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Hello Canterlot, You will have noticed that the site has not been updated in a very long time. My work on site development has not been up to par and you deserve an explanation why. It is no secret that I have had trouble with my health over the past few years. I deal with chronic pain often and I have had a lot of trouble with cognitive tasks, especially those that require leadership and learning. Further compounding issues, my mother suffered a stroke a few weeks ago. She is doing much better after surgery and intensive care, but will require continued supportive care to ensure that she does not develop complications. My poor health coupled with the necessity to assist with long-term care for my mother have pushed me to the unfortunate realization that I just do not have the mental and physical ability to continue work as site host and developer. It is thus with great regret that I must tender my resignation as administrator of Canterlot. My anticipated time frame for step down is the end of the year. What this DOES NOT mean is the sudden termination of the forum or the Discord server or the dissolution of the community. What this DOES mean is that Canterlot will not receive any further active development from me. We the staff are currently in the process of developing a transition plan that will minimize stress and hassle for everyone. Keep an eye on the News and Updates subforum and the #announcements Discord channel for updates as they are posted. In the meantime, the Discord and forums will continue to run normally. Please leave questions and comments HERE and I will do my best to answer them as I am able. While I will no longer be in charge, I will try to make time and energy available to assist with the transition and perhaps even return to RP as a normal player as I am able. It is my hope that even if I am no longer in charge, you will all continue to carry forward all the lessons that MLP has taught us. Thank you, Canterlot, for giving me these years of friendship and magic.

Hey friends! First off, I would like to apologize for how long it took to ban Robi. I know mediocre RP can only be tolera... Wait, what? You mean that's not the announcement? OH! The -other- announcement... Canterlot and its user base are not what they were years ago -- we're not the same people with the same amount of time we once had. Since I joined up, I've gone through college, been married and divorced, and worked across 4 different jobs. I still haven't finished FiM, though I have a fair idea of how the story ended. I think this site has always carried a meta parallel to the cartoon it was based around, as characters have come and gone, changes have happened, and important choices made. The story has officially ended. Now it's time to respectfully end my story in developing the site here and allow new people with different visions and capacities to take the fore. This place we've made together has given me sanctuary when I've needed it, as we've written our own stories inspired by the special qualities that early Friendship is Magic fostered. I'm happy to say that what we have built here is something incredibly special and precious. Since I joined 8 years ago to a burgeoning community, we've faced quite a few challenges -- rogue admins, rogue moderators, rogue users, getting hacked, spam bots, even predatory types using our site for unscrupulous means. We've risen above them all, handled a change over of admins twice, forum software, forum hosts, chat platforms, and managed to give this community a worthy journey to where we are now. On the front side, this site was a roleplay community; in the background, it has created lasting friendship, improved, and even saved lives. It's given us a lot to think about and process. It was a platform that I think went beyond the original bounds we intended for it. All that said, Dio and I thought that this would be the end cover to an otherwise rich story. We're happy to say that we've had an incredible outpouring of support from our staff, several of whom are willing to carry on the site. I will be doing my best in coming days to lend my support for our next set of leaders as we hand the reins over, with my official retirement respectfully coinciding with Dio's. I will still be hanging around this community, as well as the Discord, so I'm not going anywhere. I'm glad there will be a home for us for time yet to come. I'm eager to see what the next chapter will be. Thank you for allowing me to protect and lead this site; you're all truly the best. To our staff, I can't thank you enough; you've worked tirelessly over the years through your volunteer efforts to support our community here, and you've helped thousands of players find joy and entertainment through your support. Finally, to Dio. More than I can express, you've allowed this site to continue existing through your boundless generosity and effort, I can surmise your efforts as nothing less than herculean. More than that, you're my friend, and I hope that with the site in safe hands, our journey forward will lead us to better places. I'll be walking right next to you, giving you my shoulder as we find out what's next. Madelyne Rose, Retiring Admin of Canterlot.com The Blood Quill, Wolf Mother

*Submitted for Judging* This wasn't Feng Yinhaitao's first trip to the Western Lands, but it would be his first visit to Equestria simply as himself, rather than as one of the Empress' Watchers. Being among the more dedicated of her guards, the longma never left her side, and thus was not able to see much of this foreign land, at least not from the perspective of a commoner. He didn't mind so much, no time spent in the presence of his beloved Empress was ever dull or wasted. In fact, this land held a special place in his heart, for it was in Equestria that he had finally, finally opened up and confessed his secret, forbidden love for the young Empress Yu Yue... An unrequited love, as it turned out, which Feng suspected was why he was here. Officially, he was sent as a representative of Long Guo to the Iron Pony Competition, as a way of signaling the new openness of the Eastern Lands, with a side mission of bringing home some of that sweet international glory. Unofficially, Yu was probably using this temporary exile as a way of telling her bodyguard to go cool his head, in the hopes that some extended time away from her would have his unlawful affection fade. *Fat chance of that. There is a local saying here, is there not, about the heart and absence?* This bittersweet reflection notwithstanding, Feng was determined to perform his official mission with all the vigor and determination he applied to his regular duties. Youthful rambunctiousness honed by discipline, was this not the definition of the ideal athlete? He'd show these other ponies what it meant to have the blessings of the Eastern Dragons! He didn't rush to the front of the line for the obstacle course, taking a little time first to do some stretches and preening. There would be no flying for this event, but wings could be used for many things, as long as you kept the feathers in line. This also gave a chance for onlookers to get a good view of his exotic form; and while there was a small bit of vain pleasure behind that, Feng being a young stallion in his prime, high visibility was desirable for his role as a representative of his nation and kin. "Our second contestant, coming all the way from the Long Guo Imperial Capital of Huanjing, is Feng Yin-hay-toe!" Snrrk! The longma's stoic 'game face' was disrupted for a second with the snort of laughter. Oh dear, he'd forgotten that Equestrians might not know how to pronounce his exotic name. It wasn't usually written in an alphabetic language, to be fair... But! This was no time for linguistic reflections, this was a time for action! Time to show all these ponies what a longma could do! At the flash of the red flag, Feng was off, sprinting smoothly towards the mud pit. Being most akin to the pegasi of ponykind, he was built more for speed and dexterity than force, thus making the first obstacle the most difficult for him to surpass. It also didn't help that any such obstacles encountered professionally he was trained to just fly over, but he couldn't use his wings... or at least, he couldn't use his wings to fly. Instead, right as he hit the edge of the pit, he extended his wings and locked his legs flat-hooved to the ground, intending to use his momentum to hydroplane over the mud! And surprisingly enough, this improvised move worked!... for a little over halfway through. It wasn't a perfect hydroplane, as the v-shaped wake Feng left in the mud did end up digging down into it, stopping his momentum and causing the sticky mess to collapse back in on him with a *glup.* He did manage to raise his wings above the mud level before then, but the rest of the way through couldn't be called anything but a hard slog for him. All in all, that wasn't the most impressive showing. Neither was Feng as he emerged, mud splattered all over his golden scales. No matter; he'd have to make up time on the rest of the course, but he had full confidence that he could do so. Giving himself time for only one cursory shake, he took off running once again towards the barrels. Even without being able to fly, he had a good vertical jump which could take him clear to the top in one go. From there, he counted on maintaining momentum in his upward journey, aided by the fact that he had an 'extra' pair of limbs to grip onto the top edges and propel him onwards and upwards. However, this did mean that he took no time to steady any wobbling barrels, leaving the tower quite unsteady by the time he reached the top! He didn't let that stop his careening momentum, however, taking one last leap off the peak as the stack began to topple beneath his hooves! The event assistants would probably have to re-stack a few of those.... His flying leap took his right to the flat stretch of grass, and he tucked and rolled into his landing to come out still running, gaining precious seconds on the clock! This was one obstacle where his wings would be a hindrance, so he kept them pressed tight to his sides, trying to minimize wind resistance as much as possible. This maintained momentum had to drop upon reaching the final obstacle, and along with it dropped Feng's stoic expression for the second and final time. This was going to be an absolute ringer for him! He'd trained for literal years, sneaking to and from the kitchens to smuggle plates of dumplings into his infirmary bed! Pausing just for a moment, he slipped one pie onto each of his wings, and the third between them, folding the trio all onto his back, arching it just so to create a little nest, before heading off to the slaloms. It was an easy trip, for one used to having to dodge patrols without letting one tasty dumpling drop to the floor! With a graceful ease and grin stretching his muzzle, Feng streaked across the finish line, setting down two of the pies, and picking up the third. Still warm. Impulsively, he ducked his head into the crust and took a bite. "Mmmm! Měiwèi de!*" The crowded seemed to love it, and the longma gave them a happy wave back. This was going to be a fun assignment... *Delicious!

