story. “The one called Saren… he shot Nihilus in the back.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “He shot him, then he just walked away and left him to die.” “It was horrible… I was afraid. I hid here ever since. It was so scary.” Fluttershy buried her hooves in her face, crying softly as the events of the past few hours overwhelmed her. Twilight stood back, unsure of what to do. Fortunately, Angel hopped towards the pegasus’ face and laid a tiny paw on her face, apparently trying to comfort his friend. “Thank you, Angel,” she sniffed, visibly calming down. “That no-good Saren fella’ is up to somethin’. Why would he go around murderin’ good folks in cold blood?” said Applejack. “Fluttershy, where did this Saren go?” Twilight asked the yellow pegasus gently. Fluttershy shook her head. The unicorn stamped her hooves in frustration, the trail cold before they could even catch up to this turian who murdered the spectre. “Commander, I think the rabbit knows where he went,” Rarity piped up, indicating the rabbit who was jumping agitatedly and pointing off in the distance. Applejack followed the direction of the rabbit’s paw. Understanding began to dawn in her eyes, “The cargo terminal… Commander, I reckon I know where that two-timing bastard went,” Applejack said, breaking into a gallop towards the indicated building. “Wait, what about the civilian?” Rarity called. “We can’t very well leave her here.” “She’ll just have to follow. The biotic rabbit might be helpful in a fight,” Twilight answered, gesturing for Fluttershy to follow. The yellow pegasus mewled, clearly reluctant to follow them into the teeth of danger. The lavender unicorn trotted to her side and smiled reassuringly. “Fluttershy, we’ll protect you. Just follow us closely and you’ll be fine.” “W-w-wait!” *** “The geth certainly isn’t making it easy to reach Saren, wherever he is,” Twilight remarked, as they cautiously stepped off the train that connected the northern and southern portion of the spaceport. The bodies of several geth littered the train compartments. “Certainly not,” Rarity agreed. “Um... I’m sorry to interrupt... but what’s that?” Fluttershy indicated a largish device the size of a postbox lying in one corner of the abandoned tram stop. An angry red light was blinking on a panel set on the top of the device, incomprehensible words scrolling past the screen. Rarity gasped as she studied the mysterious device. “It’s... it’s a bomb.” She looked the device over. “Ten kilotons by the looks of it. Enough to level the colony and then some.” “Can you disable the device?” Twilight asked worriedly. “Best get crackin’. I betcha those geth ain’t happy to see us,” Applejack said, pointing to a squad of advancing geth troopers. *** “No need to thank me, girls, I know I’m good,” Rarity said with a hint of pride, as she adjusted the curls of her coif delicately. “And Angel helped as well,” Fluttershy added shyly, the white rabbit on her back gesturing madly, evidently annoyed he was forgotten. Twilight had to grin at the way the rabbit handled one of the bombs. Apparently using biotics to rip the detonator out was a perfectly acceptable way to disarm a nuclear bomb. “Yes, thank you, Angel.” Rarity smiled sweetly at the rabbit. Angel subsided, apparently mollified. “Mebbe the geth was blowin’ the base to destroy the beacon,” Applejack mused. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure they didn’t plant those bombs for fun,” Twilight replied dryly. The ponies rounded another building, finally reaching the their destination: the spaceport’s special cargo storage. Twilight unlocked the metal gate with her magic and started pushing it to one side. “What in the world is that?” Rarity exclaimed, as the gates opened. The ponies approached the artifact, which was shaped like a stylized L. The base of the thing was covered with ancient hologlyphs which nopony was able to decipher. An antenna rose from the base of the machine and reached thirty feet above the ground. The whole beacon was crackling with energy. “It wasn’t doin’ that when we dug it up,” Applejack said. “Something musta turned it on.” “Saren has gone to a lot of trouble to keep it from our hands,” Twilight said, eyeing the beacon with keen interest. She began trotting up to the beacon, examining the artifact more closely. The beacon seemed to glow brighter as Twilight wandered closer, though the unicorn pony was too preoccupied with other matters to notice. “Rarity, radio Scootaloo for pickup. We need to get this back to the ship. The scientists at the Citadel will be able to make more of this.” “Commander, wait—” Fluttershy began. A green burst of energy suddenly manifested at the tip of the antenna. It lashed out, and struck Twilight as she turned her head to answer Fluttershy. The blast knocked the lavender unicorn down, and caused the other ponies to take several steps back. Before she could recover, a stream of green energy arced towards Twilight and enveloped her body. Twilight eyes rolled upward as she was lifted into the air, the beacon’s unnatural energies filling her body. ’ve to do somethin’!” Applejack yelled, her hooves clattering as she rushed forward to shove the commander out of the way. “Gunnery Chief! No! You don’t know what it will do.” Rarity tackled the Applejack as she neared the levitating figure of Twilight, the momentum of the unicorn causing both to crash into a pile of crates nearby and away from the twitching figure of the commander. Twilight felt her consciousness being stretched hundreds of thousands of light years. Innumerable images flashed through pony’s mind as she struggled to make sense of it. A huge insectoid ship. Vistas of far away planets. Machinery. Screams of terror. Cries for help. Cities burning. After what seemed to be an eternity, the visions began to disintegrate. Twilight found herself falling into dark, sweet oblivion…

Grif

267

Main 6,Spike,Alternate Universe,Crossover,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Pony Effect

What if ponies replaced humans in the Mass Effect universe?