The rooster crows at the first light. As the sun peeks over the horizon, settled fog is exposed in the valleys of the apple orchard giving it the nonverbal command to quickly disperse. Conditions were perfect. It was a relatively beautiful day with a chilly breeze to remind all living creatures of the coming holiday seasons, the first of which was to be a Ponyville tradition known by ponies far and wide. It was cider season at Sweet Apple Acres! Along the road back to Ponyville from the farm were rows and rows of tents where ponies camped last night in an attempt to try and beat the crowds. The famous cider had created an insane demand for its taste, but the Apple family way of doing things would only yield so much cider for so many ponies to drink. Applejack would always assure everypony that there would be enough cider for all as long as ponies were willing to not take shortcuts and wait for the process of making the best cider in Equestria. And even though she would always be faced with criticism of short supply, she would be right all along and in time everyone would eventually go home happy and Applejack would be able to take a few barrels of cider for her family and herself for the next few weeks. The season wouldn't officially start for another hour or so, but even so several ponies were getting restless in their cooperative lines waiting behind the great cider counter set up at where the farm paths meet the road. The counter was adorned with all the spigots and tools needed to uncork new barrels and squeeze the apple nectar into wooden tankards, which were clean ready for their first pour. Applejack allowed ponies to bring their own vessels for the cider, but if not, she had a rotation of clean mugs ready for every customer that needed them. The sign above told everything everycreature probably already knew. 'Two bits for a cup, limit one per pony per day.' "Apple Bloom, could you bring over that spare pump, I think this one might quit on us at some point." Applejack yelled lovingly to her little sister as the orange mare looked over her counter for problems to minimize. To Applejack this was like any other day, it just had the higher volume of customers and slightly more tourism. Ever since the debacle from Flim and Flam trying to put the farm out of business, a healthy coating of sympathy and appreciation covered the cider season operation, with some ponies offering their help on the back end to make more cider and clean equipment involved in the process. Of course, Applejack was more than willing to pay a fair wage to the ones who earned it. She stepped out onto the road and looked down it, seeing the long line of ponies getting excited for their cider breakfast. The low sun reflected off the luster of the Ponyville road. "Howdy! How ya'll doing this morning? You guys ready for cider season to start?" Cider season wouldn't start for several minutes, but it was still nice to have a little moment to make small talk with the colorful ponies of Ponyville to help them manage their expectations and to gauge how impatient the crowd might become this year.

Hello. After some nostalgia and me totally being right about everything Discord, I was thinking about coming back to roleplay. To be sure I am getting a little better as I had been going through a difficult time in life so the overwhelming negativity had taken its toll on my weakened state of mind. I am feeling a bit stronger and can assure I will be more inclined to disregard the behaviors that had first driven me away, if those that wish to roleplay again, really a deeply important hobby of mine, wish to do so. I am looking to resume or pick up threads I have previously been "the next to reply" to if it is viable.

Cool doodle of Fire Walker by 'Probably Fake Blonde'. https://probablyfakeblonde.wixsite.com/portfolio

A black griffon poked her head out from her tent, only to be driven back in due to the sun's happy rays that met her eyes straight on. "Hok a chanik...", she grumbled to herself. Her silly Ponyville friends managed to convince her that the Apple family made the best cider of all time. Everything else was utter schlock when compared to this famous, fabled beverage. The griffon had her doubts, and she had some of the best Rockwington Dry Ciders one could try....Canterlot Estate No. 139 Dry Rosé Cider.....Froggy Bottom Hoofmade Cider. And even Angry Appleloosa Old Timey Western Cider. This was all crap when compared to the Apple's, they said. And you couldn't just shlep on down to the nearest Cantermart and snatch a six pack from their coolers. Nope! You had to visit Sweet Apple Acres on a certain date and be ready to wait. For a long time. Maybe event rent. a pup tent. Do it, or you'll regret it. There were plenty of things she regretted in her life. One was a permanent marking on her right claw. Pretty blue markings. Done by an artist who dumped her during what was to be a very happy day for her. And now she was in an tent. Waiting for a mug of cider. After letting out a sigh, she pushed her tent flap open again. Thankfully she was ready for the light this time. One of the famers, a pony she knew as Applejack had greeted the little tent city. The line had gotten a good deal longer since the night. Wow. She took a good look at the nearly endless row of tents behind her. Ahead of her was a cute griffon....Oh. He was a little on the young side. A boychik. One with a rather unique bright blue coat. Was he there when she set up her tent? Did he cut in line? He called the farmer an 'Professor'. Heh. Typical griffon snark. Hearing the name, 'Griffonstone' did sorrow her mood just a little. Did the kid come from that dump? She had heard they were -trying- to fix up those ancient pile of ruins, but it wasn't worth it. And the cider BETTER not be decent. Or even just good. She heard 'Big Mac's name called. The last time she ran into that big stallion, they were fleeing from an horde of angry and probably mutated termites. Hopefully they took care of that mess before they started on the cider. Even the best drink would go in the bin the second she saw an nasty little bug floating around in it. Since she still had time before the line started to move, the griffon started to roll up her tent. Hopefully they would be able to finish this quickly, so she could get her deposit on the tent back. She gave he young griffon an 'Morning' before she turned and nodded politely at the unicorn as she continued to work on her tent.

*This post is submitted for judging* “Dreadful.” Tempest mutters under her breath. Well this was all fun and games she can’t help but place judgement on others. Getting off her haunches she approached the starting line. As she walked she leaned her head down to start undoing her armor… Piece by piece fell off with a hearty thump and by the time she was standing at the starting line all she had on was her skin tight jumpsuit. “Our next… um, contestant is Tempest Shadow from… nowhere!” Tempest rolls her eyes and digs her hooves in dirt, tail flicking and nose flaring as she takes in a few deep breaths and counted down in her head. Three. Two. one. The ground rips up underneath her powerful legs in a shower of dirt. First up was the mud. Long, deep and wide. Easy, picking up as much speed as she can Tempsit pushed off in to a long leap clearing a healthy chunk of the mud. Aiming her legs out she straightened herself as much as she can on contact. Her momentum did the rest as she slid across the mud. Soon as she slowed down she pushed her legs down and crawled the last few feet and out of the mud and on to dry land. She did not waste a moment, soon as her hooves were on dry earth she was off for the barrels. Without slowing down she leaps halfway up the stack. Soon as her front legs made contact her rear legs slammed down as she leaps over the top of the barrel stack with a spin just for more flair. Landing on her front hooves she pushed off and pulled a backflip landing on all four hooves. No sooner did she land she pushed off in a full dash. The long straight stretch was nothing for her. She ran every morning in full kit for the fun of it. Without that slowing her down and with a race in her mind Tempest was almost flying across the dirt trail with her bounding sprint as sweat drips down her body and lungs panting for breath yet a smile was big on her face. This was joy, this was love. Pushing herself to the breaking point and well past made so much melt away. Worry. Pain. loss. This was freedom and she was going to win… Not for a prize or for glory but for the sake of winning for herself. The fourth obstacle was… Something she was less used to. Sliding to a stop she panted hard staring at the three pies on a table. Her body was shaking, she did not want to slow down but she needed to. With her mind racing she grabbed the pies, stacking all three on top of one another before picking up the bottom pie in her muzzle by the rim. Trotting down the path she weaved between the wooden poles doing her best to balance the pies held by her muzzle. While it let her watch them and keep it more steady in the heat of the moment she forgot the pies were meant to be balanced on her back, not held in her muzzle. Passing the last wooden pole she puts the pies down and panted like a racehorse. After catching her breath Tempest looked up smiling. “That’s how it's done.” She remarked before walking back to the start of the race to pick up all her gear. Soon as she picked it all up she moved off the course to get water and rest.