incomplete

<p>What if ponies replaced humans in the Mass Effect universe? Will Commander Sparkle save the day like Shepard did?</p><p>Special thanks to vimbert and 108Echoes from Ponychan's /fic/ for proofreading and conceptual ideas.</p><p>The <a href="https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B0WyBmfXXXZKZDk2ZTM2ZGMtZGFkZS00OTgyLTkyYjMtYWVjYjBhNDI5MGMy/edit?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow">GDoc links</a>, if FimFiction does not fancy you. This is both my working copy and the originals that was published on Equestria Daily.</p>

everyone

2012-02-24T16:37:55+00:00

2012-02-24T16:37:55+00:00

[ESV Normaredy, Medical Bay] Twilight awoke with a start, her mind buried in a haze of fog. She was immediately assaulted by the thousands of tiny needles, each burrowing into her brain. Twilight laid her head back with a groan. She tried to open her eyes, but could only manage a sliver. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re awake, commander.” The melodic voice of Fluttershy filtered through her abused mind as she struggled to stay conscious. “Commander, please relax. I’m going to give something to ease the pain,” the gentle voice of Nurse Cheerilee echoed faintly to her left. Twilight caught the sound of a trolley creaking, and then felt a dull pain on her left flank. The pain in her head receded somewhat, and she suddenly found opening her eyes less an effort than before. The head of the shy yellow pegasus from Appleloosa slowly came into focus, a look of concern etched on her face. The pink head of Nurse Cheerilee bobbed behind the pegasi. “Ugh, I felt like there are ten thousand buffaloes stampeding through my head.” Twilight sat up shakily and rubbed her temple with a hoof. As her mind slowly cleared, she began to recall her last coherent memories on Appleloosa. “Nurse, how long have I been out?” “About one whole day, commander. You had us worried there,” the nurse replied primly. “One day? How could I been knocked out for one whole day?!” Twilight all but shouted, sending Fluttershy hiding behind the another bed in the infirmary. The nurse seemed unperturbed and stood there tapping her hooves impatiently. Suddenly aware that she had been yelling at the top of her voice, the lavender unicorn covered her mouth with her hooves. Her expression softened as she noticed the pegasus cowering in the corner. “Uh, sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled like that—” The sounds of galloping hooves interrupted Twilight’s apologies and the medibay was suddenly crowded by half a dozen ponies. “What in name of Red Delicious is happening—” Applejack stopped mid-sentence as she saw Twilight sitting up. “Commander! Y’all look all better now. How’re ya doin’?” “Like the morning after too much wine.” She shook her head to emphasise the point. “Gunnery Chief, report,” Twilight said in the most formal voice she could manage, taking refuge in routine. “Well, after you were hit by that laser thingamajig, Rarity and I began arguin’ about what to do,” Applejack began. “Rarity here wanted to wait for backup. I would have knocked ya clean off if that mare didn’t tackle me. Luckily for us, darn thing blew up like them fireworks on Summer Sun Celebration after a minute or so. Y’all fell to the floor all clumsy-like and got knocked out cold. So we got ya back to the ship as soon as we could.” “Great…” Twilight was already regretting ever waking up. “Any harm done?” she directed the question at the nurse. “Physically you’re fine. Though I’ve detected some abnormal brain waves.” Cherilee frowned. “And you were raving about... quite disturbing things during your sleep.” “I saw… something. Not sure what I saw, but it was quite horrible,” Twilight said uncertainly, not sure whether it had been all a dream or something more sinister. She decided not to mention it to the crew for now, reasoning it would probably just be dismissed. “Why wasn’t Trixie informed that the commander was awake?” a familiar voice drifted through the door. The medibay door slid open, revealing the irate figure of Captain Trixie. “I’m going to have to speak to the commander… in private,” she said, her tone making it clear it wasn’t a request. The other ponies murmured but complied without objections. One by one, they filtered out the door, Applejack being the last one out. Twilight thought she saw a sympathetic look on her face before the doors slid shut. “Commander, you have got some explaining to do.” Her voice dripped ice. Twilight groaned, her headache redoubling at the captain’s words. She already had a bad feeling about this. Trixie began without preamble. “You’ve got us into a very bad situation. Nihilus was killed. The geth attacking one of our colonies. A priceless Prothean artifact destroyed. All thanks to your incompetence.” Trixie whirled and pointed an accusing hoof at Twilight’s face. Twilight’s jaw dropped at the captain’s words. Surely she isn’t going to push all the blame to her? “Even worse, this Saren… appears to be leading the geth,” Trixie continued, her voice uncharacteristically serious. The floor rang with the clatter of her hooves as she paced the room. “What can be so bad about a turian leading the geth?” Twilight asked innocently, not comprehending. “My dear Twilight, it’s time you learn something about the wild galaxy that isn’t in your books. It is fortunate the Great & Powerful Trixie is leading this expedition, not you,” the Trixie snapped, her pointed hat trembling slightly. Twilight flinched at the thinly veiled insult. “This turian, Saren Arterius, is a Spectre. One of the best. If he’s leading the geth… that means he gone rogue.” “A Spectre, rogue?” Twilight had trouble grasping the concept. A rogue Spectre with all that power in his hands… Twilight shuddered involuntarily at the thought. “Yes. Even the Great & Powerful Trixie cannot hope to stop an enemy like this. Not with an army of geth backing him. We must go to the Council for help.” Trixie’s next words chilled Twilight to the bone. “And you are going to make yourself useful this time. Or else.” *** [ESV Normaredy, Serpent Nebulae] The ESV Normaredy snapped back into real space as they reached the Citadel Mass Relay Alpha-3. The sleek black and white ship cruised on its anti-photon thrusters towards the massive deep-space station. All around the station, ships of the Citadel Defense Fleet could be seen patrolling the perimeter. At the centre of it all, was the Destiny Ascension. The pride of the Citadel Fleet. The biggest dreadnought ever built, measuring thrice the size of the next biggest turian dreadnought. “Citadel Control, this is the ESV Normaredy, requesting permission to dock.” The frigate drew close and gracefully weaved past one of the dreadnoughts of the Citadel Defense Fleet. Compared to the massive warship, the Normaredy was akin to a fly. A well armed stealthy fly, but a fly nonetheless. “Stand by for clearance, Normaredy.” “Clearance granted, you may begin your approach. Transferring you to the Equestrian operator.” On cue, the ship banked sharply and began approaching one of the arms of the station. Various skyscrapers and buildings can be seen rising from the habitable areas, with small cutters and shuttles flitting back and forth between the buildings. “Normaredy, this is Equestrian tower, please proceed to Docking Bay 337.” The Normaredy eased into the docking bay assigned to it, passing through the invisible barrier keeping the atmosphere inside the bay. As the frigate settled into position, docking clamps at the side of the platform reached out and attached themselves securely to the hull of the ship. “Welcome to the Citadel, commander.” *** [Equestrian Ambassador Office, Citadel] “This is an outrage! The geth attacks our colonies, and the Council opts to do nothing about it?” the mint green unicorn fumed. She scowled at the holograms of the Council at the console. As has been tradition for millennia, the Council consisted of three members, one from each of the three major species that populated the council space: the asari, turians and salarians. Together, the three wielded enormous power and influence throughout Citadel space. “The Traverse is not part of Council space, ambassador. We cannot interfere with the situation there,” the salarian councilor answered. His wide amphibian eyes stared ahead at the ambassador unflinchingly. The ambassador did not reply immediately, and instead took to massaging her temples with a hoof. While the exchange was taking place, the rest of the Normaredy crew were listening in silently on the exchange. The captain herself was standing just behind the ambassador with Twilight taking her place behind Trixie with Applejack. Fluttershy sat in a corner with her pet rabbit, watching the proceeding from afar. Rarity stood at the balcony, admiring the view of the wide open plazas that made up the Presidium below. As they waited for the ambassador to reply, Applejack whispered to Twilight. “Ya know, I reckon I’ll never git used to seeing them salarians. They look like walking frogs.” The orange mare shrugged. "That blue one just looks plain wrong. I mean, they ain't even got coats, for Celestia's sake." “Applejack! They’re aliens, of course they look off to us. Besides, the salarians and asari are not to be made fun of,” Twilight hissed back. “Sorry ma’am, tellin’ it just as how I see it.” Applejack was quickly silenced by a purple hoof to the mouth, as the ambassador spoke again. Ambassador Lyra raised a placating hoof. “Fine. I will not dispute that. But what about Saren? You can’t ignore a rogue Spectre.” “Citadel Security is investigating your charges against Saren. We will discuss the C-Sec findings in the hearing. Not before,” the asari councilor said firmly. The holograms of the three council members faded away, the audience apparently over. Ambassador Lyra shook her head at the now-silent console and turned to face Captain Trixie and the group behind her. “Captain, I see you brought your crew with you,” she commented. Trixie’s reply was professional and polite. Most unlike her usual boisterous voice. “Yes, ambassador. I brought the ground team here in case you had any questions.” She waved a hoof vaguely towards Twilight. “This is the commander, feel free to grill her on her failure.” Twilight scowled openly at the captain. Even in front of the ambassador, she can’t resist a jab. That’s just low. The ambassador glanced at Twilight, but otherwise said nothing. “Hey, none of that was the commander’s fault,” Applejack interjected. “Is that so, Gunnery Chief? The mission reports I read seem to indicate otherwise.” Lyra raised an eyebrow at Applejack, her full attention now on the soldierpony. Applejack’s cheeks reddened under the scrutiny of the green unicorn, but she bravely persisted. “Nihilus was dead when we got there. Ain’t no way we could’ve stopped that. And the commander here didn’t destroy the beacon. Whole thing just lit up like a bonfire.” “The beacon exploded after the commander fiddled with it,” Trixie said with narrowed eyes. “The Great & Powerful Trixie is not a fool. She knows all that transpired on the ground. Your commander was foolish enough to tamper with the device and cost us the beacon.” “The commander didn’t even touch the darn thing. Anyhow, I reckon it coulda exploded anyway. No one knows fer sure. For all we know, the geth bobby-trapped the whole goshdurned thing.” Applejack argued, her freckled face shining with sincerity. “It could’ve been one of us who taken the hit instead of her.” Twilight had to admire the honesty of her newly gained comrade. Not many ponies would be brave enough to contradict both the ambassador and captain of a ship. The ambassador herself looked thoughtful. “Odd, this does not match the mission reports I have read. In fact, these reports paint a very different picture. I will review them again later, personally.” Lyra shot an interrogating glance at Trixie, who strenuously avoided the the ambassador’s yellow eyes. “In any case, this incident has most likely jeopardised your chances of Spectre candidacy. The mission on Appleloosa was meant to show you could get the job done. Instead, we have a dead Spectre and a destroyed beacon. The council might use this as an excuse to reject your candidacy.” Twilight’s blood froze at the ambassador’s words. Rejected? But that… that means I failed the princess. No. This cannot be. Twilight suddenly felt herself sliding into a black hole of depression. Apparently noticing the shocked look on Twilight’s face, the ambassador softened her voice. “I’m sure the C-Sec investigation will come up with something to implicate Saren in this atrocity.” “Yeah…” Twilight said, looking up at the ambassador with hope. “Don’t worry, darling. We’ll be right there for you,” Rarity said, putting a comforting hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Come with me, captain. There’s a few things we need to discuss... in private, before the hearing.” Lyra gestured to Trixie to follow her, levitating a couple of PDAs from her desk. “Commander, meet with us at the Citadel Tower. I’ll arrange for your clearance.” With that, the green unicorn trotted out of the room, with Trixie in tow. Twilight stuck her tongue out at the departing captain as she turned her back. “Come on girls, let’s get to the Citadel Tower.” Twilight sighed. This was going to be a long day. *** [Council Tower, Citadel] “Now Angel, remember, you’re not supposed to hurt anyone here. They’re all good guys,” Fluttershy said softly. The rabbit scowled at the warning, and folded his arms in protest. “Yeah, we’re lucky that C-Sec didn’t just arrest us when he dumped that Hanar into the lake,” Twilight rolled her eyes. Not one hour in the Citadel and they had already almost managed to cause an inter-species relation disaster. “Lucky for us, the C-Sec constable seemed just as relived that the Hanar stopped preaching after that. And the Hanar seemed reluctant to press the issue.” “I do believe the hanar mentioned something about ‘not worthy enough to challenge this furry creature’s might’,” Rarity added in an amused tone. The lift chimed melodically, and the doors slid open. A wondrous sight greeted them. The council chamber was as large as a hangar bay, with the ceiling stretching at least 5 storey tall. The walls were opulently decorated, with cunningly placed foliage to give a sense of natural beauty to the room. Fountains placed along the middle of the room shot jets of water high into the air. The whole place reeked of grandeur, which Twilight suspected was precisely the point. Nothing like impressing a newcomer to the Citadel with their wealth and power. Ahead, they saw two turians and, curiously, a sky-blue pony with rainbow coloured mane and tail in C-Sec uniforms standing about, apparently arguing. “Saren’s hiding something! Give me more time. Stall them,” one of the turian spoke. “Yeah!” the rainbow pony added unnecessarily. “Stall the Council? Don’t be ridiculous! Your investigation is over, Garrus,” the other turian replied, making it clear the issue is closed. It was evident to Twilight that this one was in charge. Dismissing the other turian with a wave of his hand, he turned and walked away just as Twilight and her friends approached. The turian who was referred to as Garrus seemed to sense their approach and turned to face Twilight. He gave her a friendly nod. “Ah, you must be Commander Sparkle. Garrus Vakarian. I was the officer in charge of the C-Sec investigation into Saren.” He waved a hand to the rainbow-coloured companion