*This post submitted for judging* Applebloom pranced in place while she watched the first two competitors complete their runs on the obstacle course. "Whoa! That was just as fast as Boulder Dash!" She commented with excitement as Feng crossed the finish line and dove into one of his pies. "Are you sure this is a good idea Applejack?" She looked expectantly towards her older sister. If not for the farm mare's solid presence Applebloom was sure she wouldn't have been able to work up the gumption to even get this far! She gulped back her nervousness, knowing it was her turn next. "I mean, we've competed together in events like this a'fore but I've never gone through one of these courses all on my own! What if I git stuck?" Applejack smiled down at her younger sister, noting that she wasn't so little anymore. Applebloom had her cutie mark now, she was finding her way in the world. She was becoming a capable mare in her own right. Pride swelled in Applejack's chest as she bumped Applebloom lightly on the shoulder. "A'course this is a good idea Abby! An' yer not gonna git stuck! We've been trainin' hard an' yer more than ready to take this on. Besides," She let a half smile settle onto her muzzle. "This is for fun after all!" Abby's eyes brightened as she remembered why she'd signed up for the Iron Pony challenge to begin with. "Yer right big sis! There's no use in doin' this if I don't have fun!" "Don't you worry 'bout winnin' or loosin' sis! Yer a pride an' credit to the Apple family no matter what!" She nodded to the start line. "Now git out there and show em' how an Apple handles an obstacle course!" "Will do!" Applebloom called from over her shoulder as she readied herself at the start line. She could hear the crowd cheering for her and the announcer calling out her name but all that faded into the background as she focused on the task at hoof! She caught the flash of the start flag on the edge of her vision and took off like a starvin' raccoon towards a ripe corn field! "Eyes on the prize, eyes on the prize!" She repeated the phrase she'd worked on with her sister over in her head as she came up on the first obstacle. She really needed to pour on the speed for this one. Since she was rather light weight the plan of action was to tip hoof across as much of the mud as possible. Light and fast hoof steps were the name of the game! The young mare concentrated on moving her hooves as quickly as possible so they wouldn't get trapped and pulled down into the mud. This was the trickiest of all the challenges on the course. If she did sink, she'd be stuck and it would be game over! Her legs moved in a blur over the mud and before she knew it she was safely on the other side! "Whew!" She called out in relief and then galloped towards the next challenge. The barrels were stacked so high that the top was not even visible from her low vantage point. Not to be deterred by the magnitude of the climb she bunched her hind legs beneath her and sprang upwards! The barrels wobbled but not to the extent that they might topple as her weight wasn't enough to cause a large shift. Up up up she hopped until she was at last on the top! Applebloom sucked in a breath of air after the exertion of the climb but she didn't slow down! To the cheering of the crowds in the background she scrambled down two barrels until the height of the jump was doable for her. From there the Crusader launched forward and hit the ground running! Though the scramble down a couple barrels took a little time, the fantastic leap did much to make up for it! "Yeeehaaaw!" On she galloped through the straight away section of the course. Her legs may not have been as long as some of the other competitors but she went to the sprint with a will! Applebloom lowered her head and propelled herself forward with her hind legs like her sister had taught her. She could feel herself burning energy quickly, her muscles beginning to scream for oxygen as she pressed onward! She pushed through the pain, just like she saw Applejack do so often in competition! She may not have had the longest legs but she had the determination of an Apple! Finally she made it to the last obstacle! She flipped three pies onto her back with ease. She was a seasoned expert with pies being raised with them and so many other tasty renditions of apples. In fact the pies now in precarious balance on her back had been donated earlier in the day by Sweet Apple Acres. The young mare streaked forward with hardly a wobble, making her way through the upright poles with poise and style. The obstacle was behind her before she knew it! Abby used the last ounce of her strength for a speedy finish line crossing. There was Applejack waiting for her! Her gallop turned into a trot as she dropped off her pies and collapsed with exhaustion and joy into her sister. "I did it AJ, I did it!" She spoke around large breaths of air. Her heart was pounding and a huge smile was on her muzzle. Applejack hugged her sister and then held her at arms length. "Yah sure did sis! Yah did the Apples proud and more importantly yah did yerself proud!" Abby looked up at Applejack. "An' you know what sis?" AJ smiled. "What lil sis?" "I sure had fun!"

"Mares and Gentlecolts! We are proud to announce the start of the Iron Pony Obstacle Course!" a Unicorn at the starting line cried into a megaphone to the crowds of cheering ponies and creatures. The Unicorn waved a yellow flag as a sign for the judges to sync their watches and then held up a white flag to summon the first contestant. "Our first Contestant, representing Ponyville, is the owner of the largest Tomato Ranch in the area and the thickest skull in Equestria, we are proud to present Boulder Dash!" the announcer said as Boulder Dash entered the track. Never one to turn down an endurance challenge, Boulder Dash had quickly signed up for the Obstacle Course and was eager to show his mettle again. Removing his signature farm hat and waving to the crowd, Boulder Dash smiled to the cheers he recieved from his home town representatives in the crowd. As he approached the starting line he made sure to bow his head low to where he knew the Princesses would be watching from before he adjusted his hat and took his spot on the starting line. "Boulder Dash are you ready?" the announcer asked as he lifted the start flag. Boulder Dash nodded and scrapped his hoof against the dirt like his Earth Pony ancestors. The Unicorn waved the flag and Boulder Dash took off like a shot. Moving at great speed for a pony of such large size. It was only a matter of time before he came across the first obstacle, the Mud Pit. "Too easy, just another mud bath" he thought as he dove into the mud and landed with a loud GLUP. Trudging and marching through the Mud, Boulder Dash's thick neck and head stuck out of the muck like a shark fin in water. He moved just as graciously as well, do to years of slopping pigs and muddin on the farm. As such it didn't take long for him to reach the end of the pit and he crawled out shaking some of the mud from his body like a wet dog before taking off at great speed again as the mud had cooled him off and reinvigorated him as well. Soon he came across the 2nd Obstacle the Barrel Wall. Normally he would just smash through the blasted thing and and be done with it, but he knew that would be frowned upon as the object was to scale it. Again his farm upbringing helped him here as years of lifting and stacking hay bales had given him strength and experience as he jumped up and started to scale the wall. Using his upper body strength to heave himself up, he started to sweat as he kicked up and scaled the wall. As an Earth Pony he was able to feel any weak or wobbly barrels under his hoof and could right himself when need. He finally reached the top and leaped off with a loud "HEEEEEEEHHHHHAAAWWWWW!" Landed with a crash loud enough and strong enough to shake the ground, causing some spectators to think an Earthquake was occurring. Smiling proudly he took off running again and soon came to the third Obstacle, The Long Sprint. Boulder Dash sprinted forward and shot out like a cannon ball. Running as fast as his long thick legs would carry him. He put a lot of strain into it and soon his 2nd wind carried him across the sprint line. Slowing a bit to catch his breath he approached the last Obstacle as he wiped some sweat from his brow. He collected his three apple pies and place them on his large back before taking off through the poles. He placed himself here as he was winded from the sprint, but kept the pies balanced while dodging and weaving through the poles. He tried to not let the aroma of the pies distract him as he worked his way through the poles, not easy for a pony as wide and muscled as he was. But Boulder Dash worked his way through and finally crossed the line at th he end as another pony waved a finishing flag. Boulder Dash dropped his pies off at another table as the crowd cheered again. Waving to the crowd, Boulder Dash went over and dunked his head into a large water trough, taking a deep sip of water before removing his head and sitting watch the rest of the competition. SUBMITTED FOR JUDGING

Applejack took a deep breath, though she couldn't for the life of her feel totally relaxed. How could she? She was getting married, and she was simply too excited. It wasn't a whirlwind romance or a shot out of the blue, however. No, this had been a long time coming. They had known each other for many moons long before they fully ready to admit their feelings to one another. And in the tempest that was their day to day life over the years it had been hard to manage it. Heck, it was hard to manage it now! It never mattered much though. You always made time for those you cared about and Applejack had made more and more time over the years for Rainbow Dash. It was apparent a long time ago which way the wind blew but like all-weather it could become a storm, and so Appejack had waited. She loved Rainbow Dash and Rainbow Dash loved her, but they had a whole heaping pile of responsibilities. Of course they added to that. You couldn't stop them from many things and nothing that had ever or would ever exist could stop them from having the best little colt on the planet. Zap Apple had been a wakeup call in a thousand ways both big and small but it was evidence that flaws and all they were a family. They didn't need to have a second to prove that- though Applejack was more than happy to have a second, or third, or fourth, or really any number- but they had done so. And if there was one thing Applejack knew it was that no matter the weather nor how stormy the seas, family was as enduring as the very earth behind her hooves. And together, she had Rainbow had created a family. And all that was left was to cement the final detail. There had been a small 'debate' about where to do it but Applejack wasn't one to let foolishness get in the way of a quick truth. There was no way that she wasn't getting married on her farm, in the same spot as her ma and pa, as her brother and sister-in-law. Trees were covered with wedding decoration courtesy of Rarity, with the style and trimmings most commonly associated with the heroines. And oh, that guest list! Everypony who was anypony wanted to attend. Applejack had put a stop to some of the more intangible invites, limiting it to Ponyville residents, friends, and family. Limiting- ha! Between how many friends they had made over the years and how Ponyville had grown, this wedding was becoming more than a little large. The ceremony was in the orchard as was the reception, the areas cordoned off from the rest of the orchard as best she could. Which, well, it was was at least good enough. She had so much on her plate. She had planned the whole nuts and bolts of the wedding. She had help, of course. She didn't have to think much on who would be in charge of the decor as Rarity would probably do it even if she had been specifically disallowed. Twilight was the obvious choice to officiate it, as who better than a Princess to marry two Elements together? Wedding bands, guest lists, hobnobbing about. She wasn't somepony who woud normally have spent a lot of time on non-farm work but with her second foal kicking her around a lot and making her have to spend a lot of time just watchig her family do the work without her, her brain had the time (and need) to keep busy on tasks like the wedding. She took another deep breath, holding her stomach as she felt Ambrosia kick. She wasn't far away. There had been some concern that the foal would be birthed before the wedding but as luck would have it Ambrosia seemed to have a bit of patience when it came to leaving her warm, cozy abode. The Apple family was sure starting to add to its stable a whole host of very special ponies, and she was plum excited to welcome its newest member into the fold. What would she be like? Incredible, of course. Awesome even, duh. But beyond that? Applejack had spent a lot of time thinking about it and her conclusion? Whatever it was she needed to be, and whatever it was, it would be perfect. A knock against the silo. Applejack darted to look at the door, aware in that fraction of a moment (don't worry, it passed) about the ludicrous nature of her surroundings. As was tradition with a field wedding this far out, the bride and groom were each prepared in their own separate areas nearby- in this case, cleared out silos. It looked nice enough all things considered. A good mirror, several dresses on hooks and lines and everything she needed to make herself ready for the wedding. She was dressed in the final culmination of the epic battle she had with Rarity about her wedding dress. The end result was rather fetching, as the fashionista was given to saying. She reached for her white stetson, custom made for this very occasion, and tossed it on in a panic. "Come on in! Come in!" She yelled out to whoever was knocking at her silo door. --------- OOC- 1- Thread is open to any resident of Ponyville as well as family of friends of Applejack and Rainbow Dash. 2- Only a few visitors for either AJ or RD, as they should be prepping for the ceremonies. Also, AJ and RD will not be part of the posting order until the ceremony. 3- Guests are allowed to enter and congregate, find their seats and prepare for the ceremony. 4- During the ceremony, only RD, AJ, and the officiant (Twilight) may post. 5- After the ceremony, time for the reception!

Presteza was beaming when Fire Walker entered her line of sight. With a surprising bout of speed, Presteza brought fire into a hug. "Fire! It's been so long... where are all those letters you said you'd write?" Before Presteza decided to settle herself down in Ponyville, she had been doing a bit more traveling to see the world. She made sure to keep up with the post office where she could but perhaps all her moving around had resulted in something of a mounting delay between deliveries. Whatever she'd missed in her friend's life she was more than eager to catch up. In her excitement, the painter had barely noticed the presence of the personification of chaos having sauntered his way into the scene. In the moments after she had hugged Fire she paused and looked up and down the long figure of Discord: as if checking to see if he was really there. She had seen him in Ponyville now and again on her walks trhough town, but he was almost always busy with something or somepony and nowadays she wasn't as likely to try and push her way into circumstances just to slake her thirst for novel experiences so she left him to his own devices. At some point in the night she'd need to introduce herself and ask if he would like a portrait done. The words of Wordsworth brought her back to the more pressing matters at hoof. She remembered the friendly stallion from one of the past galas she attended, "It's good to see you as well, Wordsworth. I hope you've been keeping well!" Meanwhile, back by Nilaavin Bevel was getting a few magical readings off the mysterious sphinx. She'd heard so many stories of these beings and to think the prince had managed to get in the good graces of one. It was utterly fascinating! But soon her aetheric resonance detected caught the signal of a massive signature of magic... a very familiar one. Those golen eyes narrowed as it donned on her who it was. Nonchalantly she got back up from her seat and made her way off to the nook where quite a few ponies seemed to be congregating. Her readings were spiking massively with each step until she finally saw the noodly presence among the crowd. A devious smile spread across her muzzle. The inventor braced herself, took a deep breath, and charged into a gallop that transitioned into a running leap. A blur of earthy tones collided with the spirit of Chaos and soon the inventor was clinging onto the spirit and had him in a big hug, "Monsieur Discord!" She chirped with glee as she clung to the noodly spirit, "It's been far too long! Why haven't you come to visit in Talonopolis lately? You didn't forget about the world's greatest inventor did you?!" The elated mechanist only paused in her sudden shower of affection to look down to the familiar face of Squall, "Oh! Bonjour to you as well, Monsieur Squall. I'd hoped to run into you and tell you that the latest blueprints are already finished and production is set to begin as soon as you are ready." She wouldn't bother with context since she was sure that the stallion knew what she meant. With Dunnie's entrance, Bevel calmed down a little and simply held onto Discord's side as if she were a sapient backpack. "I wouldn't miss it for all the Coffee in Coltlumbia, Mon amie!" She offered her hoof to bump against Dunnie's own and then grinned to behold the ceremony on her chosen perch: Discord.

It was so nice to be back in Ponyville again. This was such a lovely town and it was full of such colorful individuals. What made Presteza's current visit even more enjoyable was how things seemed to have calmed down. In the past few months, she'd noticed considerably less unusual calamities centering around this town and more just unconventional Hijinks. Hijinks and tomfoolery was exactly the kind of things this artist could get behind. Today, however, it wasn't that sort of silliness that brought her to town, instead it was to attend a wedding of dear friends... three of them to be specific. She'd met Blueblood through her own background and her own Coltfriend. He'd proved a very sweet presence despite his reputation in the past. Now when she heard of the royal, the first thing that came to mind was a excitement. Just hearing about all the friends he'd made and the journeys he had made her feel as if perhaps she'd given up her travels a bit too soon. Dunnie and Star Crusader had been quite busy on their journeys as well from what she'd heard. Dunnie in particular had been up to a lot since she'd last seen her. Entering the hall she noticed another unicorn making her way to the front door though she seemed to have such a bounce in her step that you'd think she was the one getting married today. The Guards let her in though, so Presteza simply held the door for the earthen colored mare as she made her way in. The unicorn let out a reflexive ,"Merci." as she passed by the painter and began looking for a seat. Letting the door close up behind her, Presteza looked over the crowd and blinked a few times. By the sisters, she didn't recognize anypony here. Had it truly been so long since she'd socialized with somepony in town? Wait, there was one familiar face! Swift Squall was here! It'd been so long since she'd spoken to him, He wasn't sitting though, instead he was making his way off to the side towards the changing room. The painter made an eager trot over to the swordstallion, "Swift!" She called out with a nervous smile, "It's wonderful to see you again. 'Ow's Fire been?" Seems the trottingham accent was starting to slip out again. Bevel was excited for so many reasons. She barely noticed the colorful pony who let her in, but managed to get out a thank you just as she was let inside. What had Bevel so excited today wasn't just that a great friend was getting married, but that she'd managed to get the device making her friend's new changes able to work consistently without a need for a counter enchantment link to maintain the aetheric flow! It took about an hour to get that guard to understand why she had to bring her aetheresonance scanner in during the ceremony but, she was positive he understood. When a pony just stares into the middle distance with their eyes glazing over, that was about usually the time when they just nodded in the affirmative about the in depth properties of magitech machinery. Now, that she was in she could get a look around. Her eyes widened when she noticed a sudden spike in thaumaturgical energies in the direction of a big strapping stallion over on the bench talking to a couple other ponies. Rather than burst into the conversation, Bevel sat in an adjacent spot and monitored the magical energies coming off of the large frame of Nilaavin, an expression of sheer awe on her face.

I know there are many troubles in the world right now. At times it feels overwhelming. In the midst of the current maelstrom of events, I only ask that we be kind to each other and stay safe. Thanks, everyone.

Completed the final of three arts of these two! So cute together ❤ @Hippo's Remington and @SteelEagle's Moonlight Glitter.

I felt like practicing some pony armor today! Also been trying to practice some background stuff. @IceStorm I hope you like this:

Silverstream's curiosity had soured the moment it spurred, as the stranger she inspected was disturbed enough to pull away. Just as he did so, the Chancellor walked by expressing his own perspective on the social blunder Silverstream would so commonly make. Although the role model would quickly get in line ahead of them, a line which lost it's meaning every second that passed. And the griffoness near the batpony was also outraged at her breach of conduct, calling her something she had never heard before. She would have to ask the elderly griffon about it later. She rubbed the back of her neck and looked away at the ground. She chuckled as she explained herself. "Oops, sorry. I just get so excited about things I've never seen before. I grew up in Seaquestria where we don't have many of the things that you can find on dry ground, and because I was born into a society trying to escape the Storm King, we never got many visitors either, especially a..." Silverstream looked around the batpony for a clue to the name of his kind, but she could not think of what it could be and she refused the obviousness in her head. "What kind of pony are you? Like a vampire pony or something?" She didn't think he was a vampire, but now that she said it out loud she started to notice the incredible length of the pony's fangs and began wondering if vampire ponies were actually a thing and not just a silly campfire story Gallus told her when they went camping not too long ago. Current fresh cider supply: 29%