standing next to him. “And this is Rainbow Dash, my assistant. She was the pony liaison for this case.” Dash gave a slight bow, but otherwise did not speak. Her magenta eyes studied the commander intently. “Who was that turian anyway?” Twilight asked, curious. “Oh, him? That was Executor Pallin, my superior. Very... by-the-book kind of guy, if you know what I mean,” Garrus said. “From the looks of things, you didn’t find anything,” Twilight said glumly, feeling her depression setting in again. “Most of Saren’s activities was classified. We couldn’t find anything solid,” Garrus said, shrugging. “And the Executor won’t let us dig any further.” “I know he’s up to something. I can feel it,” Rainbow Dash said, rearing up and punching the air with her forehooves. “I bet he already covered up his tracks.” “Yes, Dash, I know. But our hands are tied,” the turian said resignedly. “Good luck commander, maybe you can convince the Council.” He gestured to his assistant. “Come on Dash, let’s finish the paperwork for this one.” “Ugh, paperwork.” The pegasus scowled briefly, before turning to face Twilight. “Nice meeting you, Commander. I heard you were quite the show on Appleloosa. Maybe you can show me some of your moves later.” “I doubt it,” Twilight said softly, as the pair turned and strolled off. *** The hearing was a formal affair. The three councilors stood on an elevated platform, facing Ambassador Lyra and Captain Trixie on the floor of the chambers. Next to the councilors, a hologram of Saren Arterius hung in the air. Meanwhile, Twilight and her group stood respectfully behind the ambassador and captain. “The geth attack is a matter of some concern. But there is nothing to indicate Saren was involved in any way,” the asari councilor said. “The investigation by Citadel security turned up no evidence to support your charges of treason,” the turian councilor continued. “An eyewitness saw him kill Nihilus in cold blood!” Ambassador Lyra countered. “We’ve read the Appleloosa reports, ambassador. The testimony of one traumatized pegasus pony is hardly compelling proof,” the salarian councilor replied. Fluttershy seemed taken aback by the salarian’s words. “B-b-but… I saw him…” she said softly. Unfortunately, no one else in the chamber paid any attention to her words. “I resent these accusations. Nihilus was a fellow Spectre and a friend,” Saren said, with a calculated trace of regret. His voice was persuasive enough. Twilight could almost believe him, if not for Fluttershy’s testimony on Appleloosa. “The Great & Powerful Trixie condemns this sham of a hearing. Saren is clearly guilty and Trixie demands he be stripped of his Spectre status.” “Ah, Captain Trixie. Still the same blowhard as last time. I wonder, have any other magical bears run you out of town lately?” Trixie’s face reddened at the mention of that humiliating incident. Twilight had to stifle a laugh at the turian’s admittedly low jab. Apparently even the Spectres knew about that incident. Saren turned his cold gaze on the lavender unicorn. “And you, Commander Sparkle. A personal student of Princess Celestia I hear. The one who got the beacon destroyed.” Twilight felt a chill run down her spine as she sensed the turian’s eyes drilling into her. She narrowed her eyes in response. “We don’t know how the beacon got destroyed. But you cannot deny that you were working with the geth.” “Typical of ponies. Shifting the blame to—” “WAIT!” a familiar voice shouted from across the chambers, followed by the sound of pattering footsteps that rang across the hall. Twilight frowned for a moment as she tried to place the voice in her memory. Then, it struck her. “Spike?!” The small purple dragon huffed and puffed as he reached the ponies assembled on the floor. Stopping a moment to catch his breath, the dragon produced a triangular device from his pockets. Placing it on the floor beside the ambassador, he activated the device. The hologram of the familiar white alicorn with flowing multi-coloured mane appeared beside the ambassador. “PRINCESS CELESTIA?!” the ponies exclaimed in unison. Centuries of tradition reasserted themselves quickly, the ponies began kneeling before the regal visage. The three councilors looked bemused at the new development, and glanced at each other. Saren openly showed his irritation at the latest development. “My apologies for being late. My messenger was stuck in traffic,” the regal voice of the sun princess spoke through the device, addressing the Council directly. The ponies discreetly got back to their feet as they watched the new exchange. Twilight idly wondered at the strength of the magical device used to project the princess’s image. It must have been a very powerful spell to able to transmit her image all the way from Canterlot direct to the Citadel itself in real-time. “Princess Celestia, you honour us with your presence,” the asari councilor greeted. “But I’m afraid not even your presence can change our minds. There is simply no hard evidence tying Saren with the geth.” The princess flashed a smile. “Actually, I was hoping to request for Equestria’s own to look into Saren’s activities instead. After all, the geth attack on one of my subject’s colony world is a matter of national concern,” the princess said diplomatically, her royal image betraying no hint of her actual feelings. “C-Sec has already done a thorough investigation. I don’t see a need to reopen the case,” Saren said, obviously intent on wrapping up the matter. “I respectfully disagree councilors. I’m not convinced that C-Sec was allowed to probe deep enough. I’m sure many of my subjects would agree. A second investigation from our side would go a long way to allay those suspicions. With oversight from C-Sec, of course.” Princess Celestia was at her most charming, offering both carrot and stick. “Councilors, I have already been investigated once. Do we really have the time and resources to throw away reopening dead-end cases while the threat of geth attacks loom?” Saren said. “You no-good foalnapping tramp, you led the geth attack yerself!” Applejack shouted. She was quickly silenced by a hoof in the mouth by Twilight, who flashed a guilty smile at the councilors. “Agreed, we have far more pressing matters to deal with than this,” the turian councilor said, apparently unfazed by the interruption. The asari councilor nodded in assent. “Princess Celestia, Commander Sparkle, do you have anything to add?” the salarian councilor asked. Twilight shook her head. “I defer to your judgement then, councilors.” Princess Celestia’s voice sounded a little disappointed. The three council members glanced at each other briefly, as if seeking confirmation. After a brief nod from both the salarian and the turian councilor, the asari councilor announced formally, “The Council found no evidence of any connection between Saren and the geth. Ambassador, your petition to have him disbarred from the Spectres is denied.” “I’m glad to see justice have been served,” the hologram of Saren said smugly, before vanishing. “This meeting is adjourned,” the asari councilor announced with finality. Twilight watched as the councillors turned and disappeared from the dais. Ambassador Lyra was crestfallen as she turned to face the ponies and the hologram of the princess. “My apologies, Your Highness. I wish I could have done more.” The image of Princess Celestia smiled at the ambassador’s words. “Don’t fret young one. I know a whitewash when I see one.” Lyra bowed at the princess’ words. “Now where’s my dear student Twilight Sparkle?” The princess made a show of looking for her student, even if it was obvious she knew exactly where Twilight hid. For her part, Twilight was trying her best to hide behind Applejack. On hearing her name, she yelped and jumped in surprise. “Y-y-yes princess?” she stammered. Twilight found herself being nudged forward towards the device. “I’m really sorry it came to this. I know that you had high hopes on me...” She cowered, expecting a rebuke… or something worse. “Nonsense, Twilight Sparkle. Of all the ponies in the room, I know you better than anyone to know that you give nothing but your best.” The princess’s tone was genial, almost cheerful even. Twilight could not describe the relief she felt at the princess’s words. “I… Thank you Princess…” Glancing back at the now-empty platform where the Council had stood, she asked, “But what about Saren?” “I have already alerted our colonies about the possibility of further geth attacks.” The implications of the princess’s words were not lost on Twilight. Putting the colonies on full alert meant that the entire Equestrian Navy was probably being mobilised as they spoke. “Apart from that, it is up to you, Twilight Sparkle, to prove his guilt. Something tells me, the answer can be found just on the station.” The princess gave a cryptic smile. “I don’t understand, princess.” Twilight’s face was a mass of confusion. “In time you will, Twilight Sparkle. Now I must go. The magic in this device is wearing off. Do keep in touch with letters. You know what to do with Spike.” With that, the device gave a spluttering sound and the image vanished into thin air. Twilight stared into the empty space where the hologram was for just a moment longer, before turning to the diminutive purple dragon who was waiting patiently at the side of the device. She flashed a heartfelt smile at Spike, and scooped him up with her forehooves. “Well Spike, I guess it’s just like old times huh?” Twilight said as she hugged her fillyhood friend. “Yeah, Twilight. Just like old times.” Spike replied, jumping on the lavender’s unicorn back. “I don’t believe this. A personal audience with Princess Celestia and I don’t even get an honourable mention,” Trixie loudly complained. As if on cue, Spike suddenly belched a gout of green flame, producing a letter. Catching it with her magic, Twilight unrolled the scroll and skimmed through it. A small smile flitted to her face as she pushed the letter towards Trixie’s impatient hooves. My dear student Twilight Sparkle, Before I forget, please tell Captain Trixie I have concerns about her recent behavior and conduct both on Appleloosa and the Citadel. She is to withdraw herself from the investigation of Saren, pending further orders. Yours loving mentor, Princess Celestia Trixie’s haughty look disappeared as she read the letter, her face paling visibly. She quickly excused herself from the group, galloping with unnatural haste towards the lift. Twilight did not feel the least bit sorry about the captain’s turn of luck. “Huh, I guess the princess knows about Trixie after all,” Twilight said with wonder. “You really think the princess wouldn’t keep tabs on you,Twi? You are her best student after all. The most powerful unicorn under her study.” “And you’re still my best assistant I ever had,” Twilight replied playfully, rubbing the spikes on his head. Spike blushed at the compliment. Her expression became serious. “Let’s go find this evidence,” she announced firmly. “Right behin’ you, commander,” Applejack said. “Let’s show this turian what we ponies can do,” Rarity declared. “Um… Okay… Let’s go?” was all Fluttershy whispered. Angel, unusually, hopped in front of Twilight and gave her a thumbs up. Twilight had to smile at the gesture. With her head held high, she set off with her friends. *** [The Wards, Citadel] The 'arms' of the Citadel were known as the Wards. They were the residential centres of the Citadel, each essentially a self-contained city home to millions. It was in one of those cities that the ponies decided to have their meeting, as the bustling crowds should shield their activities from any prying eyes. Or so Twilight hoped. “Okay, the ambassador gave us a contact… Jelly Punch, C-Sec. Spike, see if you can find out anything about him.” “Right!” the dragon answered enthusiastically and started combing through the extranet through his PDA. A couple of minute of furious typing later, he exclaimed, “Done!” “What have you found?” Twilight queried. “Well, apparently he was fired from C-Sec. Drinking on the job. The file says that he likes to go to Chora’s Den, a gentlemen club, somewhere in the Wards.” Spike scratched his head as he puzzled over the name. “What’s a gentlemen club?” “Maybe it’s some kind of high-class lounge,” Rarity said, her eyes going round at the prospect of finally visiting the Citadel’s finer establishments. “This pony must have refined taste. Oh, I can already see the place. The glamour. The class. The refined culture...” Twilight shook her head as Rarity continued, seemingly lost in her own fantasy. “Chora’s Den it is then,” she said. [Chora’s Den, Citadel] “Oh my. This is…” Rarity winced as they stood at the entrance of the ‘gentlemen club’, “… disappointing.” She spat the last word out. “I guess this is not what you hoped for, huh?” Spike asked, oblivious to her tone. “No, it is not,” Rarity answered flatly. “Pheewwwwwwww. I seen bad apples in my time, but nothing as bad as this rotten apple,” Applejack remarked as they entered the seedy bar. Loud, provocative music reverberated throughout the club, the smoky atmosphere giving it a distinctly unfriendly look. “Oh, this smoke is going to make my armour smell for days,” Rarity complained. Fortunately, finding their target was easy. A grey earth pony sitting in the corner was the only pony patron in the bar. Said pony was also nursing a huge cup of wine. Apparently getting drunk seemed to be high on his list of priority. The group pushed through the crowd as unobtrusively as possible, coming to a halt near his table. “Excuse me, Mr Jelly Punch?” Twilight asked politely. “Who wants to know?” The grey pony turned a lazy eye on the commander and the group assembled behind her, not moving his muzzle from the cup of wine. He seemed distinctly bored. His ears flicked his sleek black mane apart. “Hi there, my name is Twilight Sparkles. I’m the commander of the ship ESV Normaredy.” Twilight replied, slightly thrown off balance by the strange pony’s mannerism. “Oh, so you’re that hotshot commander who got that Spectre killed?” Jelly Punch suddenly looked more interested. Twilight winced slightly. Apparently the news had already begun to spread. The ex-C-Sec pony turned his full attention on the commander. “Look pal, I don’t know how I can help you here.” “We’re looking for Garrus Vakarian.” “Oh, Garrus.” The earth pony’s voice hardened, and his jaw tightened. “One of the finest investigator for C-Sec. Also, the same turian who ratted me out and got me fired.” He paused to take a big sip of his wine. “Yeah, I know where he is.” “Where?” Applejack interjected. “Now wait just a horseapple minute. Why should I tell you ponies anything? What’s in it for me?” the gray pony said smugly. Twilight noticed a bouncer standing nearby beginning to take a great deal of interest in them. “Why you no-good son of a—” Applejack started, inching dangerously close to the gray pony. Before she could do more than raise a hoof however, she noticed Twilight was gesturing her to stop. Applejack backed down reluctantly. Twilight glanced at the bouncer and shook her head, indicating to the bouncer they won’t cause any trouble. The bouncer seemed satisfied, and returned to watching the crowd. Instead, Twilight nodded at the white rabbit riding on Fluttershy’s back. Angel hopped off the pegasus and landed on to the table in a smooth arc. A shotgun magically appeared in his paws. “Now what do you think you’re...” His confident voice trailed off as he saw the shotgun in the rabbit’s paws. Nopony else in