The griffoness could not help but grin just a little as she spied the cute blue griffon through the corner of her eye, checking her out. She was that way too when she was his age. Always hanging around with her friends in Canterlot. Fire Walker was the military minded tough-girl. Presteza was the creative and cute planner. Docket was the brains. Together they......Wow....Something else caught her eye. Towards the farm, there was a rather large wolf-dog-thing? Did the Apples trade away their Border Collie for that big fella? Apparently they were ready to make a big batch. Hopefully enough for every creature. From what she had been told, the cider was made on the spot. Fresh with an proper head. Shame it wasn't hard cider. There were a few other interesting folk nearby. From a rather adorable and fuzzy bat-pony in sun-glasses. Wait a second? Were those dragon-wings? He almost looked like Wind Walker's little fuzzy 'Draco The Dragon-Pony' plush doll she used to have on her at all times.Was Draco for real? Further down was an rather attractive mare that seemed to be offended by the very idea that she was standing on an dirty, unpaved path. Still, she was a cutie. Griffons were born with incredible eye-sight, so she could see Prince Blueblood...And she was sure her old friend Fire Walker had been pulling her tail. Said he used magic and turned himself into a mare. Ha. Even said former colt-friend Dunder did the same. Poor gal must have been drinking some of Swift Squall's stronger wines he had in his cellar. Squall Sherry....And speaking of Dunder...That mare did look a little like.....Nah. It was probably a good idea to dissemble her tent and roll it up, which she started to. The griffon did not want to lose her deposit. "Huh....", she caught sight of a creature she had only heard stories about. An Hippogriff, and a rather pretty little on at that. She seemed to know the bluey and even called him out. Gallus. An proper, heroic griffon name. She liked him even more. They were probably school-mates over the nearby school. Being an bit of the beaky side, she decided to listen in to their conversation as she finished putting her tent back into its bag. Was it always this small? Oh feathers.

Bellissima Stella: talented, beautiful, and had a heart of gold and a kind soul. Ha! Maybe half of those are correct. This popstar princess was all looks and no personality, but most didn't know that. It took a while for anypony to actually catch onto her snooty, cocky self. This mare wasn't one to mess with, yet with her popularity growing, one did not look at her for her personality, but her talent. And she knew that. Why would a growing singer be stuck in a line waiting for some high class cider, though? Who knew. But there Bell was, sleeping peaceful in her very large tent, behind a couple ponies and griffons in line. The sky was clear, and the sun had just risen over the shelter she had made with a quick spell. She remembered she didn't really speak to anypony the night before as she set up her tent. The tall unicorn knew though in the morning she'd have to talk to somepony, because this was Ponyville. Ponyville met ponies liked to make friends. Bell wasn't much for friends, and that could be a problem. The high class unicorn already rehearsed what she'd say in the morning though, probably a few times over. She'd smile, flutter her long lashes, and tell everypony a good morning. Seemed easy enough. Maybe somepony would recognize her, hopefully. She loved the attention. But this wasn't about her, it was about the cider. She heard from countless news papers that it was cider season, and she wanted to put her own opinion in. Apple family cider. Bell loved cider herself, it was sweet and juicy. Her favorite fruit was apples anyway, so it made sense. There was no class on a tree farm, but she could deal with it. She didn't need marble floors and chandeliers to be happy- though, it would make her a little less grossed out from the dirty ground. The pink unicorn woke up quite late, later than everypony else. The mare needed her beauty sleep after all. A tired Bell was a grumpy Bell, and no pony needed that. So, when she woke up, she slowly got herself out of her sleeping bag and grabbed a hairbrush to get all the tangles out from her very long, colorful wavy mane. As she was brushing herself out, she heard creatures talking from outside. Bell knew she should probably go outside now. The mare trotted to the front of her tent and zipped it open, peeking her head out and looking around. She squinted from the sudden brightness, groaning as it shocked her eyes. "Why doesn't the sun ever warn precious 'ol me? It could blind any poor onlooker trying to get some sunshine!" Her nose scrunched up, bringing her whole body out of the tent and setting her hooves on the dirty ground. "Elch! Who dares live on this filth?" she questioned quietly to herself, huffing then turning towards the voices near her. She then put the fakest smile on her face. "Good morning, everypony! How are we all this kind morning?"

*This post submitted for judging* This long vacation had been quite the experience. Thank goodness, Nensho had talked Toboe into some time off... And helped her concoct an alias to play in this contest under. It was nice to run around in a look that wasn't so tiring to maintain around ponies. Now she could just walk around and not worry about any cameras or journalists from back home trying to make a bit or to by making some story about her. If word got out she was playing in these games the effect on her reputation would be questionable to say the least, especially if she lost. Well, all of that was irrelevant now. She'd come out of her favorite dress shirt and felt oddly exposed without it. It made the stretches she was doing at the starting line feel rather... embarrassing. Thank goodness most of the attention and cheers she could hear from spectators came from one weird looking kirin in an apron waving little flags. When she looked closer she couldn't help but notice that mare had her eyes closed while she cheered and those little flags seemed to bare the image of that Longma that went before. Was she his marefriend or something? No-no... Focus. Focus on the goal ahead. That Folksy pony announcer was sure to be introducing her soon enough. "Seems we got another visitor from way outta town...a Tuckered Hay-me?" "It's Tokkuri Hime!" She barked out in frustration, "That was only funny the first time!" The Kirin huffed through her nostrils and took her last couple stretches, then got into her her starting position. Her body like a tightly compressed spring of steel: Every fiber in her being ready, focused, and primed to burst through this course and take home whatever prize was to be won... even if she'd only started actually training herself in any serious capacity about a week ago. Much as she loved the work for the family and time behind a bar counter, she hated what it did to her physique sometimes. When that little red flag swished about she zipped right forward with a small cloud of dust behind her. Dust that soon became bits of dirt, and finally splashes of Mud as she met the mud pit. She snickered as she felt the thick mire surrounding her body cover her up to the shoulder, If there was anything in this course she knew she'd be able to handle: It was this. Memories of her and Nensho hopping around, playing in the rain came immediately to mind. For the sake of propriety back home she had to stop indulging in the simple pleasures of muddy puddle hopping. In her adult years it seemed she'd finally get to have a bit of fun in the mud again! Her speedy gait had been slowed somewhat , but only just barely as she was out almost as fast as she went in. The kirin looked almost disappointed when it was over, yet she moved on to the next trial with bits of mud still splashing off her now eighty percent brown coat. WIthout breaking her stride 'Tokkuri' moved on ahead to the barrels. Climbing them wasn't going to easy, at least not with mud still caking her hooves and an earthen paintjob that hadn't fully dried caking her coat. Not one to back down from a challenge, she hunched down and leapt from one barrel to the next. Stumbling at first from the layer of mud on her hooves, her balance off for some leaps and threatening to tumble down. On the worst stumble where she was sure she'd end up tumbling backwards she dug down and leapt to the top barrel. She felt the container wobbling under her weight and uneven distribution. In the hopes of steadying herself and stepped about... and then the barrel along with her rolled back down the hill of barrels with a series of wooden thuds that made the barrel roller cringe all the way to the bottom before leaping off and hoping that such a display wasn't considered disqualifying. With the longest part of the stretch coming up, the kirin realized she may as well use up the bulk of her stamina for it. She was more familiar with running with her head low so she ended up with a couple confused looks from the crowds as she ran forward with a great burst of speed, already panting and huffing in her excitement. She left quite the trail of dust behind her that an ill timed wind blew towards some of the spectators, leaving what appeared to be Feng's most passionate fan hacking and staring daggers into the runner's back. Feeling that glare 'Tokkuri' gave a dismissive snort, not that anyone would see at this point. With what she considered the most fun part of the course over and done with, the kirin moved along to the table of pies and with a swift motion of her tail brought each one onto her back. She knew that this wasn't going to be her best moment: She may have tried to carry herself with some grace back home, it was never something she felt she was inclined towards. She could already feel those pies starting to wobble on her back as she carefully marched along. She'd been raised to carry herself a certain way but her siblings were always so much better at it then she was... She could think of three of her siblings who could probably do this part of the course without batting an eye. Instead, 'Tokkuri' was here shakily weaving in between the poles. She had to freeze for a second on the first and seconds turns when she thought one of the pies was about to fall. On the third turn she flinched as she felt her muzzle itch. She cursed the season in her mind before hurried made her way to end with all the pies still on her back... though the crusts on top of the two bottom pies seemed suffered some minor damage. With a small smile the kirin let out a sigh of relief, "Well. That wasn't as hard as I'd tha-HACHOO!" The sudden sneeze made the participant reflexively buck and then the pies went up into the air... and feel back down on her, rendering the contestant a bigger mess than before. At first she was speechless but she quickly licked off some Apple from her nose and shrugged, "Hm... Still tasty! Anyone have a towel?"

Welcome to the Iron Pony Competition! Welcome to the roughest- toughest- and dustiest display of skill in all of Equestria! Ponies will compete in events that test their strength, speed, endurance, and stomachs! Do you have what it takes to be your best? Do you have what it takes to exceed the rest?? Do you have what it takes to be- The Iron Pony?! Join us in the games- and show us what you've got! Basic Information and Rules: - Please observe all site rules while you participate! - The Iron Pony Competition will last for three weeks, Starting Friday, June 28th and going until, Friday, July 19th! Week One Events: Cloudsdale Cloud Diving, The Obstacle Course, Cupcake Eating Contest Week Two Events: The Tug-of-War, Super Sure Shot Sniping Session, The Barrel Weave Week Three Events: The Longest Yards, Unnecessarily Extreme Rock Climbing, The Iron Swimmer - We will host different events each week for you to compete in- please check each thread for rules on how to compete, and how each competition will be judged! - To begin participating, click on the event that interests you and read the instructions and guidelines- then begin posting! - There is honor to be earned for the ponies who prove their mettle as the toughest stuff- each competition will announce a winner! - Multiple OC's / Characters may be used for events. Please read up on the rules in every competition as they may be different per contest. - A judge's decision is final! Please respect the judges and your competitors! While we are competing to do our best, we are all part of the same community!

Bell was loving the attention she got from such a handsome stallion. Something about him made her heart flutter, maybe because she knew he was some kind of royalty. Though she couldn't fit a name onto him, the way he talked seemed higher than normal pony folk. She knew a high class pony when she saw one. She wasn't an idiot, a fraud. She knew who she was talking to. "Why, you're not too shabby yourself." She fluttered her eyes, bringing a small smile across her face. "Ah, yes, that's right. Prince Blueblood. How quaint to meet you." She gave a smile again, noticing the line become more of a blob. "Well, I hope your duties well. Hopefully we can meet again, yes?" Fast forward.. After she got her cider, she looked at the little filly with a sparkle in her eyes. "That sounds very.. appetizing!" Bell grinned, grabbing the cider with her magic. She then hunched over, acting like she dropped something. "If only I could understand this little spec of mud- She sounds like she was raised by farm animals," she whispered to herself under her breath, very unlikely anypony heard her. "Thank you, again, little one!" The unicorn trotted away with her cider, leaving room for the next ponies up to try some. She looked around, making sure she wasn't just awkwardly standing by herself, and took a quick swig. The cider was very smooth, and very tasty. Bell actually thought it was the best drink she's ever had, and that says a lot. It was sweet, and tasted fresh and homemade. It probably was fresh and homemade. Now, the pink unicorn actually thought this was time well spent, until somepony came up to her. A black blur swooped in next to her, making Bell jump a little in shock. The mare looked incredibly athletic, grey and pink, didn't look 100% pony. Bell scrunched up her nose, trying to hold in the squeal she had in her. She didn't want this thing approaching her. The unicorn was picky with the ponies she talked too, and this was the main reason. The only thought that ran through her head was that some weird dirty half-pony got enough courage to talk to a gorgeous specimen like herself. There were so many ponies around her though, she couldn't be anything but nice. Bell took another sip, looking away then looking back at the grey mare. "Hello, there." Was all she said, as she gulped down another sip. 'Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm'....

Apple Bloom had to stop herself from giving a bit of an impish squeal. Why, Stella was even prettier and nicer inpony than she had imagined! She even hooved over her bits with grace as Apple Bloom talked up the cider she now held in her hooves. “Oh, its real good! This year's vintage got tha intense passionfruit-like aroma of freshly picked and pressed Jonagold and Porter’s Perfection apples, flourishin' all nice like! Try it, you'll be hooked,” she said confidently before the rush of customers once more stole her attention. Two bits, mug. Two bits, mug. “See ya!” Two bits, mug. “Chiao!” Two bits, mug. Two bits, mug. “Ahriivahderchi!” Two bits, mug. This is really hectic...but kinda fun! Another customer, a more regal sort. Apple Bloom knew this fella well enough. He was Prince Blueblood after all, and anypony who knew anything knew about the little side nobility that didn't much matter to anypony but themselves. Blueblood had a poor reputation at one point but his work with IMAGINE had turned that around pretty well, and everypony liked Princess Bluebelle! She was the Chancellor of the big school after all. So was Blueblood. Bluebloodbelle? It was hard to get it all right. She reckoned she'd just be as simple-minded about it as possible. If she got it wrong how could anypony be angry at her? “Hey there, Chancellor Blueblood! Fancy seein' yer fancy self this mornin'. Ah forgot, was it cold or hot drinks that did all the magical thingamajig?” She asked as she took his bits and sent over a foaming mug of ice-cold cider his way. So that was Silverstream's excuse? Well, knowing her, he could safely file that as a reason and less of an excuse. She rarely needed good cause to do anything at all as simple flights of fancy were things that well suited her on any given day. Still, she had better things to do than waste her time on this 'line'. “For all this? The cider better beat the expectations. I mean, its just an fruit drink. How big of a deal could it possibly be?” He said, looking around. “I guess a big deal. Maybe ponies in these parts are just really bored. It is a farming village, after all,” he said, turning around to catch Silverstream. He was deafened as she saw a batpony and flew up to it, touching it and being very invasive. Silverstream and her curiosity was almost as powerful as his desire to get his way through the line. Almost as powerful, anyway. He knew enough about batponies to know they were ponies with some bat features and were the rarest of the tribes. Maybe if he had his 'Stamp Once For Every New Creature You See And Befriend' Diversity Card for a free lunch in Canterlot he'd bother but he also figured that joke was played out. He turned his head back towards the crowd and tried to find a way through it, the noise of the crowd drowning out Zelda's rabid defense of the Lunar Guard as Gallus looked at the counter and saw some sloshing cider and felt a thirst that was different from the thirst he had felt just a minute or so ago start to build within him. @PrinceBlueblood

Waking up at the crack of dawn was not something that Dunnie was used to. At least, not anymore. However, camping was an exception no matter how close to civilization the camping was. These were also unusual circumstances for the mare, it seemed that Blueblood's collection of expensive drink would not be complete without some of that famous Ponyville cider, made by none other than the Apple family. Dunnie knew well enough that this was a popular enough occasion for the locals and some out-of-towners to break out the tents, so this had better be some good cider! She was trotting back along the endless stream of tents. Ponies waking up, milling about, preparing food or drink to start the day of waiting in line. Fortunately for her, she had a spot saved for her closer to the front of the line. Surprisingly so, since she had just arrived yesterday to find that her quarry had been camping early enough for him to get a good spot. Fresher cider, or something like that. As she trotted back up, she noticed that Blueblood was already awake and talking to a neighbor. She smiled and trotted past the pale pink pony and took a spot up next to Blueblood, where she would plant a kiss on the side of his muzzle. "Good morning." She opened up her wing to reveal a paper bag. "Got us some breakfast! For some reason, though, the only place open was the fast food restaurant." Guess they couldn't ditch work to snatch up some limited time cider. "Is this your friend?" She certainly was pretty, and definitely did not look like a local. A Canterlot native would not be far fetched.

Prince Blueblood, Head of House Platinum, foremost of the Canterlot Nobility, hereditary head of the Equestrian Unicorns, and part-time Princess (very long story) had recently added to his list of titles. As Twilight Sparkle had been selected to be the new Head of State, she had devolved her duties at the School of Friendship to him, making Blueblood the new Archancellor. No doubt she sought to make use of his extensive experience with diplomacy to continue international outreach, as well as his domestic political connections to shepherd the fledging academy around the pitfalls and traps laid in for it by obstructive bureaucrats and obstreperous nobles. And it had to be said, that despite his superficial reputation for superficiality, he did take these duties seriously, even to the point of taking up temporary residence in Ponyville, and trying to fit into the local life of the place. He would find himself often bemused at the differences in the social scenes between a growing but still small town and Canterlot, the city of his birth. It was in some respects quieter, of course, but more than the mere reduction of activity, what struck him was the unanimity of it when it came. For instance, Canterlot would often receive special shipments of food or drink, as highly prized among his class as any cider, but only his class tended to show up to such events. For the Apple Family Cider Season? Literally everypony in town was here, and that wasn't counting the out-of-towners. No wonder it was one mug per pony... He had, of course, reserved his spot with an extra-large tent, not to show off, or at least, not just to show off. He had some office work that still needed done, cider or not, and made a small workspace to finish up papers by lamplight before turning in the night before. This, naturally, led to a late wake up time, further extended by a thorough mane-brushing before emerging to greet the morning, along with a striking unicorn that had been his neighbor in line. "Oh, well fancy that!" He remarked upon laying eyes on Belissima Stella. "It is a good morning indeed, but I can't help but wonder, have I seen you somewhere before?" Seeing how a pony reacted to that question was a good way for Blueblood to get a sense of their character. Most ponies around here, would deny, truthfully, that their social circles had ever intersected. Some would do some humbly, others defiantly, still others in such a manner that betrayed desperation to enter his rarified world.