the bar appeared to have noticed. The rabbit shook his head as he saw the grey pony open his mouth to call for help. For added emphasis, Angel nudged his chest with the barrel of the weapon. Jelly Punch quickly took the hint and subsided, fear now evident in his green eyes. “Tell us where Garrus is, or… we let the rabbit have fun with you.” Twilight flashed an evil grin, though she meant none of it. Angel nodded enthusiastically, mirroring Twilight’s grin. Fortunately, the grey pony didn’t know any better. He gulped as his eyes flitted between the shotgun-wielding rabbit and Twilight. “Okay, okay. Just relax. Garrus, you say? He was sniffing around Dr. Sunny Day’s clinic. It’s near the Markets. Last I heard, he and his pony friend were going back there.” He turned a nervous eye on the rabbit. “Can I drink in peace now?” “Fine. Let her go Angel.” Twilight said reluctantly. The shotgun in Angel’s paws magically vanished, and he hopped back onto Fluttershy’s back in one smooth motion. “That’s a good bunny,” Fluttershy said softly, nuzzling the white rabbit fondly. *** [Dr Sunny Day’s Clinic, Citadel] “I didn’t tell anyone. I swear!” Dr. Sunny Day wailed. The dark blue earth pony was surrounded by four turian thugs. One was grabbing her cream mane and waving his gun threateningly. “Very smart of you, now if—“ the turian thug stopped mid-sentence as he saw the door to the clinic sliding open. He grabbed the good doctor around the neck and pointed his gun to her face. Dr. Day whimpered in fear. “Who are you?” the thug shouted at the intruder. “Name’s Rainbow Dash, C-Sec. Looks like I got here just in the nick of time.” The blue pegasus smiled cockily. And not a moment to spare. Garrus was right, these thugs were serious, Dash thought, as she recognised the military grade rifles they were carrying. “Don’t come any closer, or your pretty little doctor will lose more than just her pride,” the thug sneered, as his clawed finger applied more pressure on his gun’s trigger. The terror on the doctor’s face intensified. “Please… no,” she whispered hoarsely. “Hah, I can disarm all of you in ten seconds flat,” Dash said coolly, flipping her rainbow mane casually. The thugs failed to notice her wings were already flared, ready to fly. She’d have to time this very carefully. The thugs stood in a rough semi-circle around the doctor. If she took out the one holding the doctor first… “Yeah, right. Prove it.” The thugs laughed at the prospect of the single pegasus pony overpowering four heavily armed thugs by herself. Dash narrowed her eyes in response, and steeled her wings. She accelerated to a rainbow blur which enveloped the thug holding Dr. Day hostage. The remaining thugs, taken by surprise by the bold move, hesitated at first. Only sheer reflex prompted them to fire wildly at the mini-cyclone surrounding the pair. The bullets all but missed the rainbow pegasus. Their weapons soon disappeared as well as the rainbow blur brushed past them in turn. A full ten seconds later, Dash was back at the entrance of the clinic, the thugs’ weapons now collected neatly on her back. Dr. Day also somehow managed stumble away from the thugs, and was now standing beside the C-Sec pony. She seemed disorientated but otherwise unharmed. “Ten. Seconds. Flat,” Rainbow Dash announced matter-of-factly. The thugs just wordlessly gaped as they struggled to comprehend the situation, and their empty hands. Right on cue, the clinic door opened again. Rainbow Dash turned to see Twilight and her friends staring at the scene in surprise, with Garrus in tow. *** “Dash, I’m going to take these thugs back for questioning. Why don’t you assist Commander Sparkle here in the meantime?” Garrus suggested, as he handcuffed each thug. The four did not offer much resistance after being disarmed. One was mumbling how embarrassing it was to be outdone by a rainbow coloured pony, of all the things. “Sure thing, Garrus. Catch you later,” Dash replied. “Hey, save some for me later,” Garrus called as he led the captive thugs out of the door. “Only if you aren’t late,” Dash called back cheerfully, before the clinic door slid shut. “Wow, you actually disarmed four armed beings alone?” Twilight asked, a note of admiration in her voice. “Yep, I call it the Disarming-Rain-Bow-Smackdown.” Dash announced proudly. The other ponies giggled at the awkward made up name. Rainbow Dash winced at the reaction. “Of course, it’s not final yet. I’m still thinking of a cooler name to go with it,” she hurriedly added, not fooling anypony. The ponies giggled even more. “Oh, thank you so much for saving me, Rainbow Dash,” Dr. Sunny Day gushed, having finally managed to attract the pegasus’ attention. “Well, yeah, that’s what I do,” Dash said a little haughtily, flipping her rainbow mane back. “Why were they after you doctor?” Twilight quickly interjected, before the doctor could start professing her love and admiration of the C-Sec pony. “They work for Fist. They wanted shut me up. To keep me from telling Garrus and Rainbow Dash here about the quarian,” the doctor explained. “Quarian?” Twilight asked. Quarians were rarely seen in Citadel space, since the geth war. Most council races considered them something of a nuisance. Not to mention blaming them for creating the geth in the first place. “A few days ago, a quarian came in here, seeking medical treatment. She’d been shot, but she wouldn’t tell who did it. By the looks of things, someone was after her,” Dr Sunny Day explained. “What happened then?” “She said she wanted to sell information. Something about geth. She plans to trade the information to the Shadow Broker in exchange for someplace safe to hide.” “Shadow who?” Spike asked, confusion on his face evident. “Shadow Broker. Somepony who deals in information trafficking,” Rainbow Dash helpfully supplied. “You can ask Garrus later if you want to know more.” “I told her to find Fist. He’s an agent for the Shadow Broker,” the doctor continued. “Well, not anymore. Garrus told me Fist now works for Saren,” Rainbow Dash said, shrugging. “Personally, I think he’s got a death wish. The Shadow Broker doesn’t like traitors.” Dash made a slicing motion with her right forehoof. The doctor pony looked incredulous. “Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker? Saren must have made quite the offer.” “Of course,” Twilight exclaimed, clicking her forehooves together. “The quarian must have something Saren wants. I bet it links Saren to the geth’s attack on Appleloosa.” “In any case, we aren’t the only one after Fist. Remember when I said Fist has a death wish. Well, from what I heard, the Shadow Broker hired a krogan bounty hunter named Wrex to take him down,” Dash added. “Aren’t krogans supposed to be… you know, big, mean and very bad news?” Spike asked worriedly. “I ain’t scared of no krogan. Why, there’s five soldier ponies here…” Applejack did a double take as she realised what she said. “Okay, maybe not five soldier ponies. We’ve two soldier ponies, an engineer pony, a C-Sec pony and erm... a biotic rabbit on a pegasus. That gotta count for somethin’, right?” “We’ll deal with it as it comes. Come on! We need to get to Fist before Wrex finds and deals with him. Permanently,” Twilight said. *** [Chora’s Den, Citadel] The galloping group of ponies came to a screeching halt as they neared the seedy bar they entered earlier. Sounds of trombones, trumpets and drums emanated from the bar. Streamers and various party props could be seen littered around the entrance. The ponies looked at each other uncertainly. “That sounds like…” Rarity began. “… a party?” Twilight finished the thought. Rainbow Dash looked at the bar disbelievingly. “It can’t be her… can it?” she thought out loud. “Can’t be who now?” Applejack asked, overhearing the exchange. “Nothing. Just something I imagined. We better get in there and find out what the hay is going on,” Dash replied firmly. Applejack eyed the rainbow pegasus suspicously, but apparently decided to let the matter go for the moment. “Agreed. Let’s move girls. Be ready for anything,” Twilight said. They entered cautiously, wary of ambushes. The bar appeared to be curiously deserted now, except for the sound of the party music. Balloons could be seen all over the place, and a whole banquet of party treats was laid out on the bar. Colourful stains which suspiciously resembled blood was splattered on the walls, with dead bodies littering the floor. The contrasting atmosphere was eerie to say the least. “Hi!” a pink pony with fluffy pink mane suddenly popped up in front of Twilight. To her credit, Twilight merely jumped two feet back when the pony appeared, managing to land on all four hooves. The other ponies fared less well. Applejack ended up behind a table. Dash found herself on the ceiling. Upside down. With Fluttershy. Rarity dead fainted. Only Spike and Angel seemed unperturbed by the pink earth pony’s sudden appearance. “Are you here for the party too?” she asked enthusiastically, not particularly directing the question at anypony. “Err…” the ponies stammered. “AWESOME! All those strange people ran off when the loud noises started. Silly turians, a party isn’t a party without anypony in it. Come on!” she bubbled as she took Twilight by her forehoof and began an impromptu polka dance. As if on cue, the music changed its rhythm to match the dance. “Pinkie Pie! What are you doing?!” Rainbow Dash yelled over the music. Twilight shot a questioning glance at Dash. Almost as if she was silently asking, You know this pony? Dash just flashed a guilty smile, and quickly looked away. Yes, she did indeed know of this particular pony. Pinkie was a well-known, if somewhat notorious pony for holding the best parties on the station. It was a mystery to C-Sec as to where she managed to find the required supplies every time she held one. Executor Pallin was on record claiming that “that pony is a menace to the station... and somehow manages to have a good time while at it.” Rainbow wasn’t exactly sure why C-Sec considered her to be such a nuisance, though the number of times she had barged into official ambassadorial parties probably had something to do with it. “Having a party, silly!” Pinkie answered back. “In here? Are you insane? Why are you holding a party in here of all places in the Citadel?” Dash replied incredulously. Out of the corner of her eye, Dash saw Spike, Fluttershy and the rabbit dancing to the music as well. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. Applejack was in the midst of chowing down on a large cream pie. The pegasus winced slightly at the reaction of her compatriots. Do they not know the seriousness of the situation? “Because that nice krogan said Fist wanted a party here. Being the party-pony around, of course it’s my job to organize the party,” Pinkie Pie said, as if stating the obvious. “Wait, krogan? What’s his name?” Twilight managed to articulate, while being forced to dance with the hyperactive pink pony. She already had a sinking feeling in her gut that they were too late. Pinkie Pie stopped dancing and looked uncertain for a moment as she struggled to recall the name. “Um… Vex, Wax…” The pink pony began running through the different combination of names aloud. “Aha! His name was Wrex,” she finally blurted out. “Wrex?! Pinkie, he’s a known criminal bounty hunter. He’s not a nice person,” Dash cried incredulously. “Says you. Why, I know beneath all that Krogan bitterness, he’s a nice, kind but grumpy old pony. I just know it,” Pinkie replied confidently. Dash rolled her eyes at the reply. “Oh look, there he is now.” She pointed to an open door on one side of the bar, where Twilight could make out a krogan standing in the doorway. Around him lay the bodies of the guards and bouncer Twilight noticed on her previous visit. The krogan was a big creature, like most of his species: almost twice the bulk of an average pony. His reptilian face bore a prominent facial scar just above his right eye. The red suit of heavy armour he was wearing seemed battered and worn. Upon seeing Pinkie, he sheathed his shotgun and gave the party pony a grin. The krogan sauntered up to the ponies and clapped her on the back. “Good job Pinkie. I love your parties,” the krogan said appreciatively. “Good distraction. Fist didn’t even see me coming.” He casually grabbed a bun and began chewing. “Anything for you, Mister Wrex,” Pinkie replied happily, apparently oblivious to the true meaning of his words. Twilight put on a brave face as the krogan turned his attention on Twilight. Up close, the krogan seemed even scarier than what Twilight imagined. His whole body seemed ready to leap into battle in a moment notice. At least he didn’t seemed overtly hostile. “So, Fist is dead?” Twilight grimaced as she digested the krogan’s words. “He’s dead. I always fulfill my contracts,” Wrex replied nonchalantly, licking the bits of bun remaining on his lips. “Ugh, now how do we find out where that quarian went?” Twilight said with frustration. On the other hoof, at least they didin’t need to fight this big scary krogan. “Don’t know, don’t care. All I care is that my business here is done.” Wrex then eyed Rainbow Dash. “Unless of course C-Sec wants to arrest me now?” The rainbow pegasus seemed to wilt under Wrex’s menacing stare. “Err… I didn’t see anything,” Dash stammered. She gulped and smiled nervously as the krogan continued to glare at her. After what seemed like hours, Wrex finally said, “Good. I’m glad we have an understanding.” The krogan cracked his wrists just to emphasise his point. Satisfied that Dash wasn’t going to do anything stupid, he casually walked out of the bar, leaving no hint of his presence behind. Dash stuck a tongue out at the receding figure of the krogan. “Well, maybe Fist has a record or something that we can find to track down this quarian,” Rarity suggested. “Of course. He might have stored the data on his personal computer.” Twilight frowned as she considered the potential difficulty of breaking into a modern computer that by all accounts was secured against the prying eyes of outsiders. “Getting the data is going to be—” “Found it!” Pinkie Pie waved a PDA above her head, somehow managing to get hold of one while the ponies were busy with Wrex. “What?! How?” Twilight asked disbelievingly. “It’s under Q for quarian,” she replied patiently, as if it was obvious. “I mean his personal computer, shouldn’t it be protected or something?” Twilight said. “Oh, you just need to figure out the algorithm for generating standard Citadel 512-bit password, then figure out ciphers to match the one on his computer, bypass the built-in firewalls, decrypt the data streams and make sure that the security systems don’t lock you out at the same time. Easy peasy,” she counted off rapidly. The other ponies jaws went slack, not expecting such a level of technical expertise in the carefree pony. “Well… let’s see it.” Twilight levitated the PDA from the earth pony’s mouth. She scanned the text briefly, “Says here he arranged a meeting with the quarian in a back alley in the Wards. His men have orders to kill the quarian and take her data. The meeting is about to start in…” Twilight brought up the current time on her visor, “…twenty minutes. If we hurry, we can still reach the quarian in time.” “Well, what’re we waiting fer then?” Applejack said, already starting to gallop out of the bar. “Come on!” “This looks fun. Can I come too?” Pinkie begged Twilight. “Please, please, please!” She knelt in front of Twilight theatrically, blocking Twilight from following the rest of the