Gallus replied with a cocksure grin. No doubt her cider would be worth it but he couldn't act like it was a closed deal now, could he? Besides, how could he ever deny the chance at razzing one of Equestria's heroines? "Deal, Professor. Next time I'm in Griffonstone I'll tell them all about it, assuming all the boasting is true," Gallus said with a laugh. The caveat being that he didn't plan on returning to Griffonstone unless forced and if her work was half as good as advertised then he would be happy to talk about it. He just had to wonder if there was a secret code word to get the good stuff. He didn't have to follow their pony drinking laws, right? Griffons aged differently. He was technically an adult and could drink if he wanted. Or at least he would say that and hope they didn't challenge him on it too much. His mind wandered as he imagined just what he could get away with if he pursued that logic. Probably a fair bit until either Fluttershy or Twilight found out about it and then he'd get in a fair bit of trouble. Until that point though? Being treated like an adult griffon would be pretty nice. Had to be, right? Maybe lost in some old Equestrian law was the right for a Griffon to hunt down some wayward sheep and get some meat inside of him. That was something he missed. Harmony was great and all but veal was simply delicious. He was content in this thought process until he turned over to the sound of somecreature saying hello. Oh sweet feathers, look at her chest plumage! No don't let her catch you staring! He looked at her, then down, then away. She had such good chest plumage, damn. He then shook his head and replied with full confidence. "H-hey, yeah. Nice to see another g-griffon out here, haha!" he replied with extreme coolness and calmness. She also had cool coloration. You didn't see a lot of very dark shades among griffons from Griffonstone anymore and he always found it kind of...hot. Plus she had these cool markings on her talons. Were those natural? He wanted to look but he also didn't want to look at all because if he did look he was gonna try to sneak another peak of her awesome chest plumage. Well maybe just a peak... AT THE CIDER GALLUS COME ON! Apple Bloom took a deep, deep breath of her home's sweet air. Sweet Apple Acres was the best smelling land in all of Equestria because what came from it was the dual pleasing smell of apples and the familiar process of cidermaking. It was that time of year! That very special, very lucrative, time of year when the family's efforts became unnaturally focused on a single style of product and the time of year when everypony turned their eyes to Sweet Apple Acres. What would this year's vintage taste like? How would it hold? Ponies had so many questions and who could blame them. Sweet Apple Acres Cider was the best Cider in Equestria, maybe the whole world- no, definitely the whole world. She felt confident in that assertion. She also felt confident that this year she could actually help out a whole lot and actually earn her place at the Apples' celebratory table when all this was said and done. Sure she helped out but this year she wanted to *work*. She had brushed up on her sales techniques in case Applejack needed her to help push their family's fine product along. It spoke for itself but still you needed somepony up there to do the deed. She had her old bullhorn on hoof because she knew she could hype it up lie nopony's business. When you had as much passion for it as she did the job pretty much did itself! Inventory management is a pretty big deal so while it was super boring it was also just another way she could help ensure this was the best season ever. Security? She was super tough! Apple pressing? Super tough! Managing the barrels heading off the farm elsewhere? Super smart! There was no task that she could not complete and she would be happy if she could have Applejack look at her at some point and think to herself, "that young mare is pulling her weight and then some!" Apple Bloom trotted next to Applejack and was nearly jumping in place, such was her excitement. Of course despite being a young mare she had all the energy of an over-caffeinated filly to let out today. She had been storing it up after all! "Ah'm ready ta help! Where ya need me? Salespony, hypepony, inventory management, Flim n' Flam looker outerer! Whatcha need?" She asked with a wide grin, looking around with eyes seeking jobs and work for her to do.