group, who were already disappearing out of the bar. For good measure, she made puppy eyes. Big round puppy eyes. Twilight groaned. Those puppy eyes... were irresistible. “Fine, fine. Just don’t get in our way when the fighting starts.” Twilight already feared that the bubbly earth pony was going to get herself killed by some foolish stunt later. “Okie dokie. I can take care of myself. Pinkie promise!” Pinkie did a complicated gesture, which ended with her sticking some imaginary thing in her eye. Then she galloped off to join the rest of the ponies. “Twilight, are you sure about this? I mean, look at her,” Spike whispered. Twilight just gave a helpless shrug, and then galloped off to join her friends before they ran too far ahead. *** [Alleyway, Citadel] The ponies arrived at the alleyway early. No one was around yet. The alleyway was dark, and quite full of shadows. Plenty of places to hide… and ambush. “What does a quarian look like anyhow?” Applejack wondered aloud. “No one knows for sure. They usually wear an environmental suit over their entire body whenever they are seen outside of their Migrant Fleet.” Twilight answered absent-mindedly, as she tried to come up with a plan to help this mysterious quarian. Fist’s files indicated there would be six thugs waiting for the quarian. The hitch was, they would only appear once the quarian was in sight. “Migrant Fleet?” AJ echoed, clearly not comprehending. “I’ll tell you all about them when we get back to the ship, okay?” Twilight replied in an exasperated voice. The constant stream of interruption wasn’t helping her think. Twilight noticed the pink earth pony from earlier bouncing with excitement around in a corner. “Pinkie, are you sure you want to follow us? It is kind of dangerous after— ” Her words trailed off as she found herself being fixed with an uncompromising stare, seemingly staring down in her soul. Twilight felt herself shiver, as if the temperature suddenly dropped. “Oh-kay, so you do want to follow us. Just checking.” Twilight flashed a guilty smile, not willing to risk her soul over that stare. She could hear Dash giggling behind her. “The Pinkie Stare. Never fails,” Dash commented innocently. Twilight shot a dirty look at the impudent pegasus. Dash just gave a helpless shrug in reply. Pinkie nodded happily, her mood abruptly swinging back to cheerful. “This is going to be so fun!” she exclaimed with barely contained excitement. Silence greeted her. She cocked her head in puzzlement, before discerning the reason. The sounds of footsteps could be faintly heard, echoing from the other end of the alleyway. “Somepony’s coming,” Applejack said, her ears perking up. “Don’t tell me it’s that alien with that... that horrible suit?” Rarity gasped, pointing a hoof at a figure at the other end of the alleyway. The alien was clearly feminine, with a rather ornate environmental suit. She glanced around warily, apparently debating whether to enter the alleyway or not. “Her suit design is atrocious. It’s a crime against fashionry!” “Focus, Rarity,” Twilight reminded the white unicorn. Rarity winced at the prospect of letting this fashion disaster go uncorrected, but nodded. Twilight nodded to herself as the last pieces of her makeshift plans fell into place. All those late nights studying military ambushes finally paid off, Twilight thought with hidden relief. “Okay, here’s the plan.” Twilight began sketching out her plan rapidly. “Rarity, you’ll be…” *** The quarian was cautious, and kept glancing behind her back. She had one hand on the pistol on her hip, obviously expecting trouble. Reaching a shadowy alcove in the alley, she fiddled with the omni-tool in her right arm. A moment later, six figures materialised from the shadows of the alcove: four turians and two salarians. “Where’s the Shadow Broker? I thought Fist had arranged for us to meet here,” the quarian said in an impatient voice. A turian, apparently the leader of the group, chuckled. “They’ll be here. Where’s the evidence?” he replied conversationally, holding his hand out. “No way, the deal’s off.” The quarian began to walk away. The sound of weapons being drawn made her halt in her steps. A discrete cough sounded at the end of the alley. “I think that’s close enough, gentlecolts,” Rarity said. The turian leader seemed startled at the unexpected intrusion and raised his weapon to meet her. Two of his subordinates followed suit, while the remaining three kept their sights aimed at the quarian. Rarity tut-tuted. “Now now, let’s not be hasty. I’m sure we can work this out peacefully.” “Lady, I suggest you walk away now and you might just live,” the turian said menacingly, tightening the grip on his rifle. “Guess again, darling.” Rarity said with a smirk. With a click of her hooves, her glowing horn abruptly flared with impossibly bright light. The thugs flailed helplessly as their eyes were blinded momentarily. In that exact moment, two of the turian thugs tumbled to the floor, one kicked in the head by powerful hind legs, the other blasted senseless by an energy bolt. A rainbow blur suddenly flew through the other two thugs, leaving them disorientated and stripped of their weapons. One of the salarian thugs managed to raise his weapon, only to be slammed into the wall by a biotic field. The turian leader had just enough time to realise that his squad was down, before noticing a pink shadow in front of him. “Boo!” “Gah!” the turian leader stumbled back, dropping his rifle. “Silly turian! You’re supposed to be scared!” the pink pony scolded, having the time of her life. In the middle of it all, the quarian stared at the spectacle, dumbfounded by the sudden help. The ponies came out of the same shadows the group had been hiding not too long ago. Twilight gathered the fallen weapons with one swoop and floated them out of reach. The turian leader’s expression alternated between surprise and deep shame that his group was taken down so easily. “Now then, as I was saying, are you very sure we cannot work out a more civilised manner to settle this dispute?” *** As the last of the thugs were shuffled away by C-Sec constables; the ponies, Garrus and the quarian finally had the privacy to discuss their matter more openly. Garrus, as was rapidly becoming usual, was late to the party and was teased mercilessly by his partner. He seemed to take it in good spirits, however. “At least you didn’t kill anyone. Imagine the paperwork we’ll have to fill for manslaughter,” he joked. “Thank you for rescuing me. But, who are you?” the quarian asked, in a heavily accented Equestrian. Or rather the translator gave her the accent. Now that the danger had passed, Twilight studied the quarian more thoroughly. Like most race of the Citadel, she was bipedal, with three fingers on her hands as opposed to normal four of a turian. Her legs were bowed back significantly in contrast to most of the other bipedals of the Citadel. The quarian’s entire body was covered by her environmental suit, which seemed to be made of a sort of synthetic rubber. To top it all off, she wore a cloak on her headpiece. Twilight could not make out any facial features on the inside of the mask, save for two glowing eyes. It unsettled the unicorn a little. After a moment of awkward silence, Twilight decided to play it safe. “My name is Commander Sparkle. I’m looking for evidence of Saren working with the geth.” “Then I have the chance to repay you. But we need to go somewhere safe. Fist may have more thugs gunning for me.” The quarian glanced around nervously, evidently expecting another group of thugs to ambush her. “Well, the ambassador office then. We’ll be quite safe there. Ambassador Lyra would want to see you anyway,” Rarity suggested. “Good idea, let’s go before we cause any more trouble,” Twilight said.