Name: Sunset Shimmer Sex: Female Age: Young mare Species: Unicorn Eye Color: Cyan Coat: Ember Mane/Tail: Long flowing red hair, with curvy yellow highlights Physique: Typical of a mare her age Occupation: Guest speaker & substitute teacher at the Ponyville School of Friendship Residence: Whenever visiting Ponyville on business, she always stays at Twilight’s Castle Cutie Mark: Sunset’s cutie mark is a sun with curvy rays. The rays on one side are pale yellow colored, while those to the other are dark red. In the center of the sun are shapes reminiscent of a yin-yang symbol, also featuring the contrasting yellow-red color scheme. Unique Traits: Although technically a drop-out alumnus of the School for Gifted Unicorns, the accelerated rate at which Sunset Shimmer blazed through her classes (and various other “extracurricular studies”) long ago gives her a spellcasting repertoire equivalent to that of a typical summa cum laude graduate. Alongside Sunset’s relatively well-rounded magical skill set is a natural aptitude for fire spells... as one might expect of a unicorn with a fiery appearance and a sunny cutie mark. Back in her earlier troubled years, Sunset Shimmer discovered for herself how emotions could be drawn upon to further enhance a unicorn’s power. Filled with overwhelming feelings of pride and resentment, Celestia’s then-pupil readily channeled her anger and will to dominate to give herself power that exceeded those of nearly all her contemporaries. Not helping matters was Sunset’s brief flirtation with the learning of forbidden black magic. Although the unicorn didn’t get too far in her illicit studies before getting caught by her mentor, she learned enough to gain a rudimentary knowledge of the dark arts. Yet given Sunset’s desire to atone for her past mistakes, she vows never again to willfully wield negative emotions as weapons. How her resolve holds in the face of great emotional distress, however, remains to be seriously tested..... A curious recent development for Sunset Shimmer is the acquisition of advanced empathic abilities. These powers actually first manifested as a result of her adventures in the so-called “Mirror World”, after having come across rogue elemental magic that escaped from Equestria. If she wills it, Sunset can “touch” another creature with her magic in order to perceive their thoughts and memories. While using her empathy magic, the unicorn’s eyes glow with an unearthly white light. Foalhood: The tale of Sunset Shimmer is a tale of Villainy versus Redemption; of bondage to the past and the power to rise from one’s own ashes. It all began in the quaint town of Hope Hollow, a once idyllic community located “at the end of the rainbow.” But by the time Sunset was born, what had once been a popular weekend getaway for city ponies was beginning to fade into obscurity, and in the process falling into economic — and quite literal — depression. As ponies grew more hopeless, bonds between neighbors and families started withering away like flowers deprived of nurturing sunlight. So thus it was that in her first years of life, Sunset Shimmer knew nothing of love or friendship. Whenever her parents weren’t busy sniping at one another, they were taking out all their frustrations at their daughter. As for cordial playmates... well, such a concept was simply unheard of that day and age! Few foals ever congregated in Hope Hollow without getting into bickering matches or bullying one another. Little Miss Shimmer escaped all that by spending as much free time as she could in the local library; by then, nearly all townsponies avoided communal spaces like the plague. While piles upon piles of books were absolutely no substitute for the instinctive equine need to be loved and part of a herd, they did provide Sunset with the gateway she believed would lead her to the acceptance she desperately craved. In particular, the library’s unusually large Magic section (even divided into Arcane, Elemental, and Theory Of subsections!)..... Reading about amazing spells and great conjurers of old filled Sunset Shimmer with inspiration, igniting the fires of passion and ambition within her heart. Refusing to succumb to the scourge of despair, the young unicorn naively dreamed of a future where she’d shake the dust of her crummy old hometown off her hooves. First she would go to school in Canterlot to see what they knew, and then it would be off the see the world! She’d tour the castles of Kastrot and explore the arctic wastelands in search of the mythical Crystal Empire, fight magical beasts in the Everfree Forest, and write spells a volume long and forge a dozen- no, a HUNDRED enchanted relics!!! Sunset was going to be the greatest unicorn spellcaster since Starswirl the Bearded, and be praised and beloved by every single pony in Equestria!!!!! Naturally, Sunset Shimmer’s parents derided these lofty dreams as nothing more than foalish nonsense, but the filly had long since stopped giving a hoot about what they thought (at least, that’s what she told herself anyway). With the educational resources at her disposal, Sunset plunged head-first into the world of magic, starting first by learning how to conjure fire. Obviously, self-learning was no substitute for a proper education at an EEA-accredited institution, but Sunset couldn’t care less! So what if a few things accidentally caught on fire while taking the first steps on her journey? The fiery filly was making her dreams come true!!! It may not have been much of a surprise then that Sunset Shimmer’s first public debut of her talents to a crowd of jeering schoolkids ended rather controversially. Lacking the know-how to properly control her powers... and by subconsciously channeling her will to succeed at all costs, little Sunset’s clumsy attempt to magically create a fake sun out of flames left the manes of many a foal burned that day. But hey, that hovering sphere of fire actually turned out wondrously when all was said and done... and those neighsaying kids were jerks to her anyway. In that moment, Sunset Shimmer demonstrated the internal strife fueling her determination... and that in spite of everything she went through, an inextinguishable light burned brightly deep inside her heart. And so, Sunset was awarded with her cutie mark. Almost immediately afterward, the unicorn filly left Hope Hollow behind and never looked back. Judging by how she never heard or read of any news from that place since, Sunset simply assumed that crummy old town was finally abandoned and left to rot. Not once did she ever bother inquiring about the state of her former home or her family; those were all in the unicorn’s past... and her past was no longer today..... Under Princess Celestia’s Tutelage: If Sunset Shimmer’s first performance as a spellcaster could be described as a rocky rehearsal, then her entrance exam into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns was an epically disastrous opening night. Reflexively channeling her feelings of extreme frustration, Sunset resorted to blasting the dragon egg she had been encouraged to try hatching. It might have actually worked too if the filly could have better controlled her powers. Instead, all Miss Shimmer accomplished was exhausting all her magical strength... and trapping herself in an inferno in the process! Had it not been for the timely intervention of Princess Celestia, things could have ended up a lot worse. Recognizing that Sunset Shimmer possessed powerful magic that she didn’t know how to handle, Celestia offered to take the filly on as a personal student so that she could learn to safely harness her abilities and use them to help her fellow Equestrians. Having believed just moments before that her dreams had forever shattered into pieces, this was understandably quite the turn of events for little Sunset. Needless to say, the young unicorn wasted hardly any time in hugging her new mentor out of gratitude. Sunset Shimmer turned out to be quite the fast learner of Magic… maybe too fast. Still embittered from her early foalhood experiences, the new royal apprentice continued to focus on studying to the exclusion of nearly everything else, Friendship most of all. That turned into a grave concern for Princess Celestia, who had come to believe that Sunset was destined to play an important role in forestalling the inevitable return of Nightmare Moon. Celestia knew full well that only those with Friendship in their hearts could wield the Elements of Harmony. Accordingly, the alicorn expected — perhaps unfairly in retrospect — that Sunset spend more of her time bonding with her fellow schoolponies. But Miss Shimmer failed to grasp the vital importance of making friends... nor did she even know how to make friends to begin with! All Sunset heard was a nagging mentor being a nag for its own sake. While Celestia may have been the most knowledgeable magic practitioner known to ponykind... her attempts at guiding Sunset towards Friendship proved woefully inadequate. This would bite Celestia in the flank a few years down the line, after Sunset started suspecting that she was being held back in her studies due to her mentor’s apparently nonsensical whims. Everything came to a head on one fateful night, when Princess Celestia caught her disgruntled student illicitly reading a forbidden tome on dark magic. During the insuring confrontation, Sunset Shimmer tearfully accused Celestia of having no faith in her student; the faithful student who only ever wanted to make her mentor proud. But when Celestia responded that declaring Sunset would have to be put on probation for her actions, the fiery pupil finally snapped. Cruelly mocking Celestia as a worthless hypocrite with no real friends of her own, Sunset betrayed and abandoned the mentor she had once loved as a daughter. Employing an enchanted mirror she stumbled upon earlier during her extracurricular studies, the unicorn fled Equestria altogether. Rising From the Ashes: As if living in self-imposed exile in the bizarre Mirror World wasn’t traumatic enough for Sunset Shimmer, the fact that she was now incapable of using Magic at all was nothing less than the ultimate insult. Magic meant everything to Sunset; without it, she was nothing. With her lifelong dreams utterly crushed, Sunset’s heart blackened and became filled with hate and rage. If she could not prove herself a girl worthy of praise, then she would prove herself a villain and hate the idle pleasures of those days. Plots did Sunset lay in her adoptive community, setting friend and clique alike against each other. Through manipulation and intimidation, the Unfaithful Student rose to a position of unquestioned prominence amongst her peers... though of course, petty social standing was absolutely no substitute for the Power of Magic. Swiftly consumed by megalomania, Sunset covertly returned to Equestria in order to steal the Element of Magic and exploit it in the Mirror World. However, as irony would have it, her diabolical plans were thwarted by the girl who took Sunset’s place as Celestia’s Faithful Student: Twilight Sparkle. Yet again in her life, Sunset Shimmer hit rock bottom... only for Twilight to unexpectedly offer the very foe she opposed mere moments before the opportunity to not only accept her Friendship, but to study it under her tutelage. Sunset was overwhelmed; all her life, she was led to believe that only by mastering Magic would anypony ever provide her with the acceptance she’d desperately craved since birth. But to be offered Friendship unconditionally, with no ill will and complete acceptance of who she was? ........................... .....Frankly, it was all that Sunset Shimmer ever really wanted in the first place. To this day, Sunset Shimmer deeply cherishes the pony who currently reigns as Princess of Friendship. With the additional help of a band of special companions from the Mirror World, the former villain has managed not just to turn her life around, but to transform into a genuine inspirational figure in her own right. While Sunset considers it her primary responsibility to keep tabs on Equestrian magic and exiles which escape into the Mirror World, more and more she finds herself returning to her homeland for both business reasons and for fun. And if the Headmare of the Ponyville School of Friendship gets her way, those trips of Sunset’s may become even more frequent..... Character Personality: The Sunset Shimmer of today barely resembles her past self. Kindled by the fire of friendship instead of personal ambition, Sunset is an outgoing individual, community-minded and always happy to lend support when needed. Additionally, Sunset nowadays appreciates the joys of recreational hobbies, art being chiefest among them. Although she presents herself as a cool laid-back girl, Miss Shimmer in reality possess a sharp analytical mind that many wouldn’t suppose at first glance; a lasting legacy of her time as an aspiring sorceress and Celestia’s prized pupil. Whilst undoubtedly Sunset Summer’s demonstrated her reformed nature many times over, other lingering elements of her prior life remain under the surface. For one thing, she hates losing; absolutely HATES IT! If placed under enormous stress, Sunset is also prone to lashing out in anger at others around her, although her temper usually subsides rather quickly. Oh, and if someone ever dares threaten one of Sunset’s friends, it will take a herculean effort on her part to avoid giving into the temptation to end them right there and then. Sunset Summer’s greatest fear is that one day, she’ll end up failing her dearest companions when they need her the most. Likewise, the Redeemed Student hopes that in the far future when all is said and done, she would have lived a good life, becoming someone earnestly worthy of love..... Character Summary: Sunset Shimmer understands that within her — along with the potential to cause great harm to others — is the power to lift them up with the light of friendship. But rather than dwell on her past mistakes, Sunset recognizes that everyone on some level can face the internal battles she once suffered through. If anybody is capable of both great evil and great good, then shouldn’t they be treated like they’re worth giving a chance?

**Post submitted for judging** Nensho had really enjoyed watching Toboe’s run through this course, cheering on his childhood friend from the stands. All in all, this looked like it would be a fun time. As for now, he was stretching at the starting line, the okami disguised in his typical unicorn guise. “This next contestant is actually a good friend of the previous one.” The announcer said, waggling his eyebrows and earning a snort from Nensho. He may want that sometimes, but he doubted she felt that way and he didn’t want to ruin what they already had. “In any case, please welcome Nine-show Ha!” The announcer continued. Well, at least he was close. Once the starting flag was waved, he was off like a shot, quickly approaching the mud pit. Using his momentum, he took a running leap to skip a part of the mud, giving a laugh as he felt himself fall in. He had no qualms about getting down and dirty, and he had waded through plenty of mud in his time. One step at a time, he pushed himself forward until he trudged his way out of the mud. Figuring he had enough time, he took a moment to shake himself off like a dog before running to the next obstacle. He grinned as he came up on the barrels, immediately jumping up on one of the lower ones. Honestly, he barely saw this as a competition, it was just a fun time on an obstacle course. In his mind, he’d already won since he had the chance to do this with Toboe. Hopping from barrel to barrel was easy enough, though he might be toppling the tower one barrel at a time. That’d probably explain all the noise behind him, but at least it still seemed mostly intact ahead. Once he reached the top, he let out more laughter before jumping down in one leap and landing with a roll to reduce the impact. Now for the straight part. Really, giving a wolf a chance to run full-out? Nensho shot off, speeding down the track and panting. Running like this narrowed the world into what was straight ahead, so much so that he almost ran right past the table holding the pies. Thankfully though, he managed to skid to a stop next to the pies before plopping them on his back one by one. He moved off at a quick trot, not used to carrying things like this that he couldn’t just pick up again. His pace left the pies shaking on his back, almost falling off multiple times. Some quick adjustments and some swats from his tail managed to keep them up there though, and soon enough he was across the line. With the race done, he used his magic to pick up the pies and dig in to one of them. “Deeeelish! Compliments to the chef of these pies!” He laughed, looking over towards Toboe mischievously before launching a pie at her. Not too hard to hurt, obviously. “Tokkuri, catch!” He called out, heading over with the third pie for them to share.